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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or metaphorical).

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 48 stories

“Another Mercy” by Tedcor Obli

Submitted to Contest #123

Another hand movement, another subtle twist of the wrist, another mercy. The mind told the spine which told the wrist which moved the hand which held the bending and twisting fingers. Their arms and hands moved together in a quiet and precise concert that could only come with years of practice. There was speed, but not a twisting and jerking kind; it was a graceful movement. Each movement, another plunge of the needle. Each movement, another small line of silk tugging together two pieces of flesh torn asunder. The only sound was the barely...

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“On The Future Feed” by John Walsh

Submitted to Contest #123

            A head-on collision right here in the Colony.             Eric could tell by her cracked mask that the woman in the Bentley was a Performer. He couldn’t see the driver of the pick-up truck, probably a rube. No one seemed to be seriously hurt but as a Performer and a witness he knew he would be interviewed for the Feed. First he had to get home as quickly as possible. He began to run but not too fast. It would no...

4 comments 4
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“Masks Required” by Anne Sellers

Submitted to Contest #123

There had been winter storm warnings in Texas before, but they hadn't seen snow since 2010. There was a joke that a person could experience all four seasons in one day in Texas. Funny, but not really, considering most of the seasons were just varying degrees of summer. He didn’t give the storm warning a second thought. Sure, there may some flurries, maybe even sleet, or the roads may ice. But as soon as the sun came out it would all melt away. Or so he thought. By noon, the city would be back to normal. While others were panicked and ru...

2 comments 2
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“Noises in the Dark” by Monica Parker

Submitted to Contest #123

“Are you sure? I can stay. I bet I’d enjoy whatever you have planned.” I knew that wasn’t true. My plans included frozen pizza, popcorn, and Netflix. “No, no. You should go. You’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. It’s bad enough you had to shorten your trip to only overnight.” “Actually, I’d be okay with making it a day trip. It's not like it's a milestone birthday.” “What do you mean? You only turn forty-two once in a lifetime. Besides, I’ve been left alone for longer periods of time in the past. And don’t forget, taking separate...

3 comments 3
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“Clandestine” by Kassidy O'Brien

Submitted to Contest #123

 "Kyra! Come downstairs, breakfast is ready, you don't want to be late to school again!" My mother shouts from downstairs. I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans and take a deep breath while looking into the mirror one more time. I look good, I smirk as I head down stairs. "Hi, darling, I made your favorite, banana toast." My mother smiles with her pearly white teeth. "Thank you mom," I say back while taking a bite. The warm crunch of the toast with the disperse flavor of the banana helped with my morning just that more. Before I knew it ...

2 comments 2
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“When will I be mine again?” by Veda Vivek💎

Submitted to Contest #123

It’s so suffocating. I crawled into the shadows, trying to remain unseen by the creature.  It doesn’t work. It stopped in front of me, grinning before turning its back on me and walking away. I stand, walking towards the barrier, putting my palm against the thin glass, my skin glowing. The dark duplicate of me walks ahead, stopping as they stared out, looking through my eyes into whatever I appear to be seeing outside my mental consciousness.  “Smile,” they hissed. I felt a tug of my lips, the corners slipping up. I...

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“Until He proves me wrong” by Georgina Rowley

Submitted to Contest #123

Please be advised that the following story contains sensitive content including:Mental healthSexual violencePhysical violence and/or abusePlease refrain from continuing if it is a trigger or may harm your well-being.It was hot and the rain was sticky. I loved it. I twirled around and the grass flew like natures own ribbons. My dress in the colours of summer, floated as I did. The sound of my laughter filled the air and Jasper looked at me with widened eyes. I had his hands in mine and we spun and spun until I could not spin anymore. I t...

2 comments 2
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“Burnt” by Sarah Rich

Submitted to Contest #123

He walked up to the mirror with a gloomy sigh. His pale hair fell into his eyes as he looked down at the floor. Even though it had been six years since that night, mirrors were always a fear to him – a reminder of what took place. The dimmed light of his bedroom only granted faint shadows of objects, and he kept it that way on purpose.When he sucked in a breath, he looked up. The right side of his face was as it always had been; a beautifully blemish free cheekbone and jawline that sparkled with its unique and ghostly complexion. The le...

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“New Face, three micro-stories” by Barak Ben Dov

Submitted to Contest #123

Jane Austen While my toes started their usual tingling dance, a delightful last year drifted through my mind.  Every year, for many years now, and like every other human on Earth, I shift into a stranger's body. Around the end of summer, everyone finds themselves being hosted in a different body in a matter of a few seconds. A year ago, I opened my eyes while lying in a newly sheeted bed. It felt so comfortable that I shut them and continued sleeping. A gentle tug of the blanket woke me up. Curiously I turned to find a woman stari...

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“A Puppets Soul” by Holli Walsh

Submitted to Contest #123

The distant yelling was grating; the phantom voices would keep screaming and pleading for help. That was until the stage was lit and the play started. I stood by, ready to push the next prop on stage, breathing heavily behind my mask. Even after a year of doing laborious jobs in this mask, I still found myself easily exhausted. Some days I wanted to quit and just do art like I always dreamed of. But the words my parents said always reminded me.“We need you to work hard to pay us back.”The scene change came, and I stood behind the big tree pr...

1 comment 1
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“And the Oscar Goes To...” by Milea Huckeby

Submitted to Contest #123

Prologue It's difficult being the funny guy.  The guy who is always down for a good time, ready to be the life of the party.  "Hey Johnny!  Sing us a song!"  Or, "Hey Johnny! Moon those girls over there!” Or, my personal favorite, “Hey Johnny!  You got the blow?”   I smile.  I laugh.  I perform.  Like a monkey trained to do tricks, or a circus freak. Don't get me wrong - being the life of the party is better than not being invited at all.  In fact, more often than not I enjoy myself.  Bu...

1 comment 1
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“The Happy Mask” by Casey Ingram

Submitted to Contest #123

She is as bubbly as it gets. Her personality radiates positivity and there’s nothing but a genuine niceness that can be felt within minutes of shaking her hand. When you meet her, you'll realize almost immediately that she is one of a kind. With her wide variety of ridiculous jokes that range from corny to downright inappropriate, she will keep you laughing from the get-go. Her favorites to tell are so messed up and so darn raunchy that you will swear you need a shower after hearing them. But, believe me, you are going to be impressed by her...

1 comment 1
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“A new mask” by Brooke J

Submitted to Contest #123

The problem with Thursdays isn’t that Friday can’t come soon enough. Sitting in my apartment watching my flat mate vape and play Friends reruns isn’t a riveting weekend activity. The problem is that only Greg and I are at work. The halls are nearly empty and the odor of Wednesday’s stale coffee sits idly in the pot by my door. Greg strides in twenty minutes late as he usually does, a bluetooth piece in his ear and axe body spray wreaking from his beer stained suit, walking in with purpose as if none of us notice last night’s hangover followi...

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“A Box of Memory” by Jeremiah Benson

Submitted to Contest #123

"I was ashamed of myself when I realized life was a costume party; and I attended with my real face." - Franz KafkaMy life has always felt like a horizontal free fall. When I look back, all I can collect are the few momentary fragments, distilled from the greater stream they once ran through. I lay out the puzzle pieces in different arrangements, but none of the sequences make it clear. I pull out a photograph from when I was just 18 years old: we're smiling under the warm Mediterranean sun. The photo was taken right after completing the hik...

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“Hidden” by Ronny Ferry

Submitted to Contest #123

Written in response to, Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or Metaphorical). Rundi is such a sweet-natured little girl whose mask holds a secret. I met Rundi two years ago when we employed a new maid, her mother. Who would have imagined that our two worlds would come together? But come together they did and we became firm friends. She would usually bring her two children to work. Her children and mine played happily together while Ruth worked and we chatted contently. I believe that everything happens for a reason...

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