Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 111 stories

“Koffee ” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

Submitted to Contest #120

CW: transphobiaWell, it turns out that I am hyper-fixated on background noises and want to feel them touching my skin and prickling my ears. I must have caught on to that thought or that realization while stuck in the rain one day but it does feel certain in a kind of morbid way. And, of course, I’d hate to admit that there has been a want in my heart for quite some time now; a want for something appealing like stranger’s hushed conversations on Friday nights. In admitting that thought, I become a vulnerable child and who’s to say vulnerabil...

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“Chris and her Daughters” by Stevie B

Submitted to Contest #120

Standing in front of me in a dress I’d never before seen her wear, Chris, my wife, asked, “Does this make me look fat?” Being an old hand at fielding such questions I responded, “No dear, you look more lovely than usual, whom one would think, in and of itself, was unsurpassable!” Letting out a peal of girlish laughter, the kind of laugh that had been one of the many things I found so attractive about her, my wife leaned in to kiss my cheek but faded away before she could. Hey, when she’s happy I’m happy! It had been a little over a year ...

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“Off the mark” by Boutat Driss

Submitted to Contest #120

Girls dream of prince charming and they invented the rich, handsome, young and intelligent man. The guys took it as face value and were doing everything they can to get a resume meeting these four requirements. Once girls, grow up in their mind, become mature, revise their standards on perfect men, define their futures, stick to their goals, chart their way to achieve them and if it is possible to live with a balanced man who pays attention on her and maybe with certain requirements of their youthful dreams: The icing on the cake. Their real...

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“corroded stardust ” by KED KED

Submitted to Contest #120

She looked relatively normal, he noted. Though, Alex had been doing this job long enough to know that his own preconceived notions surrounding appearance were typically dashed the moment they started telling their story if they chose to do so. She was laying on her back, her shirt already off and her eyes closed, breathing deep. “Hey there. I’m Alex. I’m the artist assigned to you as part of your witness protection process. Your record shows you only have one? The chain-link on your left breastbone?”&...

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“A Time to Remember” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #120

The recent lockdown gave me time at home and at last I’d run out of excuses. For over thirty years, I’d been meaning to sift through that box of paperwork and letters. It’s not that I procrastinate, you understand; I’ve always attended to my affairs and left no correspondence unanswered. However, blowing the dust off my family’s heirlooms was a daunting task. An ideal moment hadn’t happened, or maybe I’d avoided making the time. # So, being honest, I’d chosen to forget about the chore, given there were two hundred envelopes to open...

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“Jacob's hues of darkness” by Angela Govender

Submitted to Contest #120

The reflection of the beautiful night sky made the lake glisten, and it appeared as if a million fireflies lit up the lake. The seductively beautiful night showed off a magically glowing lake with a starlit sky. This would have made the perfect romantic way to pop the question and get Anna to say yes. A wispy ambrosial smell was in the air, with the night sky having adorned herself with the richest of rich diamonds covered in a velvet gown. Could it be this serendipitous moment that I needed all this while? Just when I was at the point of ...

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“✨ 👹 Mirrored Souls 😇 ✨” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #120

(Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Violence, Mild Language, and an overabundance of Emojis.)Authors note: The legendary Deidra Lovegren challenged me to write a tale with emojis, and this is what I came up with, so a huge shout out to her!! I also wanted to give special thanks to my dear friend Kelly, who enlightened me on the “Twin Flames” concept from which this story was born. Thanks for reading!!For the emoji free version, see (Bonus content) in the comments section below. In the depths of 🌋 Hell 🌋, the great slanderer, Diabolos 👹, was ...

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“Searching For Sanctuary ” by Avery Conner

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #120

Searching for sanctuary Cough. She wheezed. She could hardly think. What would he do without her? The night grew cold. Sweat gathered in beads on her forehead and her face seared like a deadly sunburn. Cough. She tried to open her eyes. She felt him laying next to her and, with the last of her strength, she grabbed his sleeping hand. Then she, too, fell asleep. ∆∆∆ He woke to the sun beaming through cracks in the wall. Nothing stirred. He didn’t hear her coughing. His attention snapped from asleep to alert. He sat up and her hand still ...

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“something about the cold.” by Mira H

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #120

CW: mental health, disordered eating There was something about the cold. Perhaps it was the quiet, gentle whistling of wind dancing through the bitter air; the sky void of clouds and an imperceptible shade of blue (or was it simply blank after all?). The barren, bleak landscape with powder dusting weary branches. Miniature mountains standing proudly on every street corner, boxing in sidewalks and feeling oddly protective of the freezing pedestrians. A painful chill pinching the insides of your nose, demanding your attention and assertin...

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“Love-Lost Purpose” by Eric Falvey

Submitted to Contest #120

Ziad K. Abdelnour once wrote "Time is a currency that we can only spend once."What an interesting dichotomy this belief presents. The world is divided into two types of people it seems; the "Live for the moment" people, and the "Build a foundation for a better tomorrow" people. One group wears their heart on their sleeves, takes bold chances, lives fast, and throws their whole souls into whatever they do. The other class, uses caution, and logic. They strategically build their lives up around them, wagering that they will live long enough to...

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“The Opera of Phantoms” by J F Teller

Submitted to Contest #120

The melody begins slowly, the low dark sound of the lone cello filling the empty space and echoing around much like the thoughts in her own mind. The melancholic music seems to come from the shadows of the large room, its darkness broken only by small streaks of sunlight and her stark white dress. The extended notes from the cello continue, irreverent to her inner turmoil, yet deeply attuned to its anguish. She takes a deep breath, making the small beads on the bodice twinkle, slowly lifts her delicate chin, and raises her arms to position. ...

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“The Siren” by Sarah Nour

Submitted to Contest #120

TW: Death, grief* * * The sunlight was fading, the roar of the waves droning into a gentle murmur, but he couldn’t scatter her ashes just yet. It was what she wanted, Jason knew, but for the time being, Cora was here with him.She wasn’t digging for seashells or lying on her towel under an umbrella. She wasn’t walking along the shore with her sundress blowing in the wind or chasing down the kids when they refused to put on sunscreen. But still, she was here, under the lid of the urn he clung to.This was supposed to be their time together, jus...

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“Dreaming As Wars Go By” by CJ Rodgers

Submitted to Contest #120

The fire was low and the noise outside the school was getting louder.“Alice!” A frantic girl called. Alice looked up, hardly flinching as the windows and floor rattled under the shockwave of a shell landing. “They need you in the office! They’re performing an amputation!” Her French accent mangled the English words, fear thickening it. Alice swallowed hard and gestured to the soldier in front of her. “Take over here, Lucette.” She passed over the roll of bandages and dipped her hands in a bowl of cold, red water. She dried her hands on ...

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“The Grave of Our Future” by Heather Van Ness

Submitted to Contest #120

The scarf tethered to my neck was orange like the sunset. I tugged at the worn fabric, loosening it enough to gulp down air. Despite the frigid weather, sweat bloomed on my skin, making my parka feel like a fiery prison. “Is that it?” I asked. He only nodded and patted my shoulder. His eyes were gray like the sky before it burst apart with rain during a storm. He watched me with a stillness that matched the forest all around us. “Is that it?” I repeated, unsure how to process the detour from our future that had seemed so sure ...

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“Good to the Last Drop” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #120

TW: Abandonment issues.I used to envy people bragging on their family trees and illustrious histories. So many royals, battles, and mansions on the hill. Named for a general? Cool. The conversation always stalled when I asked, ‘And what great things have you done?’ Blank stares and heated debate about the Dodgers’ stats followed.Go ahead, blame sour grapes. Lacking estate, I’m descended from a dumpster in an alley behind a liquor store, on a hill. Have you heard of it? Found sired by a dumpster, blue from desperate crying. How long must one ...

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Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 111 stories

“Koffee ” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

“Chris and her Daughters” by Stevie B

“Off the mark” by Boutat Driss

“corroded stardust ” by KED KED

“A Time to Remember” by Howard Halsall

“Jacob's hues of darkness” by Angela Govender

“✨ 👹 Mirrored Souls 😇 ✨” by Daniel R. Hayes

“Searching For Sanctuary ” by Avery Conner

“something about the cold.” by Mira H

“Love-Lost Purpose” by Eric Falvey

“The Opera of Phantoms” by J F Teller

“The Siren” by Sarah Nour

“Dreaming As Wars Go By” by CJ Rodgers

“The Grave of Our Future” by Heather Van Ness

“Good to the Last Drop” by John K Adams

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with the line ‘Back in my day…’

Write about two characters’ different perspectives of the same past event.

Start your story with a character looking through an old family photo album.

Your character has always viewed the past with rose tinted glasses. Write about what happens when they’re finally confronted with the truth.

Contest #120

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

244

Contest entries

163

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: