Center your story around someone facing their biggest fear or enemy.

Posted in Character on Aug 9, 2024

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✍️ 71 stories

“Cracked Under Pressure” by Ellie Northrop

Submitted to Contest #263

I could hear the footsteps as my father climbed up the stairs. Each step was like thunder clapping, echoing across the house. Following each step was a drunken groan from the owner of the footsteps.If I focused hard enough, the smell of liquor could reach my nostrils from where I lay. I twitched my nose in disgust as cold shivers ran down my spine. Fear and anticipation were filling in the pit of my stomach as I waited.'Drunken bastard.' I thought, watching my bedroom door closely.There was no lock on my bedroom door. My father got rid of it...

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“She Jumps” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #263

(TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SELF-HARMING, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES) When she was six years old, she started having nightmares of being chased. The antagonists of her nightmares took the form of horrible, terrifying mythical creatures: mountain trolls, dinosaurs, dragons and werewolves were among the regular rotating roster of monsters that would chase her through dreamscapes every night. These nightmares continued to rear their ugly head as she got older. Eventually, the story-book creatures began to morph into realistic an...

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“Leave ” by Chloe Pierce

Submitted to Contest #263

If the pain is as temporary as Connor McCall himself, Dylan might survive. But there is nothing fleeting about Connor except the man himself. He is, by design, flawed. His smile, despite its compelling nature, sits lopsided to the left and a complicated relationship with himself leaves an arrogant stain on his personality. But somewhere between the perfectly styled hair and the expensive ties that suffocate him into designer suits, Connor is a disaster. “You should feel lucky,” Derek says, voice soft with understanding. Drinking in the sh...

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“Layla and the Dream Competition” by Kathryn Minicozzi

Submitted to Contest #263

It was Friday evening, and she hoped to ace tomorrow’s competition. Layla Mancini sat at the piano and let her fingers glide over the first movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. This piece was second nature to her by now. She had nothing to worry about. However, pre-competition nerves prompted her to practice the sonata until she was sure she could play it even if she zoned out, which was always possible. Layla was on the older side of the competition’s age limit at fourteen years of age. This year w...

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“THE ARTIST'S CHOICE” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #263

Gage sat in the window seat of his cabin and fidgeted with the pad of paper and pencil beside him on the dusty old cushion. He had picked them up at least half a dozen times in the last half hour. He had started to sketch the view from the window seat but hadn’t made more than a few half-hearted lines. Usually, his creative juices were working overtime, but today he felt like a parched lizard sitting by a cactus in the desert. He had nothing, zilch, nada. One big fat zero. He loved art, drawing, painting, and sculpting. It was his raison d’ê...

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“Another FGI” by Maria Wickens

Submitted to Contest #263

“Haz!” A short, sweaty guy with unblinking bloodshot eyes waits outside the cabin.Meeting up with a crazed little man sweating profusely has all the elements for a bad night in the boondocks. From the moment Harrison shouted at me to get in the car, it was clear there was a bad moon on the rise and I did not have my things together. Not at all.“Who’s Haz?” I whisper to my brother.“Me,” says Harrison. “Short for Hazard.”Oh yeah. Sure. That made sense.Short, dark and sweaty is Chaos. Another buddy from Harrison’s time in the dessert. They use ...

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“letter to Death” by Page Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #263

Hello all, this is my letter to death. Death seeps into every aspect of life, no matter how far you can run. It destroys insides, relationships, and minds. Death consumes all, at one point or another. To Death, I hope to never find you again. You come in the dead of night in a pool of sweat over my forehead. You come on the most beautiful of moments, taking everything in your path. You are a restless regret that cannot be found. Beings everywhere fear you to great extents, but I am angry with you. I have not feared you, and therefore ...

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“A Perfect Date ” by Jennifer Greenwood

Submitted to Contest #263

A Perfect Date Raul lays out his short-sleeved salmon shirt on the ironing board. He pulls it to the edge so that he can get the shoulder properly pressed. As he does this, he wonders about the choice of location for his date. He has chosen an old, traditional bar that serves fried fish and beer. It is always bustling and he thought it would be a good bar to ask those awkward getting-to-know-you type questions whilst also noisy enough for any awkward silences to be filled. He goes through his list of preparations in his head. He has al...

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“The Greatest Foe” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #263

I saw a therapist once. It was more than once. The attraction was elemental. We both kidded ourselves that there was more there than there really was. Something beyond the sating of physical desire. Maybe there was, but neither of us explored that aspect of what was on offer. We liked the thought of each other and what was on display was intoxicating. The taste of her lingers on in my memory. Her words however…She didn’t exactly open up. We’d both been open in our own way. Had to be in order for what we had to be so dizzying and mind alterin...

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“Private Fears in Public Places” by E. H. Main

Submitted to Contest #263

Chapter 1 - “If I Tremble” I am afraid of so many things. First, there's the Dark. I feel like that one is pretty common, so no need to explain right? We are all a little scared of what could be lurking out there. Second, Mirrors. That's probably a little weird, but I don't like to look at myself in them and every time I do, it's a personal jump scare. Third, this one is weirdly specific, but I physically cannot look into mirrors in the dark. Thanks to that lovely Bloody Mary game. Fourth is similar, but windows in the dark freak me out....

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“The Door” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #263

Joseph clumsily pushed open the door to his apartment after noisily fiddling with his keys, his arms laden with shopping bags. From outside the hum of traffic and cars seeped through the walls, and he could hear his next-door neighbour shouting at his kids. After closing the front door, he shuffled into the kitchen and put his shopping bags on the counter. His job – forklift driving – had been stressful this day. He had gone back and forth around the warehouse, frantically shifting pallets around trying to bring some kind of o...

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“Hebron” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #263

Content warning: A death, some bloodCicadas droned and flies buzzed in the stillness and heat. Caleb stared at the young man lying facedown on the ground. The sun gleamed on the terrible bloody dent in Shobab’s head, and on the dark metal of the ax head lying loose on the ground. The wooden handle it belonged to felt light and empty in his hands, like his own head. “Run, Caleb!” The voices of the other young men broke into the profound silence of his mind. “Run, now!” Someone shoved him from behind, and Caleb stumbled for...

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“Six Feet, Uphill” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #263

Six Feet, Uphill by Burt Sage I’m standing on the 18th tee of the Eagle Hill Country Club. It’s the final round of our golf championship. It’s match play, and it’s down to two guys—me and Stan. We’re all even; whoever wins the next hole wins the championship. We shouldn’t be here. It shouldn’t be me and Stan. It should be Tim and Frank. Stan and I are also-rans, like the horses in a horse race that don’t win, place, or show. But here we are. As usual for these matches, a small group of spectators follow us around the course. There’s my fam...

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“Blurred Memories” by Grayson Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #263

Zander drives along the highway, white knuckling the wheel for who knows how long. The radio plays soft tunes, adding a gentle atmosphere underneath the pure nerves building in his stomach. His limbs are stiff. He can’t bring himself to relax. His girlfriend, Hana, must notice as she places a comforting hand on his thigh. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” she asks. Zander briefly glances at her, noting her furrowed brows before returning his attention to the road. “Yep. Yes.” He stretches his shoulders and smiles, attempting to at least a...

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“BAD VISION” by Garret Durrette

Submitted to Contest #263

My name is Gerald Taft. I'm told my vision is impaired. "Near-sighted," the doctor says, ever so detached. Something about the shape of my eye. I just call it bad vision. With my glasses on, no problems. The problem isn't what I see with my glasses. It's what I see without them.The first time it happened, I was twelve. I'd misplaced my glasses and was fumbling around my room, squinting at blurred shapes. From the corner of my eye, just inside my peripheral vision, something moved. That's when I saw Them. They looked like shadows but darker, ...

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Center your story around someone facing their biggest fear or enemy.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 71 stories

“Cracked Under Pressure” by Ellie Northrop

“She Jumps” by Natalie Vicari

“Leave ” by Chloe Pierce

“Layla and the Dream Competition” by Kathryn Minicozzi

“THE ARTIST'S CHOICE” by Glenna Agnew

“Another FGI” by Maria Wickens

“letter to Death” by Page Jenkins

“A Perfect Date ” by Jennifer Greenwood

“The Greatest Foe” by Jed Cope

“Private Fears in Public Places” by E. H. Main

“The Door” by Paul Hellyer

“Hebron” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

“Six Feet, Uphill” by Burton Sage

“Blurred Memories” by Grayson Kennedy

“BAD VISION” by Garret Durrette

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story from the antagonist’s point of view.

Start or end your story with a hero losing their powers.

Write about two mortal enemies who must work together.

Write the origin story of a notorious villain.

Contest #263

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

314

Contest entries

109

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: