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

Posted in Character on Aug 9, 2024

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✍️ 71 stories

“The Tree Remembers” by Jaal Mola

Submitted to Contest #263

Trigger Warning: Verbal abuse I was fourteen years old when I left my mother. Or rather, when she abandoned me. It was a wet spring morning when Mother called me to her room. I passed my father’s–no, Lord Heo’s – quarters, already bustling with servants readying his carriage for the day. Then, I softened my steps to slink by Lady Heo’s garden, as she would be on her morning walk, and she would be furious as a rabid dog if she saw me. To my surprise, she wasn’t there. Finally, I arrived at Mother’s room. Dread had hung over me like a cloud al...

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“The Brave Green Frog” by Melissa Polk

Submitted to Contest #263

The evening chorus was the highlight of every summer night. The crickets chirped their clear song from the long grasses along the shore. Reeds rustled in harmony as the muskrat scurried on the hunt. The bullfrogs had a monopoly on the bass section while the green frogs strummed their banjo tune. The cicadas spun a rhythm to which mosquitoes hummed; so many of them that they filled out the symphony. Iphicles was a green frog and he was just waking up to his place in the chorus. He was timid and did his best to stay hidden among the reeds of ...

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“Personal Hell” by Emily Pollan

Submitted to Contest #263

“Well? What do you think?”I didn’t know how to respond. Even if I did know, how was I supposed to? I was frozen, paralyzed. The only movement I could make was the uncontrollable shaking that had taken my body over.“Come on, isn’t this what you wanted?”No, this isn’t what I wanted. I wanted freedom. Not this. Anything but this.“Not happy with the result?”Of course not. I can’t stand the thing standing just a few feet in front of me.“Are you not happy to see me?”Why would I be? I was lucky enough to not be able to see you. But now, you’re righ...

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“With Love, From Home” by Linda De Boer

Submitted to Contest #263

“The Cherry Hotel. Walk down the pavement, turn right, and it’s the first building on your side of the street.” There was wind on the other end of the line, distorting Mom’s voice. She was uncharacteristically precise with her instructions, but of course, I wasn’t exactly complaining - if it took longer than twenty minutes to find the mystery relative I was to bring home with me, there would be no bus to ride on for either of us. The early winter wind bit into my bare hands as my hurried footsteps sounded across the empty cement. Every build...

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“The Contest” by Tove Sama

Submitted to Contest #263

The ContestI am Harriet Underwood. I remind myself that, with conviction, make it my mantra. It does not matter that I was born on the wrong side of the tracks in this little hick town I never left. Using my considerable skills and wit I have clawed my way into owning the old Peyton place. The grandeur of this magnificent neighborhood gives me great pleasure. The only fly in the salad the last years is the fact that only a garden fence separate me from the towns leading lady, Bernadette Sherman. Bernadette Sherman has a lineag...

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“Riders in a Stormy Sky” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

Submitted to Contest #263

Today seems packed with memories and stories.As I reflect back over recent years, especially the last 75, battle scenes drift across the landscape.I often feel like I’ve come through several wars and as I age, the battle scars heal slowly.I’ve stood against some formidable enemies and faced death several times.As a Leo, born in the year of the Ox, I arrived those many days ago destined for battle.There may have been real enemies hiding on the periphery of my consciousness and yet, it was those nearest and dearest to me who stabbed me repeate...

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“The 23 Year Old Soldier ” by Molly Milsom

Submitted to Contest #263

As I breath, I feel the dirt rattle in my lungs, and scratch my throat. I stand there, in the midst of such destruction. A lonely tear falls from my eyes, trailing down my cheek and reaching my dry lips. The salt, reminding me of the sea. Infront of me is the last straw. How can someone endure this? How could someone move past this? I fall to my knees, as my heart falters. I don't cry, only a single tear will represent my sadness, the heartbreak. I exhale, but no air comes out. No air is left in my lungs. As my knees dig into the earth and m...

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“The horror under the bed” by Astrid Doncker

Submitted to Contest #263

No one ever believed her. Not her parents and not even other children. She knew parents everywhere would dismiss it as an overactive childish imagination, but her friends? Her friends should at least listen. They wouldn't be able to help but at least she wouldn't be trapped alone with it anymore. But no one listened. Her parents started laughing it off once they had exhausted all their ideas on how to reassure her. It was easier to think it would pass. And she was alone. And even her first memory was about it. She was...

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“Bona Fide Hedge” by James Barrett

Submitted to Contest #263

The accounting firm of Schwartz & Schwartz employed Leo Logan as a clerk in their local office. There was nothing remarkable about Leo other than the fact that his father, Zachery, had made a deal with the Devil years ago, where Zach would win more bets than he lost in exchange for sacrificing his immortal soul to the Devil upon his demise. Zach was a cigar-smoking professional gambler, and because of the deal mentioned above, he could provide a mode...

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“Jessica's superheroes” by Mirza Pasic

Submitted to Contest #263

IHer name was Jessica, and she was 20 years old. Illuminated by the glow of youth, she was thirsty for knowledge and, step by step, explored everything in the world that surrounded her. She was a student at the University of Bridgetown. Her dreams of studying at a great university melted away in the challenges she couldn't answer in a significant way. She became increasingly aware of the inferiority of her intelligence and knowledge. This inferiority caused teasing and laughter from colleagues and scathing comments from professors. She often...

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“Bolts, Rhum and the Sea” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #263

The first strike was off to port, disappearing before the corner of my eye could catch it, but its presence remained with a vague twisting thunder. The sky was hidden by a dense brooding continuing line of cloud. The horizon hid somewhere between a steel grey sea and a light grey setting of the sun somewhere West of South. Water lapped lazily alongside the hull. It passed slowly in the light airs. The sails were moist as if it were morning in the place of evening. Another crack echoed to starboard but turning I only saw monotony all ar...

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“Personal Growth” by Gabrielle Holly

Submitted to Contest #263

“Alright class. Your final assignment due next week, will be a 3-to-5-minute oral presentation about the benefits of group-based classes.” At the words “oral presentation”, Raven stopped taking notes. She gripped her mechanical pencil in her hand so tight, she felt it indent into her palm. She couldn’t see anybody else’s reaction; she just saw the back of 30 heads in 30 blue desk chairs. Different shades and lengths of blonde, brunette, black, one red, and one purple. She tried making eye contact with Ms. Hall to convey her horror. Ms. Hall,...

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“MORTAL COMBAT” by DJ Grohs

Submitted to Contest #263

“Wake up, big sister, I have news for you.” A man stands before me, insistently poking my shoulder with a sausage-sized finger. He is huge, Andre-the-Giant huge, incongruously wearing cerulean blue tights, a matching T-shirt with the letter “C” emblazoned in white across its front, and white running shorts. He looks at me with a wicked sneer, his breath horrid. “Uh, what? Who are you?” I’m groggy, my neck stiff from sleeping in the waiting room chair in the medical cente...

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“Dream” by Kwasi Sike

Submitted to Contest #263

I arise to find myself at a grand dining room table. But this mahogany, stained table covered in enough dust to question how long it's gone unused, doubles as a conference work surface. In the middle, lay a shiny, silver platter and utop, a mound of lime green grapes, which appear to be freshly chilled as if they had just been taken out of a freezer because they still have a frost on them. I can’t help but only see them as invitations to be crunched down on. Around me, three other students sit, all buttoned up in deep sea blue uniform jacket...

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“The Monster” by Eli Satter

Submitted to Contest #263

For years, he has taunted me. For years, he has turned my home into a living nightmare. It seems like my entire life he has chased me, existing in the shadows and making an appearance when I least expect it. He has stolen sleep from me, he has stolen my food, he has stolen my safety, my comfort, my sanity. All that I have is worth nothing when he could appear at any given moment to take it all away. I know not his name. He is tall and unnaturally thin. He moves in a way that doesn’t seem right, back and forth and swaying from side to s...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 71 stories

“The Tree Remembers” by Jaal Mola

“The Brave Green Frog” by Melissa Polk

“Personal Hell” by Emily Pollan

“With Love, From Home” by Linda De Boer

“The Contest” by Tove Sama

“Riders in a Stormy Sky” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

“The 23 Year Old Soldier ” by Molly Milsom

“The horror under the bed” by Astrid Doncker

“Bona Fide Hedge” by James Barrett

“Jessica's superheroes” by Mirza Pasic

“Bolts, Rhum and the Sea” by H.e. Ross

“Personal Growth” by Gabrielle Holly

“MORTAL COMBAT” by DJ Grohs

“Dream” by Kwasi Sike

“The Monster” by Eli Satter

🌟 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: