Follow a character who’s looking for someone or something.

Posted in Character on Nov 29, 2024

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✍️ 57 stories

“Red Flags” by Ekaterina Hawthorne

Submitted to Contest #279

Five years. Five long years of searching led to this moment. Just one click, one simple button press, and the search would be over. She had been dreaming of this moment for so many years, but now that it’s here, she feels strangely hesitant. What if the time had been too long and it was in vain, or worse, what if it just led to rejection? It had been six years since they last spoke, six years since she vanished from the life of one of the only people she felt understood her.After all, she was the one who disappeared, not them. She was the on...

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“Confessionary of a Sane Person” by Marina Lima

Submitted to Contest #279

“It all started with the car keys. Right, that’s where it began. What happened was, I left for work in the morning as I always did. Or I should have, were the car keys not missing. So I sat up from my car and went back into my house. I looked at all the usual places; the kitchen counter, the bedroom drawer, the couch. But the damn thing was nowhere to be found. I gave up and finally decided to call my wife and the goddam woman had brought my keys with her accidentally. She came back a couple of hours later to give me back m...

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“Peace” by Karalee Ratliff

Submitted to Contest #279

The dismal lighting created a depressing aura. Cobwebs drooped low about the corners of the room. Dust, thick as the field outside the kitchen window, had gathered over the years on the panes which made it difficult to see the weeds and tall grass. Years of neglect and abandonment had taken their toll on this forgotten place. Sophia was determined to find peace amidst the broken hallows of her own, old forgotten home. Painfully, she caressed the hallways. The solemn paces of concern and tenderness, whilst she leaned dependently on her cane....

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“Finding Herself” by A Vittoria

Submitted to Contest #279

The sound of the hail hitting the roof sent a high-pitched ding echoing through the air. ‘McKenna,’ Dylan said through the computer screen.‘Huh? Sorry,’ I replied. ‘What did you say?’‘Doesn’t matter, you okay?’I had one of the many throw blankets from the couch wrapped around me with a cup of juice mixed with half a shot of vodka beside me. Was I really okay? If he could see the state I was in beyond the screen, he wouldn’t have needed to ask me that.‘Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.’ ‘I may have only known you for a short time, but you’re mo...

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“Breathing Room” by Sheila C

Submitted to Contest #279

I can’t take it anymore. I am 30 years old, and my mother has committed credit card fraud. I looked over the pages of my credit card bill again – a balance of $7,582.90. I did not even realize that I did not have custody of my card; my mom did.So I called her. “Why do I have a balance of $7,582.90 on my Chase card, the card that you have for some reason?”“I had no choice. I was low on money, and I needed to do repairs around the house?”“What do you mean you had no choice?! You never even asked for permission.”“I have so many problems. You do...

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“Nature's Justice ” by Shawn Luther

Submitted to Contest #279

The man sat beneath the tree, head tilted forward in slumber. The stetson was pulled low, hiding his face, but Jacob recognized him nevertheless. The stocky body, shaped more like a barrel than a torso. His duster, once upon a time tan, now crusted gray with countless miles of trail dust. His feet, feminine in size and shape, impossibly small in comparison to the rest of his body. Off to the side, the man's horse stood grazing on the scant vegetation that was already turning brown. The old stallion looked defeated, forlorn. It had bee...

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“The Palace” by S. L. Potts

Submitted to Contest #279

The pond in the atrium, in this atrium, is filled with common fish: bluegill, perch, catfish, bass even. Bluegill and perch, they’re dumb fish. Easy to catch. Barely a minute goes by and there’s something on the end of the hook. The real trick is, if there is a strong line around somewhere, to catch a bluegill and use it as bait for something bigger and better. Throw a bluey on the hook and weigh it down towards the bottom and then take a nap. He did this a few hours ago and now a catfish is on the end of the line. It comes up lik...

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“A Quest for Control ” by Willow Campbell

Submitted to Contest #279

“Come on Zaz, pleeeease, I just need a little!!” Quinn begged, fidgeting with the pearl charm on the necklace her mother had given her. “Quinn, I told you I don't have it and even if I did I wouldn't give you any,” Zaz said calmly. “You have to have it! You have every spice, herb, fungi, and ingredient that has ever existed in the whole history of witchcraft!” Quinn shouted. Zaz gave one of her notorious looks. Quinn lowered her voice, “It’s just a small spell, I can handle it.” Zaz blew out a heavy sigh and leaned against the cash register....

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“Leaving” by Lisa Spargo

Submitted to Contest #279

Leaving I watched the woman cross in the middle of the block and turn down a blind alley. She’s crazy, I knew addicts slept in there. She’ll be dead before she reaches the far end.I crossed the street and waited at the entrance, listening for the scuffle or the scream. I heard voices but not a real disturbance. After about ten minutes I hollered, “Hey lady, you okay?” Someone hollered back, “The only lady here is your mama.”I turned away and started down the street to the bus stop, and there she was. I ran after her but l...

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“Looking for Sandra” by Kimberley Marden

Submitted to Contest #279

Evan stood in the elevator feeling uncomfortable. He had noticed that over the last three weeks he had become increasingly nervous when in the elevator moving towards his office on the 17th floor. He was not sure why he was feeling nervous. He was not claustrophobic, and he loved his job, well as much as anyone could love their job. Does anyone really love their job? Twelfth floor, thirtenth floor… Even had to admit he was feeling a little uncomfortable a lot recently. His Aunty Sandra always said he had a special kind of intuition, he knew ...

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“The Harvest's Words” by Matt Keating

Submitted to Contest #279

The Harvest’s Words Whenever it rained the downtown streets smelled like wet dogs. And that made the bars smell like kill-shelters. They were the best shopping places if you could stand the odor. Saturday nights at Bad Dad’s, that was my spot. I’d seen enough TV before the plague to know that I couldn’t shop every week, or even every month. I forced myself to space it out to twelve, maybe thirteen times a year. I made my stores last. 200,000 dead after the first summer. We buried the ...

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“The Startup” by Kelly L

Submitted to Contest #279

I need to find Zowen.I know he’s here somewhere in this park or rather, under it.It has grown wild in the last few years. Weeds choke off the hiking trails, briar patches proliferate, and trees are popping up everywhere. The old reservoir is little more than a swampy bog filled with cattail and sedge.I get up off the ground and stretch to give my back some relief. I lean down to grab my water bottle and sit down with my maps.Shelter Park is approximately four-hundred and twenty-two acres.Checking the map of the park, I can see that I ha...

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“The Search for a Good Nights Sleep” by Corvid Corvidae

Submitted to Contest #279

Assyria. Akkadia. Babylonia. Sumeria. Those were the four large empires that existed through ancient Mesopotamia, up to 500 BCE. And in alphabetical order as well. Or was it? Did I say Akkadia or Assyria first? That's got to be the most dull thing I can think of. Akkadia, Assyria, Babylonia, Sumeria. Assyria. Damn it. Akkadia. Assyria. Is that really the best mantra? I think it’s supposed to bore you. I guess it shouldn’t be so boring that I can’t concentrate on it though. What if I open my eyes. Will that ruin it? They feel like they ...

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“A Myth Has It” by Sun Shine

Submitted to Contest #279

The remote southeastern Alaska village on a small island had been entirely spared the hardships of the Pacific siege that was laying waste to the supply chain of North America. On the mainland, society was eating itself in a perplexing violent bid to acquire material items the people here contentedly live without.The ocean provides hardship, and bounty. Among the richest waters on the planet are the cold waters along the Pacific Northwest. The kelp highway. An ancient foodie route where exploration, migration and colonization was guided by o...

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“Old Bonds” by Moa Holmertz

Submitted to Contest #279

NOTE: Mentions of child death. Also sort of a sequel/prequel to my story "My Fault".Loke was certain that his mother was hiding something.It all had started a year ago when some random cop had come knocking at their door. The cop, Markus, had asked for his sister, Saga. She hadn’t been home at the time, but Loke had let Markus into his home anyway. Loke hadn’t planned to bond with a stranger that quickly, if Markus hadn’t asked about his shirt. It was nothing special, just an old piece of Led Zeppelin merch he had gotten from a second hand s...

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Follow a character who’s looking for someone or something.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 57 stories

“Red Flags” by Ekaterina Hawthorne

“Confessionary of a Sane Person” by Marina Lima

“Peace” by Karalee Ratliff

“Finding Herself” by A Vittoria

“Breathing Room” by Sheila C

“Nature's Justice ” by Shawn Luther

“The Palace” by S. L. Potts

“A Quest for Control ” by Willow Campbell

“Leaving” by Lisa Spargo

“Looking for Sandra” by Kimberley Marden

“The Harvest's Words” by Matt Keating

“The Startup” by Kelly L

“The Search for a Good Nights Sleep” by Corvid Corvidae

“A Myth Has It” by Sun Shine

“Old Bonds” by Moa Holmertz

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story from the POV of a zombie, mutant, or infected creature.

Write a story about someone confronting their worst nightmare.

Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.

Write a story about a character who’s lost.

Contest #279

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

334

Contest entries

146

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: