‘Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.’ Use the senses to transport a character back to the past.

Posted in Character on Sep 29, 2023

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✍️ 49 stories

“Those Four Words” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Submitted to Contest #218

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage and Infant LossViolet, oh Violet. How can you miss someone you’ve never met? But then, how can you not? I miss you every day. The sun warms my skin as I sit here among the trees, trying to follow your father’s orders, to soak in some much-needed vitamin D. But pleasure eludes me now, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. Before, I would have been content sitting here amongst the trees, the pages of my book rustling in the gentle breeze, while the birds orchestrate their melodic symphonies in the b...

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“Shoulda' Flipped a Coin ” by PAULA LABASH

Submitted to Contest #218

The sound of a coffee cup slamming down onto a wooden table evokes a hard blink and slight jump from a stocky, but solidly built, middle-aged black woman, whose short-cropped hair sports more than a few patches of grey. Former Army Sergeant first class, Taylor Orlando, fidgets uneasy at the far end of a large table full of women. She looks to the source of the noise.A celebration is at hand- as food, drink, laughter and profanity riddled chatter abound. There are seats open closer to everyone else, but Taylor wishes she had more space betwee...

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“Chapter 2: The Swan” by Gabriel Drake

Submitted to Contest #218

“Smell,” he said.Annabelle closed her eyes and breathed in the warm nostalgia of her favorite honey-sweet scent. Her soul dissipated towards the outstretched wings of the Swan constellation.“Xander, I’m coming,” her soul screamed through the heavens.A wall of mist greeted Annabelle’s soul upon reaching the constellation; it felt like love, hope, and something so familiar that it stunned her like a heart attack.She had only one thought as she flew through the warm, Misty clouds toward the light of a glistening blue ocean below her.“Who’s Supe...

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“Out of Place” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #218

The mozzarella cheese slides across the top of the marinara sauce, spills off the side of the pizza slice onto the red-hot electric element. Gray smoke spews from the toaster oven and the smell of burnt cheese spreads through the kitchen and into the dining area. Maki, the black dog looks anxious, if the smoke alarm activates, she will start running around, barking, go bat-shit crazy. I open the window above the sink, the ocean breeze pushes air into the kitchen, the smoke dissipates, and drama is averted. Two crows...

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“Four Years Ago Two Weeks from Now” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #218

Green and beige blades of grass are stiff under my footfalls. Their warm, rich scent fills my nose. Swathes of wild chamomile across the yard infuse the air with their sweetness. The essence fills my mouth so strongly that I involuntarily run my tongue around my teeth in search of its wonderful taste. The grass is short, and a bit dry, which means someone’s cut it, probably with the ride-on lawn mower. There are no clippings on the ground that I can see, which means the collection bag was used. I wonder where they put the clippings.&nbs...

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“ROMAN HOLIDAY” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #218

ROMAN HOLIDAY He woke with a start in the darkness, his body bent over as he sat on the hard wooden seat, his usual mode of sleeping for so many years now. Something was different, though he could not, at first, comprehend what exactly. Roses? Could he smell roses? That waft of sweet, peppery scent-peonies? Now, the distinct scent of lavender invaded his nostrils; this heady mixture of fragrances transporting him back in time, so long ago. Forgotten remembrances began to stir, evoking tears; memories he had banished from his mind.Judah Ben Y...

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“Boysenberry Jam” by Frostie Whinery

Submitted to Contest #218

The moment Dean pulled off the Route 66 highway and stepped through the door of Mama Nell’s Diner, the smell of homemade boysenberry jam hit him like a willow switch across the face. The air was thick with bacon grease, coating his skin and clogging his arteries before he’d even taken a bite. Familiarity poked at his brain. He stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet and nearly taking out his wife as he peered around, searching for the pot of boiling berries, searching for Mama Nell. “Dean, what on Earth are you doin’?” his wife, Rach...

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“ Of journeys we don't choose” by Christian Melot

Submitted to Contest #218

Contains passages addressing medical conditions I was dozing off. I would have liked to sleep, to let myself be carried away by the rhythmic hum of the wheels on the tracks. But every time my eyes closed, reality pulled at my eyelids. Through the ringing of a phone or the passing of another train that made the whole carriage vibrate. Tired of struggling with this inexhaustible adversary, I surrendered my body to the train and wandered through the bucolic landscapes of southern France. My eyes skipped over fields, old farms with d...

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“The Scent of Shadows” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #218

Chief Constable Spot Holland stared down the alleyway, then looked up to check the moon. It was there. Not a full one, but it was there. He looked down the absolutely black alleyway again and checked his right paw. It was shaking. Not only did the old spaniel smell what he had smelled all those decades ago, but he also smelled Jack too. Or, at least, one of the spells he was known for casting. Darkness. Spot tried to catch his breath. He didn’t need to see what was down there. He didn’t need to see it. He didn’t need to see b...

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“Smoke in the Room” by Charles Haynes

Submitted to Contest #218

Smoke in the RoomByCharles Haynes It wasn’t long before the smoke rolled in like a resident fog. You might assume there was some sort of machine in the room responsible for producing the murkiness or that someone was spraying bugs. I was the only one in the room who didn’t smoke. It was hot. So hot that when I looked down at the cards which I held under the edge of the table, drops of sweat would begin to fall onto the lens of my glasses. I was miserable!&nbs...

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“Spring Meadows And Cinnamon” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #218

The top deck is full, as usual for this time of day. I’ve seen several fellow passengers on the same journey most working days for the past 32 years. A couple of them I can say ‘good morning’ to, but I’ve never had a real conversation with any of them.The windows are opaque with condensation, though some have wiped a spy-hole in theirs to observe the rain streaming down the glass and attacking the pedestrians on the pavement; we can hear it pounding on the roof when the bus makes a stop. After completing a once-over of my neighbours, I wipe ...

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“Yabbies and Dill” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

Submitted to Contest #218

Yabbies and Dill There was an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables on display at the Central Market and Emma paused for a moment to take in the scent of freshly cut blood oranges, grapefruits, limes, and lemons. The smell of citrus was seductive and hard to resist so she picked out a handful of blood oranges for her basket. The skin was thick enough for easy peeling and the fruit felt firm in her hand. Mangoes were just in season fresh from Queensland, they spoke of a coming summer and laid perfectly cut in small cubes on the tray in fr...

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“Pure lavender” by Shridhar Shivam

Submitted to Contest #218

“Wake up. Heyyy, wake uuup” “Please” It was blurry, I pushed her body, tried to shake her up. There were people around me, holding me, trying to pull me away from her. I can see them yelling so hard, but I couldn't hear anything, as if everything had gone silent. “Wait” What was that sensation? The smell of lavender smell coated my body. I recognized this smell, it felt familiar, it felt like something in a distant past yet something that my brain wanted to feel. It is emanating from her, I remember it now, I remember it all,...

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“You Are Not Alone” by Nidhi Santhosh

Submitted to Contest #218

I take in a deep breath and sigh, feeling every inch of my body relax as the smell of butter and chocolate chips washes over me. The smell of my mother. Just a couple months ago, I would walk into our kitchen and wrinkle my nose at this wonderful smell. “Cookies? Again? Ma, how many times do I tell you that I’m trying to lose weight?” And she would stop whatever she was doing and face me with an apron that says Whatever happens, we’re eating it, splattered with mystery stains. “If you lose any more, I’ll have to prop you up with sticks. That...

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“The Ghost of Drakkar” by Lori Armstrong

Submitted to Contest #218

She thought she had found her safe haven. She thought he could never find them here. It was two days from her book signing and her nerves were in a bunch as public speaking was not her forte. But these days’ books do not sell themselves. Pacing back and forth, practicing her speech for her latest crime novel signing event, she glanced from the front window and stopped in her tracks. Instantly she was overwhelmed with the aromatic scents of Bergamot and was transported to a woodsy atmosphere that reeked of fresh leather. There was a t...

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‘Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.’ Use the senses to transport a character back to the past.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 49 stories

“Those Four Words” by Melissa Van Rensburg

“Shoulda' Flipped a Coin ” by PAULA LABASH

“Chapter 2: The Swan” by Gabriel Drake

“Out of Place” by Luca King Greek

“Four Years Ago Two Weeks from Now” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

“ROMAN HOLIDAY” by Charles Corkery

“Boysenberry Jam” by Frostie Whinery

“ Of journeys we don't choose” by Christian Melot

“The Scent of Shadows” by Cajek Veilwinter

“Smoke in the Room” by Charles Haynes

“Spring Meadows And Cinnamon” by PJ Town

“Yabbies and Dill” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

“Pure lavender” by Shridhar Shivam

“You Are Not Alone” by Nidhi Santhosh

“The Ghost of Drakkar” by Lori Armstrong

🌟 Similar prompts

Begin a scene with a non-visual sense. Describe a specific sound, smell, taste, etc to capture your setting, then expand the story out from there.

Start the story with the absence of a sensory detail (eg. silence when there should be noise).

Write a story that begins, ends, or changes with a song played by a busker.

‘The worst meal I’ve ever tasted.’ Imagine a zero-star TripAdvisor restaurant review: capture the customer’s evening out that compelled them to complain.

Contest #218

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

333

Contest entries

97

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: