‘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

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 49 stories

“Salty's New Beginning ” by Arthur McNamee

Submitted to Contest #218

“Frank, be careful not to overuse or overextend your right arm for the next several weeks or you might refracture the navicular bones and humerus, or even worse, disturb the anchoring screws I put in “, Dr. Pullman cautioned with a glance in his direction, as he busied himself in signing Frank’s discharge form from St. Luke Presbyterian Hospital. He had been admitted nearly eight months ago and had undergone both extensive psychological and physical rehabilitation. Frank merely scowled as he now busied himself in dressing for his f...

8 comments 8

Read story

“A tide of words” by Blessed Chileka

Submitted to Contest #218

A sharp breeze whooshes in as the door is banged open. Judging by the force it swings by its hinges, I cover my head and brace for it. Eight legs land on my body and start their ceremonial good morning jive. I remove the blanket from my face and immediately face a barrage of woof-woofs. A sloppy wet tongue clears away the sleepiness from my eyes. Before I can shoo the two excited dogs away, they jump off my bed and sprint out of the door. I drag my anatomy out of bed. I felt like I had been running a marathon. I reach out for water and in...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Perhaps it was just Cardamon Spice…” by Jade Barker

Submitted to Contest #218

Further and further she fell. How far down could a rabbit hole go? Of course, Daisy had never learned such a thing in school so she by no means could know, but it did leave one to wonder. Perhaps she should be worried. Perhaps her mind should be racing to produce a solution. Perhaps she should be attempting to use her skirt as some sort of umbrella-like thing to keep her from splattering when–or if she ever hit the ground. Perhaps she should try to reach out and grab onto the barely visible dirt walls that surrounded her. But with no sunligh...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Potent Past Potion” by Gail Molina

Submitted to Contest #218

It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Instead of heading straight down the center of town, she swerved and turned right, into the small shop parking lot. “Just a peek. Even though I am broke,” she thought. The tiny bell jangled as the door creaked open and annoyingly announced her presence, though she preferred to keep a low profile. So much to look at - smells filling every pore - all different kinds of smells, each fighting ferociously against one another for prominence in her nose. Candles with scent, soap, linens, and knick-knacks that prom...

1 comment 1

Read story

“THE LILAC DOOR” by Suzy Rowland

Submitted to Contest #218

THE LILAC DOOR Whoosh. A small whoosh, really, as air is dispersed when a closed door opens and someone enters, quietly, stealthily. Then, click. Click as the doorknob lock button secures its home into the waiting face plate. I never wanted that lilac door to open, never—except when my parents were home. Even then, though, my brother would take my goldfish out of its bowl and put it under the stool cover of my miniature play-piano—and the smell of dead fish would permeate my room. And, too, there was&nbsp...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Moonflower ” by Allie Halseth

Submitted to Contest #218

Leo Vey was getting weaker. Deep wrinkles lined his face as he smiled at the cashier, bidding her a good day. Leaning heavily on his cane, he grabbed the bag of groceries and hobbled out the sliding doors. He knew his knee would entirely give out soon; it was a constant ache he ignored. He did not have time for it. Warm sunlight hit his face, and he paused outside the storefront, welcoming the warmth. Closing his eyes, Leo's wrinkles smoothed as he inhaled deeply, the air fragrant with the smell of flowers. A sudden deep and hollow pang rock...

0 comments 0

Read story

“T-shirt” by Leigh Johnson

Submitted to Contest #218

Musky and a little sour, personal, too intimate. My nose is pressed into the underarm of your t-shirt and I’m there again, in the little apartment with no view, watching you strip after the gym. You’d hold up your arm and chase me until my face was buried there. I pretended I didn’t want you to, but I did. I loved the smell of you. I think of your sharp mind and gentle spirit and the way you held me. ***Dusty and damp, it smells like knowledge. I’m full of ideas and myself. You’re full of skepticism and mystery. When we are thrust toget...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Blind Gardener of New Delhi Junction” by Tony Smith

Submitted to Contest #218

The Blind Gardner of New Delhi Junction by Tony Smith I awoke from a deep sleep, confused until the institutional smell of boiled stew and the omnipresent smell of antiseptic invaded my nostrils. Busy bustling feet came close to me, “You'll be alright” she whispered - her warmth against my skin stirred my senses. Entering hospital, you surrender your body for maintenance, but not your mind, and not your senses. Inside my head I was free to travel in time and space and as the end of life approached I reverted to memories of being a child. Ch...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Maple Tree's” by Wilson Watt

Submitted to Contest #218

Jack was having trouble remembering things recently. Maybe it was the stuffed pressure he felt in his head, or the dreadfully stale air in the small hospital room they had put him in, but time just had started to feel fluid to him recently. ... Boredom… It was definitely boredom. His bones ached to be outside. To feel some of the icy winter air in his lungs. The kind that burned as you inhaled, but still felt so fresh. It was a Monday night too, He was missing the schoolyard pickup game all his friends would play after school. He wondere...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Ruby” by A.M McDade

Submitted to Contest #218

Night falls early tonight and I relate to mother natures need for rest. The office stands over me as I make my ten hour escape from it. What an eyesore. Ugly, though reflective, it is one of many buildings in the city that are yet to enjoy the pleasure of refurbishment, if ever. It soars skyward and breaks through the gloomy clouds, sticking out like a block of marble waiting to be chiselled to beauty. The street...

2 comments 2

Read story

“A Rusted Root” by Jack O'Brien

Submitted to Contest #218

I stumbled. “Clumsy me,” I muttered. My foot was snagged and twisted by a root in the ground; a firm, unyielding obstacle sending my eager, boy-self careening face down, felled like a tree into the fecund earth. I lay in the autumn leaves, the groundcover about me crunching noisily and lying listlessly about, like toast crumbs around a breakfast plate. A bit of dirt marked my cheek as I turned my face away, glancing around nervously for any sign of bugs, because I had a deep dislike of bugs, even if captured in a jar. The leaf-crumbs ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Never Never Gonna Give You Up” by Victoria Glidden

Submitted to Contest #218

Walking the thin sidewalk of 13th Street, dusty grime, feathers, and food wrappers, I projected. Eyes on the clear rectangle of mountain scenery ahead, here atop the hill, the far wall marks the western front. Air funnels up through the street with fervor. Another second in a journey of length beyond human comprehension. A clear day, perfect for the falcon's journey. Rise and fall with the spirals of heat, spend a moment atop the nearest pine, amongst thousands of sappy firs—nothing but the sun above and everything below- A shoulder ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“It Still Burns” by Awen Kerr

Submitted to Contest #218

Content warning: PTSD, flashback, physical violence/war/gore. Alex has always known that their mother is a strong woman, but they are keenly aware of the fact right now, as they sit vigil at her bedside. Meredith's chest is rising and falling steadily, and there’s no sign that she nearly died just a couple of hours ago. She even woke up at one point, and used those few minutes to reassure everyone that she’d be alright, before falling back to sleep. Since Meredith isn’t exactly known for taking it easy, the doctors has placed her in a magi...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Making Scents of the Past” by Anna James

Submitted to Contest #218

The morning sun painted my room with a gentle glow, casting a cozy atmosphere that I reluctantly left behind. I resisted the urge to crawl back into bed, hastily bundling my hair into a neat bun and slipping into my work clothes. One final glance in the mirror, and I shouldered my bag, stepping out the door. I stepped out of the lift I was hit with an overwhelming fragrance. A woman I didn't know scurried out of her flat, leaving behind a cloud of potent perfume. It hung in the air like a dense fog. I'm not sensitive to fragrance, and I co...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Flower.” by Justicelee Auman

Submitted to Contest #218

Since it was a beautiful day outside, I thought I’d take my dog for a walk. She was a beautiful German shepherd, eight years old, and coming up on her ninth birthday in a few months. I gathered her harness and a few plastic bags in case she had to do the deed on our adventure. She knew what this meant, for her tail was already wagging and she was running laps between the kitchen and the living room. Back and forth, crashing into a different piece of furniture each time. “Calm down girl, I know you’re excited, but if you sit...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 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.

Fiction – 174 stories

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

Fiction – 52 stories

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

Fiction – 27 stories

‘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.

Funny – 31 stories

Contest #218

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: The Importance of the Senses with Tom Bromley

$250

Prize money

333

Contest entries

97

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 06, 2023 EST

Won by Danielle Barr 🏆

Title: Whale Song

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

‘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

“Salty's New Beginning ” by Arthur McNamee

“A tide of words” by Blessed Chileka

“Perhaps it was just Cardamon Spice…” by Jade Barker

“Potent Past Potion” by Gail Molina

“THE LILAC DOOR” by Suzy Rowland

“Moonflower ” by Allie Halseth

“T-shirt” by Leigh Johnson

“The Blind Gardener of New Delhi Junction” by Tony Smith

“Maple Tree's” by Wilson Watt

“Ruby” by A.M McDade

“A Rusted Root” by Jack O'Brien

“Never Never Gonna Give You Up” by Victoria Glidden

“It Still Burns” by Awen Kerr

“Making Scents of the Past” by Anna James

“Flower.” by Justicelee Auman

🌟 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: