Set your story in a staff room of an essential profession that is often undervalued — nurses, cafeteria staff, sanitation workers, etc.

Posted in Character on Apr 21, 2023

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✍️ 51 stories

“WOOMBAA!” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #195

“It’s Woombaa!” The male Indian translator insisted, with hands cupping his abdomen. “No, It’s Womb!” The female interpreter from Zimbabwe stipulated, tapping her solar plexus as she pronounced the word. “It’s Woombaa!” “No, Womb!” Chloe Petersen had just entered the unusually crowded interpreter’s staffroom at the United Nations building in New York City. It was her first day in a new career that she had been studying and working hard for. However, she had inadvertently found herself in the middle of a war of words between several of the ot...

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“Muted Love in the Cafeteria” by Sarah Martyn

Submitted to Contest #195

Thanks, Dottie, Stephen said with his eyes. He didn’t exactly smile. His mouth may curve at the corner into, at best, a smirk. The fake kind he had to muster effort to make. He definitely didn’t speak. Ever since his mom became a widow, Stephen never spoke. He did speak at one point, but almost overnight, he stopped speaking. It didn’t exactly create a great experience for him at school, where he spent most of his time. Students and teachers alike gave him cold shoulders and dirty looks. They seemed to take his silence personally. At home,...

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“3’ x 8’ x 6’” by Chris Miller

Submitted to Contest #195

Anubis looked down on the breakroom from his place on the highest shelf among the spare lightbulbs and binbags. A cobweb that spanned the space between his dusty snout and a small, spare watering can fluttered in the updraft of the electric heater. Under his basalt gaze, close to the ticking heater, a man in a heavy coat sat quietly at a table reading a newspaper. Opposite him a much younger man drummed at the screen of his phone with mantis thumbs. “When can I start digging the holes?” said the younger man, without looking up...

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“Midnight Tea - Part 2/2” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #195

Benzie in the Closet. Elina’s Guest. The Way of Halflings. Benzie started, arrested from sleep by the sound of a table dragged across the hardwood floor. He wiped the drool from his face and brushed crusty sediment from his eyes. Faint firelight emanated from under the closet door, allowing him to make out shadows of his surroundings. Alone, Benzie Fernbottom huddled against the back wall of a narrow supply closet beside a mop and tin water pail. Listening, Benzie didn’t hear any voices, but he did hear Elina’s footfalls as she went ba...

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“The Waiting Game” by Trish Flip

Submitted to Contest #195

Five to five. The clock ticks in the office. Those of us who are here listen and wait. Tick tock, who is afraid of the big bad clock. In the impersonal staff room with motivational posters and workplace health and safety signs, the social workers silently rinse their coffee mugs, empty their lunches from the fridge and keep their ears peeled for the ring of a mobile phone. We ignore the laminated signs with pictures of rubbish bins and cleaning wipes telling us to ‘clean up after yourselves.’ We listen and we wait. We wait and we hope. Ther...

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“The Barista” by Heather Crawford

Submitted to Contest #195

Ambry’s cheeks were already tired from faux smiling today, and it was only 10am. She stood in the walk-in letting the below freezing air caress her skin between her anxious sobs and emotional bites of cookie dough, that she’d have to comp later. She deeply inhaled the cool gusts created from the vault weighted door being opened and shut behind her. The drive thru buzzer beeps non stop, almost metronome-esque, over the kitchen speakers muffled by the weighted door, and through the intercom system that had previously been attached ...

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“A Nurse Remembers” by Frances Gaudiano

Submitted to Contest #195

A Nurse Remembers The receptionist put the box of biscuits on the staff room table and picked up the card taped to the box. “It’s from the Wakefields.” She proceeded to read out the card to the nurses collapsed on the sofa, nursing their cups of tea. “Many thanks to the wonderful vet Helen, who took care of our dog Ruby her whole life. Helen helped us with Ruby through all the years – her accident, her heart trouble and her final passing. We will be forever grateful.” The receptionist let the card fall on to the table. “Do you think Helen ...

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“A cape, a sword and a batmobile ” by Amy May

Submitted to Contest #195

Sigrid opened one blood shot eye and glanced wearily at her monochrome wrist watch. Its small hand tick tick ticking like a time bomb, threatening to detonate her into an explosion of rushed chaos. "Four am, half an hour longer of break time" she thought wearily as she then gazed apprehensively at her turkey and cranberry sandwich she had purchased from the staff room vending machine. Usually she would have demolished it by now, yet this particular early morning she had face planted the staff room table as soon as her aching backside had fal...

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“Scarecrow & Dorothy” by David Ader

Submitted to Contest #195

Some people said good night or words to that effect. Some nodded their heads as if acknowledging my humanity. A couple of young things smiled, almost shyly, and hurried out. I figured they felt guilty or something that I was there, and would be all night, while they were off doing what young things do. I don’t know, shop, gym, meeting friends. They never got past the nod which was fine by me. Most, though, like overwhelmingly most, didn’t bother with a smile, or a nod, let alo...

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“Erased Saviours” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #195

Melvin Fernandez sat on the plush sofa in his room at the Doubletree Hotel, revelling in the Victorian ambiance that surrounded him. The exposed red bricks on the walls gave the space an old-world feel that he found charming. As he moved around the room, he had to resist the urge to pinch himself to ensure that he wasn't dreaming. For Melvin, this moment represented the culmination of a long journey in the literary world. He had struggled for years to achieve success as an author, with his first three novels falling flat. But he had persever...

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“Nightingale Pledge ” by Shannon McGill

Submitted to Contest #195

Before God and those assembled here, I solemnly pledge;To adhere to the code of ethics of the nursing profession;To co-operate faithfully with the other members of the nursing team and to carry out faithfully and to the best of my ability the instructions of the physician or the nurse who may be assigned to supervise my work;I will not do anything evil or malicious and I will not knowingly give any harmful drug or assist in malpractice.I will not reveal any confidential information that may come to my knowledge in the course of my work.And I...

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“Trash is Fun” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #195

“Let me get this straight! You’re telling me that she complained because I took all the trash?” George looked incredulous. The boss raised his hand to diffuse the tension coming from George. “I know. Apparently, her husband threw away her crochet basket by mistake, and some of her favorite clothes.” “Seriously! I remember those clothes. They were like, from the ‘40’s, and full of holes. It’s one of the few times I agreed that they should definitely be thrown away instead of donated.” George sat back down. “I hear you. But, since the ci...

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“18 East” by L.C. Harlan

Submitted to Contest #195

“Someone grab her legs! Me and Allen have her arms. And watch it, she’s a spitter. And--- I’m sorry------ you.” Santos had no hands free, so he nodded towards another psych tech in the room. “Me?” “Yeah. Do me a favor, go in the nurse’s station and check to see how long for the IM?” “Got it.” “I don’t get you guys here. You guys know how aggressive this patient is, she’s been here damn near three months. You guys need to be quicker with the meds, this is how peopl...

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“Deorbiting” by M. Youngblood

Submitted to Contest #195

Deorbiting, unbeknownst to common earthlings, is a tedious process. For those who have never left the home planet, let me describe it to you—You are born. Your parents, members of the successful elite, impart a potent ethic of ambition unto your psyche at an early age. You attend school, where this ambition grows. A teacher encourages your potential, and others follow suit. They even go so far as to write recommendations and letters spewing your prowess, and you begin to feel as though you might, in fact, amount to something. You are accepte...

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“Bingo” by Maya Mason

Submitted to Contest #195

Trigger Warning: This story contains several brief references to physical violence, medical trauma and repeated profanity. “What are you doing?” Matteson asked as he strode into the break room. Matteson’s right hand absently traveled to the radio on his waist and turned the sound down as far as it would go. General break room etiquette. “Why Matteson? You want in?” Smith mumbled. “I don’t know. Just being polite I guess. I really just want to heat up my lunch.” He reached into the fridge and the fridge light poured out. The break...

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Set your story in a staff room of an essential profession that is often undervalued — nurses, cafeteria staff, sanitation workers, etc.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“WOOMBAA!” by Chris Campbell

“Muted Love in the Cafeteria” by Sarah Martyn

“3’ x 8’ x 6’” by Chris Miller

“Midnight Tea - Part 2/2” by Russell Mickler

“The Waiting Game” by Trish Flip

“The Barista” by Heather Crawford

“A Nurse Remembers” by Frances Gaudiano

“A cape, a sword and a batmobile ” by Amy May

“Scarecrow & Dorothy” by David Ader

“Erased Saviours” by Ian James

“Nightingale Pledge ” by Shannon McGill

“Trash is Fun” by Daniel Rogers

“18 East” by L.C. Harlan

“Deorbiting” by M. Youngblood

“Bingo” by Maya Mason

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story from the point of view of a sidekick, or someone who is happy to stay away from the limelight.

Write a story about someone who receives — or makes — a life-changing, anonymous donation.

Write a story that includes the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Write about someone who is learning to recognize and take credit for their own achievements.

Contest #195

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

207

Contest entries

92

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: