Start your story with someone being presented with a dilemma.

Posted in Character on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 216 stories

“Why do anything, Ceri? You'll only dance in Elysia one day.” by Kathleen `Woods

Submitted to Contest #95

A thought as old as the first professions of any world is, why do anything? This is especially true in Helusch, with the rather tragic economic condition of the area. Ceri was just a Gythan Bo, looking for his next meal, his next trick, next move. He really wasn’t up for the quandary, as he rather drunkenly took the dare. “Get back here, ya Rum Dum Jungle buzzard!”, was what the old fool had said as Ceri made off with his Road Stake, Elam had him on a bet, and Ceri would make good on his Daring exploits. All good Ruckus was had i...

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“Sparks into flame (Part 1 of Mutants versus Witches) ” by Moon Lion

Submitted to Contest #95

"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time, Simin." John started, no hint of accusation in his voice.I looked up from my ashy fingers and stared at him stonily, unsure how to respond. "Unfortunately, now you need to decide: You can either come with me, learn to control your abilities, and help me protect others like us. Or, you deal with the police now where I cannot help you, your powers will continue spiraling, and you will likely end up dead." John had given me these options before, but never with this much urgency.Both of those choices are t...

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“Marked For Evil II” by Nainika Gupta

Submitted to Contest #95

Elise “So, how did you know to tie a tourniquet?” The doctor asked, looking at me side-eyed. I sighed. “Someone who I thought I could trust taught me,” I said. The doctor raised an eyebrow at me but mercifully didn’t say anything else. He replaced the bandage, which had quickly soaked through with blood, and tied it around my arm. After finishing cleaning me up, he packed up his bag. “Make sure you rest. You have already lost so much blood. I don’t want to have to amputate,” he said, and I nodded. The doctor turned and walked out of th...

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“Who Needs Romance When You Have True Love Surrounding You?” by Shannon Ruane

Submitted to Contest #95

Who Needs Romance When You Have True Love Surrounding You?Tree Town was not awoken by the lovely chirping of birds; instead a cacophony of ringtones and an additional, terrifying sound roused the town resident's from their peaceful slumber. “What the heck! Auntie Jane, am I seeing police...HERE,” shouted a dumbstruck Emma! Frozen in place, Emma glanced at her twin sister Charlotte. Did Charlotte feel as disturbed as she did over seeing a police car in person? Although they lived on Lush Island, an extremely isolated beach within walking...

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“The Fault In Their Stars” by Christina Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #95

Last night’s dirty dishes were still stacked in the sink. Not scraped. Not rinsed. Not even soaked. Just leftover food encrusted on the dinner plates they’d once gleefully picked out for their wedding registry. A happy wedding years ago—actually, decades.Denise sighed, she didn’t have the time or inclination to deal with the mess. Mainly she wondered why her husband hadn’t cleaned up the kitchen. Ever since they’d stopped being intimate with each other, he had shouldered more and more of the household chores. Like that was compensation for n...

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“Infinity” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #95

Approximately 4.25 light years from Earth, in the southern constellation of Centaurus, a small habitable planet called Proxima was discovered. This Earth-like planet rotates perfectly in the habitable zone away from the sun at 1.3 astronomical units. Scans have revealed that the planet has liquid water on the surface, and a clean atmosphere that will support life. With just the right amount of greenhouse gases, Proxima can support the same temperatures as our own planet. The discovery was made in the European Southern Observatory ...

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“IF ONLY I CHOSE BETTER” by Irene Gitau

Submitted to Contest #95

Kelvin Baron had everything anyone could want in life. He had the money, a loving family and loyal friends. He grew up in privilege therefore he had nothing to complain about. He went to the best schools both in high school and college. He basically had everything he asked for handed to him.However he was not happy. His dream was to become a doctor. He always wanted to help people hence the choice of career. He did not get to do what he wanted, because his father wanted him to study business. His father was one of the richest people globally...

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“i'm sorry” by Echo Sundar

Submitted to Contest #95

The rain pounded the car like angry bees. The windshield wipers had their work in for them as they cleared the window over and over again. Thunder rumbled in the distance like a melody of drums up in the sky. Everything was grey, that plain drab color, the color of lunch meat and belly button lint. The car was soaked in a coat of mud and it was hard and crusted near the bottom. Nevertheless, my mom was just as cheery as ever which almost made it worse. If my feelings were attuned to the weather I think the current forecast would be pretty ac...

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“Decision Devision” by James Holgate

Submitted to Contest #95

The strange thing about fate is that it always seems to present itself in the most inconvenient of times. Such as when I fell from great heights, both metaphorically and physically, and fate appeared before me dubbing me dead, yet I arose and overcame. Unfortunately I don’t believe this is a situation I can escape. It began 17 days ago when I woke up, began my pandiculation and immediately got shot with a dart and fell face first upon the oaken floorboards. Not a brilliant start to a Saturday. I awoke (yet again) that day to the solemn chi...

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“LETTERS AND INK” by Josephine Samuel

Submitted to Contest #95

San Diego, 1997.CHARLES ASTON could swear there was a little girl in Rancho Bernardo, always sitting by the gazebo in an old park.Charles loved the quiet of Ranch Parkway. He worked in Lauren Hill Lane, and would walk by evening past Silver Pine way, New Rochelle, get a robusto in Shelborne street and hold it lopsided in his mouth, muttering to the chirping starlings and people who changed lanes once they saw him coming.Then he'd come to Rancho Bernardo and see the girl sitting beneath a red birch, staring at the cardboard turnips laid round...

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“Lost and Found (the sequel to "Chocolate and Vanilla")” by Philip Clayberg

Submitted to Contest #95

GRACE: Bonnie just stared at me.Maybe it would've been better if I'd said I was Shakespeare in disguise, or a witch, or an alien from another world instead. But I'd gotten grounded enough times for lying back when I was still Sean. Once I became Grace, I was determined to put the lying behind me. Most of the time, I succeeded. The few lapses weren't worth mentioning here.“Oh … my … God,” she said softly. “Grace, I –”I sighed. “I guess you thought it was great that we got along so well. Never thinking that there might be some reason why.”Bonn...

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“The Resolution” by Charlie Murphy

Submitted to Contest #95

“I‘m sorry, OK? Please, let me go!” Carrie pleaded.“You assaulted the World Leader! That’s a serious crime. I’m afraid you must do your time,” the slightly overweight guard replied.“But, I…” Carrie's voice trailed off. It was useless.He didn't say anything as he walked her to an empty cell. Another guard opened it. With a hard shove, Carrie flew in. He slammed the jail cell closed and walked away.“Fuck you, Audrey!” She couldn’t believe it. She was in jail! “AAAAAHHHH!” she screamed and kicked the bars.“Hey, quiet you!”She sat...

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“Gen” by Ashley Hassan

Submitted to Contest #95

TW: mental illness and depression. Read with discretion...Another wretched morning, another sleepless night. There she was yet again in her room, pit in her stomach never seemed to leave. But it wasn’t just the pit that bothered her, it was the fact that she knew the pit would never go away. She was stuck, it was stuck, they were stuck together and there was no way out. Like a moth to a flame, unfortunately they were one and now they drew each other out. One of the many struggles of mundane living. How was I to please them, and make mys...

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“To Save The Bot...” by Dhwani Jain

Submitted to Contest #95

The boy started to make absurd noises, very similar to the ones machines make when they are in dire need of repairs. That's it, you think. That's it! The boy is not actually a human, it's a machine! That's why when you pushed him so hard to run faster and faster, probably more than his capacity, he fainted and is lying down there, lifeless, if that's possible for a machine. You knew that you had to do something. You whack your brains at the problem in hand. You weigh down your options. What if you go to the nearest mechanic? No, th...

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“Cat in the Rain” by Itay Frenkel

Submitted to Contest #95

“Would you go back in time?” She asked him.Finals had finished a week ago and the results came that day. They had promised to meet here and share the news. They sat in the corner of a loud bar, facing each other in a booth, the bright afternoon sun shining through the mostly glass walls and killing the bars’ cozy atmosphere. She cracked a pistachio nut and threw it into the air to try and catch it in her mouth. The boy watched with a bemused smile as it fell to the dirty table instead. He brushed it to the floor before she could pick it up a...

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Start your story with someone being presented with a dilemma.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 216 stories

“Why do anything, Ceri? You'll only dance in Elysia one day.” by Kathleen `Woods

“Sparks into flame (Part 1 of Mutants versus Witches) ” by Moon Lion

“Marked For Evil II” by Nainika Gupta

“Who Needs Romance When You Have True Love Surrounding You?” by Shannon Ruane

“The Fault In Their Stars” by Christina Reynolds

“Infinity” by Daniel R. Hayes

“IF ONLY I CHOSE BETTER” by Irene Gitau

“i'm sorry” by Echo Sundar

“Decision Devision” by James Holgate

“LETTERS AND INK” by Josephine Samuel

“Lost and Found (the sequel to "Chocolate and Vanilla")” by Philip Clayberg

“The Resolution” by Charlie Murphy

“Gen” by Ashley Hassan

“To Save The Bot...” by Dhwani Jain

“Cat in the Rain” by Itay Frenkel

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who’s extremely impulsive — or extremely indecisive.

A character stands in front of two doors. Write a story about what happens after they choose one to enter.

Write about someone making a seemingly inconsequential decision, which goes on to have important consequences.

Write about someone finally making their own choices.

Contest #95

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

920

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: