Write a story about a someone who's in denial.

Posted in Character on Jun 14, 2024

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?

✍️ 68 stories

“Fête Africaine” by Charlotte Ellis

Submitted to Contest #255

The drum beat echoed out, filling the empty streets with the playful hot rhythm. It bounced off the walls of the Eglise St Jacques and, as if rejected by its solemn medieval stone, it skipped on over the fountain and banged on the door of the Marie. Drawing closer to the Place Verdun, the drum was joined by a deep heavy vocal and, closer still, by the pick of a guitar and the tinkle of a triangle.A small stage had been set up at the far end of the playing field and a drooping banner announced ‘Culture Partages’ and Fete ‘Africaine’. A small ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Reign's End” by Michael Robinson

Submitted to Contest #255

Sometimes the end of an emperor's reign is a time to celebrate great deeds done in the name of Roma, the spreading of her power, influence and glory across the face of the world. The end of the reign of Aelius Lucius Scaevola was not one of those times, marked by denial and betrayal. Aelius' reign started strong. He brought the war with the Parthians that his mother had started three years earlier to a satisfactory conclusion. Gold flowed into Roman coffers and the world trembled.&nbs...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Date Night” by Hitarth Menon

Submitted to Contest #255

{Arman – A Wish, Hope or Dream}{Amara – The one blessed without end or death}“Arman??”Startled by your dazed voice, I looked over to face you, absorbing the sight of the wind tickling your long dark hair, and reddish moonlight caressing the left side of your dusky face. I wondered how someone could look this perfect at 2 AM. It has been 2 years and yet your face hasn't changed one bit since the last I saw you. However, my mind still couldn’t help being enamored just by one look of yours. Glaring at me with mystical and deep eyes, dressed in ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“CUTTING THE UMBILICAL HEART STRINGS” by Patricia Stankovic

Submitted to Contest #255

My son Erik hasn’t texted for a while. I’m not worried. I’ll hear something soon. He and his girlfriend, Kelly—has it already been a year?—are super busy at college. Studying, socializing, you know. There’s always something fun and interesting going on. Parties. I’m so glad I’d suggested Erik apply to schools in a warm climate. And, otherwise, he wouldn’t have met her. I smile, picturing the two of them holding hands, walking to class under the palm trees in their shorts and t-shirts. I remember those days. Exce...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Travel Light” by Chris Churilla

Submitted to Contest #255

“Night’s Rest,” says Millie in her dramatic narrator voice. “Founded in 1873. The last census puts it at 9,782. Its high school mascot is Percy the Fighting Knight. The town slogan is, ‘Stay one night, and you’ll never want to leave!’ “ I can hear her rolling her eyes. She says, “I’m glad Percy is a fighting knight. And here I thought they were all pacifists.” I glance in the rearview at the bundled figure in the back seat, a cell phone clutched in her mittened hand. “Someone’s in a mood today.” “No, I love going to towns where the local the...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Till Death Do We Part” by Daralynn Dennis

Submitted to Contest #255

Alex and Tammy were late. They bustled around their bedroom and master bath anxiously and excitedly. It was the night of the Military Ball, and it was the first time Alex and Tammy had been able to attend. “God damn it, Alex, we really should have takenthe day off to get ready!” “Come on Tammy you know hell of well I can’t be taking time off just for a dance, I’ll be laughed into oblivion by my superiors!” “Well Jesus Christ I’m a train wreck right now, I could’ve taken the time off today, my boss wouldn’t havemissed me in the least I bet.” ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Sarah's Recovery” by Thaddeus Tuffentsamer

Submitted to Contest #255

Sarah’s Recovery Sarah awoke to the left side of her face being very warm. The sun was in the right position in its morning ascent and its rays were blasting, full force through the window. She slid further to James’ side of the bed, but it didn’t help her escape its rays. She reached over to the remote on her bedside table and pointed it at the ceiling fan to get it going. Its blades began to twitch and move ever so slowly until they picked up speed.&nbs...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Some Sick Joke” by Kris Foster

Submitted to Contest #255

The world had just celebrated the last circle around the sun. Everyone, me included, cheering for the hope of a new year, and saying goodbye to the last one. Yet, it took one day after the new year for me to learn the harsh fact that not everyone gets the luxury of celebrating or experiencing the upcoming year. I hadn’t even gotten into my home, my haven, before my phone rang and my world crumbled around me. I could barely keep my composure as my brother's words echoed through my mind: “You need to get to the farm as soon as possible. It’s M...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A maze with no end” by Silva Kedmenec

Submitted to Contest #255

“What are you looking for?”“A way out.” She says continuing to move forward, stopping now and then at every new door, trying its handle, but as each stays unmoving so she walks on, always on.“You know you won't find one here. Not like this.”She lets out a frustrated sight at the words of her companion, unsure if those are words based on hopeless pessimism or justified realism, but nevertheless unwilling to admit their truth as yet a possibility. Of course there must be a way out, a person can’t find itself in a place with no entrance nor exi...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Secret of Lanesville” by Mirza Pasic

Submitted to Contest #255

In the quaint town of Lanesville, a closely guarded secret revolves around an extraordinary love story. Even now, as time passes, locals can be found in bars enjoying their favorite drinks, recounting stories of James and Elsa and their passionate romance. The stories vary greatly, each painting a different picture of the couple and their love. These stories often culminate in intense arguments about who really knows the real story, leading to heated discussions and the occasional friendly spat. Meanwhile, the moon above Lanesville kee...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Of Mice and Other Mice” by Timothy R. Butcher

Submitted to Contest #255

This isn’t a story with a moral. In fact, it isn’t important that you know any of this. You might just leave worse off than you came, knowing nothing more than the face I am a pitiful, hapless person. It is an account of what happened to me yesterday at dinner. I was on a date. Like every other I can recall within the past, say, five years, it wasn’t going so well. Some nice restaurant called La Famiglia’s. Pricier than I’m comfortable with, but not so pricy I can’t pretend it isn’t a big deal when I offer to pick up the check. We...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Goin' Places” by Patricia Williford

Submitted to Contest #255

Goin' Places The first time I ever saw Mr. Emmett Crawford, he was hunched over a bed of red and yellow pansies, smothering them up to their necks with damp sawdust while autumn leaves covered the rest of the ground. “Morning, sir!” I hollered, “You just move in?” “Yep, just this past weekend. Pretty nice place. We moved up here to be close to my son. You lived here long?” “All my life, actually,” I sighed. “I can't imagine what it'd be like to move to a new place.”&nbsp...

2 comments 2

Read story

“DENIAL ” by Jeremiah Glenewinkel

Submitted to Contest #255

DENIAL There’s a friend that I have that won’t take accountability for there actions. They rather deny to the death than to accept defeat. They see it as if they don’t admit to the denial then everything should be good. Then don’t have to scar there reputation or what everyone thinks of them. In all reality it’s hurting them on so many levels. For example one would be to draw out a situation longer than it has to be. Creating a circle that has no solutions. Resistanting everything that comes out of your mouth plus reacting before you finish...

1 comment 1

Read story

“It Isn't Normal” by Levi Jennings

Submitted to Contest #255

Michael and Miriam could never remember how they became friends, but they clung to each other since they were in kindergarten. Even though their class had the same group of kids all the way to fifth grade, they seemed to play in their own little world. Miriam didn’t necessarily dislike playing with the other girls in her class, but she never felt connected with them. They would talk about dresses they wish they could wear, but Miriam could care less about that stuff. To her, dresses were awkward and never felt like they fit her right, even i...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Coming Around the Mountain” by Kyle Sager

Submitted to Contest #255

There wasn’t much use in flagging anybody down. Only two or three cars had passed by at full speed in the last ten minutes, momentarily illuminating the sad little patch of grass where we stood, hands on our hips and solemn looks on our faces. “Still no service,” he announced as she shoved his phone back in his pocket and examined the blood and fur on the headlights. I said nothing and stared at the black night. I’d never seen so many stars in my life - it was like an enormous wet paintbrush had been shaken out across the w...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about anger.

Angst – 64 stories

Center your story around a character bargaining for something that's important to them.

Dramatic – 43 stories

Start your story with a character in despair.

Dark – 90 stories

Write a story about someone finding acceptance.

Character – 98 stories

Contest #255

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: The Five Stages

$250

Prize money

363

Contest entries

142

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 21, 2024 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: Some Peace and Quiet

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

Write a story about a someone who's in denial.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 68 stories

“Fête Africaine” by Charlotte Ellis

“Reign's End” by Michael Robinson

“Date Night” by Hitarth Menon

“CUTTING THE UMBILICAL HEART STRINGS” by Patricia Stankovic

“Travel Light” by Chris Churilla

“Till Death Do We Part” by Daralynn Dennis

“Sarah's Recovery” by Thaddeus Tuffentsamer

“Some Sick Joke” by Kris Foster

“A maze with no end” by Silva Kedmenec

“The Secret of Lanesville” by Mirza Pasic

“Of Mice and Other Mice” by Timothy R. Butcher

“Goin' Places” by Patricia Williford

“DENIAL ” by Jeremiah Glenewinkel

“It Isn't Normal” by Levi Jennings

“Coming Around the Mountain” by Kyle Sager

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about anger.

Center your story around a character bargaining for something that's important to them.

Start your story with a character in despair.

Write a story about someone finding acceptance.

Contest #255

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

363

Contest entries

142

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: