Write a story about two people living together who have opposing sleep cycles, and only cross paths at dawn and dusk.

Posted in Character on Nov 10, 2023

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✍️ 51 stories

“Night Falls - Day Breaks ” by Danie Holland

T/W: Mentions of sex, suicide, child abuse, mental illness, offensive languageHow many ways are there to suffocate? It’s a question I lock inside a cage in my mind and pretend it isn’t there. I do this on the drive home from work. It’s a mundane trip on the same streets Monday through Thursday. Images of gnarled trees rush past my car windows with twisted arms and sagging bodies. Early morning joggers hit the trails underneath them with spirit in their steps. Toward the end of my commute there’s a pedestrian bridge with ...

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“Allondial and Remu— a myth ” by Michelle Oliver

To hear the stories told by old women over the fire, one would believe the world to be inhabited by ghouls and hobgoblins. This is not true. The world is full of magic for sure, but the magic has been here longer than the old women, longer than humankind and longer indeed than memory can express.In the beginning of time, Allondial was born. Her first breath was a gasp that awakened humankind from the eternal sleep of non-existence. Her smile was gentle as she gazed upon all creation as it woke, and humankind smiled back, ...

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“Third Shift” by Jonathan Page

“Third Shift,” Jimmy says. “Up and attem.” I rise from my bunk and dress. Jimmy trudges through the bunkhouse jackhammering the wooden paneling with his heavy steel-tipped combat boots. The last rays of divine light dim to a palette of unnumberable oranges, sunset crashing through the bunkhouse windows. The bunkhouse is like that. Noise and beauty. Frenzy and leisure. Holies play cards, watch videos, and chat at the feet of the bunks, while their brothers sleep just feet away.“Big night tonight, moonie,” Jimmy says. “You...

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“The Invisible Roommate” by Brian D

Finding a roommate – especially when you’ve just moved to a new city – is like playing a slot machine. You might hit the jackpot and make a friend for life, or you may end up stuck in very close quarters with a creature from the depths of the abyss. When you’re desperate, though, you just have to pull that lever and hope for the best. I got matched with my roommate, Jon, on the Roommate Finder app. It see...

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“Alien Love in the Age of Platypus” by Robert Egan

Men, women, cyborgs, androids, and one hyper-intelligent beluga. Yanni G has loved and been loved by them all. Yet neither Yanni G, nor any man before him, has ever known the love of a Platypus."Third person. Narcissist." So says Bartholomew, the raven perched upon Yanni G's… my left shoulder.Yes, it is Yanni G, Saturn's only three-time Grammy winner, who writes this. Music is my voice and love my sustenance, yet now I find myself mute, starved, humbled before the Platypus. Rest assured, I don't mean th...

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“Passing Ships in Parallel Lives” by Sarah Martyn

When you get married, you have this naive expectation that you’ll just cuddle a lot, see each other in constant quality time, and have ideal work schedules that never conflict with meals and date nights. Not so much. Maybe at first, but not for long. It’s brief and sporadic at best. It’s not naive in the way that in marriage (as you share a home and combine ...

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“Whose Girl?” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

“Why do you want to see him again? We’ve been going out for six months and now you’ve arranged to meet with your ex? I just don’t get you, Verity. Everything is going so well between us.”Verity twisted in her seat. She had never said anything nice about her ex, Laurence. “He pleaded with me to have dinner with him. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told him to meet me at Healthy Cravings, where you work. He doesn’t even know about you. I’ll feel perfectly safe if you are there.”“What about him? If he upsets you, I’ll want to...

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“Quicksand ” by V Joyce Lott

She caught sight of him at dawn when the sun woke from its slumber. He for a brief moment saw her at dusk when the sun peered over the horizon, and the moon rose to take its place. Like passing trains in the midst of night they traveled separate journeys. Neither spoke much these days, buried by the silence, and the reluctance to resolve their troubles. Puppy love turned to malevolence ...

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“Nocturnal Bonds” by Kai Lawrence

The sun was still well below the horizon as Ansel exited the BART near his flat, and despite the city already beginning to take on a pre-dawn light, the nightwalkers were still out in force – shooting up, smoking dope, and acting generally insane. Rounding a corner onto Market, Ansel felt a gust of wind blow through his open jacket. He tugged it closed unconsciously even though he couldn’t really feel the cold. Instead, ...

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“Shifting Shadows” by Guido Francisco Manzano Garcia

In the quiet suburb of Maplewood, nestled among rows of nearly identical houses, the home of Joane and Robert stood. It was a modest two-story dwelling, with a small garden that Joane tended to on her rare days off. The white picket fence, once a symbol of their achieved dream, now felt like a barrier, holding in their mounting pressures and unspoken frustrations. Joane, with her gentle smile and hands th...

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“Cereal and Steak” by Wake Lloire

I used to be a night owl. I’d stay up reading under my covers with the contraband flashlight my godmother bought me. I would wait for my parents to go to sleep, I’d slip into the living room and put on my favourite record at the time, a weathered copy of Hooked on Classics, and I’d snuggle back into my bed with one of my favourite OZ books (there are fourteen from the original series, most folks don’t know that). My favo...

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“Hunger” by Rose Sultan

Golden sunlight bled through the gap in the curtains, and with it, there was a harsh knock at my bedroom door. “Thanks, Morpheus, I’m up,” I muttered, voice gruff with the remnants of sleep. Five minutes later, I was dragging myself out into the cold, stale air. Wearing slippers softened the sound of my feet padding against the wooden floor with every step I took towards the living room. Cereal? Outside the wind...

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“Rises and Sets” by Teigen Bond

We share the same sky, yet we hardly ever see each other. He rises only when I set, though sometimes you can see me lingering in the predawn hours while he peeks over the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of his glorious face. I can never manage to stay around long enough to view anything other than a cheek, an eyelash, the tip of a strong chin. I always wonder why it seems like he is so scared to be seen with me. It’s ...

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“Moonlit Tea by the Stove” by A. L. Marchant

Slippers and a dressing-gown can only do so much to sway the bite of air that has not yet been warmed by the sun. Still she pulled them on, wrapping the fleece of her gown tightly around her body and curling her toes into the soles which never quite forgot the shape of her footprint. Dawn would not be rising for a good hour, and the moon sat comfortably among the stars that glittered over her countryside home. A ...

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“Twilight's Embrace at Dawn” by Kilala Benson

Harold and Jase were an odd pair living under the same roof. Harold was a morning lark, rising with the first light of dawn, while Jase was a night owl, thriving in the deep, mysterious hours of the night. They were like two ships passing in the night, or more accurately, ships passing at dawn and dusk. Their encounters were rare but special. Harold would brew his morning coffee just as Jase was wrappin...

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Write a story about two people living together who have opposing sleep cycles, and only cross paths at dawn and dusk.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“Night Falls - Day Breaks ” by Danie Holland

“Allondial and Remu— a myth ” by Michelle Oliver

“Third Shift” by Jonathan Page

“The Invisible Roommate” by Brian D

“Alien Love in the Age of Platypus” by Robert Egan

“Passing Ships in Parallel Lives” by Sarah Martyn

“Whose Girl?” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

“Quicksand ” by V Joyce Lott

“Nocturnal Bonds” by Kai Lawrence

“Shifting Shadows” by Guido Francisco Manzano Garcia

“Cereal and Steak” by Wake Lloire

“Hunger” by Rose Sultan

“Rises and Sets” by Teigen Bond

“Moonlit Tea by the Stove” by A. L. Marchant

“Twilight's Embrace at Dawn” by Kilala Benson

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story before dawn. Your character has woken up early for a particular reason.

Start your story with someone saying “I can’t sleep.”

Write a story about someone pulling an all nighter.

Write about someone who can’t sleep due to jet lag, and decides to set out and explore their new city at night instead.

Contest #224

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

304

Contest entries

139

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: