Write about someone with a Midas touch: everything they touch turns to [fill in the blank].

Posted in Character on Aug 25, 2023

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✍️ 39 stories

“The Sculptor of Lyon” by Michał Przywara

CW: body horror, gore. Jacques heard someone enter his 5th floor studio, heard the heavy groan of the old wood door, heard the tired thing thunder back into place, slamming with a finality that said ‘no more’, and it was the only thing that stopped him from pitching forward from his balcony into the street below. Rich heels snapped against the scuffed parquet floor, and the boards underneath strain...

57 comments 57 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Napoleon” by Kevin B

Jeremiah had no intention of turning his dog into Napoleon. He woke up one day and when Scotch Tape came to greet him in bed with a lick of the feet and a wag of the tail, Jeremiah gave him a pat on the head as he had always done, and the next thing he knew, there was a tiny tyrant standing before him. “Well, now you’ve done it,” said Napoleon, “Look at me. Just look at me. I’ve been dead ...

15 comments 15

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“Anand's Lamp” by Marty B

Anand knew the snake wanted to eat him, even if his mother said it only ate the cats and dogs scurrying over the trash pile. Anand held up one open hand, and then a single finger on the other, examining the years of his life in nicked and dirty scars. His family was Dalit, the untouchables, only suited to garbage collection, or cleaning toilets, as anything they touched turned to trash. He wanted to get to two full hands, and then he could join the men picking up the trash in town and not battle again...

31 comments 31 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“The “Hands-Off” Support Group” by Jonathan Page

LALA’S FLESHY MEAT HOOKS were squishing my face, and I was assaulted by the high-pitched screech of her voice that hummed thunderous, the way we think of the Big Bang as loud. “You’re back MontyEEE! So glad to seeEEE you!” Lala’s special touch is forgetfulness, and it took a minute for me to anchor in on my name after her embrace, but nothing could make me forget that voice. Going around the church basement of the “Hands-Off” meeting, each night we met: This is Sammy; this is Herman; this is Hamilton,...

9 comments 9

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“Comic Con-voluted” by Chris Campbell

“SPLASH!” Was the sound of once living flesh and bone being transformed into water molecules, soaking into the dry, parched floor of the desert planet – some twelve light years from Earth. “Hydro, what have you done?” The elder-looking statesman alarmingly asked. “That was the high priest of Orr. There will be repercussions now from the Orronauts.” “So what!” Came the impetuous reply. “If their guards get anywhere near me, I’ll lay my powerful hands on them and turn them into vapour.” “Stop! Wait!” Came the outcry fr...

14 comments 14

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“Midas' touch: A dystopian message (from an era after Nuclear Winter)” by Belladona Vulpa

Dear future humans or others,I write to you from a world you might find difficult to imagine, a world shaped by the reckless desires of those who came before me. It's like the ancient tale of King Midas of Phrygia, whose touch turned everything to gold. Our own "Midas' touch" turned our dreams into greed and our ambitions into disaster.In the fragments of what was once known as Istanbul, a small settlement now struggling to survive, I've grown up without ever glimpsing the graceful flight of ...

4 comments 4

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“The Perfect Touch” by Jed Cope

I’d heard the stories, but then we all hear stories. There’s the one about the little old lady who just happened to work for some of the richest men in the world. She was there at the outset and she bought shares in companies that rose and rose until they cast a shadow over the world. But that little old lady never spent a conspicuous penny of her wealth, and it was only when she kicked the bucket that her investments ca...

5 comments 5

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“Gloves of Creation” by Anthony Carello

Alex jumped from rooftop to rooftop, each breath feeling laboured and ragged. His feet were heavy, and his arms dragged as he scurried atop the buildings. I can’t let them catch me! They weren’t really after him, but what he had taken – The Hands of Creation. It wasn’t like he wanted to steal the most priceless invention mankind had ever created, but he needed them. With these gloves he coul...

7 comments 7

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“Peanut Gallery” by Michael Novak

Look up the word “average” in the dictionary, and next to the entry you’d probably see a picture of Harold Painter. In his late 30s, with a thinning hairline and a forgettable face, Harold wore the same white shirt, and brown pants and suit jacket almost every day. He sold life insurance, and lived alone in a small bungalow with only his German Shepherd Rex for company. In other words, he was the concept of boringness ma...

4 comments 4

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“Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Benja Catton

I had her key. Living in the apartment next to hers, it was reasonable that she’d wanted me to check on the cat. But she had an absurd list of requests for a two day trip. She wanted me to come over almost hourly to check on the cat. I went over twice the first day, and just once the second day. Her place made me sad. Although it was full of plants, they all drooped. She said it was her husband who had the green thumb....

4 comments 4

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“The Meinus Touch” by Howard Seeley

Once upon a time not so long ago, there was a king named Meinus, who ruled over a kingdom called The Land of Perfect, and it was so perfectly named. The kingdom was filled with pretty houses and scattered throughout the land, laid parks, and luscious green meadows. All the citizens of the land had everything they could desire. Two cars in the driveway, HD televisions in every room, bright, healthy children, and incomes capable of supporting their lifestyles in comfort. Everything that everyone desired was available at their fingertips. It...

5 comments 5

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“They're Always Watching” by Rachael Parks

What’s the stupidest super power you can think of? Go ahead, take a stab at it. No really, I insist. What was that? The ability to talk to rocks? Ha! Yea go ahead and tell a geologist or an anthropologist that you can talk to rocks.That stuff would like, turn them on. You’d spend your whole life trying to stop nerds still crashing on their mother’s couch from shoving dirty rocks in y...

2 comments 2

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“Small Things in Life Bring Happiness” by Gerald Boisvert

My grinding week in the laboratory at Elkins Precious Metals Foundry has finally come to an abrupt end. "Wow, what a long week that it has been," Mike said to Tom grabbing his coffee thermos and lunch bucket from the lockers inside the cafeteria building. They both walked out together towards the parking lot. It was 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, and all that Mike could dwell on was his upcoming weekend at the fishi...

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“Mackus,the magic continues.......” by Bernette Magbanua

From my hotel room window, I witnessed an oversized billboard being displayed at the right corner of the street together with his life-sized picture: Mackus, the great Magician of his time. I was staring the whole time when I heard someone was knocking loudly at the door with the loud sound of the door bell.ting- ting .ding- dong. I hurriedly approached the door and open it little bit just to see who’s that person at the door…In my surprise,no one was there,I stepped out and looked around.,no one was th...

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“Touch of Death” by Gage Cole

Trigger warning: There is death and implied suicide in this story. Read at your own risk. Amanda didn’t mean to kill her best friend. It just happened. It was a warm April day when the two of them were playing one on one basketball in his front yard. Given that he was six inches taller and had at least twice the muscles, he was winning handedly. He had always been winning since they hit puberty. She nev...

2 comments 2

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Write about someone with a Midas touch: everything they touch turns to [fill in the blank].

Submissions are closed

✍️ 39 stories

“The Sculptor of Lyon” by Michał Przywara

“Napoleon” by Kevin B

“Anand's Lamp” by Marty B

“The “Hands-Off” Support Group” by Jonathan Page

“Comic Con-voluted” by Chris Campbell

“Midas' touch: A dystopian message (from an era after Nuclear Winter)” by Belladona Vulpa

“The Perfect Touch” by Jed Cope

“Gloves of Creation” by Anthony Carello

“Peanut Gallery” by Michael Novak

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Benja Catton

“The Meinus Touch” by Howard Seeley

“They're Always Watching” by Rachael Parks

“Small Things in Life Bring Happiness” by Gerald Boisvert

“Mackus,the magic continues.......” by Bernette Magbanua

“Touch of Death” by Gage Cole

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character looking closely at something, or someone. They can't quite decide if what they're looking at is natural, or man-made.

Start or end your story with a character receiving a hug or words of comfort.

Write a story about someone who is losing feeling in their hands and/or fingers.

Write about an AI or person trying to inject a ‘human touch’ into their work.

Contest #213

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

298

Contest entries

131

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: