Write a story in which a character is stuck reliving their worst Christmas ever, over and over again.

Posted in Christmas on Dec 15, 2023

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✍️ 35 stories

“Christmas Spirit” by Domika Stewart

Submitted to Contest #229

The night before Christmas it's always suppose to be the coziest. The fireplace is lit and the beautiful red stockings are hanging. The Christmas tree is decorated with colorful lights and ornaments. I was home alone with my dog Sam. We were just sitting by the fire and listening to Christmas music. Every year we would sit and watch the Christmas themes. Each neighbor had their own beautiful story to tell. The night seemed very stilled with not much traffic. You could see that the snow flurries were about to fall. Sam and I didn't care much ...

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“The Forgotten King’s Last Christmas” by A.A. Stitt

Submitted to Contest #229

In a desolate little hut, sheltered among a forest of untouched pines, and smothered by an unceasing blizzard, lived a forgotten King. The whole world once knew his name - now it was only heard whispered on the sharp, icy breeze which sliced mountains and chilled deserts as the dreaded moniker of a defeated foe. To adults, mention of it barely jingled a bell of recollection. They learned to forget him. Those who did remember condemned him as a tyrant and a symbol of evil. He was a krampus, a demon of winter. A dark conjuring of ancient magic...

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“Under the Mistletoe” by Hayley-Jenifer Brennan

Submitted to Contest #229

‘Excuse me, Jihoon—' My gaze tracked the voice to the other side of the office. ‘—could you—' ‘No.’ I rolled my eyes. Jihoon Kang. The son of our school’s director was working off his debt having crashed his birthday present. ‘. . .Paige?’ Yura turned to me. I chewed my lip. ‘Yes, Yura?’ Jihoon caught my eye. He shook his head, mouthing: “say no”. I ignored him. ‘I know you’re busy,’ Yura said. ‘But we’ve got a booking for Christmas Day.’ My eyes widened. ‘Who booked this?’ ‘I’ll bet it was my dad,’ Jihoon scoffed. ‘We looooove Christmas.’ ‘...

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“Worst Christmas Ever” by David Lund

Submitted to Contest #229

CHRISTMAS DAY, 1866. I woke up, my head pounding. I didn’t open my eyes, sure someone had glued them shut, it seemed like too much effort. So I lay there, listening to my heartbeat pound through my temples. Quick, irregular, sending waves of nausea through my nerves, making my stomach lurch. I took a deep breath, trying to slow the rhythm, trying to calm my churning guts. The intake of breath brought up the smell of half-digested wine, the alcohol burning my throat and nose. &...

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“The Mistletoe Thrush” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #229

Darlene thought of Christmas and herceyes filled with tears first romance memories some good some bad. The Mistletoe thrush he or she,always remained for the festive season.pecking at the mistletoe over the years. Fresh berries the joy and taste of Christmas. The clinking of glasses, tree lights, globes on trees laughing faces joy. Darlene should show more spirit instead of dwelling on the past. As Danny always said his girlie. The times together bought a tear to her eye hanky at the ready. Danny life and soul of the party. Taken so young, C...

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“Down the Chimney” by K.C. Hammond

Submitted to Contest #229

**This story contains alcohol consumption and suggested gore** Tomorrow would be the day. The worst day of the year. For others, it was a time of giving, a time of joy and celebration. The time to be merry and bright. But not for Anna Lee. No, for her it was a reminder of a time when the most precious thing to her was taken. A time of misery and isolation. Her friends called her a Grinch. An Ebenezer. Well, bah humbug to them. If they knew, if they experienced what she had...

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“Bony Turkey and Ugly Elves” by Zoe King

Submitted to Contest #229

“I only had one thing on my wishlist this year, Mama!” a young boy tells his mother. “I want a sister!” “You can’t have a sister,” the young boy’s mother tells him. “Why not, Mama?” asks the young boy. “Because you’re not on the nice list,” the young boy’s father says. The young boy is in tears. They are sitting at the dinner table, the young boy, his father, his mother, and a creepy elf-on-the-shelf on the other end staring at him. The young boy is sure his parents bought it solely for the purpose of frightening him. The thought cre...

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“Socks” by Flying Eagle

Submitted to Contest #229

I’ve always hated socks. To specify, I hate receiving socks, and I have not always despised them. A personal and most probably an eternal dislike. Every time I have pulled and blanketed my legs with it, an untamed thought threatened to whisk me back to that cold twenty-fourth. I shifted my gaze from the vivid pixels of the TV to my Xiao Long Baos, waiting in stoic silence for me to devour them. I sucked the warm broth, soothening my mouth with a symphony of spices, making my veins surge in intoxicating amusement. My eyes broadened in re...

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“Groundhog Day with Grace” by Keelan LaForge

Submitted to Contest #229

Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? I loved it until that became my Christmas every year. It always felt like a laughably improbable concept, until it came to fruition in my own life. One year, I started going to my great aunt Grace’s for the entirety of Christmas Day. I planned for it to be a one-off. She’s a pain in the proverbial; everything always has to be “just so.” She put me in in charge of bringing a decorative garland for the table centrepiece. I’m not a centrepiece kind of guy. I didn’t even know where to get one, but s...

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“Some kind of a Christmas story” by Matei-Dacian Boboc

Submitted to Contest #229

"I think I’m stuck in here! A little help, please..." she whispered to Holly, who leaned over to examine the situation. Her friend was kneeling behind the Christmas tree, trying to plug in the sparkling garlands. She was a bit scared and kind of disgusted because of the dust on the floor in that hidden corner. It seemed like it wasn’t her home. But it was."Yes, I don’t really know if I should help you or if I’d just let you there. But I’m a really good friend, you know?” Holly replied to the cry for help from her best friend. She gave C...

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“Redemption's Bitter Path” by T. B. Spruiells

Submitted to Contest #229

Scott's sweatpants scoured his skin with each step over the bridge. Time was the only thing that could wash away the stench of horror endured for the last year, and he wasn't sure it would ever dissipate. He clenched his tickets, a reminder of his opportunity for a do-over. When he arrived at Rikers, he had a team of people to part the sea of paparazzi. Tonight, there were just two cameras, one from channel five and the other from a cable station. It's funny how everyone rides with you to the top, but no one trudges through the mud when it m...

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“Resilience in the Rain: Jasper's Journey to Revive His Legacy” by Becky Allred

Submitted to Contest #229

Tiny Tim Crachit couldn’t have had it worse than Jasper Quincy Vaugn. The icy winter rain was pounding on his head as he climbed out of his 1965 Ford Mustang that had been passed down to him by his father who was now in eternal rest. He slammed the door on the broken down vehicle, which was the only legacy his father had left him. In truth, he hadn’t left it to him, but had made him purchase it from him. In fact, if Jasper had ever driven the car while his father was alive and had crashed it his father would have been more worried about the ...

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“A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IN PIRTLEVILLE” by Michael Gigandet

Submitted to Contest #229

“This is too good to be true!” George swiped his shirt cuff at the tears streaming down his cheeks as his friends and neighbors stuffed wads of cash into a red Christmas stocking. Arms swarmed and swirled around him, stretching over shoulders, reaching around people, all of them extensions of joyful faces shouting “Merry Christmas George!” and “You da’ Man”. “I can’t believe it. Shucks folks.” Holding his daughter FooFoo on his hip, George blubbered, “It’s…it’s a Christmas miracle! That’s...

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“Half a Rose” by Bobi Neher

Submitted to Contest #229

A forlorn and withered face peered through the frosted flake design on the only unbroken window of the chapel. His breath painted a new design on the inside, which never matched the design on the outside. Our voices rang through the night, and we strolled from door to door, hoping someone would place a shilling or two in our cup. We were nearing the local pub. Customers were celebrating in style. They just received their Christmas bonuses. It was time to party. It was a nightmare every year when we came to this door. Some in the pub ...

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“Purgatory” by David Bachman

Submitted to Contest #229

A memory of a girl’s scream echoed through my ears. My alarm brayed at me incessantly, and even pulling the pillow over my ears didn’t stop the ringing from working its way into the growing fissure in my brain. The only thing worse than the sound was the burning light that assaulted me when I opened my eyes to hit the snooze. I turned my pillow over to the cool side, and shut my eyes to adjust to the overhead light slowly, hopefully through my eyelids over the next ten minutes (which passed in approximately three seconds before the alarm scr...

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Write a story in which a character is stuck reliving their worst Christmas ever, over and over again.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 35 stories

“Christmas Spirit” by Domika Stewart

“The Forgotten King’s Last Christmas” by A.A. Stitt

“Under the Mistletoe” by Hayley-Jenifer Brennan

“Worst Christmas Ever” by David Lund

“The Mistletoe Thrush” by Christine LW

“Down the Chimney” by K.C. Hammond

“Bony Turkey and Ugly Elves” by Zoe King

“Socks” by Flying Eagle

“Groundhog Day with Grace” by Keelan LaForge

“Some kind of a Christmas story” by Matei-Dacian Boboc

“Redemption's Bitter Path” by T. B. Spruiells

“Resilience in the Rain: Jasper's Journey to Revive His Legacy” by Becky Allred

“A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IN PIRTLEVILLE” by Michael Gigandet

“Half a Rose” by Bobi Neher

“Purgatory” by David Bachman

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a festive party gone wrong that’s saved by some holiday magic.

Write a story in which a cynical character gets amnesia on Christmas Eve.

Write about a character who visits their hometown for the holidays and reconnects with a former love interest.

Start or end your story with a character finding out the love of their life is actually royalty.

Contest #229

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

171

Contest entries

64

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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