Start your story with a character in despair.

Posted in Dark on Jun 14, 2024

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✍️ 91 stories

“Heartflame” by Oliver Rolandson

Submitted to Contest #255

Bjor stared at his daughter, who lay unconscious next to the ice witch on the frozen stone floor. Her long red hair covered the wounds on her face, and only the slow rise and fall of her breathing let him know that she was still alive.In stark contrast to him. His chest heaved frantically as if his lungs were being constricted by an invisible band. His insides felt like they were freezing solid. Broken and bloody, he knelt in the snow and dirt, unable to look away from her. She looked so fragile lying there in the snow. He knew wha...

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“The Accident” by Roxanne-Lou AMINIAN

Submitted to Contest #255

The road twisted wildly between his headlights, the tortured tires echoing their painful cries through the valley with each curve. He drove nervously, which was understandable. It wasn’t just that he wanted to—it was that he needed to. He had argued on the phone with Sophie again, and now, instead of meeting her as planned, he was heading home at four in the morning after dropping off a client in the countryside. He accelerated further. The BMW, indifferent to its tires, growled and played along. He vaguely knew that he associated his car wi...

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“The Ice Cream Vendor” by Debra Williams

Submitted to Contest #255

THE ICE-CREAM VENDOR “Mum, where’s that music coming from?” Stephanie Pearson paused. Desperate for a shower, her fingers plucked at the clammy t-shirt embracing her body. Unpacking nearly done; a cool drink would be heavenly. Faint strains of tinny music sailed the air: haunting, then strangely familiar. Suddenly, she was ten years old again.“Ha! Beat ya!” shouted Peter.Stephanie poked her brother in the ribs. “Next time. Just you wait.”Childhood Sundays. Sunday School was first, where Peter always belted out his favourite song, ...

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“The Ghosts of Dax Dufort” by William Siebold

Submitted to Contest #255

Absolute stillness. Silence. The predawn hour was the time that fear and loss and guilt played cruelly with his mind. Regret ruled, easy and seductive. He had reached too far. Expected too much. Friends died because of it, families torn apart because the job was more important. Today was the end of it. Dax Dufort breathed deeply, shook the mood off.Dax wrapped his hands around his favorite coffee mug. He took pleasure in the shape and weight and warmth. This was real. He could touch it. He savored the morning’s first sip of fresh brewed hot ...

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“A practice in despair” by N.F. Moran

Submitted to Contest #255

I lay on the sofa and watched the mornings light creep across the wall, its warmth and brightness in stark contrast to the cold darkness that crept across my soul.How long had I been lying here? The TV screen had gone dark and silence lay heavy in the air. Two bottles of red wine stood empty and proud on the edge of the coffee table.I thought about all the Tupperware holding casseroles in the fridge. When did I last eat? I still wasn’t hungry, would I ever feel hungry again? The emptiness I felt ran deeper; like someone had reached inside me...

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“I Want Home” by Philip Dmitriev

Submitted to Contest #255

This text contains the horrors of war and may affect your mood. [Line censored], 9 October 1917, France.Born: 25 July 1890.Regiment: 2/10 Middlesex regiment.Regiment number: 2857Rank: Private This letter is being delivered in an 'Honour Envelope' and shall be read and censored only in London, avoiding all the other checks. Hello, my sunflower. I am sorrY I don't have the time to write you more letters (I would like though). It's been quite a tough time here, since the end of September my division went to Passchendaele. The whOLe Augus...

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“The Peaceful Lover” by Joanna Hinds

Submitted to Contest #255

The pedestrians pass like fish in a river, the current of the city moving them along with ease. Maybe they feel invisible too. If one of them would pause, to cast their gaze on the sky, framed with towering buildings of concrete and glass, they might have caught a glimpse of me. I took the step up onto the ledge, unshed tears burning the backs of my eyes as the world continued despite my disconsolation. With each day that passes where I remain unseen, I am one step closer to letting go. It would cut my misery short if I could slip and f...

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“The Ashes of Hindsight” by Samantha N Bishop

Submitted to Contest #255

CW/TW Animal Death, Grief, Fire, Loss, Mental Hardship, Panic As I ran out the front door to the small house behind us, I could hear a dog scream. My first impulse was to run to the door, but as I got within five feet of the building, my dad called out my name—in that parent tone that brooked no argument—from the other side of the yard. For a split second, I hesitated, but was not in control of my thoughts and actions. It was as if the sight and smell of smoke and fire had activated my primal instincts. And so, I obeyed, even though my heart...

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“We’re Happy Without You” by Cliff Commanday

Submitted to Contest #255

My heart sank as my son passed the kitchen on Father’s Day with nary a look in my direction. An unfortunate persistence of the status quo. He added a new flare to the morning, humming the same deliberate tune recently adopted by my (not-soon-enough) ex-wife-to-be: the instrumental We’re Happy Without You. I yearned for distraction, arranging stevia and a stir stick in neat, orderly rows as my beans percolated. I’d told myself to stop caring but my fortitude weakened. Despair at his indifference waved over me without permission. H...

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“All things come to an end. ” by Justin Diaz

Submitted to Contest #255

All things come to an end. The sound of a smartphone hitting the ground was amplified by the hard wood floor making the impact sound much more poignant to the man who had moments before dropped his phone out of sheer disbelief. He reached down to pick it up again and re-read the message that was displayed on the screen. His heart raced as he read word by word that his long-time friend Jim had no more interest in continuing their friendship. The phone fumbled slightly in his trembling hands as his nerves got the better of him, making the simp...

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“Love and Despair” by Julie Wylie

Submitted to Contest #255

She was conflicted. She wanted to go in his room with him, but she was afraid. She knew if she stepped through that hotel room door she was going to give in to her desires. She knew a line would be crossed. In so many ways she wanted to cross that line, but she kept thinking of her family. So conflicted. The alcohol wasn't helping. Her mind wasn't clear. She had to make a move soon. It was beginning to get awkward standing there in the doorway, the both of them just staring at each other. He ...

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“The tallest tower” by Charlotte Daly

Submitted to Contest #255

I thought this was love.Oh, I was foolish. I trusted him with my heart, with my whole being. When he whispered in my ear, his promises slipped into my dreams, colouring another world, a world made by the two of us, made bright by our future. We always said that once we escaped, the world would be ours. We were going to conquer the seas together, create calm where once was havoc. And now, I am left alone amidst an unforgiving ocean, waves taller than anything I have faced, ocean spray plummeting against me, pushing me deeper in...

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“Cacophonous Despair, Hopeful Silence” by Robert Scott

Submitted to Contest #255

“Thank you for speaking with us, but we would like to find a candidate with more experience.” The words hung in the air as Carson quietly thanked the interviewer for his time. There was little else said as he was shown out; just a “Good Luck.” “Why bother responding?” Carson thought to himself. He walked in silence to his car, but the outward silence was inaudible to Carson as the rejection sat in his ears. The sounds of the ...

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“Ivy and Chuck” by Ann-Marie Everitt

Submitted to Contest #255

The coffee hissed inside the styrofoam cup, as Ivy stirred the artificial sweetener, she wished it was a faster acting poison. A bent snowflake swayed behind her husband's shoulder, and beyond that the diner’s nativity scene perched precariously on a rotten shelf, threatening to toss the Baby Jesus into the grimy abyss. Perhaps canceling this Christianity movement before it began would have been better for common folks like her. She startled herself, where do thoughts like this come from? Dementia, early stage dementia the social worker had ...

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“Parchment Embers” by Alyssa Krestal

Submitted to Contest #255

I stare at Victor. My breath hitches, my body tingles, I feel my head getting heavy. An invisible force is pushing on me; down into my seat, back against the chair. For a moment I want to run, another moment I want to cry, but I will not back down. I will not let him win. I cannot let him win. I breathe deeply through my nose, sit straight and place my hands on the desk. My eyes do not waver from his. I keep my voice calm, polite, and docile. I need him to trust me. “I do not know what you are accusing me of.” Victor stands in front of...

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Start your story with a character in despair.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 91 stories

“Heartflame” by Oliver Rolandson

“The Accident” by Roxanne-Lou AMINIAN

“The Ice Cream Vendor” by Debra Williams

“The Ghosts of Dax Dufort” by William Siebold

“A practice in despair” by N.F. Moran

“I Want Home” by Philip Dmitriev

“The Peaceful Lover” by Joanna Hinds

“The Ashes of Hindsight” by Samantha N Bishop

“We’re Happy Without You” by Cliff Commanday

“All things come to an end. ” by Justin Diaz

“Love and Despair” by Julie Wylie

“The tallest tower” by Charlotte Daly

“Cacophonous Despair, Hopeful Silence” by Robert Scott

“Ivy and Chuck” by Ann-Marie Everitt

“Parchment Embers” by Alyssa Krestal

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Write a story about anger.

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

Write a story about someone finding acceptance.

Contest #255

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

365

Contest entries

142

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: