Start your story with a character struggling to remember the date, because every day is like the last one.

Posted in Dark on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 177 stories

“What Day Is It?” by Martin Buckell

Submitted to Contest #84

“What day is it?” said Jim. “Why it’s Tuesday of course!” said Dee, busying herself in the kitchen. “Is it? I’ve lost all track of time being stuck here. Every day seems the same.” Jim stooped and picked up the daily newspaper that had just landed on the doormat. He held out the front page. “Today is Wednesday.” “Can’t be. Yesterday was Monday, wasn’t it?” “It says the day right here on the paper, Wednesday 5thMay.” He struck the red top tabloid with the back of his hand as though to drive home the point. “Well what happened ...

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“Hear it all ticking away” by Andrea Itt

Submitted to Contest #84

What was the date? Lara paused her typing for a moment. She looked at her calendar, it was the fifth. In June. When did it become June? She stopped her work, stretching out her back hearing several pops caused after sitting in the same position for so long. Lara stood and went out of her room taking large steps to avoid piles of dirty clothes in the hallway. She made her way to the living room and sat on her couch with her legs folded in an attempt to try meditation. It was supposed to help your mind relax or something. Plus sh...

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“I love my Dad” by Nigel Dougill

Submitted to Contest #84

Anthony gave a heavy sigh. Even at the tender age of fifteen it felt as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. All he craved was a normal young adult’s life, but he realised that this became less likely by the day. He sat there drumming his fingers on the table and twirling his already curly hair. He was looking for inspiration, but more than anything he was looking for the strength to get him through from one day to the next. He knew the warning signs; heaven only knows he had seen them enough times. His beloved father was about t...

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“The Long Climb” by Jeffrey Clifford

Submitted to Contest #84

Allie landed hard on her back, twigs snapping as the air rushed from her lungs. High above her, orange and red leaves slowly descended on her, vultures free from the broken perch above from which she fell. She rolled to her side, drawing her knees to her chest as she gasped. She fell. But how? Allie climbed that tree every day. Every inch of bark, branch, knot, and bend that covered the old maple tree familiar. She had climbed that tree every day for how long now? Allie coughed a few more times and sat, staring up at the tree. ...

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“Rendezvous Point” by David Harland

Submitted to Contest #84

Olivia sat on the bench, fighting both her confusion and her growing panic. Something, she thought, had gone very wrong. At least she could rest here for a moment, gather her thoughts. She’d often used the bench as a meeting place; it was on top of a hill and she could see anyone approaching from a long way off. It would give her a chance to plan her next move. At least so far no-one seemed to have noticed her escape. It had been remarkably easy, she thought, to get away from the establishment where they had been holding her, for goodness kn...

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“The Best Part ” by LeeAnne Rowe

Submitted to Contest #84

Thursday October 15th 2020Lacey looked through the peephole, watching intently as her only neighbor, Dorian, opened his door (completely masked) and looked around. He was just as handsome as he was yesterday, coming to her rescue when the bag of candies for her mother had split and strewn butterscotch around their shared hallway. It was fortunate he had happened upon her picking them up on his way back from his daily coffee run. Even more fortunate that he had not arrived a few moments earlier, when she tore the bag scattering the candies al...

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“One Seventeen and Twenty Five and a Half Seconds” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #84

It wasn’t so long ago that his roommate entered the plastic body bag of no return. Charles sat in his chair like he had been instructed to, wondering what date it was. He had been instructed to wait quietly for lunch and leave Thomas alone. Charles learned a long time ago to do what they said. Not listening would result in dull lectures and unpleasant repercussions to be followed up by the in-house social worker for more discussion. Not listening went against the system. The system was required to keep one hundred and seventy people cared fo...

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“Wonder how 6 words, 9 syllables impacted my life with such tremendous force! ” by Aarya Munot

Submitted to Contest #84

"Is it 25th of October today?” I thought to myself…..Ever since past 6 months I dreaded to remember the date…. I could die any moment maybe just mins later…..Life seems dull and dark….It seems meaningless… Pointless….Colorless…Why has it brought me this now ! What have I done to perish like this?It was the 6th of march, a gloomy day, dark clouds engulfed the bright blue sky, It was the day to pay visit to Dr. Roy and get my test results. It felt as if my whole world had just collapsed when the Doctor paced the room, which heav...

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“Once in a blue moon ” by Suman Saxena

Submitted to Contest #84

Aseem was very excited. He rang the bell. It was midnight of 14th February. He was posted in Vishakhapatnam. After 2 years, transfer would be due and he would come back to Delhi. The thought of giving a surprise to his wife on Valentine’s day was thrilling. His wife loved surprises but he believed in planning and organizing. So, there was no surprise element in his behavior. He eagerly waited for the door to open. He rang the bell thrice before he heard movement inside. “ Who is there?” his wife’s sleepy voice c...

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“Who, What, Where, When and Why? ” by Nicholls Nicholls

Submitted to Contest #84

Marjorie Jean Harrison was shaking her head again as if he could see her through the ghastly mobile phone, “I’m telling you Bartholomew it’s definitely not the 6th. I would remember because I always sit in the garden on the 5th of March to remember the first spitfire that flew over back in ’36. And I didn’t.” When Marjorie says something, she means it. Bart shrugged it off, “It’s ok, working from home means everything rolls into one for me too at the moment. Everyone’s struggling.” Her eldest son was right, a world in lockdown seemed to pass...

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“Containment” by Sophia Guo

Submitted to Contest #84

“Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben! What day is it?” Five-year-old Kip asks, tugging the zipper of the sleeping bag next to my neck. I groan and sit up. My back cracks in protest. What day was it? What day was it? “To be honest, I’m not sure,” I finally say after a long pause. “But I know that today will be the day.” Kip yawned and plopped himself onto the forest floor, the red and yellow leaves crunching under him. “But that’s what you always say, Uncle Ben. Today’s the day, today’s the day. When will today come?” I sigh and ruffle his hair. “Soon, K...

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“The Bittersweet Feelings of Lockdown” by Danielle Okafor

Submitted to Contest #84

What is today, I wonder as I stare out my window. Rain drops slide down the window pane. In twos, in threes. I predict which would get to the end of the pane faster. I'm correct most of the time. I've been doing this since the lockdown began ...three, four months ago? I don't care to check anymore. I've basically been living the same day everyday since. Seating cross-legged on my bed in grey sweats and socks, close to the window, I watch it rain. Pour, actually. The lockdown is relaxing, so I can see people running for shelter. The sky is...

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Start your story with a character struggling to remember the date, because every day is like the last one.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 177 stories

“What Day Is It?” by Martin Buckell

“Hear it all ticking away” by Andrea Itt

“I love my Dad” by Nigel Dougill

“The Long Climb” by Jeffrey Clifford

“Rendezvous Point” by David Harland

“The Best Part ” by LeeAnne Rowe

“One Seventeen and Twenty Five and a Half Seconds” by Pako Dunwhile

“Wonder how 6 words, 9 syllables impacted my life with such tremendous force! ” by Aarya Munot

“Once in a blue moon ” by Suman Saxena

“Who, What, Where, When and Why? ” by Nicholls Nicholls

“Containment” by Sophia Guo

“The Bittersweet Feelings of Lockdown” by Danielle Okafor

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that spans exactly a year and takes place in a single room.

Write about someone who grew up in a bunker, and lockdown life is all they’ve ever known.

Set your story in a post-pandemic world, where the effects are still felt even as your character attempts to move on.

Write about someone who’s trying to accomplish a task that used to be easy but is now made complicated by a pandemic.

Contest #84

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

663

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: