Write about a character who has landed their dream job, only to discover it isn’t quite what they imagined it to be.

Posted in Dark on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 34 stories

“A Woman's Authority Rebuked ” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #109

Assistant Pastor Francisca Cortez watched the nearly two dozen yelling protesters stomping within the church yard of her new job. Her heart began to accelerate with concern. A surge of adrenaline mobilized through her bloodstream. Her hands trembled on the steering wheel and her stomach tightened as she watched them against her rear view mirrors. No one had prepared her for what she witnessed. The group of provoked adults carried signs displaying JEZEBEL GO HOME, 1 TIMOTHY 2:12, WOMEN AREN’T LEADERS among other hand made ...

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“Native Range” by Preet Riddle

Submitted to Contest #109

Dale slammed the truck door, walked inside the agency office, and threw down the net gun. Ever since he was a little boy, he had only ever wanted to be a wildlife biologist. But now that he was one, he was not so sure. These were not the animals he wanted to work with. And Florida? Good God, he hated it here. As a kid, he had watched Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and read every book in the school library about animals. His parents humored him at first but made clear their disapproval when he started applying to college. This was not a pro...

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“THE UNEXPECTED, BUT THE SMALL THINGS MATTER” by Erik Foge

Submitted to Contest #109

It was two weeks after their high school graduation. Best friends Erik and Jacques were spending their time doing landscaping at Jacques’ house. They had met nearly a year ago at a basketball game. Neither of them knew much about sports, but their friendship blossomed quickly. Jacques admired Erik because Erik knew a lot about history, especially European history, mainly because his family was directly involved in many current historical events. He was impressed with Erik’s library, which he had begun at age thirteen. Because of his vast his...

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“Everest” by Leah Li

Submitted to Contest #109

He had reached the top. The climb was finally over. He was at the summit that overlooked all others, hidden high in the clouds over his world of a domain. He looked around his new office. The walls gleamed at him, not a speck or dent in sight. His new desk stood patiently in wait, handpicked from the antique store down the block. He’d gotten rid of the one Mike used to use, the creaky old thing with a broken leg. He had never understood why the old man had such an attachment to it, he had never bothered to ask. He let himself think about his...

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“End of day” by Dionisia Lampadariou

Submitted to Contest #109

New assignment “I want to be a scientist! I had to see how the cat would react!” Looking back, I see how weak I had been up to that point. After years of bracing myself for escalating tantrums, I still hadn’t built the emotional capacity to deal with a mutilated pet, and my 11-year-old refusing to hand me its tail. I put on a calm face and asked him to get washed while I scraped the entrails off the sink. I had less than 15 minutes to dispose of the kitten, and I had to make sure he wouldn’t dig her up again. A winless battle, unless he...

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“Flight 257” by Douglas Maxson

Submitted to Contest #109

Flight 257 It wasn’t unusual for a dense fog to linger at this airstrip. The location provided the right seasonal atmosphere for such a haze. What was strange it positioned above Lindsay’s flight without moving. Lindsay Monarch, an aspiring author, landed a major book deal with Vanning Publishing in New York City promising a five- figure advance. Her eight years of hard work was a flight away from stardom. The thick fog might cause a delay. As she walked to the plane for boarding, a hoodie covered her sandy-colored hair hidi...

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“The Anticipated Dream Job” by Connie Grote

Submitted to Contest #109

Kathleen lands the ideal dream job she has always sought. As administrative assistant to the CEO in a government manufacturing facility, she has her own secretary outside a private office. She alone assists the CEO. Her expense account covers traveling around the world on his behalf every month and answering only to him. Her salary affords her the ability to buy top designer clothes, eat at the best restaurants and live in an ultra-modern penthouse apartment with a rooftop garden and patio. But, during a business trip to Spain, she att...

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“9-5” by Lydia Daggett

Submitted to Contest #109

TW: Self harmRon cranes his neck to stare blankly at the cuckoo clock hanging just above eye level. It is 4 :12AM and the toilet seat is beginning to leave an impression on his bum. Six minutes have past yet time seems to stand still. Nothing matters. Not one damn thing. The crease marks are the least of Rons’ worries. Wiping, he stands, forgets to flush and so the hot, dry and somewhat toxic air continues to permeate the premises. Shaved facial hair from weeks past and toothpaste crust the sides of the sin...

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“Indirect Director” by J.B. Dixon

Submitted to Contest #109

“Right. That’s okay. Mmm-hmm. No problem. You can phone me later when you find out. Yeah. Yeah. I’ll be here for about another hour. No problem. Cheers.” Trixie hung up and groaned as she raked a hand through her dark hair. The day, hell, the month, had been unbelievably frustrating with the amount of calls she’d received, along with the nature of all those callers. Everybody wanted something for cheap or for free, and they wanted it done yesterday. “Bah! Like I’d bend over backwards for a measly £995. This gig isn’t what I thought it’d be w...

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“Dream Disaster” by Gaynor Lewis

Submitted to Contest #109

Desirae Walker was here! I felt the energy as I rode the elevator; twelve floors up to my new office building. My new job. My new life. I was finally here, and I was here to stay. The spacious halls housed just under one hundred employees and was one of the largest Architectural firms in London. We served our clients from conception to construction. Creating, building, and designing. After having spent fifteen years at small firms, I had finally landed at one of the largest in London and would not only get the opportunity to display my ski...

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“Escaping the Nightmare” by Ashley Barrett

Submitted to Contest #109

"Living the Dream"May 30th, 2017, "Nicole West," as the announcer calls her name, Nicole approaches Sheriff Daniel Tomeo as she is about to get sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff for the Juliet County Sheriff's Office. She has dreamed of this moment for ten years after her aunt shot herself her Senior year in high school. Nicole has worked as a 911 Dispatcher for seven years at the Sheriff's Office. She has lost 100 pounds and has been relentlessly challenging herself to get to this point. She has done about 100 ride alongs, made friends, influenc...

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“Lorraine” by Olivia Lake

Submitted to Contest #109

She loved it when the air began to cool and the leaves began to redden and yellow. The empty campus would flood with life: students milling about the green quad, overwhelming cafe baristas with their demands for coffee, populating the tiny chairs and even tinier desks of the lecture halls. It was the start of a new academic year. The cycle began anew. It isn’t anything prestigious, she thought as she entered the empty classroom. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote “Freshman Biology” on the blackboard in long, looping letters. Th...

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“Digital Body Snatcher” by Jennifer Clark

Submitted to Contest #109

The problem with real “it” girls is the possibility of scandal. Everyone champions authenticity, but no one wants to field the backlash after your cover girl has a problematic tweet dug up from 2011. A girl built by an agency, forged in the design department, has an extremely low margin of fuck up. This was the elevator pitch Jason, founder of the legendary Dent Agency, used to present his latest pet project to the team. Eventually, it was how Dent successfully sold the first “robot-influencer” to the world’s biggest brands. This was exactly...

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“Disillusioned” by Shaun Brown

Submitted to Contest #109

Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm sounded with its usual urgency. Its abrasive tone charging with reckless abandonment toward my nearby eardrum, hoping to disrupt my peaceful slumber. Normally, my fingers would be frantically searching for the round, smooth button that would trace itself on the pad of my finger upon locating it. The attack would then be halted as pressure was applied to this enemy of quiet solitude. But not today! As yesterday’s news replays in my now awakened and alert mental state, it delivers its welcoming message. Today your d...

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“Sounds like Perfection” by Emma McManus

Submitted to Contest #109

*This is based on True Events. Only names have been changed* … Searching for a job can feel like looking for water in a desert. I was scrolling through ad after ad looking for jobs wanting photographers but most of the jobs ended up being volunteer work, so no payment. It meant gaining experience but experience doesn’t pay the bills. After a few weeks of looking, I finally spotted an ad that was a paying job. I immediately clicked onto it and started to read the details. It was a new Record Label who was looking for a...

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Write about a character who has landed their dream job, only to discover it isn’t quite what they imagined it to be.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 34 stories

“A Woman's Authority Rebuked ” by Pako Dunwhile

“Native Range” by Preet Riddle

“THE UNEXPECTED, BUT THE SMALL THINGS MATTER” by Erik Foge

“Everest” by Leah Li

“End of day” by Dionisia Lampadariou

“Flight 257” by Douglas Maxson

“The Anticipated Dream Job” by Connie Grote

“9-5” by Lydia Daggett

“Indirect Director” by J.B. Dixon

“Dream Disaster” by Gaynor Lewis

“Escaping the Nightmare” by Ashley Barrett

“Lorraine” by Olivia Lake

“Digital Body Snatcher” by Jennifer Clark

“Disillusioned” by Shaun Brown

“Sounds like Perfection” by Emma McManus

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character quitting their job, or getting fired.

Write about a character who leads a secret double life outside of their day job.

Set your story during the night shift.

Your character sits down at their desk on a Monday morning and finds a completely unexpected email in their inbox. Write about what happens next.

Contest #109

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

162

Contest entries

149

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: