Start your story with someone uttering a very strange sentence.

Posted in Dialogue on Dec 22, 2023

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✍️ 54 stories

“Take-A-Number” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Submitted to Contest #230

“I need you to start sleeping with your husband.”“That’s an odd request.”“Unfortunately, it’s an urgent one.”“Are there any other men that you would like me to start sleeping with as well?”“No, of course not.” “Well, that’s a relief. For a moment I wasn’t sure if I should install a Take-A-Number ticket dispenser outside my bedroom door.” “Don’t make light of our situation, precarious as it is.”“As much as I like to make you happy, sleeping with my dear husband may be challenging i...

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“Grammar Schooled” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #230

“I never said she stole my money.”“You never said she stole your money? But isn’t that why we’re here, Mr. erm...?”“Goldstein. Em Goldstein.”“You have accused the cleaning lady of stealing your money.”“No, I never said she stole my money.”“Yes, you did. It’s here in my notes. Quote: Victim was asked who the perpetrator was. To which he replied, the cleaning lady.”“No, I never said she stole my money.”“I’m confused.”Detective In...

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“The Gravity of Words” by Jonathan Page

Submitted to Contest #230

The day that gravity stopped working for words, Shawn climbed the fire escape to the roof of his walk-up apartment and screamed at the top of his lungs. He could feel the vibration of the sounds leaving his throat, but the scream never reached his ears. The heads of the pedestrians on the street below did not turn. No one could hear him screaming.Shawn had a deadline on his new EP. He was determined to record two new tracks for his album that afternoon, but it seemed that the world had other plans. How does one make musi...

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“The Six Must Decide: Quetzalcoital or Drext?” by Robert Egan

Submitted to Contest #230

"Leave me quetzalcoital with your Hemingway-six!" the bearded lady roared. These were the perfect words with which to begin the meeting, which was why she was the boss. Her "Hemingway-six" echoed across the labyrinthine cave, fluttered feathered serpent–like across six pairs of ears, and crafted wind jewels across entangled neurons. The effect was neither sensuous nor sensual. It was quetzalcoital, and al...

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“Captive Flame (E)” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #230

"She didn't kill them on purpose," Wynter shouted at her sister.Summer rolled her eyes. "And how do you know that? You weren't there, were you?""No, but - but what if she didn't know? She didn't know what an Ever was, what if it's different in her world? If her people aren't Linked then how was she to know that our lives are stored in Evergreen needles? How was -"Summer interrupted her. "I don't get you at all! You knew her for less than an hour and you're completely convinced that she...

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“Memory GPT” by Iakov Shuvalov

Submitted to Contest #230

“How much did you sell your memories for?” asked the young office worker. “Enough to pay my rent.” the older worker answered. “And what ones did you sell? The ones of your ex-wife?” “Cheeky bastard.” the older worker snapped. “Those memories probably trained that fancy therapist AI you’re speaking to right now.” “Maybe not. They may have been used for the new President AI.” “No. Yo...

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“Shadow” by Aidan Romo

Submitted to Contest #230

The shadow’s flesh was of a devil’s hide. It silently echoed screams of old pains, pains I hoped never to feel again. This shadow has followed me for as long as I can feasibly recall. Even now, it continues to hover over me. Though I have tried to run from its grip on my soul before, I swear it. I have yet to see it, but I just know it’s always here. For me, and for us all. Just when I’m at my most vulnerable, it will ap...

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“The customer isn't always right” by Susy G

Submitted to Contest #230

“Ma’am, I understand that Mr Pickles is at the vet because he swallowed an unfortunately positioned rat pellet in your neighbour’s garden, but this doesn’t change the fact that I cannot process a refund for your air fryer if you don’t have a receipt.” “I don’t think you quite understand what I’m saying: how am I supposed to use the air fryer when Mr Pickles’ life hangs in the balance?” “Ma’am, I sympathis...

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“The Fourth Wall” by Rose Winters

Submitted to Contest #230

"Vomit's Better with ketchup."Keelie threw a rubber knife at Will’s head. “You’re disgusting.”“I’m serious. Watch.” Will squirted ketchup into a jar of ‘pureed squash’ baby food. “Okay, Keelie, don’t swish it around, just hold it in your mouth. No swallowing.”“As if I would.” Keelie reached down her dress and adjusted the rolled-up socks in her bra, smacking her barely pubescent hot pink lips. “For the love of the ...

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“Starcrossed” by Angela W

Submitted to Contest #230

“The stars in their grief seek revenge.”Drina’s hollow voice stills my hand and I momentarily abandon the task of copying a particularly difficult rune. I glance around the unoccupied library to see if something around us could have sparked such a statement, but all I see is empty space and old books.“Hold that thought, Drina,” I say, dropping my gaze back to the parchment before me, “I’m almost finished with this ridiculous rune for Professor Miranda.”A few moments of silence pass, which is odd since Audrina Alderidg...

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“No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #230

“Out of all the reasons for my imprisonment, helping one of my honor students shouldn’t have been one of them,” I muttered. “Bob, you have ten hours and three minutes before meeting your maker!” He chuckled sadistically as he spoke. Reflecting on my feelings, my jaw tightened at the thought of not missing this jerk. Twelve years ago, Missy asked for my help. ...

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“FOMO” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #230

“It isn’t Munch, so here, you can have it!”“Munch appreciated!” I exclaim as I take the bag.“He did until FOMO hit!” said the Prevost.I should have known better, but when you starve, your hands have a life of their own. I rummage through Munch’s beat-up travel bag. Burglary tools, identity papers with a picture that looks like me were thrown in with a stale half-eaten lunch! Such trash! Munch left a rotten apple in his bag. I’m so ravenous that I take a bite.Long ago, when I worked, I thought I was happy. I nev...

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“A Strange Thing to Say” by Brian Bywater

Submitted to Contest #230

A Strange Thing to Say “Bog walking John, yes, in my opinion Bog Walking is the World’s strangest sport.” “Eric, the question I asked was, ‘what are the strangest sports in the World? I did not ask you to make up a fictitious sport.” “Which is exactly what I didn’t do. B...

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“3 o ' clock ” by Vanessa Severino

Submitted to Contest #230

She woke up in the middle of the night to a strong gust of wind, as her bedroom shudders flung open. She raced to the window to pull the shudders towards her, until they were fastened shut and locked securely. She let out a huge sigh of relief. She could not help but notice a shadow of a man standing in the grass one story beneath her. "Could it be?" She asked herself in a breathless whisper. She shook her head no, pus...

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“We Had a Deal” by David Willett

Submitted to Contest #230

"If you get me his phone, I might reconsider,” Detective Pike said as he turned to walk away. Sharon knew she could not let the negotiation end here. She searched the ground as if the canals forming between the cobblestones would give her the right words. She looked back at Pike’s caramel-coloured trench coat moving further away. The downpour cascaded like a waterfall around his muscular frame as it streamed off his bl...

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Start your story with someone uttering a very strange sentence.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 54 stories

“Take-A-Number” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

“Grammar Schooled” by Chris Campbell

“The Gravity of Words” by Jonathan Page

“The Six Must Decide: Quetzalcoital or Drext?” by Robert Egan

“Captive Flame (E)” by Khadija S. Mohammad

“Memory GPT” by Iakov Shuvalov

“Shadow” by Aidan Romo

“The customer isn't always right” by Susy G

“The Fourth Wall” by Rose Winters

“Starcrossed” by Angela W

“No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” by Scott Taylor

“FOMO” by Joe Smallwood

“A Strange Thing to Say” by Brian Bywater

“3 o ' clock ” by Vanessa Severino

“We Had a Deal” by David Willett

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story framed by a single scene: something happens, a flashback or inner monologue intervenes, and then the story ends with the rest of the original scene.

Write a story in which a character achieves a new level of clarity about how they’re really feeling.

Write a story that hides something from its reader until the very end.

Write a story in the form of a list.

Contest #230

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

372

Contest entries

109

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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