Write a story about an argument that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another.

Posted in Dialogue on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 121 stories

“Orange-Coloured Sky” by Deborah Angevin

Submitted to Contest #50

“How are you?”Sitting at the grass, enjoying the blue sky slowly turning orange, I turn my head at the familiar sound. In front of me, a man stands with a white short-sleeve shirt and khaki pants. Black rectangular-framed glasses sit on the bridge of his nose, covering his dark brown eyes. I blink my eyes twice, making sure he is the same man that I know. “Kevin?”The man flashes a wide smile. “You still remember me?”“Of course!” I answer, still feeling surprised. I did wish to meet him, yet it never occurred to me that we could ever mee...

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“Taking the Same” by Phoebe Barr

Submitted to Contest #50

“She’ll take the same,” he said, in a voice so careless, so quiet and easy and unconcerned, that it made me want to scream. It was the first time he’d openly referred to me since we’d formally met half an hour ago. He hadn’t turned to me, hadn’t looked at my face, hadn’t stooped to ask me a question himself; he gestured with his long, elegant, ring-bedecked fingers behind him and to his right, where I stood with my hands clasped and my mouth shut. As though it were only natural he should speak for me without my consent. The servant only gla...

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“Hope and Happiness” by Lynn Penny

Submitted to Contest #50

NightCrawlers: Victims of a Parasite that turned into Nocturnal Cannibalistic Hunters whose only instincts are to kill and eat.If there was ever a time that Datura needed to get blackout drunk, it was now. She wished for nothing more than to down every bottle she could get her hands on, forget absolutely everything, then puke her guts out the morning after. Before Datura shunned the idea—persuading her son away from just the thought of it—but now it was the only thing on her mind.Could you blame her? She was stuck on the floor, with an arm a...

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“The Wish Flowers” by Leya Newi

Submitted to Contest #50

Once upon a time, there was a flower. It was tiny and delicate, with a hundred golden petals. The fuzzy green stem was filled with milk, and the leaves were broad and barb-shaped.Overnight, a miracle happened. The flower had shedded its yellow plumage for a silver-lined ball of fluff. And to each bit of fuzz, a small, caramel-colored seed was attached. One day, a gust of wind came along and blew off all the seeds, leaving only a bare head.This might have been the end of the story, except each seed sprouted into a new flower. Someone, sm...

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“Flyer's Remorse” by Mollie Rodgers

Submitted to Contest #50

Across three lanes of slow-moving traffic, yellow flowers undulate in the gentle breeze. Evelyn tries to light them on fire with her stare. Her eyes water but she is rationing her blinks. Any movement is weakness. She is a stone pillar of concentrated rage. To her right, she can hear Robbie on the phone. “Yeah, I know. It sucks. Yeah. You’re telling me.” Two cars in the middle lane are trying to merge right to deposit their passengers by the “DEPARTURES” sign. Their blinkers are synced up perfectly. Normally, Evelyn would delight in ...

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“The Monsters He Couldn't Outrun” by K. M. Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #50

The doors acted as a barricade against the monsters. Six inches of solid, silver steel that glinted in the bunker's harsh lighting. Seven feet tall, ten feet across. They took up almost an entire wall in the small, square space. Impossible to look away from. To ignore. An ever-constant, ever-pressing reminder of Damen's surroundings. Of his trapped state, alongside the other thirteen who cowered in the dusty crevices of the bunker. Priamos had known of the monsters and had built the small, steel space deep underground. He'd been th...

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“Boys Don't Wear Pink” by Nick Parker

Submitted to Contest #50

"Mom, for the last time, I want the pink shirt." I cross my arms and glare down at her. She's looking at me with both exasperation and disgust on her face. "Boys don't wear pink," she says for what must be the millionth time, placing her hands on her hips. I know what that movement means. Whenever she puts her hands on her hips, she's not backing down without a fight. Great. So it's going to be a damn war then. "Who says?" I shrug, trying to go for nonchalant, but instead just coming off as hostile. I can tell by the way she frowns at me...

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“The Trouble With Her” by M J

Submitted to Contest #50

My morning was ruined the minute I woke up three hours behind schedule due to the fact that my phone had died again, despite the fact that I had charged it just before bed.As I groggily wriggled out of my sheets, silently cursing at the sun for having the nerve to rise, I heard her. The soft, fluttery notes of her favorite piano music drifted from her room, as if taunting me for not arising as early as she did. Grumbling, I forced myself out of my beloved bed, only to promptly stub my toe on a ridiculously hard object. I glanced down at it, ...

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“Nutso” by Red Herring

Submitted to Contest #50

The grandfather clock struck 8 o’clock. Dinner was still not ready. The leftover taper candles rustled out from a drawer's depths were long extinguished. Greta passed her hand over the cavern of her shrinking belly, sighing in nervous relief. Hannah, meanwhile, fretted with the napkin, peering over the maze of crystal glasses, rapidly cooling gravy boats, potato tureens, and empty placemats. She tried not to, but the voices seeping through the corridor clutched the pit of her stomach. “That’s not how you sear chicken. Add more sour cream,” s...

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“Not It, Say Her.” by Tvisha Yerra

Submitted to Contest #50

I watch as you sit still in my lab, your hands and legs bound by your personalized cuffs.One you can’t run away from.“Astra! You can’t keep doing this. You know you can’t,” You say, choking on your own sobs. One of my androids reaches to give you water, and you accept begrudgingly. Because at this point, food and water is a favor from my end. At least, I made you think that. But you, and everyone else in this world know that teleporters are dangerous. After Trix, the world famous teleporter… Well, let’s just say that she caused more damage t...

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“ Broken” by Adah M.M

Submitted to Contest #50

Breathe in , breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. This was the technique Mama taught her, she told her it would help whenever she felt nervous.For the first time, Mama had been wrong. She wasn't feeling better. She felt like she was going to throw up and faint. She needed to leave the house.The only place that seemed quiet enough was the treehouse, James had built it for their daughter when she got into middle school but now it seemed like she was too busy jumping in and out of trouble with her friends to use it. She closed her eyes, she ju...

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“Temps and Contretemps” by Amy DeMatt

Submitted to Contest #50

It started with the blue-green slime. She told him it was disgusting. Would he want a glob of what was in someone's mouth on his dinner plate, she wanted to know? This was a toothpaste glob in the sink, right where she brushed her own teeth. It was nauseating. It was on par with putting a glob of food on someone else's dinner plate. She pushed a wet tendril of hair out of her face. It was 95 degrees, and the air conditioning repair man was still not done. The banging and clanking from the basement was almost too much to bear. He couldn't see...

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“Its not you,” by Goblin King

Submitted to Contest #50

Light emanated from the screen door piercing through the darkness to provide an isolated spot the night had failed to claim. As Richard stood in the dull glow, he prepared himself for what lay on the other side.Happy wife happy life, an expression tossed around by friends, family members, even mere acquaintances like a toy football that Richard failed to catch. Just the thought of hearing this remark directed at him, even in passing by someone who meant it to help, had potential to ruin his day.Each time he heard it (and by now it had gotten...

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“Secrets and Lies” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #50

“So, Mr and Mrs Jenkins, let’s talk about why you’re here.” The counsellor’s voice is calm and soothing, but Lily’s mind is already made up. “I’ve told my husband I’m leaving him – I want a divorce. But he’s not listening to me. He keeps saying I’m confused and that I don’t know what I’m talking about.” “Okay, first things first.” The counsellor looks from one spouse to the other. By now she’s used to the way the reconciliation process works: there’s always one partner who wants to separate and one who can’t understand what’s gone wrong. I...

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“Painting the Nursery” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #50

“Yellow,” said Keira. “You can’t go wrong with yellow. Let’s paint this room yellow. It’s a colour that doesn’t look too warm in summer and doesn’t look too cold in winter.” “I don’t know,” Rory mused. “It’s hard to get the happy medium with yellow. Sometimes it reminds me too much of school dinner custard.” “That’s the most ridiculous reason for ruling out a colour I’ve ever heard,” Keira said, and they laugh, but not for very long. “Okay, then. Wha...

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Write a story about an argument that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 121 stories

“Orange-Coloured Sky” by Deborah Angevin

“Taking the Same” by Phoebe Barr

“Hope and Happiness” by Lynn Penny

“The Wish Flowers” by Leya Newi

“Flyer's Remorse” by Mollie Rodgers

“The Monsters He Couldn't Outrun” by K. M. Carpenter

“Boys Don't Wear Pink” by Nick Parker

“The Trouble With Her” by M J

“Nutso” by Red Herring

“Not It, Say Her.” by Tvisha Yerra

“ Broken” by Adah M.M

“Temps and Contretemps” by Amy DeMatt

“Its not you,” by Goblin King

“Secrets and Lies” by Jane Andrews

“Painting the Nursery” by Deborah Mercer

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a proposal.

Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

Write a story told entirely through one chase scene.

Write a story about a summer afternoon spent in a treehouse.

Contest #50

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

940

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: