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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about someone who receives an unexpected phone call.

Posted in Dialogue on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 63 stories

“The Last Peace ” by Muhammad Abdullah

Submitted to Contest #30

The food court was packed—warm weather driving teenagers, housewives, and families to the local mall. Raheem smiled at his wife as she stole a bite to eat between helping the children. The glow of her brown skin, the same aura that tamed him from sowing his royal oats many years before, continued to entice the man. Large brown eyes looked up the meal, commanded by intuition, and she smiled at her husband’s subtle flirt. A broad smile interrupted by one of the kids, and just like that, the moment was gone, and she continued eating the cheat m...

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“Forgiving the forgotten” by Mark Ziegler

Submitted to Contest #30

Max knew what a mid-life crisis was, theoretically, but didn't believe in them. He understood that sometimes you have to shake things up, take some risks, just to keep feeling alive in a mundane existence, but refused to place a clock on when that might be a need for someone, anyone. It happened when it needed to. Didn't it? He didn't actually know. He never had those impulses to quit something hazardous to his health, or do something death-defying, or try food from a country he gave up trying to pronounce. None of those tempted him in ...

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“Buttercup” by Grace Parrott

Submitted to Contest #30

I live in Texas, on the border of Mexico. Our town is almost all Hispanic people. My family and I are some of the few gringos here. But that's okay. I like that better anyway. We celebrate all their holidays and we eat all sorts of good Hispanic foods and learn about the culture in our schools. We go over to our friend's house and get hit with sandals because we didn't do our homework or clean up after ourselves. But that's okay. I like it better that way. I like being around people who are different than me. It makes me feel less alone, in ...

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“Derek’s Unsettling Phone Call” by Vixen Black

Submitted to Contest #30

 Derek Macking had a long week at work and ready for the weekend. He got off early around 3:00 pm. He arrived at home around 3:30 pm. His noisy neighbor was speaking to Derek in loud and shouting in a way that she didn’t think he heard her. Oh hey, Mrs. Betty, how are you doing on that sunny Friday afternoon? I am doing ok and you. Yes, I am glad to be off for the weekend, See ya later, Mrs. Betty. That old lady is noisy as hell. He took a shower and fixed some dinner. He used his George Foreman Grill to grill some turkey burgers. ...

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“An Unexpected Delivery” by Elliot Bibat

Submitted to Contest #30

Things were slow at the restaurant, Paolo's Ristorante in the Gold Coast of Chicago. I do the jobs of at least eight different people at this place but, alas, they always list me as "Phones". I bus when the bussers are understaffed, I sweep the floors whenever I see trash scattered about, and I also host, whenever the lines aren't busy, leading guests to their tables with a pleasant demeanor. The best days are when the patio seating opens its windows, and I can walk outside for a brief moment, smoke a cigarette, and smell the trees and the p...

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“Goodbye Hiroki” by Paula TSF

Submitted to Contest #30

To read while listening to “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”, from Ryuichi Sakamoto It had been a long time since he visited his parent’s house. He didn’t expected or wished to be back again. Loving memories are perhaps more painful than frightful ones. And he had been so happy in that old country house, in the smallest village in the country. The house was the last one in the road, going north. After it, only a dense wood carved by a tarmac road leading to the big city. It was a hunter’s village, so noting was planted, grown or harvested in th...

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“Caller Unknown” by Jennifer Jorgenson

Submitted to Contest #30

It was a typical Friday night for the girl sitting in her room listening to music, drawing out new sketches and ideas for her art portfolio. She was lost in the music as well as the movements of her pencil as the new creation was slowly coming to life on the page in front of her. Suddenly she was startled when her cell phone rang, she jumped from the sound as she did the pencil made a thick line through the middle of the paper compromising the new drawing. Cursing under her breath she picked up her cell phone and looked at the caller ID, it ...

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“Cat Calling” by Roy Hayward

Submitted to Contest #30

I opened the door and found that I had entered my bedroom again. Clothes were spilling out of my half-closed dresser drawers. A boot was holding the closet door open. A precarious stack of books next to my bed supported a half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Grape this time.In truth, it looked like someone had ransacked the place looking for drugs or money. It was my room, so I knew there were no drugs. All of my money had gone into my collection of computer gaming equipment.The desk was the only part of the room that looked in order...

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“Live a Good Life” by Janet Swan

Submitted to Contest #30

Jillian thought of death. She didn't want to think of death, but her heart was broken. She couldn't help that it consumed her thoughts. Jillian watched the snow fall briskly out of the dark cloudy sky this cold January day, not too many days past Christmas. She thought of her beloved Grandmother lying cold under the ground, and a lone tear fell onto the front of her black sweater. Jillian had cried so many tears, she was sure it was the last tear she would shed. She wondered, why is it that most of us fear death? It's the unknown, the other ...

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“The Cat Unvanishes” by Nathan Baker

Submitted to Contest #30

When the phone rang, Michael nearly dropped his paintbrush in alarm. It had been installed earlier that day, the brand new cable strung out along the seven mile length of their drive like an umbilical cord. Only he and the engineer knew the number. Unwilling to leave the room he was decorating, he let it ring off, but when it rang again moments later, he was forced to answer it.  “Yes? Who is this? I’m afraid you must have the wrong number.”  “Is that Mr. Pate?”  The voice on the other end of the line was strange, distorted, l...

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“His name was Ernie” by Mary Wood

Submitted to Contest #30

He was born in 1934, upstate NY- a son of a fisherman, his mother- a keeper of children, today they would call her a foster mother.He grew up with so many people around him- siblings, foster siblings, neighbors, and friends. He became a social butterfly- always looking for another place to land, trying to live a life carefree and yet searching for a place to belong.Everyone who knew him loved him, he had beautiful blue eyes- that marked him friendly and outgoing. He made friends easily- always wanted to give someone a hand. When he turned...

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“The Widenburgs” by Eroseike Utomhin

Submitted to Contest #30

Harriet sipped her drink with her eyes glued to her phone. The internet was the only reason the town hadn't suffocated her yet.'Harriet!' Rex called from the door, waving at her before pointing to a table a few feet away. The internet and these friendly little gatherings, she mentally corrected.The table erupted into a chorus of happy sounds that blended almost unidentifiable in the rowdy bar. Barry's Place was always busy on Friday nights.'Oh! I like the curls!' Freda picked a lock of expensively coiled hair off Harriet's shoulder, smiling ...

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“The Unexpected Call” by Christina Lyon

Submitted to Contest #30

It was a normal night at home, I was sitting on the couch watching a movie at 11PM. It was a really good romance movie too until the phone rang. I ignored the phone the first time, but it rang the second time, so I decided to get my lazy butt up and answer the phone. I was really surprised who was on the other line. “Hello?”“Hey Madison, it’s me Trent. It’s been a while hasn’t it?”Trent. A really close friend of mine that I haven’t heard from in a really long time called me. I was more surprised that he still had my number after all the...

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“Going Crazy” by Sammy Hass

Submitted to Contest #30

The phone call was quick, no words, but left me in a state of horror. The breathing on the other line; I just knew it was her. The terror in the shriek that ended the call; I have never known such fear. I had to get there before it was too late.The bus ride was long and agonizing. I could be there by now if my bike wasn’t in the shop. I dashed off the large, yellow bus and into the bad part of town. Of course it had to be here. My breaths were heavy as I ran through alleyways and around corners. I can’t let her get hurt; not After everythin...

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“No Caller ID” by Tina He

Submitted to Contest #30

      Dinner was dismal once again; consisting of thin, reconstituted noodles bathing in a pool of monosodium glutamate. I twirled the yellow noodles around my fork, thoughtlessly, having eaten this same, exact meal for the past 365 days in a row. Although I was disgusted by my current lifestyle, it was a reality that had to be accepted. This was the best I could do to provide for myself given the circumstances. A sudden and unfamiliar ring coming from my cellphone awakened me from my thoughts. The chances of me...

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