Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard.

Posted in Dialogue on May 10, 2024

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✍️ 38 stories

“Secret Secret Agent Man” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #250

Secret Secret Agent Man I am new to this neighborhood. Moved in about a year and a half ago. Still getting to know the neighbors. I've an outgoing sort of personality so am not shy about starting up conversations. An equally outgoing couple live next door.It was the middle of winter the day my wife, Teresa, and I were unloading. Mary stopped to welcome us to this house that had sat empty for a number of years. As the original owner she has lived in her house for over fifty years. Her second husband, Walt, is a transplant from Iowa and only b...

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“Soul Feed: A Professor Deshpande Mystery” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #250

“Rw’n bwyta eich camweddau, ac yn eich rhyddhau o’r drwg hwn.”For one brief moment, Thomas Skillruud entertained the possibility he was experiencing a stroke. Ischemic, he assumed, owing to sporadic family history. Aside from the general dyspepsia of an evening ill-spent at the A-OK Corral, he felt nothing that he could imagine to be a brain bleed, assuming one might at least feel something snap or pop before the cerebellum burst like a Mylar party balloon. Of course, Thomas’ doctorates were in the fine arts, and Caravaggio’s Judith Beheadin...

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“ECHOES OF DARKNESS” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #250

As Alex crept further into the abandoned café, the floorboards groaned beneath his cautious footsteps, each creak reverberating through the desolate space like a mournful cry. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay, a musty odor that seemed to seep from every crack and crevice, adding to the foreboding that wrapped around him like a suffocating cloak. The flickering light from his flashlight danced wildly across the walls, casting grotesque shadows that seemed to writhe and twist in the dimness. Every corner of the café held a new terror...

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“Dear Lord” by Robert Egan

Submitted to Contest #250

Lloyd was not one to pray. That's what made the child's sudden prayer all the more terrifying. It came while Lloyd was working the heavy bag. Fists up, he whirled to face the sound's source, but there was only the voice, a little white girl's by the sound of it: "Dear Lord, please tell Rufus to stay out of my room. He can't be in my room because he's dirty. And please make me pretty like Mom, and if you could, have Beth Marie invite me to her birthday. World peace is good, too. Thank you, I love you." Now, one gloved hand paused in front of ...

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“They Came from Outer Space” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #250

Bill’s eyes were fixed on the flickering lights of his ham radio set in the softly lit living room corner, where a labyrinth of wires snaked across the floor. The room was filled with an eerie symphony of static crackles and a faint pattern of blips and beeps.“Bill, what happened to the TV? Is the satellite dish broken again?” The cacophony of signals and static was momentarily interrupted by the apparent concern in his wife’s voice.He barely registered her words, his attention tethered to the enigmatic patterns emanating from the radio. “Wh...

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“The Heaviness of Empty” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #250

Potentially upsetting content, subject of child loss ***Every month has its colour, and August is red. Not the lively, April, cork-popping red which flecks itself gold come Christmas, but the deep ebon rose of hoop-heavy taffeta, the port-wine stain of airless Sundays, the disquiet of a silent emphysema, blood thickened, slow-moving.He brought me flowers again. A gothic bouquet. How quickly it withered. Fallen petals on the sill, curled up like ensanguined scabs. Sun at its highest, blazing through the window. Car lacquered black, a-glare, o...

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“IT ALL STARTED AT THE COFFEE HOUSE” by Liane Fazio

Submitted to Contest #250

IT ALL STARTED AT THE COFFEE HOUSEThe morning rush ended at the coffee house and the only patrons left were two stay at home moms sitting together, complete with strollers in the aisles, a middle-aged woman typing away on her laptop at a single bench seat near the restrooms, and Ethan, working remote and starting his day with an overpriced salted caramel with an espresso shot.Ethan sat at the corner table next to the window tapping away at his keyboard while listening to his earbuds when his table was bumped by one of the strollers and his c...

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“The One and Only ” by Patrick Druid

Submitted to Contest #250

One and onlyI sat down in the chair facing the reception area, grabbed a magazine and waited for the nurse to call me back to the examination room. I wasn't too concerned. I had been here countless times before due to my asthma, but this was just a 6 month checkup so I had made sure to take off the entire day. My supervisor seemed vaguely annoyed but understood.The waiting room was pretty well packed, with people , crying children and older adults who looked like they really should be in an emergency room rather than a clinic,...

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“Waiting for Noah” by Chandler Wilson

Submitted to Contest #250

The faint sound of footsteps shuffled through the brush as an undercover SWAT team approached the abandoned mortuary. An orange sky signaled the impending sunset and arrival of twilight across the Scottish landscape.Clad in black tactical gear, they moved with calculated precision, their movements silent and synchronized. Each member was a seasoned professional, honed by years of training and experience.The leader signaled for a halt as they neared the mansion converted into a mortuary. With a hand gesture and silent communication, they coor...

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“What did I just Hear?” by Maylissa Noel

Submitted to Contest #250

Vanessa, “you are expected to be in Toronto Saturday evening. Don’t be late. You are booked on the Maple Leaf Train on Amtrak from Newark International Airport at 6:30am to arrive on Saturday May 4th at 6:30pm. Please take the time to enjoy “Cinco de Mayo” on Sunday and be bright eyed and bushy tail for Monday morning.” Vanessa’s personal assistant facetiously reminded her. “You have a 10am meeting with potential investors. Vanessa, the next departure on the Maple Leaf will be Monday morning, which is not an option... There is no w...

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“How I Learned To Let Go” by JOHN FERRIGNO

Submitted to Contest #250

No matter who you are or what you do, stress can get the best of you. I developed an approach to life that allowed me to handle stressful situations. I just ask myself, "one year from today, is this going to matter in your life?" That mantra has served me well over the years. However, the lesson that taught me that phrase was so traumatic that I almost didn’t survive the experience. There was one time when something flew into my ear and dug into my brain, where it laid eggs and infected me with a thought devouring virus that I just couldn't...

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“Room Six” by George Beasley

Submitted to Contest #250

It’s a one of a kind place, this Inn is. It’s where dreams are kept and where peace is found. It’s where memories are made and memories relived. It’s where time stands still and your mind goes into solace. It’s nestled right on the banks of the Cape Fear River in a small beautiful North Carolina town. It only has eight rooms, each with it’s own charm. Six of the rooms have a semi-private porch divided by some wooden slats that go almost to the ground. The old wooden porch swing is my favorite. Each of the river side rooms has one. They...

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“Trying to Make Sense of it All” by Paul Simpkin

Submitted to Contest #250

“He’s drinking far too much.” When I heard Maggie say this I was in the kitchen making myself a cheese and tomato sandwich. “For the last year he’s been drinking way too much,” said Maggie. I wasn’t sure who they were talking about. I could only hear part of the conversation and I didn’t want them to know I had been eavesdropping. I carried on eavesdropping and tried to hear what they were saying. “We need to talk to him about it. We are his oldest friends. Who else is going to do it?” I couldn’t hear the others. But who were they talking ab...

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“Always A Cheater” by Alyssa Krestal

Submitted to Contest #250

I rolled over in my bed, sheets tangling around me and tugging off of my partner: Tristen. Tristen and I have been together for two years now. We moved in together last month because we both wanted to go to the same college. We wanted to work together. Partners in both senses: romantic and business. People have told me not to cross business with work but, I trust my gut often, and right now it is saying this is the right path for me. I admired how peaceful he looks while he sleeps. His light brown hair flowed over the pillow abov...

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“Without a Shadow of a Doubt” by Jourdana Webber

Submitted to Contest #250

(TW: Contains cursing, death, murder) I heard his screams; I heard the phone call, and I heard the sirens in the distance. I couldn’t comprehend any of the words echoing throughout the bedroom. What the hell was happening? Peter, my current boyfriend, was ashen and screaming. None of this was right, none of this was real. It couldn’t be real. The yelling wouldn’t stop, and my head began to pound.“Grace! Grace! She’s cold, she’s cold oh my God, she’s cold. She’s not breathing! She’s not breathing!” His phone was on speaker a...

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Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“Secret Secret Agent Man” by Mary Bendickson

“Soul Feed: A Professor Deshpande Mystery” by Martin Ross

“ECHOES OF DARKNESS” by Darvico Ulmeli

“Dear Lord” by Robert Egan

“They Came from Outer Space” by Scott Taylor

“The Heaviness of Empty” by Carol Stewart

“IT ALL STARTED AT THE COFFEE HOUSE” by Liane Fazio

“The One and Only ” by Patrick Druid

“Waiting for Noah” by Chandler Wilson

“What did I just Hear?” by Maylissa Noel

“How I Learned To Let Go” by JOHN FERRIGNO

“Room Six” by George Beasley

“Trying to Make Sense of it All” by Paul Simpkin

“Always A Cheater” by Alyssa Krestal

“Without a Shadow of a Doubt” by Jourdana Webber

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in which someone is afraid of being overheard.

Write a story about a child overhearing something they don’t understand.

A character overhears something at a black-tie event that puts the night in jeopardy.

Your teacher tasks you with writing a story based on an eavesdropped conversation. When the story is published, your subject isn’t happy.

Contest #250

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

225

Contest entries

105

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: