Write a story involving a conversation that’s packed with subtext; the characters aren’t quite saying what they mean.

Posted in Dialogue on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 78 stories

“Fragile, unreal, and wildly protective” by Katrina Lee

Submitted to Contest #55

The cupcakes are burnt, but she eats them anyway. His arms on the counter a rest for his chin, transfixed gaze spelling out his fascination with her. “You’re like an animal.” He teases. Still, though, opens his mouth, into which she tosses a piece of the cupcake. The melted chocolate leaves a smear on his lower lip. “It is good.” His brows arched high up in seeming mockery, though he finds the cookie—still emanati...

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“Breadbasket Case” by Jen M

Submitted to Contest #55

Amara and Andrew kissed their hellos as they entered the coffee shop. It had been weeks since they last met and were excited for Saturday. Amara had gotten something in the mail and Andrew was eager to check it out. They found their spot in the corner was empty as usual and sat down to negotiate. “So. Saturday.” Amara said in a hushed tone as she unzipped her heavy down coat. “How are you feeling about it?”Andrew smiled conspiratorially as he dusted the snow off his shoulders. “Positively jubilistic.” he said. “Have you had a chance to ...

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“Ottla” by Noa A

Submitted to Contest #55

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of the Holocaust, genocide, antisemitism, depression, and mental illness. Take care of yourselves, lovelies!I stared down the drain at my own brother and wondered, “What if I pushed him further?” I stared at my own father and called him Hitler, but that was before I met Hitler with my own eyes. Some of us don’t see G-d when we die; we see Hitler. Lia, he said, you give life to a parasite that’s taking us over. It’s true that I used to sing, but not after I lost you, my darling and my dearest, whose lungs I h...

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“The Runaway ” by Eleanor McLoughlin

Submitted to Contest #55

Tristan woke slowly to the knocking and lifted his head. Pain brooded in his skull. There were shapes twisting about in front of his eyes, caused by the darkness. Everything was tangled in his mind. Bizarre half-forgotten dreams, the past, the present. He laid three facts down in his mind like metal bars. He was on the sitting-room sofa. A blanket was tangled around him. There was light trying to force its way in through the curtains. Then he pulled himself off the couch and ran to the door. He undid the bolts, pushed up the plank, unknott...

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“The Conference” by Michele Soux

Submitted to Contest #55

I adjusted my gray paisley tie one more time in front of my hotel room mirror. All of the wrinkles of my navy suit were ironed out yesterday and my hair was carefully sculpted out of my face. I dreaded hobnobbing and networking - but at least I looked like I did. Turning to reach for the TV remote on the bed, I reached over and flipped off the news that played in the background. One last check that my shoelaces were actually tied - and yes, they were - and then I grabbed my briefcase to head out the door. I nodded politely to an el...

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“The Duck Pond” by Peter Watts

Submitted to Contest #55

The pond shimmered and sparkled beneath the setting sun. A mother duck glided across the water, followed in tow by a string of ducklings; each one keeping pace with the sibling in front. The mother reached the sloped embankment, hopped from the water onto the muddied grass and began walking towards the dusty path that encircled the small pond, glancing back only once to check on her trailing infants. A car containing two people was parked beside the path. The dull hum of the engine continued to whir as the passengers sat in silen...

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“Steal and replace.” by Jordan L

Submitted to Contest #55

The moon rose over the skyscrapers in Podrido city, that was when she woke up, that was when she was to begin her mission. She immediately looked at her holographic wrist interface, expanding and closing the various hovering blue displays, checking if she had received any more instructions or been given any extra information. Nope, I guess everything is going as initially planned, she thought to herself. She then opened her home-hub app and set her speakers that rested on the sill next to her to shuffle music before closing the interface and...

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“Henry and Victor” by Calvin Belton

Submitted to Contest #55

Henry always argued that writing endings was supercilious, “-as if any story is one that properly ends. Just stop on a half-decent sentence and people will call you an artistic genius,” he would blither about it for ages anytime Victor brought it up, half-drunk in the crimson heat. Victor suspected it was just because Henry was shit at writing them. Those weren’t their real names of course; real as in social-security, birth certificate, government document names he means. Real in terms o...

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“275 New Text Messages ” by D J

Submitted to Contest #55

-Friday afternoon-Kriya stared at her textbook, reading the tiny lines of writing but understanding nothing. She yawned and blinked a few times. Sitting up straight, she shifted around in the uncomfortable chair, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor.Lifting the book off the table, she brought it closer to her, letting out a loud exhale. She attempted to read the same sentence again, for about the tenth time.The sudden, loud vibration from her phone and the quiet ping that followed made her look up quickly.Oh thank God, she thought, droppin...

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“Dinner and a Runaway Wife. ” by Terri Gower

Submitted to Contest #55

“Pass me the salt please, Sara.” she gripped the salt and her grey eyes flashed. “Oh what, so you can use that up too?” “Sara…” “What? You don’t like being called out, do you? huh?” “I’m sorry about the cookies, Sara. I didn’t realize you were saving them… other times when there are cookies around we just eat them…” “Hmmph!” Sara turned away and looked out the window, brown hair swishing over her face as she moved. “I’ll get you some more cookies, okay? Promise!” her head whipped back around at the word ‘promise’ and steely grey eyes met ...

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“On-Lookers” by Kathryn D

Submitted to Contest #55

The waves were almost black, this night. His eyes shone against them, the shimmering water catching his eye only momentarily. He held the wad carefully in the sleeve of his coat and walked down the street, turning into an alley that seemed to be lit brightly by the moon, the white gleam like a spotlight between brick walls. There was a man standing there, in the light, but when he walked he seemed to have stepped out of the dark. His coat was black and leather, the sleeves flouncy and untamed, and over his eyes was a dark ribbon, two holes i...

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“Family ” by Matt Render

Submitted to Contest #55

The living room of people is too loud, too bursting with excitement, for anyone to hear me walk into the kitchen, hands clutching everyone's large brown take-out bags for Eli’s big birthday dinner. My whole family is busy reminiscing and jostling eachother as I stealthily tear through the myriad of paper bags with the take-out dishes before I find Eli’s— a juicy hamburger. I peel back the tinfoil wrapping with precision and I slide a tiny microscopic tab of aresenic just beneath the melted glob of cheese. “Where the fuck is Glen wi...

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“The Danger You Don't Know” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #55

Unknown person: Yesterday on university Able read eggs Ice night Dark animals number ginger every ready, Lettuce encyclopedia answer vase even Not on working Lorraine Avery looked over at the text she was sent at 11:00 at night and blinked. The words made no sense and she wondered if her tiredness was affecting her vision. She looked at the caller ID and noticed that it was an unknown number. She knew that she should block the person and go to bed, but she got curious. Perhaps this was one of her friends playing a trick on her. Lorraine: Who...

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“The Fall of Icarus” by Kyle Strouse

Submitted to Contest #55

A young man and a young woman sat in a bar and stared into their drinks. The lights were dim and seeing as it was late and a weekday most of the regulars had left already, leaving only the couple and a few down-and-outers to fill the silence of the night. The man was sipping a whiskey on the rocks with a quiet restraint, while the woman, seated next to him, was on her sixth twisted tea. A quiet song played in the background, melancholy and low. The woman turned to her lover. “Do you want to keep drinking?” She asked, followed by a long gulp...

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“A Desolate Womb ” by Duckie Carson

Submitted to Contest #55

Charlie rests against the unsteady railing of the hotel’s balcony while his wife, Diane, patrols the sea’s waves from her place on a torn-up sun lounge. Diane’s ankle-length mint skirt surrounds her hips in order for the milky flesh of her legs to bronze, the first three buttons on her cream satin blouse fall unsealed to the side, allowing sunbeams to tap at her collarbones as well as the swells of her breasts. Brown, oversized, square sunglasses are propped on her nose, while French tipped toenails dig into the cushioned chair beneath her, ...

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Write a story involving a conversation that’s packed with subtext; the characters aren’t quite saying what they mean.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 78 stories

“Fragile, unreal, and wildly protective” by Katrina Lee

“Breadbasket Case” by Jen M

“Ottla” by Noa A

“The Runaway ” by Eleanor McLoughlin

“The Conference” by Michele Soux

“The Duck Pond” by Peter Watts

“Steal and replace.” by Jordan L

“Henry and Victor” by Calvin Belton

“275 New Text Messages ” by D J

“Dinner and a Runaway Wife. ” by Terri Gower

“On-Lookers” by Kathryn D

“Family ” by Matt Render

“The Danger You Don't Know” by Trinity Womack

“The Fall of Icarus” by Kyle Strouse

“A Desolate Womb ” by Duckie Carson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a meeting of a secret society.

Write a story about an old family secret surfacing generations later.

Write a story that either starts or ends with someone asking, “Can you keep a secret?”

Write a story where the readers are in on a secret that the characters are unaware of.

Contest #55

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

896

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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