Write a story that includes the line, "I didn't see that one coming."

Posted in Dialogue on Jul 19, 2024

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✍️ 41 stories

“Unpredicatable, irresistable, you” by Pearly D'Souza

Submitted to Contest #260

“I quit.” Teresa strode through the open door of the luxurious corner office, attempting to rein in her anger. “And you can’t force me to take a business trip I've already refused two weeks ago. Others can easily take my place, and I don’t see any of them being pressured.” She tried to maintain a dignified and confident stride on the new 4-inch heels she’d started wearing a few months ago.Though she loathed ditching her comfortable Converse collection for such unsensible shoes, it was the only way that she, at barely five-foot-five, could ha...

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“Got You! ” by WM .

Submitted to Contest #260

***Disclaimer: Contains cussing... but some funny cussing.*** I can’t sleep, where’s my phone? Hmm, that’s weird, I could have sworn it was next to me. I continue to search for it, making more noise. There’s a flash. “It is four in the morning, go to sleep!” “Sorry babe.” “Babe?” She looks at me stunned. Sighing, turning off the flash. “Look, don’t be nervous, you’ll do great!” “Yeah,” I say confidently. The past few weeks I’ve been meeting with an acting class. They announced they were holding auditions for an upcoming pl...

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“The Wedding” by Grace McKibbin

Submitted to Contest #260

The WeddingCape Town, South Africa – November 2007“Stupid, stupid map,” I muttered in frustration, flapping the large unruly paper against the steering wheel. “Why did I think using a map would be a good idea? Come on, Amy, you can do this!” I had pulled over to the shoulder to study and digest this cartographic wonder.I folded and unfolded the confusing paper once more, but still couldn’t make any sense of it. Not to mention that I had a time constraint. I ran my fingers through my blonde curls in frustration.I couldn’t miss this wedd...

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“The Girl Who Wanted To Go To Princeton” by McKenna Harris

Submitted to Contest #260

My whole family has gone to Yale University. I’m being forced against my will to apply to every Ivy League school on planet Earth. I want to go to Princeton, but I will most likely end up at Yale. Before we get into that story I’m Emma Davis and I’m 17, I’ll be a senior in high school after the summer. I have a non-strict family other than where my sister and I go to school. Summer vacation started at 12:30 pm yesterday, which means I have 2 months and 5 days of free time 24/7, and that also means 2 months and 5 days to convince my parents t...

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“What Once Was ” by Sahasra Labhala

Submitted to Contest #260

Tap tap tap tap tap. What were once shiny white tap shoes, now slightly stained with dirt, hurried down the dark wooden floors, the tapping of the shoes frantically picking up pace, trying to get away from something. The echoes bounced off the once paper adorning walls, now peeling away, colors fading and mixing with the darkness of the school halls.A little girl pattered, her breath growing heavy as she struggled to keep her sanity. She didn't know if they remembered, but her name was Nessa. And what she meant by they, was in fact regarding...

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“I didn't see that one coming” by Helen Tokley

Submitted to Contest #260

I didn't see that one coming.My name is Gino Conti. One morning last summer, I sat on my front veranda in January before it got too hot. It was a serene summer morning, and I enjoyed the tranquility. The last slice of toast from my breakfast was a lovely end to the meal. As I sipped my tea, I gazed at my farm, admiring the progress of this season's sugar cane crop. I was anticipating reading the newspaper leisurely, something I rarely got to do when I was farming.I had retired a few years back. My son Gino Junior now farms my land next to hi...

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“The Prostitute Princess” by Robin Tillman

Submitted to Contest #260

*Contains references to prostitution* Kyla marched toward town, fists clenched. If humans could visibly steam from pent-up heat, she was pretty sure she was. She was so fed-up with her parents treating her like a child - especially her mother! She knew her mother had started sailing when she was 14, like her - she had been all over the place, seen so many things, met so many people! - And yet she acted as if Kyla would instantly vaporize into thin air if she stepped off this tiny island. Approaching the main street, she stopped and in...

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“There she was, just a-walkin’ down the street, ” by Stewart McLeish

Submitted to Contest #260

© 2024 D. Stewart McLeish, all rights reserved. Title: There she was, just a-walkin’ down the street. “There she was, just a-walkin’ down the street, singin’Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do.Snappin’ her fingers and shufflin’ her feet, singin’ do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do.She looked good (Looked good)She looked fine (Looked fine)She looked good, she looked fineAnd I nearly lost my mind. “ ***True story. I was walking down a country lane murmuring to myself when Anne appeared, walking beside me. I nearly lost my mind (again). Anne had died f...

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“Agincourt: Ungrateful Courage” by Tony Smith

Submitted to Contest #260

The Battle of Agincourt:Ungrateful Courage By Tony Smith The English have been fighting the French for a hundred years and don't tire of it. They have wanted revenge ever since we defeated them at the battle of Hastings. When the French king went insane and attacked his own troops at Le Mans, the English seized the opportunity to attack. Our spies reported that Henry is raising an army and assembling a fleet of ships at Dover. I was instructed by my master the Duke of Burgundy to patrol the coast of Normandy. I watched the flotilla of ships...

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“A Big Deal” by CJ Larsen

Submitted to Contest #260

The lesser demon curled his tail around his body, trying to keep it from twitching impatiently. “When’s he supposed to get here?” he asked. “Soon,” the greater demon answered. The lesser demon sighed. It felt like they had been waiting for an eternity. That was the problem with liminal space. There was no sense of time. Perhaps when he was a thousand years old, he would have the glacial patience of his superior. But he was not a thousand years old. He had the patience of an ice tray left out on ...

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“Stop And Blow The Dandelions” by Ananya Bhalla

Submitted to Contest #260

“Recent studies in physics, such as those conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have explored the concept of quantum entanglement—the phenomenon where particles become interconnected in such a way that the state of one particle instantaneously influences the state of another, regardless of the distance between them. This principle, known as non-locality, suggests that the universe operates on a level of interconnectedness that transcends classical notions of space and time.”***Beep. Beep. Beep. Her head feels fu...

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Write a story that includes the line, "I didn't see that one coming."

Submissions are closed

✍️ 41 stories

“Unpredicatable, irresistable, you” by Pearly D'Souza

“Got You! ” by WM .

“The Wedding” by Grace McKibbin

“The Girl Who Wanted To Go To Princeton” by McKenna Harris

“What Once Was ” by Sahasra Labhala

“I didn't see that one coming” by Helen Tokley

“The Prostitute Princess” by Robin Tillman

“There she was, just a-walkin’ down the street, ” by Stewart McLeish

“Agincourt: Ungrateful Courage” by Tony Smith

“A Big Deal” by CJ Larsen

“Stop And Blow The Dandelions” by Ananya Bhalla

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story with a big twist.

Write a story in which a character learns something unexpected about someone they thought they knew well.

Write a story about someone who realises the story of their life has been pre-determined — until they decide to divert from the expected path.

Write a story using the most clichéd twist of all; it was all a dream.

Contest #260

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

429

Contest entries

131

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: