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Write a story with the line "I didn’t mean that” or “I’ve said too much.”

Posted in Dialogue on Mar 14, 2025

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✍️ 41 stories

The Tea Break

Submitted to Contest #294

“I never take sugar with my tea, Mary…” She had been saying the same thing for ages, but the tea set came with the sugar bowl and creamer, and she was always going to make sure that her friends knew this. The table in the backyard had all of the necessities Andrea would use as a guest (napkins, multiple spoons and forks, saucers).She knew that her friends would be there with one making a specific request, and Mary had the tray ready for them, and nothing that Andrea could say would prevent her from her little routine.“I know. But Aldous migh...

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A Duet of Balanced Motion

Submitted to Contest #294

I feel just a little euphoric when I leave my comfy little group every Wednesday night. I can’t say what it is that does it; the conversations, the herbal teas, the energy of intelligent women, all of it crammed into my friend’s tiny flat in the Castro. Maybe we all feel like that when we leave. I don’t know. That’s not even the point. I worry too much about how others feel anyway – don’t lose the momentum, I tell myself as I walk to the Church Street MUNI, and head for the Powell Street BART for the trip home across the bay. I am still abuz...

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The Salton Sea

Submitted to Contest #294

Contains sexual content and substance abuse. She packed the last box and sat on the floor with nowhere to go.  Dylan left the day before, staying at a friend's to give her space, but the loneliness stretched. His scent lingered. His PlayStation was still connected; his favorite DVDs - The Salton Sea, Sin City, and The Shining - laid scattered. These were pieces of him—each a shard of a life fractured. Sleep eluded her. She lay staring at the ceiling, head throbbing. Two days without food or water left her body weak, yet ...

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Learning the Ropes

Submitted to Contest #294

A simple misunderstanding brought us together on a warm Friday afternoon in September. My roommate, Alex, and I were kicking a ball around on a plush grassy area in the city park across the street from our dorm. Alex sent me a bouncing pass that I returned with a looping ball over his head. He turned his back to me, took two quick steps, jumped and executed a perfect bicycle kick to shoot the ball back over his head at me.  I was impressed and surprised. The ball came back quickly, to my left. I kept my eye on it. I wanted to catch it b...

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Broken Statements

Submitted to Contest #294

“I’ve said too much. It’s time for you to go.” Detective Foster sneaked a weary glance at her partner, Detective Daniels, before casting a stern expression to the woman they questioned. “You haven’t said much at all,” the detective countered. The living room grew warmer by the minute as the blazing sun rose higher into the sky. It had to be noon by now, and their small town was in the middle of a heat wave. Crime was in short supply (thankfully) and these days most of the calls they received were from the elderly asking for help to set up th...

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They're Still Talking About This One

Submitted to Contest #294

They’re Still Talking About This One “Wait, no I wasn’t blaming her for his death! I didn’t mean to say that. I’ve said too much!” I was embarrassed and appalled that what I thought of as innocent gossip had now erupted into a major scandal at work. Here’s how it started. There’s a nurse; let’s call her Rachel. She’s been working on our unit for almost a year. And sure, she didn’t quite fit in with all of us. But it was more than that. She didn’t take the best care of her patients. And we all knew it. “Did you see that Rachel’s patient has h...

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The Weight of Secrets

Submitted to Contest #294

The Weight of Secrets. The bar was a typical rough 1970s bar on the docks of London; it was a dark bar, cigarette smoke and stale beer in the air. A neon sign buzzed at the top of the room, casting an almost ghostly red light on the scene. It was a type of bar where secrets were told, debts were paid — a type of bar where men like Marcus knew not to linger. But tonight, he had no other options. He was seated in the last booth, facing the wall, a glass of whiskey half empty in front of him. The ice long melted; the drink as watered down as hi...

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What's Left Unspoken

Submitted to Contest #294

“I didn't mean that.” The words come out soft, meek. Riley is curled into himself as he speaks them. The towel in his hands has become the most interesting thing in the room, picked from the pile of laundry that surrounds him on their living room floor. “It sounded pretty convincing.” These words are plain. Spoken with a raised brow and crossed arms, but very little inflection comes from the hall doorway that Rhys leans into. Riley shrugs. Folds the towel. Refuses eye contact, picks up a t-shirt. Rhys watches him for a minute, searching f...

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The Signal in the Static

Submitted to Contest #294

The Signal in the Static The rain had been falling for three days straight, a relentless grey curtain that turned the cobblestoned alleys of the old neighborhood Nachlaot in Jerusalem into rivers of mud. It hardly ever rains in Jerusalem.Inside the cluttered basement of the old house, Aviva hunched over an ancient radio, its dials glowing faintly in the dim light of a single bulb. She twisted the knob, her fingers trembling with a mix of exhaustion and hope. Static hissed through the speakers, a white noise that had become her companion over...

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A Tight Leash

Submitted to Contest #294

“I’m feeling restless, Max.” Max was older, wiser, Danny’s go-to guy when he was feeling out of control, like he had been lately. He’d been waiting for this video chat all week. “What do-ya mean, restless?” Max asked. Danny looked around for Linda to make sure she wasn’t listening, then leaned in. “Crazy. Like something’s missing.” “What’s missing?” “I don’t know. I feel like wandering.” “Wandering? You mean, like, a trip with no destination?” “Maybe. Or maybe a trip with a destination.” “Where do-ya wanna go, Kid?” “I don’t know!” Danny ans...

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Little Bar Story

Submitted to Contest #294

A young woman came to my little bar. She was wearing a black blazer and carrying a business bag. She ordered Tanqueray and took off her jacket. On her left shoulder was a small tattoo of half sun and half moon. Her hair was dyed red. She was beautiful but full of contrasts in her appearance.Right after her came a man. He exuded nonchalance and looked so free. He wore a shirt with flower motifs on top of a white T-shirt.-Pardon me, I had a rough day and needed the gin before you.-Gin?-What do you take?He asked me what I recommend. I instantly...

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Liza's 21st Birthday

Submitted to Contest #294

Trigger warning: This story mentions suicide, death, and profanity. "Liza!" Laura called for me from the kitchen. "Liza, I need you to go into town and pick up a few things for dinner."  "Okay," I called back to her. She was the woman who raised me after my mother died during childbirth. I was my mother’s only child, and my father committed suicide after her death. I heard rumors that it was because he couldn't support a child. The stigma of abandoning children in this country is tough. He would have never had another job unless he fle...

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Swipe Left, Regret Right - “Catfished, ghosted, and one margarita away from emotional bankruptcy—Sadie’s about to learn that the worst dates make the best stories.”

Submitted to Contest #294

Chapter One: The Flannel, the Dog, and the Lie— Where I realize the dog was the most honest part of the profile.If I had a dollar for every time I got catfished, I could afford a therapist who doesn’t work out of the back of a vape shop.His name—on the app—was Liam. His photos? Flannel shirt, wholesome golden retriever, an entire sourdough starter journey documented in a carousel. He looked like the kind of man who knew the difference between thyme and rosemary and would never use the phrase "emotional availability" sarcastically.So, natural...

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Innocent Heights

Submitted to Contest #294

You ever notice how little kids can’t quite pronounce certain words? The letter R, for instance. Yeah, it didn't stand a chance. “Car” becomes “cah,” and “hair” turns into… well, “hay-woo.” And don’t even try throwing an L and an R in the same word. “Probably”? Good luck. You’ll get “pwobably” at best. Anyway, let me tell you about this date I went on. Nice guy named Eddie. Polite, easygoing, intelligent, and—most importantly—open to trying new things. Like snow skiing. Which, in hindsight, should’ve been my first clue. But back then I thoug...

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Regret

Submitted to Contest #294

John looked at the time and it just turned 4:00 pm. He turned off his computer, stood up, and stretched, to give his anxious muscles a little stimulation. One of his co-workers peaked his eyes over the cubical wall with a curious glint. “Going home already John? A little early don’t you think?”“I know, but I wanted to do something nice for Mary,” he said as he grabbed his briefcase and picked up his cubical.“When did you become the romantic?”“It’s been a while since I’ve done something for her, I wasn’t thinking much just flowers, chocolate,...

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