Write a story about an object that changed everything for a character.

Posted in Dramatic on Sep 23, 2024

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✍️ 84 stories

“The Black Cat and His Book” by Soul Dachuk

Submitted to Contest #269

The cat, with fur black as the night sky wandered aimlessly down an overgrown path. His lean body winding like a river through the brightly coloured moss and shrubbery, his eyes alight with purpose, and behind him was a girl. Her bottom lip sticking out in the most displeasing way as she used a stick to abuse the shrubbery around her. At first glance one might simply think she is a bad egg, but if an individual were to really look at her they would see she was rather disheveled; much like someone who had recently fallen. She was covered in d...

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“An Opportunity Found” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #269

I, Jeffrey Winter, have given up as a writer. Publishers never look twice at anything that I have ever submitted to them. Sometimes, I swear, it is like they never even looked once. That was even true of the one publisher here in town. After three rejections, I decided I did not want to go through that pain again. I guess that I will have to be content with being a teacher of English at a community college, someone who may inspire one of my students to become a successful writer. It is possible, and I will finally be...

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“The Astrolabe” by Jack Sanger - Author

Submitted to Contest #269

The Astrolabe It was the worst flood the village had experienced since records began. The stream normally ran through it like a silver artery, festooned with drooping pale green willows it had pools for sticklebacks and voles to congregate, peppered with the flashing electric blue dunking of kingfishers. This joyful arena of ever-changing fantasy was just like the one of his boyhood. He had fallen in love with it when house hunting for a pied-a-terre. And now it had turned into a fifty mètre wide anaconda of brown twisting torm...

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“A Mother's Love” by DJ Grohs

Submitted to Contest #269

*** Prologue *** Special Agent in ChargeFBI – Kansas City 11180 NW Prairie View RoadKansas City, MI 64153 To whom it may concern: While still of sound mind and body, I provided this letter to my attorney with instructions to mail it in the event of my death. Since you’re reading it now, we can only assume that said event has occurred. Though likely long forgotten, during the late 1950’s to the mid-1960’s, there was a spate of infant abductions across the Midwest. The fact that these were seemingly random abductions with virtually no clue lef...

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“The Orc and the Quill” by Jihad Awwad

Submitted to Contest #269

It was a cold and lonely night in the city of Albion. The cobblestone streets were filled with people from all walks of life. The bazaar was a bright array of shades of amber and violet, and the air was filled with sweet exotic scents from lands far away. Godwin sat alone on his balcony. He saw the entire city for miles. The moon slowly rose from its slumber to embrace the city in its comforting light. A part of him wanted to go down and enjoy the festivities. But Godwin rather enjoyed the company of a quill and parchment. He th...

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“Two Women and a Ring” by Rebecca Martinez

Submitted to Contest #269

On Thursday morning, Aurora found a small box on his coat. For starters, she wasn’t used to being the other woman. In fact, she often assumed that if her teenage self could see her now, she’d spit on her or slap her across the face. When she was seventeen her principles had been a tight and undiscussable manual, her own bible. She would never cause so much pain to another woman, even if she were a stranger. But Charlotte wasn’t a stranger. She had always been kind to her. As she applied the French perfume he had gifted her ...

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“Broken Vows” by M O

Submitted to Contest #269

Broken Vows Dew covers the window, briefly impeding my view of you, my dear husband. I should be thankful, since watching you flex your muscles for the giggling blonde sickens me. My jaw aches as Blondie touches your arm and your lips curl in a smile. That’s what I call her, “Blondie.” Others would perhaps go with something more vulgar, but you know me better than that, don’t you? Just like I know you better than Blondie knows you. She hasn’t spent nineteen years with you as Mrs. Nathaniel Wilson. Is your ring such a burden that you had to r...

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“The Mask of the Maneater” by Erin Kelley

Submitted to Contest #269

Warning: contains themes of body horror. “We don’t want you in town, Mr. Watson,” the waitress said. Gar jumped, more at the prefix than the hostility in the tone of the woman scowling at him from across the aging diner’s bar. “What?” Gar asked. “How do you know who I am?” “Because you can tell. You have the look,” she said. “The look?” Gar asked. “We can tell,” she said. Gar blinked. “Blood finds its level. We remember what your family did,” she said. “If you don’t want to serve me, you can just say so. I’m only here to clean out my...

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“Unveiled ” by Kavitha G

Submitted to Contest #269

"Tighter" She grits out, her knuckles white from the seemingly painful grip on the oakwood table, crafting nail marks, next to the ones she left yesterday, and the day before, and each day before that. She visibly winces at the rough heel digging into the back of her thigh to stabilize the painful tugging of lace. "Suck in." Her maiden Devina exasperates, rivulets of sweat crawling towards her golden bronze collarbone.With one last excruciating pull from her abdomen and a strained grunt, her waist became desirable, and her organs starte...

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“The Magic Feathers of the Caburé” by Marta Juarez

Submitted to Contest #269

Tajñí Lelé is a forest elf from the world of the Wichi-Mataco indigenous people, the most well-known and powerful, famous for his magical powers. He was called “Cabeza de Sajasta” (Sajasta Head) because of his curly, tangled hair, similar to the lichen that grows on the leaves of trees. He wore a green hat with two holes through which his pointed ears protruded, which moved in the direction of the sounds he heard. He had dark skin and long, hoof-like nails. He always carried an axe on his shoulder and a quiver full of poisoned arrows. When h...

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“The stone ” by Khyre Edwards

Submitted to Contest #269

He lay there, his fear crippling him much more than his mangled legs that were currently soaking the dirt with his blood.His life was seeping out of him by the second; his fall was too great to survive without assistance, and that assistance was what he feared.The person closest to him when he had been attacked was a man who lived to destroy him.Ignatius knew that if the man found him, he would spend his last days praying for death.The irony was that it would be the first time he prayed in years.Ignatius founded a church some twenty years ag...

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“My Little Knight” by Joseph Reyes

Submitted to Contest #269

It was the first real job Caroline had since the move. She had gotten a few odd jobs from the local temples to make sure some high society types didn't undead-ify themselves. The clients and motivations for her services varied, wildly. Some were loved ones of the deceased, asking that she made sure their final rest wouldn't be disturbed. Others were rivals of the recently departed that did not want a vengeful spectre exacting its rightful revenge. Either way, they wouldn't be returning; Caroline made sure of that. The routine was the same; p...

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“Swimming Pool” by Lee S

Submitted to Contest #269

Swimming PoolThe cold was setting in as the sun fell behind the tree line of my backyard. The house my Grandfather left me was among the first built in this little mountain town of Cherryville. I loved it -- a mineworker’s community in the middle of a rainforest, strategically located with access to the network of logging roads and gold mines. We had been digging all day and around six Marcie brought out a fresh pot of tea for us to warm up. I took a few sips and pulled my gardening gloves back on, stepping down into the pit we had dug over ...

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“A Stroke of Luck” by Anne Carroll Marshall

Submitted to Contest #269

A stroke of luck…My life was falling apart.Actually, it had fallen apart. It was really as simple as that. Michael had walked out, leaving me thoroughly depressed and distracted, which led to problems at work. It’s not as though I enjoyed my job at the best of times, but it did pay the bills – or most of them, anyway. But since Michael had breezed into my life, I’d even had dreams of being able to hand in my resignation and walk cheerfully out through the front door, casually flipping my finger at my supervisor as I went. Instead, I fou...

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“The South Sea Pearl” by Eleanor Frances Arcaro

Submitted to Contest #269

(This story contains domestic violence)Janice opened the door and walked inside the mansion as she had done for the past ten months. She never thought her first in-home nursing job would be at such a luxurious place. Having just graduated nursing school, Janice was grateful for the ease of this job and her good-natured patient, Delia Lindstrom. Delia was in her eighties and had built a successful business. She only retired due to her health. Although the cancer was progressing, Delia was always in good spirits, and Janice enjoyed their chats...

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Write a story about an object that changed everything for a character.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 84 stories

“The Black Cat and His Book” by Soul Dachuk

“An Opportunity Found” by John Steckley

“The Astrolabe” by Jack Sanger - Author

“A Mother's Love” by DJ Grohs

“The Orc and the Quill” by Jihad Awwad

“Two Women and a Ring” by Rebecca Martinez

“Broken Vows” by M O

“The Mask of the Maneater” by Erin Kelley

“Unveiled ” by Kavitha G

“The Magic Feathers of the Caburé” by Marta Juarez

“The stone ” by Khyre Edwards

“My Little Knight” by Joseph Reyes

“Swimming Pool” by Lee S

“A Stroke of Luck” by Anne Carroll Marshall

“The South Sea Pearl” by Eleanor Frances Arcaro

🌟 Similar prompts

Send your characters on an unforgettable quest to find an essential object.

Center your story around a character who is obsessed with an object.

Write a story about an ordinary object that becomes magical (either literally or figuratively).

Show how an object’s meaning can change as a character changes.

Contest #269

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

312

Contest entries

122

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: