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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about two characters whose paths briefly cross, but are actually going in opposite directions — whether literally or figuratively.

Posted in Dramatic on Jan 27, 2023

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 93 stories

“One night” by Rya Johnson

Submitted to Contest #183

  The night stars sparkle like assorted diamonds thrown across a plush black velvet blanket.  One of those soft luxurious blankets that make you want to sleep an extra thirty minutes just so you can soak up the plush softness of it.    That’s where I should be right now, in my bed Kai grumbled to herself as she doubtfully glances at the obnoxious neon sign outside the cramped nightclub flashing  ‘Back Street’.   Why did you let Marlie talk you into this. You are so out of ...

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“Art Thou Romeo?” by David B Fraser

Submitted to Contest #183

“Where’s Juliet?”    “Ricardo, we told you, she’s not coming to Tuesday rehearsals, she has dance class.”    “How is she going to keep up?”    The Director bit his tongue. Benvolio laughed from offstage. Mercutio laughed from the front row, leaning back, and looking around for others to laugh with him. The Producer and the wardrobe lady were shaking hands and talking to someone at the back of the seats where the Director’s table was.    The Director came down, and stepped up onto ...

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“Opposition” by Lawrence W Allhands

Submitted to Contest #183

The dust from the rocket explosions swirled around Sergeant Jack Calloway as he crouched for cover behind a crumbling wall in the middle of the town square. Clutching his M-4 rifle tightly, sweat pouring down his face, stinging his eyes, he scanned the area for any signs of the enemy.The sound of distant gunfire filled the air, sending a chill down Jack's spine. He had been in Iraq for months now, and the constant violence had taken its toll on him. Separated from his unit, his radio damaged during the last enemy engagement, and alone, his t...

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“Mission Accomplished” by Erica Dorsey

Submitted to Contest #183

It was a dark and stormy night—- well, it wasn’t a dark and stormy night. It was quite a regular night if one is being honest— but saying it’s dark and stormy makes for a better story most of the time. If one is telling the truth—- this is not a dramatic story. This is the most boring story in the history of boring stories. This story truly starts in the ice cream aisle of a grocery aisle. It’s not a special grocery story– it’s just one of those quirky mom-and-pop grocery stores that you can find in most small towns. The kind of grocery stor...

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“Hitting a rainbow” by Peter Naughton

Submitted to Contest #183

The Lady said many kind things to Bernadette. She told Bernadette, "dear Bernadette, This is going to happen in the world. There will come a day in the future when all humans, animals, and all living creatures including insects will think the same thought at exactly the same moment. This will happen all across the world. And at that moment something beautiful will happen and it will bring happiness to all of us." "But", Bernadette wanted to ask a question but to her amazement, the lady disappeared. She went and tol...

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“The Painting of a Man” by J.J. Erwin

Submitted to Contest #183

The sound of my loneliness–-the flow of water from the large waterfall faucet at the end of the small pool; the rush of wind against the window panes behind me; the general hum of emptiness that filled the room–-was interrupted by the naked man entering the onsen.  I had come down from my hotel room to find an empty bathhouse, and, fighting a feeling of disappointment I couldn’t quite explain, I proceeded to fumble through the Japanese bathing rituals all alone: changing out of my clothes in the datsuijo; sauntering naked and somewhat...

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“Buckfield” by Diamond Keener

Submitted to Contest #183

Arthur spent the entire time he was in the city looking over his shoulder. It was inevitable. Around every corner he was bound to slam into a person he used to know who would then slam his head into the concrete. Proverbially speaking, of course. He had been a bad guy, a really bad guy, and here he was in the angry city that was nothing but a giant reminder of it. He swore he’d never be back. But the chaos of multi connecting flight schedules had forced him back into it. He had a choice. To either sit in the airport all day, sit in the crumm...

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“A Brief Encounter” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #183

He slowly opened the envelope with a knife, neatly and precisely and pulled out the sheet of white paper. Sighing he rubbed his brow and looked off into the distance. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later but now that it was here it saddened him. He felt empty. He knew it wasn’t because he was hungry, but he made a sandwich and ate it while patting the dog. “Well mate” he said to the black and white pooch “the time has come, but don’t worry because you’ll be staying with me. We won’t be leaving each other any time soon”. He remember...

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“Alternatives” by Matthew Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #183

I’m going to kill her. Feet pounding down the pavement, his hand slid along the bulge in his overcoat for the thousandth time, tracing the solid bulk of the gun within. She did it for the last time. The last goddamn time. The bitter wind tugged at his hair, billowing it out into a sea of black tentacles. The bare trees and cloudy sky passed unseen overhead, the rumble of traffic an unregistered background hum. He had never been a violent person, had never harmed anyone, not even an animal. The gun had been locked away since he had bo...

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“Speed Dating” by James Beamish

Submitted to Contest #183

There she was, just ahead. He’d been staring at her for half the morning but hadn’t quite found the right thing to say.  He’d wanted to act calm and casual, to look like he hadn’t a care. He felt like he’d basically achieved that. He’d been leaning back, stretching out, pretty much the image of a relaxed guy. Wearing the sunglasses indoors had probably not been the best move as he had probably missed some of the visual part of the briefing. He’d been so busy trying to act cool that, to be honest, he had missed some of what had bee...

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“The Never-ending Journey” by Jessie Squires

Submitted to Contest #183

Can I sit here? His eyes plead as I look up. A man stands in front of me where there was once no one. I look at his clean, white sneakers on the grubby, worn carpet, then follow the line of his slim legs and grey sweater until I find his kind face. It is the same man I have been watching for the past half hour. I press my lips together, trying to form a smile. I adjust how I am sitting, though nothing about the space between us changes. I tuck my tote bag further underneath my legs, also changing nothing. Regardless, I hear him whisper “than...

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“The Land of Might have been” by Jennifer Claire Pulling

Submitted to Contest #183

The land of might have been can be paved with regrets and lost opportunities, of choices made and their consequences. On the other hand it can be a place dreamers and ditherers can inhabit and never be forced to face reality. For dreamers a love story incorporates adventure and impulse. They don’t subscribe to others’ warnings it is irresponsible and unsustainable.  That afternoon when it all began they didn’t go to the press conference in the end. The casual conversation deepened and darted over many topics and they continued to talk u...

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“Fortune” by Daniel Nixon

Submitted to Contest #183

Ulysses Thrash, a man of Fortune, rode north on his black Andalusian. The sun reflected off every silver stud on his belt and saddle. The shadows had grown long on his right when Thrash spotted another rider coming south. A much younger man. He sat on a dirty draft horse. He wore no hat, nor even boots. His bare feet were easily spotted as the horse bore no saddle or stirrups. The rider stopped in the middle of the road under the shade of an oak and sat looking south.  As he approached, Thrash tipped his hat to the young man with a ...

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“Anywhere ” by Elizabeth Benton

Submitted to Contest #183

Addy groaned when she felt her watch buzz on her wrist. An alert of an hour passed, meaning that it was now three in the morning. She turned over yet again and tried to force herself to sleep. It worked as well as it had the last three hours. The previous day's events pushed themselves into her mind. Every little thing. The ache in her chest got deeper every hour. Everything hurts worse at night. She had just started to drift when a ding coming from her nightstand made her aware that she still wasn't asleep. She resisted it, knowing that n...

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“When the Hay'tisan Came” by Noah Aylward

Submitted to Contest #183

The hay'tisan were grey. Their skin was grey. Their hair was grey. Their eyes were grey. The fires they seemed to weave from thin air were not grey. The blazing destruction they scattered about the city with waves of their hands came in more colors than a hundred of the finest rugs Elsbet had ever sold. Elsbet would never sell a rug in Marsett again. A great ship with sails like crimson bat wings had made anchor in the harbor. Just one ship. The hay'tisan had thrown down their gangplank and come sprinting to the docks in eerie silence. Then,...

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Contest #183

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Opposite Day

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Contest entries

125

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 03, 2023 EST

Won by Laurel Hanson 🏆

Title: Of Harpers and Heroes

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