Write about someone facing their greatest fear.

Posted in Dramatic on Sep 16, 2024

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✍️ 109 stories

“Phobias ” by Fiona Jensen

Submitted to Contest #206

Warning: content with death and corpsesIt had taken years and years for the technology to develop, but finally, Emmett hooked up several screen monitors to the machine that he and his fellow scientist had been manufacturing just for this specific occasion. He took a step back and surveyed his work. One of the screens showed a heart monitor while the other one blinked several colors for a few seconds before settling on a blank white screen where Emmett would view the images from his patient’s mind. Next to this was a single hospital bed ...

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“I See You” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #206

“I’m fine. Find someone else to mother.” Howard clenched his teeth while pondering his next move. He knew she was not fine. The nausea she ignored as a bug lasted too long to be a ‘bug.’ “Can I get you some chicken soup, maybe some rice?” Sarah glanced at him, flaring her nostrils as if she were a stallion waiting to bolt out of the gate of the Kentucky Derby. “What do I have to say to you to get you to leave me alone?” His eyes were glassy as he glanced at the bed full of tissues. Her clothes were on the floor, and the room was da...

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“The Prey and the Arrow” by Stephanie Leon

Submitted to Contest #206

The fire dances to the wind this November night, the moon a full circle of light shining above it. I am covered in a blanket surrounded by my friends Kai, Diana, Emi, Theus, and Dmitry.Echoes of “Happy Birthday Effie!” sing beside me.“Thank you, guys!” I smile, “I’m not getting up because the fire feels nice and I’m freezing to death!”What’s your birthday wish?” asked Kai…“Uhm, probably for my loved ones to be healthy,” I said, “I don’t think I want to face any more deaths this year.”Six months ago, I lost my grandfather to cancer and went t...

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“Panic Zone Conqueror” by Tim Rathz

Submitted to Contest #206

"Ladies and gentlemen! Here he is for the final round! Gabe Garfield will be facing his greatest fear!" The words roared over the crowd like it was the first lap of the Indy 500. Gabe couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. How did I end up here?, he thought to himself. Of all the people on earth, how did HE get talked into this? The two-story digital countdown started. 10-9. Am I really going through with this? 8-7. I can still back out. 6-5. Just walk away. I have nothing to prove. 4-3. Go Gabe! Leave! 2-1. Shit. E...

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“Nerves of Steel” by Branden Elliot

Submitted to Contest #206

The afternoon sun peeked through the half open blinds, revealing a million little dust particles dancing around the orange-tinted living room. Spring was coming to a close as summer began to show itself in Dylan Navarrete’s studio apartment. Too lethargic to stand up and turn on the air conditioner, he was content with letting beads of sweat form on his forehead, placing his half-empty bottle of beer right on the flat portion of his skull. There was a swirl of emotion within him. He felt disappointment, shame, relief, but above all else, he ...

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“The T Stands for Terror” by Vie L'cast

Submitted to Contest #206

I am a TSA agent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder based out of Florida. I share this so that you might understand what caused me to shut down the Miami International Airport on January 28, 2023.It was a typical Saturday. My shift started at 3am so I was up by midnight. My usual routine included a lukewarm shower, marijuana with some meditation, tea and a granola bar. Smoking weed before clocking into a TSA job had its challenges but it became a necessity for me. As a kid, my father beat me mercilessly. Any slight infraction was my faul...

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“Acrophob 'I' a” by JYOTHI KRISHNAN M

Submitted to Contest #206

I looked towards the horizon; the sky's blue was merging somewhere with a lighter version of the sea. The light blue color far above my head with foam-shaped white clouds, a sight I have always enjoyed, was frightening this time, and with trembling feet, I glanced downwards; the ground was much far below, and it seemed the sky is closer to me than the ground. My wife, watching from the base of the tall rocket-shaped metal frame, appeared like a small toy. The wind blowing from the sky was so heavy that the erected frame started to shake with...

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“Lost Girl” by Anca Tiriteu

Submitted to Contest #206

A good 10 minutes had passed from the phone call and she still couldn’t bring herself to move. Reba’s stiff feet refused to take another step and the rest of her body complied. After she hung up, she grabbed her phone, her bag, the laptop, clothes and clenched on to them, waiting for something to happen. Her wrist watch moved another minute and then another one, still nothing happened. Reba’s stone-like body got stuck in front of the chestnut door, focused on its tiny crack. (Was it always there?) As soon as she will open the door, everythin...

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“The coffin” by Magdalee Brunache

Submitted to Contest #206

I As far as I could remember, it had always been there. Its presence in our living room had always seemed incongruous, inappropriate. It had become one with the scenery, after all these years that had seen the family gather mere meters away from it. It was irritatingly clean, shining and blooming all day long with the orange scent of the liquid my mother used to clean it. Every day, without fail, she polished it with precision, humming happily. At ease, as if it was normal that there was a coffin inside ...

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“ Tannenbacher” by Len Rely

Submitted to Contest #206

“Welcome to Tannenbacher Medical, producer of beautiful human fetuses for space travel.” the screens showed happy children playing in a field from wall to wall under the company logo. The main promenadium was as busy as Dr. Sobol had ever seen it, white-swathed personnel and patients shunting their way to their morning preliminaries under the ever-present ceilings. “Tomorrow’s astronauts are being conceived every day. Here at TMC we reach for the stars.” He was holding a folded periodical in his hand, showing a full-page cross-section ...

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“Awakening ” by Jose Hernandez

Submitted to Contest #206

I’ve never seen him so anxious. Cliff is enthusiastic; maybe annoyingly enthusiastic sometimes but, it’s not his fault. I Shouldn’t have brought him. Cliff is curled up with his back against the tree; locking erratically between me and peeking at the opposite side of the tree. Cliff leans over; no less than a second, a stream of fire grazes the ground forcing Cliff to cling back against the tree. “I’m still here!” That arrogant loser spews. I drag a fist onto the ground and with any power left in my feet to lift me, I catapult myse...

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“Arachne Revisited” by Inge Moore

Submitted to Contest #206

ARACHNE REVISITED By Inge Moore Spiders. I am afraid of these small creatures. Even I realize that this is odd, because I am not afraid of lions or tigers or wolves. I am not even afraid of snakes. Yet I am afraid of these little arthrodpods. That’s all they are, I keep telling myself. Arthropods. Arachnids. Related to mites and ticks. Not dangerous, not scary. My fear began when I was ten years old. It began the day the "thing" came. Something woke me in the night. When I o...

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“Lockdown Loo” by Julie Mayger

Submitted to Contest #206

The stink of urine and ammonia in the ladies’ toilets was so potent that it should have been bottled as insect spray. Filthy green tiles on the floor and walls were chipped and slimy, the toilets blocked with God knows what, while human excrement had solidified on the sides of the enamel. There was no toilet paper in the holders, only torn pieces plastered to the floor. They hadn’t been cleaned for days. “Shit!” said Maddy appropriately. Crouched down behind a toilet door with its lock hanging off, and keeping a safe two-metre distance from...

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“Rat Trap” by Mark Gagnon

Submitted to Contest #206

Rat Trap Most people find rats unsettling, and Julian was no exception. After being forced to deal with one rat in particular, he now fears them. Julian Hawk is a successful writer; not in the Michael Connelly or Lee Child category of successful, but he has sold three books with a contract from a major publisher for more. The twist in his stories is that the bad guy always gets away. There is no Jack Reacher or Harry Bosch to save the day and put things right. His fan base seems to like it when a smart criminal wins. With fame comes distr...

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“Perception is the worst crime” by Charlie Chaos

Submitted to Contest #206

There are always mirrors in her home. Nobody could walk into that beautiful woman's life without being perceived. You don't just get to know her - she, intimately, knows you, before you even realize it. Those unearthly green eyes seem to pop out of nowhere, peeking out beneath her wavy, blonde bangs. "Do you want a drink?" She always asks as she opens the door for you. No greetings, no pleasantries, just the air of creature comforts, because of course you'll be staying a while. If you say no, she gets you multiple drinks to choose from as...

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Write about someone facing their greatest fear.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 109 stories

“Phobias ” by Fiona Jensen

“I See You” by Scott Taylor

“The Prey and the Arrow” by Stephanie Leon

“Panic Zone Conqueror” by Tim Rathz

“Nerves of Steel” by Branden Elliot

“The T Stands for Terror” by Vie L'cast

“Acrophob 'I' a” by JYOTHI KRISHNAN M

“Lost Girl” by Anca Tiriteu

“The coffin” by Magdalee Brunache

“ Tannenbacher” by Len Rely

“Awakening ” by Jose Hernandez

“Arachne Revisited” by Inge Moore

“Lockdown Loo” by Julie Mayger

“Rat Trap” by Mark Gagnon

“Perception is the worst crime” by Charlie Chaos

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that contains a flashback of a nightmare.

Start your story with a character seeing something terrifying.

Write about a character in a situation where they have to be brave for someone else’s sake.

Set your story in an eerie, surreal setting.

Contest #206

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

373

Contest entries

130

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: