Write about someone who receives a gift or message that changes their life forever.

Posted in Dramatic on Jan 3, 2025

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✍️ 94 stories

“Curse of the Nutcracker” by Barbara Minshall

Submitted to Contest #284

He stood in the shadows, by the old, shriveled man's hospital bed--pensive, listening to the beeping of the monitors, the steady breath of the ventilator, keeping the man alive. He tried to reassure his conscience of the inevitable: this man was going to die soon anyway. His mouth was parched. His hands--trained to save lives, not take them--shook with fear and guilt. As he filled the syringe with morphine from the glass vial, Dr. Brad Telman wondered how things might have been different, if he hadn't opened that damned box.It was the day be...

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“The Crimson Envelope” by Terry Maris

Submitted to Contest #284

The winter morning air was sharp, biting Evan's cheeks as he stepped outside. The narrow street in the heart of Boston was already bustling, the cacophony of car horns and the rhythmic crunch of boots on salted sidewalks filling the air. He adjusted his scarf, eyes squinting against the sun reflecting off the frosted roofs of parked cars.Evan was halfway to his office when his phone buzzed. With practiced ease, he fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen: "Urgent: Pick up from the mailroom."The sender was an unknown number, but ...

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“Charlotte's Swing of Anxiety” by Alaina Grace

Submitted to Contest #284

Scene 1: Concerning Rice Farming and Stress Welcome to the tale of Charlotte Valentine. I’m your trusty narrator, and I’ll be telling you the story of how Charlotte overcame herself… With a heart full of hope, Charlotte Valentine skipped across the meadow of the farm she called home. Her family specialized in cultivating rice, dedicating a significant portion of their land to it. Over the years, the Valentines had gained acres upon acres of land, becoming the primary supplier of rice in their hometown, Tearmont. Charlotte was a y...

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“The Wish” by Sharon Nations Toler

Submitted to Contest #284

As she briefly glanced out the window, the woman could see wisps of snow drifting slowly to the ground and the neighbor’s Christmas lights twinkling in the distance.Her trance was suddenly interrupted by her husband’s voice: “Christina, is everything all right?”His voice was filled with concern, his deep brown eyes piercing her. She quickly turned to see her husband’s concerned face. "Yes…yes... Everything is just perfect!” She gazed into his gentle face and understood why he had been so concerned. The past year had been tough; it had almost...

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“The Smith” by Karissa W

Submitted to Contest #284

Cloaked in animal skins and darkness, a deformed and piteous creature hobbled around with a sword like a walking stick. Holding tightly to the grip in both hands, she seemed completely unable to stand on her own. The beast was certainly not the result of evolution, nor the product of a healthy mind. Her very existence looked difficult and pained—a blatant affront to the efficiency of nature, and a cruel denial of the easy existence of Man.This beast, neither animal nor human, but an abhorrent mix of the two, was covered in fur and as scruffy...

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“She Was Christmas In Our Eyes” by Kaelyn Klaus

Submitted to Contest #284

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. I love the twinkling lights, the love in the air, family and friends, Christmas dinner, and, of course, presents. I lived with my mother, father, and younger brother. Our house was a place filled with happiness and laughter all year round, but especially Christmas. Each year on December 1 we would hike out to the middle of the woods behind our house, cut a Christmas tree, and then haul it home to decorate.We’d stay up late after we decorated and watch our favorite Christmas movies...

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“Pinkie's Promise” by Ari Walker

Submitted to Contest #284

Note: This story contains a scene of accidental death. It describes cruelty toward animals. It includes a letter written from the perspective of a combatant in wartime, describing some of the difficult things he has witnessed there. The goldfinches arrived sparkling upon the landing the same day that Ernesto returned, alone, bearing his news like a rucksack full of stones, weighing down each doleful step in a cloud of San Luis dust. I noticed the goldfinches through the kitchen window, gathering upon the cement outside the door, and flutt...

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“Ave Maria” by Sofia Lin

Submitted to Contest #284

I stared at the picture. My mind was racing. One would expect a gift card on Christmas day, I think. From an outsider's perspective, it wasn't that crazy. A man, a woman, and in between them, a baby. The man was my father, the woman was his girlfriend, and the baby was now my half sister. "Oh." "You have a half sister," my father grinned in front of me, expectant. "Yeah I can see that," I muttered, unable to help myself. I was shocked that whatever filter that I had in my brain was short-circuiting. Maybe that's why he inv...

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“My Favorite Santa” by Lila Evans

Submitted to Contest #284

When I arrive home, it is already dark. But, I am greeted by row upon row of Santas, all shapes and sizes, filling our front yard. Merry Christmas, I think, my tired eyes inspecting them as I pass by. I slowly take the steps up to my back door, careful to avoid the ice that reformed after a sunny afternoon. I have left the light on, because know one wants to come home to a dark home. And, I have the dog to look out for. After I let him out, I hang up my coat, and put my keys in the dish by the door. I start a fire in the fireplace, and settl...

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“A Christmas Message from Tomorrow” by Angela Govender

Submitted to Contest #284

A Christmas Morning SurpriseSnow fell in soft, silent flakes, draping the city in a luminous blanket that seemed to soften the harsh edges of reality. Layla’s apartment, nestled at the top of an aging building, was cold despite the heat humming faintly from the radiator. She watched the flakes through her cracked window, their delicate descent mirroring the emptiness she felt inside. The scent of pine and roasting chestnuts teased the air, distant echoes of a world celebrating while she remained locked in her solitude. Her small desk was clu...

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“The Chicken Who Knew Everything” by Audrey Knox

Submitted to Contest #284

“I’ll give you a good deal for her,” Fluffy heard the farmer’s gruff voice say. He held her in his strong, calloused hands. These were the hands she had known ever since she was a chick. Fluffy felt safe in his arms. She trilled softly and bobbed her head to show her appreciation. Fluffy liked when her father held her. He was always gentle, unlike the bigger chickens in the coop who pecked and clawed at her when she tried to pick at the handfuls of grain that were tossed on the ground for all of them. Fluffy found herself facing two bright s...

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“The Bracelet of Ill-Omen” by Jes Oakheart

Submitted to Contest #284

Wren sat at the campfire examining the golden bracelet, wondering why the magistrate was so eager to gift it to them. Amelia sat next to her, running a cloth across her greatsword. As adventurers-for-hire, they’d seen many magical objects, and been rewarded with numerous strange gifts in payment for their work. But this piece of jewelry seemed different. Their employer for the day seemed glad to be rid of it and assured them it was quite valuable. “Well, put it on,” Amelia urged, grinning at Wren as she wiped the last bits of goblin blood fr...

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“My Journey To Nicasio” by Webb Johnson

Submitted to Contest #284

The alarm clock jarred me out of a dreamy slumber. I yawned, stretched, and gazed at the lazily spinning ceiling fan before tossing off the quilt and pushing my bony feet into cushy lambswool slippers. Using a cane I walked warily across the carpet to my veranda where I drew a long breath of honeysuckle-scented air and viewed the radiant sunrise. Today, September 2, 2006, is my birthday. I’m one hundred years old. It’s a serene morning, but a century of calms before storms brings a flurry of pins and needles. Later today I’ll be surrounded ...

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“White Feathers ” by Emma Elias

Submitted to Contest #284

White feathers. The unutterable shame of being handed a white feather by a woman with an unforgiving face is a feeling quite unique. It is a feeling that Harry knew all too well. Harry had many white feathers, you see, in fact, he had a collection of them; and every time he came home with a new white feather his mother would scoff at him, telling him to throw it away that very moment. But he never did. Rather, Harry kept his white feathers. They were a reminder to him of his own useless cowardice, they were a reminder to him that he wasn’...

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“How to Save a Life (Not Your Own)” by Andromeda Ripley

Submitted to Contest #284

You are born on Christmas Day. There is a light layer of snow on the ground. Your parents say you’re the most incredible gift they’ve ever received. You are a happy baby. Look at that smile! A few years later, your mother is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She turns out to be fine after everything, but you will be an only child. When you are six, you break your arm. Your father cries more than you do. At eleven, you wake with blood in your panties. Your mother shows you what to do. We’ll start with pads and liners, ok? At t...

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Write about someone who receives a gift or message that changes their life forever.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 94 stories

“Curse of the Nutcracker” by Barbara Minshall

“The Crimson Envelope” by Terry Maris

“Charlotte's Swing of Anxiety” by Alaina Grace

“The Wish” by Sharon Nations Toler

“The Smith” by Karissa W

“She Was Christmas In Our Eyes” by Kaelyn Klaus

“Pinkie's Promise” by Ari Walker

“Ave Maria” by Sofia Lin

“My Favorite Santa” by Lila Evans

“A Christmas Message from Tomorrow” by Angela Govender

“The Chicken Who Knew Everything” by Audrey Knox

“The Bracelet of Ill-Omen” by Jes Oakheart

“My Journey To Nicasio” by Webb Johnson

“White Feathers ” by Emma Elias

“How to Save a Life (Not Your Own)” by Andromeda Ripley

🌟 Similar prompts

Center your story around a character spending their first holiday alone.

Write a story that includes the line “I should’ve known better.”

Center your story around an unexpected guest who changes a traditional get-together.

Set your story in a place where everything should be familiar to your character(s), but isn’t.

Contest #284

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

347

Contest entries

145

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: