Write about two characters on the verge of a life-changing event, but one has rigged the outcome.

Posted in Dramatic on Jul 24, 2021

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✍️ 90 stories

“Neverland” by Vanessa Kilmer

Submitted to Contest #62

The stinging pain of her mother’s handprint on her cheek faded. The sharp burn of her mother’s angry, hurtful words continued to clamor in her head, fighting for space and attention with the voices of the woman and two men that were Ayla’s constant companions. Ayla closed her bedroom door without a sound. She stuffed a handful of her mother’s sleeping pills into her mouth and swallowed. She flung her body on the bed. She wanted a few moments of peace, of nothingness. She tried to snuff out her life with her pillow, the feathers o...

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“Forced Retirement” by Linda Brodsky

Submitted to Contest #62

Jane’s heart lurched as she gazed around the kitchen; the room she loved most in this house, the place where all her happiest memories were made. This would all be Nola’s now. Nola the spoiler. Nola, the woman twenty years younger and forty pounds lighter, chosen as her replacement. Decades of memories crowed together, vying for Jane’s attention.She could recall, so easily, those early happy days. She, young, trim, and cheerful, cooking an...

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“If You only knew Me.....” by Dorothy Claybourn

Submitted to Contest #62

As I sit quietly in the attic of the house I rent, I have my security cameras running on various screens on tables in a semi-circle in the center of the room. Out the front window, I have a video recorder filming the house and the street diagonal from me. I am looking through social media and making notes on hobbies and friends and relatives, really any information I can find about him. I have millions of pictures of him from infancy to the man he is today. He had been dating Tiffany, But he found flirtatious messages on her phone that mad...

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“The Night Sky” by Liya Yoosaf

Submitted to Contest #62

I always have a special feeling while looking at the sky, especially at night. As usual I was looking at those stars through my window. And suddenly I noticed a bright light moving in the sky. At first I thought it was a shooting star, but it wasn't. It started to change colour from yellow to orange and then to red. I felt so curious about it. I had a million thoughts and I really wanted to check what it was. Unfortunately it was already midnight and my parents were sleeping and there was no way I could go out. So I tried to slee...

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“A colorful song ” by DREW LANE

Submitted to Contest #62

“And so, it goes…” Martin’s tongue stretched to the right corner of his mouth, parallel to the tie thrown over his shoulder. As he placed two more cards on the house, its shadow shivered on the table glass. “I’m self-impressed. Look at that.”Orso didn’t pay attention to him. Pacing by the panoramic window of their office on Purple Avenue, palms joined under his nose, he was running the calculation again. It worked. It worked perfectly. His neat fingers pianoed on the window frame and the sun sparked on his watch face. He admired the sporadic...

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“The Achiever, The Failure” by Booker Bogan

Submitted to Contest #62

Darkness flooded into the lab through the windows, glowing under the flickering lights. I typed away on my computer, logging the day’s work. Dr. Steve Hall, my partner, looked at some molecular data through the lens of his silver microscope, pushing it around with a tweezer. “Well, I’m done for today,” I said, pulling the strap of my tattered brown bag over my shoulder. “I’ll stay for a little while longer,” Steve mumbled, barely giving his words any attention. I rang the elevator, my shoulders hunched, my eyes at my feet. The elevator gl...

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“Not When She's Dead” by ELYSA WONSER

Submitted to Contest #62

I grab Annalice’s hand, trying to pull her to the safety of my arms, I can’t let her die, I promised Nyx I would keep her safe, if I let go now she’ll drop thirty five feet, her body already weak because of the hours of torture she endured waiting for me to find her. “Please Annalice, take my hand!” I shout, my voice cracking from severe fear and pain that I’ll lose the one thing that I hold closest to my cold non beating heart. “No Asher, I can’t let you save me, this is what I want, do you really want to go against my wil...

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“Art and Crafts” by ASHTON NOBLE

Submitted to Contest #62

Dust clouds bloomed, racing over the dry seabed as another of their fathers crafts launched into the air. From the cliff, she gazed at the massive craft's engines blazing through the stagnant air, hauling two-hundred and fifty more people into space."That makes number one-hundred ninety-eight," she said, poking data into her arm mounted tablet.As the ship faded into the cloudless sky she turned."Wont be long now pencil neck," she said."Even now, you wont let up with that name," he said, continuing to scribble aw...

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“The Blazing Phoenix and Ice Siren” by Alicia Baldwin

Submitted to Contest #62

Singing of sadness alone in her mind Longing for a meaning to her life Unable to again dance with grace and beauty aligned Frozen in solitude pleading for warmth In need of a flame to ignite and transform Desperately seeking the tiniest light Something to awaking what had once died inside The smallest chance for the numb to reside Rising from ash in search of a home to hide in his fortitude All potential had become tired, withered, and broken from being used Screaming through brilliant fire, angered at the world Never...

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“The Planning Process” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #62

The Planning Process “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” (Lewis Carroll) But Elizabeth knew where she was going, or at least where she wanted to go. She had known immediately, after the first week with the company, that this was her destiny. She was not totally stupid. After all she had received a Masters degree in Management Consulting hadn’t she? She realized that Troy was just a human being. A male human being at that, a male of the human species, with two arms , two legs , a head and all the thi...

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“Changing Me” by Sara Bonilla

Submitted to Contest #62

Facing my new mom since one year ago and a half ago, I struggle to take up the courage to tell them the story that changed my life not so long ago. My best friend next to me nods encouraging me . Taking one last look at her kind face I finally take a deep breath and start. 2 years ago Vincent The day was finally here, so much planning and thinking all for today. Ever since I found out the real reason my parents were on the road that day. Today was the annual school fair. Normally no one would go to a school fair, but it was The Academy of t...

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“Death Prefers Chamomile” by Allie Weaving

Submitted to Contest #62

Death sits calmly across the table from you, fingers neatly steepled, a cup of tea at one elbow. You are in a small, brightly lit room with only one door and you can’t remember how you arrived. It is just the two of you seated in high backed office chairs; the kind with wheels and good back support. Death is waiting politely for you to speak. You look at the tea and try to gather your thoughts. It smells herbal. The meeting has been going on a while. “How can I know for sure?” you try again. “You can’t.&nbs...

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“Our Goddess’s Blood” by Truth Timi

Submitted to Contest #62

The darkness that has grown familiar to my tired eyes is pierced by a blinding light, leading to the game. The game, an honored tradition where one couple must be sacrificed to our goddess to keep peace. I cannot and never will understand why we were picked. I look at Genevieve, she’s been asleep for days now. I wake her gently, sadly I tell her it’s time to go, I wish I could let her sleep. Her blue eyes flutter open, causing a quick pain to go through my heart. Large wise men come and begin leading us by shackles binding our wrists to our ...

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“Just so long as we're together” by Taliah Melur

Submitted to Contest #62

Brandon and I are sitting at the Orange Thread café. He’s ordered a caramel macchiato, I a strawberry cheesecake milkshake. It sounded disgusting as I told the cashier I wanted that, but it was too late to retract my order. “Are you nervous?” Brandon says. He’s kicking the leg of my chair, a habit that I used to find endearing but I now just find plain annoying. “Cos you don’t look very scared.” “I’m trying hard not to,” I say. “How long is it until we have to get to the school?” “Forty-five minutes. Don’t worry, I visited a few days ago ...

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“My Verge” by Aidan Mahanga

Submitted to Contest #62

A voice was heard “Today we have identified our thief of school property. With the shadow of his leadership and loyalty to us he has managed to make it a loss of more than $ 22000 of school fees. We have not benefited from anything since he was appointed as the leader of all the projects in the school. He was able to destroy the food and sweat of the students. He has no right to continue here at school. The ethics and upbringing committee here at the school, sat down and made a decision to rest your colleague, Mr. Aram Billia for a period gr...

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Write about two characters on the verge of a life-changing event, but one has rigged the outcome.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 90 stories

“Neverland” by Vanessa Kilmer

“Forced Retirement” by Linda Brodsky

“If You only knew Me.....” by Dorothy Claybourn

“The Night Sky” by Liya Yoosaf

“A colorful song ” by DREW LANE

“The Achiever, The Failure” by Booker Bogan

“Not When She's Dead” by ELYSA WONSER

“Art and Crafts” by ASHTON NOBLE

“The Blazing Phoenix and Ice Siren” by Alicia Baldwin

“The Planning Process” by Josephine Andersen

“Changing Me” by Sara Bonilla

“Death Prefers Chamomile” by Allie Weaving

“Our Goddess’s Blood” by Truth Timi

“Just so long as we're together” by Taliah Melur

“My Verge” by Aidan Mahanga

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who can suddenly only “remember” their future, not their past.

Write about a character who’s had their future foretold from birth — but isn’t sure if they believe it.

Write about a character preparing to go into stasis for decades (or centuries).

Write about a character putting something into a time capsule.

Contest #62

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

620

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: