Write from the POV of a security guard on the night shift, sitting in front of a wall of CCTV feeds.

Posted in Dramatic on Oct 6, 2023

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✍️ 47 stories

“NIGHT SHIFT” by Andrew Hixson

Submitted to Contest #219

NIGHT SHIFT The bank of screens on the wall flickered in unison, emitting a low buzzing sound reverberating throughout the room. As the flickering caught my peripheral vision, I lifted my gaze from the novel that engrossed me. A central system seemed to connect the updating data, charts, and graphs displayed on the screens. The flickering had disrupted their synchronised rhythm, leaving me curious about what could have caused it. The container yard screens paused and resumed ...

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“The Watchers” by Daniel Kleba

Submitted to Contest #219

I was taught that there’s a spark that happens when people meet face to face. A transference of energies, so to speak. We can feel it, apparently, although many people are not aware of it or acknowledge it. They say it’s why we see all drivers as idiots or get annoyed with large crowds. We become desensitized to the millions of stories all around us and generalize them down to one simple idea. The idea that the majority of people are stupid, raving, easily manipulated, maniacs who would rather see the world burn than not get their way. I was...

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“The Things in My House” by Jeffery Young

Submitted to Contest #219

There are sixty-eight cameras in my house and no blind spots. I had to pay extra for that last bit. Not to mention that I had to spend three days in a hotel while Civilian Militia Security Services, or CMSS, cross-examined every corner of my house searching for any holes in their air-tight security. Long story short, I may have to skip groceries for a while. Regardless, I’m happy. Around two weeks ago I started to notice strange things around my two story–plus a basement and an attic–house. I figured something frisky was happenin...

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“The Night Watchman” by Jasmine A Taber

Submitted to Contest #219

The old swivel chair creeks underneath Lewis as he leans back and fiddles with a Rubix cube. I have my eyes fixed on the screens. He leans forward and places the colorful cube in front of me, one side done.“Do you have any clue what today signifies, my friend?”“Uhm. No.”“They never told you about the guy you replaced?”“Nope. What guy?” I only just began working here a couple of weeks ago.“There used to be another security guard on the night watch, just like us. Used to sit right here in these chairs and lean back and watch the monitors. He u...

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“Employee 3346-88739” by David McCahan

Submitted to Contest #219

Breakfast was the usual. Scrambled eggs, a couple of withered sausage links and a stale piece of toast, closer to burnt than not. It was better that way. Sometimes it came underdone. Then you could taste just how bad the bread really was. Charring gave it some flavor.His name was Norman Gaston, but according to the certificate framed on the wall, he was employee number 3346-88739. An accompanying photo of Norman was taken on the count of two. Norman was expecting it to be on three. He asked for another shot. There were no do-overs.Norman sli...

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“Graveyard Shift” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #219

The hospital was dead quiet from the moment he sat down. He hadn’t noticed it before now, not when he arrived at that cliff side monolith for the night, back from his vacation. Nobody had told him anything, or said two words to him, as he trudged along crunching gravel toward the base of the cracked stone steps. The hospital, named for some dead man named Wallace, loomed over him like an ancient cathedral of towering spires and grey concrete. When he went inside, save the familiar smell of medical waste and the chemicals sprayed and poured i...

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“Sector 14 ” by Alicia Ballard

Submitted to Contest #219

Deep beneath the surface, away from prying eyes, James takes a long, deep drag of his cigarette, his face illuminated by only the orange cinders and the soft glow from the wall of CCTV screens. He exhales with a deep sigh, rolling his neck from side to side, working out the stiffness earned from an already long day. He glances at his watch and groans with dismay. 1:3O am. fuck. I still have 5 ½ hours to go. James eyed his long-forgotten cold cup of coffee, debating reheating the mug or making a new pot. He decided on th...

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“Threads” by Carrie C

Submitted to Contest #219

He is on day seven of his opus, I never thought someone could shit this much, and I don’t know how he got it to the right consistency, but every night, the fecal matter is perfectly suited for drawing the staff on the cement wall and each music note is dotted with a perfect thumbprint. The eighths, the quarters, the crescendos, the time signatures all come together in a tune that I can’t stop humming. He stops at 4am and from my tower, on the digital screen where I can perfectly zoom in, I take a photo. By 6am the hose comes to spray down th...

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“Invitation Only” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #219

Being paid for this had seemed like a good idea at the time. They still joked about it down the social club, but it was a well-rehearsed quip that not only bored Dave, it hurt him. Getting paid to watch TV! That’s a cushy number, innit Dave! Jammy bastard! You landed on yer feet, or should I say arse! He’d heard it all before and so many times he’d smiled his way through it, because time was that he’d thought the same and that was why he was sat in front of a bank of TVs on a chair grown increasingly uncomfortable in tune with ...

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“Night Watch” by Lynn Spray

Submitted to Contest #219

It was near curfew as Ethan stepped out of the cab, a rush of cool night air greeted him, carrying with it the distant echoes of the city's dwindling nightlife. He paid the driver and watched as the cab's taillights disappeared around a corner, leaving him standing alone on the quiet street. Before him, the city unfurled in all its glory. The towering walls that encircled it, now little more than a dark shape against the moonlit sky, stood as a testament to the unshakable will of humankind. One by one, the city lights dimmed, leaving on...

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“Graveyard Shift ” by D Kase

Submitted to Contest #219

“We got a new one today, but between you and me, there’s something really off about her. I swear to god, she was staring at the camera for five hours straight. Just sat there staring. She creeps me out.” “Come on, Keri. You’re telling me that you got creeped out from her staring at the camera?” I really don’t have time for this. It would have helped if I’d gotten some sleep, but with my mom. My eyes suddenly burned and holding back tears was proving to be harder than I thought. “It wasn’t just a glance here and there, Elle. She just sat on...

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“Passages” by Max Cooper

Submitted to Contest #219

My eyes watered from staring at the flashing monitors. The room was dark and cold, the only light was coming from the multiple screens projecting a dusty blue glow across my face. Most of the screens showed several long, dark hallways with doors lining each wall. An exit sign was placed every few yards, though each one pointed in a different direction with no clear path to follow. The signs illuminated the halls in deep shadows of red. There were three screens that displayed a different scene than the rest. They each showed a different livin...

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“The night shift and the beast” by Vitoria Reis

Submitted to Contest #219

Jordan sipped his coffee and took his phone out of the back pocket. Night shifts are easy money. He thought with a smirk on his face. He took a glimpse at the cameras in front of him before opening a game on his phone. Jordan looked at each screen and saw that out of the 10 kids that currently resided there, 8 were sleeping. 1 was reading a book and one was pacing around the room. At that sight he felt goosebumps. It was one he tried to avoid at all costs during the day. He worked at a “Institution” for special kids. They kindly called Inst...

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“ Charles the security guard! ” by Randy Ramos

Submitted to Contest #219

It’s a rainy Tuesday night, when security guard Charles, clocks in for his 10pm –6:00 in the morning shift, at a state mental facility, he's been working here for About two years now, Charles get in just in time to answer the ringing phone in his office. it’s his co-worker Sammy who always works right next to Charles literally. He has called in sick saying hes under the weather and not feeling good and in this pouring rain there's no way for him to even come to work even by the grace of god, its to dangerous Charles think to himself.&n...

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“Hippocratic Oath” by Mairin Omahony

Submitted to Contest #219

“Whatever is going on here? It’s Thanksgiving, everybody’s supposed to be at home doing happy family stuff. It’s like the entire town has gone mad. The ER is teaming with a bunch of hot-headed lunatics. A young fella, pale as a ghost, towels wrapped around his pumping wrists, shouting his head off Leave me alone ye bunch of interfering fuckers, just let me die. Another looner out of his head, totally wasted, what’s his story? And there’s this beautiful girl, all alone. Oh God she looks sick. How can she ever recover down there am...

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Write from the POV of a security guard on the night shift, sitting in front of a wall of CCTV feeds.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 47 stories

“NIGHT SHIFT” by Andrew Hixson

“The Watchers” by Daniel Kleba

“The Things in My House” by Jeffery Young

“The Night Watchman” by Jasmine A Taber

“Employee 3346-88739” by David McCahan

“Graveyard Shift” by Cade Holter

“Sector 14 ” by Alicia Ballard

“Threads” by Carrie C

“Invitation Only” by Jed Cope

“Night Watch” by Lynn Spray

“Graveyard Shift ” by D Kase

“Passages” by Max Cooper

“The night shift and the beast” by Vitoria Reis

“ Charles the security guard! ” by Randy Ramos

“Hippocratic Oath” by Mairin Omahony

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes the line “I think someone’s listening/watching.”

Set your story in a type of prison cell.

Write about someone who is shackled by fears of failure, until they break free.

Write a story about someone who breaks an unwritten social rule and the consequences they face as a result.

Contest #219

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

254

Contest entries

114

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: