Set your story in a town that’s teetering on the edge of something dark, literally or metaphorically.

Posted in Dystopian on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 50 stories

“Living on the Edge of the World” by Samantha J. Kise

Submitted to Contest #149

People sometimes ask me why I choose to live at the edge of the world - but most people wouldn’t understand my answer. Three years ago, I was working a day job at a newspaper printing press. Not the most exciting job in the world, but it was something. The pay was good, the benefits were alright, and I didn’t have to work before eleven in the morning, so it was fine by me. One Friday morning, as I was throwing the first paper through the press, I got a phone call from a friend from college, Adam. Adam was frantic, and honestly ...

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“There Must Be Something in that Hot Dog” by Becca Yurok

Submitted to Contest #149

The frankfurter monument in all of its colossal, veiny glory looked perverse at certain angles. It was built to bring tourism to the small community…or so they said, Monica reflected. The truth was, most of the surrounding towns had resorted to boasting “The Biggest” fill-in-the-blank, in a desperate attempt to resuscitate the economy. For what it was worth, that was what the town was known for: The hot dog plant and frankfurter, well, everything. Even the Mayor was a big wig on the factory’s board of directors.Since most...

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“Small Talk ” by Gwen H

Submitted to Contest #149

“Oh, and whose fault do you think that is Paul?” “You know what Sharon-?” “What, Paul?” Sharon fired back, rising from her chair to meet him. “Will you two cut it out and calm down!” Kenneth shouted into the fray. “Yeah, cause you are the paragon of calm and rational thought aren’t you just Kenneth,” Cameron Blankers, not to be confused with Cameron Chester who just couldn't make Monday meetings because his favorite tv drama was on, said with hitherto unsee ire. His face growing red. “This would never have happened when Tyler was in charge,”...

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“Darkness Comes to Obscurum ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #149

The horror arrived a few weeks ago turning the town into complete darkness. Established on the eastside of Oregon Territory before statehood by Jedidiah Hatch, a Bible thumping preacher who used the Latin name for darkness when he named this place in 1844. His luck ran out when some of the native tribes took exception to his extensive land claim and tortured and killed his family as they were gathered around the hearth praying. The land was believed to be cursed by both native and settlers until 1889 when a traveling snake...

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“The Black Cross” by Callum McGee

Submitted to Contest #149

You feel it, don't you? The tingling. A soft warmness sprouts in your heart at the thought of giving in. Though you lock it deep in your subconscious, you want it. The shadow gnaws rusting iron bars, eyeing its slit pupils at your school bullies down the street. Do what you must, help meowing kittens from trees, guide that old lady across the street. Whatever makes you feel like a good person. But you see it. The real you, your sharp nails rake into your cheeks, your teeth grind in frustration. Scan the mirror and tell yourself you're not a ...

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“Dead Bodies May Not Tell All the Tales” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #149

A December-like chill overtook me soon after I entered an uncharted area of the Pokomoke State Forest on Maryland’s Delmarva Peninsula. I didn’t know exactly what sinister force had captured me and driven me here, but it had me in its power and it was impossible to resist. The sudden burst of arctic cold knocked me off my feet, almost into an abandoned well. I almost fell into the middle of its darkened abyss. The cold in particular startled me because it this took place in the middle of June, not th...

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“The Great Sinkhole of Anderstown” by WRL Battle

Submitted to Contest #149

Anderstown is home to the world’s largest sinkhole!On the fateful night of July 18th, 1909, the citizens of Anderstown were woken up by a loud bang and a blinding white light.To their astonishment, they found a fifteen-foot hole at the edge of town!Today that hole has tripled in size!But that’s not all!A storm rages within the hole.Dust clouds swirl within the hole at speeds clocking into fifty miles per hour, and lightning bolts flash every second! of two billionYou’ll have to see it to believe it!Come to Anderstown to see the hole that has...

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“Wretched Warnings ” by Kevin Alphatooni

Submitted to Contest #149

WRETCHED WARNINGS BY ALPHA TOONI Set your story in a town that is teetering on the edge of something dark, literally or metaphorically. In the cozy town of Plumesboro, nothing ever really happens. The weekdays are routine and the weekends were just as predictable. I too, would find myself blindly following a routine day to day, that is, of course, the day everything changed; the day I caught my first glimpse of the coming doom. It all started last Saturday. I woke up that morning feeling quite refreshed and went down the st...

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“The Truth About Witches” by Natasha Marshall

Submitted to Contest #149

Content Warning: some violence On the first day of summer, with the scent of honeysuckle in the air, I learned about the witch. My goal that day was convincing Mom to let me bike to my favorite candy shop in the next town over. When she looked at me, the concern in her eyes went much deeper than I expected. “You know, the neighbors are saying there’s a witch in town. You’re going to need to be extra careful this summer.” “A witch?” I asked. So what? The only witch I knew was Sabrina, and she didn’t seem like someone you needed to hid...

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“Georgia” by Charly Woods

Submitted to Contest #149

Her name was Georgia, a beautiful girl with brown hair that touched her shoulders and a perfect smile. But I would’ve never been good enough for her. I was just that one person who spent too much time looking at pictures of her, wishing I was the same. She didn’t know I took pictures of her, even though my bedroom walls were plastered with her face. I followed Georgia around the halls of a school I didn’t even go to. She didn’t notice me because why would she? I was just a nobody. When it was summer break, I went by her house every day. It ...

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“Mission Success” by Vanessa M

Submitted to Contest #149

Content warning: school shooting His alarm clock blares, and he blearily wipes the crumbs of sleep from his eyes. He stumbles out of bed and into a pair of crumpled clothes from the floor. Grabbing a piece of toast on the way out, he checks that all of his supplies are in the car before peeling out of the driveway to his final destination. She strides into the school in her bright pink raincoat. In one hand, she holds her sparkly coffee tumbler; in the other, a stack of math tests, graded and stickered. She wears an infectious smile and ...

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“The River” by Faith Terry

Submitted to Contest #149

I didn’t want to go to the water by myself, but Kellan has band practice. They have to play at homecoming, and her part is especially important. Kellan plays the drums. The drums are the only part of the band that anybody cares about, unless there is a really remarkable saxophone player, and at our school, that is definitely not the case. I tried to play saxophone when I was in fifth grade band, but I couldn’t even get the thing to make a satisfying honk, let alone learn my scales. Sometimes I listen to music and close my eyes and think that...

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“Ancestors from Lake Lanier” by Domonique Hines

Submitted to Contest #149

The sky is a warm orange color with clouds that look like sheep wool. Kennard Jr’s eyes have barely blinked since being on the road for 45 minutes. Kennard turned head slightly towards Hunter to see that he is still sleeping, not exactly in the same position he fell asleep in, but wild sleeping was a characteristic of his. Kennard looked out the window at the passing barns and animals on the beautiful green pastures that rests comfortably on the land. These were beautiful to him, but not the most impressive thing he has yet to see on this tr...

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“They Forgot” by J Belle

Submitted to Contest #149

The chasm had gotten larger since the last night. Selkie stood on the edge of the cliff and surveyed the fresh damage. She estimated that about five more feet of earth had chipped off and fallen into the bottomless trench since her last observation. The whole town was pervaded by a feeling of dread. The apocalyptic trench was literally gaining ground, but ever since the police had quit trying to stop the encroaching cliff, there had been an unspoken agreement among the people of the town not to speak of the danger that was almost in their ow...

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“The end of money” by Mucemi Gakuru

Submitted to Contest #149

I became conscious I was turning. But, where was I? I could hardly figure myself, let alone my surroundings. Consciousness, a phenomenon that, once rekindled, flows from an unknown point within oneself to fire up the rest of the body, was returning to its ceaseless marvel. Mine had just turned on, making me quickly aware of my body and that I was turning on my back. My first instinctive action was to open my eyes, only to be met by pitch darkness. The scenario felt like the beginning of time - a blank mind, and in surroundings, I could not...

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Set your story in a town that’s teetering on the edge of something dark, literally or metaphorically.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 50 stories

“Living on the Edge of the World” by Samantha J. Kise

“There Must Be Something in that Hot Dog” by Becca Yurok

“Small Talk ” by Gwen H

“Darkness Comes to Obscurum ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“The Black Cross” by Callum McGee

“Dead Bodies May Not Tell All the Tales” by Bob Faszczewski

“The Great Sinkhole of Anderstown” by WRL Battle

“Wretched Warnings ” by Kevin Alphatooni

“The Truth About Witches” by Natasha Marshall

“Georgia” by Charly Woods

“Mission Success” by Vanessa M

“The River” by Faith Terry

“Ancestors from Lake Lanier” by Domonique Hines

“They Forgot” by J Belle

“The end of money” by Mucemi Gakuru

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who is trying to convince others to play a game.

Start your story with the flickering of a light.

Write about two people who form a bond with each other through music.

Write a story about an unlikely group (or pair) of friends.

Contest #149

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

256

Contest entries

123

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: