Set your story in a world where the currency isn’t money — or at least not money as we understand it.

Posted in Fantasy on Aug 12, 2022

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✍️ 62 stories

“Don't You Remember?” by Kennedy Yonce

Submitted to Contest #159

It wasn’t that I wanted to make the deal. It wasn’t like I wanted to give that old hag more of what I could never get back. But I didn’t have a choice. Maybe I had had a choice a few months ago. I don’t know; I can’t quite recall. But I certainly didn’t have any other alternative this morning. Harper needed shoes on her feet to walk to school and Henry had been sick with that cough for far too long. He needed the medicine. It was worth it, I told myself. Whatever I gave up…this was worth it.***Henry’s chest had cleared complet...

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“Thanks for the Memories” by Austin Wilcox

Submitted to Contest #159

Content Warning: Strong Language, DeathThe old adage says that time is money. In this case that’s true but not in the traditional sense. More often than not people use this to express time as in the present or future, but for today’s society the time in reference is that of the past. Philip Langsly looked down at the picture of his daughter when she was three. Her name? Taylor Langsly. In the picture she stood on a chair, hovering her head over the Thomas the Train birthday cake with three tall candles towering over Thomas. It was her f...

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“A piece of soul” by Lau G

Submitted to Contest #159

A new moon watches over people tonight. Everything seems enchanted under the moonlight, maybe it’s not appearance but rather magic revealing itself in the dark hours or just fate running its natural course. Somewhere far away in a forgotten kingdom, on a narrow street, at the death of night, two people met for the first time. A thunder breaks the silence as their destinies crash into each other. A girl with eyes brigh...

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“What's In a Name?” by Angel Strong

Submitted to Contest #159

“You’ll need to spell that for me, Dear.” Grey hairs stick to the man’s scalp with the desperation of a child refusing to let go of the carousel when it's time to go home. He wondered why he had all but stapled the thinning strands to his balding head; counterproductive, and in denial. With a strong jaw, and wise eyes, he would suit the greying look. “A-R-A-S-E-L-I,” His insides squirmed, suddenly forced to reconcile with the deception he was putting forward. Creaky fingers stamped in the letters, a grimace tugging at his lips as the displ...

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“The Memory Marauder” by Daryn Schvimmer

Submitted to Contest #159

“I don’t think I’ll have enough for this,” you remark, fumbling around in your purse, trying to produce the coins necessary to purchase the blanket you had your eye on from the moment we walked into the store. I smile at you, my eyes gleaming in a way that suggests I know more than you. You furrow your brow at me, as your face scrunches together in the expression I’ve grown so fond of as we’ve traveled the world together. I chuckle, and walk over to you, as you turn back to examine the blanket. I swipe my finger to your foreh...

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“The Late and Great Job: What Went Wrong?” by E Moss

Submitted to Contest #159

(Tw: suggestive violence, nightmarish imagery, amoral and wanton displays of greed, necromancy) Throughout a brief notoriety during that heightened forest of chiseled moon dust lay on the brickyard stockades: Weimar: burnt-out. 1923. Small children, holes in their faces, are a cherubim so wan and fragile. Seven days did me and Seleck sit squat in the shinola of the straightway into a puddle of hellwater. It was after many hours mired among the cabaret moribund whereupon we were promenading, penniless, peering for some...

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“Fragments” by Christopher Katalinas

Submitted to Contest #159

[Content Warning: Contains sexual and other mature themes]I’m Buying for the first time today. It doesn’t hurt, or so I’m told.You shouldn’t blame me. I held out for nearly twenty years. But eventually even an interesting life becomes routine. Evidently it hasn’t been interesting enough.I can’t help being nervous on the walk over. I’d Sold before, but I have no idea what to expect from Buying.The prospective Seller waits for me at the coffee shop near the waterfront. She’s wearing a suave, form-fitting blue dress that compliments her gold ea...

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“A New World” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #159

New Earth is what we call our new utopia that rose from the ashes of a world that was corrupt and scandalous, a world that used money to benefit themselves and let the poor suffer. New Earth grew from this corrupt society to form a new identity where all the people young and old would live a life that benefits the good of society and not themselves. Money for us is a thing of the past. Money blinded our ancestors to the point where they becoming greedy wanting more. In our new society our currency is not money but how you can better soci...

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“Extinction H2O” by Erriel Roberson

Submitted to Contest #159

I throw my keyboard across the room so hard it cracks the mirror and breaks my coffee mug that rested innocently on the conference table. My too sweet French vanilla brew coats the corner of the table, the pile of environmental reports, and drips liberally onto the floor. Normally the mess would be my focus, but not today. Especially not after that phone call. How did we get to this place so quickly, I grumble under my breath to no one. I’m talking about the undressing I recei...

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“Emotional Rescue” by Simon Kent

Submitted to Contest #159

All anyone wanted was to feel something and Patrick Chancellor, Agency Detective with the City East Constabulary, was no different. He had been saving up so that he and his family world be able to feel something this summer. Maybe excitement, possibly an hour or two of joy but, if at all possible, a week’s worth of happiness. So far it was looking good – they were dipping into a weekly ration of anticipation and looked set to ramp this up in good time for his summer leave. It wasn’t easy of course. Agency Detectives didn’t earn as many emo...

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“Jay Cee.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #159

Surprise! The hairy, bearded, dissident little prophet did return to the noble land of Israel. It all happened, some when. He went by the name of Jay Cee, in the world of the 21st Century. He appeared, quite unannounced, in his modest and humble manner. Israel had changed so much. It was, 2000 years later, a vital strategic base for the Pentagon and Judaism in the current world. Jay Cee gathered a few like-minded friends and distant relatives around him. He went around the land, sharing and caring, doing great work for his beliefs. The gover...

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“VOGUE-00” by R. J. Garron

Submitted to Contest #159

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“The Black Rose Society ” by Camille M

Submitted to Contest #159

“You’ll become a gargoyle if you keep eating that stuff”, said Alexa without looking away from the entrance of Neutron, one of the most extravagant hotels in Electrica. Her vision was getting blurry from extreme fatigue and she could feel blisters forming under her feet. Needless to say her patience was running thin. Levi swallowed one last gamma, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. “I won’t become like one of those crackheads who lost their souls to gamma and you know it. Besides, I’m nervous. What if he d...

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“The Exchange” by Jay DeFord

Submitted to Contest #159

In the midst of the bustling merchant streets a man was weaving through the crowd. It was late, most of the shops and vendors along the market had either closed up or left. Michael was trying to get out of the city with their shipment with no one noticing him. His outfit was rather nondescript. They needed to get back to their city with these supplies as quickly and quietly as possible. He was making it back to the river shipyard where a man was sitting on a box, keeping his eye on a couple other boxes around him. His outfit was similar to...

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“A Cut Above the Law” by That Guy

Submitted to Contest #159

Wang screamed as the nine serpents’ fangs sank into his exposed buttocks. The backs of his legs were already ravaged and the caustic venom coursed through his body. He closed his eyes and dug his hands and feet deeper into the wooden post he was tied to. The creatures lingered to slither up his back until, with a jerk, the torturer retracted them back into the whip’s shaft. Chief magistrate Hsu tsked and stroked his long black beard. With a raised eyebrow, he turned to councilor Lin, top advisor to the emperor, who was sitting ...

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Set your story in a world where the currency isn’t money — or at least not money as we understand it.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 62 stories

“Don't You Remember?” by Kennedy Yonce

“Thanks for the Memories” by Austin Wilcox

“A piece of soul” by Lau G

“What's In a Name?” by Angel Strong

“The Memory Marauder” by Daryn Schvimmer

“The Late and Great Job: What Went Wrong?” by E Moss

“Fragments” by Christopher Katalinas

“A New World” by Melinda Madrigal

“Extinction H2O” by Erriel Roberson

“Emotional Rescue” by Simon Kent

“Jay Cee.” by Julie Grenness

“VOGUE-00” by R. J. Garron

“The Black Rose Society ” by Camille M

“The Exchange” by Jay DeFord

“A Cut Above the Law” by That Guy

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character accepting a bribe.

Write about somebody down on their luck who unexpectedly comes into a large amount of money.

Your character checks their balance at an ATM and is surprised by the number they see.

Write about a character who’s never encountered a problem they couldn’t buy their way out of — until they do.

Contest #159

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

216

Contest entries

88

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: