Set your story before dawn. Your character has woken up early for a particular reason.

Posted in Fiction on Nov 10, 2023

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✍️ 94 stories

“The Appointment” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #224

He was feeling particularly miserable that day. Who wanted to get up before dawn for that appointment? What had the world turned into? It had been building over the years little by little, another rule, another regulation, another appointment. Who did these people think they were trying to control every single aspect of our lives? Where did it end? Guzzling down his morning coffee he grimaced as the bitterness hit his empty stomach. What if he just decided not to go? Returning to the crumpled bed sh...

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“Pippin And Tog” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #224

PIPPIN AND TOG. Pippin the thrush and Tog a red squirrel, decided to visit Henry and Sarah at Mill Cottage. When they arrived, Sarah was hanging out the washing. Tog decided to throw acorns at the sheets. While Pippin flew around the garden. Sarah decided to chase Pippin and Tog into the...

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“Caligula ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #224

It was still dark when Red’s alarm went off. The jackal-like alien’s long, velvety ear twitched at the sound as she raised her head from the soft and comforting pillow, her fur matted to her face. Baring her teeth she quickly slammed a fist down on her alarm. It wheezed out one last beep before Red threw the covers back and got to her feet, still in the one nightgown she owned. Grumbling, she stretched and yawned before plodding her way to the bathroom for a shower. After she was clean and dry she dressed in her favored attire: Sho...

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“Early mornings at the Condo” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #224

Early mornings at the CondoThe compound where her condominium was located was only a five-minute walk to the nearest shopping mall in an area that housed many cafes and international restaurants. It was a lively, enjoyable place in which to live. The pavements were squeezed tight with innumerable tourists from around the globe, and the cacophony of the various mother tongues could be heard in ebullient, loud tones. It was a happy, vibrant place, full of life—a blissful haven for Sofia as her encroaching sunset years began to b...

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“The Crow & The Wolf” by Brandon Vaughn

Submitted to Contest #224

It was late and I hadn't been sleeping well. Waking at all hours from nightmares and panic attacks I dread going to sleep every night. It’s a side effect from the war, but that hadn't been over for more than a few years. Sully, the one person in this world I trusted, was out. Gone off on whatever nighttime adventure tickled his fancy. He suffered from long-term trauma as well, not just from the most recent war. I was alone in the bookshop. The second floor's only source of light came from the dim glow of the moon, casting eerie shadows in od...

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“The Lieutenant's Trial” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #224

Lieutenant Stark Denmark opened his eyes from his dreamless slumber and noted the time of day: five hundred hours. First light was barely breaking over the horizon, and he knew he had another hour to present himself before the court. It was his trial, after all. It could very well be his last.The uniform was cleaned, pressed, and awaiting his return. The black shoes were already shined and waxed, smelling like they had not been worn before. He grimaced; those bastards did it again! Menial tasks like keeping his clothes cleaned and polishing ...

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“Bump in the Night” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #224

The noise downstairs stirs me awake. Looking at the digital clock, I can see the time in red electric letters. 2:35 am, so I’m already upset even before I fully register the noise. My bedroom is pitch black, so I fumble around for a moment before finding the bedside lamp. Switching it on bathes me in a pale orange glow, and I can see, outside of its immediate brightness, outlines of the room around me. Nothing is out of place. There are no silhouettes looming over me or fingers tapping at my window -the blinds are drawn anyway- so I think, m...

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“Tuesday” by Gilbert Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #224

Today is the day I am going to die. I didn’t need to set an alarm to wake up early today - my mind was already prepared to do so for weeks. People live everyday not knowing when they will leave this earth. Most hope for a long life that is filled with joyous occasions, lived experiences, and a legacy to leave behind. Children, notoriety, a career - all are things that leave a legacy. My legacy was that I knew the exact date, time, and manner in which I will meet my end.It was a Tuesday. Another unremarkable Tuesday. This day of the week is a...

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“Teardrops on Roses” by Mary Ann Ford

Submitted to Contest #224

*THIS STORY CONTAINS MENTIONS OF ALCOHOL AND CHILD ABUSE. Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. Maya rolled over and flipped off the alarm. Then she slid out of bed and into her day clothes, skipping the shoes. Ever since their mother died three years ago, their father didn’t care much where they went or what they did. She wasn’t worried about waking her brother, Gilbert, who shared the room with her, because she knew his bed was empty. The last two Tuesdays Maya had seen Gilbert rise at five in the morning and sneak out of their small t...

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“The Two Dawns” by Mark Burns

Submitted to Contest #224

The Two Dawns“I can’t sleep, Jimmy.”Jimmy Falco spun on his heel and walked toward me. It was four a.m., and he’d just started his shift. “You thinking about tomorrow morning?”“Yeah. Wouldn’t you be?”Jimmy nodded. Neither of us said anything for a minute. The only sound was the fluorescent light buzzing and blinking overhead, occasionally punctuated by Crazy Larry’s staccato screams echoing in the darkness beyond.“Doesn’t he ever shut up?” Jimmy asked. I smiled. Jimmy had been here three years now. I’d been here three times t...

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“A Day As Dark As Night” by Robin Honigsberg

Submitted to Contest #224

Meredith opened her eyes and yawned, the room a heavy dark gray. She didn’t need to look at the clock to know it was well-before sunrise, but did anyway. 4:48 am. She laughed bitterly to herself. I still have two hours until the alarm goes off. I should be asleep, getting my rest for the day ahead, but apparently my mind disagrees with my body. Stretching languidly, first twisting her body from right to left, then from left to right, she threw off the thick purple bohemian-style duvet and sat up to pull on her fluffy beige Ugg slippers.&nbsp...

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“Firefly” by Danielle LeBlanc

Submitted to Contest #224

I live in a crowded city on the forty-second floor of a towering building. With each day's end, I stand barefoot on my balcony, admiring the handful of stars that manage to pierce through the light pollution. I sometimes imagine myself jolting back to life, if only I could touch them. My view is a concrete ocean. The headlights from the traffic below flow like lava. The roar from the engines is so loud it cancels everything out; a white noise of sorts. It's a welcome distraction from my constant state of paralysis. I scan the thousands of il...

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“The Night Gathering” by Arthur An

Submitted to Contest #224

This story can also be read as a continuation of my last submission The Interrogation.****Kai Matsuda woke up at 2 am and realized that his life will end again. He swept the buzzing red bottom and Jenny Desautel’s voice came through on his cellphone. “You OK Kai? They said you were arrested.”Looking around to confirm he was still in his own bedroom, Matsuda reassured Desautel that he was not in custody. He reached over to the empty bed space and realized that Melissa was gone, and so were her clothes which were hanging on the back of th...

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“Tibbles: Saviour of the Universe” by Malcolm Twigg

Submitted to Contest #224

No matter what the time, Fred Fothergill, fat, forty and fed up, had always been able to wake up on the dot. It was like pressing a mental alarm button. Early plane to catch? He was there before it was wheeled onto the runway. Ungodly work call? Blear-eyed onscreen before anyone else had zoomed in. So, early rising was not a problem. In fact, it was something of a boon because, even living close by the sea where the gentle susurration of the waves was ever-present, there was a preternatural quiet in the early mornings that was a welcome reli...

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“Come on Down” by Keith Menendez

Submitted to Contest #224

Big Band music blared from the garage, as Seravina entered from the kitchen. The large circular clock on the far wall read 2:12 am. The usually organized mechanic’s paradise had car parts, wrenches, grease, oil, nuts, bolts, and an assortment of bizarre gadgets jumbled on the floor, the shelves, and the ceiling. She stepped carefully around the obstacles and spills and moved over to the mechanical beast, Tood referred to as ‘the Chevy’ or ‘Dragon’. The music changed to an upbeat jazz song with a female singer. The princess liste...

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Set your story before dawn. Your character has woken up early for a particular reason.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 94 stories

“The Appointment” by Hannah Lynn

“Pippin And Tog” by Christine LW

“Caligula ” by M B

“Early mornings at the Condo” by Stevie Burges

“The Crow & The Wolf” by Brandon Vaughn

“The Lieutenant's Trial” by Steffen Lettau

“Bump in the Night” by Cade Holter

“Tuesday” by Gilbert Castaneda

“Teardrops on Roses” by Mary Ann Ford

“The Two Dawns” by Mark Burns

“A Day As Dark As Night” by Robin Honigsberg

“Firefly” by Danielle LeBlanc

“The Night Gathering” by Arthur An

“Tibbles: Saviour of the Universe” by Malcolm Twigg

“Come on Down” by Keith Menendez

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about two people living together who have opposing sleep cycles, and only cross paths at dawn and dusk.

Start your story with someone saying “I can’t sleep.”

Write a story about someone pulling an all nighter.

Write about someone who can’t sleep due to jet lag, and decides to set out and explore their new city at night instead.

Contest #224

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

285

Contest entries

135

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: