Start your story with a metaphor about human nature.

Posted in Fiction on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 109 stories

“Trust Is A Glass ” by Florence Curran

Submitted to Contest #102

Trust is a vase, easily broken, fragile. It doesn't have to be pretty to be valid, to call it's self a vase, to call itself trust. It comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be big and fat, it can be small and barely thin enough to be alive, but regardless it's trust. And once the trust is broken, there's no going back. There's no regaining it, no fixing it. You can try super glue and a diagram, this piece goes here, that piece goes there. But it won't work, not all the time, in fact; hardly ever. The empty room is filled with a babies cry, a ...

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“Unpredictable” by Serene M

Submitted to Contest #102

The spectra filling the eyes, the air becoming breath, the wind knocking the tiny eardrum but big enough to make her hear but that’s not what she is processing, she is longing for the rhythmic music that stuck her head for some months now. She then becomes the apple of their eyes and she became all the love they can ever imagine of. Sleepless nights became intertwined in the mother’s schedule and neither she complains nor gives up about it. It’s all for the tiny bud blossoming right before her eyes. Cared and confused about the words of thei...

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“Before the Genesis” by Cherea C.

Submitted to Contest #102

Amongst the weeds of the post-apocalyptic terrain, amongst the bushes and the thistles of metal scraps on the mountain of corps, chased a young boy, eyes still fresh from the ravenous hunt. A stream, rather, a river of velvet crimson flowed under his feet. Curls of smoke unfurled in the settling dawn, drawing illusions of thorny wreaths on tainted lands. He unhinged his jaw and inspired the odour of blood lust, regret, and that of the past hope, lost to the crazes of fractured customs. The faded golden scent flashed up to his nostrils, and d...

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“Carousel” by Alex Lopez

Submitted to Contest #102

“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” ― William D. Tammeus She was in the empty lot behind her friend’s house. An open grassy field where the carousel lay thick in thorns and shrubbery. Just sitting on the ground in front of it wondering where all the time had gone. “Lily! Come over to the creek! I set up the bridge with some wood I found in my dad’s shed!” It had been so long ago she had he...

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“Pandora's Box” by Kwimbz Phiri

Submitted to Contest #102

Just as the mysterious shadowy depths of the ocean are infinitely unpredictable so are the hearts of men. What you see is not always what you get. Max stretched out his arms in an effort to allow the dying rays of sunlight to kiss him all over his body. While the gentle breeze gently caressed his body. The intricate pattern woven together by interlocking branches on the horizon made room for golden beams of sunlight to penetrate through the spaces in between. As if they were guiding beacons for fallen heroes to ascend into heaven. It was day...

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“Early to Rise” by Gideon Leek

Submitted to Contest #102

I believe it was one of Ben Franklin's aphorisms that went: "early to bed early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Franklin also noted that: "guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." I intend to discuss the first. Not in a philosophical sense, by debating its veracity to the human condition, but in a journalistic one: by describing the effects of its literal interpretation. Not in a scientific way, as by studying a representative sample of the population and drawing conclusions (e.g. going early to bed, but not ris...

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“The Legend of Marcus Huges” by Varnika Thukral

Submitted to Contest #102

Evil breeds evil.Does the juvenile one have a choice?Marcus Huges, a legend in the city of Dorvan, was a monstrous lore which kept women at home and men less on streets. Yes, you would see little groups of children enacting him and playing around, but only till the adults were back home and the wolves howled.For Zerra it all was partially true. It would be horrible if one makes his or her father sound like a heathen on the street. But here it was, the bare truth, his father was a frightening monster and he killed many. With that he was a dea...

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“Lessons” by Karen Estep

Submitted to Contest #102

If all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players, I have a production for you. Hi. My name is Stella and I will be the main character of this, well, story or play, if you will. I am the six year old counterpart of Rosie, or so I am called when I am fourteen. Now Rosie is the fourteen year old counterpart of YaYa which is older, much older. The plot of this story is a timeline of significant events that formed who YaYa is today. No, we are not separate personalities or anything lik...

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“Reapers” by Haley Eskridge

Submitted to Contest #102

All human value can only be measured in a means of personal currency; highly valued when one has too little and completely worthless when one has too much. There is never a happy medium, a perfect middle to have everything be balanced because human nature can never be balanced. People will always long for something they don’t have, strive for the next pedestal to leap to, to look down on those that go without. They flash their symbols of wealth and success to anyone able to see it, encouraging others into a rabid frenzy to reach that spot in...

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“Fit as a fiddle” by Bob Seshadri

Submitted to Contest #102

Fit as a FiddleIt was well past midnight when I was driving home, it was during the prohibition, during the late 70s, I had downed nearly half a litre of Chevas Regal and was still cold sober! It was one of the most educative, interesting and testing evenings in my life. At 69 I can vividly remember that day.I was 27 years old working for a multinational company, posted in a state, which centuries back used to be a centre for higher learnings. The company I worked for, were manufacturing and marketing a whole range of products including airc...

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“Survival” by Izzy Oberndorfer

Submitted to Contest #102

Humans are cockroaches, they can survive anything and keep crawling out of the worst situations was the thought going through Ned Natter’s head as he sat in his kitchen starting at the tv. The volume was down low and the subtitles were on. He could hear some sounds, but he mostly read lips. The news anchor Miss Taylor was trembling just a little as she talked and her co-host was barely holding back tears. Pictures kept flashing up on the screen of the world in chaos, people panicking, busy gas stations, and bare stores. “Today we ...

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“Galene and the Ondine Child” by Lyn VJ Bennett Wilson

Submitted to Contest #102

She viewed the streets from her window. Another storm swept Lyon. Ironic since her life had turned into a storm. She would have to move away from her beloved France to England. In just a few hours, Marie Catherine and her mother would be leaving under cover of darkness. Her life was being swallowed up in clouds of controversy, jealousy, and betrayal, just as Lyon was engulfed in a black sky. Pen in hand, she sat down at her desk and began writing._______________________________________________Storms raged the night C...

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“The Man Across the Street ” by Muskaan Aggarwal

Submitted to Contest #102

“All people have three characters, that which they exhibit, that which they are, and that which they think they are.” ― Alphonse Karr With her hair in a messy bun, eggs on the stove, and a cup of coffee in her hand, Jessica found herself standing near the windowsill and staring at the numerous passersby on the road. It was nothing new of course, for that was her routine. Each morning found Jessica looking outside of her window and observing people. Sounds creepy right? But worry not, Jessica isn’t our regular stalker. She’s a writer and ob...

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“A Fine Wine” by Craig Bova

Submitted to Contest #102

Julia was a fine wine and Robert wanted to savor every sip. “Do you have a reservation?” asked the host at the Tuscany Room, one of the nicer restaurants in town that served outstanding Northern Italian food. “Corentine,” answered Robert. “You are new here,” he said to the host. Robert was a regular at the restaurant, but did not become aggravated at the question as some might do. He understood that there was a steady flow of workers in and out of the restaurant and this host obviously had not met him yet. “Yes, I am here for the summe...

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“Be Good” by Muni Ilhomova

Submitted to Contest #102

“Humans are disgusting creatures. Riddled with not only disease of the body but of the mind as well. Constant disagreements leading to wars, blood being used as a currency. Your species has a long journey ahead to be called peaceful.”“Hmm, I disagree.” “Oh?” “In fact, I argue that us humans have evolved in ways we never thought we could. Where there is bad there is always good. Where there are crying children in war-torn countries, there are also smiling children comfy in their homes. We may have to be in a constant battle with dis...

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Start your story with a metaphor about human nature.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 109 stories

“Trust Is A Glass ” by Florence Curran

“Unpredictable” by Serene M

“Before the Genesis” by Cherea C.

“Carousel” by Alex Lopez

“Pandora's Box” by Kwimbz Phiri

“Early to Rise” by Gideon Leek

“The Legend of Marcus Huges” by Varnika Thukral

“Lessons” by Karen Estep

“Reapers” by Haley Eskridge

“Fit as a fiddle” by Bob Seshadri

“Survival” by Izzy Oberndorfer

“Galene and the Ondine Child” by Lyn VJ Bennett Wilson

“The Man Across the Street ” by Muskaan Aggarwal

“A Fine Wine” by Craig Bova

“Be Good” by Muni Ilhomova

🌟 Similar prompts

Frame your story as an adult recalling the events of their childhood.

Write about a character with an unassailable moral compass.

Write a story about someone losing faith in an institution.

Write about a mysterious figure in one’s neighborhood.

Contest #102

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

712

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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