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Posted in Fiction on Feb 17, 2023

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✍️ 55 stories

“Story within a Story Written in the Bones” by Kathy Frizzell

Submitted to Contest #186

Cold winter’s night; in a “Castle Rock,” known Haunted Castle as Whispering Falls. All you can hear is the whistling of the trees, and the sounds of the low growling but also the soft betting of drums…I was about to settle down for the night when at that moment, in the living room, there was the sound of a crash, it broke the silence, but before I looked someone was looking down upon me and then it was gone.The lights flicked, well I was walking down the hallway, the halls were little chilly, as soon as I reached my room, I needed to pu...

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“Finding Footing in the Tropics” by Tom Bentley

Submitted to Contest #186

Him The doctors said it could have been the ill-fitting shoes. Years of them. Poor people, poor shoes. And that his feet were unusually large in the first place. When he first saw a doctor, and he removed his shoes, she gasped. His feet had hurt for years, always swollen, each toe carrot-like, but squishy, dense. They say feet bark when they hurt. His feet wailed. The arch of the left was ruined—not a support, but a broken bridge. Even after all the treatments, the three surgeries, the right big toe always throbbed, a deep bass note of pain....

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“Layers” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #186

“Once upon a time,” Stephanie’s great-grandfather began to read as her mind began to wander. “There lived a beautiful princess, named, Penelope.” Deep within her thoughts, Stephanie pictured herself as the beautiful Princess Penelope in the mythical realm of Kaspirian. Her father, King Walter, ruled the kingdom with a kind heart. She was ever so proud to be his daughter. &nbsp...

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“Look Closer” by Kang Lee

Submitted to Contest #186

Being drenched on a warm, summer afternoon is bad enough, but being soaked to the bones on a frigid winter evening is downright repugnant. It had happened on my way home from work at the law-enforcement building when a rude dark-haired child hidden in the bare bushes had sprayed me for no good reason. “Hey!” I exclaimed, but the child vanished into thin air. In the place where I last saw him was a piece of tangy yellow-tattered paper, with the letters LC etched into it. A symbol that vaguely resembled a skeleton peering into a telesco...

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“The Follice Chronicles - Pt.6: The Rations of Toast That Haunt My Dreams” by Jim Firth

Submitted to Contest #186

In addressing every man, woman, and child at Follicle Farm, I assuage their concerns about our safety following a recent raid by the pluck squad. ‘Fleeing Follicle Farm is the coward’s way out! We will stand our ground and use the additional manpower we’ve accrued to fortify our defences. We will dig pits! We will lay traps!’The campfire collective concurs with whoops and hollers. We celebrate our resolution to remain by dancing rings around the fire. I have a feeling that later, more carnal forms of merriment will follow, once the chil...

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“City of Chains” by Alexander Kostyurenko

Submitted to Contest #186

Edin took a few sips of his beer, closed his eyes, and tried to enjoy the moment. He was a bit loaded with work past weeks and would soon have a "business meeting" at that tavern. Anyway, he had some time for himself. His hobby was strange and seemed more like a reason to start a good fight. He liked observing people. And due to his unique skills, he could do it even with closed eyes. Even then, he knew what people were talking about at the nearest table, their clothes, their attitude, and whether they were glad to see each other. They were,...

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“In the belly of the beast” by Elka Rae

Submitted to Contest #186

In the belly of the beast I sat, being digested slowly. Every day I am here, I am rotting, rotting, and the calluses on my hands are losing the touch of a woodsman’s labor. I’m surrounded by soft flesh while above me every beautiful sound outside is muted by layers of fat and muscle. My ax is still beside me; the blade is growing dull from all the times I’ve swung into my meaty prison since I was swallowed. All it did was exhaust me and annoy this great wolf. Without daylight to measure, nor the need for rest, I’ve lost track of time. There ...

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“You Got to be Kidding Me!” by Charles Haynes

Submitted to Contest #186

You Got to be Kidding Me!ByCharles Haynes “I can’t believe I’ve been working at the same monotonous job for almost twelve years. Twelve years! I could have been doing something useful. Something that makes a difference. I could have…” “What are you mumbling about, Jack?” “Sorry, was I mumbling?” “Were you mumbling...

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“The Static Stills ” by Michelle SHAAY

Submitted to Contest #186

THE STATIC STILLSWritten by Michelle SHAAYThe Hot Toddy Lounge was busier than usual for Wednesday. A frosty night and frigid temperatures across the city gave patrons a reason to stay inside the rustic place. As the pub began to close, a fatigued but curious bartender listened to a trending news story on its large flat screen television.“Can I get another shot of vodka and cranberry?” asked a drunk bar patron.“We’ve shut the bar down for the night- sorry,” the bartender replied.Kenneth a seasoned bartender turned his attention back to ...

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“Defeat of the Mountain Curse” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #186

Alpine darkness descended on the medieval Durkulin Castle like a death shroud wrapping a corpse. Attorney John Stimpson tried his best to close his eyes in sleep, but his subconscious thoughts and his recurring nightmares kept him from getting the rest he so desperately needed. John’s life recently had gone off the rails with no apparent explanation until he began digging deeper into his troubled ancestry. That investigation had led him to the eerie room whe...

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“Gilles de Ray to Dr. Lecktor” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #186

Where does a story begin? With the first words written on virgin white paper? There is always a before, and an after: is this still part of the story? Maybe I'm asking the wrong question because countless stories start in the middle of the action. I believe an interesting story begins the moment equilibrium is upset. Can I ask you something now? To say that true crime is having a renaissance, is an understatement, right? Because it is officially hot! And regardless of its elite livery, is true crime fundamentally distasteful? True crime is d...

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“The Snow Globe” by LC Munro

Submitted to Contest #186

Glossary of terms:"Blower" - telephone"Ha'way" - come on"Haddaway" - No way/I don't believe you."Park ya butt" - sit down (in case it's not obvious)****“What’s that, Grandad?”“What’s… what, pet?”“This thingy here, with the policemen standing in the snow?”Maggie and I looked at each other, rolled our eyes, and grinned. Here we went again.*“What’s that, Daddy?”“It’s a snow globe, Ryan.”“Why’s it got two policemen in it?”“One of those policemen is your Daddy, son.”“Aye, that widened your eyes, didn’t it, lad?”"Steve!"“Daddy, Mummy?”“Yes, R...

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“Hourglass” by Dan Coglianese

Submitted to Contest #186

The morning of his son’s 18th birthday, Bradley Gore stood outside the bedroom door with equal parts trepidation and pride. In the fleeting moments of his son’s childhood, he thought about the majestic home he had built, both figuratively and literally, around his son. Built for protection. Nestled safely inside a gated community, Bradley took every precaution to prepare for this day. The door squeaked as he pushed it open. William stirred and turned onto his stomach, snores returning. Echoes through generations reverberated through time,...

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“Story Tapestry ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #186

Warning. Life support systems failing. Station integrity at 50%. That was the warning Lt. Kairi Faas of the 5th Star Patrol heard repeatedly. The blue-skinned girl drew her raygun and fiddled with the settings, effectively turning her weapon into a cutting torch as she started to cut through the jammed metal door. “Lt. Faas to Endurance,” she said over her comm on her shoulder. “I’m almost through. Sensing a lot of fear this way. Request permission to proceed?” “Endurance here,” a voice replied. “Delta team is enroute...

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“A Story Within A Story Within A Storybook” by Tashfia Habib

Submitted to Contest #186

A Story Within A Story Within A StorybookI was born in the ocean. My mother and father were on a boat when they had me. Of course people would expect me to be safe and in a blanket when I opened my eyes for the first time, but I had other plans. I didn't cry or wail, but instead twirled and moved. Since I was being problematic god thought of a way to teach me a lesson, but it backfired. I twirled and twirled until I rolled over and fell in the ocean. My dad panicked and rushed to get me, but I had saved myself. I was floating peacefully, but...

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Write a story within a story within a story within a ...

Submissions are closed

✍️ 55 stories

“Story within a Story Written in the Bones” by Kathy Frizzell

“Finding Footing in the Tropics” by Tom Bentley

“Layers” by Greg Gillis

“Look Closer” by Kang Lee

“The Follice Chronicles - Pt.6: The Rations of Toast That Haunt My Dreams” by Jim Firth

“City of Chains” by Alexander Kostyurenko

“In the belly of the beast” by Elka Rae

“You Got to be Kidding Me!” by Charles Haynes

“The Static Stills ” by Michelle SHAAY

“Defeat of the Mountain Curse” by Bob Faszczewski

“Gilles de Ray to Dr. Lecktor” by F.O. Morier

“The Snow Globe” by LC Munro

“Hourglass” by Dan Coglianese

“Story Tapestry ” by M B

“A Story Within A Story Within A Storybook” by Tashfia Habib

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in which each paragraph begins or ends (or both!) with the same sentence.

Write a story of fragments. Many options here: no verbs, sentence fragments, short sections, nothing but objects, etc. The fragments should relate to one another obliquely, hesitantly, subtly, ambiguously, preposterously, marvelously.

Write a story that formally utilizes a mathematical sequence; e.g., the Fibonacci sequence could determine the number of words in each paragraph, or start with a number and work backwards. Make sure the formula is made clear, either within the story, or before or after it.

Write a story entirely of dialogue. Nothing but dialogue. No attributives (he said, she said, etc.). No descriptions of scenes or gestures or movements (unless these things are presented in the dialogue). Just words between quotation marks. Pure, beautiful, untainted dialogue.

Contest #186

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

481

Contest entries

142

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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