Write a story about two characters whose first impressions of one another are wildly inaccurate.

Posted in Fluff on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 55 stories

“Xin's Escape” by Misty Phillips

Submitted to Contest #131

Content Warning: References of sexual abuse, torture and death (non-explicit) Beaten, defiled, and betrayed, Xin stood hanging within the cold, damp brig. He swayed back and forth with the swell of the boat as the cuffs around his wrists cut painfully into his flesh. That pain was nothing after the horrors he faced this last week. His wounds were healing, but that wouldn’t last long. He broke into a cold sweat at the thought of those torture tools scraping his flesh, but that wasn’t the worst of it. A key sat on the table in front of h...

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“The T-Shirt and the Haircut” by Max Millick

Submitted to Contest #131

“There’s no way he’s going to believe it,” said Andy. He held up the T-shirt. In bold letters were the words “LET’S GO BRANDON” with two American flags perched to either side. “Dude, I’m telling you: he’s not on Twitter, he doesn’t watch the news. He has no idea it’s even a thing. It’s up to you man. Fifty bucks, take it or leave it,” Ned waved the greenback in front of Andy’s face, the portrait of Ulysses S....

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“Wrong Impressions” by Lea Isamolea

Submitted to Contest #131

The street was crowded with people going home from work, and everything was relatively calm, until a man interrupted the crowd. He was tall, middle-aged, and wearing an old, worn and red jacket. He was running down the street and pushing people aside, until he noticed a police officer. He removed his hat and turned around, but he changed his mind. He ran toward the policeman, waving: "It's great that I've noticed you.", he shouted. "You have to help me. I think someone is trying to rob my warehouse." The policeman looked at him. “I didn’t wa...

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“Brothers” by Frank Lester

Submitted to Contest #131

The vibrating trill of my cell phone on the nightstand chased me from the erotic dream simmering in my sleep. Pissed me off. It was just getting good. “What! This better be good.”“Seth? This is Wes. Sorry, man, but I thought you might want to hear this.”It took a moment to wake into the now. “Wes? Oh, yeah. The new guy. It’s okay. Had a great dream going and . . .”A wicked snicker struck my ear. “You need a woman.”“Yeah. Yeah. So, what’s goin’ on that you need to wake me at this ungodly hour?”“Hell, it’s ten A.M!”“It’s too ear...

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“Penelope” by Bekah Whittle

Submitted to Contest #131

Salt air stung his nose and the heat enveloped him. He squinted, searching for a spot to lay. Claiming a section near the pier, he splayed his towel and slipped out of his sandals. The sand molded to his toes, each grain sifting under the knuckles of his feet. Relief swept through him. Perched on his blue floral towel, his arms over his knees, curved back, he watched the tide. Each wave crept towards him then retreated just as quickly. His breathing mirrored the rhythm, in then out, in then out, in then out. The hypnotic cadence anchored h...

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“A Fresh Start” by Anna Coon

Submitted to Contest #131

Tasha I need a fresh start. I never expected I would be starting over at thirty-nine years old. But all my expectations of how my life would go have been flipped on their head, then spun around, and shaken not stirred. “Come here, baby,” I called to Julia. She reluctantly pulls herself off the couch and away from her glowing iPad screen. I never let her watch that thing, but I’m trying to give both of us grace after the year we’ve had. “What is it mama?” she asks as she shoves her hands in her pockets. She loves that dress because i...

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“A Trip Down Memory Lane” by Lisa Merman Bender

Submitted to Contest #131

While Henry was on his call, Erica looked over at him and thought back to the night they first met. It was at a bar like this one, kind of grimy. She would rather be eating at a finer restaurant tonight, but that’s what happens when you don’t head out to dinner until 10 PM. No restaurants in the town served food after 9 PM. That fact alone was hard for Erica to wrap her head around. Being from Manhattan, this was just unheard of, but, alas, she would embrace the Vermont way of life and enjoy her greasy food. That night, she remembere...

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“Meeting for the First Time Every Day” by Christian Helgeson

Submitted to Contest #131

First Time Writer and I wrote this rather quickly, still proud of it though. On every drive to visit her father, Emily’s truck sputters down a woodland road and pitches on rock candy potholes, the tires diving and squawking up the edges. As Emily curses the potholes, her mother’s voice echoes in her ear, informing her that some people are no less worthy for being born with melancholic dispositions. She silently curses the road and the voices that intruded on what, barring the potholes, should have been a serene descent. She curses ...

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“Am I a Shiba?” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #131

Last year my wife gave me a new nickname, “Shiba”. By now I suppose almost everyone is aware of the grinning Shibas in countless social media memes. The dog that smiles! In fact Shibas have made such a great impression they are now the mascot for two major cryptocurrencies. These are not the reason for my nickname. The more relevant fact is that shibas are a two faced dog. This expression sounds wrong for an animal doesn’t it? Perhaps we don't use face idioms for things that have tails. Can a cow have egg on its face? I think not.&...

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“Angels and Devils” by John F. Duffy

Submitted to Contest #131

“Aaargh!” He wasn’t careful tearing the duct tape from my mouth. The pain of it was the point. I wanted to curse him, to tell him to go fuck himself, but I was terrified. No one ever plans to be abducted, so as much as you might think you’d be assertive in such a situation, you’re wrong. Your brain moves straight to bargaining, every minute, every action, every choice, you’re hoping to assuage your captor, hoping to convince them to let you go. It stings the ego, but you think of your wife, of your kids, a...

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Write a story about two characters whose first impressions of one another are wildly inaccurate.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 55 stories

“Xin's Escape” by Misty Phillips

“The T-Shirt and the Haircut” by Max Millick

“Wrong Impressions” by Lea Isamolea

“Brothers” by Frank Lester

“Penelope” by Bekah Whittle

“A Fresh Start” by Anna Coon

“A Trip Down Memory Lane” by Lisa Merman Bender

“Meeting for the First Time Every Day” by Christian Helgeson

“Am I a Shiba?” by Scott Christenson

“Angels and Devils” by John F. Duffy

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes (or subverts) the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Start your story with the arrival of a new person in a town full of gossips.

Write a story about a group of sisters, or a group of brothers.

Set your story in a drawing room.

Contest #131

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

185

Contest entries

128

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: