Write a story where someone insists on giving your main character a ride to the airport, only for their car to break down.

Posted in Fluff on Apr 7, 2023

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✍️ 26 stories

“Breakdown” by Grant Jahn

Submitted to Contest #193

The sun is at its peak. And Russell is sweating. “The car’s turning into a hotbox, Jake.” He says. “Even with these windows down. How much longer do you think?” His friend peaks from behind the open hood of the car. Even that little sliver of image through a dusty windshield, is like looking at a mirror. Short curls, defined jaw, beady eyes. The only difference is the glasses. Even after all of this time, these two friends still look exactly like each other. Last night, the bartender kept doing double-takes because Jake was wearing contact...

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“Caught” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #193

This story mentions sex. The city Nathan and Heather lived and worked in had an international airport a mere 5 miles from where they lived. After a careful discussion, it was decided an airport only 5 miles from the office was not a good bet. There was instead an airport approximately 50 miles away - surely no one from the office would go there! Heather’s sister knew she was having an affair, and Nathan had recently moved in with her. The elder sister Bonnie had been having a sneaky affair for the last eighteen years and w...

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“Airport Run” by Gill James

Submitted to Contest #193

"I really don't get it, Amanda. It all seems so drastic." Amanda. It always meant she was in trouble if Mum used her full name. "I've got to do it, Mum. There's no way I can stay here." "But all that work you've done on the cottage? And won't you miss this boy?" "Of course I will." Mandy stooped down to pat the head of the ageing Golden Labrador. "But you'll be alright with Mum and Harry, won't you Buddy?" The dog whined and wagged his tail slowly. Perhaps he'd recognised the suitcases. And the fact that she'd brought him over to Mum's...

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“From Breakdown to Breakthrough” by Abigail Selinger

Submitted to Contest #193

Lucy had been dreading this day for weeks. She was flying out to attend a family wedding in California and her husband, Adam, was unable to take her or attend due to his previous work commitments. In his place, her mother-in-law, Grace, had insisted she drive her to the airport, which was about an hour away. Lucy had accepted the offer reluctantly, not because she didn’t appreciate the help, but because she and Grace had a strained relationship.Lucy had always felt that Grace had overstepped boundaries. It was the constant way she tried to c...

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“Route 173” by Cassandra Fan

Submitted to Contest #193

“You know? Maybe this is a sign from the universe. Nowadays we live life so fast we’d hardly even notice if it ‘poofed’ into thin air! Think about how much we’ve missed trying to rush to the end instead of trying to enjoy things as they come. Maybe we all need to just slow down, take the easy route, you know?”“Rael you crashed the goddamn car.”“And?”“You blew up the engine, destroyed the hood, there’s a cylindrical dent in the roof…”“And?”“Because you were going so fast you somehow crashed into a cactus.”“Exactly! We were going too fast, the...

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“Always Take Your Car to the Mechanic” by Kayla Gamble

Submitted to Contest #193

"Every time you do something nice for me, something bad happens," Veronica bemoaned. "That's not true," replied Erica. Veronica rubbed her hands over her face. "It's the truest thing ever." "I'm literally just dropping you off at the airport. That's it. That's it!" Veronica clenched her teeth, eyeing the clock against the wall. She'd need to leave soon to make her flight. She sighed and threw up her hands, "Okay. Fine." Erica popped up from the couch. "Great! Let me find my keys and we'll get going. They're arou...

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“Life on the rocks” by Andrew Horner

Submitted to Contest #193

I'm not usually one for writing...but there are some stories that must be told. It's always strange when life throws you a curve ball. We all know we're not going to live forever, we're mere mortals walking this earth looking for meaning and a deeper understanding of life until it’s taken away from us. A routine check-up turned my whole life upside down; when I was told by my doctor, I had four weeks to live. As a man of fifty-seven that’s still quite a shock, I was in good health, walking everywhere, but some things are out of our hands, I ...

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“Broken Down, Lifted Up” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #193

Time was running out. Hastening out of bed, I scolded myself for not packing earlier. Today was too important, too momentous to squander. A grand affair in the great city of New York beckoned, and I couldn't let it slip away. As a Christmas enthusiast, the idea of experiencing a real white Christmas filled me with anticipation. My mind raced with images of the towering Christmas tree that stood in Rockefeller Centre, adorned with vibrant and sparkling lights. The statues of golden angels, resplendent in their trumpeting poses, wou...

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“Not All Things That Go Wrong Have Sad Endings (The Curious Case Of Charleston And Clairy)” by Jae-Lex Linsey

Submitted to Contest #193

Have you ever had one of those days when things just don’t seem to be on your side? But when you look back with hindsight, the outcome was actually the best thing to have happened. They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing. Especially when it is life-changing or even life-saving! This was the case for Charleston and Clairy. Charleston Blakeley was an independently-minded man who always imagined and expected the worst outcomes. He would endeavour to always prepare for every outcome. But, invariably, the one he’d not considered would play...

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“Bitter Shadows: A Tale of Broken Bonds” by Steven Goetz

Submitted to Contest #193

I glanced at the rearview mirror and saw him, slumped in the backseat with his greasy hair falling over his eyes. The sight of him ignited a fire in my chest, a familiar burning rage that I had spent years trying to extinguish. The flames licked at the edges of my heart, fueled by memories of abandonment and pain. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white as I struggled to maintain control. As a successful novelist, I was used to weaving words together into a tapestry of emotion and intrigue, but now, I could hardly for...

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“Reasons For Not Being Enough” by Kyle Sager

Submitted to Contest #193

“You can’t be serious,” I said. “It’s a 90’s minivan isn’t it? Those use gas like crazy, it’ll cost you fifty bucks to get me to O’Hare and back.” He scratched the back of his neck, fluffing up the tuft of hair sticking out in a bout of bedhead. His smile was warm like wool. “I don’t mind,” he said, still grinning. “Really.” I glanced out the window at the limoncello La Croix cans on the wooden railing from the previous evening, before we’d gone out. It was only the fifth time I’d seen him. “I can get my friend to do it...

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“Consequential” by Carolyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #193

What began as a light tapping sound, quickly turned into loud pounding on top of the umbrella as the raindrops grew heavier and larger. The chilly wind blew the rain sideways and made it impossible for Phillip to avoid getting wet, no matter which way he stood. He stepped closer to the curb at the same time a car drove through a huge puddle, splashing muddy, cold water on him from head to toe. “Shit!” he said, “what’s the use.” He lowered his umbrella, shook off the excess water and squeezed into a small, crowded bus shelter with a dozen oth...

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“Closer on the Shoulder ” by Dylan Wrenn

Submitted to Contest #193

“I’ll take you.”“No, thank you,” I said, drawing it out.“Stop?” “Would you? Stop. Please.” She took a sip of coffee and slammed a bite of toast. She looked at me as it all went down. I looked back. “You’re being weird,” she said. My half-sister was overbearing. She felt she had a lot to make up for. Years spent gallivanting and what not. Tattoos in Indonesia administered the traditional way. A shaman, a branch, a nail. An optimal amount of pain and a suboptimal amount of sterility. She had to fly home because of the ...

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“Fly Away With You” by Molly McNabb

Submitted to Contest #193

Christian checked, double-checked, and triple-checked his bags. He quite literally could not deal with leaving something behind, even if it was as simple as a toothbrush. (Did they have toothbrushes in Paris? Yes. Would Christian be thrown into a full-on panic attack if he made it halfway across the globe, only to discover that he was missing his toothbrush? Also, yes.) So, he checked his bags for a fourth time. He was brought out of his OCD-inspired anxiety, by the buzzer of his apartment going off. He closed the lid to hi...

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“The Getaway Car” by Jungnan Yim

Submitted to Contest #193

People say there’s two worlds, the rich and the poor, but I think there’s more. There’s levels to both. I’ve been at the highest level since I was born, and I can’t deny it. Up until primary school, I was tutored. Then middle school came along, and I started at a private school. I was all alone, my mom was my best friend. Today is my first day of high school. At lunch I went outside to sit in the grass. I brought a little picnic blanket to school today and it was nice and peaceful outside. The sky is the type of blue you see in fake ...

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Write a story where someone insists on giving your main character a ride to the airport, only for their car to break down.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 26 stories

“Breakdown” by Grant Jahn

“Caught” by Stevie Burges

“Airport Run” by Gill James

“From Breakdown to Breakthrough” by Abigail Selinger

“Route 173” by Cassandra Fan

“Always Take Your Car to the Mechanic” by Kayla Gamble

“Life on the rocks” by Andrew Horner

“Broken Down, Lifted Up” by Ian James

“Not All Things That Go Wrong Have Sad Endings (The Curious Case Of Charleston And Clairy)” by Jae-Lex Linsey

“Bitter Shadows: A Tale of Broken Bonds” by Steven Goetz

“Reasons For Not Being Enough” by Kyle Sager

“Consequential” by Carolyn Carter

“Closer on the Shoulder ” by Dylan Wrenn

“Fly Away With You” by Molly McNabb

“The Getaway Car” by Jungnan Yim

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story inspired by the concept of arigata-meiwaku — a favor that turns out to be a nuisance for its recipient.

Write about somebody whose intentions are pure, but somehow always manages to do the wrong thing.

Write a fable inspired by a relatable life experience (explaining the moral before or after the story, if you’d like).

Write a story containing the words “it’s the thought that counts.”

Contest #193

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

186

Contest entries

114

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: