Write about a group of strangers — or people who know each other, but may as well be strangers — eating together.

Posted in Fluff on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 152 stories

“Wedding Bread” by Hayley Johnson

Submitted to Contest #100

Orchestrated like the sweet, treat-producing hive of the honeybee, the organized chaos was flawless. Each person had a role and they each carried out the necessary tasks to fulfill it. Whether they were verbally instructed, given hand-written directions, or had an ingrained knowledge about this type of affair, I wasn’t about to ask. Though I knew the bride and groom, I felt like an outsider. Before the wedding had started, I stood awkwardly in the dining room, wondering if I should claim a seat while my fiancé took pictures with the rest of...

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“The Enemy of an Enemy” by Lyn Carstone

Submitted to Contest #100

Upstairs “We could still leave.” Crosser said as Valor checked the noodles. Nearly done. “We can’t. Too much is at stake.” The screams of friends echoed in her mind. “They won’t help us.” Her watch beeped. Valor pulled up the video screen and zoomed in. Dressed in their normal dark colors, not bothering to conceal their identities, Vilen and Bruiser entered the warehouse. “And yet here they are.” They would help. Valor had to believe that Vilen and Bruiser would come around. “They won’t help.” Crosser repeated. They had to, she thought. It...

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“Escaping a Nightmare” by Maddie Pleimann

Submitted to Contest #100

Anna woke to a loud thunk. She didn’t open her eyes right away – she had been in this camp for months now and was quickly growing accustomed to the multitude of sounds reverberating through it. “Alright, time to get moving Delta!” a voice screeched from the walls. Delta. That was her barrack. No one bothered to explain how the camp was organized when she first arrived, but it didn’t take long to catch on that she lived in Delta. The camp consisted of a half dozen scattered buildings, each building with three rooms ...

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“Not My People” by Ingrid (Skarstad) Williams

Submitted to Contest #100

I followed the footsteps ahead with my eyes fastened to the ground. Dog poop. It was common on the winding dirt paths. A book title floated through my mind, Street Dogs of San Marcos, and I called out to José, “Hey, I just had an idea!” I shared my imagination of a beautiful coffee table book that could raise funds to care for the hundreds of homeless animals. “It’s more of a ‘feed the children’ kind of feel—photography and stories that are poignant and maybe a little tragic.” “Oh my gosh,” he replied. “That’s a fabulous idea!” In his usua...

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“Pea’s a crowd” by Leigh Minarapa

Submitted to Contest #100

CW: violence She hated snow peas. The way they became little strings after chewing, she said, frustrated her when they got stuck in her teeth. Mother loved snow peas. Even during the summer months she tried to keep them alive. But they usually died and mother would spend the rest of the summer months remarking on how this meal or that meal would have been better with those peas on our plates. Since her phone call, I’ve wracked my brain trying to think of what to cook for tonight’s meal. I thought of something with chicken or bee...

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“Cards on the Table” by Justin Rogers

Submitted to Contest #100

The Airfield at Frankfort am Main is new. I can practically smell the fresh paint. White. Is the color of the paint. It’s a spacious, many windowed, high ceiling-ed, building, which makes me think of freedom. My flight hasn’t been called yet. I’m reading a newspaper, sitting in a lounge on the second floor, in front of an enormous window looking out on the field. I can see great heaps of baggage, trunks, suitcases, bags. The heaps are very neatly arranged. God forbid someone should complain about the mistreatment of their luggage, or find ...

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“New Years With You” by Emma Xu

Submitted to Contest #100

Today is Dec 31, 2020 aka the last day of the year. I'm heading off to Aunt Felica's place, where I will be spending the New Year with people, yup, people. I've been alive for 14 years, or so I think I have been living for 14 years. I'm one of those students who don't ever finish their homework, but still manages to stay at the top of the class for tests (I know I'm a prodigy). My favourite subjects are "AP Physics 2" and "AP Calculus BC" and my least favourite subjects are "Visual Arts” and "PE". At school, you could typically see me hangin...

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“The Dinner Party” by Edy Stoughton

Submitted to Contest #100

The Dinner Party Edy Stoughton I can’t explain to you how I got to the strange place I am getting ready to tell you about and it doesn’t really matter. Trying to explain would only confuse you and make me sound crazy. So my story begins with my arrival. It felt like it was twilight and a damp fog borne on a chilly breeze swirled around my face. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light I saw I was not alone. Peering through the mist I made out a large, ornately carved oval table with several women seated ...

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“Perfect Strangers” by Sloane Sanders

Submitted to Contest #100

She sat across the table from her husband, watching as he tucked into his dinner and took a drink of his iced tea. He looked up at her and smiled, and she forced herself to smile back. Her own plate remained untouched; she found that her appetite had since disappeared. He took no notice of the fact that she had not started eating; he seemed preoccupied as he always did. “Honey, could you pass me the salt?” he asked her, outstretched hand reachin...

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“The Shiva, 1955” by Tammy Kl

Submitted to Contest #100

The Shiva, 1955 For the rest of her life, the smell of pickles and pastrami would be the smell of death. Irene was 13 years old, and her mother was dead. Even after everything – the ambulance, the hospital, the horrible evidence of her relatives taking turns shoveling dirt onto the coffin, Irene couldn’t believe that her mother was really gone. Now there were all these people (so many people!) gathered back at the house, nibbling on plates of deli meat and coleslaw, talking about Mama in the past tense. For a moment, she wondered if...

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“Is This Seat Taken?” by Bob E

Submitted to Contest #100

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” “Please,” the long haired man in the hoodie said, waving a hand over towards the empty seat the young woman stood by. “Help yourself.” “Thanks,” she said, putting her tray down and sliding smoothly into the seat without having to pull it out any. He looked at her. He wondered whether he should say something, or maybe it would be better if they both ate in silence. She was...

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“Snowflake” by Tom Sun

Submitted to Contest #100

***IMPORTANT: Characters are inspired by the airship Norge event. The date is set in 1903 at the North Pole. Some facts might be wrong: for example, Serbin Husky was not made known until 1908, and the North Pole’s sky isn’t very likely to be gray. Comment if there are any other problems. Please enjoy!*** The sky was washed by a nebulous gray -- one could not even recognize day or night -- and it had always been like this. At the end of the vision, there was only a boundless mass of white, not even a single spot of gree...

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“Maneuvering” by Brittni Bergstrom

Submitted to Contest #100

I don’t know why I put myself in these kinds of situations. I came out of the womb awkwardly and I’m positive I will go to my grave just as awkwardly as well. I even make myself feel awkward sometimes—it’s one thing to be odd and unaware, but a whole different ball game to be the “weird one” and to be fully aware that you are making everyone around you squirm, including yourself. And yet, here I am. I dropped my toddler off at his grandmother’s, boarded my beautiful chocolate black lab, and drove for 7 ½ hours yesterday to arrive in backwood...

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“Coming Home” by Lauren Eason

Submitted to Contest #100

“It’s not that bad,” the man drawled with his thick, southern accent. “Not that bad?” The twenty-something male sitting by him pointed at the windows facing the street. It was dark gray outside with slanted rain pelting the glass so hard it rattled inside the little diner. “You young’uns don’t know nothing about no hurricanes,” the man muttered into his coffee. “Darlene! Tell ‘em you all would’ve shut down by now if it was going to be worse than this.” The waitress smirked as she poured the young man’s coffee. She set the pot down on t...

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“Café Reunion ” by Thabo Diutliuleng

Submitted to Contest #100

As I step through the door and enter the café, I can’t help but get nostalgic, it’s been 10 years after all since I’ve been in this place. The last I was here was probably around just after graduation back in high school, Jaden, Tyler, and I stayed here for like 6 hours since it would be our last before heading off to vacation and then college. Oh my gosh, Jaden and Tyler, my best friends, my brothers, from our junior until senior days, we saw each other through it all. Everyone always tells you that even some of the most inseparable high-sc...

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Write about a group of strangers — or people who know each other, but may as well be strangers — eating together.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 152 stories

“Wedding Bread” by Hayley Johnson

“The Enemy of an Enemy” by Lyn Carstone

“Escaping a Nightmare” by Maddie Pleimann

“Not My People” by Ingrid (Skarstad) Williams

“Pea’s a crowd” by Leigh Minarapa

“Cards on the Table” by Justin Rogers

“New Years With You” by Emma Xu

“The Dinner Party” by Edy Stoughton

“Perfect Strangers” by Sloane Sanders

“The Shiva, 1955” by Tammy Kl

“Is This Seat Taken?” by Bob E

“Snowflake” by Tom Sun

“Maneuvering” by Brittni Bergstrom

“Coming Home” by Lauren Eason

“Café Reunion ” by Thabo Diutliuleng

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with two characters sitting down for a meal.

Write a story where a meal or dinner goes horribly wrong.

Write about a character preparing a meal for somebody else.

Write a story that involves a secret or magic ingredient.

Contest #100

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

891

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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