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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about a very skilled pickpocket. 

Posted in General on Jun 22, 2020

Submissions are closed!

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✍️ 70 stories

“The Cabbage Walked Among the Stars” by Zilla Babbitt

A young man, dressed in slim black, sat at the coffee shop on the corner of the street. The clouds cast a gray unhappy pallor over his face, and when the rain began pouring down the young man’s face was pulled into a frown.His coffee was just a cold brew, nothing unusual, nothing of note. His brown hair was combed messily, his watch face small and unremarkable. His shoes were from the downtown cheap shoe store, his clothing from the town markets, his wallet no fatter than the averag...

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“Picked The Wrong Pocket” by M.d. Smith

It used to be his profession until he spent some time in prison. That was years ago, now he had a good job, wife and two kids. Frankie Valoucci was a changed man, except he loved the skill he practiced for years, slipping a wallet out of a man’s pocket or woman’s purse. Some never noticed until they tried to retrieve it and found it missing. It had been years since he exercised his skills except to play with his kids putting things in their pockets or taking stuff out without their knowledge. His wife Doris frowned on even...

8 comments 8
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“There One Moment… Gone the Next” by Sydney Mari

“Rita!” I scowl, grabbing my little sister’s arm which is elbow-deep in a fat lady’s purse.  The lady looks down at Rita with disgust, “Get your little rat’s hand out of my purse.” she growls, and swats at my sister’s curly-brunette hair.  “Yes, miss, sorry miss.” I apologize quickly, dragging Rita towards ...

5 comments 5
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“The Pick Pocket Who Sang.” by Rima Elboustani

“I pick-a-pocket, pick-a-pocket, that’s what I do! Try to get more than one pocket, one pocket’s a fluke. But ten or twenty a day, that’s the best way. It feeds my addiction; I eat like a king with all my winnings – some folks I picked were down right rich! I pick-a-pocket, pick-a-pocket, that’s all that I do!” Peter sings jovially as he saunters down a now empty street. It’s early morning, the Sun shines on happily – it doesn’t care who it’s shining for. Peter’s shoes cackle on the cobbled street stones., his knobbly knees jutti...

3 comments 3
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“Melody of the Hunt” by Maddie Logemann

Quiver and hunting bow were his most prized possessions, one slung over his shoulder, the other held tight with stained wood smooth under calloused fingertips. An arrow nocked in careful decision, he stalked silent through the lush forest growth. It was with a thrill in his blood, a trapped butterfly pulse beating beneath his skin, that he tracked the snapped ferns. The white catches of fur, the spare spottings of blood, they led him after the frenzied hare with an arrow sh...

4 comments 4
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“Strange Encounter” by Unknown User

A red haired woman, peeked out the window before she stepped out of the Italian Coffee & Pastries Carriage. She pushed her face against the window, leaving a smudge from pressing her oval-shaped face against it, then her breath fogged up the window. She stood watching as it began to sprinkle outside, gray clouds touching in closer. Then the sound of thunder screeched, similar to someone beating on a drum.Just as the red head escaped out of the Italian Coffee & Pastries Carriage, a tall man, with broad shoulders, and long fi...

2 comments 2
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“Quick Hands” by Ariella Aquiday

"Not to brag," says Jack, "but between you and me, I'd make a better villain." "Yeah, right," Paisley groans. "You cry at everything." The ground feels thick under the teenagers' feet. The street is nearly empty of people. A red-head woman in heels the same color of her hair walks past them, her heels relieved to not strut into any potholes. Pale-faced lovers walk hand in hand, guiding each other through the darkness. Passerby ignore the teens, and teens ignore them. "So what?" Jack scoffs. He takes offense to Pai...

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“Gapper” by Jayden Mendez

I didn't want to steal. None of my gang did. There was only one- Rebrandt- who enjoyed it. And he is the worst thiever here. Believe me, our training at the Warehouse was not easy. That's why we are amazing at thievin'. I glance out at the people before me- sniveling, frightened boys desperate enough to be adopted into a gang rather than face the confines of a Boy's Home. Yes, when our leader, Jack Paulie, heard of our loneliness and came to recruit us, we were frightened. The prospect of working at a Warehouse with a bunch of strange orp...

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“The Key to Reconciliation” by Kate Strong

Henry Maddox sauntered down the dusty streets of Sweetwater, his scuffed boots kicking up clouds of dust into the air. As he neared the end of the main street, he took a sharp turn and stepped up onto the board sidewalk that looked as if it had seen more than one brawl on its wood planks.He was aware of several gazes following him down the street, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood outside the dual-swing double doors that led into the Lone Coyote saloon. Gray eyes traveling across the street, he caught...

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“Song of Sparrows” by Megan Derouin

Song of Sparrows           I danced through the crowd, my hands deftly diving into pocket after pocket pulling forth wallets of all shapes and sizes. When the tourists went left towards the Empire State Building I continued straight. I plugged my earbuds into my ears and stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jacket. Just another New Yorker walking down the street. No one saw me, they weren’t looking.The lock clicked as I closed the door behind m...

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“ A Heady Brew … with a Twist” by Roland Aucoin

Her satchel full of wallets, billfolds, and money-holders, Juno calmly but purposely strode to her house. This was the best day of her thievous career, and Juno wore an ear-to-ear greedy smile. She had worked the crowds at seven venues to accomplish this. Her rule was, “Never more than ten in any venue.” Once someone realized that money or valuable was missing, word would spread through a crowd like a fierce wind. She even skipped lunch as the finger-findings were so plentiful; Juno seemed to fill up on her catchi...

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“Crossed Lines” by Deborah Mercer

Look, I’m a thief. I’m not going to pretend otherwise or give it any fancy name or make out that I’m some kind of latter day Robin or Robina Hood. Though come to that, Robin can be a woman’s name, too.  But it’s not mine. My Mum landed me with the name Verity. You couldn’t make it up. I do it because I’m good at it and it beats working in a call centre or a kitchen and it beats signing on benefits hands down.     I have certain principles. I generally leave old ladies alone, th...

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“Wyatt Wyndham” by Noah david Perry

Wyatt Wyndham is not a lad you’d be quick to bring home to ma’ and pa’, and he most certainly is not the type to bring you home to his, that is, if he had either a place or parents to bring you home to at all. His parents left, or rather, he left his parents, a few years ago now, and since then, he’s never looked back, at least not in that same figurative sense, for, as his current occupation demands, looking sideways, up, down, around, and especially back, is a necessity. But, more on that later, let us first, unlike Wyatt, look...

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“An Everyday Hero ” by Natalie marie Stefani rice

The train comes rumbling to an abrupt stop. My head jerks slightly forward. I open my eyes, realizing I have managed to nod off again on my morning commute to the city.Looking at me you couldn't tell. Talking to me it wouldn't have dawned on you. But try and spend more than a few hours of quality time with me and I will rock your world. (Sometimes literally.)The local newspapers have called me a Modern Day Robin Hood. But I'm much more humble than that and, honest...

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“The Piper” by Ari Jackson

Lukas Hitch said the children go missing, because of Captain Arrowood’s train. But not a single train’s run through Smokey Hill, since 1894. All that’s left of them were the old tracks, barely stable, with mud piles and wildflowers grown in between, surrounded by an abandoned wood left barren of a human heart since the 80s when the first child went missing — Arthur Green. The part of town surrounding it was empty by the 90s, after the tenth child went missing — Amelia Bennett. But their captor, was not a train, let alone one belonging to ...

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Contest #18

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Pocketful of Sunshine

$50

Prize money

357

Submissions

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 06, 2019 EST

Won by Sam Lauren 🏆

Title: The Price of a Nice Guy

View details

Win $50 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $50!

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