Write a story that takes place in a small town where news travels fast.

Posted in High School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 50 stories

“A Place to Hide” by Denise DeVries

Submitted to Contest #12

One Sunday, Myra Jean Evans was trying to leave Hull Crossing Baptist church without being noticed. She had just squeezed around two of the ushers to avoid Sarabell Simms, the town’s biggest gossip, and her minions Jessie and Jenny Bird, who, like Myra Jean lived at Mrs. Meade’s boarding house. Outside the door, she stopped to take a breath and nearly backed into Bitty Johnson, the minister’s wife. Mrs. Johnson grasped her hand. “Oh, Miss Evans, I’ve been hoping to see you. Could you come for coffee at my house Tuesday at 10?” Before Myra J...

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“A super size grape vine” by Debbie Stelzle

Submitted to Contest #12

My manager, Barbara Salem, who had been the editor-in-chief at the magazine for over ten years, she asked me to come to stop in to her office the other day. She notified me she had learned that there was space in the next edition of the magazine named “The little things” for a short story column. Barbara asked me to write about a small city life and it grape vine. I grew up in a small city I said “I would be glad to!” I would find it easy to write about something I have firsthand experienced. What do ...

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“Oreos” by Lindsey Starrberri

Submitted to Contest #12

JessI came home from school that night, but no one was home. I did my homework at that old oak table in our tiny house. When no one came home to eat dinner, I ate an apple in the fridge and 13 Oreo's Mom had gotten the night before. We don't have a television, so I read A Christmas Carol, eyeing the door, waiting for Mom and Dad to enter. Nothing.I waited until 10 o'clock, but no one came home. I went upstairs and changed into my pajamas, and brushed my hair and teeth before going to bed. I slunk under my red comforter and tried to go to bed...

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“McDouglas Wants Me” by Rachel Frankki

Submitted to Contest #12

McDouglas Wants Me by Rachel Frankki “This is all completely immoral,” The old codger from the council exclaimed. Of course he had already heard the news before the events were actually taking place. Nothing remained a secret in a village where everyone was scared out of their wits. “The dead deserve to be at peace and not be dug up for the sake of an experiment!” “It’s not an experiment!” One of the women chimed in. “This town has had numerous reports of this man being seen in the flesh and we need to see if his flesh is still in the ...

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“Worst enemy.” by Anil Jaswal

Submitted to Contest #12

There was a small town surrounded by snow clad mountains. There use to live one small farmer with his wife and two children. His house was on the banks of the river Garni. Although he was a poor farmer but than even life was happy. As of many in his country. He and his wife use to work whole of the day in the fields and at night they join their kids. But unfortunately his agriculture was monsoon department. If monsoon were rich in a season he would have plenty of grains and if somehow monsoon fails, the situation for him and his family will...

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“The Murder of Mrs. Smith” by Katelyn Sherwood

Submitted to Contest #12

“Did ya hear about what happened at the Smith’s house last night?”The man sat on the side of the road; he was the town beggar, with a tin can in his hand. He sat in the same spot every day, so the gossiping women of town forget he sits there and gossip away. It was the only type of entertainment the man would get through the long days.“No, ah didn’t hear anythin’, but ah didn’t see Mr. Smith out mowin’ his lawn this mornin’ an' he always mows on Thursdays.”“Well,” the first woman leaned forward, tongue wagging like a dog’s tail at the smell ...

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“No Privacy” by Demetria Herring

Submitted to Contest #12

I have to explain how one move to a small town wasn’t what I thought it would be. Before I moved to Forks, Washington, I had lived in San Diego. It was expensive. That was a drastic change for me but I didn't want the high-paced city life anymore. I wanted the quiet life and the very very green scenery. I wanted privacy. I had a job offer as I a photographer for a website about "nature's hidden gems" and I was an unpopular blogger. I wasn’t even a good photographer; it was simply a hobby for me. This agency contacted me out of the blue ...

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“I Wish I Couldn't Remember” by Scott Clarke

Submitted to Contest #12

The coffee stains on my desk had started melding together. I notice how it looked like a brown knock-off Olympic Rings logo. The man at my door stands angrily. He shouts something about a file I haven’t opened yet, but I’m too busy tracing my finger over the coffee stains. He slams his hand on my desk and my ashtray falls on the floor and shatters. I liked that ashtray. The Angry Man shouts about my badge. He threatens to take it from me if I...

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“Vanessa's Talent” by Laurie Smith

Submitted to Contest #12

I live in a small town with no secrets, where everybody knows everyone and we stick with our own. Where no one does anything to draw attention to themselves because there will be major judging and rumors will fly. Oakridge NY population 5004 was not the town where you wanted to be unique in, but I did not have a choice. I remember the day clearly when my whole world changed, the ground was basically demolished around my feet, I was introduced to the real world and I felt it's teeth. I awoke to silence and stillness on that hot day in June an...

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“Oh, did you hear!” by Poppy Baxter

Submitted to Contest #12

You know I am a pretty special person; I do not care. I do not care about many things for example: people calling me names, people disregarding me, people pushing me, hitting me and all the like but there is one thing on the entirety of this earth that crawls down into the deep dark cage of my sole fights off the dragon of my senselessness breaks into the vault of my stubbornness and towards the single button of my nerves that I actually own, and press it. And if I am perfectly honest, it is quite fran...

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“New girl” by Sabrina Costilla

Submitted to Contest #12

"Anthony get up and ready for school you can't be late on your first day!" My grandma shouts as she passed my room then the sound of banging on doors down the hall rang. I groan as the pillow I was holding over my head slides off to the floor, like a zombie I push off and out of bed just to fall back down to greet the hardwood floor after tripping on the shoes I kicked off hazorly last night after I got back home from my shift at the only convenience store we get no customers on my shift besides the people getting gas next door to the c...

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“Good News Travels Fast” by Caitlin Robbins

Submitted to Contest #12

Well, you know what they say, “Good news travels fast.” But I’m here to share with you that that is a lie. I wish it were true that only the good news was shared but on the contrary, usually it’s the worst news. The news that you would do anything to keep hidden in the depths of the deepest darkest sea-- like in the Mariana Trench-- that you wouldn’t even dare tell to your best friend for fear of being judged. That’s the news that travels the fastest. And that’s the news that is now all over town. Now I’m sitting here, crouched down behind a...

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“False News Travels Fast” by Teresa Delain

Submitted to Contest #12

“Did you hear, Noreen?”“What about, Hannah?”“Oh, it’s awful! I heard from Cath, who heard it from her brother’s friend, Tim…”“Heard what?”“Well, Tim had it on very good authority that...oh, but it’s too terrible to say.”“Say it!”“Ah, and Cath swore me to secrecy, too. You know how quickly the rumor mills will work if you let them. Though, knowing her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s spinning that mill herself.”“Oh, now I simply must hear.”“Oh, alright. Well, as I said, Tim did have this on very good authority. It seems that - oh, you won’t ...

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“The Flawless Timers'” by Muhammad Adamu

Submitted to Contest #12

The flawless timers'By Muhammad Adamu.It was Early in the morning in Saba a small but mighty community. when Nad woke up to see what was going on in the world, it was just 4:00am. The weather prediction showed a heavy rain and advised all citizens to stay indoors. Not less than Thirty minutes the government declared a public holiday. It was a Monday morning the most active day in a week.Nad tried locking all the doors in the rooms and windows to make sure no one goes out. As he was watching the television his phone started ringing, he p...

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“The Curtain Twitcher” by Nigel Stone

Submitted to Contest #12

Mr Wittering lives with his poor and unfortunate dog. The unloved pet has had to put up with the bitter man’s grumpiness and general lack of empathy for anyone else since it was the runt of an unlucky litter of even unluckier puppies. Mr Wittering is not a pleasant man and he thrives upon gossip, scandal, and complaints of any kind. He prefers his gossip as juicy as a peach, as scandalous as a tabloid expose, as spreadable as butter on freshly baked bread, and as local as possible. Whether it be an embarrassing ailment, a misguided liaison, ...

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Write a story that takes place in a small town where news travels fast.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 50 stories

“A Place to Hide” by Denise DeVries

“A super size grape vine” by Debbie Stelzle

“Oreos” by Lindsey Starrberri

“McDouglas Wants Me” by Rachel Frankki

“Worst enemy.” by Anil Jaswal

“The Murder of Mrs. Smith” by Katelyn Sherwood

“No Privacy” by Demetria Herring

“I Wish I Couldn't Remember” by Scott Clarke

“Vanessa's Talent” by Laurie Smith

“Oh, did you hear!” by Poppy Baxter

“New girl” by Sabrina Costilla

“Good News Travels Fast” by Caitlin Robbins

“False News Travels Fast” by Teresa Delain

“The Flawless Timers'” by Muhammad Adamu

“The Curtain Twitcher” by Nigel Stone

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a character with a sidekick.

Write a story featuring a protagonist with a knack for getting to the bottom of things.

Write a story that involves a mystery — it doesn't need to be crime-related, it should just include something that remains unexplained until the end.

Write a story that features an ensemble cast of characters.

Contest #12

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

175

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: