Write about a character who doesn’t want to go to sleep.

Posted in Horror on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 53 stories

“Sunday Scaries” by Shawn O'Connor

Submitted to Contest #138

It was a quarter past ten and Michael was lying in bed staring at the stucco on his ceiling, connecting dots with his eyes. He had shut his bedroom light off what felt like ages ago, but his eyes had adjusted and the light from the street lamps coming in through his window was enough for him to make out the shapes of the dots above him. He stared at them with the intent of focusing on them hard enough to rid himself of every thought that was floating around in his mind. He didn’t really want to fall asleep. If he fell asleep then the next ...

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“The Longest Day” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #138

The Longest Day “OK, honey, time for bed.” Jack’s eyelids are drooping. He sits in the big chair, idly stroking the velvety upholstery. Up the arms, skimming with his fingertips; down the arms, grazing with his knuckles. Toward him, it is prickly and rough. Away, it is soft and smooth. “Jack, let’s get your pajamas on you. You’re falling asleep!” The voice doesn’t sound quite right. He opens his eyes wide and stares at the woman. She isn’t Mama. She doesn’t look familiar at all. What is she doing here? Where is Mama? An...

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“The Sleepless Girl” by Siti Sufiza

Submitted to Contest #138

The clock struck twelve, and Sita sighed. She watched Rei, her girlfriend of two years, get up and head to the kitchen, humming purposefully. The sound of the kitchen tap took over the space in the air where the clock’s ring had filled, but it failed to ease Sita’s heart. She hated it when the clock struck twelve. A long time ago, an old man had told her that if she was scared, she should pray to the Gods, and they would take away whatever worried her. She loved and trusted the old man with all her heart, but somehow, his advice had never ...

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“I'll Be Home for Christmas” by AshleyAnn Barnes

Submitted to Contest #138

“She’ll be home tomorrow?!” he exclaimed, bouncing in place, his lanky little body half in and half out of a pair of red and white striped footed pajamas. His mother had had them delivered to him for Christmas (Love, Santa the tag had said, but he knew better) and he refused to wear anything else. He was eight years old and slight for his age, but his energy was palpable as a burgeoning storm. Together, we had been working on getting ready for bed for at least an hour, but it seemed we had made very little progress. As he bounced, the lit...

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“No To Bed” by Lydia Lim

Submitted to Contest #138

When I was younger, I never wanted to go to bed. Clad in warm pajamas with red trucks and blue ships, I’d quiver my lips and approach my parents with the most pitiful doggy eyes I could make. My father never gave in. He’d scowl at me and grunt “Into bed mister!” But afterwards he’d go up to my room and read me a bedtime story. Noisy Little Truck, Big Little Bus…the list trickled on. I loved hearing his gruff voice soften as he acted out voices - squeaky ones, gentle ones and even scary ones. My mother never let me stay up either. S...

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“The Voice of the Night” by Dhruv Srivastava

Submitted to Contest #138

“Sorry, tell me again what happens when you turn off the lights?” A rattling breath preceded the answer. “Cold… I can’t breathe… The weight on my chest suffocates me… I can feel… the walls of my skull crushing my brain… No sleep.” An older woman in glasses scribbled a note on her pad, saying in a soft voice, “I see… And this voice you talk about-” “The voice of the night,” he interjected in a hoarse tone, feeling his heartbeat quicken. “Does he only talk to you when it’s dark?” Her brilliant eyes shone through her glasses.&nb...

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“Would You?” by Kyle Nilsen

Submitted to Contest #138

The first glimpse of the ceiling and shortness of breath told him everything he needed to know about the events that were about to take place. He scanned the room left to right, up and down, looking for what he knew was inevitably coming. Two years of restless nights and it still hasn’t settled down. Not even a little. Day after day he found it all the more difficult to focus on the task at hand, let alone enjoy himself outside of his daily obligations. Work became harder and harder, demeanor took a dive and his enthusiasm, or lack ther...

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“Jackson's Dilemma” by Annette C

Submitted to Contest #138

The bills kept on piling up. It seemed that everyday some new creditor was sending a letter of foreclosure or worse—incarceration. Jackson felt the choke-hold of debt ever so slightly constricting his breathing, but he couldn’t let his family down. He was a new father —just barely six weeks—and facing homelessness. Jackson couldn’t tell his wife, Rose, she would be devastated. He decided to give one last try at work and ask for a raise. He wasn’t the type to demand, let alone ask for a raise, he was more of a “my work speaks for its...

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“Me and Mickey” by Jeffrey Peter Evans

Submitted to Contest #138

Papa went in once a week to the general store to get supplies for the farm. This mornin’ I got to go with him. Took better than a half hour to get there. Papa never said much and anyway he’d put the radio on real loud. Anytime I tried to ask him something he’d shush me up but it didn’t matter much. I was wantin’ more to be lookin' out the window at the fancy people and the fancy cars in town, all comin’ and goin’ around the general store. While Papa was inside I saw other kids riding bikes, real nice ones. One day I’m gonna ride a bike into ...

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“An Endless Time to Grieve” by Devin Walker

Submitted to Contest #138

Closing the blinds would be easy. Even bought the blackout blinders for the room but they sit on the floor now. It all hit me like a wave, from the throw pillows I never liked, to the rug we picked out at the thrift show that clashes with deep indigo blue walls we painted together. It took us four times to get the shade right. The fan is still slowly turning and damn chain still clanks against the light-bulb cover. But it kept you cool at night, and you kept me warm. Now I feel nothing but the fact that you aren’t here. The crack of dawn ...

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“Waiting for sunrise” by Brenda Gomez

Submitted to Contest #138

***Trigger warning*** The following contains content of substance abuse, mental health, and sexual violence..... I look at the clock, 12:17am. Here I am again, wide awake while the rest of the world sleeps. Its my constant cycle, my toxic cycle. Get the kids to bed at 9, watch an episode or two of whatever show is currently trending with my girl and wait until she falls asleep. Then I slowly get out of bed, careful not to disturb her peaceful slumber. I envy that sometimes, the way she can just sleep and dream happy dreams. Sometimes I se...

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“"Oh the Splendor of it All!"” by Pamela HOLTE

Submitted to Contest #138

Sleep to her was not something she desired; this was due to her insatiable need to experience every single minute of her life! Sleep was a waste of her precious time. She feared she might miss something if she closed her eyes for too long. Even the uncontrollable blink of her eyes made her feel at a loss of time. She absorbed life, like a sponge, she drank it in is as if it was a cocktail made of the finest liquor just for her, and she savored every sip! The world was full of splendor and every moment held a ticket to a new adventu...

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“Not Tonight” by Write Me

Submitted to Contest #138

Not Tonight tw // mental health, mention of suicide and self-harm, suicidal ideation, substance abuse “I go to sleep and get nightmares,” the musician wails. “I wake up and get nightmares.” From lack of sleep, they fall to the ground, get a scratch and (hope to) die. Jitr hasn’t slept. He’s staring at his many screens; spread on his polished, apparently expensive yet messy desks were devices of all sizes - from a large-monitored iMac to his dual SIM phone - and thin piles of documents. From the white-haired’s tired eyes, dazzling an...

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“Love Lost Sleep” by Morganhorse Java

Submitted to Contest #138

(Trigger warning-Cancer patient-)I try to take in a deep breath, I can’t, it hurts too much. I close my eyes and try to block out the pain it takes to pull in a simple breath. My throat tightens with the threat of tears. I’ve never really been afraid of the dark, not till now.My heart wrenches at my boyfriend's voice breaking through my worry. “I’m right here, If you need to sleep, just rest I’ll be here when you wake up.” What if I don't wake up? I try to push the thoughts away before it causes my hand to shake from fear. What if I don...

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“Capri in Infinity” by Gabrielle Gerstley

Submitted to Contest #138

I wake to the sound of running water. Jamie—showering. The bathroom door is open just a crack. Although I’m in the bedroom and not with him in the bathroom, I can imagine the eucalyptus scent of soap, warm, thick steam fogging up the mirror, the pebbled floor of the shower under Jamie’s feet. I turn over in bed to face the windows. The hair on the back of my neck prickles as the sheer white curtains flap and ruffle in the breeze. I feel as though we’ve been here forever, yet it’s only day two of our honeymoon. My toe suddenly stings under th...

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Write about a character who doesn’t want to go to sleep.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 53 stories

“Sunday Scaries” by Shawn O'Connor

“The Longest Day” by Cindy Strube

“The Sleepless Girl” by Siti Sufiza

“I'll Be Home for Christmas” by AshleyAnn Barnes

“No To Bed” by Lydia Lim

“The Voice of the Night” by Dhruv Srivastava

“Would You?” by Kyle Nilsen

“Jackson's Dilemma” by Annette C

“Me and Mickey” by Jeffrey Peter Evans

“An Endless Time to Grieve” by Devin Walker

“Waiting for sunrise” by Brenda Gomez

“"Oh the Splendor of it All!"” by Pamela HOLTE

“Not Tonight” by Write Me

“Love Lost Sleep” by Morganhorse Java

“Capri in Infinity” by Gabrielle Gerstley

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story on a day when the sun never sets.

Write a story about an afternoon picnic gone wrong.

End your story with someone saying: “What a day.”

Write about light returning to a place that has been deprived of it for a long time, literally or figuratively.

Contest #138

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

245

Contest entries

154

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: