Write a story about a child overhearing something they don’t understand.

Posted in Kids on May 10, 2024

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✍️ 62 stories

“Where Confidence Dwells: What Makes a Hero?” by Stephen Laviera

Submitted to Contest #250

This story is centered around the grieving process. Handling the moment of the untimely death of a matriarch. A coward and a hero feel the same way. Their actions are what makes them different. This Cus D'Amato quote ruminates around the frontal lobe of the deputy marshall. He nods to the sergeant he’s ready for action. Two deputies step up to the threshold of the door. He whispers as he rechecks his gun's action. “Ralph, Mikey on three, boys.” The sergeant holds up his left han...

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“The Closet” by Turtletonga 21

Submitted to Contest #250

On Sundays, after Sunday morning masses, my brother and I play hide and seek in our house. I'm usually the hider, and I always have the best hiding spots every round, or that's what my brother says.Our parents on the other hand aren't so fond of our game, they never have and I can never put to mind why.In the maze of our spiraling large house, I planned all week of new hiding spots, behind the curtains within our father's office room, in the shed where all our swimming gear lays gathering dust, or in our mother's vanity room, but today I cho...

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“The Slide” by Joel Dmytrow

Submitted to Contest #250

I can hear Mommy crying, I don’t know why she’s so upset. We were playing together in the park, I thought we were having fun. We spent all day together. First we went for breakfast at Mr. Maggi’s restaurant, then we walked through the mall to get new shoes, then we stopped for ice cream. We shared some peanut butter ripple, that’s the best flavour. Then we came to the park and she pushed me super high on the swings, so high I thought I was going to fly away! Then we went on the slide, it’s my favourite thing to do at the park. But then her p...

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“Off With Her Head” by Wake Lloire

Submitted to Contest #250

“We’ll have to cut it off.” I don’t think I’ll forget that moment, or those six words. That night the air smelled of Irish whiskey and the party had gotten too loud, and somehow no one had noticed my sister putting her head through the bannister, again. No one except me. The quiet kid. This time though, she was a little older, and her head was bigger. She was four now, and I was five. I had never put my head through the bannister. Never. I wouldn’t. But my sister, she liked to make me laugh. Maybe cuz mum said I was “so serious”. But Winnie,...

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“Whispers” by Matt Craig

Submitted to Contest #250

The sea was rough that day. The kind of rough that spoke of things deeper than the surface, things that moved with a purpose only the ocean knew. The girl stood at the shore, her feet sinking into the wet sand, watching the gray waves crash with a steady rhythm. Her father had gone out despite the weather, the lines of his face set like the horizon—distant and unyielding. She thought of the whispers she had heard the night before, the ones that slipped under the cracks of her parents' bedroom door. Words like "debt" and "no way out" tangled ...

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“A Classroom Door” by Lauren McCullough

Submitted to Contest #250

Shayna took a deep breath before enjoying her final sip of steaming hot jasmine tea for the morning. It was, as they said in the business of teaching, time to open the classroom door.As any early childhood educator knew, once that door was open and children were present, it was highly unlikely that the adults could engage in any form of self-care until all students were retrieved by their trusted grownups. Ms. Kaplan, still technically “Shayna” with the door closed, braced herself to forget her basic human needs, like piping hot caffeinated ...

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“Banana Joe” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #250

BANANA JOE.[Bananas are for eating] Joe Keen was seven years of age and felt that he was his own man, in charge of the house when his father was absent. He still had a lot to learn about people and places. One day he had the tele...

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“The Loudest Silence ” by Catherine Gunn

Submitted to Contest #250

I lean against the cool metal of the large door that never opens. I know it opens, of course. It’s the only door in this room. But I almost never see it move. At least, not since the day I was brought here. Despite it being dark in this room, I still know where the door is thanks to the light seeping in through the bottom. Even though it is probably night, the monsters keep working. I was brought here by people who always smile. But no matter how friendly they look or act, they’ll always be monsters to me. Why did they bring me here? W...

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“Flaming Skin and Gentle Moon ” by Dominque Feloss

Submitted to Contest #250

SunShe’s lying in the backyard listening to the wind chimes sing and watching the suncatcher glow. It’s her sixth birthday, and she enjoys spending her mornings outside, the wind playing with her soft, poofy hair. She giggles at the bird who speaks to her in amusing tones. How wonderful it is to converse with them. “Good morning, Dahlia!” Mr. Man shouts over the fence from next door. Dahlia gets up and jumps a few inches in the air, so that she can see Mr. Man’s face. “Good! Morning! Mr. Man!” Dahlia shouts with each jump. Mr. Man laugh...

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“Desert Treasure” by Dylan Green

Submitted to Contest #250

The boy’s father loved to talk, but never to the boy and his mother. Conversations between the three of them were limited to pure necessity, if that. No, the boy’s father loved to talk over the phone. He spent most every night from five to ten or eleven or sometimes even midnight talking with what Mother bitterly called his “old war buddies”, though the boy’s father had never actually fought in a war. The boy did not understand what she really meant -- something along the lines of 'slimeball college friends' -- until it was too late.The boy’...

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“The New Place” by Ilma A

Submitted to Contest #250

“Just go and get him!” commanded Salim, crisscrossing the oncoming pee train. “Uh! Can’t hold it anymore.” His feet already shoed in filthy goop.He turned around and hammered the sodden wooden planks balancing a haystack partition loosely guarding the modesty of a disgruntled individual who groaned at every plop.What was it? ‘Rsihte’.. Pushti.. Salim slapped his head.Abid was only three years old, he must pick up his stuffed monkey – Bandu, before another lightning strike. The last strike had claimed Abid’s uncle fixing wires up on the villa...

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“Daddy, I Do Not Understand” by Pete Gautchier

Submitted to Contest #250

Topic: Write a story about a child overhearing something they do not understand.Daddy, I Do Not UnderstandYoung children are mini sponges on what they see and hear from others around them. They have an amazing sense of awareness on how others perceive them. With my child I try my best to exhibit my best behavior especially at controlling my speech and actions regardless of the situation. Unfortunately, when the child enters school, that all goes out the window and my control is totally lost. Often, I have to do dama...

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“Who's for Dinner” by Talbie Downing

Submitted to Contest #250

Mama whispered in muted tones that sounded like a lullaby in my ears. She patted my head and dragged the long nails of her fingers through my hair every so often. I loved it when she followed the trail of my brown hair down from my scalp to my back. I enjoyed the clicking sound the baby pink nails made when they rubbed together. “It seems wrong,” she said in her soft murmur. “Cruel.”Papa either knew my drooped head and spaghetti-limp arms were a rouse, or he didn’t care about waking me. He heaved a great sigh and spoke in his regular b...

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“Mission 86-B (and accompanying snack break)” by Hannah Daniell

Submitted to Contest #250

"Stu-pid Su-zy, did-n't want to play, said to Su-zy, don't like your face, said to Su-zy, get out the way, I got a mil-lion things to say: one, two, three, four,-"A phone starts ringing in an unknown location. Localising sound origin, please standby while processing…. Office door spotted ahead! Super stealth mode activated, approaching with caution. “Five, six, seven, eight…”“Hello? Yes, this is Mr. Dawson.”Intercepting covert transmission! Super duper stealth mode! Get the intelligence gathering equipment! “Tip toe tip toe, gotta ...

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“Whispers in the Night” by Becca Blanc

Submitted to Contest #250

*sensitive content: family triggers, abandoned feelings, post-apocalyptic themes (not explicit but mentions)I never really sleep well. I don’t think I really know what sleeping well is. Though, every now and then I will be so tired my body gives out and I crash into the ground Dad has deemed our ‘Base of Operations’ for the night. It’s these particular crashes where it seems my mind is so tired I actually get to dream. I live for these nights. I cherish them. Because when I dream. . . I go somewhere else. T...

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Write a story about a child overhearing something they don’t understand.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 62 stories

“Where Confidence Dwells: What Makes a Hero?” by Stephen Laviera

“The Closet” by Turtletonga 21

“The Slide” by Joel Dmytrow

“Off With Her Head” by Wake Lloire

“Whispers” by Matt Craig

“A Classroom Door” by Lauren McCullough

“Banana Joe” by Christine LW

“The Loudest Silence ” by Catherine Gunn

“Flaming Skin and Gentle Moon ” by Dominque Feloss

“Desert Treasure” by Dylan Green

“The New Place” by Ilma A

“Daddy, I Do Not Understand” by Pete Gautchier

“Who's for Dinner” by Talbie Downing

“Mission 86-B (and accompanying snack break)” by Hannah Daniell

“Whispers in the Night” by Becca Blanc

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in which someone is afraid of being overheard.

Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard.

A character overhears something at a black-tie event that puts the night in jeopardy.

Your teacher tasks you with writing a story based on an eavesdropped conversation. When the story is published, your subject isn’t happy.

Contest #250

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

229

Contest entries

107

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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