Write a story that takes place across ten seconds.

Posted in Kids on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 256 stories

“K9P” by Goblin King

Submitted to Contest #74

A woman clad in a black suit and tie walked along the sidewalk. With her left hand, she lifted a cup of coffee to her unusually bulbous lips. In her right hand, she held a brown briefcase. Her asymmetrical eyes looked ahead and saw two men in similar clothes looking towards a grey building on the opposite side of the sidewalk. One pointed a device towards the building while the other fiddled with one of the numerous piercings on his face. The device looked like an elegant combination of a telescope, a satellite dish, and a 1999 Toyota Camry....

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“New Year's Surprise” by Stephanie Albright

Submitted to Contest #74

I think I am finally getting my writing groove back! I woke up with this story in my head and instead of going back to sleep, I got up and wrote it down. Hopefully, I can finish up The Long Walk Home this week. This has been a hard year in so many ways for everyone and I don't think that anyone will be sorry to see it end. I truly hope that next year will be better, but I'm deeply afraid that we may wish for 2020 back before the end of 2021. I sincerely hope and pray that I am wrong. This story has reminded me though that we get to decide...

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“The First Ten Seconds” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #74

The first ten seconds of the New Year are the happiest moment for most people. The one sliver of time for the next 31535090 seconds that it takes for the earth to make a full rotation around the sun. For just that quick piece of the night, nothing else matters except for a new beginning. As soon as the time hits 0 and the ball reaches the base, the roar begins. Most will tell themselves that Christmas is the bes...

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“Acceptance” by N. N.

Submitted to Contest #74

I checked the caller ID, as my phone rang. Papa. Tick. I dropped my pens, cartridges and my essay, and picked up the phone. As I watched the phone ring, I breathed through my mouth and cleared my throat. It kept ringing the whole while, the second’s hand of my watch, in pace with each of its ring. I checked the time. 6:15 p.m. Why was he calling now? Gramps . . . No. It can’t be. Tock. To live in this world You must be able To do three things I tried to calculate Papa’s expression once again, by replayin...

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“Rapture in a Parking Lot” by David G.

Submitted to Contest #74

At precisely six o’clock in the afternoon on May 21, 2011, Walter "Walt" Barston Jr., fifty-two-years-old and of no fixed address, stood in the crowded parking lot of KQRZ 89.7 FM in Oakland, California, his arms aloft in the shape of a ‘V’, palms skyward, head tilted back, eyes closed.He wore loose-fitting, pleated and cuffed blue jeans held up with a worn black leather belt. His white tee shirt was stretched tight over his distended belly and imprinted with large, block letters with the question, “Have You Heard the Awesome News?” On his f...

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“Kieran Hensler” by Jasey Lovegood

Submitted to Contest #74

Kieran HenslerHer last day with Kieran Hensler was not a blissful one. There had been yelling, arguing, and crying. Oh, so much crying. Her last day with Kieran Hensler was not a long one. There had been distractions, lies, and not enough time. Oh, so little time. Her last day with Kieran Hensler was not supposed to be her final one. She hadn’t known it would be the last time she would see his face. All she wanted was to turn back the clock, rewind it to their fight, and redo those ten seconds.~She had watched him alternate between playing v...

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“Knockout New Year” by Caleb Goehring

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #74

We haven’t discussed this before, but I’m about 75 percent sure she’ll say yes. I grip the velvet box with clammy hands. “Ten!” On TV, thousands in New York start the countdown. I’m reminded of the last two times I held this box. I try not to, but your brain inevitably connects things against your will. The first time was at my first girlfriend’s favorite restaurant. It was in fact her favorite, she said, but not the sort of place you propose in. Up until that day I thought Chili’s was pretty nice. She left me with th...

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“kissing at midnight” by Natalie Strawbridge

Submitted to Contest #74

10 The scraps of conversation fade away as the countdown begins. All eyes stay glued to the seconds ticking down on the TV screen, as if we aren’t capable of remembering which number comes next. I glance around at the empty champagne flutes and limbs tangled on couches and against walls. Perhaps some of them can’t remember the numbers. But we can, because I am only drinking sparkling cider, and so are you. 9 I’ve always thought it was silly, counting down to the new year. Unless you live on the tiny islands that get there first, the new ye...

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“Population Control” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #74

Ministry of Defence, London — 17:53:08The man burst through the door without so much as a rap of his knuckles against the door. Under normal circumstances, this would have warranted a reprimand.“Sir! Sir!” He was out of breath, his words airy and thin.“What is it, Smith?” The Chief of the Defence Staff didn’t chastise the messenger. The look on the boy’s face relayed the urgency of the incident. “Speak.”“I-it— it’s—” Smith, who shaved out of principle rather than out of necessity, stumbled over his words. His cheeks flushed red.The CDS frown...

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“I'll be a Daisy” by Andrew Krey

Submitted to Contest #74

*Author’s Note: “I'll be a Daisy” is a standalone story, set in the same universe as my other Reedsy short-stories, with overlapping characters/events.*I was dead as soon as Cam said ‘No’. He hadn’t said it himself – he never addressed the line directly – but his second in command had repeated his decision; his glorified megaphone. It was a bullshit decision!My price was fair. It was common knowledge that Cam hated greedy people (that weren’t him), and punished them severely. Even knowing this, my asking price was still practically theft. I ...

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“For the Benefit of All” by Antonio Jimenez

Submitted to Contest #74

For years, there had been talk. Goals set, dreams dreamt, aspirations left unachieved. Finally, after decades of research and hard work, it was time to begin the journey. Man would soon once again plant their boots on the virgin soil of another world. Or so they thought. Over fifty years ago, the world had watched as Apollo 11 blasted off on its mission to land mankind on the moon. Now, millions—perhaps, billions—around the world watched as the gleaming Starship rocket sat atop the historic launchpad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in...

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“Ten Second Death (A Breonna Taylor Story)” by 🄼🄹 🅂

Submitted to Contest #74

They say...when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I think that life should flash before your eyes while you’re still living, so you can always treasure the good times. But as five loud bangs shatter my eardrums, and find their way into my body, I finally understand that saying. Memories I didn’t know I had fly to the forefront of my mind. I see myself as a baby, a handheld camera in my face as I utter my first words. Tears of joy slide down my mom’s face as she strokes my cheek tenderly. I didn’t know exactly how warm and pre...

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“Until I Wake” by Izzie Chan

Submitted to Contest #74

10...”Are you ready?” She smiles.I take a deep breath, feeling my chest slowly rise as I inhale and fall as I exhale. I return the smile. “Yes.”9...My grin turns into a frown when I look away. A seemingly unending row of vacant glowing capsules follows mine. I suppose that I’m their “test subject”. I won’t be able to have that feeling again until ten years go by... am I making the right choice? I hesitate for a moment, but shake my head and step up on the platform.8...No, of course I am. I don’t have anything left for me, after all...

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“19631122” by Orwel Heavy Leads

Submitted to Contest #74

I’m loaded with six of my sisters, each one waiting her turn to fulfill her task. Each one equally hangry. Only One have her exit assured, but if she can’t finish the job, then Two and then me. And I will not fail. All that I need is to have a chance.It’s around 12.30, sky is clear, weather is sunny, there is no wind. Perfect conditions for Shooter but One will have it difficult as the first shot, with the barrel cold, is usually for calibration. Yet One is ready, waiting in the chamber. The moment is at hand. The motorcade just turned the c...

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“Final Words” by Arham Ishraq

Submitted to Contest #74

Today was different. Instead of the regular music, a voice spoke over the speakers. We were welcomed to the last words we would ever hear.“This store is armed with explosives. They will all detonate in 10 seconds. The doors are locked and secured with bars. Say your goodbyes.”10…I scrambled to my phone, if anyone deserved a proper goodbye, it was my mom.“Why are you yelling, I’m just going outside? It’s not like I’m going to leave and never come back… I’ll be back in half an hour.”Goodbye mom.9…My hands were shaking and I couldn’t hold the p...

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Write a story that takes place across ten seconds.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 256 stories

“K9P” by Goblin King

“New Year's Surprise” by Stephanie Albright

“The First Ten Seconds” by Chris Buono

“Acceptance” by N. N.

“Rapture in a Parking Lot” by David G.

“Kieran Hensler” by Jasey Lovegood

“Knockout New Year” by Caleb Goehring

“kissing at midnight” by Natalie Strawbridge

“Population Control” by Joshua G. J. Insole

“I'll be a Daisy” by Andrew Krey

“For the Benefit of All” by Antonio Jimenez

“Ten Second Death (A Breonna Taylor Story)” by 🄼🄹 🅂

“Until I Wake” by Izzie Chan

“19631122” by Orwel Heavy Leads

“Final Words” by Arham Ishraq

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone scrambling to finish a goal in the last few hours of the year.

Write about someone keeping track of time with tally marks on a wall — until one day they discover that all the marks are gone.

Write a story that takes place across ten days.

Write a story in the form of a top-ten list.

Contest #74

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

727

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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