Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Posted in Middle School on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 36 stories

“The Accuser ” by Seán McNicholl

Submitted to Contest #153

The heavy courtroom door swung silently on its hinges before the prisoner. Arm in arm with the powerful guards he was led out into the hushed silence that fell before him. All eyes probed and prodded at him as he walked across the room before taking his seat at the cramped worn desk. Before him stood the Judges seat, raised high and looming over him and indeed the entire room. Whispers began to surface from the depth of the silence, murmurings and ponderings about the events that were to unfold before the room. To the pri...

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“Dearest Clarice” by Jared Lenover

Submitted to Contest #153

From a letter found in the archives of the Fairfield Traveling Circus, marked “return to sender.” Dearest Clarice, When I ran away to join the circus, I thought I’d be free of the shackles of responsibility. After all, if I’d wanted to continue arbitrating people’s petty domestic conflicts I would have remained on the bench. One assumes when one pulls up stakes to be ringmaster in a traveling show, one leaves all that behind them. However, it seems not to be the case. My central position in the organization, combined with an unfortunat...

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“The Last Scupper” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #153

“ORDER IN THE COURT…!”Trying to quell the vociferous argument playing out in front of him, Judge Elmore Rawlings frustratingly banged his wooden gavel in rapid succession.“ORDER IN MY COURT…!”The unprecedented overuse of his gavel caused such an unaccustomed vibration to the hammer end, it suddenly toppled from its accompanying stick and fell to the floor. With no audible means at his disposal to bring order to the unruly proceedings, Rawlings improvised by angrily drawing his colt pistol from its holster and firing one single shot at the ce...

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“Caleb's Hungry” by Randy Murrell

Submitted to Contest #153

I remember the last time I saw muh’ daddy. He was ascared’ more ascared than ever i’d seed’. That was one of the day’s that seemed like it’d never end it just kept on getting longer and darker and it wasn’t the dark of night that came granny’d said the darkness of the soul is the greatest darkness there is and she was right to say it cuz that day I saw muh’ daddy might have been the darkest day I ever lived. It started like a lot of days do, half the house was still asleep on a Wednesday mornin’. That should tell you a lit...

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“What's a Judge to do?” by Mavis Webster

Submitted to Contest #153

Acting as a judge for the damned did have its perks. The pay was good—the healthcare, eh, not so much, but what’s a soul to do? If someone wandered into a church and was spritzed with holy water like a misbehaving cat, well, there wouldn’t be much left worth saving, anyway. But there were some things that even the Underworld’s staunchest universities couldn’t prepare you for. (And yeah, colleges were no cheaper in the realm of the dead than they were on Earth.) Namely, the thing standing before me. Not so much a thing as it was a person—a...

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“The Whisperer” by Travis G

Submitted to Contest #153

“Our forefathers had a saying, ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin,’” the old woman said. She was called the Whisperer and sat at the head of a rusty, square table, in a dank, windowless, concrete room. The room, which was illuminated by three naked lightbulbs, contained several other people, some standing along the walls, some sitting at the table. “As long as I have sat in this Whisperer’s chair,” she said, “there has only been violence among our peoples. I will not call into question the ancient wisdom. But year...

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“The Full Picture” by Daniel Deschenes

Submitted to Contest #153

Gage took his glasses off, closed his eyes, and buried his face into his hands. Pinching the bridge of his nose and asked seven year old Isaiah to repeat what he had just said.“Jake said that he was going to poop in my hand!”Gage sighed, disappointed that what he had originally thought he heard was correct.“No, I know that you told me already but I just don’t understand why he would say that,” Gage said. You’re sure that you didn’t say anything unkind to him before he said this?”“No, I didn’t say anything to him!”Gage found it hard to believ...

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“Red tears” by Orwell King

Submitted to Contest #153

A blood churning cry echoes through the night, the only light source coming from a half moon hidden by clouds, barely Illuminating the ocean below it and white sands of the rolling dunes behind. Jessica panics when she hears the first horrifying scream. A sharp, high-pitched screech causing her to look over her shoulder. The moon was not bright enough to light her way. She was blind, regretful, and soaking wet. In her intoxicated stupor she had stumbled a little too close to the crashing waves, eventually tripping over her own feet and falli...

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“Daredevils in Dress Suits” by K Cao Xai

Submitted to Contest #153

Ani liked to solve problems.When she hung up the phone with Serra, her solution to making it in time for their dinner date was to leave work early. A quick look outside the office window showed heavy rain. There weren’t many hover cars flying through the night sky and most of the high-rise buildings had their lights off. Traffic wouldn’t be an issue.Ani shut off her computer, put on her coat, and grabbed her metallic briefcase but before heading out, the light above her office’s door turned red, accompanied by a soft buzz. She didn’t have an...

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“I'm Right” by Tim Daughtry

Submitted to Contest #153

“So girls why are you here today?” Of course, I knew why they were here. Two cheerleaders fighting over the high school quarterback. That's never happened before. As a high school counselor I haven't heard it all but I have heard a lot. “Danielle stole my boyfriend.” Stephanie was sure that punching Danielle would persuade her to give Ian back. So that’s what she did. I was certain that if anyone needed punching it was probably Ian. But only a thought on my part. (The drama with Ian comes later in the story, so let’s get bac...

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“All In The Family” by Mark Nero

Submitted to Contest #153

Gee, I hate turbulence… Whether it be on a plane or any type of turmoil between people or families, which is ironic considering my occupation. I did what I did, not because I liked it but because I was good at doing it… and it paid a lot. Turbulence is also a great equalizer within planes, as first-class passengers like me, are shaken as hard as those in economy. The last little shake woke me from my nap, but I was surprised that I slept at all, as I hated sleeping on planes. After rubbing my face, I looked around the still dark cabin an...

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“Stella's ghostly mediators” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #153

Somewhere in a small room in a big city, a little woman with big problems lay on her bed. She had rented the room under a false name. Ms. Green, the landlady, had her doubts when she registered herself as Ms. Stone on the boarding house register. There was a set rule in the guest house; no visitors were ever allowed in the rooms. She could receive visitors in the drawing-room until ten PM at the latest when Ms. Green went to bed and thought it completely natural that all her guests did so too. Despite Mrs. green's rules, there was a visitor ...

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“Retribution” by Jerald Larson

Submitted to Contest #153

15th April, 2154; Human Colony Terra Nouveau, Satellite A-0102-2093 "Dad, how could you?" Lilliana ranted. "She's my mother, your wife. And you've sentenced her to a week's hard labour on Olde Earth? Are you mad?" "Lilly, pumpkin," Judge Karolla IX replied, "If it hadn't been for her nosing and gossiping, Jeremiah Dingwall would be doing hard labour down there instead. What choice did I have?" "Choice? You had a million other choices," Lilliana remonstrated. "You could have cautioned her. Fined her (but, oh no, that would mean it would come ...

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“The Lieutenant ” by Geoffrey Saemann

Submitted to Contest #153

Lt. Clay Menessa had had another long day at the office. Not long in the sense that it had involved particular strenuous police work, but long in the sense that it seemed to just drag on and on, until all he could he think about was leaving the cramped, run-down police station in the little town of Reedsville, MN that was strewn with outdated dell monitors, scattered files that were overdue to be archived, the ancient coffee machine that needed badly to be replaced, dirt-streaked window panes that showed views that were of no particular inte...

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“June Bug” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #153

Bullhead City, Arizona 1888 Connor Green stares into his empty whiskey glass. Husky, scruffy, with dirt under his fingernails, Connor is calm and good-natured, traits being put to the test by Cass Armbrister. “She’s my wife,” Cass says. Reedy, with skintight, angular features and a pencil-thin mustache, card sharp Cass Armbrister is animated, impatient, easy to rile, and always right. “I have a marriage license. What do you have?” “Six years of bliss,” Connor replies. “Bosh. The law’s on my side.” “Eliza loves me. You just love her...

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Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Submissions are closed

✍️ 36 stories

“The Accuser ” by Seán McNicholl

“Dearest Clarice” by Jared Lenover

“The Last Scupper” by Chris Campbell

“Caleb's Hungry” by Randy Murrell

“What's a Judge to do?” by Mavis Webster

“The Whisperer” by Travis G

“The Full Picture” by Daniel Deschenes

“Red tears” by Orwell King

“Daredevils in Dress Suits” by K Cao Xai

“I'm Right” by Tim Daughtry

“All In The Family” by Mark Nero

“Stella's ghostly mediators” by F.O. Morier

“Retribution” by Jerald Larson

“The Lieutenant ” by Geoffrey Saemann

“June Bug” by Michael Jefferson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a character learning to stand up for themselves.

Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Write a story about two characters who have been fighting for so long, they can’t remember what started it.

Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

Contest #153

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

214

Contest entries

104

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: