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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✍️ 37 stories

“The Accuser ” by Seán McNicholl

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 t...

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“Dearest Clarice” by Jared Lenover

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...

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“The Last Scupper” by Chris Campbell

“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 unru...

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“Caleb's Hungry” by Randy Murrell

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...

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

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 ...

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“The Whisperer” by Travis G

“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 ...

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“The Full Picture” by Daniel Deschenes

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...

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“Red tears” by N Martin

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 fa...

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“I'm Right” by Tim Daughtry

“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 p...

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“Daredevils in Dress Suits” by K Cao Xai

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, accompa...

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“All In The Family” by Mark Nero

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...

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

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...

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“Retribution” by Jerald Larson

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?"

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“Enrolled in Old School” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

It was a quiet day. I knew it wouldn’t last. In a short while, I would have solid proof that my instincts were correct as I finished my lunch in my counseling office at Park Ridge High School where I have been for the last ten years. It seems longer when I get a quiet moment to myself. “Are you Mr. Sowell?” A student knocks at my door. Like most of the other students, his clothes are full of holes ...

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“Water You Thinking?!” by Sandra Skains

"Shots fired at 10234 County Road 3. Officers en route." That's where it all began, though it really started years ago. Sam and Caleb had lived next to each other for many years. Both were "men of a certain age," fairly curmudgeon-ish, and pretty much loners. But neither necessarily had a penchant for violence, and neither had a criminal record. Generally, they kept to themselves on their heavily-wooded n...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 37 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 N Martin

“I'm Right” by Tim Daughtry

“Daredevils in Dress Suits” by K Cao Xai

“All In The Family” by Mark Nero

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

“Retribution” by Jerald Larson

“Enrolled in Old School” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Water You Thinking?!” by Sandra Skains

🌟 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

218

Contest entries

105

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: