Write a short story about a shop that takes place over a span of years.

Posted in Narrative on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 41 stories

“Jasper” by Gabrielle Marie

Submitted to Contest #19

She gazed up at the ceiling, eyes sweeping from cobweb to cobweb. In her mind she could picture what it would look like. Books lining every wall, a lamp over by that window seat, maybe an antique cash register on the counter. Was that too much? Excitement mixed with a deep fear of failure. What would it cost? Could they afford rent, plus all the renovations? Her sights fell on her partner, her teammate, her husband. Even from over here she could see the joy in his eyes. He was always the visionary, and she, the planner. “I want to open ...

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“In General” by Connor Monaghan

Submitted to Contest #19

Working in a general store isn't that bad, at least that's what I tell myself. Seriously though, it has been so long since I last stepped foot outside this wretched, dilapidated shop. You know, I really wanted to be a cashier for a lousy shop, but it was all ruined by my father. "Get your ragged tail up and make somethin' of yourself," he'd yell at me. "I'm not going to live and work in this dump anymore! You old man! Not to mention, you wouldn't even pay me anyway," I'd scream in return. He would then storm out and proce...

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“The Broken Bonds” by Hailey Dixon

Submitted to Contest #19

The cruel heat of the day was beating down on our backs. I slid backward as I blocked one of my teammate’s punches. We were training for the upcoming battle. What battle you may ask? The one against the wicked Queen Rune. She killed my mother and turned my sister against me. I don’t care how long it takes me, she will be the one to perish. I take a quick look at the trees. Outside of the so-called queen’s kingdom, it was kill or be killed. They were the perfect targets in their preoccupied activity. That’s when I noticed a familiar silver-ey...

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“The Gift Shop” by Frances Ippolito

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #19

As a child, Octa loved going to the zoo. Her parents, both exceedingly loving and nurturing, had paid for years of family memberships so that Octa could spend as much time as she wanted watching, observing, and studying the captive animals. Octa, like many children, was fascinated with the natural world and all the variations of life that existed. At each enclosure, she would press her face against the wall, misting the glass with her hot breath while she searched the plants, trees, and fabricated structures for camouflaged or shy creatures....

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“Sweet memories ” by PASCALE DENANCE

Submitted to Contest #19

My childhood was not a happy one. My parents were far too absorbed in their compulsive relationship cycle – quarrelling and making up in turn – to have any kind of energy left for me. I had to seek happiness elsewhere. I read Jane Eyre and David Copperfield very early and found comfort in the company of the eponym protagonists, whom I looked upon as fellow sufferers. We lived in a village called Oleron. Walking to school by myself, every day I went pass a small shop that sold sweets only. I would enjoy staring at bright colorful candy in the...

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“Nan Cunninghams” by Linsey Denham

Submitted to Contest #19

Nan Cunninghams by Linsey Denham December 13th 2019.When I was a child in the sixties, we lived on the outskirts of a rough neighbourhood in Edinburgh which had its own little row of shops, for the locals. My mother once parked my elder brother, in his pram, outside one of those shops and didn’t remember that she was missing something (him) until she put her key in our front door. Can you imagine? Yikes.In my childhood days, those shops included a grocer, a hairdresser, not one but two chemists, an optician, a bank, a dry-salter and our fav...

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“Pops and Pete’s Play Palace” by Natalie M.

Submitted to Contest #19

“You ready, Pops?”My father nodded and smiled at me. A dream we had shared since I was a boy was finally coming true.Three. Two. One.With a cut of a ribbon, “Pops and Pete’s Play Palace” was open.When I was a boy, my dad and I would lay on a grassy hill near our house while staring at the clouds. We starting doing that daily when I turned eight. At the time, I did not know that the yelling I would hear at home was my parents fighting. I only thought that my dad was always watching TV, I would have never thought that he was actually watching ...

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“The Star in the Window” by Kate Strong

Submitted to Contest #19

1939 It was only the shop down the street, only the one that had been visited by the SS more times than she could count. Brita closed her eyes and remembered the one day when Hans had been out shopping in the street and had come so close to entering the forbidden tailoring shop that Mr. Hopkins and his family had been running for more years than she could count. The silence in the streets now was unnerving. No barking dogs to shatter the stillness, no children running and playi...

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“The Impossible Quest” by Jane Pait

Submitted to Contest #19

The Impossible QuestByJane T. Pait “I can’t wait to get to Mama Irene’s house. It’s Christmas and I am positive that she will love this year’s present. I’ve finally figured out what she really likes after many years of gifting.” Our family is rather large, so Christmas shopping is always a challenge. I could buy the perfect gift for everyone, if I had a million dollars. Truthfully, I have always been able to buy fairly successful gifts. Everyone seemed to be happy with my choices. Except for one person, and that pers...

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“Beginning's End” by Madeline McDowell

Submitted to Contest #19

By Madeline McDowellThe grey sky hung oppressively low as I merged towards the off-ramp. The rhythmic clicking of the blinker kept beat above the soft hum of Christmas music while the SUV next to me and I negotiated, rather heatedly, the terms of my merger. With a rev of his engine and a single finger salute, my sparring partner was gone; sped off ahead and disappeared into the torrent of taillights continuing down the highway. This left me just enough room to take the ramp before ploughing head first into those orange garbage...

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“Little Record Shop on the Corner” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #19

What a great job, I thought as I smiled at the Christmas shoppers bustling in and out of the store. I had a friend who was a disk jockey for the radio station owner, Mr. Woodbury, who also owned The Record Shop. As much as I loved the popular songs on the Top 40 Billboard charts, to be paid to work in a store where all kinds of music could be heard at the sample record players was terrific. I think I’d have worked for free if offered that part-time job. Here I was employed to listen to Yellow Rose of Texas, Autumn Leaves, Davy Crockett, and...

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“Somewhere in Time” by Kate Seger

Submitted to Contest #19

In a fickle world, in a town that was forever reinventing itself, the shop was a constant. It had presided over the corner of Abbott Street and Lillian Lane for nearly a century and a half. There had been subtle changes, of course, but they were minimal compared to the upheaval that had taken place in the pastoral town around it. It was not, Kael realized, so pastoral anymore. He marvelled wistfully at the transformation as he drove through the outskirts towards the shop… where Lorelei would be waiting. She always was. Where once there ...

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“Clocks” by Lisa Jawalekar

Submitted to Contest #19

July 4, 2004“Commercial space for sale. 1000 square feet, includes workroom and back bar. For more information, please contact us at 89 ESTATE.” Martha Founder cocked her head at the sign. The dimensions were a little smaller than she’d been hoping for when she’d made the long way from her countryside home to the middle of the city at the whim of a friend. Katy had said it would be bigger, but Martha couldn’t argue that the plot was in a prime location, smack bang in the middle of the busiest part of town, and it had been their dream to...

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“The Wishing Well” by Tomeika Dunn

Submitted to Contest #19

Bobbie stood silent as she stared at the bright, flickering colorful lights that draped the store window. They flashed to the motion of the music coming from the large speaker tucked in the corner. She felt her arm jerk as her mother pulled her inside the store. She had heard about the store from a girl in her kindergarten class, she had said it was magical; there was a wishing well that granted wishes. Bobbie had tons of wishes saved up to ask for, she had searched every place in her apartment to find any loose pennies that may have fallen ...

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“Can I Stand the Test of Time?” by Anri Boyce

Submitted to Contest #19

People say things will change no matter what. Or at least that is what I heard as they passed by me. I never really understood that saying though, what did that really mean? Does it apply to everything in this world? Or just man-made items like me. I watch as everyone passes by me not so esthetic but, once they see me they smile. They look through my glass at the new sales that read “45% off the whole order.” and are eager to go in. They open my doors and are rejoiced at the sight they see. Shelves of countless items and good. Ranging from c...

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Write a short story about a shop that takes place over a span of years.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 41 stories

“Jasper” by Gabrielle Marie

“In General” by Connor Monaghan

“The Broken Bonds” by Hailey Dixon

“The Gift Shop” by Frances Ippolito

“Sweet memories ” by PASCALE DENANCE

“Nan Cunninghams” by Linsey Denham

“Pops and Pete’s Play Palace” by Natalie M.

“The Star in the Window” by Kate Strong

“The Impossible Quest” by Jane Pait

“Beginning's End” by Madeline McDowell

“Little Record Shop on the Corner” by M.D. Smith

“Somewhere in Time” by Kate Seger

“Clocks” by Lisa Jawalekar

“The Wishing Well” by Tomeika Dunn

“Can I Stand the Test of Time?” by Anri Boyce

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a short story about someone in the middle of a very long and busy retail shift.

Write a short story about someone searching for the perfect gift for their partner.

Write a short story about someone watching a convincing infomercial.

Write a short story about someone based on their shopping list.

Contest #19

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

211

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: