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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about someone who's haunted by their past.

Posted in Narrative on Oct 28, 2022

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✍️ 69 stories

“Stroke of Heart” by Janina Carol Seal

Submitted to Contest #2

Not again! The third night in a row, I awoke screaming, face wet from tears.Meow?A wet nose was pushed in my face, whiskers tickling my ear.“I’m all right, Tumble,” I whispered. My black and white tomcat didn’t understand, but he knew I was lying. Who was I trying to fool?Tumble settled on my lap, front paws between my breasts, treading in continuous motion as if trying to give CPR to his favorite can opener. How could he know this was exactly the spot that was hurting?The pain eased as I scratched his chin, finding the spot he loved most. A...

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“Perpetual Hell” by Rowena Portch

Submitted to Contest #2

Perpetual HellThey say you go to hell when you take your own life; or perhaps you simply create a hellish reality in which eternity seems to flow.  My name is Sarah, and I have never believed in reincarnation, heaven, hell, or the likes of eternal souls. That is until I stared death in the face and choked on my own ignorant doubt. Allow me to offer an insight into the domains of heaven and hell. I cannot remember a time when I was truly happy. Years of therapy didn’t help. My family and friends offered a constant reminder of how mi...

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“Within a House of Self” by Brie Monetti

Submitted to Contest #2

Trapped. Never had she understood the word so vividly. Is this what her heart felt like, stuck within the walls of her own chest? Often she would hear his knock on the door… hear his long strides pacing on her front porch. Back and forth. What did he think about as he paced? What did he want from her? At first, his visits were rare. He knocked on her door once every few weeks… then once a week… once a week turned into twice a week… then a daily visit. Until eventually she felt trapped within her own home—a prisoner to this uninvited, unknown...

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“BUTTERFLY” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #2

BUTTERFLYSeethamma‘s cellphone was ringing for quite some time, calling for her immediate attention. As soon as she picked up, Lakshmi came on line and enquired whether she was there for tomorrow’s recitation of hymns and mass prayer at Kapali Temple. Seethamma expressed her inability, as she had already agreed to attend another engagement, more important than this. She would be staying with a lady patient for the night at the hospital. In the general ward of that hospital, outsiders were not permitted. But in special ward, one family m...

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“THE FRAGRANCE” by Anastasia Fardella

Submitted to Contest #2

It's the last day of October. Dusk is creeping up, and after sitting for several hours, I take a long walk on a lonely street to stretch my legs. Treading carefully over the cracks on the pavement, I worry I may fall over as I did before. A woman staggering past me is wearing a perfume that I recognise. A unique blend of what I believe may be jasmine, rose, and bergamot. It’s a pungent odour, but not an overbearing scent that you can taste at the back of your throat, where you almost gag. I turn around to see where the woman went. She has va...

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“Royal Poinciana” by Adrienne Parker

Submitted to Contest #2

The sweat pours down my face as I struggle with the weeds in my garden. I’m not physically draining myself, but the sweat comes from fear. Every time I touch a weed, I see something from my past, my scarred past. Flashes of memories flood my vision even when I barely brush a weed. I can’t see past the flashes, they are blinding me. I try to pull out several weeds at once, which is a mistake. I see several memories in rapid succession, thoroughly confusing me. A hand coming out of nowhere, my mother screaming, a gunshot.... I c...

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“The Little Yellow Room ” by Annie Wang

Submitted to Contest #2

Sunlight streamed into her daughter’s room like strips of gold. A sheen of dust glittered on abandoned toys and books. Flowers bloomed and withered away, transforming days into months and months into years – so many years that the turn of neighbors made for faceless strangers and old friends shriveled into a dusty unknown.Yet, time stopped in this little yellow room. Sitting in the corner was a little girl, fourteen-years old and trying to navigate the ropes of a world turned cold and unforgiving. She had no guide to help her through treache...

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“Far from Sanity” by Nia Chase

Submitted to Contest #2

Chapter 1Allen came from his therapy session with tears in his eyes and a light heart. Talking to his therapist always left him emotional. He spoke about how he felt at the moment, what triggered it, and what to do when that time comes again. Writing it down tends to help.Sometimes talking to his mother and friends, but he never wants to give them everything. He witnessed death, some he caused with his own hands. He could never sleep right without seeing the sight of his victim's blood or hearing gunshots. He always panics and yells in his s...

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“Over her shoulder ” by Toyosi Ajiboye

Submitted to Contest #2

  Eva was out buying some groceries, she tugged on her hoodie and pulled it as down as she possibly could, she hunched her back and tried to seem as small as possible. Her eyes permanently on the floor. She shuddered away from everyone who uttered a greeting towards her, ignoring them. She walked to the counter and paid for her purchases. The cashier guy rose his hand to wave her goodbye, she flinched and she didn't understand why. Mumbling a quick and quiet bye Eva took off quickly but quietly so as not to draw attention to hersel...

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“The Cursed Coat ” by Rebekah Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #2

A little girl named Susie Price had gotten a red coat from her best friend Peter Willis on her birthday, it had both of their initials on it S.P P.W.The next day Susie found out Peter was leaving town, "I won't forget you", Susie told Peter as the two friends hugged each other one last time"I will write to you every day," Peter replied and he got in the backseat of his van and drove away. Susie just stood there crying as she watched her childhood friend wave goodbye to her, she started running toward the van and yelled: "Wait!" the van ...

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“Momento Mori” by Ingrid Mason

Submitted to Contest #2

Evelyn settled into a velvet armchair and listened to the night. Windblown rain pulsed in waves across the garden, arrhythmic like a failing heart.Amorphous containers loomed towards her in the gloom, compelling her to sort the family memorabilia.She chose the closest box. Her nails scratched at the edge of the sticky tape. She plucked and tugged. Rip. One flap of cardboard sprang open. Air molecules sealed for twenty years in the corrugation escaped like resinous scented ghosts.She must unwrap, sort the contents for her children and childre...

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“1387 Days” by Megan Billingsley

Submitted to Contest #2

"My questions to you keep me up at night- how do I escape this? How do I make it all stop? I wonder to myself for hours while I'm unable to sleep, even when I'm entirely exhausted. I try my hardest every single day to push through all these thoughts, the feelings, the hurt, the emotional torture, but it seems that I still wear the scars from all that you are, and my body still keeps the score, all the while, you didn't even try to tend to the wounds." *****That was her last journal entry. The last...

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“A Room of One's Own” by Arisah Wood

Submitted to Contest #2

Trevor had just finished cleaning the cages and was holding one of the lab rats, gently stroking its soft fur. “Hello?” The voice surprised him. It was late, everyone should have gone home by now. Trevor plastered on a smile to cover up anything less than desirable. A young woman with red hair and bright blue eyes stood in the doorway. “I’m sorry to bother you. Everyone else seems to be gone. I’m new, just got the lab down the hall. I left to get some things from the supply room and now I’m locked out and my car keys are in there.” “I can he...

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“Our Tragedy ” by Aline Tomimori

Submitted to Contest #2

I was driving for about two hours when I finally calmed down.At first, my hand was shaking, my heart was racing and I wasn’t blinking so much, I stayed in there for about twenty minutes until I finally started the car. The streets were almost empty, the sky was getting darker and darker, I had no idea where I was driving to. My phone was ringing every ten minutes, messages notifications were popping all the time, the sound of the phone was fading away more and more as I was driving.For the first time ever I wasn’t worried about what others w...

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“Cobblestone Road” by David Chaumette

Submitted to Contest #2

Anne sighed -- well, she sighed as much as a sixty-five year old can sigh while feverishly adjusting every piece of furniture in a large banquet hall. She had never known someone 100 years old before, never mind been related to one. Yet, that was no excuse to be late to your own party.Frederick Warren was the focus of the day although he might not notice. Anne would have to see once he arrived. Even after his retirement from The Daily Herald, FW’s mind had remained sharp for years, thanks to endless Sudoku and little network television....

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