Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character.

Posted in Narrative on Mar 22, 2024

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✍️ 120 stories

“Mother Knows Best” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #243

TW: Shades of abuse and control issues, swearingAuthor's note: Written after an eczema flare-up. Hahaha !**Tonight, my baby Allison had me blocked again. It has been exactly the ninth time in her thirty-four years of existence she has jumped in that beat-up cobalt blue Honda Accord (safety alert!) in the middle of the night (safety alert!) and drove almost at the speed limit (GAAAAH !) to the harshly-lit emergency room of her nearest hospital.Believe you me; I tried to stop her, to protest another instance of my girl distancing herself from ...

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“Signs of Intelligence ” by Angela Yuriko Smith

Submitted to Contest #243

“What about this one, class?”Misc. Bertlethwop tapped a glass box with a pointer. Inside was a small, furry animal. It hissed at the assortment of curious youth that gathered around to ogle. One of the students bent closer to the glass to study the mammal. It displayed a mouthful of razor sharp teeth and emitted a yowl that made the student back away. Misc. Bertlethwop tapped the glass again. “Well, what do you think? Intelligent or not?”The class was undecided. They shuffled in place, each trying to avoid the teacher’s gazes. A student...

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“Respite” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #243

The bar opens at eleven. Bart props the door open, lets fresh air in. He wipes the tables, bags whatever trash wasn't cleared the night before, and sweeps the floor. I slip in when he's not paying attention. But then, most people don't see me, unless I want them to. Then they are surprised that I'm a petite woman with long red hair and coal black eyes. I'm not unpleasant to look at, I think.It's not long before the first of the regulars arrive. There is John, 81, a retired mail carrier. His gait is worn, his eyesight is going, his wife of fi...

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“The Coffee Cup” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #243

He likes to use me on a Monday. I’ve noticed that. I’ve noticed that on Mondays, I’m in demand. I get reached for no matter where I’m placed in the cupboard. Behind the mug that came in his college graduation gift bag from his aunt. Next to the glasses he won at pub trivia. On the top shelf. It doesn’t matter. If it’s a Monday, he’s going to use me, because I’m the biggest without being ostentatious. He can hit the #10 button the Keurig and know that I can handle all of it and then some. Then, he’s off to his office. He’ll wait a few minutes...

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“The Interior Life of Ruck” by Ajay Sabs

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #243

I backpack. Named Ruck. Store person put me on shelf. She say I “handsum”. I not know what it mean, but she make happy face when she say, so must be nice thing. Nothing to do while I sit here but lots to look at. After I see sun come up from outside window two times, I feel little bored. I feel little empty, like I hungry. But I not wait long. Young man come, he look at me. He lift me from shelf, take me to store lady, who ask him if he want me “in a bag”, which make them both laugh. We go outside, he sling me on back. What a feeling! ...

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“Moon, earth's child” by Rebecca Miles

Submitted to Contest #243

My thirsty white mouth sucked at your seas.Glancing at my pockmarked face, you slipped on your swirling green and blue gown; your shoulder was a beautiful cold curve as you turned away. Even though I was disdained- the plain child, no glow of her own- I succumbed to your pull.Tugging on your tides, I had time to think: origin myths, who was I anyway? A cosmic collision, wham bam and meteor damn if there wasn’t a little white bun in the galaxy oven. Was I worthy of a name? Nah, just Moon. Day in, day out, for 2.5 billion years,...

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“Purpose” by LeeAnn Hively

Submitted to Contest #243

I am life, and I am death. I am the personification of everything in between. Unseen, I am the epitome of all that we are, you and I. By your side, I steadfastly remain, from your first breath to your last. We share this world and the world to come. While I see every minuscule moment of your physical duration, you are incapable of seeing the love I have for you, from one soul to another, the heartbeat of existence thrumming rhythmically within us both. This is how it should be. You, one soul, tethered to the physical world,...

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“The Jemloran Premises ” by Michelle Oliver

Submitted to Contest #243

Taken from the personal log of Rahkan Cerirak-Biologist.Galactic Date: 90032.44.37Current Planetary Cycle 8.46.86The Jemloran Premises are wrong and I need to prove it.Premise number 1-The intelligent species that once populated this planet have long gone extinct.The remnants of their technology can be found at many different archaeological sites. Once a star begins to expand, it disrupts the rotation of all its planetary objects, pulling each planet’s more massively loaded side towards the star’s gravitational centr...

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“Andy's Journal” by Diamond Keener

Submitted to Contest #243

I feel used. That’s how I’m supposed to feel, that’s my purpose. But because all this time has passed, and I’ve been sitting here, just a pretty thing on your shelf. It all feels different. I don’t know you. The wry sense of humor you had is gone. The dreams, the plans. You’re not even close to where you promised me you would be. Those checklists are a real laugh now. When you open me up now, I’m unhappy, not excited. And you’re unhappy too. I’ve never wanted to talk back to you, to fight. But if I could rise up past myself and shout a...

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“Beyond Blue Waves” by Julia Zhipa Philippova

Submitted to Contest #243

I was there. Breathe in, breathe out. What is this smell? I was trying to figure this out, but it slipped away in a second. Breezy morning on the beach. The sun is everywhere. I have no idea why I am doing this, but it should be interesting. My mom and dad should be proud of me. This planet looks fantastic, by the way. I have never seen such a deep blue color like the ocean here. It's magic when the sun touches the incoming wave. I can look at this for eternity. That smell again. What is this? I need to find out. Sweet and sour at the same t...

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“A Father's Heart” by Liz Grosul

Submitted to Contest #243

Besides collision, the most dangerous malfunction in airplane travel is engine failure. There’s nothing you can do. If the engines fail, you’re done. The plane goes down. For all modes of transportation really. No motor, no engine, no pump? It’s all over. Crashed, drowned, shattered, exploded. Maximum casualties. Before my first squeeze, this fact was ingrained. That everything rested on me. That others might rest, but I never would. Once you start, you don’t stop. And, if for some reason or another if you choose to end it, to just give...

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“Kyūtai” by Michael Maceira

Submitted to Contest #243

Trigger Warning: This story contains a scene of a character with a mental health issue using racist language.While I charge my batteries in my silk-lined box and wait for my person to finish, I organize the list of lovers he keeps in a drawer inside his bedside table. I ignore the ratings.After his rapid grunts end in a moan of climax, he immediately turns over to grab me. His bedmate also reaches for her Kyūtai from her discarded jeans, its ruby surface gleaming beneath the moonlight from the open window. They lay together, not touching, wa...

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“Trouble Brewing” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #243

There’s trouble brewing, I reckon.It’s one of those quiet days, when there’s less traffic along the main road at the back. On these days, they normally leave the house early together, come back late. I polish off what they’ve put down for me almost as soon as they’re out of the door and then end up regretting it. I’d like to see them have to survive so long on a single bowl of food – they’d soon understand how I feel. Of course, they obviously don’t take into account that I’m a terrible greedy guts. When they’re at home, they ration out the ...

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“Dog's Best Friend” by Jahson Clarke

Submitted to Contest #243

“Watch this, he learned this last week…go ahead Rex.” “woof ” Rex barked. I slid a silver bowl across the wooden floor. “What breed is he?” said Allen.“He’s a mixed breed” I responded while patting the top of Rex’s head with my paw. Rex dropped to his elbows and lowered his head, nibbling on the bowl of cereal. Allen examined the body of Rex.“Sheesh, how tall is he?” “ He’s Six feet on the dot—he’s very healthy and strong.”“Lucky you, my human is pretty short. I want to purchase a new one but the wife wouldn’t approv...

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“Lazy Susan and the Scrumptious Ant Buffet” by Olivier Breuleux

Submitted to Contest #243

Susan the spider had found paradise: a penthouse all to herself, warm and full of cozy crevices, protected from the elements, far outside any other spider’s territory. Not to mention predatorless. She could stroll freely wherever she wanted, carefree, and let her mind wander about the art of web-weaving, the meaning of life, and the novel she had always wanted to write but never had time for (nor paper or any writing implements, for that matter, nor a spider publishing industry to print it, but let that not get in the way of her dreams.) Pre...

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Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 120 stories

“Mother Knows Best” by Alexis Araneta

“Signs of Intelligence ” by Angela Yuriko Smith

“Respite” by Trudy Jas

“The Coffee Cup” by Story Time

“The Interior Life of Ruck” by Ajay Sabs

“Moon, earth's child” by Rebecca Miles

“Purpose” by LeeAnn Hively

“The Jemloran Premises ” by Michelle Oliver

“Andy's Journal” by Diamond Keener

“Beyond Blue Waves” by Julia Zhipa Philippova

“A Father's Heart” by Liz Grosul

“Kyūtai” by Michael Maceira

“Trouble Brewing” by PJ Town

“Dog's Best Friend” by Jahson Clarke

“Lazy Susan and the Scrumptious Ant Buffet” by Olivier Breuleux

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story imagining 'what if' one historic invention had never happened. How would our world be different now?

Write a story with a strong sense of place. How is the setting of your world the same as, but different to, our own?

Write a story about a character who wakes up in space.

Write a story where time functions differently to our world.

Contest #243

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

286

Contest entries

113

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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