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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about a casual act of bravery.

Posted in Narrative on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 46 stories

“The Drifter” by Paul Brown

Submitted to Contest #135

The DrifterThe dry leaves tumble across the dusty road, the trees gift of bronze and golds, to float in the warmth of a sleepy afternoon sun. The old pickup low on gas drives smoothly past the dry brown grass, and on through the quiet tired hard-pressed town. Shuttered shops line main street as the recession blooms, young and old without jobs or hope wander the sidewalks in silent groups. Despair in the air to see no end, to a mellow time as grief unfolds in bleeding hearts and distraught minds, sorrow at loved ones lost amid the unending to...

3 comments 3
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“Bus Boozer” by Zach Martz

Submitted to Contest #135

The bus was several minutes late as usual, which frustrated Anna greatly as she was tired from a stressful day at work. As soon as the doors opened, she jumped on board, swiped her farecard, and took the first seat she saw that was not occupied. Pressing her body against the smooth cold window, she fumbled through her phone and whipped out her earphones for some music to accompany her on the ride home. There were not many other passengers with her, even as the bus took its tour through the bustling downtown. Anna took a gander of the vehic...

2 comments 2
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“All But One” by Trinity Chasey

Submitted to Contest #135

This story contains partly vague descriptions of transphobia, please take care of yourself while reading. There was a new family just down the road from Juni's house. From what he could tell it was a big family, with 2 brothers and 5 sisters, and a cat, and a dog. There was nothing out of the ordinary about said family, in fact, Juni thought it was a pretty cool family as far as families went. See, they had built a big treehouse in their front yard on their first week in the neighbourhood.      Well, that is, there...

2 comments 2
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“Up in the Sky” by Margarita Escobar

Submitted to Contest #135

I’m 15, but I’ll be 16 in two months. Old enough to have some say in whether I want to see another stupid doctor. Not that they ever give me a choice. I'm sick and tired of my parents dragging me from place to place like this.  My mother says, “We’re seeking someone to help us solve your problem.” What problem? I don’t have a problem. I like to be left alone to do my shit, but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. Well, there was that suicide attempt, but that’s in the past. I’m okay now. But my parents don’t get it. If t...

4 comments 4
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“Three By Three” by Doreen Shea

Submitted to Contest #135

Contains cancer-related words and emotional tolls. Three By Three The children walked down the cold tile squares, careful not to land in the “lava” or the odd gray ones.  They were still children, after all.  Some still played games, but mostly they were afraid, afraid of this building, afraid of tomorrow, and afraid of this new life. They were selected to be here by an unlucky spin on some unkind wheel of “unfortune”.  It did not care if you were five, twelve, or forty years old.  Today the youngest ones were...

1 comment 1
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“Overstayed Its Welcome” by Tom Falconer

Submitted to Contest #135

Ashley and her father John had gained a lot of weight. It had been 5 years this day, since Ashley's mother had passed. Her mother used to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner; she would take care of the entire home and take Ashley to school.Ashley was too young to have learned how to provide healthy energy for her family and John, her father, was always exhausted from the mines. The depression hadn't got easier for him, and his age was starting to show, the mines took more and more of a toll on him these days. His pay was going down and down...

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“The River” by Zea MindWerl

Submitted to Contest #135

Trevan wasn’t what anyone would call special. The most exciting thing about him was where he lived. Trevan lived in the town at the edge of the river. This was no ordinary river, and so, it was no ordinary town. If the river had been anywhere else it would have been just like any other river, but it wasn’t. So. This was the Mida river, and it was the border between two very old, very tired countries. The town was named after the river, and in many ways, they were the same. Old and slow and sometimes very temperamental. However, the town...

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“Bravery to Repent” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #135

Jesse marches to his truck with a black eye and a bruised ego, he never thought his girlfriend's skating partner would return a blow to his face. After seeing the muscular and lean man dance with Aelina he felt rage boil in the pit of his stomach. It aggravated him to know that the woman who touched him so gently did the same thing with someone else, not only in sport but what possibly may have been in a private relationship as well. Jesse slams the truck door on his side. Aelina sits on the other seat and looks out the window. “Do you kno...

5 comments 5
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“A Casual Act of Bravery” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #135

My Opinion of the Event It happened in a matter of seconds. I behaved as I think anyone else would. The reporter called it an act of bravery. I don’t think that was 100 percent true. And I definitely wish that the picture had not been taken at that particular time, with me ending up appearing on the front page of the local newspaper. I looked ridiculous, almost obscene. Still, she took me out to dinner. Walking Along the Beach It was my first time at this beach, and I looked like an idiot. My brown sh...

0 comments 0
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“Stronger ” by Hiren Dusara

Submitted to Contest #135

The bus doors opened with a hiss and children poured out onto the grey wet pavement. Zachery stepped out just as the bus doors closed again, he struggled to button up his worn blazer. He couldn’t wait to start Year 8 and finally get a new school uniform. A cold breeze whistled past him as he peered down the dimly lit road and saw barren trees lining his path ahead like scarecrows. Looking at an alleyway to his right, he gazed into the darkness and a chill crawled up his spine. He tightened his grip around the straps of his backpack and ...

5 comments 5
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“Oh, Christmas Tree” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #135

Oh, Christmas Tree It’s all relative. What might constitute remarkable bravery for some could be routine, common, mundane for others. For example, many people would consider it an act of courage to retrieve their kid’s Frisbee from the roof of their house while seasoned construction workers casually lay shingles on steep inclines eight hours a day without a thought of danger. They might even toss a Frisbee around up there if given the chance. For Henry, the contrast was demonstrated in stark simplicity on the family’s first trip to Gre...

4 comments 4
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“Jacob's Triumph” by Elizabeth Maxson

Submitted to Contest #135

It has been seven years. Actually, it had started before our daughter was born and continued after our son appeared years later. I vowed to change our lives when Lennon pointed to the blue aluminum cans and said, “Look it’s dad’s favorite drink.”            Gillian said almost the same comment five years earlier. She saw the cardboard Bud Light boxes at the store and said that dad had bunches of them in his truck. I realized I had failed on my promise that night to make Ja...

4 comments 4
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“Anna's (Not So) Dreary Day” by Patina Malinalli

Submitted to Contest #135

Anna walked quietly down the stairs at her job on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Today had been a unique day at her cleaning job at a local university housing facility – a men’s dormitory.  She'd received multiple emergency texts that morning. Someone had faked a robbery one block away (and they later went to jail with a felony for it). Why that man thought a fake robbery would be funny or that he wouldn’t be prosecuted for it was beyond her. According to the newspaper, he had claimed that it was a joke. “That’s not funny,” Marisa said. “...

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“Drafting Love” by Brittnie Bowling

Submitted to Contest #135

“Breaking news tonight, after weeks of deliberation the government has decided to start a military draft.  This would include any male over the age of 21 but under the age of 45 that can pass the test.  This decision was made in light of the recent events in Europe, the current war has escalated and more and more troops are being deployed.  The number of casualties our troops are seeing is growing more and more each week that the number of enlisted men cannot fill in the boots for those that have been lost alone.  Officia...

0 comments 0
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“Louder Than Fear” by Lucy Gray

Submitted to Contest #135

Little Liv wasn’t sure if the thudding in her chest was her heart or an echo of the drums thudding downstairs. She covered her ears with her hands. She could still hear and feel the pounding. Her body quaked a little and there was that funny tightness building in her throat that meant her eyes would start leaking soon. She thought of taking her hands off from her ears long enough to hold the rails and go downstairs. It would be louder there, and scarier, but maybe she could tell Daddy that it was too noisy and the drums would stop altogethe...

2 comments 2
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Contest #135

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This week's theme: I Wanna See You Be Brave

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Ended on 23:59 - Mar 04, 2022 EST

Won by Thom With An H 🏆

Title: Home of the Brave

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