Write a short story about someone going to the corner store to buy an everyday item.

Posted in Nonfiction on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 64 stories

“Sad Girl Screams for Ice Cream” by Alessandra Calderin

Submitted to Contest #31

It takes every ounce of will in me to yank myself off the fluffy cushioning of the couch. A couch that I inherited from an ex boyfriend. An ex boyfriend who lived here. Who just moved out. Whose ghost still haunts the edges of our— I mean, *my* bed. Whose roast chicken fed me and handiwork set up the fairy lights that twinkle around our— I mean, *my* bay windows. Change takes some getting used to. The room shifts as tiny lights dance in the corners of my eyes. My body slouched for too long. Or I propelled myself vertical too quickly. Or both...

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“Movie night” by Iris Castillo

Submitted to Contest #31

Going to the corner store became a daily ritual with friends over the summer. It all started when one of our friends got us all energy drinks and coffee at this store, that at the time just opened. Ever since, we went to this place so many times that if we didn't show up one day, Old Man Peter, the cashier, would ask where we were in his southern drawl and give us our usual demand for scratch tickets and candy.We would sit at the wooden bench outside drinking iced tea, soda, or iced coffee while scratching our tickets and laughing. We would ...

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“Nice day for a stroll” by Chloe Lim

Submitted to Contest #31

I rummaged through my handbag and dug out my old sunglasses. Looking at them closely I could see all the tiny scratches and signs of wear and tear on them. I haven't used them in years, it's a wonder I never threw them out in the first place. I quickly crammed my glasses onto my face, poking the insides of my ears and tangling my hair in the process.The difference was incredible. I no longer squinted my eyes to shield my pupils from the harsh blinding light of the sun. Everything looked clearer, and somewhat paradoxically, brighter and more ...

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“Reunion” by Yenny Coll

Submitted to Contest #31

Shawn was gazing absentmindedly at his reflection in the rear view mirror when he let out a yawn so massive tears formed at the corner of his eyes. Even in First Class, the six hour flight from San Diego to Philadelphia was always exhausting; he was still at least 2 hours away from reaching his old family home across state lines in South Jersey, but already, Shawn was counting the minutes until he could return to his life in La Jolla. He had almost hoped the flight would be cancelled, giving him the best excuse he could ever hope for to avoi...

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“Frick Is Right” by Greg Serrano

Submitted to Contest #31

Walter Frick gets in his old Dodge beater and heads north on Sunset Blvd to the corner store. In his head, Walter goes over his grocery list: eggs, milk, bacon, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ground turkey... Smooth jazz plays on the radio. Walter's been a fan of smooth jazz for weeks now. Before that he used to love rock and roll. ACDC, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy. Anything that made the head bang, the soul fill with electricity.But things were different now. A few years ago, Walter was a different man. He spent his money on women and drugs. He was a big...

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“Yesterday” by Arianna Rose

Submitted to Contest #31

I pulled my car up to one of the two gas pumps and killed the engine. I had been on the road for at least five hours straight, taking no stops and no breaks. Exhaustion had begun to pull at my concentration as the sun slowly set. This spur of the moment road trip had not felt like I had imagined it. It was supposed to be an escape from life but ended up just feeling like life and I ended up just feeling even more stressed. I laid my head against the headrest and took a deep breath. Get you some snacks and caffeine to get your head on straigh...

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“Butter Betrayal” by Joseph Worrell

Submitted to Contest #31

I searched all through my pantry for the butter cookies, I could have sworn I had another container of them. There was an intense frustration that shot through my synapses; mostly at myself for not remembering to buy the second container of cookies like I normally do. Where was my head when I went shopping that day? "I guess I can get my steps in for the day," I said to myself, closing the pantry door. My New Balance sneakers were by the front door on the shoe rack. Spring was halfway through its incumbency so I stepped into my kicks and o...

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“Everyday Item” by Charlotte Steinard

Submitted to Contest #31

Tampons. Motherfucking tampons. Gloria stomped down the road to the CVS, glowing neon-bright on the corner. After dealing with this shit for fifteen years, she should have a stockpile of feminine products, but, no, every month she found herself out. Gloria slammed a box of tampons on the counter. “Hey, Gloria. How are you today?” Todd asked. He had the slack-jawed expression of someone finishing the last hour of their overnight shift. “Wonderful, Todd. Freaking wonderfu...

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“Just Down the Road ” by Joshua Taitinger

Submitted to Contest #31

Soft tendrils of smoke billowed upward, shifting in and out of view as the light filtered around them. I gazed in a fervour, growing increasingly interested as the smoke washed over me. My eyes strained to find meaning in the ever shifting curls, a word or name, and failed. Growing disinterested in the graveyard for metal band names floating above me, my tunnel vision waned and I realized that Jeff was talking to me. Jeff wore a petulant demeanor, hunched like an anchor was tied around his neck, juxtaposing the otherwise bright and ...

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“For the Granddaughters” by Wilson Michael

Submitted to Contest #31

For the GranddaughtersbyMichael V. WilsonLove makes you do funny things, Randall Taylor reflected as he hit the button to raise the garage door on the cold winter morning outside.Heading for the grocery store before sunrise definitely counted as one of those things. An icy gust of wind entering the garage blew through the front of his coat, sending a shiver down his back and prompting him to zip it up hastily. Well, maybe ‘funny’ wasn’t exactly the right word, he amended quickly.A tour in the Marines, followed by a long career working in the...

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“For Ladies Only” by Book Worm

Submitted to Contest #31

She trudged her way to the cornershop as she had been doing for the last two decades. Nothing seemed to have changed in all these years. Neither the shop with its prominently displayed goods nor the lady with the sleeveless blouse and cotton sari universally known as Boudi (Bengali, sister-in-law). Neither the shop boys, who had been in their teens when she had first started frequenting the shop, nor the tea-vendor who brought them hot cups of tea twice a day, appeared to have aged. The only change was in the floating generations of stu...

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“The Things That Make the World Go Around” by Noa Barras

Submitted to Contest #31

“You ever get hit with one of those random cravings?” I turned and raised my eyebrows at Tee. He stared out the window at the people passing. I couldn’t help but sigh. Tee did this a lot - reminiscing about his past obsessions that were no longer available to us. Pointless. I asked, “What kind of cravings?” “Oh, I don’t know. Just something from when you were a kid, I guess.” His expression was impossible to read. “You’re so pathetic, Tee,” I teased, grinning. “What is it this time?” He...

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“It’s a nice thought” by Michelle Haro

Submitted to Contest #31

We weren’t supposed to see each other just yet. I pushed the cart to the right, or more like lifted it, trying to get it unstuck. The wheeled had turned around and wouldn’t go back to its place and do its job. I was growing frustrated, especially since I only had a limited amount of time to do the shopping for today, and this little wheel wasn’t going to be my demise, I thought motivating myself trying to turn on the aisle without hitting anything or anyone. It was a special day after all. We had this entire day planned, well, I had th...

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“corner store” by Jerry Hines

Submitted to Contest #31

In 1957, when I grew up, there was a corner grocery store in almost every other block in our neighborhood, and it was quite common for a family to send their eight-year-old son or daughter to get a loaf of bread or half gallon of milk or even a pack of cigarettes—with a note from mom or dad of course. The corner store where I grew up, Wiess’ Grocery, was only a half block from our house. There were nine kids in our family and I was third from the top which meant my chances of going to the store alone were slim. I could go with my brother or...

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“A Mother's Struggle” by Heather Foster

Submitted to Contest #31

My brand new boots crunched against the white snow as I walked towards the front door of the convenience store across the street from my apartment. A woman held the door open for her two small children, then she held the door open for me as well. After looking at the time on the screen of my cellphone, I realized I was about to be late for work. I quickly searched down each aisle, until I finally found a small electronics section. I quickly grabbed the right phone charger for my cellphone, then I made my way to the front of the sto...

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Write a short story about someone going to the corner store to buy an everyday item.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 64 stories

“Sad Girl Screams for Ice Cream” by Alessandra Calderin

“Movie night” by Iris Castillo

“Nice day for a stroll” by Chloe Lim

“Reunion” by Yenny Coll

“Frick Is Right” by Greg Serrano

“Yesterday” by Arianna Rose

“Butter Betrayal” by Joseph Worrell

“Everyday Item” by Charlotte Steinard

“Just Down the Road ” by Joshua Taitinger

“For the Granddaughters” by Wilson Michael

“For Ladies Only” by Book Worm

“The Things That Make the World Go Around” by Noa Barras

“It’s a nice thought” by Michelle Haro

“corner store” by Jerry Hines

“A Mother's Struggle” by Heather Foster

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a short story about someone doing laundry.

Write a short story about someone tending to their garden.

Write a short story about someone cooking dinner.

Write a short story about someone heading home from work.

Contest #31

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

373

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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