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

“Untitled” by Fred Aiken

Submitted to Contest #31

His wife told him to get diapers. She gave him no other instruction. It seemed simple enough, and he had no qualms helping whenever he could, since he left his previous job a few months back and started a new job with more hours, more stress, and unfortunately no parental leave time off. He didn’t mind working twelve hour days and coming home to relieve his wife who already felt ill-equipped to handle a newborn by herself and so she went in and out of mood swings. “It’s just down the block.” “Are you sure you don’t mind going to get diapers?...

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“Backwards” by Carol Sanders

Submitted to Contest #31

Barbara wondered when the feeling of having been punched in the stomach would go away. Maybe never. Or maybe in a few months, after her brother-in-law Richard was expected to die. Ever since his cancer diagnosis, that punched-in-the-stomach feeling had gripped her as much as the melanoma that clung to Richard’s liver. Treatment was not working. Fifty-four years old and probably wouldn’t see spring.Richard always called her “Bob.” When his son Matt was three, he had struggled saying R’s and had pronounced her name “B...

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“old friends” by Alan Pattison

Submitted to Contest #31

I nearly always just popped around the corner to Mr. Shah’s shop if I needed a small amount of something basic such as milk or eggs. This time when I got inside and after greeting Mr. Shah, I picked up a small packet of plain flour. “What is the flour for?” asked Mr.Shah. “I am baking a coconut and raisin cake this morning.”I replied. She looked vaguely familiar and I saw an unfamiliar woman standing next to me holding the local newspaper after a bit I recognised her face from school, so I said to her “Would you be by any chance Sally Davies...

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“Strawberries” by Dakota Red

Submitted to Contest #31

They were out of strawberries. And Mom wanted to make strawberry pie. Avery couldn’t think of a reason for why his mom suddenly needed strawberry pie, but he didn’t question it. What he did question, however, was his ability to do what was necessary. Go to the little grocer just around the corner, and buy them. He’d never gone to the store by himself, and he was almost ten. He hated approaching people. He could barely manage to ask permission to use the bathroom in school, let alone ask where one might find the strawberries. But mom was...

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“The Fixers” by Lee Jackson

Submitted to Contest #31

Before he knew it, he was falling backwards and hitting the ground. It was just a blur of something that had charged out of nowhere, knocking him over. Supine but alert, Jim instinctively looked behind him in the direction of where the force had been heading and saw anomalous fading blocks of reality closing in on themselves.Jim slowly stood up, dusting himself down. He felt a tingling under his skin, static electricity charging him. He checked for any damage to his head. No bleeding. But he felt uneasy, confused.Jim nursed his back from the...

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“Milk ” by Jackie Shutt

Submitted to Contest #31

Getting ready for work in the morning Neal opens the fridge to pour some milk over his cereal. Grabbing the container he moves to the table but when he opens it, a strange sour smell wafts out. “Really,” he blurts out and pours the milk down the sink. Looking at the expiration date on the top he lets out a sigh, “by two days.” Dumping the dry cereal back in the box he roots around the cabinets a bit until he finds a box of pop tarts. “Breakfast of champions,” he utters out as he closes the cabinet and grabs his things. Sitting behind the whe...

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“What's The Difference?” by Luis Dajer

Submitted to Contest #31

Joao left his Bronx apartment and walked down the street towards the bodega to purchase some ingredients his mother needed for tonight's dinner. The walk from his apartment to the corner store was not far, and the weather on this spring evening was soothing. Days like this Joao didn’t mind going out to run errands. He was a laid-back teenager who never thought much of anything more than was necessary. His mother told him to be quick, and not in that nice “Please don’t be too long,” tone, but rather in the fierce tone that is standard among L...

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“Orbs” by Terri Ash

Submitted to Contest #31

“I’m off to the corner store!” I called from downstairs. “We’re nearly out of bread.” “Don’t take too long!” Marie said. “I won’t!” I slung my coat on and ran out of the house. We didn’t actually need bread. I needed to get out. We were only staying there because of all the reports of paranormal activity. Marie loved her ghosts. You were supposed to be able to see ghosts by taking photos of a place. If a strange orb or unexplainable blue light showed up on your camera or phone, it was a ghost. Different orbs meant di...

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“every sunday before this one” by Gi Maise

Submitted to Contest #31

Every Sunday in the months of December, January and February, there were three people who always walked into Jim's Sundries, without fail. From the point of hire to the current day, Dilan had watched with growing anticipation as they followed the same routine week after week.Person number one was an old man who came in around 4:30 AM, wearing a fluffy brown hat, some form of jacket tucked over a worn shirt, the cleanest dress pants in town, finished off with a pair of running shoes so dirty they were more mud than shoe. He always bought a pa...

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“Perspectives” by Sarah Dumont

Submitted to Contest #31

Grace had woken up to the sun shining through the blinds and the sound of her roomate Trish humming in the kitchen. She didn’t know why, but she could tell from the moment she opened her eyes that it would be a good day. As always on Saturdays, the first thing she did was water her plants. The big cactus near the head of her bed first, then the aloe, then the second cactus near the window, then the african violets and finally the dieffenbachia her mother had bought her for her birthday. Outside, the sun was bright and its beams made the few ...

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“Toothbrush” by Cody Ell

Submitted to Contest #31

“I’ll be home in a bit,” I called over my shoulder as I walked out the front door and shut it tight behind me. No sooner had I stepped outside than the chill wind pulled at my coat, the collar flapping a little. I hunched my shoulders as I stepped carefully down the front steps and started toward the store.It was only a couple of blocks to get there, but I was by no means enjoying myself. The snow had piled up a bit higher than normal this year and the plows had managed to push a decent amount onto the sidewalks so it was slow going.I kept m...

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“Late Night Snack” by Najah Muhammad

Submitted to Contest #31

Night Time. The best and worst time to ever go to the corner store. Unfortunately for me, I walked way over here to buy a big bag of chips for my Mom. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten the whole pack of Doritos while she was sleeping. When I walk into the store, it was empty except for the cute cashier, reading a book at the counter. The walk to the aisle for Doritos is a hassle. The yellow wet floor sign is obviously a way of telling me to go back home, but I still decide to walk down the aisle with the best grace I have right ...

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“Butterflies” by Rosali Keys

Submitted to Contest #31

Wanda was distracted. She had been in a state of perpetual distraction for days, ever since her call with Henry. She fully blamed that distraction for why there wasn’t any milk in the house. Unfortunately, her two-year-old son, Peter, was having a bit of a meltdown, because you can’t have cereal without milk, and the only thing he wanted for breakfast that morning was cereal. Thank goodness it was Saturday. There was no way she could handle this level of drama on a workday. “Come on, kiddo.” She said soothingly, pulling him up from his ...

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“The Rose” by Alana Terry

Submitted to Contest #31

Mrs. Fulton’s hands combed over the aisles of candy bars, her sweet tooth finally getting the best of her. She wasn’t just at the store just for a Hershey’s bar, of course, but after fifteen minutes of wandering back and forth in front of the sugary snacks, she finally broke into her craving. The only problem now was her indecisiveness; should she get the one with almonds or with regular milk chocolate? Rose would have wanted almonds, she thought to herself. Without another thought, she threw an almond chocolate bar...

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“Finnisma Di” by Genevieve Kaiser

Submitted to Contest #31

The line to the cash register was colossal even before the Cohens added into it; Estelle abhorred shopping on Friday night. Her son, George, hated it even more than she did. He wanted his blanket, he wanted his dinner, he wanted something other than this woman, this mother. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted. He thrashed and screamed and wailed in Estelle’s arms, earning well-deserved glares from all the other hot, tired, and angry men and women of New York City. Her other son, Thomas, placidly watched ...

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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

“Untitled” by Fred Aiken

“Backwards” by Carol Sanders

“old friends” by Alan Pattison

“Strawberries” by Dakota Red

“The Fixers” by Lee Jackson

“Milk ” by Jackie Shutt

“What's The Difference?” by Luis Dajer

“Orbs” by Terri Ash

“every sunday before this one” by Gi Maise

“Perspectives” by Sarah Dumont

“Toothbrush” by Cody Ell

“Late Night Snack” by Najah Muhammad

“Butterflies” by Rosali Keys

“The Rose” by Alana Terry

“Finnisma Di” by Genevieve Kaiser

🌟 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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