Write about two characters arguing over how a past event happened.

Posted in Sad on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 34 stories

“That's wasn't how it happened” by Danielle Jumper

Submitted to Contest #156

“That wasn’t how it happened, Edgar,” Sam said. He was becoming more agitated. “It was,” Edgar insisted. “No, we buried her by the well,” Sam said. “No, we didn’t, because I clearly remember objecting to burying her near a water source, Sam.” It was dusk and the two men were old now, but not old enough to let themselves rot in prison for what remaining life they had left to live. “These damn mosquitoes,” Edgar mumbled, as he slapped his neck. “You see that tree?” Edgar pointed. “The one there with the crooked trunk? She’s a coup...

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“The Relict Flower” by Dara Thompson

Submitted to Contest #156

“Happy anniversary,” Dean sings, his green eyes glistening with excitement. I groan, rolling my body away from his, yanking all the covers with me as I go. “I said, Happy anniversary.” He chirps again, gripping my shoulders and pulling me back against his firm torso. Quickly he presses a kiss to my forehead. “Now, wake up. We have plans.” I sigh and try to roll away from his grasp. “At six in the morning, Dean?” “No,” he chuckles, “We have plans this afternoon.” I hope Dean can feel the annoyance radiating off of me. Why...

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“Seeing Red” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #156

Jeremy escorted his parents into his two -story brownstone, allowing them to settle themselves on the black leather couch before addressing them. “I asked you guys here because I want you to understand the rules of my wedding and to remain civil to each other. I…” “Dear,” interrupted his mom, “we’ve been divorced for 6 years. We definitely know how to conduct ourselves by now. Plus, we’re both remarried and very happy - well at least I am.” His dad rolled his eyes. “Mom,” he sighed. “I had...

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“The Unwavering Willow” by Tracey Martin

Submitted to Contest #156

“When I was a little girl, I would often hide away in my wardrobe. I felt safe in there: surrounded by soft knitted sweaters and my collection of buttons. With the doors shut, I would have tea parties under the glow of a hundred tiny stars, each one stickered by me. It smelled like my mother too. I had used her perfume bottle to spray every piece of clothing I owned. It was the perfect hideaway. I could even keep watch from inside. The doors were slatted at just the right angle for me to see a little way across my bedroom floor. But sometime...

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“Hating Harold” by David Clausen

Submitted to Contest #156

"No... no it was in '63 I'm sure of it," he said. I didn't have the heart to argue with him further. It was in '65 when we got married and I became Mrs. Harold Barksdale. Not in '63. There were a lot of things Harold was forgetting or misremembering lately. Sometimes a date, sometimes a name, but always with the certainty that I was wrong and he was right. The doctors said this would happen as his condition progressed. I guess I thought it would take longer, but part of me is relieved. The disease seems to have sped up it's timetables l...

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“Way Off Target” by Susan Dalziel

Submitted to Contest #156

Contains swearing. Ice cubes clinked in glasses as toasts were raised to their late friend. There was still a lingering underlying odour of tobacco even though the smoking ban had been in place for over a decade; it had definitely been more than ten years since the upholstery and curtains had last been cleaned. Soft music mingled with hushed conversations, the murmur of other mourners rolled and peeked, occasional flurries of laughter from far corners floating up and evaporating into the ether as the drink loosened up memories and stories ...

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“The Fogged Glass” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #156

[T/W: Domestic abuse, mental health] “Don’t you remember?” Ron’s gaze pleaded from just inches away. The corners of his eyes pinched, his lips tightened in a strained pout. “I know this has been a lot for you and must be so confusing. But that isn’t quite how it happened, is it, dear?” “Well, Pen, what happened? We’re here for you.” Penelope’s father spoke warmly, although she noticed the same pinched eyes and strained mouth had begun to contort his face as well. “Please, Pen, whatever you can remember, really remember,” her mother beg...

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“A Teddy Bear For Adults” by Marie Mckenzie

Submitted to Contest #156

***Warning: Contains explicit language, mentions suicide/self-harm and substance abuse***I really hate my job. I’m staring at the clock like a jailbird waiting for their cell to finally open, to taste the sweet nectar of freedom. It’s an odd sensation — a cocktail of relief and nauseating anxiety. Today’s the day I stick up for myself. Today’s the day I tell the dragon lady I refuse to work on my day off. She'll listen to me because I'll sound confident, stern, and oh my gosh, here she comes! My back straightens.In she walks w...

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“The Witnesses” by S.T. Kit

Submitted to Contest #156

“He is a liar.” I say as I scowl at Mr. Neph, my newly-made enemy of the hour, who just gave a brief description of my ‘crime’. “No I am not, officer!” He shouted in a fit of anger. Mr. Neph was a plump middle-aged man with a wretched combover, dead set on framing me for a crime I most certainly didn’t commit. “Everyone needs to take it down a notch.” The Officer says in an American accent. “We need to hear all sides of this, Mr. Neph. Ms. Cartwright still needs to explain as well as the other witnesses.” “And you doubt my judgment? I, Ale...

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“The Hot Waitress” by Eliza B

Submitted to Contest #156

“Should we go to that brunch place where we both wanted to fuck the waitress?” she said to her lover with a smirk, as she finger-brushed her wet hair and fastened her towel tight over chest. “What? We both wanted to…?” He sat on her bed, looking back at her with confusion. She laughed. “I mean, not actually. We just both thought she had a cool style, and we were afraid to order anything that wasn’t up to her approval.” Simon was still quiet. Scanning his brain. He seemed to become overcome with a peaceful wave of remembrance, and smi...

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“The Second Chance of Love” by Liz Molloy

Submitted to Contest #156

It was never supposed to end this way. It was never supposed to end at all. But even soulmates can have a moment of doubt. A moment that slips into the cracks. A moment that fueled their subconscious fear that maybe their love was never the fairytale they thought it was. All it took was just one singular moment, less than ten minutes, to change everything for them. Daisy took that moment as a blessing. They were only together for two years, if that moment didn’t happen sooner then she could have been with Ava for much longer, wast...

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“The Performance” by Kevin Quin

Submitted to Contest #156

The Performance There were a number of day chairs, leather, yet covered in those brownish throw rugs from IKEA. Several older people sat on them, chatting, reading, knitting, doing crosswords, watching the mute television, or sleeping. Some were dying. Two of the men looked a little different from the others. One, in brown corduroy trousers and a beige silk shirt with an old-fashioned wine-coloured cravat around his neck was standing, laughing and quite animated; the other, slightly scruffy, but clean shaven in grey trousers, w...

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“Bury That Story” by Clementine Daisy

Submitted to Contest #156

My wife always thought that something utterly supernatural happened after her mother’s funeral. She always tried to convince us, telling her story with every chance; over and over. Until we couldn’t listen; we hadn’t seen anything. Salem and I hadn't at least. I am not sure about her sister. In any case, Violeta never got her sister to admit that she saw something strange or different.Once she got close to getting her admit it. It was a summer’s evening. We used to spend summers in her country. Especially after her parents passed away, we’d ...

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“The Good Mother” by Geoffrey Saemann

Submitted to Contest #156

I woke up drenched in sweat. It seemed to be happening more and more often lately. I sat up in bed, gasping as if I’d just completed a half-marathon. “Another damned nightmare” I thought irritably. “Can’t get away from the jackass, even in my sleep.” I looked around at the dark bedroom, observing the whirlwind of clutter that obscured most of the hardwood floor from view. The small, dirt-streaked window only allowed a few rays of morning sunlight to penetrate the room. As the fog of sleepiness cleared from my brain, I realized my head was po...

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“The finest line” by Juju Warbington

Submitted to Contest #156

The evening’s chores feel duller than usual when there are tears streaming down my cheeks. Grey, filthy water sloshes around in the sink and spills onto the counter with every mindless swipe of the sponge. The stack of dirty dishes has significantly gotten smaller, but my mind is everywhere but here in the kitchen. Blood stains and the smell of hydrogen peroxide cloud my senses and take me back a few hours. A dark studio apartment. Dingy furniture, a pile of dusty books, the feeling of a rough polyester jacket in my hands. My mind le...

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Write about two characters arguing over how a past event happened.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 34 stories

“That's wasn't how it happened” by Danielle Jumper

“The Relict Flower” by Dara Thompson

“Seeing Red” by ER Castaneda

“The Unwavering Willow” by Tracey Martin

“Hating Harold” by David Clausen

“Way Off Target” by Susan Dalziel

“The Fogged Glass” by A.T. Westbrook

“A Teddy Bear For Adults” by Marie Mckenzie

“The Witnesses” by S.T. Kit

“The Hot Waitress” by Eliza B

“The Second Chance of Love” by Liz Molloy

“The Performance” by Kevin Quin

“Bury That Story” by Clementine Daisy

“The Good Mother” by Geoffrey Saemann

“The finest line” by Juju Warbington

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story where a character is experiencing parallel realities.

Write about false news coverage of an important event.

Start your story with a character or a narrator saying, “Don’t you remember?”

Write a story about a pathological liar.

Contest #156

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

212

Contest entries

93

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: