All clocks suddenly stop. Write about what happens next.

Posted in Science Fiction on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 45 stories

“A Christmas Fire” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #125

(This story was inspired by "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.) Hearts weigh heavy worldwide as Christmas Eve springs to life. Overdue bills and too much spending tend to make most people weary with doubt, and they often forget what the holidays are all about. Wealthy people hold on to their riches and care not for the agony of others. The poor gather what they have and make the best of things despite their peril. True happiness can’t be achieved without someone else’s suffering, an undeniable fact that is often denied. Fo...

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“Rabbit Moon ” by Anna K Firth

Submitted to Contest #125

He only intended to bring down the moon. That was what the rabbit in the tall hat and red cape told the boy. A simple trick, he said, though it had to be done exactly right. “Wait and see,” he said, winking one of his big black eyes in the boy’s direction. He sat down on a bale of hay and began gently plucking at the strings of his violin, putting down his long ears over it and twisting the little pegs at the top. “What will you do with it?” the boy asked. “With what?” “The moon.” “I’ll put it in my pocket for ...

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“Thirteen” by Sarah Rich

Submitted to Contest #125

Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock thumped with a peaceful echo in the dimly lit hallway. As it always had, the pendulum swayed with the turn of each second. It was one of Theo’s favorite sounds. He appreciated the exaggeration of it whenever the house was empty of everyone but himself. Sometimes, he’d mindlessly pace to the beat and knocking. Today, for Theo, it was one of those days. Tick. Tick. Tick. He also noted that he always counted in threes. It was a calming practice that he’d committed himself to for so long. Without it, his m...

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“3:17 am” by Charlene 🧙‍♀️✨ Boyce

Submitted to Contest #125

It’s a full moon night, so I plan a photo mission. I load up 90s dance tunes on my phone and cruise social media to see what’s happening downtown. I keep getting ads for this special effects photo app, LoveSnapCraft, so I download it into my Visuals folder where I keep Canva and Boomerang and Layout.. Daisy calls to tell me she can’t come over, but joke’s on her, I never expected her to. Ever since we kind of hooked up a few months ago she’s been drifting away. We hadn’t been hanging out that long. I think she is into me and just not...

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“Time For Everything” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #125

Brian rushed about town, constantly gazing down at his wrist to check the time on his watch. Always adamant about being on time for everything, he timed every move with precision. “Five minutes to reach Plaza Tower,” he said aloud to himself. As he reached the pedestrian bridge leading to the building’s entrance, Brian saw that it was extremely crowded. There was no time to go around, so he did his best to push ...

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“Better Never Than Late” by Michael Maceira

Submitted to Contest #125

Beneath the gilded ceiling of an old theatre, a young woman’s violin sang a dancing melody. She played a New Age style of Gregorian chant and hip-hop, every song crescendoing with flair and pomp. The violinist’s energy pumped Robert’s will. He sat in a dark corner, dozens of rows away from the stage, gripping the arms of his chair, his tuxedo drenched in sweat as he heaved in time with the music. Those sitting nearby gave him nervous looks. As the violin’s melody rose in excitement, Robert inhaled deeply. He yelled. Loudly. Brutally. ...

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“Family Dinner Party” by Melissa Manzone

Submitted to Contest #125

The quaint post-card town was dotted with red brick manors, sprawling lawns, and evergreens. Near the town’s center, in a neighborhood where everyone who was anyone called home, lived the Andersons. To neighbors and friends, teachers and schoolmates, and just about everyone else, the Andersons were a picture-perfect family of four. Inside the Anderson home, a sleek, dark-haired Joanna was busy in the kitchen. Standing by the stove, she carefully placed sprigs of rosemary over a pot roast, forming a capital J. “Jaime, John Jr,” she called a...

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“When the clocks freeze” by Dragos Marcean

Submitted to Contest #125

It was a snowy and windy night as Christmas Eve was upon the small town of St. Nicholas. The townsfolk were buzzing around, shopping for toys and groceries or decorating their houses as one would do in this season. They were as busy as the snowflakes rushing down from the dark sky. Alice was a twelve year old girl with long black hair, green eyes and small birthmark on her right cheek, a happy-go-lucky child who loved Christmas more than her birthday. That night, she was merrily decorating the tree along with her mother under the supe...

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“Ruby and the Rat” by Ema Fancher

Submitted to Contest #125

Long ago, on a day like so many before it, a distant clock tower chimed the hour. The sun rose, casting its radiant light over the snow-laden land. In a small shack on the edge of the village, the golden rays warmed Ruby’s face. The young woman gripped her blanket, her one luxury, and snuggled her sleepy face into its warm embrace. The fire had died long ago and she held onto the warmth of her bed as long as possible in the cozy haze of dawn. She dared to open her eyes. The glistening snow shone beautifully outside, and the sun, nestled on t...

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“Out of Time, a Clock’s Last Tock” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #125

Winter inspected her sun room anticipating her sisters' arrival. Spring, Summer and Autumn were due for their annual planning session. Being the eldest, Winter wanted everything in perfect order. She dressed in traditional black. Her sisters preferred the graceful styles depicted in Arthur Rackham’s fantasy illustrations. But Winter dressed formally, especially when entertaining. Her style complemented her orderly home, decorated in white. Snow draped every surface. Her servants followed instructions. Every detail received its due. But fo...

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“The Clock Tower” by Jessie Hartness

Submitted to Contest #125

Imagine a small London town on a particularly grim day. As you walk the main road you see everything through a silver lens, due to the pelting rain that often accompanies daily life in these parts. Small cars pass, steam trailing behind as the exhaust rendezvous with the chilly air. You try not to look down the alleyways as you pass by, it’s better to not think of what the shadows might conceal. Men in top hats holding umbrellas over women in petticoats enjoy an evening stroll. Some may even say the town is beautiful on nights like these, it...

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“Clueless” by Jan Lukas

Submitted to Contest #125

Time out… Our trusted timekeepers dropped the mic and left the building. The building, in this case, being the world. All at once, at the same precise nanosecond they just up and left. Left us all to count the seconds ourselves. Which we of course immediately failed at miserably. Have you ever counted the seconds of a minute accurately without looking at a clock? If not, I challenge you! No way, you will get to 60 in precisely 60 seconds. Humans are surprisingly bad at doing very simple things perfectly. And so, the moment the clocks stopped...

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“How To Fix Time” by John Atlas

Submitted to Contest #125

Jennifer wakes up feeling exhausted, muscle memory launches her hand toward the alarm clock on the bed side table which blasts her with an auditory assault Monday thru Friday. However, on this particular Tuesday, no sound comes from the evil little box. She rolls over to glance at the clock through blurry, sleep drenched eyes. Amber colored numbers flash: 12:00 12:00 12:00 Must have had a power outage in the night. Jennifer thinks. Great. I’ll be late for work. Again. Next to the useless alarm clock, rests Jennifer’s phone. She rubs he...

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“4 Seconds” by Carrie Van Hoose

Submitted to Contest #125

She watched the second hand race around the face of the clock on the classroom wall. It dragged behind it the slow and steady minute hand, edging closer to the final bell. Her day had arrived and her livelihood in cosmetology waited just beyond that door. Her eyes followed the long slender wand sweep its way around the numbers. Five…six…seven. The tension of the minute hand strained in anticipation. Eight…nine…ten. As the second hand crossed the number eleven, it froze with four seconds left to go. She blinked her eyes before trying to r...

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“Timeless” by Morton Newberry

Submitted to Contest #125

(Warning: contains strong language and depictions of physical violence.) The show starts when time stops. The children stare at my purple costume, frozen in their places as I walk around. I'm the only one moving in the entire birthday party; everything and everyone else is as static as a picture. I run across the stage, and time resumes its flow when I reach the other side. I turn to the audience: they applaud and cheer in awe, their minds trying to understand the mechanics of my tricks. I present myself, naturally, as a mere magician. N...

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All clocks suddenly stop. Write about what happens next.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 45 stories

“A Christmas Fire” by Daniel R. Hayes

“Rabbit Moon ” by Anna K Firth

“Thirteen” by Sarah Rich

“3:17 am” by Charlene 🧙‍♀️✨ Boyce

“Time For Everything” by Greg Gillis

“Better Never Than Late” by Michael Maceira

“Family Dinner Party” by Melissa Manzone

“When the clocks freeze” by Dragos Marcean

“Ruby and the Rat” by Ema Fancher

“Out of Time, a Clock’s Last Tock” by John K Adams

“The Clock Tower” by Jessie Hartness

“Clueless” by Jan Lukas

“How To Fix Time” by John Atlas

“4 Seconds” by Carrie Van Hoose

“Timeless” by Morton Newberry

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character who is always running late arriving somewhere just as it closes.

Write a story about a late bloomer.

Write a story including the phrase “Better late than never”.

Set your story in an airport, as someone rushes for a flight.

Contest #125

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

164

Contest entries

113

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: