Start your story with a character looking closely at something, or someone. They can't quite decide if what they're looking at is natural, or man-made.

Posted in Science Fiction on Aug 25, 2023

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✍️ 51 stories

“A Cultivation Story: Redemption” by Anthony Carello

Submitted to Contest #213

Riuk San Din stood in front of a mirror, he carefully looked at his body. He was a great cultivator and his body reflected this. There were long lines that covered his body. Filled with, what looked like, a pure white light. This was a direct result of his cultivation and was a symbol of his dedication and his power. Two pool of the brightest purest light were all that remained of his eyes, another affect of his cultivation. The way Riuk saw the world was completely different ever since he got the new eyes. Instead of being able to see...

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“Can This Really Be?” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #213

Can This Really Be? Can this really be? I am beginning to think that this isn’t just a hallucination. The dog has in one day demonstrated that he is good company when I am working out of my home. It is just this one weirdness that has me wondering. What Started It All The pandemic caused big changes in many people’s lives. What I experienced could be about the strangest aspect of all. During the peak period of the pandemic many people stayed home, and...

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“The Uffizi Epiphany” by Brent Katz

Submitted to Contest #213

The Uffizi EpiphanyBy Brent Katz08/27/2023In the majestic city of Florence, where the modern world collides with priceless relics of the past, Matthew Cooper faced a dilemma. A thirty-three-year-old guy of simple tastes, he found comfort in life’s modest pleasures, such as spending a Sunday afternoon watching football on the couch or sharing the same old stories with his buddies at the bar. As for his girlfriend, Emily, she was a creature of another sort, a charismatic lady who effortlessly captivated the attention of those around her. Posse...

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“A Company Called Fate” by Henri Porritt

Submitted to Contest #213

Unease quickened in his centre, as he stared at the figure draped across the lap of the man facing him. She was content, smiling. Her chest rose and fell with laughter, cheeks reddening. But there was something. Maybe in the soft flow of uniform hair, long and black and solid. Looking as if you could pluck it away in one motion. Maybe it was the stillness of her arms and hands and legs, almost ceramic. Uncanny valley, they’d called it. Back in the day of wax museums and science fiction. Distracting you, is she? The man gr...

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“Painted Grey, Part 1” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #213

What did the mines have, if anything? Where did the ores go? Were there still ultrantulas roaming about that place? Thoughts like this had put Tholan back on the path to answer questions that the community reechoed. Today, it was literal; he was granted leave by Garrold to check the mines, maybe see if there was anything to salvage there for the people. He made sure that Lindia was comfortable before going; she had been a bit more sporadic, especially when she transformed at night uncontrollably, but he attributed such to stress from t...

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“Are You For Real?” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #213

TW: People in conflict over mistakes made.Arne entered the meet up club where he planned to meet Gloria. Her text said she’d be wearing a white Gardenia to more easily identify her. ‘Meet ups’ are an informal version of the blind date. They allow singles to get acquainted and pursue deeper connections.Almost immediately, Arne saw a problem. Across the dimly lit room, he saw two women with Gardenias. Either would make him look good. One wore a Gardenia in her hair. She had a model’s figure, but was too slim for Arne’s tastes.She stood near th...

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“The circle of wonder” by Chuy Leija

Submitted to Contest #213

In the heart of a dense, ancient forest, nestled between towering trees and a symphony of chirping birds, lived a curious young woman named Elara. She had always been fascinated by the mysteries of the natural world, spending her days exploring the woods and uncovering its hidden wonders. One crisp morning, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the emerald canopy, Elara stumbled upon something that left her both intrigued and puzzled. Hidden beneath a veil of dew-kissed ferns, Elara's gaze fell upon a delicate structure that seemed ...

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“Swamp Gas ” by Christina Cooper

Submitted to Contest #213

“What in the world is that?” I asked as I pointed toward the sky. “What are you looking at?” He glanced up, squinting his eyes against the sun. “Whoa.” “Yeah. But what is it?” “I don’t know. I can’t tell if it’s like a weird cloud or if it’s… something else.” &nb...

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“Image and Likeness” by J. A. Greene

Submitted to Contest #213

“Who are you really?”He stared deeply into the young woman’s eyes.“Who do you think I am?” She responded with her soft, tender voice.“It doesn’t matter to me who I think you are, but it matters to everyone else.”“Why? Why is there opinion more important than yours?”Stephen crinkled his eyes in anger without breaking his sight with her.“Listen, I don’t give a rat’s ass who you are, but you entered into my dominion, and everyone here has a problem with you.”“What problem is that?”Stephen raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief of her reaction. “...

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“Keer-cheep” by Kateresa .

Submitted to Contest #213

Keer-cheep. Hoku closed her eyes, not that it mattered, and felt the hands of her braille watch. It was 6:15 in the evening. On the balcony, she heard birds calling, waves crashing on the beach, a gentle breeze cooling the heat of the afternoon, the rustle of the ohi’a lehua trees. Deep breath in, the fragrance of plumeria, and salt from the ocean. Peaceful. Lovely. Paradise. She was always listening, but now she gripped the railing of the balcony, warm from the sun, and focused. Keer-cheep. Time 6:20. Bryan would be home soon, ...

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“Human Touch” by Chris Pye

Submitted to Contest #213

Human Touch by Chris Pye 'I can't resist,' I mumble though gritted teeth. 'I'm going to do it.' Carter would have tried to stop me only he's not here. He's back in London on his Tutankhamun circuit with Lord Carnarvon. Again. It's just me in this dry and musty stone chamber. My discovery this time. I'm on my hands and knees because the ancient ceiling is too low for anything more than crouching. My flashlight dances shadows over the smooth sandstone walls and stale dust motes hang suspended in its beams. On a whim, I turn ...

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“Blood and Cookies” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #213

Blood and Cookies “So what do you think?” The two Tamsins speak in unison. I’m dumbstruck, looking from one to the other like a cat tracking a laser.“Come on, which is which?”I’ve known Tamsin for years, and she’s never had a twin. But now she does. It’s thoroughly unnerving, and I don’t like it.I look at the one to my left.“What’s your name?”“Tamsin!” they both claim. And the one to my right.“Gemma!” they answer.“Here, touch us.” Each extends a hand. I close my eyes to enhance my sense of touch, and put out my own hands ...

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“The Birthday Suit” by Sean McDonnell

Submitted to Contest #213

It was a plastic face; too smooth on the exterior, and too hard beneath. The familiarity was there, but something was off in ways that were difficult to make sense of. Rachel didn’t feel sad for this man because this man wasn’t real; this corporeal sham was explicitly crafted for the conspiracy. A conspiracy by whom? And to what end? Rachel did not know. But whether nefarious or in humor much darker than she could appreciate, this thing lying in a box in front of her was not her father.Her mother sobbed and moved down the line, but Rachel st...

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“Pareidolia” by Jack O'Brien

Submitted to Contest #213

Dr. Sidorov didn’t like the windowless consult room he’d been assigned. He was a senior member of the psychiatric staff and he deserved better. He swore the room had originally been a walk-in closet, so uncomfortably small he suspected it made even his sedated patients anxious.The wallpaper selected by the interior designers covered one complete side, floor to ceiling, in an abstract design. “It’s a horrible pattern––much too busy to be appropriate for a behavioral health facility,” he thought. Still, he tr...

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“The Mannequin in The Gallery” by Gabriel Perez

Submitted to Contest #213

The Gallery was quiet at this time of day. The few patrons that walked its halls and browsed its well-lit alcoves were mostly of the older and more mature generations.Unsurprisingly, it only took a spoken statement and a question to shatter the muted silence. The beginning of a conversation worth listening in on, although no one did.“I’ve seen everything in this fine art gallery but nothing quite like this. This piece, what is it called?” Brettan asked.“It is called, ‘The Mannequin’,” The Curator answered.“I see.”The Curator stepped closer t...

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Start your story with a character looking closely at something, or someone. They can't quite decide if what they're looking at is natural, or man-made.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“A Cultivation Story: Redemption” by Anthony Carello

“Can This Really Be?” by John Steckley

“The Uffizi Epiphany” by Brent Katz

“A Company Called Fate” by Henri Porritt

“Painted Grey, Part 1” by Steffen Lettau

“Are You For Real?” by John K Adams

“The circle of wonder” by Chuy Leija

“Swamp Gas ” by Christina Cooper

“Image and Likeness” by J. A. Greene

“Keer-cheep” by Kateresa .

“Human Touch” by Chris Pye

“Blood and Cookies” by Cindy Strube

“The Birthday Suit” by Sean McDonnell

“Pareidolia” by Jack O'Brien

“The Mannequin in The Gallery” by Gabriel Perez

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with a character receiving a hug or words of comfort.

Write a story about someone who is losing feeling in their hands and/or fingers.

Write about someone with a Midas touch: everything they touch turns to [fill in the blank].

Write about an AI or person trying to inject a ‘human touch’ into their work.

Contest #213

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

288

Contest entries

124

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: