Write about a character who wakes up in someone else’s clothes — or utterly weird apparel they don’t recognize as their own.

Posted in Science Fiction on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 38 stories

“The Garden of Beauty” by Hannah P. Simmons

Submitted to Contest #145

Awake.I blink twice. That's all it takes for me to realize I am lying on my back. Above me a night sky glitters with stars unlike any night sky I have ever seen. Hues of cobalt and lavender intertwine, as though placed by the gentle strokes of an artist's brush, while stars shimmer and blink, like jewels kissed fleetingly by the light.And I gaze up at this masterpiece through thin branches, speckled with leaves that shake as the boughs sway to and fro.For a moment, I don't move. But then, I hear the music. It drifts through the dark on a gen...

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“The Trials of Ralph of Hairstow-on-Stretford” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #145

It’s a slap what wakes me, right across my face. Is that Gemma, I wonder? Before my eyes can open I loose a mighty burp and trumpet a righteous wind. “Good lord!” a man yells. “By all that’s holy!” says another. “That is foul indeed!” I try to open my eyes. My lids are thick, heavy, covered with honey or something. When I crack them it’s painful bright out and I wince. I could have sworn it was night just a moment ago, but everything’s blurry. Vision, memory, all of it. Like that time Gemma said she was expecting yet another mouth to feed. I...

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“A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #145

TW: Swearing, brief references to the beast with two backs. I woke up with a headache that could crack a god’s skull. It panged for the pure blackness of deep space. Dusty floorboards kissed my cheek as I grumbled to my feet. Dancing in the air, particles of dust were keeping the party going. Throbbing agony pulsed with the beat of my heart. The ache extended far beyond the confines of my head into the air beyond. Curtains that didn’t deserve the name were letting in m...

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“Mirror me” by Holly Guy

Submitted to Contest #145

TW: swearing. You are me. I am you. We are one. We were one for years. Twenty-two, to be precise. And then you left me. Our bond was ineffable, perhaps the closest assimilation is that we are twins. Joint by the mind, infatuated with each other’s thoughts and dreams. Remember the long summer evenings, playing in the park, our long blonde hair whipping back and forth as we rocked higher and faster on the swing. And when we would fall off (which was more common than not), I would be there to soothe you. For twenty-two years, the smile on ...

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“Dressed to Kill” by Carter Msilisi

Submitted to Contest #145

“Wake up!” A voice in my head screamed. I felt a piercing headache drill into my brain. I grasped at my temple as I sat up on the single bed, I found myself in. I looked around the room and I could barely make out the blandest bedroom I had ever seen in my life. Whoever lived here had an obsession with dark grey. The curtains were in a smokey grey shade and were closed, keeping the room dark and soulless. The duvet and pillow under me were both also in some kind of shade of grey. There was a weird smell that lingered around the room. It was ...

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“Mr. Pratt's Jabberwocky” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #145

“This is one giant clanging bell of a hangover,” muttered a sweaty and extremely groggy Anthony Pratt to himself as he awoke in an unfamiliar, sparsely furnished darkened bedroom. In the hot partially lit surroundings, his eyes lazily attempted to identify a few inanimate objects slowly coming into focus. The room reeked of stale cigar smoke, alcohol, and cheap sex, prompting him to assume that during the previous evening, he had somehow ended up in the boudoir of a Columbian bordello’s Madame. “Well, this is something new,” he stammered, “...

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“Pretty pink panties.” by Marie Cunningham Davidson

Submitted to Contest #145

*warning for crude language and anatomical body parts*I’m alone in my king-sized bed, trying to drift off to sleep, but the argument buzzes around my brain. I’m not a narcissist, I’m not a male chauvinist pig, nor am I selfish. Why on earth would Sarah think these things of me. She wants to know how I’d like to be treated the same way. Well, I think I treat her like a princess.I mean… I take her to the pub every Friday night… well… at least when it’s not “guys night out”…Who does she thinks buys her flowers from the supermarket? Who gives he...

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“The stripper” by Mindy Brooks Overturf

Submitted to Contest #145

I struggled to open my eyes. The light in the room was blinking red then blue. It had a rhythm on off, on off. It hurt my head. Make it stop. Noone was there to hear me. I sensed I was alone but where? Gathering my courage I opened one eye then the other. The lights continued to blink they were coming from outside sitting up I cringed my head felt heavy and I longed to close my eyes again but I could smell danger. I had to figure this out. I realized I was on a dirty mattress but where I could not say. Getting up on my knees I peered out of ...

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“The Tin Man's Clothes” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #145

Bryon wiped the sleep out of his eyes and looked around the room that he had no idea how he got there. He yawned and rubbed his hands together. Before he could gather his thoughts someone came into the room he didn’t recognize. A tall thin man with wavy black hair accented with gray and horn-rimmed glasses was standing in front of him. Byron dangled his legs over the floor as he sat up on the bed. His eyes met the strange man’s eyes and before he could say a word the man spoke. “How are you feeling?” The man asked. Bryon paused and scoot...

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“Saturday Night Activities ” by Lex Lockner

Submitted to Contest #145

The teapot was screaming in my kitchen as I sprinted in to turn off the heat. It was dark outside, with only the large pendant lamp fixture over the table creating a soft glow. The tile of the floor was cold on my bare feet as I moved swiftly as I had done a thousand times. I pour the hot water into two mugs and everything feels so quiet and peaceful. “Ahem.” I’m leaving Jack waiting eagerly at the table for the tea. I quickly add a pinch of sugar to both cups, despite Jack hating anything sweet, and give the dark mu...

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“Twist of Time” by Cindy Calder

Submitted to Contest #145

The day was a formidable one at best with the downpour of rain and the occasional streaks of lighting that stretched across the expanse of the skies along with the ominous rolls of thunder. Looking out the large window that covered the entire wall of one side of the den, Piper yawned, sinking deeper into the cushions of the comfy sofa, the book she was reading perched on her chest. It was such a dreary day that she could not help feeling sleepy again even though she’d risen later than usual that morning.Her normal days of vacation almost alw...

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“The Man In The Window” by Mabel Gray

Submitted to Contest #145

I knew something was off before I opened my eyes. As I pulled my consciousness up from the depths of my dreamless sleep, I could feel the itchy, foreign clothes on my body. Something wasn’t right. The sensation of a pair of eyes watching me made me shiver and I snapped awake ready to fight. Heart beating fast with adrenaline, I sat up in bed with my hands in front of me, shielding me, but what I saw was even worse. This was not my room. This was not my bed. Those weren’t my windows or my clothes. I didn’t know where I was. I could feel the ...

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“The Vicar's Banquet” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #145

Roger groaned as he woke up in a barn after a long day of what his paystub referred to as ‘groundskeeping.’ He blinked and saw a raven nearby, simply watching him. As soon as he stretched, the bird cawed and flew off through the large opening where the barn doors used to be and into the morning sky. His head had been laid on a rough bale of hay so he had to rub his neck to - in a bit of futility - soothe some of his new neck pain.Feeling an alien bit of soft cloth, he could tell something was different: his shirt and overalls had been replac...

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“Catch & Release” by Tianna Glass-Tripp

Submitted to Contest #145

**Content Warning** This story contains sexual content and swearing. My face is coated in what has to be the brightest sunshine I’ve ever felt. I open my eyes and look around a beautiful room. The first word that comes to mind is “plush”. I’m absolutely drowning in about seventeen down pillows and a fluffy white comforter. I look up at a gray, tufted headboard. The windows are only dressed with pure white sheers, making the room seem even brighter. I’ve woken up in my fair share of women’s beds over the years and I’ve got to admit, this is...

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“Denny's Closet” by Jame Michaels

Submitted to Contest #145

Denny’s Closet Chapter 1 By Jame Michaels She came right over, when I entered the office, and shook my hand. “Are you Dave?”, she asked with a nice smile. “Margie told us last Friday, the home office had hired a new person for the opening. “Yes, I’m Dave. And you are?” “I’m Denise, but everyone calls me Denny. I’ll be your sidekick for the first week or two to get you settled in and train you on Jeepers.” Two weeks? Only two weeks, I thought to myself. I could see myself spending a lot more than two weeks with her. “What is Jeepers...

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Write about a character who wakes up in someone else’s clothes — or utterly weird apparel they don’t recognize as their own.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“The Garden of Beauty” by Hannah P. Simmons

“The Trials of Ralph of Hairstow-on-Stretford” by Michał Przywara

“A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing” by Graham Kinross

“Mirror me” by Holly Guy

“Dressed to Kill” by Carter Msilisi

“Mr. Pratt's Jabberwocky” by Chris Campbell

“Pretty pink panties.” by Marie Cunningham Davidson

“The stripper” by Mindy Brooks Overturf

“The Tin Man's Clothes” by Marcia H.

“Saturday Night Activities ” by Lex Lockner

“Twist of Time” by Cindy Calder

“The Man In The Window” by Mabel Gray

“The Vicar's Banquet” by Cajek Veilwinter

“Catch & Release” by Tianna Glass-Tripp

“Denny's Closet” by Jame Michaels

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story where a particular piece of clothing appears three times.

Set your story at a global fashion event — or a carnival ball.

Think of an item of clothing from your childhood, and write a story inspired by that.

Write about a character who decides to give themselves, or someone else, a fashion makeover.

Contest #145

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

166

Contest entries

96

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: