A chance encounter brings together two old friends who have changed in surprising or strange ways.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 4, 2024

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✍️ 48 stories

“Trum And Bewitta: The Color Of Love (At The End Of The World And The Beginning of Time)” by Jennifer Hochgesang

Submitted to Contest #271

Trum ran looking for Bewitta by the pile of rocks that had been their school. Sometimes when they were feeling quite lonely or sad they played school like when they were little and one pretended to be Ms. Kintz, the kindergarten teacher and the other pretended to be themselves or one of their friends that had died or one of the kids they didn’t like very much especially Stant. Trum really liked pretending to be Stant and would get everything wrong on purpose because he remembered that Stant had been smarter than him, faster and his mom had a...

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“Just Breathe” by Vivian Clausing

Submitted to Contest #271

In 1974, Peter graduated from Berkeley and bypassed the corporate world to study yoga in India. He stayed a year, living in an ashram, meeting with his yogi, trading work in the kitchen for a place to sleep. He lived on lentils and rice, his mind blissfully free until the one steamy morning that his mother cabled with the news that his father had died. It happened that Peter was with Wanda, the first woman he’d ever slept with. An overworked veterinary student who had come to the ashram for a week, she sported an electric blue he...

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“Eternal Steps” by Dannette Tillery

Submitted to Contest #271

Chapter 1 Kai stared at the flyer pinned to the community board of his favorite cafe. “Ballroom Dance Classes: No partner necessary.”“What are you looking at?” Asked Kai’s assistant, glancing behind her.A smirk tugged at his lips. It wasn’t his thing, but maybe stepping out of his comfort zone would be good. Work had consumed his life since he’d launched his indie game company, and he needed a break from coding and deadlines.“You interested in that?”“Do me a favor and sign me up for a class.”“Really? Well, you for sure need to destress more,...

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“Twins” by Peter Cross

Submitted to Contest #271

[This story is about an attempted suicide bombing] “Stand Clear of the doors!”It was obvious to the people standing in the open entrance of the carriage that the two of them would try to beat the trap. They were running, her in front, him close behind. She squealed as she leapt between the closing doors, caught in the moment, despite knowing that he could not possibly make it. She cannoned into the tall businessman who twisted to avoid a direct collision and the heel of her shoe broke as she stumbled into him.“For gods sake!”It was halfway t...

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“The Advocates” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #271

Thr AdvocatesbyBurt Sage I had just landed at Dulles and picked up my luggage. On my way to get a rental car, I passed the inevitable gaggle of limo drivers waiting for their riders. Each driver held up a sign with the name of the rider they were waiting for. One of the signs read ‘Derrick Bronson’. A neuron fired somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. “I wonder if that’s the Derrick Bronson I used to know?” So I stood beside the limo driver and waited. I recognized him immediately. He’s 50 years older now, a little over 70 like me, bu...

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“Hades,Therapy, and Espresso” by Jihad Awwad

Submitted to Contest #271

The autumn breeze brought a sense of relief to the underworld ruler, Hades, who had just finished his five-thousandth anger management session. You see, he had problems and resentment for the last thousand years. You don't just unpack that kind of Drama overnight. He realized his resentment towards his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon. This session was different, though, because he discovered that his biggest problem, the thing that was causing him so much grief, was the isolation he dealt with. The more he talked to his therapist and wife ...

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“Ginger” by Lynne Boyd

Submitted to Contest #271

I barely looked up from my glass when the door opened, deep in thought, writing an article about the town council in my head. There was a tall, coated figure, riding in on a breeze that circled through the darkness of the bar, and I shivered with an icy feeling of change. I took another sip of my bourbon, its warmth to chase away the unwelcome draft. Out of the corner of my eye, the figure moved on wobbly heals. Is she drunk already? She headed towards the bar, and of all the empty seats, she chose the stool two down from me. I suppose ...

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“Water Pressure” by Niamh O'Dea

Submitted to Contest #271

Sorcha stared into the sink. She needed a second before she faced herself. She took a steadying breath and tenderly massaged a gentle rice scrub into her poreless skin. When she reached for a face cloth, her eyes danced on his cast-off wedding band in a small dish. Her body tensed when she lifted her vitamin spray. The few drops left knelled a death rattle when she shook it. When would she ever be able to afford something like that again?She tip-toed downstairs, tied the laces of her feather-light sneakers and rubbed the worn sole solemnly. ...

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“Blair” by Abby Johnson

Submitted to Contest #271

(TW: mentions of drugs) The town where I'd grown up had become a prison of sorts. Its limitations mirrored my own, as I struggled to envision a life beyond its boundaries. The weight of uncertainty pressed down on me, smothering my dreams. And I had once had big dreams. I wanted to be a star. An actress, a singer, a model-anything that would get me out of this bubble in some small, desolate region of Montana. But here I am, six years out of high school and working a dead end job at a grocery store. I get up every morning at five o’cloc...

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“New Beginnings.” by Brendan Csaposs

Submitted to Contest #271

The room was quiet and all was still, save for the steady beep-beeping of the blood pressure monitors and the low rise and fall whoosh of ventilators. The only noise to break the silence was the occasional rustle and squeak of the nurse’s sensible no-slip white shoes as she bustled in and out of the room, arms filled to the brim with charts and files. Alex’s eyes slowly fluttered open and the harsh overhead tube lighting came into focus. Alex grimaced and attempted to turn to the side for a bit of relief but the tangle of tubes and wires com...

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“ Good Faith” by Colin Wadeson

Submitted to Contest #271

*Mild Horror*Peeing in a cold, dark alley at 2 o'clock in the morning wasn't something Father George Winner would look back on proudly, but, he supposed, one might expect worse of a man whose faith had been so painfully shaken as his was but a fortnight ago. Father Stan Buchanan, for example, was a young priest whom George had known in the '60s. Stan, after a stint of evangelism in Vietnam, had lost his faith altogether, and soon after joined the army. He was killed in a firefight in Laos in '71. At least merely turning to the bottle was hur...

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“Seeing you again” by Penelope Stansfield

Submitted to Contest #271

I can’t express how wonderful it is to be with you again, and to see you looking so well. Time has truly been kind to you. After all these years apart, I had almost lost hope of ever seeing your face again. So much time has passed, yet now, here we are, together, reunited at last.I remember those early years well, watching as your mother raised you from the crib to those first stumbling steps of a boundless child. Your energy and sense of adventure was enthralling, and to watch you laugh and play, your much cherished toys...

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“The Creek Did Rise” by Barney Defanfaler

Submitted to Contest #271

The Day BeforeI said, "See You Tomorrow." She said, "God willing, and the creek don't rise."I smiled and tapped the red button on the phone, reflecting, 'How many times had Sherry and I exchanged this archaic mountain idiom. And how many times has it come true?' The Day OfI was awoken at five AM by Mr. Spec, a Queensland Heeler who was whining and shaking, his standard response to his hearing thunder no matter how distant. I listened to the rain on the dome tent for a minute. It sounded heavy, and the creek was thunderous. I had to urinate, ...

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“Path of the Nomad: Beneath the Sands ” by Lars-Ole Kjæmpenes

Submitted to Contest #271

Kai and his group moved cautiously through the wastelands, their silhouettes long against the glaring sun. Dust clung to their boots, and the wind carried a dry, unforgiving heat that seemed to sap the strength from their bones. Kai led the way, his augmented arm gleaming faintly under the harsh light. He glanced back at the others—Reya walked close by, her crossbow ready, while Elias, the youngest among them, trailed behind, his gaze darting nervously between the rocky outcroppings that dotted the landscape. “Do you think the rumors are tru...

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“The Charming Man: Friends Long Forgotten” by Igor Borisov

Submitted to Contest #271

CW: Implications of violence / Profanity It is later than I expected – Thinks to herself a middle-aged woman, while walking towards an Irish Pub. Her old, beige trench coat hasn’t seen a washing for as long as it was serving its duty. Her grey hat, slightly tilted to the side, similarly can’t boast its pristine condition. Yet with all her ruggedness, akin to bedsheets after a long sleep, she still manages not only to look presentable, but intimidating. The at-all-times kept straight back together with her long legs are to blame. Elegant and ...

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A chance encounter brings together two old friends who have changed in surprising or strange ways.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 48 stories

“Trum And Bewitta: The Color Of Love (At The End Of The World And The Beginning of Time)” by Jennifer Hochgesang

“Just Breathe” by Vivian Clausing

“Eternal Steps” by Dannette Tillery

“Twins” by Peter Cross

“The Advocates” by Burton Sage

“Hades,Therapy, and Espresso” by Jihad Awwad

“Ginger” by Lynne Boyd

“Water Pressure” by Niamh O'Dea

“Blair” by Abby Johnson

“New Beginnings.” by Brendan Csaposs

“ Good Faith” by Colin Wadeson

“Seeing you again” by Penelope Stansfield

“The Creek Did Rise” by Barney Defanfaler

“Path of the Nomad: Beneath the Sands ” by Lars-Ole Kjæmpenes

“The Charming Man: Friends Long Forgotten” by Igor Borisov

🌟 Similar prompts

A character crosses paths with a stranger who looks eerily familiar.

Write a story that includes the line “Have we met before?”

Two strangers discover they have a hidden connection that alters their understanding of each other and themselves.

A character finds a clue or object linking them to a stranger.

Contest #271

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

384

Contest entries

135

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: