Start or end your story with someone being soothed by a hug or words of comfort.

Posted in Short Story on Jan 24, 2025

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✍️ 47 stories

“Slice of Life - Travelling” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #287

It’s just me and Bub, on the road together. Bub is my pet dog. He’s a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, and I think he’s great. He’s been my companion for the last year. Actually, he was a gift from one of my aunts, back when I used to live with my parents. More about that later. Oh, my name? It’s Calvin.I walk into the roadside cafe with Bub following me in. Bub draws a few stares, and some of the staff look nervous, but I reassure them that Bub won’t cause any trouble, so they grudgingly agree to let hi...

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“The Best Sensation” by Miranda Surace

Submitted to Contest #287

“STOP PLAYING AND JUST PACK ALREADY”! Amelia began to cry hysterically. I am the worst mother. I know this feeling. This panicky, sickening, rotting heavy feeling is laying in the bottom of my stomach. He's coming for us. It's not Amelia's fault. She's six. She only knows him as Daddy. I know him as the person who demolished and ruined me. He is coming. I'm stuck. I'm frozen. To say time is flying by is an understatement. With every passing second my anxiety swells. It is all consuming. I have to protect my baby girl. She doesn't know him li...

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“La Angelita” by Terry Maris

Submitted to Contest #287

Rita tightened the thin shawl around her shoulders, though it did little to keep out the night's biting wind. The cold gnawed at her skin, creeping into her bones, but she ignored it. Her focus remained on the bundle cradled in her arms—her daughter, Angelita. "Shh, mi amor," Rita whispered, rocking her gently. "Tu mamita está aquí. No tengas miedo." The border city streets stretched out before her, empty and unwelcoming. The glow of flickering neon signs reflected off the wet pavement, a cruel mockery of warmth she couldn't reach. From wher...

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“Imperfect and Beautiful” by Ashleigh Armstrong

Submitted to Contest #287

CW: Contains themes of pet loss and griefThe sound of sniffles echoed through the hallway. Only the light from my phone illuminated the way as I quietly approached the door from which the sounds were coming. I gently touched the door and opened it just enough to peek inside.A big pile of stuffed animals and blankets was on a small bed in the corner of the room. I watched patiently until I saw the pile shift slightly. Another sleepy cry came from under the layers, undoubtedly the sound of my four-year-old daughter.It made my heart break to he...

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“Love after Loss” by Zaneta Dwamena

Submitted to Contest #287

The young woman packs up the last box with her stuff. Her blond hair is tied up in a sleek bun and her usual dress is replaced with an oversized T-shirt with matching sweatpants. Her golden cross necklace sways as she tapes up the cardboard box together. Her fingers tremble as she smoothes the box. She then carries the box towards the silver Nissan Sentra and hands the item to the older man, who grunts with buckling knees. Despite this, he walks to the back of the car and places the box in the trunk. He releases a sigh of relief as he c...

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“All The Details” by Rebecca House

Submitted to Contest #287

Note: this story contains graphic descriptions of miscarriage and grief related to child loss. I remember it all. It started with my dad’s crushing hug after the news.No heartbeat.He hugged me so tight it felt as if he was trying to keep all the pieces of my breaking heart together.I remember it all. All of the little details from that night. That horrendous night. I remember the pain, the cramps starting in my lower abdomen and working their way up. I remember sitting in the warm bath, holding myself like my dad had held me, as the pai...

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“Tea, Ghosts, and Caterpillars” by Kourtney Spadoni

Submitted to Contest #287

Tea, Ghosts, and CaterpillarsI can’t get warm. No matter what I do, I can’t get warm. I shrink underneath the pastel pink knitted blanket, running my fingers along its patterns. They’re Celtic knots, blended with butterflies along the edge of the yarn. I’m not one for pink things, but the color is strangely soothing. My bedroom is shaded in all kinds of blue; my favorite color. It’s supposed to evoke calmness, but it doesn’t calm me like the color is supposed to. I’m drowning in freezing waters or suffocating under an avalanche’s snow. Right...

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“A Willow of Weeps ” by Bridget Ashworth

Submitted to Contest #287

Her bones were brittle, but not from age. These days, it was a workout in itself to wipe the counters clean, and had even become hard to pick up the unused dishes she’d find on the table at the end of the day. The ceramic was too heavy for her frail hands. She set a place at the table for each of her children, complete with her finest china and silverware in the proper way. But, she supposed, her children had better things to do than come eat with their poor mother. She didn’t mind, seeing as she only wanted them to be happy. And so the tabl...

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“The Gaze of your Chamomile Hug” by Katherine Mckune

Submitted to Contest #287

You lounged in the sun driven haze, as the petals lingered on my taste buds. Our mid-air thoughts were gently pressed against each other. The air conversed the unsaid words we thought whilst drinking tea. The wind pressed the pieces of your hair, as I floated in the direction of my mind. I was busy concentrating on the intensity of this moment. Because I knew, when the petals started floating in the air, I wanted to speak to you. You gazed at the edges of my face. I felt your stare and so I shyly looked down at my cup. The tea spilled ever s...

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“Flotsam and Jetsam” by Jack Dowd

Submitted to Contest #287

Trigger warning: Death of child and racism Flotsam and Jetsam ‘Okay Stanley, you’ll be live on air as soon as you hear the beep.’ ‘Thank you,’ Stanley muttered into the receiver and curled his toes inside his slippers. Brillo, his West Highland Terrier, stirred in his basket as the rain continued to drum against the back door. Stanley looked up at Jake’s photo, the frame of the picture catching the glare from the glowing fireplace. His grandson smiled down at him, a shadow on his chin betraying a hint of stubble. The title card for Goo...

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“Trapped in the Garden's Grasp” by Patrick Hayes

Submitted to Contest #287

You can never leave the garden. The moment you step foot inside, the gates behind you close, confining you to the garden's grasp for eternity.Eternity surrounded by blossoms and berries sounds like paradise. The hues of saffron and sienna sunlight fueling your body could please anyone's demands. Chirps of blackbirds eased and soothed nerves until you fell into slumber.Everyone wanted this life. Unless you were Althea Weaver, who despised the garden's grasp.She swayed her feet into the void of constellations and comets. Butterflies and caterp...

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“June and Matt” by Chris Cancilla

Submitted to Contest #287

“Hold me!” June said, sobbing, shaking.Matt opened his arms, and June entered the safe space. He wrapped his warm, loving arms around her like a heated, weighted blanket. She was still crying but felt better. He was taller than her and broader, so her arms would wrap around him, but not at the moment. June had her arms folded under her, and her head rested in the center of Matt’s chest as they stood on the side of the road. It was a well-known place of comfort. It has always been a place she has felt safe for as long as she can remember...

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“Shattered Promises” by Sabrina Lynn

Submitted to Contest #287

CW: Contains themes of infidelity and emotional distress.It was soft and warm, but it still felt cold. The slow shifts of their hands gently rubbing up and down my back, their small coos of reassurance suffocating the air. Their warm embrace felt different, like they were just filling in for someone who used to be important—someone I used to count on. But it’s different now. All future promises were destroyed, and all I was left with was a pit in my stomach and a void in my chest.A small rumble came from above me. “Everything will be okay, I...

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“The Cost of Holding On” by Caroline Smith

Submitted to Contest #287

Elyse laces her fingers around a mug — her favorite, the one her son painted for her at a cheap pottery studio. She’s probably been accumulating lead in her bloodstream with every sip of tea, but this reminder that her son was once a child is worth it; it stabs her heart with a prideful, painful joy. Spicy chai and viscous honey simmer through her shivering body like lava crawling over a glacier. She pulls a chair up to the window, taps on her phone and finds the soft jazz playlist. She is on the fifth floor and the street unfurls below the ...

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“The Last Melody” by Cynethea Cunningham

Submitted to Contest #287

In the quaint village of Willowbrook, the air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of blooming lavender. The winding cobblestone streets were lined with charming cottages, each with its own story to tell. At the edge of town, in a small, ivy-covered cottage, lived an elderly woman named Rose. She was known to all as the village’s resident musician, her grand piano the heart of her home. Her gnarled fingers danced over the keys with the grace of a practiced artist, each note a reflection of her life’s journey.Rose had been a fixture i...

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Start or end your story with someone being soothed by a hug or words of comfort.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 47 stories

“Slice of Life - Travelling” by Paul Hellyer

“The Best Sensation” by Miranda Surace

“La Angelita” by Terry Maris

“Imperfect and Beautiful” by Ashleigh Armstrong

“Love after Loss” by Zaneta Dwamena

“All The Details” by Rebecca House

“Tea, Ghosts, and Caterpillars” by Kourtney Spadoni

“A Willow of Weeps ” by Bridget Ashworth

“The Gaze of your Chamomile Hug” by Katherine Mckune

“Flotsam and Jetsam” by Jack Dowd

“Trapped in the Garden's Grasp” by Patrick Hayes

“June and Matt” by Chris Cancilla

“Shattered Promises” by Sabrina Lynn

“The Cost of Holding On” by Caroline Smith

“The Last Melody” by Cynethea Cunningham

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with a character making a cup of tea for themself or someone else.

Set your story in a café, garden, or restaurant.

Center your story around someone who’s boiling over with anger, frustration, or jealousy.

Write a story with a character pouring out their emotions.

Contest #287

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

408

Contest entries

173

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: