Start your story with the lines: “The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.”

Posted in Short Story on Feb 7, 2025

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✍️ 109 stories

“Signs and Silent Walls” by Logan Glass

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know how long it has been since I woke up, two, or three hours maybe.There was a knife near the bed I woke up on, and a guy tied up in a wooden chair in front of me. The room is completely sterile and seems almost new but at the same time, it felt centuries old.I tried to talk to the other guy but he stayed silent. Every time I pace in front of him he gets startled a bit, but that’s the only reaction I get.A sign in bold, stark red letters hung from his neck. ‘Do not release under ...

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“842” by Rowan Henao

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. What I do know is that the room is dim and green and there’s a gaping gash in my side. Well, there was a gash, it’s just haphazardly sewn up, sending waves of unbearable pain throughout my body. My only relief from it is the steady hum of the singular fluorescent light on the ceiling. It flickers occasionally and the hum wavers, so I focus and count the seconds in between. It could put me to sleep if it didn’t hurt so damn much. Hell, if it didn’t hurt this much I’d be long gone, but I wou...

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“The Cyclic Artist” by Adelyn Wilmoth

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. Like the character of a beginning storybook, I’m surrounded by blank canvasses just waiting for divine inspiration. The white walls scream at me, the absence of colour irritating them beyond belief. Their voices call me the artist, but why? Am I the artist, or a detective in search of clues? I turn around slowly, spying at the blank walls. But there’s nothing. No way in. No way out. The walls are flat and empty. A haunting feeling infuses my inner being as I find myself staring at these wa...

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“The White Room” by Jon Resnick

Submitted to Contest #289

"The room is unfamiliar," David groaned, standing up from the cold ceramic floor. "I don't know how I got here. You?" "No, I can't remember how I got here either. And I can't find a way out," the woman who called herself Denise answered. David noticed her hands wringing one another as she did another slow spin, observing the space he had just woken up in. His head pounded as if he had polished off a bo...

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“Unfamiliar” by Rebecca Buchanan

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. Suddenly very bright lights, I am on a cold hard surface.“What can you tell me about yourself?” the man bending over me asked. He is dressed in dark green scrubs and looks to be around retirement ageI am unable to move my arms. . . . or legs. . .or neck. Ahhhh, Oh now I am floating. Is that me lying there on that steel table getting a Y cut into my chest?“What do you have for me Doc?” a short, stocky but not fat man about 50, wearing a nice but not too expensive sui...

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“"From Racoon to Romance"” by Brenda Adams

Submitted to Contest #289

This room is unfamiliar. I don't know how I got here," Lizzy mumbled into the duvet, the floral pattern tickling her nose. She peeked through one eye, then another, taking in the pastel-pink walls, the frilly lampshade shaped like a swan, and the disconcertingly large collection of porcelain cats perched on every available surface. "Seriously," she groaned, "Did I accidentally wander into a dollhouse convention?"She dived deeper into the duvet, attempting to conjure up a plausible explanation. Had she been sleepwalking? Kidnapped by a flock ...

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“Bizarre, truly life affirming.” by Olutayo Lijadu

Submitted to Contest #289

“ The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here “. Hilda nearly cries out as she walks into the office where she works. She freezes in time, space and panic and fear. She looks around in horror but the greeting from her colleague makes her jump back into herself both literally, figuratively and bodily. “ I’m at work at Moving Wheels, the car accessory company. I work as a customer service/ sales agent, she stressed. I’m Hilda Jones. It is 8.45 am and I start work on the phones at 9am, 15 minutes exactly. My target is 100 outbound ...

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“The Jig Is Up” by Reggie Tennison

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. I am lying on a bare mattress, pushed up against the wall in the deepest corner of the room. An ancient lamp spewed a very modest amount of light, the only light in the room. My head spins a little as a sit up. I try to gather my thoughts, but they’re muddled and thick with cobwebs, blocking coherent thought. I even struggled to come up with my name at first. Then it broke through the blockage, Billy Franklin. I’m Billy Franklin. I smiled. Coming up with my name felt like a minor victory. ...

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“Missing Memory's” by Sarah Chojnacki

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don't know how I got here. The room is dimly lit, casting an eerie glow over the unfamiliar space. Dusty old furniture fills the corners, covered in tattered sheets that seem to be hiding secrets. My eyes scan the room, searching for any clues as to how I ended up here. The walls are a dull shade of grey, with peeling wallpaper and cracks running through them. A large window is covered with thick curtains, blocking out any natural light. The room is bare, except for a single chair in the center. I feel a sense of u...

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“Unexpected Strangers......” by Alisha Guilford

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don't know how I got here. I'm feeling very uneasy as I search the room to find comfort in the smile of someone I know but no one looks vaguely familiar. If I had to guess I would say there are about one hundred to one hundred fifty people here, yet I'm still uncertain as to where "here" is. Perhaps it's an awards ceremony of some sort, then again that's highly unlikely since I haven't been involved with anything award worthy in this moment. I don't see a platform where one would be presented so I'll keep scanning t...

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“Lost” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #289

Lost “The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.” “You don’t know how you got here? That is unbelievable. You don’t remember me p...

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“A Second Chance” by Meagan Van De Sande

Submitted to Contest #289

“The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.” The uncertainty in my voice is impossible to mask. I know this isn’t technically real but the sweat forming on my upper lip and the heart beating out of my chest are both very real and I don’t know how to make either stop. “What do you see when you look around the room?” Lorraine’s soft voice and light squeeze of the hand assure . “Don’t worry, I’m here with you.” My eyes remain closed, straining to take in the scene that encompasses my mind and leave my fears and the physical behi...

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“The Room I Knew ” by Olivia Bennett

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. My eyes are trying to adjust to the sliver of light that is being let in by the faded pink curtains that are only a breath apart. Before sitting up, I bring the covers up to my nose and take a sniff into sheets that aren’t bringing much comfort. With one inhale I can smell the lavender and soap fused together that didn’t fully get mixed through, as the comforter was obviously too big for both the washer and dryer. When I finally get the courage to sit up and take in my surroundings I...

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“Far Away ” by J.M. Larjak

Submitted to Contest #289

This room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. I look around and see a wall of bookshelves ahead, and another of windows. I’m standing here alone in the center of the room, on a soft carpet. It’s red and gold, and it looks a little like one I saw a long time ago, somewhere far away. I used to travel places, far away. Did I come here from far away? Did Dennis bring me? Where is he?There are two large, gray couches in the room. I’ve been looking for a couch like these; I wonder where they got them? I should ask. They look soft. Maybe I’...

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“Fate” by Laura Barclay

Submitted to Contest #289

The room is unfamiliar. I don't know how I got here. The last thing I remember was being attacked by my ghosts. My Mother is gone, and everything reminds me of her. I thought playing the songs that were lullabies would give me peace. When that didn't work, I went to the loudest place I could think of. I probably should have alerted my bodyguard, but what haunts me didn't give me the chance to pause. As all the stars seemed to align in the wrong ways, Jo found me. As I pull back, he has the nerve to insinuate going home with him. I thou...

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Start your story with the lines: “The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 109 stories

“Signs and Silent Walls” by Logan Glass

“842” by Rowan Henao

“The Cyclic Artist” by Adelyn Wilmoth

“The White Room” by Jon Resnick

“Unfamiliar” by Rebecca Buchanan

“"From Racoon to Romance"” by Brenda Adams

“Bizarre, truly life affirming.” by Olutayo Lijadu

“The Jig Is Up” by Reggie Tennison

“Missing Memory's” by Sarah Chojnacki

“Unexpected Strangers......” by Alisha Guilford

“Lost” by Joe Swanson

“A Second Chance” by Meagan Van De Sande

“The Room I Knew ” by Olivia Bennett

“Far Away ” by J.M. Larjak

“Fate” by Laura Barclay

🌟 Similar prompts

Write your story as text messages or an online conversation between two characters — and at least one of them isn’t who they say they are.

Write an open-ended story in which your character’s fate is uncertain.

Write a story in which a character discovers that a truth they've believed their whole life is either false or not the whole story.

Your character is getting changed in the bathroom of a nightclub or restaurant, then emerges looking completely different. Why?

Contest #289

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

364

Contest entries

155

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: