Start your story with two people planting a tree together.

Posted in Short Story on Dec 2, 2022

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✍️ 50 stories

“Reflections” by Marc Saunders

Submitted to Contest #175

The dome towered over them by what felt like miles, the steel and trans-para-steel created the structure, it reflected the light from the nearby sun, but blocked the harmful rays. Tom and Lyisa walked through the recently completed structure taking in the fresh steely smell, ‘I would say it smells like a new car, but it really does not,’ Tom said, Lyisa turned to him in her usual, REALLY, look and smiled, ‘We need to plan this right, the garden needs to incorporate as much as we can.’ ‘Where shall we start, there is so much space to fill, we...

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“Mr. Noface” by Matt Allen

Submitted to Contest #175

In my business, we plant a lot of trees so to speak. Plant a lot of trees, dig a lot of holes, and work a lot of nights. This particular time we were engulfed with all three. But don’t feel bad for the departed. He was a bank manager taking from not only my boss but the customers of his bank; charging high-interest rates and skimming a 1% or 2 off the top. He deserved what happened to him. Believe it or not, planting trees is a great way to dispose of bodies. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if 50% of the trees in this development had a body...

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“A seed of grief, and a seed of hope ” by Arianna Noelle

Submitted to Contest #175

(Trigger Warning: Story contains topics of death, abandonment, and drug use, as well as some cuss words.)I dug my fingers into the dirt, its moist crumble mocking my focus and distracting me from the task at hand. My pops had his hands cupped, a tiny white seed resting in his palms, still and serene. I told him he didn’t have to hold it, but he wanted to help me out, so here he sat, his beige khakis painted with mud. It was nearly triple digits outside, but his brown cheeks didn’t reveal how warm it was outside. The only indicator ...

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“Monsters of The Mist” by Simon Lawrence

Submitted to Contest #175

The night air was seeping through my skin and biting into my bones; daddy was clawing into the ground, and he stopped. He outstretched his arm and gestured to me; I handed him one of the two potted plants; the leaves radiated warm light, translucent with thread-thin veins. He told me to press my hand at the base of the tree in the dirt, and the soil was grainy yet soft and cold—pinprick massages all over the surface of my palm. Then, the leaves glowed, more radiate and wondrous. "WOW, so pretty," I said. Daddy explained what we were d...

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“Ashes to Ashes” by Michele Duess

Submitted to Contest #175

Sometimes governments do stupid things. Everyone knows they are but they abide, for whatever reason. Perhaps it’s not worth the trouble to protest. Maybe they ignore the notice and by the time they find their city or state was serious, it’s too late. So, it was with Mary Pith, when in the spring of 2002, she found workers had cut down her grapefruit tree. Without so much as a by her leave. And the excuse they gave? To stop the spread of canker. As if the yard was next to some orange grove and not in the heart of Fort Lauderdale. Althoug...

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“Weeping Cherries” by Chloe Davis

Submitted to Contest #175

It takes a while for them to decide. The garden has always been a jumbled mess of different plants, so why should this be any different? There are merits to each species they look at, but eventually they agree upon a walnut tree. It’s a cold spring morning when they decide to dig. The night brought rain, so the soil is soft enough to push a spade through. As the older sibling, she works harder to make it perfect. A spot is chosen at the far end of the property, where they can no longer see the house or any of the memories it holds. ‘I...

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“Lots Of Love-A True Story About A Magical Decade In The Crack Hood” by P. T. Golden

Submitted to Contest #175

They called it the gut; the waist pile spewed out of the bottoms. Cratered, crumbling sidewalks, and cracks full of clovers, the treacherous terrain banished pedestrians to the streets.I had only gone there once before that day. It did not go well. A child no older than ten years old pulled out a gun.That was then, and this was now. Blight and decay's momentum altered magnificently on the cusp of the new millennium. The RNC brought hundreds to the hood, where they made puppets for the protests in the old trolly barn. That was the first time ...

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“The couple who saves the world” by Lucy Gu

Submitted to Contest #175

There were husband and wife, they were planting one tree on their backyard. “Phew, almost done!” said the husband. “Let’s give water to make it grow to a big tree.” Said the wife. They planted the tree as hard as they could with a lot of love to it. They gave water every day, pruning it, say a good thing to it, and care as much as they could. A few years later, the Earth is getting sick, dirty, also because of global warming, there was too little water, all the weeds, trees, and flowers were dead. The couple tried to save their t...

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“"But He Cheated On Me!"” by Taylor Reed

Submitted to Contest #175

Clank! Damn it, the shovel hit another rock. I bent down to move it away, and felt a chill run up my back. I managed to pick up the stone before the automatic chill ensued. “Uh, this is hard work.” I groaned as I straightened back up, feeling the full blast on the wind. I just managed to throw the rock in the giant pile before I could hear her complain again. “This is taking forever!” She danced in place, with her hands in her puffy coat. “Well, I mean if you actually managed to climb down in this hole with me to h...

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“The Harold tree” by Waxy Jo

Submitted to Contest #175

He had been an eccentric and odd sort of character. Cantankerous, some might say, but Bella had thought he was wonderful. She was rapturous when he regaled his with exciting tales of times gone by, and his knowledge of history and music fascinated her just as much. “Just here, I think?” Bella called out to Justin, “I think this is a perfect spot, the light is fabulous and you can hills all around it.” Justin strolled over and affirmed her choice. “Yes, this would be befitting of such a loquacious and inquisitive chap for ...

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“THE FERRION SEEDS” by Sinbad Omorodion

Submitted to Contest #175

The two men grunt as their shovels hit the soil repeatedly, opening it deeper with each thrust. “You could use magic and save us both the stress”, said Heliam Lyran sighed “Why do you act like one who does not know customs?” “I’m just saying, there’s no need to go through hours of digging when you could open up a hole in an instant with one of your spells” “I know Knights aren’t known for their Intelligence, but even you should know tradition demands the Ferrion seeds be buried in a hole dug by hand and of sweat” “I am sweating plenty alrea...

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“Sweet Bay Magnolia” by Kevin Mombourquette

Submitted to Contest #175

It almost seems patronizing to the earth when you pat down the dirt after planting something. As if to say “there there, you’re fine, nothing worth getting yourself spun up about” immediately after violating it with sharp instruments specifically designed to penetrate it, reshape and otherwise change it into something we prefer it to be over what it was in the first place.Sure, we are just planting a tree. It could have generated this as an eventual outcome on its own of course, but our human needs trump that of the earth always and forever....

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“Our family secret starts with A tree” by Leanne Drain

Submitted to Contest #175

Our family secret starts with an oak tree Jamie and Oliver are two brothers who share a sacred secret. Their green, freshly mowed grass touches the earth. As Oliver says to his brother Jamie " hey bro, let's plant our secret here. " Oliver dug vigorously to the earth's core, digging the fresh-grown mud and placing the secret together. They looked at each other, reasonably pleased with their accomplishments. Jamie smiles and says this oak tree is the best. Yes, because we planted it together pipes in Oliver. This will be our secret fo...

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“The Olive Tree” by Lindsay Burns

Submitted to Contest #175

Cara stood up, shovel in hand, and leant against its splintering wooden handle. Towering above her diminutive grandma, Cara smiled to herself as Sally inspected the hole she had just dug, crouching down and scraping around the edges of it with her trowel. Cara was suddenly struck by the bones outlined beneath Sally’s t-shirt, convinced that she could see the pale spring sunshine shining right through her. ‘What’s up Gran, not quite right?’ Cara enquired, flashing Sally a grin. Sally carried on scraping away, flicking the fragrant damp soil...

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“Watch and Wait” by Anna Kratki

Submitted to Contest #175

Millenia ago: They had both knelt together at the spot, the ground around them barren, the bald hill sloping away from them like the curve of a skull. “Do it,” said his father. He looked up into his father’s eyes, and for the briefest of moments, saw in them pain like a bottomless grave. For a moment, neither spoke. Then his father nodded, and they breathed on the ground in unison. A sapling sprang up and muted green leaves appeared. “It will be here,” his father said then and gripped his son's arm. "It will be the final battle....

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Start your story with two people planting a tree together.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 50 stories

“Reflections” by Marc Saunders

“Mr. Noface” by Matt Allen

“A seed of grief, and a seed of hope ” by Arianna Noelle

“Monsters of The Mist” by Simon Lawrence

“Ashes to Ashes” by Michele Duess

“Weeping Cherries” by Chloe Davis

“Lots Of Love-A True Story About A Magical Decade In The Crack Hood” by P. T. Golden

“The couple who saves the world” by Lucy Gu

“"But He Cheated On Me!"” by Taylor Reed

“The Harold tree” by Waxy Jo

“THE FERRION SEEDS” by Sinbad Omorodion

“Sweet Bay Magnolia” by Kevin Mombourquette

“Our family secret starts with A tree” by Leanne Drain

“The Olive Tree” by Lindsay Burns

“Watch and Wait” by Anna Kratki

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who volunteers to read for others at the local library, and how it impacts their community.

Write about a character who discovers something while raking leaves in their neighborhood.

Write about a professional who is called back to serve their community after retirement.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Thank you for that.”

Contest #175

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

176

Contest entries

105

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: