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

Posted in Short Story on Oct 4, 2024

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✍️ 70 stories

“RECIPIENT 1043428” by Bill Kifer

Submitted to Contest #271

RECIPIENT 1043428 From: 1043428@healthservices.govSubject: RE: new beginningDate: July 2, 20## 17:15:43 PMTo: 1055477@healthservices.govJ,Christ, look at the header. They’re going to treat everyone like individuals, right? I’m just grateful I’m working. What’s the real unemployment rate, the numbers they don’t release? 12%, 13%? Pay cuts suck, I know. What else was I supposed to do? I’ve got almost 20 years here. I can’t earn more if I changed careers. Everyone will think I...

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“Josephine’s Bangles” by Jackie Wilson Asheeke

Submitted to Contest #271

To the hundreds of people who attended her irreverently festive funeral, “Aunt Josephine” was not just the life of every party she attended; she WAS the party! I knew this already since she raised me. I called her “Ant Momma,” she called me Robbie, short for Roberta. At her music-filled funerary fête, no one shed tears of sadness. Instead, those gathered at the cemetery laughed themselves into tears at the many Vegas-style one-liner eulogies from a string of colorful personalities who had shared different wild adventures with my Ant Momma. I...

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“Darling Kipper” by Shannon Gale

Submitted to Contest #271

Sophie Jenkins lifted a hard plastic tray from the stack and moved through the cafeteria on numb legs. God, she was tired, so much so that she could feel her brain sitting like a brick in her head. She eyed the salad fixings, her usual go to, then moved on. Screw it. Tonight would be meatloaf with hard-baked ketchup – her favorite – mashed potatoes, and buttered carrots. A slice of chocolate cream pie, because why not? She would do it for her father. He would never enjoy chocolate cream pie again. Sophie filled her plate, moving the tray alo...

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“The Familiar Echo” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #271

Daniel wasn’t sure what had drawn him back to the town. The trains rattled by in intervals, like the ticking of a giant clock, but the rhythm brought him no comfort. He glanced down at the unopened envelope in his pocket. Its edges were creased from his fingers’ nervous pressure. The café across from the station had a faded charm—weathered tables, dim lights that flickered occasionally as if considering burning out for good. The kind of place that tried to pretend time hadn’t moved forward. He pushed the door open and walked to the counter. ...

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“The Funeral” by Delsin Jagr

Submitted to Contest #271

As Robert approached the modest house, following along the path laid out by the cracking sidewalk littered with unruly weeds, his mind drifted back. Back to the last time he walked this path. Back to his mother’s funeral. At once a distant memory and a fresh wound. Half a lifetime ago, Robert had left home for college and, apart from borderline compulsory visits at the holidays, never really came home. Robert knew he needed to make more of an effort, but he had his own life, with its own problems, to handle. But his last visit felt differe...

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“The numbers on my screen” by Axel Denault

Submitted to Contest #271

It all started on a message board. I usually spend my nights endlessly scrolling online forums; I don’t know why. I guess I am a pretty lonely person. It takes a lot for me to engage in conversations. In fact, I don’t remember the last conversation I had with someone. Even online, I don’t talk much, but I read. Oh, do I read. I just love reading all the anonymous lives on the Internet, from political opinions to stupid jokes or advice searching. Not only do I find an addictive, almost sensual pleasure in dissecting everyone’s lives. From ...

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“Through Time and Space” by Kella Thomas-Jackson

Submitted to Contest #271

The air is crisp on this October evening. A slight fog lingers. My face tingles from the coolness. I look out over the water. The river still, on this starlit night. The scent of cherry blossoms caress my senses. A scented memory. Jackson’s fingers gently stroke my hand. I feel his warmth. His cropped beard grazes my cheek as he plants a tender kiss onto my forehead, whispers I love you. Happiness is this moment. We sit like this on the wooden park bench, warm in each other’s arms, making plans for our future. We stay there until the cold fr...

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“"Chess".” by Beth Reinders

Submitted to Contest #271

“Hi!” said the gorgeous young lady from behind the front counter. She was smiling and exuded a gentle warmth and genuine kindness.“Welcome to Nathan’s Wellness Retreat. You must be Annabella”.I mumbled “ah, yeah, well, Annie”, looking firmly at the floor so that this well-meaning stranger wouldn’t see my eyes welling up with tears of humiliation and shame.I had been driving on the night almost ten years before when I had killed my boyfriend Harry. Despite us only being 17, he was the love of my life but he liked to party and was drinking mor...

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“Serendipitous Encounters” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #271

(Sensitive content: Suggestion of molestation)As Sarah slipped into her business suit, she had an odd thought—what if she saw the woman again today? For the past few weeks, the stranger had appeared as she went about her business. The woman had stood on the subway during her commute, sat in the corner of her favorite café, and attended the same concert as Sarah. The woman, about Sarah’s age, who always dressed in professional clothes, had become a fixture in her thoughts. Her black hair was neatly tied back, her glasses framing sharp, o...

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“The Blue Book” by Timothy Benson

Submitted to Contest #271

“The Blue Book”It had been six months since Andy had been built. He was uncomfortable when the lab people used that term but it was an accurate way to describe his situation. After four years of secret research and experiments, Life-Tech, a small, medical research lab had created a human-like android. Andy’s formal name was Andrew and it seemed strange to him that the brilliant people who’d built him couldn’t come up with a more creative name than Andrew the Android. But he had more important things to deal with. He was setting out on a...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 70 stories

“RECIPIENT 1043428” by Bill Kifer

“Josephine’s Bangles” by Jackie Wilson Asheeke

“Darling Kipper” by Shannon Gale

“The Familiar Echo” by Alex Marmalade

“The Funeral” by Delsin Jagr

“The numbers on my screen” by Axel Denault

“Through Time and Space” by Kella Thomas-Jackson

“"Chess".” by Beth Reinders

“Serendipitous Encounters” by Day Williams

“The Blue Book” by Timothy Benson

🌟 Similar prompts

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

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

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

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

Contest #271

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

389

Contest entries

137

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: