Write a story about a character struggling to decide how to handle a problem that is morally gray.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 41 stories

“What Wise Men Fear” by R. A.

Submitted to Contest #29

It isn't the impending murder that's grinding Danny's nerves, not really. It's the fact that the kid, baby-faced and just shy of adulthood, is doing it all wrong.He's got a wine bottle in his hand, of all things. It's broken, somehow, even though those expensive flasks are damn hard to shatter the way this one's been; all jagged edges and dark, dripping beads of Merlot, running red like the blood of the guy the kid's five seconds from stabbing.They're in a well-kept yard two feet from the sidewalk. It's dark. Only one streetlight, barely eno...

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“Provoked ” by Miles Gatling

Submitted to Contest #29

His phone buzzed on the glass coffee table, flashing a number Alec didn't recognize. It wasn't in his contact list. He answered with restraint, trying to hide his anxiety. "Yes." "Mr Black?" "Who is this?" "Mr Black, it's Sonya Borger. Are you still employed at KXT Industrial?" "Ah, hello Mrs Borger. No, I'm currently not collaborating with them anymore. Is there a problem with the equipment?" "No, no problem. My friend wants to instal the system as well, and I thought I would recommend you for the job." "Ah, thank you, but I'm no longer pro...

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“The Unveiling of Miss Vickers” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #29

There’s something about your second year at high school that’s neither one thing nor the other. As a first year, you seem to be wrapped in some kind of a protective cocoon, as you’ve suddenly become no longer the oldest, but the youngest in the school. That can be a bit of a shock to the ego and the system, but it has its compensations. And once you go into the third year, well, that’s as good as half way through the passage into adulthood. But the second year? A trivial point, but at my school (which was over-subscr...

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“Please Turn Around” by Ryan Lieb

Submitted to Contest #29

This is crazy Ethan thought as he checked the time on his phone: 12:04 AM. Ben was running late. He slid the device back into his left jeans pocket and glanced up the dark street, first looking left, then right, while exhaling erratic puffs of nervous, steamy breath. No sign of him yet. With his right hand, he fidgeted with the folding knife that was uncomfortably jammed into his other pocket. He turned around and glanced at his quaint single story house. All dark. Part of him wished the light would come on, that his mother would step outsid...

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“sandsandsandsandsand God, I hate this sand.” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #29

I have never hated sand more in my life than I do now. It’s squashing in between my toes like a rotten tamale. The tiny individual pieces burn tiny individual holes into my skin. I can feel them embedding themselves underneath my toenails, where they’ll travel with me for the next ten miles. Sand follows us as does the threat of death does. I would pull off my shoes and throw them across the desert for being so pinche useless if I didn’t need them to spare what’s left of my feet as I continue to tread along El Camino de Diablo--the most dang...

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“The Price of a Hero” by Megan DeRouin

Submitted to Contest #29

I had been hunting him for years. Always the same, I get within a hair’s breadth and he would slip through my fingers. I didn’t even know what he looked like really, only that cheeky grin as he disappeared. All my friends had said that I was taking this too far. Now they were gone.I knew it was an obsession. Hell I knew it probably wasn’t healthy or whatever else my mother had said, but I needed him, his mystery, like I needed air. I had even gone so far as to have a pin-board with blurry pictures and red strings connecting seemingly unrelat...

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“Cypress Wormwood: Monster Hunter” by Bree Kokiri

Submitted to Contest #29

“PLEASE, Mr. Cypress. I understand it’s your busy season, but if I don’t get these THINGS out of my garden, my crops will be ruined for the Fall harvest! I’ll be plum broke! Please! You have to help!”Cypress Wormwood set down the phone for a moment and groaned. He hated that phrase. He did not HAVE to help anyone. He chose to if it suited him, but he was under absolutely zero obligation to uphold the family business.“Sir, I am a monster hunter. Not a charity. Let’s get a few things straight. I have a fee. I have rules. I do not HAVE to do an...

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“A journey to earth.” by Len Mooring

Submitted to Contest #29

A Journey to Earth. God called in the angels that were watering the Celestial Garden and told them he wanted a volunteer.“Angel Tiffany, your name signifies a manifestation of me, so you just volunteered.I’m thinking of doing a reboot down there on earth, so do a quick ‘once-over,’ in case you see some redeeming features that I might take into consideration.”“I know it’s not my place to question you, my lord god of the highest order, but you, who knows all about sparrows falling, will also know my background.”“We don’t have to get all h...

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“Across the Street” by Jay Seate

Submitted to Contest #29

Across the Street By Troy Seate The Johnsons lived across the street while I was growing up. In their backyard was an old, defunct refrigerator. As it lay rusting, it reminded me of King Tut’s sarcophagus covered with marshmallow wrap. Mr. Johnson was a bit creepy. I’d just finished reading Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man, so my mind was wired for the strange or unusual. Whenever he looked at me from across the street with that kind of hollow-eyed stare, I felt like someone...

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“Flaming Pistol” by Noah Wright

Submitted to Contest #29

He was going to pay for this. The blazing Miami Sun was scorching his back, reaching him through his car's side windows. The Cars wheels squeaked each time they hit even the smallest bump, and there was nothing Tyler could, or would do about it. He gently pressed down on the car's ignition, which caused the car to accelerate.The cool and fresh wind jogged through his hair, and he leaned his head back in order to appreciate just how nice and cool the atmosphere was. His anger started fleeing his body a...

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“The Reputation of Wolves” by Deborah Landers

Submitted to Contest #29

The trail through the forest was cold by the time Gregor found it. He had been expecting this, of course. It took time for the people of the village to find him, the only hunter in the area who traded on his reputation for dealing with troublesome wolves. The forest of Dorian was a quiet place, though full enough of smaller dangers that compounded with every league one traveled through it. This fact was hardly unknown to the people of the village, but until now it had been something they could manage. Until now, the wolf had not hunted human...

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“Options” by Sam Kirk

Submitted to Contest #29

Sitting in my 4 P.M. French class, the professor’s voice seemed miles away, but that was alright. Right now, I was just glad that we were tackling new material, so all I had to do was to look as if I was paying attention. Focusing my eyes on the coursebook in front of me and doodling in it seemed to do the job. No one was paying any attention to me, and the professor kept talking without interruptions.Aside from some random geometric shapes, I found myself sketching a girl on her knees and with tears streaming down her cheek. Phrases express...

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“Salty” by Katie Silverwolff

Submitted to Contest #29

My eyes were pricked with sharp tears. I stared down at the dirt and watched tiny puddles form from the raindrops. My mouth tasted like salt. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and pulled my arms tightly across my chest. My eyes burned with tears and my hair stuck to my forehead in clumps. “Elle!” Liz popped her head out and yelled over the splatter of the rain, “come inside. Please.” I stood and pushed my hands deep into my pockets. I was beginning to hate this stupid place. I returned to the hallway, greeted by my sneakers squeaking across ...

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“Different but the Same” by Taria Karillion

Submitted to Contest #29

Different but the Same(~ 1200 w)They weren’t like me – the people who came out of the lake. I’ve never seen anyone like them, not even in pictures or holo-tales. I should have run home straight away, but I was curious – I wanted to see. My parents always say that curiosity killed the cat, and that’s why they’re extinct, but everything’s a-a-a-always so samey in the Dome, so anything new or just different is cool, so I hid by a boulder and watched. After the crash, when they waded ashore, they looked small and bedraggled and weak, like the ne...

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“Tainted Chocolate” by Matt Strempel

Submitted to Contest #29

“I’m calling the police,” Harry’s mum said on the afternoon he’d accepted chocolate from Homeless Jeff. Even for Harry’s mother, it seemed overzealous. Harry had never even heard of mums calling the police on their kids. What was the big deal about a couple of pieces of chocolate? It’s not like he’d stolen them. “Let’s not overreact,” said Harry’s dad, assuming his role of crisis de-escalator, mediator, fence-sitter. “Overreact?” Harry’s mum replied, incensed. “He’s a f–,” she hushed her voice to a volume, Harry supposed, he wasn’t intended ...

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Write a story about a character struggling to decide how to handle a problem that is morally gray.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 41 stories

“What Wise Men Fear” by R. A.

“Provoked ” by Miles Gatling

“The Unveiling of Miss Vickers” by Deborah Mercer

“Please Turn Around” by Ryan Lieb

“sandsandsandsandsand God, I hate this sand.” by Lily Kingston

“The Price of a Hero” by Megan DeRouin

“Cypress Wormwood: Monster Hunter” by Bree Kokiri

“A journey to earth.” by Len Mooring

“Across the Street” by Jay Seate

“Flaming Pistol” by Noah Wright

“The Reputation of Wolves” by Deborah Landers

“Options” by Sam Kirk

“Salty” by Katie Silverwolff

“Different but the Same” by Taria Karillion

“Tainted Chocolate” by Matt Strempel

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone dealing with family conflict.

Write a story about someone discovering something new about themselves.

Write a story about two best friends.

Write a story about someone falling in love for the first time.

Contest #29

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

328

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: