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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✍️ 42 stories

“What Wise Men Fear” by R. A.

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 jagge...

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“Provoked ” by Miles Gatling

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 th...

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“Ladder” by Waverley Stark

There’s several different ways to look at fear, the kind that breaks people, shakes people, cracks the walls around their brain, shatters bonds and paralyzes the heart. There’s also different ways to analyze the steps taken to ignite that fear or calm it. Comparisons to be made: a staircase continuing up, or a rug unwinding to thread. A beanstalk shooting past rainclouds, or a hissing wildfire across a dry field.

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“The Unveiling of Miss Vickers” by Deborah Mercer

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-sub...

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“Please Turn Around” by Ryan Lieb

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 ar...

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

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 deat...

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“The Price of a Hero” by Megan DeRouin

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 seeming...

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“Cypress Wormwood: Monster Hunter” by Bree Kokiri

“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 fe...

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“A journey to earth.” by Len Mooring

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.

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“Across the Street” by Jay Seate

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 wa...

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“Flaming Pistol” by Noah Wright

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 ...

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“Tainted Chocolate” by Matt Strempel

“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

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“The Reputation of Wolves” by Deborah Landers

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 h...

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“Options” by Sam Kirk

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. Phras...

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“Salty” by Kaitlyn Hardee

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.” ...

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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

✍️ 42 stories

“What Wise Men Fear” by R. A.

“Provoked ” by Miles Gatling

“Ladder” by Waverley Stark

“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

“Tainted Chocolate” by Matt Strempel

“The Reputation of Wolves” by Deborah Landers

“Options” by Sam Kirk

“Salty” by Kaitlyn Hardee

🌟 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

331

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: