Write a story about two characters who surprisingly end up spending a holiday or event together.

Posted in Short Story on Dec 27, 2024

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✍️ 53 stories

“Running to nowhere” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #283

By the time I got to Phoenix I was scared. I had first noticed him standing at the side of the road in Henderson, just south of Vegas. That had been a little past midday. The relentless desert sun must have been painful on his skin, the way he was dressed in unrelieved black, from his Stetson to the guitar case leaning against his thigh, like a faithful pup. He glared at me.I shook off his stare and drove on when the light changed. Wanting to get off the Interstate, I took 852 south and hooked up with the 93. He was at every intersection and...

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“The Last Caroler” by Jim LaFleur

Submitted to Contest #283

Thomas Green shuffled through the snow-laden streets on Christmas Eve, his weathered hands clutching a worn songbook. Each gust of wind seemed to whisper memories of better days, when his voice rang strong and clear through these very streets. Now, at seventy-eight, his once-resonant baritone had faded to a trembling whisper, but his determination to continue his decades-long tradition of caroling remained unshaken. The town had changed. Where festive lights once turned night into day, darkness now reigned. Thomas adjusted his threadbare sca...

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“A Drink with Death” by Jes Oakheart

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #283

I was rotting in a dive bar on Christmas Eve when the goddess of death found me. Facing away from the door, I felt a wave of winter chill flush against the back of my neck when she came into the dimly lit tavern. The bartender blanched when he saw her, then wordlessly pointed a finger to himself to ask if she had come for him. “No, Gary,” she said, her voice low and husky. “Not today.” I did not look to see who had just entered The Rusty Pearl. She placed a hand on my shoulder and her skin was like ice. The cold soaked through my cardigan al...

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“Frozen and Furry Foes” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #283

Frozen and Furry Foes“Competition reveals character and tests mental fortitude.” -Oprah Winfrey“Ar...

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“A Christmas in Japan” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #283

Maybe I was just trying to escape from my problems–'doing a geographical’ as the self help people say these days. Or maybe I just wanted to have some fun. Regardless, in my early 20s, I decided that immersing myself into a foreign language and culture would be a therapeutic escape. After digging through a mountain of application paperwork, I landed a scholarship to study geology at Hiroshima University. After my first busy year of study, and facing the butt end of my savings and my student visa, seemingly out of nowhere, I was offered a...

17 comments 17

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“Texas” by Sandy Burch

Submitted to Contest #283

My car broke down in Clovis, New Mexico. I called Emmit and he was there before the tow truck, which had to come from Amarillo. “Yeah, sis, you’re screwed. It’s the timing chain.” Emmit rolled out from under the hood and shook off his jacket. He grinned, his perfect teeth revealing that he was delighted by this opportunity to strut around like a rooster and save the day. “Why’d you get a tow from Amarillo? I got a friend back home.” “Insurance,” I said, curtly. I was grateful to see lights flashing down the road. I stalked to the...

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“Stranded Christmas” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #283

The last-minute Christmas preparations always brought out the worst in people, and Jack Reynolds was no exception. He'd delayed leaving until the late afternoon, hoping to avoid the worst of the holiday traffic. Although he lived two towns past his hometown, he had been postponing his departure as much as he could. His truck was packed with thoughtful gifts, carefully selected—vintage history books for his nieces and nephews who shared his love of storytelling, a rare first-edition map for his father, and hand-crafted pottery from a local ar...

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“Operation: Snowball 2” by Keith Menendez

Submitted to Contest #283

“Agent Bass, come in. Bass, can you hear me?” Special Agent Hinkle barked at me.“Loud and clear, boss. I can also smell your tuna sub.” I reply with bitterness. This is the third wild goose chase in three weeks. Stakeouts, no sleep, smelly hotels, fast food, and being stuck in a 2008 Caprice Classic with Agent Tuna, is pushing me to the limit. This operation is a joke.“Keep the comments for the comedy club, Bass. Eyes on the prize.” Hinkle said“Yes, ma’am.” I attempt a respectful answer as I walk through Cleveland’s industrial district in th...

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“Mike and Lucy” by M. Darrow

Submitted to Contest #283

"You've got to be shitting me.""Language, little sister," the man at the bar laughed. He took a long sip of his already nearly empty glass, then lifted it in a toast toward the doorway and the smartly dressed young woman in it who had gone icy still at the sight of him. “I’d hate for you to receive some sort of official reprimand for improper conduct.”The woman growled under her breath as she stalked forward to claim an empty stool at the opposite corner of the bar. “Get fucked, Lucy,” she spat. “I’m really not in the mood.”“Ooooo, Little Mi...

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“Loose End” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #283

I had to get away. But you don’t do you? I consoled myself with the ghosts I’d left behind in my empty house. A house that was once a home, but now only contained spirits lamenting a series of losses that wore barbs and blades and slithered around my life to punish my blind ignorance and awaken me to the new reality of my life.Not for the first time, I considered selling that place. It would help in some respects. Diminish the power of those ghosts. But I knew that wasn’t enough. I could run all I liked, but I couldn’t hide from myself. The ...

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“It Takes Two” by Summer Austin

Submitted to Contest #283

"Follow me, right this way," my friend Alan beckoned, as we passed through the booming crowd. Fifth Ave was teeming with people, the stage was set, and a singer, 'Porky' was about to get on it and do her stuff. She kind of looked like a little piglet, hence the name. Her hair was topped with a tall pink tiara with sequins and ribbons, and a hot pink body suit to match showed off her curves. Her heels were black, with ballet-style ribbons up the leg.All were cheering for her, urging her on. She reached the mic stand and stood there, blushing ...

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“The Couriers of Magic” by Éan Bird

Submitted to Contest #283

The disadvantage to delivering miracles is that the collection of gasps, the breathless wonder at apex, the brilliant convergence of tiny simultaneous serendipitous coincidences goes unwitnessed by the person who actually delivers the magic. I know this because I’ve borne witness to the delivery of miracles before. It's true. One year, my family gathered--for the first time--at Alan Number Two’s house to celebrate Christmas. He welcomed us through dual front doors of beveled glass and led us through rooms with soaring white ceilings and m...

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“Coincidence or fate?” by Sarah M.

Submitted to Contest #283

If I had to describe my love life to someone. I would probably say that it's just complicated and that love is harder than it seems. For me, it's more on the unlucky side if I could say so myself. After the last fallout that led to the "breakup" with my date, I decided that I should just take a break. A break from dates, a break from situation ships, a break from romance. My mother tried her best to convince me not to give up yet. That true love takes time and I had a special gift of attracting the wrong people ever since I got my first ever...

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“Penguin on 34th Street” by S. L. Potts

Submitted to Contest #283

It was going to be hard to explain the penguin walking around their living room dressed as a pirate, but Marco decided he’d give it a shot.“It’s a Christmas miracle,” he started calmly.SQUAWK“WHAT?” She was livid, and understandably so. Cap’n Jack Sparrow, or Penguin, was currently plundering their snack pantry and making a terrible mess.“A miracle, on Christmas, a Christmas miracle.” SQUAWK“I swear if you don’t start making sense, I’m going to—” Claudia was at a loss for an appropriate threat, given the situation.“Let’s go into the oth...

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“Days of Chocolate and Hope” by Natalia Nava

Submitted to Contest #283

Have you ever wished to live someone else’s life? I have. Sometimes, I wanted to be someone else, even if just for a day. I wanted my life to feel different—less lonely. Maybe I longed for the things money could never buy.I was fourteen during that cold winter, a Christmas I will never forget. That winter break, my mom made me go with her to the mansion where she worked. She spent her days cleaning the homes of wealthy families, while my father stayed at home with a hangover. I didn’t want to go to my mom’s job, but staying home with my fath...

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Write a story about two characters who surprisingly end up spending a holiday or event together.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 53 stories

“Running to nowhere” by Trudy Jas

“The Last Caroler” by Jim LaFleur

“A Drink with Death” by Jes Oakheart

“Frozen and Furry Foes” by Murray Burns

“A Christmas in Japan” by Scott Christenson

“Texas” by Sandy Burch

“Stranded Christmas” by Kashira Argento

“Operation: Snowball 2” by Keith Menendez

“Mike and Lucy” by M. Darrow

“Loose End” by Jed Cope

“It Takes Two” by Summer Austin

“The Couriers of Magic” by Éan Bird

“Coincidence or fate?” by Sarah M.

“Penguin on 34th Street” by S. L. Potts

“Days of Chocolate and Hope” by Natalia Nava

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that ends with a huge twist.

Write a story about someone’s first Christmas after a major life change.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — except your character can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.

Write a story with the line “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Contest #283

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

293

Contest entries

123

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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