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Write a story inspired by the phrase "It was all just a dream."

Posted in Short Story on Jun 20, 2025

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✍️ 49 stories

A Mothers Whisper

Submitted to Contest #308

Good evening, I am hoping I can borrow you for a few minutes. I have an occasional situation that I could use some help with. I have heard that one is never alone, however I have never heard of anything like what I am experiencing happen to anyone else, which is why I am asking for your help. I need to give you some background in order for you to possibly be better to understand this unusual situation of mine.From the time my mother entered middle school, she was introduced to illegal and illicit drugs. She used them throughout high school a...

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The Mysterious Land of Brookville

Submitted to Contest #308

Chapter 1 The Screaming Chaos It was just a dream…or was it? Brook’s eyes fluttered shut as she inconspicuously dropped her pen and sketchbook, falling face flat on her vintage bedsheets. The overwhelming energy she experienced felt like she had downed three cups of coffee that night, totally bored out of her mind. Thus, she picked out a pencil and sketchbook from the collection of scattered books on her study table and plopped down on her bed. She drew pictures for what see...

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Fleeting

Submitted to Contest #308

The light of the radiant moon reflected in Hector’s eyes. His gaze was fixed on it. Something about it stirred him, an impression etching itself into him. A feeling of magic permeated the air. This wasn’t just any night. This night was special. “Hector?” He peeled his eyes away to look to his left. There was Estelle, seated on the grassy hilltop a few feet away. The way the light shone off her blue sundress was like a gleaming sapphire. The soft features of her face were highlighted in the glow. She had a quizzical expression painted on ...

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Sayemontess- Dying Breath

Submitted to Contest #308

Trigger Warning- this short story contains Sexual Content, Nudity, Violence, Suicide, Some Strong Language, and Substance Abuse. Sayemontess- Dying Breath Part One- The Return of the Elzebum Man He never wanted to return to Sayemontess, but, like it or not, the shapeshifter returned to make his final mark. He stepped out into the perfect sunlight, and he headed to the castle. As he had recently acquired a great fortune from a man he frightened to death, Elzebum made his trek to the castle through the woods as to not be seen. At will, he coul...

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A Shoreline Without Footprints

Submitted to Contest #308

The intensity of waves crashing against boulders sent vibrations from my toes to my legs. I could feel the crashing force and beauty by simply standing right here at the edge, and I could see the beauty and rhythm of the ocean by looking down. The sun was causing my shoulders to blush gently with its warmth. I could allow my feet to be planted here forever; they’d eventually sprout roots, and I could become one with the very cliff I now stand upon. I didn’t want to leave the cliff’s ledge, razor-thin difference between up here and becoming p...

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JUST DREAMIN

Submitted to Contest #308

Just Dreamin If it couldn’t be the perfect day! Can someone switch it to that mode? I mean having to wake up the next morning from previous trauma of some sort, & memories bouncing all around from it in my brain, for a moment I thought my heart just said fuck it.. it wasn’t in a mood to respond. But no it was legit, I still didn’t feel it. So listen carefully to this. Our words are our words, but our thinking shows off to everyone. Mhmm why do I say that? It’s the main reflection, but right now I’m reading minds, but I can’t hear a so...

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It Was All Just A Dream

Submitted to Contest #308

Ellen awoke gasping, sweat clinging to her skin. The familiar nightmare had returned. She had been swimming, the turquoise water deceptively calm. Then, a shadow. The Great White Shark, a monstrous silhouette, appeared beneath the surface. Torn, lifeless bodies floated nearby, a grim testament to its previous hunts. Panic seized her. The shark's attack was swift, brutal. She felt the crushing pressure, the searing pain. Water filled her lungs. Darkness threatened. Then, impossibly, the clouds above parted, revealing a column of blinding ...

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The Price of Leaving

Submitted to Contest #308

Have you ever woken up and realized you have been buried alive? Probably not, and good for you! I, unfortunately, did not have that luxury. How did I get there, I assume you are wondering? Well, it all started when I tried to leave my boyfriend. The whole relationship was unhealthy, to say the least. It was a lot of build up to me finally accepting enough was enough, and that I deserved better. I never assumed he would be violent, but then again he always was unpredictable. The straw that ultimately broke the camel's back was a rather mundan...

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Oh...Well

Submitted to Contest #308

The girl reached out towards the window. Her breath fogged against the glass. In that fog, something stood out. A whisper of a memory, drawn in the fog. Someone she thought she knew once. Just her mind playing tricks. She headed out towards the square. Her boots sunk into the snow as she trudged through. Doors were locked tight during the winter. Nobody wanted to deal with the slippery ice or the deep snow. They stayed inside and kept as warm as they could. Heaped blankets over themselves. But someone was always unlucky. Or just n...

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THE REAL MEANING OF DREAMS

Submitted to Contest #308

Mia found herself in the examination without having done the preparatory work, as she had feared she would. The first question left her gasping – she knew she had no way of answering it – she simply had not done the study. She quickly flicked through the question book – if anything the questions got harder, not easier. And it was supposed to be an open book exam, but she had not brought her textbooks, nor her notes. In fact, she couldn’t remember ever having taken notes for this subject, or even attended lectures. What was she doing here? Sh...

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Chain Letter

Submitted to Contest #308

Warning. Capital punishment, violence, rape, discrimination themes and sexuality. 25/06/25 I like to keep my explanations brief because my client list is overflowing, leaving me little time even to brew a cup of instant soup. About a week ago, I decided to take on a pro bono job. It wasn't difficult to research, but it was certainly a bizarre case. I focused on my appearance. I puckered my lips and applied vibrant, low-cost pink lipstick that brightened my face. I curled my hair, watching as the ringlets bounced into place. Then, I fumbled ...

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Under the Drain

Submitted to Contest #308

There was only one real memory I could recall happening before that day I set my parent’s house on fire. In fact, it wasn’t a memory at all. It was a dream.I always believed that dreams were a way of sorting out the mess of information in our heads so we can make better sense of things. In the mundane world of an adult, our dreams can never compete with the ones we had as kids. Perhaps the reason we dream with such intensity has a bit to do with how incredibly out of touch we are with our own bodies. While we are still getting to know oursel...

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Julia's Dream

Submitted to Contest #308

Waiting in the wings, she almost fainted. She wasn’t up next, but she would be soon. Too soon. One act stood between her and the stage. There were three of them–a mother, a father, and a daughter dressed in dance attire.The mother wore a skimpy pink and black leotard with a flamboyant skirt attached to one side, made of lace and sequins. The father was dressed in a black, Fred Astaire-like jacket, a white formal shirt, and a top hat. The girl, about three, donned a short pink and black tutu. All had matching shiny black tap shoes. The mother...

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One by One but There was Never None

Submitted to Contest #308

TW: Gore, Suicidal Ideation I awoke with a scream, sweat beading down my cheek and nearly falling into my gaping maw. My hands trembled and even as my eyes were pinched in terror they fervently scanned the dark landscape in front of me. Piles of clothing, trash, a coat rack overencumbered greeted me all in shadow. Nowhere was there blood. I was in my room. I was back in my room. I was safe. I was still safe. My body screamed for a release of tension, a burning off of steam, even as I turned onto my side and closed my eyes once again. My hea...

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The Last Bronte

Submitted to Contest #308

The Last Bronte I felt such anticipation as the bus drove to Haworth, my dream destination for decades, ever since I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. How could sisters, sheltered and disconnected from much of society, create books of such passion and darkness? As we pulled up to the Bronte Parsonage Museum, I glimpsed the Brontes’ beloved moors. I didn’t know my companions on this excursion. It was a side trip on my tour. I couldn’t miss this chance to see where the Brontes created their masterpieces and lived out their lives. Adjacent...

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