Write a story where a photograph could change the course of history if it’s delivered to the right (or wrong!) person.

Posted in Short Story on Jul 5, 2024

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✍️ 32 stories

“The Heist Connoisseur” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #258

I exited the World of Coca-Cola at 2:19 p.m. No sweat, no fear. After all, I've stolen from the greatest museums in the world. That said, my pocket did feel heavier—the one with my phone, which contained a picture of the original Coca-Cola secret formula. Only two senior executives know the formula entirely at any given time. It's that secret. Well, now there are three. I crossed Baker Street onto Centennial Olympic Park. I scanned without appearing to scan and noticed two men in black suits. I increased my pace without drawing attention to ...

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“Thunder ” by Danielle LeBlanc

Submitted to Contest #258

I once embraced the “starving artist” cliché wholeheartedly, belting out endless raspy laments in dive bars. Before dawn, I’d scrub grungy toilets, often cursing my talents on hands and knees, only to sling skunky pints until 2 am.That’s why when a prophetic, black and white image from 1978—four years ahead of our present day in 1974—found its way to me, my eyes were like lightning bolts striking the earth.The photo in question was a picture of me and my band, one that up until later that night, wasn’t even official yet. I nipped the corner ...

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“An Appointment With The Todesengel” by Thomas Wetzel

Submitted to Contest #258

“Wake up, Pavel. He is here. Wake up!”The voice was little more than a raspy hiss in my left ear but I was awake immediately. I propped myself up on the bed, pulled the sheets back and swung my legs out to the cold wooden floor and sat upright. For a moment I became slightly dizzy and swayed a bit. I had eaten little over the last few days and I could see the immediate flare of concern in Viktor’s eyes as he looked at me, but I recovered quickly and took a deep breath to clear my head.“Hand me some cards, right now. You hold some too. Quickl...

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“The Dead Sea Photos” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #258

Trigger Warning: This story may offend the devout.“This makes absolutely no sense,” said Jack Roberts, interim head of the International School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, bending his long lean body over the small crate containing an earthenware jar packed in straw, “Where did you say you found it?” Jack exchanged an uncharacteristically worried glance with Antonio Fornelli, the Vatican scholar and Jesuit priest. Surely this was some kind of mistake. “Qumran, Cave Six”, said Hasan Al-Kahlil the field archaeologist, who had r...

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“Picture Perfect” by Susan O'REILLY

Submitted to Contest #258

What the hell? My past has just come flooding back, yes, that is indeed me? Wow, I must admit I look gorgeous. This realization pleases me and then instantly depresses me, if it was a photograph of me now with all my flaws I would sue the ass of the photographer. These days they can change a digital image to portray what they want but not back then, any imperfections removed within a moment. I scour the faces of my students. The more mature of them are looking my image in the eye and take it all in apprec...

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“Being in the Know Makes A Better Version of History” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #258

It was January, and Austria's picturesque beauty was white and wild in its 0–5 °C climatic conditions. I dropped in on Karla Pölzl, Alois Hitler's third wife. She was five or six months pregnant.He appeared and announced himself as "the trekker" from another time. He arrived in time to catch Klara hanging her clothes on the line. She hummed a tune to an opera she loved and knew well; her voice was like a songbird's. "I've come a long way today, and I'm wondering if I might trouble you with a glass of water, please," he said. She jumped....

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“Burns” by Olivia Green

Submitted to Contest #258

An old man holding his wife’s hand, helping her to the car with grocery bags collected in his other hand. Click. A child running towards their house with their hands over their head, trying to keep the rain from curling their already curly hair. Click. A stray dog happily leaping from one puddle to the next, barking in joy, his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth as water splashed around him. Click. A slender woman standing under an awning, her red hair soaked, clinging to her neck. A phone rested under on...

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“Red Herrings?” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #258

Sunbeams were shining, birds were singing, bees were buzzing. Charlotte was choosing happy, making her own fun now. Last night, after her day of enjoying her vocation of gardening, she had returned home to her new dwelling in her childhood bedroom. There the mail had included her divorce, which she had been compelled to seek.Charlotte still did not want to think about her ex, Corey. "Maybe all women only get married to get divorced," she thought. Her lips were zipped, as she nurtured, staked and pruned, planting blooms. "I must bloom where I...

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“Unnamed Voices” by Amanda Stogsdill

Submitted to Contest #258

Warning: This story contains descriptions of abuseUnnamed Voices by Amanda StogsdillThe gates swung open with a heavy creak. I stared up at the gray buildings with their barred windows, like sad eyes gazing out at the world. What's inside? Why so much evil and despair?It began with a photograph. In the closet among the other items of my past, it had lain forgotten for many years. Its edges curled, the black-and-white image faded, it was almost overlooked—except for the faces. ********"No, I won't." Susan screamed, kicking her legs. Her mothe...

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“AI & Photography: The Double-Edged Lens” by Victoria Davis

Submitted to Contest #258

AI & Photography: The Double-Edged LensIn the not-so-distant past, photography was an art that captured moments, memories, and milestones in life. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this art form has taken on new dimensions, offering both remarkable opportunities and significant challenges. This story explores the double-edged nature of combining AI with photography, shedding light on its benefits and downfalls, and emphasizing the importance of being mindful in the digital age.Chapter 1: The Rise of AI in PhotographyIn a s...

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“Picture This” by Malcolm Twigg

Submitted to Contest #258

They say that a picture paints a thousand words. What would you say if I told you that photographs spew out a whole lexicon - literally? Never heard of a talking photograph? I wish I hadn’t.I mean, sure, you do get these AI induced talking photos nowadays, but there is an intermediary process involved. You have to put words into their mouths in the first place. At least at the moment. When AI gets to access written documentation and extrapolate around it, that's when it starts to get really creepy.For the rest of you, that is. Me? ...

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“Two Abes, Wrong Adress” by Joseph Hare

Submitted to Contest #258

February 12, 2024…This day of the year had always been the busiest, a time when every resident of this small town gathered to celebrate one extraordinary day: Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The whole city was abuzz with shoppers and excited chatter, for a barbeque would be held to commemorate everything Lincoln had done for his country, and as the slogan was “No one goes hungry on Lincoln’s Birthday!” everyone was a tad more than excited.Ian Holston, a nineteen-year-old boy, strolled down the street, his cerulean jacket keeping out the early mo...

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“All My Love” by Bekah Wren

Submitted to Contest #258

Trigger Warning: Suicidal Thoughts - It was just a photograph. A moment caught in time that would be forever preserved in shades of gray and white. So why did it feel like the whole world depended on its existence? Kathy’s heels clicked against the concrete with urgency in every step. She glanced at her watch, frowning as the long hand crept closer to that ominous number seven. She closed her jacket, fingers trembling as she fastened the buttons against the icy winds. Anyone in their right mind would rush to take a cab back to their ap...

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“"The Photographer's Dilemma"” by Stephvon Dames

Submitted to Contest #258

At 11:50 p.m., in London, a young woman searched for the location where the note she received came from. The note says, "Meet me alone at the old clock tower at midnight." The mysterious voice crackled over the phone. As the man hurriedly scoured the city, his heart pounded with excitement and trepidation. Thoughts raced through his mind, wondering who was behind the mysterious note and what awaited him in the old clock tower. Emma Clay felt a chill run down her spine as she clutched the precious photograph called Moe. Her grandfather was a ...

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“Double Exposure” by Maria Wickens

Submitted to Contest #258

DOUBLE EXPOSUREBy Maria Wickens The translation of Woomera is “Big Spear” but the locals call it “Big Evil”. Kurdaitcha, the Aboriginal shaman of death, waits outside the rocket range, surveying the activity inside.Gubbah, the white man, always marching onward. Progress, he calls it. Kurdaitcha’s lips peel back into a smile. Ah, Gubbah dreaming is eternal; the dream may change, but there is no endpoint. Everything is now. We swim through time as if it is a river.A flock of birds beat their wings in a panic overhead. In the moment before the...

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Write a story where a photograph could change the course of history if it’s delivered to the right (or wrong!) person.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 32 stories

“The Heist Connoisseur” by Daniel Rogers

“Thunder ” by Danielle LeBlanc

“An Appointment With The Todesengel” by Thomas Wetzel

“The Dead Sea Photos” by Luca King Greek

“Picture Perfect” by Susan O'REILLY

“Being in the Know Makes A Better Version of History” by Lily Finch

“Burns” by Olivia Green

“Red Herrings?” by Julie Grenness

“Unnamed Voices” by Amanda Stogsdill

“AI & Photography: The Double-Edged Lens” by Victoria Davis

“Picture This” by Malcolm Twigg

“Two Abes, Wrong Adress” by Joseph Hare

“All My Love” by Bekah Wren

“"The Photographer's Dilemma"” by Stephvon Dames

“Double Exposure” by Maria Wickens

🌟 Similar prompts

A forgotten photograph tucked away somewhere is the catalyst for an unexpected journey.

Center your story around two strangers who bond over their shared love of photography.

Start your story with someone who has lost everything but finds solace in photography.

A photographer captures an image of something unexplainable. What happens next?

Contest #258

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

289

Contest entries

88

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: