Your character overhears something that changes their path.

Posted in Short Story on Sep 6, 2024

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✍️ 38 stories

“You’re Not Even Happy ” by Anna W

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #267

Aurelie’s long black hair hung down her back, the twisted braids being slowly undone by fat raindrops that fell. It seemed as if they were all hitting her at once. She was grateful she’d chosen the oversized jacket and combat boots to wear, though that was more for fashion than practicality. She regretted not choosing something with a hood. That would require her to check the weather ahead of time, though, and she rarely did that. She rushed down the gray city streets, people rushing past her in each direction. No matter how fast she ...

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“Infohazard” by R.J. Riley

Submitted to Contest #267

SECURE DOCUMENT – CLASS 4 On June 5th I learned what an information hazard is. But it was already too late. I was sent to complete a small job at MephiSecure. In my two decades as an I.T. contractor, I've worked on several types of confidential and high-security systems. Companies as large as MephiSecure do, of course, have their own in-house I.T. team, but they often choose to hire external experts for tricky storage jobs. I was buzzed in and greeted at the door by a tall, slight man who carried a taser openly on his hip. He looked me ...

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“Gourmet Mac & Cheese from Super Spy Mom” by Sarah Martyn

Submitted to Contest #267

Her favorite game was her sneaky solo act of listening to mom on the phone. Her name is Molly (the girl’s name, not her mom. Molly didn’t know her mom has a name other than Mom, Mommy, or Mama). Molly would sit around the corner in the hall as she’d peak at her mom on the phone. Her first goal was to hear her mom clearly as she spoke. Her second goal was to imagine who she’s speaking to (A superhero? A villain? Some spy for a secret organization?). Her least important goal was to not get caught, though she’d sometimes step on a creaky floorb...

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“Epiphany” by Rawge Jones

Submitted to Contest #267

I’ve had 3 epiphanies in my life. One is too personal to talk about, at least if I'm not lying on a couch and paying someone a hundred dollars an hour. One was when I went to sleep one night as a tough guy and woke up in the hospital, a handicapped old man. The 3rd one was quite a few years ago and my life changed in a moment. That one is worth talking about.I was driving my 30-minute commute from work in my Toyota pickup. I had NPR playing on the radio, but it was mostly background noise. I wasn’t paying it much attention until I heard...

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“The Whisper That Changed Everything” by Drop Kick

Submitted to Contest #267

Sarah had always prided herself on being invisible. In her thirty-two years of life, she'd perfected the art of blending into the background, of being the person nobody quite remembered was in the room. It wasn't that she was particularly plain or unremarkable – she simply had a knack for making herself unnoticed. This talent had served her well in her job as a night custodian at Meridian Industries. For the past five years, she'd silently cleaned the offices of the tech giant's headquarters, privy to the detritus of corporate life but never...

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“Body on the Gate” by Christina Miller

Submitted to Contest #267

"There's another body on the castle gates." Mellia looked up from the bruised apples she'd been appraising. Bodies hung on the castle gates weren't unusual, but they always elicited a flurry of rumors and curious onlookers. Normally, Mellia wouldn't react to such news at all, especially now, with her impending escape from the city on the horizon. But she hadn't heard from Ivann in two days. And without him, all of her preparations were pointless. But he wouldn't be dumb enough to get himself caught. He couldn't be dumb enough to get himself ...

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“Say Goodbye to Writing?” by David Marshall

Submitted to Contest #267

Me saying goodbye to writing should have taken place in high school. The class that would have made any ordinary student wish they had dropped out of school and joined the military was American Literature. Thank God it was not a required class for graduation, just like the English class we had to attend during our four years. In our not-so-favorite class, we had to learn spelling, grammar, punctuation, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, blah blah, well, you get the picture. I remember my English teacher, Ms. Blue; I called her because her ha...

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“MINISERIES: "PEOPLE ARE STRANGE", Episode 1: "Strange Invitation"” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #267

DISCLAIMER ):"THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO REAL EVENTS OR PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL. THE STORY IS INSPIRED BY THE ARTISTIC WORKS OF JIM MORRISON AND THE DOORS. STILL, IT IS IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH, NOR DOES IT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY, THE BAND OR ITS MEMBERS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED, AND THIS STORY IS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. ALL RIGHTS TO 'PEOPLE ARE STRANGE' BELONG TO THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHT HOLDERS." EPISODE 1: "STRANGE INVITATION"(The sun filters through the canopy of trees, ca...

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“Gabriele” by Cindy Calder

Submitted to Contest #267

If walls could talk, oh but what tall tales they could tell. Well, strictly speaking, being a prominent wall in the quaint little Trattoria, or Ristorante Italiano, where I am housed definitely has its interesting facets. I mean, I’m an attractive sort of wall: a dusky rose stucco one with lots of elaborate, colorful Italian pottery adorning me. I don’t like to brag, but I’m probably the best looking wall within miles of Florence, and I take great pride in my appearance. Still, no one really seems to notice me, the perfectly poised...

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“Whispers in the Forest.” by Curtis Jones

Submitted to Contest #267

Sophie had always found solace in the forest behind her grandmother’s house. The canopy of towering oaks and whispering pines offered a refuge from the noise of the world and the suffocating expectations that shadowed her every step. Today, the forest felt different. The air was heavy with the kind of stillness that made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. It was as if the forest was holding its breath, waiting for something—or someone.She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck and stuffed her hands into her coat pockets, kicking at ...

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“They’ll Call Me the Villain” by Fern Everton

Submitted to Contest #267

CW: Swearing and some overall dark themesIt was overcast that day. I’d taken the long way home from school through the forest to see the leaves changing, a path I’d walked for the past eleven years of my school career. The only thing on my mind was the homework I needed to finish that night for film class, the career I’d planned to go after my entire life. For reasons that I, to this day, still do not understand, I missed the turn that would’ve taken me back home and thought I could correct it by simply taking a different one. The new route ...

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“Safe” by Crices Sakakuri

Submitted to Contest #267

As I step out from the office, ready to head home, a coworker I don’t remember the name of runs up and calls out to me, surprising me. In his hand, he holds a cheap, but unique watch where the owner can have their signature engraved. This particular one was engraved with the name Suzanne Smith. “Thanks, I nearly forgot about it. I just got it recently, and I can’t get used to wearing it.” “No problem, hey, be careful on your way home, I hear the streets have been dangerous lately.” At times like this, the company uniform’s nametag is my ...

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“Fireflies” by Chris Pye

Submitted to Contest #267

[Contains themes relating to the treatment of slaves in Southern US, around 1830, but no actual violence.] You are not supposed to listen at doors. If I am caught, he'd have the skin off my back. But how can I resist? Late September, Georgia. Outside, the Estate was waking up from the hottest, most humid months of the year. What appeared to be vast flocks of fluffy white birds overwhelmed the cotton plantations. Field Slaves who'd been out with their picking bags since dawn toiled in the sun while the Overseers on their ho...

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“Butterfly” by TheLastShepherd Gaming

Submitted to Contest #267

Sensitive content: Butterfly deals with mental health, suicide and injury. It is written as a talk given by the protagonist who went through a serious physcical trauma. Butterfly “Dam he is messed up” “I know. Think he will make it?” “Too soon, bus was it?” “No a truck, driver fell asleep.” “That’s rough” Ever had those moments in life when things feel disconnected? Almost like you are not in your body-no more not even connected to your life. Its the classic “How did my life get here?” moment. You know the one. Well this was like that b...

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“??” by Anuhea Azevedo

Submitted to Contest #267

As he sat down to write, Michael Lockwood felt a familiar chill creep up his spine—a sense of disillusionment mingled with something far darker. The initial excitement he once felt when faced with a blank page had long since vanished, replaced by a profound emptiness that gnawed at him like a ravenous hunger, hollowing him out from the inside. His fingers hovered over the keys, twitching with a need that surged through him, desperate and insistent. Yet the words, when they came, were lifeless, flat. Despite his countless hours of struggle, o...

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Your character overhears something that changes their path.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“You’re Not Even Happy ” by Anna W

“Infohazard” by R.J. Riley

“Gourmet Mac & Cheese from Super Spy Mom” by Sarah Martyn

“Epiphany” by Rawge Jones

“The Whisper That Changed Everything” by Drop Kick

“Body on the Gate” by Christina Miller

“Say Goodbye to Writing?” by David Marshall

“MINISERIES: "PEOPLE ARE STRANGE", Episode 1: "Strange Invitation"” by Darvico Ulmeli

“Gabriele” by Cindy Calder

“Whispers in the Forest.” by Curtis Jones

“They’ll Call Me the Villain” by Fern Everton

“Safe” by Crices Sakakuri

“Fireflies” by Chris Pye

“Butterfly” by TheLastShepherd Gaming

“??” by Anuhea Azevedo

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story with two characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret.

There’s been an accident — what happens next?

Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm.

Your character wants something very badly — will they get it?

Contest #267

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

354

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: