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

Posted in Short Story on Sep 6, 2024

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 60 stories

“Heaven Scent” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #267

HEAVEN SENT. Kali was walking past Jessup’s store on Croydon High Street when she was approached by a sales assistant handing out free samples of perfume. “Go on take it” said the young sales assistant with the glowing smile. “It will do you good.” &n...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Chapter 39 of "Sengoku": Kennyo's Revenge” by Allie Mae Sakry

Submitted to Contest #267

This is chapter 39 of a book I am writing titled "Sengoku." The book is based off real life warlords from Sengoku era Japan. In this chapter, the famous monk Kennyo is desperate for revenge against big-time warlord Nobunaga Oda, and kidnaps the four main female characters of the book: Sakura, Misa, Kaiyo, and Yukari. Please enjoy the chapter and let me know if you have any feedback! The eleven men stood in front of their horses, their hands on their weapons, ready for anything. Oda on one side, Uesugi-Takeda on the other. Nearly five feet s...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Paper Beats Rock, and "Technology"” by Todd Williams

Submitted to Contest #267

“This is a waste of the High Council’s time. The matter has already been decided. A last-minute appeal is not going to change anything.” Carol Albrite, like the rest of the country, knew Ernest Faulkner’s Reputation. As Lord Chancellor of the High Council, he was a pragmatic man with two feet planted firmly in the future. There were rumors that his rise to Lord Chancellor was rooted in the war of 2040. He was born on the day the war ended and, as legend has it, was groomed to sit on the very seat his ass is currently warming. She would not b...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Little Mermaid” by Jaal Mola

Submitted to Contest #267

Hilde never knew a real-life someone could be so beautiful. The way Julie’s tousled black hair swayed whenever the wind came through the library window, all feathery and soft. How the mid-morning sun reflected against the smooth skin of her cheekbones. Or how her winter-gray eyes remained so terribly focused on whatever passage of The Anthology of Works by Hans Christian Andersen she was reading. She looked like something straight out of a painting. How else could someone look so perfect? Resting her head on her arms, Hilde conti...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Child’s Play” by Dana Orr

Submitted to Contest #267

Stalking stealthily across the roof of a vast castle, I take caution in my steps, careful not to make any noise. It’s been a week since the underground meeting took place. Assassins from across the world had gathered together in an old run down amphitheater underground to discuss a new bounty. A corrupt bounty we’ve been forbidden to even speak of. Every assassin had grumbled at this impossible task, but we all knew the reward would make it worth it. This request had to be the work of the government now threatened by the whispers of th...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Threads of Independence” by Shakita Abiko

Submitted to Contest #267

Kiyomi Khan stood on the balcony of her high-rise apartment, staring out at the neon-lit skyline of a world that had betrayed her. Her fingers drummed lightly on the railing, a habit she had developed to distract herself from the rising fury within. Below her, sleek cars zipped along floating highways, while drones hummed through the air, delivering everything from food to the latest in mind-control devices. The hum of advanced technology surrounded her; yet, it was a world where the simplest desires—her desires—were being slowly crushed ben...

1 comment 1

Read story

“A Soul to Take” by Lisa Batchelor

Submitted to Contest #267

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The air is crisp and fresh. I love to watch the leaves fall from the trees with such beautiful colors. My favorite holiday is Halloween. I live in an old 1800s home in a very secluded area. I also have no neighbors. There is a lonely dirt road that leads to my home. Needless to say, I have never had a trick-or-treater. That is okay by me though. I make my own Halloween. My home and yard are decorated to the max. I also have a yearly costume contest for all my adult friends. Everyone loves seein...

0 comments 0

Read story

“I wanted a rom-com but life gave me just half of it” by Xinyi Annie Chen

Submitted to Contest #267

It was a chilly Saturday in January. Hong Kong was in its most brutal wintertime. The temperature was around 50 degrees with no snow. But the wind would sneak into the slightest gap between layers of clothes and the skin.I rushed to the theatre after getting out of bed and ready to leave my place before 10 in the morning. Who would watch a romcom on a Saturday morning? Well, I do. I had been waiting for the movie Anyone but You and got hyped by its box office record. So on that frigid winter morning, I sat in the middle of the thea...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Calm and Collected” by Edna Aziz

Submitted to Contest #267

A perfect house, a perfect dress, and an ideal life- with a perfect soul. She looks at the mirror noticing a red scratch on her forehead, a little cut. It eases her longing. Then, on her right shoulder, there is an unnoticed bruise. It was fresh, but now purpling and darkening. However, the pain eases her longing sensation that settled so long in her heart and soul. The time is punctual, it keeps ticking causing her to glare as it disturbed her train of thought. Her eyes went looking down at her skinny wrist, staring at the Cartier she had w...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Lemonade” by Faolan Grady

Submitted to Contest #267

Lemonade I just want some damn lemonade.We watched the news today: more death and hot as blazes. My mom always says that. Blazes must be pretty hot. You walk outside and are immediately smacked in the face with it. Hell, you look out the window and start sweating, and the only things you can smell are your nose hairs burning and various body odors because, even after taking a nice icy shower, well, compared with what it feels like outside it’s icy, you start sweating through your clothes, through your deodorant. But that’s also one sma...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The One Thing Out Of Reach” by Joy Harari

Submitted to Contest #267

I dread it.And when it comes, it reminds me of the one thing I can’t have. The one thing I want more than anything in life.Is it too much to ask for?So many others have it.How can it be too much to ask for?It’s out of my control.It’s never been up to me.But thenFor a secondJust one split secondI saw that it was possible to gain the one thing out of my reach.And thenWhen I finally believed When I finally saw the light It was whisked awayGone with the windOnce again out of my graspNow how can I believe?How can I trust?Now how do I cope with th...

0 comments 0

Read story

“TIME2DREAM” by Terri Benoit

Submitted to Contest #267

As the morning sun flows in through the big window into her cozy office, Lily glances out at the dark green pasture that fades off as it meets the creek that flows through the valley. She sits back and smiles as she catches a glimmer of the flies dancing over the water and listens to the songbirds off in the distance.Lily got up to stretch, she went out to the patio where she found herself completely enveloped with the warmth of the sun, she closed her eyes taking it all in, the smell of the morning grass, the sound of the creek as it t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Playing with fire” by James Little

Submitted to Contest #267

“Tick-tock, you have two weeks left, this is but a taste of what will happen if you don’t pay!”. A cold voice threatened, the speaker cloaked in shadow and pain erupted from the side of his head.Galros awoke with a start covered in sweat, panting he ran a hand down the bandage where his left ear used to be. “Baby…What’s wrong…” The love of his life Bonny moaned she owned her hazel eyes to look at him, her hair all over the place.“I had the nightmare again… Our time is almost up, and we are ten million short…” His hands shook in terror.S...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Icarus and the Sun, A boy that will never be free.” by Morrison Drennan

Submitted to Contest #267

Icarus’s eyes gazed down at the pairs of wax wings that were hidden under his bed. They were ready to be secured to his and his father’s body tonight. They were going to escape, finally, after being a prisoner for years upon years.“Icarus? Come here!” Daedalus’s voice echoed off the overgrown stone walls. “Coming!” His own voice bounced back. He stared at the wax wings for a second longer then pushed his mattress over them, protecting them from the watchful eyes of King Minos. He ran around the corner to Daedalus, stopping only when he...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Finishing Strokes” by Brittany McFadden

Submitted to Contest #267

Regina Wade clutched her notebook for dear life as she walked into the room. This was English class, her heart and soul. Today was her day to shine as they were studying poetic forms. She had everything planned and practiced. The only thing that she had to do was write. Her life seemed perfect from the outside but in reality, it was utter hell. That's why she wrote. To release the pressure that threatened to break her like a hammer to a sheet of glass. All of her classmates knew her by two nicknames- Pitbull and Scalpel. Both were references...

0 comments 0

Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Short Story – 83 stories

Your character overhears something that changes their path.

Short Story – 38 stories

There’s been an accident — what happens next?

Short Story – 70 stories

Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm.

Dramatic – 106 stories

Contest #267

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Overcoming Obstacles with Writers Ink

$250

Prize money

357

Contest entries

127

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 13, 2024 EST

Won by Fi Riley 🏆

Title: One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 60 stories

“Heaven Scent” by Christine LW

“Chapter 39 of "Sengoku": Kennyo's Revenge” by Allie Mae Sakry

“Paper Beats Rock, and "Technology"” by Todd Williams

“The Little Mermaid” by Jaal Mola

“Child’s Play” by Dana Orr

“Threads of Independence” by Shakita Abiko

“A Soul to Take” by Lisa Batchelor

“I wanted a rom-com but life gave me just half of it” by Xinyi Annie Chen

“Calm and Collected” by Edna Aziz

“Lemonade” by Faolan Grady

“The One Thing Out Of Reach” by Joy Harari

“TIME2DREAM” by Terri Benoit

“Playing with fire” by James Little

“Icarus and the Sun, A boy that will never be free.” by Morrison Drennan

“The Finishing Strokes” by Brittany McFadden

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Your character overhears something that changes their path.

There’s been an accident — what happens next?

Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm.

Contest #267

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

357

Contest entries

127

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: