Set your story in a small town where everyone is suspicious of newcomers.

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 135 stories

“Destination Wichita” by Vincent Charles

Submitted to Contest #59

Destination Wichita “How far do I have to drive before I find someone I know?” That was really the question of the day for Edward as he absently stared at the tail lights 50 yards ahead of him. He was never a big fan of these long drives and this was really one for the record book. He looked down at his white knuckles gripping the wheel and tried his best to slow his breathing. It was route 70 to St. Louis and then, his destination, Wichita. With any luck he’d get there by early evening and with any more luck, he’d find his college...

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“Hatred Town” by Judith Buskohl

Submitted to Contest #59

Tyler was wondering how his company could transfer him, the greatest person and salesman that they had employed at the company to this small dinky town. As he carried in his luggage to the hotel, he noticed everyone had stopped what they were doing to look in his direction. He could understand why the ladies were looking in his direction, but it was everyone including the men which had the same look in their eyes. Like they hated his presence in this small one stop town, he knew that he hadn’t done anything wrong yet. So ...

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“Welcome to Haven” by Kota Benjamin

Submitted to Contest #59

It had only been a month since Eva Santos moved to Haven. Haven was a small town in Indiana, if it could even be called a town. It was one of those places that families would pass by on the country roads when the father wants to take a “shortcut” to a specific destination. If someone blinked when passing Haven, they would completely miss it. The tiny town looked like it was stuck in the old 1900s and hadn’t gotten the memo that the world was now in the 21st century. The shops were all “Ma and Pa” small businesses, and over half of them were ...

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“Five Hundred and One” by Kevin Leonard

Submitted to Contest #59

Molly gazed out the window at the lunar expanse as the shuttle rattled its way down to the surface. She’d seen thousands of pictures of the colony in the months leading to her exodus, but somehow none captured how grey it was. It wasn’t monotonous, certainly. The cratered face of the moon provided texture, from shadowed blacks at the crater depths, to dirt peaks which looked almost eggshell white under the harsh lights surrounding the landing pad. Even the dome ahead loomed as a dull grey protrusion, an ugly grey eyeball with just a narrow p...

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“Keen to Change” by Rachel Bacon

Submitted to Contest #59

There was a red Chevrolet parked outside of the Iron Star Bar. The only cars that were ever parked out there were John’s pickup, Marcy’s little Hyundai, and Thomas’ motorcycle. The townsfolk weren’t too keen on Thomas’ motorcycle, because it made a ruckus and he would race it down the highway at night. Nonetheless, they were familiar with it. But that night parked in one of the spots, the spot that was always open, was the little red Chevrolet with a scratch on its side. Old McGinty lit a cigarette as he stood in the dri...

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“This Charming Man” by Ned Sweezey

Submitted to Contest #59

At first, when I saw it there, piled up all along the shelves and spilling out onto the floor, I thought it must have been some kind of joke. I checked the date and made sure it wasn’t April, then walked up to the first package I saw. These things could happen I guess, even the post office could make a mistake. I read the label on the first box, and then the next. Miles Regis, 21 Hillside Ln. 08329, Miles Regis, 21 Hillside Ln. 08329… About halfway through I realized I was wasting my time. After fifteen minutes of loading and stacking...

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“Suspicion” by Arathi Raghuveer

Submitted to Contest #59

“Do you know we have new neighbours next door, they just arrived yesterday”, exclaimed Sara. “I really feel suspicious about them, they are 4 members in their family, a husband, wife and two children, that’s how I judged, but Myra told me that they have only one son and the girl doesn’t belong to their family, this creates suspicion” Sara kept on talking and Sam fell asleep without uttering a word as he was out of hearing. The next day Sara was very curious in knowing about the newcomers next door. Hence she tried to peep in their do...

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“Sand” by Pablo Mascaraque Glenn

Submitted to Contest #59

The ascent is gruelling, but you do not complain, no point in complaining, nobody to complain to anyway. You use the large dimples in the sand as makeshift steps, an uneven staircase that clumsily leads to the top, most of them sinking a couple of inches as they take in your weight, making you feel like you are walking up an escalator going down. Not all of them sink, though. Some of the them remain in place, stable, steady, lifting your body and your trodden spirits alike, small comforts in this tribulation of yours. But those are few. Mo...

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“Seems to Change” by M. K.

Submitted to Contest #59

Thud! "Is everything okay?" Mom asked. I shrugged and continued putting my clothes inside my suitcase. She sat beside me and fixed the ones I just threw in. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't say a word. "I'm at a loss," I muttered. She looked up to me and smiled, "I believe in you." I sighed and she put her hand over mine. We packed my things in silence and never said another. After a few hours, we then finished. "It will get dark soon, don't you want to travel tomorrow?" she asked. "I'll be okay," I assured her. Sh...

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“A Study In Grief” by Mollie Magarino

Submitted to Contest #59

She was not sure what she had expected. Kind words, hugs, warmth of some kind? If there was ever a moment when family should come together, would this not be it? Or maybe she had fallen for the lies that permeated the movies and TV. The lie that family is stronger than anything else and will always come together in the end. Instead, the air was fraught with a palpable pressure. She felt suffocated in the humid waves of stares and whispers, the silence and the coldness. But what else could she have expected? Her father lay in the casket, col...

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“Suspicious Minds” by Beth Robertson

Submitted to Contest #59

I arrived on a Sunday after an uneventful flight and an endless wait for the connecting train to the city that would become my home. Now that I’d settled, somewhat, and had a reasonable sleep, I rose at the crack of dawn with a little more energy than the day before I decided to explore. The sun crested over the buildings as I looked at the map on my phone. The light shone blindingly between the peaked roofs making me squint. I took in the bitingly cold air and became alive as I descended the hill that my apartment sat on.&nb...

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“Highly Suspect” by Cody Burrell

Submitted to Contest #59

*Note: words in this were intentionally spelled and used wrong. I am attempting to emulate western (cowboy) speech. I probably fell short a bit.* I hate travellin'. It takes forever, 'specially if'n your horse runs away and the scenery stays as same as my boot tread. The most interestin' things today had been a miniscule sand dune from the top of which I got a better view of the sand all 'round and a mite of a cloud that had drifted in front of the sun momentarily. Yessir, I hate travellin'. It were night afore I saw anything at al...

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“Spy” by Hanna Yuzyuk

Submitted to Contest #59

The red Jeep Cherokee was flying on the I-90. She was curious about the future in the new town. She was so open to start a new life after her awful divorce. His voice is still in her ears: "You are nothing without me! We will see how fast you will be back on your knee, asking to be with me again!"-No, I will more likely die than back to the slavery life with no voice!Helen was a 40 years woman, but she looks so young that most people would say she is 25. She was born in a big city in Ukraine and raised by a free woman. It was even so hard to...

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“Sunshine” by Jesh McGee

Submitted to Contest #59

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of Sunshine. The skies there always beamed bright blue through the day and starry black and white through the night. The leaves gleamed with a fluorescence you see in those old movies from the sixties or the seventies, the ones where the contrast level gets turned all the way up. Mostly, I think about the glow. The feeling that I felt when I was there, like everything good was eternal and everything foul had ceased to exist. This story is about how I found that small ...

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“The Outsider” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #59

The Outsider Old newspapers blew across the veranda and slammed the peeling front door shut. Jenny jumped, and waiting for her heart to slow down, she pulled the woollen blanket around her shoulders and sank back into the grubby and lumpy couch. White nylon curtains blew across dirty windows sending particles floating across the room. She watched, mesmerised as the bits went up into the air and then down, and up again. Putting her feet onto the worn, wooden and gritty floor, and with drooping shoulders, she trudged into the next room. Shiver...

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Set your story in a small town where everyone is suspicious of newcomers.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 135 stories

“Destination Wichita” by Vincent Charles

“Hatred Town” by Judith Buskohl

“Welcome to Haven” by Kota Benjamin

“Five Hundred and One” by Kevin Leonard

“Keen to Change” by Rachel Bacon

“This Charming Man” by Ned Sweezey

“Suspicion” by Arathi Raghuveer

“Sand” by Pablo Mascaraque Glenn

“Seems to Change” by M. K.

“A Study In Grief” by Mollie Magarino

“Suspicious Minds” by Beth Robertson

“Highly Suspect” by Cody Burrell

“Spy” by Hanna Yuzyuk

“Sunshine” by Jesh McGee

“The Outsider” by Valerie Preston

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a couple who have just moved to a place that one person loves, and the other hates.

Write about a character arriving in a place unlike anywhere they’ve ever been.

Set your story in a place with extreme weather, but don’t use any weather-related words to describe it.

Write a story that feels lonely, despite being set in a packed city.

Contest #59

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

767

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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