Write a story about somebody trying to rationalize giving into temptation, even though they know they shouldn’t.

Posted in Thanksgiving on Nov 24, 2023

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✍️ 42 stories

“Who's the Fairest of Them All” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #226

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”Friedrich NietzscheIt was only a simple handheld mirror Brenda found in a secondhand store, but if she knew what dangers were hidden within its reflection, she would have shattered it on the spot. It all began at Toby’s, a secondhand store in South New Berlin, a small town located in upstate New York. As each week Toby would attend estate auctions, more items would come into the ...

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“Higher State” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #226

I wanted to kill him. Not all of the time. Not much of the time at all. This was not an obsession of mine, more a temptation. Like chocolate, a second helping of my mother’s lasagne or that car that’s been buffed to the most seductive of sheens and placed under clever lighting. You want it, but vying with that want is a knowledge of how it’s bad for you and that things won’t work out the way you want them to just because you want them to work out that way. That isn’t how it works. The world turns and reality has its way. Why? Because it’s ...

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“Angels in Disguise” by Keana Sky

Submitted to Contest #226

Molly was my best friend for years and years, ever since 1st grade in Champion elementary school in Frosty Heights Colorado. We shared secrets no one else dared to hear or know. We were inseparable, we spent every waking hour together. So, When molly decided to pick up drinking and drugs it became increasingly hard for me to hang out and be around her. The temptation had overcome her and I did not know how to help.In a few weeks there is a party across town with all the unmentionables (alcohol, drugs and paraphernalia) and molly and I were t...

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“Hidden Cravings” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #226

As Manny spoke, Hannah could not help but glance at the bar. That single bottle of opened red wine across the room was calling her name. She wanted to grab that bottle as though it was the last bottle on earth, pour a healthy amount into any cup she could find and guzzle it. But she knew better. Last year’s Thanksgiving dinner did not end well for Hannah. By her sixth glass of wine before dinner, she had already cut into the perfectly roasted turkey; she spilled red wine over great aunt Margaret and fell asleep snor...

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“Just One More” by Lyla Shillan

Submitted to Contest #226

Just one more. It won’t do anything. Pills after pills had taken over my brain. The bar just so welcoming. No one else took me in as my mind ached. The pain overwhelming but no one ever cared. My hand shakes as I take another pill from the man. It fills my mind. And I whisper to myself, just one more. His grin breaks out. Laughter filling the room as he counted his money one by one. His hand wrapping around my body to grasp my butt. My brain feels dead so I let him do it. A welcoming feeling as no one else would go through with it. I nod and...

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“Temptations of a Married Woman” by Daphne Abraham

Submitted to Contest #226

Serena looked out of her car window and saw that the weather seemed perfect for a stroll in the park. After another quick peek around to ensure that the surroundings were safe enough, she parked her car and got ready to enjoy a nice long walk in the luscious green park. It had been a long, tiring day starting with crazy deadlines at work followed by continuous demands from her son and husband. Unable to leave her 13-year-old son home alone, it took all of Serena’s little strength to patiently wait until Liam got home so she could get out of ...

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“The teacher” by Robert McCue

Submitted to Contest #226

Kisses in the dark. The lightning flashes outside. Only those who have truly lived know that there is no difference.. "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing." Shakespeare She co...

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“APPASSIONATO” by Elena Panteleev

Submitted to Contest #226

“Sanity is a cozy lie” - S. Sontag.So,“Let me go mad in my own way.” -Sophocles, Elektra. Music from the very beginning became the refuge that my seven-year-old mind and body needed desperately. Like every seven-year old, I tried to make sense of the world and me in it and wasn'tsucceeding. I felt too special, too emotional, lost, and in need of asavior. God was too far away and, it seemed, didn’t like me verymuch. Music opened the door to the Magic Universe th...

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“Egg on My Face” by Britt Garman

Submitted to Contest #226

Don’t look don’t look don’t look don’t look don’t loo- dammit. My stride stuttered as I again was unable to keep my eyes forward, away from the sparkling temptress the universe has placed in my path as some cruel joke. Not only is there a high-end jeweler right on my walk to work, but it happens to be the one housing the St. Beneficio Egg. Many have heard of Faberge eggs, but those are cheap trinkets in comparison to the St. Beneficio Egg. It’s gorgeous. It’s priceless. Well, technically it did have a price: $225 million. As if anyone...

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“A dance at the crossroads of destiny ” by Lia Daniel

Submitted to Contest #226

The midnight air hung heavy with an otherworldly chill as I stood alone on the desolate crossroads. My breath escaped in ethereal puffs, merging with the fog that enveloped the forsaken path. The moon, a distant witness, cast feeble light upon the worn cobblestones beneath my worn-out shoes. I could feel the eyes of shadows watching, and a shiver crawled down my spine. It was a night meant for secrets, for bargains with entities that dwelled beyond mortal comprehension. I hesitated, my fingers clutching the crumpled piece of paper in my pock...

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“Shall We Succumb” by Mark Arnold

Submitted to Contest #226

I have to quit. I know I do. It’s terrible for my health, it’s smelly, and its alienating. I know. People’s opinions of you change when they find out that you’re a smoker. It’s never for the better, believe me. They treat you differently. Suddenly you have a sickness, and it’s contagious. Or you’re the weakest of people, easily given to temptations of any, and all kinds. Just because I give in to one that some find repulsive, doesn't make anyone b...

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“Temptation” by H J

Submitted to Contest #226

Temptation 5:09pm The smell of my Aunt's breath is pulling me closer and closer to her. She’s telling me a story I’ve heard before, it's of no interest to me. It’s the glass in her hand and the fragrance of whiskey on her tongue that is holding my attention. The clinking of the ice in her whiskey glass is like a lullaby, it’s weirdly comforting and devastatingly tempting. She laughs at her own joke and spills her drink in the process. I think I hate my Aunt. I think I hate them all. They don’t know me. I can’t let them know me.&nbs...

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“Memories” by Lucius Doon

Submitted to Contest #226

It was a difficult time in my life. Work offered me no joy. My friends were drifting apart. I was feeling disconnected from those around me. People and things held no significance. I just couldn’t connect. It was fair to say that I lacked a sense of belonging. My ecosystem had changed, but I hadn't. Slow to respond. Lethargic. I failed to adapt to the shifting circumstances that reshaped my life. I had used time to my advantage. I worked hard, attained some personal and professional achievements, and had established my financial indepe...

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“Embracing Shadows” by Michael Murty

Submitted to Contest #226

Sean has a problem. He isn’t ideal. He doesn’t like the reflection in the mirror. Sean's days unfold like a monotonous reel, each moment overshadowed by the persistent weight of dissatisfaction. The mirror. Oh, you unforgiving portal! You reflect not just the physical form but also the echoes of unmet aspirations and broken promises Sean made to himself. As he stands before it each morning, there's an unspoken dialogue between Sean and the mirror—a silent confrontation with the version of himself he wishes were different. Yet, Sean's...

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“Her Tribe....” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #226

"Men need their own tribe." Eve read this profound statement. Yes, she pondered, agreeing. Football, BBQ's, beers, bourbons, misogyny, all affecting their ageing issues. Eve realized that she had always got the blame for male inadequacies. It was sort of Christian, biblical in a way. It went with her name. These days, she harbored a secret yen for sexy Giovanni. Mysteriously, he had turned back some years ago, and turned up in her suburb. It has at that stage taken him twenty-five years, but one day, there he was. All that time ago in the la...

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Write a story about somebody trying to rationalize giving into temptation, even though they know they shouldn’t.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 42 stories

“Who's the Fairest of Them All” by Howard Seeley

“Higher State” by Jed Cope

“Angels in Disguise” by Keana Sky

“Hidden Cravings” by Madeline Honig

“Just One More” by Lyla Shillan

“Temptations of a Married Woman” by Daphne Abraham

“The teacher” by Robert McCue

“APPASSIONATO” by Elena Panteleev

“Egg on My Face” by Britt Garman

“A dance at the crossroads of destiny ” by Lia Daniel

“Shall We Succumb” by Mark Arnold

“Temptation” by H J

“Memories” by Lucius Doon

“Embracing Shadows” by Michael Murty

“Her Tribe....” by Julie Grenness

🌟 Similar prompts

Your family’s holiday dinners always end with everyone at each other’s throats. This year you’re determined to keep a low profile, but your patience is being put to the test.

At some point in your story, a character says “You’re better than this…”.

Your character finally gives into a temptation they've been avoiding, and becomes better because of it.

Black Friday is the one day of the year where the Devil makes selling your soul a good thing, although there are some bizarre T’s & C’s.

Contest #226

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

190

Contest entries

87

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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