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

Posted in Thanksgiving on Nov 24, 2023

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✍️ 31 stories

“Cacao” by Gilbert Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #226

Lee was holding a foreign object in his hand. The object was rectangular and although it was sold he felt that he could snap it at any moment. He wondered how something so brittle could be desired by many. He studied the item with close intent. On the outside was a bright purple wrapper that had a striking font. Anybody passing by this object would stop and inspect it just as he had. He peeled away the outer paper to reveal a leaf of aluminum underneath. Why was there another layer to go through? Surely this was something special, no? Slowly...

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“Do Your Worst” by Mary Lynne Schuster

Submitted to Contest #226

“Hi! I’m Claire. You’re in my English class, right? You’re Emmy.” I’m not sure what I replied – I’m sure I at least stuttered. I knew who she was, if I didn’t know anything else yet at the school I’d been at for a couple of months. Claire was the star, the queen. She was the cheerleading captain and teacher’s pet, the most beautiful and popular girl with the crowd of next-most-popular girls in her wake. She smiled at me and sailed down the hall, a titter waving through the crowd that moved with her. I h...

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“The Ghost of Christmas Present” by Joelle George

Submitted to Contest #226

Carol gathered herself inside her old Ford Ranger. She pulled some fly-aways into place, tucked her scrub top into her bottoms, and wiped a tear from her eye. What was the trick for making your eyes less puffy? Tea bags? Her phone dinged and she made the mistake of checking it. Her background was her dog wearing a Santa hat and offering a slobbery tennis ball. Wads of wrapping paper crinkled underfoot and the smell of gingerbread wafted in from the kitchen. Nothing but a decorative skirt lay underneath the tree now, and 15 year old Carol...

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“The Undisclosed Resort” by Jenny Ashford

Submitted to Contest #226

NOTE: Contains sexual themes and situations. "It's not a big deal." Maggie had said this to herself obsessively, both out loud and in her head, for the past six days, ever since she and Chris had The Conversation. Now, standing in front of her closet with the empty house looming around her like a sinister presence, she felt that familiar, stomach-curdling anxiety again. She savagely pushed aside dresses and leggings and coats; their hangers clacked in protest. She wasn't looking at the clothes, she was just trying to tamp down her stup...

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“The Stairs and Her Tears ” by Theresa Coleman

Submitted to Contest #226

Trigger Warning: Themes of sexual violence and death. “Crying is between you and God at night.” Her sobbing at night still played in my ears as clearly as a bird's chirp in the morning, but there was no denying that it was her body. I was no older than eight when I found my aunt Tesha’s body on the staircase: lifeless, melanated but somehow pale, puffy red eyes, and cracked lips. Those weren’t from death, but from the time she spent crying. She would let her tears slide off her face and onto the floor. That’s how my grandmother put it. “...

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“THE FALL GUY” by Debbie Curtin

Submitted to Contest #226

My buddy, Rocco, has been riding my case for so long he continues to randomly appear in the form of a nightmare. His booming voice would wake me up. Needless to say the only recourse I had was to squeeze a pillow over my head to try to get rid of that loud echo. But of course, I would wake up, and with absolute laughter try to get him to listen to me "JUST ONCE!" We've known each other since first grade when on the very first day he shoved his butt on my assigned chair, looked straight to me and said, "What? I got here first. Beat it puppy!"...

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“Elephants and Princesses” by Alison Rice

Submitted to Contest #226

Elephants and Princesses by Alison Rice In the Houston airport, Margaret spies two old friends—McDonald’s and Auntie Anne’s. The familiar smells of greasy fries and buttery pretzels with their delicate salty crunch attempt to lure her in, but she refuses to crater. Walking towards baggage claim, her gait is swift and long, her sense of superiority and disdain intact. Her small, adopted village in the Cotswolds has its share of fish and chips establishments but nothing like the American fast-food options on every corner. It is, in f...

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“Tempting” by Stephen Mccluer

Submitted to Contest #226

His ragged cardboard sign read, “NEED FOOD – PLEASE HELP.” He indeed looked hungry—dirty, skinny, even feeble. I had seen him—or others like him—many times at this intersection under an overpass. I never give anything to those beggars. I have been suckered too many times. A recent neighborhood chat room proclaimed that these people are not truly homeless. “They just don’t have jobs. It is more profitable for them to beg than to labor all day. At the end of the day, they get into their cars and drive home.” I suspect there is no data to ...

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“Get Behind Me Temptation” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #226

Get Behind Me Temptation “Shut up! Shut up! Would you just shut up for once! You are just driving me crazy!” Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the person coming from the other way on the sidewalk. She gave me quite a long look, first trying to see whether I was hooked up to some kind of device. And shaking her head when she realized that I wasn’t. I think she probably believed that my drive to crazy had finally reached its unavoidable destination. She probably didn’t have to be told that I was yelling at mys...

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“Would You Still Love Me?” by Peter Fulton

Submitted to Contest #226

Is it wrong to imagine life with a different family? I know, it sounds horrible, but it's not an easy thought to let go of. Religious extremism, sometimes to the point of absurdity, can have a brutally negative impact on a child's development, and, speaking for myself, I wouldn't have minded spending my early years in a family that was a little less uptight about Almighty Jesus. Or maybe the same family, just not religious, dogmatic…yeah, I think you get part of the picture. The rest of that lovely photograph is me, sitting at th...

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“Entropy in my Head ” by Arsalan Khan

Submitted to Contest #226

(This story contains sensitive material like suicidal ideation, mental health awareness, ADD, substance use, suggestive material).****Dear Diary,Entropy In My Head18/11/231:00 PMAfter spending hours trying to start this journal entry, I'm finally writing. Four hours, to be exact. No judgment, please—this is my homework. Dr. Bob Marysville, my therapist (funny name for someone from Bellingham, WA), suggested I start journaling. We're trying a new technique to manage my tendency to overthink and fidget. So here I am, writing to you, my blank s...

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“Dermon-tologist” by Jordan Watt

Submitted to Contest #226

Dermon-tologistDermon stabbed the syringe into the side of his neck. A cold, indifferent metal gave way to glorious relief as the purple fluid pierced his gaping, veiny flesh. His muscles tensed, budging beneath the renewed bones of his newly evolving body. The gentle swirl of the glass vial as it emptied into his system was like a sweet lullaby to his newly clearing ears. The distant yawn of traffic became just as natural as the clacking of his untamed fingernails against the temples of his head. The idle chatter of the public outside ...

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“Woman of desire” by Štěpán Kat Cenek

Submitted to Contest #226

Daniel ceased writing and gazed out the window. She stood there in the street, watching him intently. Snow descended from the sky, blanketing the city streets while people hurried to escape the cold. But not her. For the third consecutive week, she appeared in the same spot, clad in an elegant coat, her face unaffected by the chill. The quill in Daniel's hand dropped ink on paper without the writer noticing or caring. His fascination with this woman rendered him immobile and thoughtless. Temptation quickened his heart as if it sought escape ...

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“Frankincense and Myrrh” by Edd Baker

Submitted to Contest #226

Frankincense. Myrrh. Lavender. Only but a minuscule number of the flowers, plants, herbs and resins the ancients would burn in far bygone days. When conviction in the ethereal wasn't a belief strongly held, but an inherent knowing. When man still feared the passing shadow, and gazed at the firmament with awe and terror at the raging tempest. Though it spanned many cultures and tribes, in a Jungian sense, this practice usually shared the same twofold purpose. On one hand, a sort of metaphorical cleansing of the person and or structure, c...

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“Charlotte's Vacation” by Hope Linter

Submitted to Contest #226

At the Vancouver YVR airport, Charlotte checked her boarding pass to Cancun, Mexico. She rubbed her temples. Her perennial headache threatened to return, despite taking two Advil tablets before leaving home. The parent next to her sang and bounced a toddler on his lap. Charlotte hadn’t slept last night, not just because of the flight, but her sleep had been getting worse, even with the sedative, Immovane. A few weeks ago, her doctor strongly advised her to take a relaxing vacation and threatened her with heart attack and other risks f...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 31 stories

“Cacao” by Gilbert Castaneda

“Do Your Worst” by Mary Lynne Schuster

“The Ghost of Christmas Present” by Joelle George

“The Undisclosed Resort” by Jenny Ashford

“The Stairs and Her Tears ” by Theresa Coleman

“THE FALL GUY” by Debbie Curtin

“Elephants and Princesses” by Alison Rice

“Tempting” by Stephen Mccluer

“Get Behind Me Temptation” by John Steckley

“Would You Still Love Me?” by Peter Fulton

“Entropy in my Head ” by Arsalan Khan

“Dermon-tologist” by Jordan Watt

“Woman of desire” by Štěpán Kat Cenek

“Frankincense and Myrrh” by Edd Baker

“Charlotte's Vacation” by Hope Linter

🌟 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…”.

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

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 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: