Your character sits down at their desk on a Monday morning and finds a completely unexpected email in their inbox. Write about what happens next.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 25 stories

“The Mysterious Email” by Jaituni Sanghavi

He had tears in his eyes and his slender body was shivering.He never knew that one email could change his life forever.He couldn’t believe what his eyes saw.It seemed surreal, bizarre!It was as though the universe had played a joke on him and he couldn’t help but laugh and cry, quiver and stand still at the same time.

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“Mondays” by Holly B

I hadn’t been to work in weeks. I yawned as I pressed the start button on the coffee pot. As the familiar aroma met the air, my mind wandered to my daily commute and the monumental to-do list that awaited me. My co-worker Bill's last day was Friday. So not only will I be catching up on work that I missed while I was away but also committing to the work of two people until Bill’s replacement can start in one more week. <...

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“The Phantom Sandwich Eater” by Sharon Williams

Good morning, Pam, I hope you’ve had a good weekend. I’ve had several communications from parents concerned that their children’s lunchboxes have been interfered with. They state that you are already aware of this issue, but have failed to address it. Please can we meet as soon as possible to discuss this matter. Kind regards Reverend Peter Day Chair of Govern...

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“E.T Mail” by Phil Manders

The colossal craft, moved silently through infinite darkness. It’s mass, undistinguishable in the void. Travelling close to the speed of light, it caused no disturbance in the vacuum of space. Not a sound. Not a vibration. Not a murmur. Onboard, an advanced alien species plotted a course for a fascinating-sounding planet they knew as Earth. Rumours of this planet had spread far and wide across the universe, and fr...

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“An Email About Love” by Sheila Sarrett

The forecast was perfect for a weekend on a boat. John was so relieved. "This weekend I will not think of my job, nor would I take a phone call or e-mail letters to my clients. This weekend I will take my girlfriend Mary for a two-day trip on my very comfortable sailboat". I told Mary I would pick her up at 7AM on Saturday for food and drinks for the next two days. Mary was as excited as I was. We would enjoy two days in...

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“A dream come true” by Jade Wolf

Do you remember the feeling of dread before going to school – where you knew the bully kids awaited you with another nasty surprise? Or the wretched math class where every number seemed to float around your head meaninglessly, making you dizzy. That’s exactly the feeling I have every day while going to my job. A day after day grind of feeling miserable – like I’m being punished for something I didn’t even do. You see, ev...

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“Granddaughter - in the Lost and Found” by Ronald Hart

It was agreed I would depart the office Friday leaving my smartphone on the desk. My nurse practitioner wife, thinks my phone and computer screen are responsible for my sore neck of late. Looking forward to a better night’s sleep I accepted the challenge.While closing the office door behind me, I heard the familiar telltale ding on my phone – yet another message with advice about my ever-expiring auto warranty, I was sure. Needing to get on the road it could wait until Monday. The weather was crappy, just another dreary day in Nove...

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“The East Star” by Jing Ni Gou

Every night he would look out at the sky, in search of the East star. It gave him comfort knowing that there could be a possibility that she would be watching the same star, at the same time. They hadn’t talked in years. In fact, they hadn’t talked since he had dropped her off that night, but he could still remember how that night felt as clearly as if he were rewatching the memory on CD over and over again. Why they hadn’t spoken in years was his fault, he knew that, and although he didn’t regret it, he could still feel her weight in his...

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“Stories We Tell Ourselves” by Valerie Capone

There’s something about a rainy September Monday morning that’s comforting. The solace of not feeling like you need to be outdoors doing something fun. The fading memories of a well-played weekend, a gray haze blanketing the sky, the first hint of autumn gently painting the oak trees…all topped by a sip of a perfectly made latte. This makes me smile. No one is in the office yet, at least no one can be heard.

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“It's work. It always has been.” by Stefania Liv

I read the email once. Or… maybe twice? Or maybe I am just staring at the words for a while. I close the tab and take a deep breath, reaching for my coffee.It’s cold, I think. Nelly must have picked it earlier today.My gaze falls on the papers stacked carefully on the right side of my office; the cases for today. Five folders. One is bigger than the others. That’s because I’ve been working longer with this client. He is scheduled for 9:00 am, I remember scheduling the appointment with ...

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“Where did you come from, where did you go?” by Katrina Hagel

The first Monday that Howl opened his email, he skimmed. His vision blurred as his index finger automatically scrolled. Howl rarely digested anything from his email. Until... Howl believed the woman must have mistaken him for someone else. The email professed ardent love, compassions, and wishes. Howl was embarrassed and refused to believe the words were intended for him. T...

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“Breathe” by Rebecca Moatz

“Hello Annalise, my name is Kaitlyn Larson and I have a little mystery on my hands that I am hoping you can help me solve. I realize that this may be a long shot, but I just had to take a chance and try to email you. Did you send a package to Bryn Mawr, PA over the holidays? I received a large box at my home from an Annalise Edwards addressed to a Zachary Vines. It has my address on it but I have only lived here f...

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“In memory of Hanna” by Howard Englander

Word Count: 2,984 In Memory of Hanna It had been three months since the surprise party. Jakub was stunned when Hanna walked him into the room filled with dozens of friends wearing party hats and broad smiles. A pianist and a bona fide chanteuse with a Marlene Dietrich accent led the singing of Happy Birthday. A pair of waitresses served fancy appetizers a...

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“Flying with Sparrows” by Mei Ling

Flying with Sparrows by J. M. Oxford Sparrows parade on tree branches outside my window. They cozy up to each other until taken by flight. I dream of flight – far away to exotic territories; an island would do. Oh, Monday, Monday – coffee, and e-mail. Let’s see. August 29th, 1960, an offer from the university featuring a study abroad program – Spain, Germany, Costa Rica, and Cuba … Cuba! Oh, imagine an is...

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“I DON@T LIKE MONDAYs” by Kayhan Egeli

It has been eighteen months since I worked from home due to pandemics and following lockdowns. In a way, office life is disappeared from my life. Today I am back to my old routine, I got up, had a shower, a piece of toast and drive to work. My boss, managing director of the company Alan sent to me a text on Friday and asked me to be in the office on Monday." We are back to normal Tony, see you Monday," it was short but n...

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Your character sits down at their desk on a Monday morning and finds a completely unexpected email in their inbox. Write about what happens next.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 25 stories

“The Mysterious Email” by Jaituni Sanghavi

“Mondays” by Holly B

“The Phantom Sandwich Eater” by Sharon Williams

“E.T Mail” by Phil Manders

“An Email About Love” by Sheila Sarrett

“A dream come true” by Jade Wolf

“Granddaughter - in the Lost and Found” by Ronald Hart

“The East Star” by Jing Ni Gou

“Stories We Tell Ourselves” by Valerie Capone

“It's work. It always has been.” by Stefania Liv

“Where did you come from, where did you go?” by Katrina Hagel

“Breathe” by Rebecca Moatz

“In memory of Hanna” by Howard Englander

“Flying with Sparrows” by Mei Ling

“I DON@T LIKE MONDAYs” by Kayhan Egeli

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who has landed their dream job, only to discover it isn’t quite what they imagined it to be.

Start your story with a character quitting their job, or getting fired.

Write about a character who leads a secret double life outside of their day job.

Set your story during the night shift.

Contest #109

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

166

Contest entries

158

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: