Write a love story without using the word “love.”

Posted in Valentine's Day on Feb 9, 2024

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✍️ 101 stories

“Money Cats ” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #237

Min Lei the Money Cat greeted the visitors to the Happy Dragon Gift Emporium by waving her ceramic left arm in a gesture that silently greeted customers, ‘Hello, welcome, spend your money here and we’ll both be lucky.’ She was white with red cherry blossoms painted on her belly and a merry, squinty-eyed smile on her glossy face, the eyes like upside-down horseshoes. Her body was rotund like Fat Buddha and though her coat was glossy, her belly was dull and greyish and flat at its apex where patrons gave her a little pat or rub to cl...

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“A Dance to Remember(Ridenour Academy Chronicles)” by Amber Taylor

Submitted to Contest #237

“Naoko!”He knows Seina’s voice anywhere. The class president’s heart rate triples hearing his vivacious classmate and former friend breaking free from the circle of the rest of the brightly dressed mages of the advanced arts department. Even without her shouting from across the room, Naoko could spot Seina in a dark room with her neon green tights and electric blue shorts in the sea of students present at the Valentine’s Day dance. Dressed in a black suit and tie for the occasion, Naoko appeared dignified as he made sure people keep the...

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“I Want to be Numb” by Eric Olson

Submitted to Contest #237

Leo and Orion were getting married. Rather, they were soon to be joined together as willing life partners at a traditional ceremony, in the presence of both of their families. You and I might say that sounds like a wedding, but these words have long been forgotten by the time of Leo and Orion. The need for them slowly but surely died out, around the same time that ERT (Emotional Regulation Technology) started to become more sophisticated and effective. So effective it was, that not only were certain words forgotten, but entire emotions altog...

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“That Something May Live” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #237

A wooden cart rumbles and jolts over the cobbled streets of Paris, France. People lining the streets hurl insults and garbage at the sixteen women riding in the bed of the cart. The women sing as the cart rolls along. Salve Regina, a Marian hymn, Compline, the night prayer of the church, and the Office of the Dead, to be prayed for the repose of a deceased person's soul, are among their musical selections. The date is July 17, 1794. These sixteen Carmelite nuns of the Carmel Monastery of Compiègne have been sentenced to die by guillotin...

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“echo & ocean” by Alyssa Li

Submitted to Contest #237

In the beginning, there was but an echo.So I called out, "Hey Echo, are you there?"Echo, stirring with curiosity, replied, "Echoes stem from a sound once made. Surely, someone must’ve spoken before...""Perhaps it was me," came a voice, shrouded in mystery, “But even a prior sound needs a medium to travel through.” "Ocean? Is that really you? But this is my dream," Echo marveled, her voice a blend of joy and incredulity, "I can’t believe it.""For ages, I've longed for a voice unlike my own.” Ocean confessed, waving her presence, “hearing...

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“I Don't Dance” by Autumn Vise

Submitted to Contest #237

Dates weren't his thing. Ish had never had time for frivolous stuff, and dates were included in that category. It was just a waste of time. There was too much work to be done, and too few people he wanted to get close to. But his life of being guard dog to a gang lord was over; a fact he still struggled to come to terms with. With that, it meant he suddenly had all the free time on his hands to do whatever he wanted. Too much free time, if anyone were to ask him. Dates were not his strong suit, but walking with the ball of constant energy be...

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“Brotherly Advice” by Luke Webb

Submitted to Contest #237

James had thought about bursting into his brother's Cabin, a small wooden thing that bathed in the winter sun at the end of the garden. He was full of excitement and hope…and something else, a funny, fluttering feeling that nestled itself atop his gut, but beneath his pounding heart. His head was awash too, a repeating message that had followed him home. She said yes!...So what do I do? Instead he approached the door, and with rhythm in his wrist, he knocked on the glass pane. “Yo, enter!” Came the reply. The ...

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“First sight” by Ginger M Crabb

Submitted to Contest #237

Jonathan's first true love was the Red Devil vacuum cleaner but then again, he was only a toddler. He hugged it tight as he rode around the living room while his mother, Elaine tidied up. Elaine remembered those easy early days as Jonathan entered the halls of Truman High School. As a senior, he rushed off without a word. She watched him walk away thinking about who he was becoming, how his tastes seemed to change overnight, and then, there was Addison. Elaine sighed heavily wondering how this situation was going to end. Addison Montgomery w...

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“MORE THAN A PORK CHOP” by Joe Forgue

Submitted to Contest #237

Why the sadness? I was putting away the groceries--a few more, somehow, than what was on the list I was sent to the neighborhood A & P to buy. Of course, as a nine-year-old, I didn't have a clue to give words to why my mom looked so sad. I probably did have some heartfelt sense, though. Later, my adult self would deal with the many mixed messages from our family interplay. But that's another story.Mr. Phil, as we called the grocer, did let me put the charge on our tab. He wrote something on what appeared to be a scrap of paper. As I look...

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“Honey and Her Humans” by Robert Pyke

Submitted to Contest #237

The dog days of summer clung to the East Coast like a vinyl raincoat. In Connecticut, the humans who could drive off to air-conditioned offices did so. They left pets in the heat, their only consolation a few apologetic words. More aid would have been irresponsible: dialing the temperature down during the hottest hours of the day threatened brownouts. Fish and turtles didn’t care. The warmer the air and water, the higher they got. But warmbloods, dogs and cats, had to find ways to retreat with grace. One August morning, a female Maine co...

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“Something Borrowed” by E Tudor

Submitted to Contest #237

Something Borrowed “Congratulations,” Scott said. Was that disappointment on his face? We both stared down at the oversized diamond sparkling on the third finger of my left hand. No, it couldn’t possibly be. He’d had his chance to put his own ring there, and chose another option instead. “Thanks,” I said and hastily took a gulp of my hot coffee, nearly taking the skin off the roof of my mouth in the process, “so, how have you been? It’s great to see you again after all this time.” I had to shout slightly over the noise of the band. Perhap...

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“Rich, Red” by Charles Stanford

Submitted to Contest #237

A lady had been dropped off today. Despite the reddish hair, blackness was evident in tight coils and a rounded nose. Her dark eyes surveyed the dim household, stepping in gingerly. She marveled at the deep blue walls, lacquered floors, and the faint smell of dried flowers. The absence of a looming presence allowed her to take everything in. Rosa let out a quiet sigh so subtle it sounded like any other breath. This was a girl allowed to be one, a fact emphasized by her travel wear. The polished red shoes especially caught Rosa’s attention. T...

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“Chocolate- Mint Whiskream ” by Yu-Cheng Wu

Submitted to Contest #237

Do not make a sound. I successfully stifle the sneeze but not the tears. They well up in my eyes when the sneeze is forced upwards instead of outwards in my throat. The words on the paper turn blurry. What's worse, while my left hand is rubbing my eyes and the other’s writing on the test paper, the reservoir of snot breaks down. Distracted, I am unhappy to find out that I've put the answer inside the wrong box. My seat is in the middle of the classroom, at the perfect angle under the blizzard of the air conditioner and the dust storm of the...

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“An Unexpected Route” by Jenna Rose

Submitted to Contest #237

“Woebegone.” A man’s index finger jabs at the newspaper spread across my knees.He’s hovering over me holding one of the rails on the bus. I’m seated against the wall. Nobody objects on my behalf to the invasion of my personal space.“What?” I glare up at him, noticing he’s wearing shorts and sneakers. It’s January. The rest of us are in heavy coats and toques like sensible people.“Your crossword. The answer to ‘down in the dumps’ is, “Woebegone.”“Oh, that I now know,” I say with frustration while writing the word into the cubic spaces. “What ...

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“Jess” by Agris Engelis

Submitted to Contest #237

“It’s been but a day since we last spoke.” A man’s voice, full of pain could be heard in a cold room. “But a day since I felt the warmth of your touch.” A flickering candle was the only thing providing light upon a nearby table. “But I feel as if a lifetime has passed.”The man sat down by the flickering light. “While yesterday seems already years away, the past we’ve had, and life we lived, shines and loops within my memory as if it’s still happening.” A pencil, scraping away at a paper, could be heard in the dark. “But do not fear my sweet ...

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Write a love story without using the word “love.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 101 stories

“Money Cats ” by Tanya Humphreys

“A Dance to Remember(Ridenour Academy Chronicles)” by Amber Taylor

“I Want to be Numb” by Eric Olson

“That Something May Live” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

“echo & ocean” by Alyssa Li

“I Don't Dance” by Autumn Vise

“Brotherly Advice” by Luke Webb

“First sight” by Ginger M Crabb

“MORE THAN A PORK CHOP” by Joe Forgue

“Honey and Her Humans” by Robert Pyke

“Something Borrowed” by E Tudor

“Rich, Red” by Charles Stanford

“Chocolate- Mint Whiskream ” by Yu-Cheng Wu

“An Unexpected Route” by Jenna Rose

“Jess” by Agris Engelis

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a successful marriage proposal, or one that goes horribly wrong.

Write about a cynical character who somehow ends up on a blind date.

Write a story about a first or last kiss.

Write a story about two people falling in love via email.

Contest #237

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

324

Contest entries

133

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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