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Write a short story about a work Christmas party that goes... awry.

Posted in Winter on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 26 stories

This Simple Phrase

Winner of Contest #21 🏆

Christmas Eve, the pop of a champagne bottle followed by a resounding cheer, one voice louder than the rest.  Where you are is the glass-walled corner of an open-plan office space, colored in neutrals and grays on all sides in the style of what the CEO’s wife thinks is minimalism. Imagine setting down a little bystander on Google Earth, peeping through windows and open doors. Imagine seeing you leaning against the wall adjacent to floor-to-ceiling glass; lanky, slightly lackluster, not quite thirty yet but not quite 20 anymore. Old enou...

47 likes 21 comments 21
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I Shouldn't Be Here

Submitted to Contest #21

Should I go? Should I stay? I’ll go. I’ll go out of respect. My boss so kindly planned the party, so I’ll go. I’ll stay for two hours. An hour and a half? No. Two hours. I’ll go.                                                 ~~~~~~~  What to wear? I look in the mirror. Too dressy? Too casual? Too fa...

19 likes 29 comments 29
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My Brother's Gut Is Never Wrong

Submitted to Contest #21

      I stared at all the people. All I wanted was to go home. It was Christmas Eve for goodness sakes! Mom was busy though, and Dad was too. And Mom wouldn’t let me stay home alone. She said it was too ‘dangerous.’ Wow, Mom. Way to put your trust in me.       Mom was ignoring me, as usual, but still I had to sit here while she worked endlessly. I didn’t care if her work was important, or that it was necessary ‘for the greater good.’ I wanted to be home, painting or reading or ...

17 likes 0 comments 0
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We wish you a merry doomsday

Submitted to Contest #21

There had been some discussion about the dress code for the Christmas party. Mike from Financial Exploitation had suggested ugly Christmas sweaters but he had been shouted down by the eco-conscious millennials from Propaganda. Jess from Inhuman Resources was all for science fiction, Dylan from Nuclear Acquisitions wanted horror, and Ana from Hacking said they might as well drop the dress code altogether because there was no way in hell she would change out of her ripped jeans and oversized hoodie anyway. In the end, word had come down from o...

11 likes 3 comments 3
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Love On West 4th Street by Patric Quinn (Word Count: 1900)

Submitted to Contest #21

                                                                                           &...

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The Christmas Lights

Submitted to Contest #21

I do love the lights. The blinking lights you see during the holidays. They fill my heart with glee. I may sound childish, and maybe I am, but there is not a happier feeling than waking up on Christmas morning and tearing open the presents under the tree.But today, the glee was different. My pulse screamed in my ears. What was this? This want. No, this need.The clinking of a utensil against a glass pulled me away from my thoughts. "I thank all of you for coming tonight." Mr. Christopher said. The CEO of the company, I have always felt out of...

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Work-off

Submitted to Contest #21

Work-off"That's a nice outfit you got there Mrs Taylor"His voice echoed through the hall. I turned to look at him "Oh thank you Mr Evans"That was awkward. The boss has never complimented anyone-or so I thought,and I'm so much happily married."Let me get back to the uhmm to everyone"He turned on his black shiny shoes walking up to where everyone was.Awkward!I looked at the beautiful view just on the balcony. It was so beautiful to watch,the starts sparkling their way through the night.Beautiful!"You good?"I turned to look at this face ex...

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Last Party at the Argus

Submitted to Contest #21

It is a truth we probably ought to acknowledge that if an office has never established the tradition of a Christmas party, then there’s possibly a very good reason for it.      The staff at the office of the East Counties Argus (which was still surviving though there was talk that it might have to be made into a fortnightly rather than a weekly publication) weren’t a po-faced posse of the successors of Scrooge. They exchanged Christmas cards, which were strung up on green and red striped waxed cord acr...

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The Naughty List

Submitted to Contest #21

Anders rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Maxine was knocking on his door, looking in all ways like her night had been anything but silent.  "I thought you'd find your way here."   “Humbug.” Maxine crossed her arms. "Maxine, the stupid production assistant."  "After you disappeared from the party everybody got kind of worried.  So what happened to you? Where'd you go?"  She dawdled, sticking her hands in her pockets, examining the posters on the walls. Great, she thought...

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A Pair of Black Heels

Submitted to Contest #21

The oven clock read 5:02 and the smoke alarms blared. I had managed to burn yet another casserole. My mother used to make them constantly, specifically for our family’s annual Christmas Eve gathering, and I always watched in speculation. With my mother in mind, I had wanted to cook up a casserole for my work’s Christmas party. The wait staff at Higgin’s, a low-key brunch diner, planned to all meet up at coworker Charlie Zeatod’s house for a little holiday bash. Everyone was told to bring an item of food, and we’d kick back and eat and watch ...

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The Fight Before Christmas

Submitted to Contest #21

This was not the first Christmas party Sienna attended at Frost Payments. She accepted the position as Director of the Underwriting Department four years ago and had attended every party since. It was the only time she could recall that an office party had broken down into a physical altercation. Sure there had been wars of words aplenty at other gatherings, but guests had kept enough sense to rein their darker impulses in before matters got personal. It didn’t surprise Sienna in the slightest that it was Craig and J...

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O Holy Night

Submitted to Contest #21

“Breaking News: yet another death has occurred this week, marking this the seventh of the month. Twenty-year-old Margaret Bell was found poisoned inside her own house last Saturday night. Police were called into the scene when neighbors reported the—” “Oh turn that off, will you?” Mia said, appearing at the door. “Shhh.” Brian, her bespectacled coworker who was a known conspiracist in the workplace, shushed her quickly. Mia frowned, entering the room with a plate of cookies in hand, her contribution to the event. Her scarlet pumps click...

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Hedonist, Inc.

Submitted to Contest #21

As much as I hated these things, I found myself at another Hedonist, Inc Christmas blowout. The company’s real name is HedoLine, Inc, but I’ve called it the other way since the first party I attended here. It was a booze-fueled night of inappropriate jokes, kiss and grope, and indiscrete lavatory hookups.Around me the others came in, dropping off the normal “party supplies.” Assorted finger foods, seven bottles of high-grade liquor, a case of energy drinks, a bowl of cannabis edibles (a staple since legalization), and The Punch Bowl. Three l...

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The Christmas Party

Submitted to Contest #21

The Christmas Party‘It’s the same old same old every year,’ Jemima, from the typing pool moaned.‘What? Pub lunch and cheap crackers?’ Lynn, the receptionist sneered.‘Considering that we all still have a job, I’m not complaining,’ old Mr Thomas, the security guard commented in passing.However, on the day that they were all told to assemble at the ground floor of their 10 storey building, everyone was talking.‘This isn’t normal is it?’ Lynn nudged Jemima.‘No, can’t say it is. Gawd, I hope they’re not gathering all of us in the foyer to announc...

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All I want for Christmas...

Submitted to Contest #21

“Father! Father!” a little boy called. He scampered his little feet across the hall and into his father’s office. Once he opened the door, he found no one but a string of holly, garland, and a beautiful deer statue and could only hear the distant tolling of Christmas bells. No sign of his dad anywhere inside. He pouted and walked away. Before his tiny little toes could hit the ground once more, a massive red-figure snatched him up and whisked him away. “Happy Birthday, Percy!” the figure exclaimed, swinging him around.  “Father, there y...

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