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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of drama short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

18900+ Drama Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Being one of the most popular genres among the submissions to our weekly contest, the drama short stories collected below include riveting works you won’t want to miss.

Drama Short Stories – Page 964 of 1261

Freedoms deepest secret

Submitted to Contest #69

"You shouldn't do it, Lucy," my mother droned, her delicate fingers entangled in my hair. It seemed unfair for her to confess this so late. After all, I had been sitting in the black leather chair as she spoke. "I've already paid," I responded; it was untrue but a desperate attempt to get her off my back. I'd worked all summer to save up enough money to get my hair cut. It hung past my knees—the edges frizzed from years of pinning it up, and when the sun hit it just right, the color resembled thick marmalade. My mother sighed; she knew she c...

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Conversations with my Mother

Submitted to Contest #69

A Conversation with my Mother I walk up to her front door and pause. I take a deep breath in through my nose filling my lungs beyond capacity, holding it for as long as I can. Maybe the stress in my lungs will somehow make the conversation easier. My eyes close, and they have that stinging feeling I get when I am about to cry. I am not sad or scared or even particularly worried about the inevitable conversation. Yet, something inside of me still feels like I am that little boy trying desperately to get his mother’s attention. Like I am stil...

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Would You Like To Proceed?

Submitted to Contest #69

I clicked the mouse on my keyboard and the screen lit up in a royal blue.  Would you like to proceed? The screen said, its snotty attitude rubbing my misfortune in my face. No, I don't want to “proceed”. I would do anything to get out of doing this. I couldn’t bear to face my family. My breath shook as I moved the mouse away from the button. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t strong enough.  How could I face years worth of anger about what I had done. I had caused them pain, humiliation. But, they had done the same to me. My cheeks we...

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A Cobbler's End

Submitted to Contest #69

These shoes were repaired by my own hands, I have to thank my late grandpa for teaching me how. And now I'm privileged to be wearing his shoes, these brown oxfords know their way around a waltz, how they glide with consummate ease and become one with their wearer. That’s how my grandpa wooed the most beautiful lady he'd ever seen, whisking her across the dance floor.  My father had taken over the business from my grandpa but times had changed from the 1940s. People of today didn’t want their shoes repaired, they want new, the frill of ...

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Guess What Happened...?

Submitted to Contest #69

My palms began to sweat as I saw all of my family members entering the house and heading straight to the living room and kitchen. In a few more minutes, the house would become chaotic and everyone would ask for me.  As usual, I would be cooped up in my room, praying that mom wouldn’t call me from downstairs or force me to meet everyone. I enjoy living in solitude and watching Netflix instead of smiling all the time at my family or glancing at them. It’s just plain awkward and I just hate being in the spotlight. But today was differe...

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The Choice I Make

Submitted to Contest #69

"If you never go after what you want, you will never have it. Live without regrets. If you want it, fight for it." Once I discovered what a quote was and actually became... educated, I found this quote that stood out from the rest. Now let me tell you why. A single glance at my family history will tell you that everyone - and I mean everyone - was a dentist. And they were successful ones at that. The Kidman's Dental Office was passed on from generation to generation. When there was more than one person who wanted to be the next boss, whoev...

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Nauseating Ambivalence

Submitted to Contest #69

As Philip was calling out her name from the entrance, she began to shiver. It wasn’t because of the temperature of that ice-cold rainy winter night but rather hearing her name being muttered by Philip’s voice. What was once a voice of reason, a pillar of safety and warmth, was now a striking affliction. His soothing voice had remained exactly the same, slightly more tired and weary as the years passed by, but for Madeline it now sounded like a piercing knife striking her in the heart. She glanced at him, nodding her head. She was standing in...

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The bonds that matter

Submitted to Contest #69

It was a calm and quiet night. The usually stormy weather had subsided and was for once replaced by a clear sky. The stars could be seen shining in the evening sky. Tonight’s moon was full and bright, illuminating the city below. Most people were either already home or currently on their way. While it wasn’t raining, it was still quite chilling. If you breathe, you could see your breath in the air. It was also unexpectedly quiet. Only the noise from car engines could be heard in the distance. Even in a city as big as this one, Monday evening...

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The Beginning of The End

Submitted to Contest #69

"I can't believe your time is finally here, I can already see your adorable face on all the banners of the bakery.." Aunty Darla must have forgotten the distance of her lips to the phone because she squealed right into the phone almost knocking me off my office chair, which causes a lot of stares from my colleagues in other cubicles and a strange wink from weird Freddy. "Hello, Hello poo bear are you there..." I irritatedly look away only to have to return to this same phone conversation. "Yes Aunty.." Unfortunately "Good, I was even tel...

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Small Walls

Submitted to Contest #69

I took a deep breath.  You can do this. I told myself. I opened the garage door and turned on the car. The seat was sticky and I shifted to try to find somewhere comfortable. I had been sitting in the car for hours debating back and forth on whether or not I could do this. You can still turn back. But I shouldn't. Doing this will be for the better. Will it? If I did this and I told my family I wouldn't be continuing the business they would be heartbroken. But I couldn't stay there any longer. I wasn't happy there. I turned on the ra...

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Beautiful Symphony

Submitted to Contest #69

I hug my parents. They both look at each other astounded. My mother opens her mouth but no words come out. "Mom, I know" I laugh "You've just never acted like this before" My father smiles " I'm 22 now, It's Thanksgiving, I've had a little change in heart" My father pats my back. They both seem afraid I might change my mind. I hear my nieces and nephews chattering. I change my persona. "HEY! Have you guys been thankful?" "Oh yes yes yes" Precious announces as I let her hop on my shoulders. Dion simply nods. Imani latches onto my leg and Dion...

8 likes 5 comments 5
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A Father's Pride

Submitted to Contest #69

To break your father's heart, you must come prepared. But if you're anything like me, you're already used to the process. My decision to study biology, instead of something business or economics-adjacent--or at the least, law--was the first blow. If not for the seventy-five percent scholarship, and my mother's pleading, I might have had to pay my own way through school. Also, I suppose my father thought that, somewhere along the line, I would see reason and come back into the fold, which was why he eventually relented. To be fair to my...

6 likes 3 comments 3
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Family Business

Submitted to Contest #69

She bolted out the front door and into the Tennessee heat. She sprinted over the hill, past the pond, and behind the white gazebo. Seated with her back pressed firmly against the trunk, she pulled a small legal pad out of her pocket. Spanish moss dangled from the oak tree above her head. After scanning for movement near the hill, she began to write. Ink smeared over the page and onto her left hand as her pen flew across the page. The ocean of tears pouring from her eyes didn't help either. Then she heard a booming voice echo throug...

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The Monster That is Holiday's With The Family

Submitted to Contest #69

Tyler and his wife Jessica stood patiently outside his parents home as the snow began to pile high in the driveway. Jessica pressed her finger against the doorbell allowing its chime to echo throughout the house. Her husband, Tyler stared down at the present in his arms. Its green tear away paper and red bow calmed his nerves for a moment before he had to make his announcement to the entire extended family. The moment of silence was followed by the sounds of locks being undone. The door swung open to reveal Tyler’s brother Tommy in his usual...

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The Tragic End?

Submitted to Contest #69

What happened?said the father.After a pause of few more seconds he again repeated in a panic voice "tell me James what are you talking about?".James was sitting in his chamber with just one light on,keeping the room almost dark,his father was totally audible to him,but the warm tears rolling down his cheeks hindered him from uttering a single word,except the word "hello" at the very beginning of the conversation.          James pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket and tried to wipe his tea...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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