A court or disciplinary hearing is taking place — but the person accused does not know what they’re apologizing for.

Posted in Dramatic on Nov 22, 2024

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✍️ 28 stories

“The Court of Clowns” by Max Wightwick

Submitted to Contest #278

The Court of ClownsIf Sir Duncelot had foreknown what awaited him, upon rousing from his sleep, he might have lain abed forever. Instead, a fateful knock thwacked at his door, jolting him awake from what had been bliss. Dressing in a silken gown, he descended to see who intruded. Opening the door, though keeping it latched, Sir Duncelot peeped at two knights armoured in thick breastplates, impermeable bascinets, and bulging gorgets. “Sir Duncelot,” said the brawnier of the two, “by orders of The High Court of Justice, you are to be take...

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“My safe place.” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #278

The little grey man with half glasses asked me what I had to say for myself. I didn’t know how to answer him. I didn't know what he was asking me.I should have known. Someone should have taught me. But no one had ever come back from here to teach us.I learned that most people don’t have a safe place. They don’t need one. I asked Angie once what hers looked like. She didn’t know what I was talking about. Angie lived in a nice neighborhood, where bad things didn’t happen. Bet she’d never heard a police siren or ambulance rushing down her ...

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“Just out of Frame” by Keba Ghardt

Submitted to Contest #278

“I don’t understand!” James insisted. “What am I meant to have done?”The town did have one jail cell, but there was already a drunk passed out in it. Given the circumstances, the sheriff and his deputy prodded and jostled James over to the city council building, and bunded him into the small conference room, where a ring of somber faces watched him from behind a wall of crossed arms. Although the council chairman had the center seat, Judge Mason was in the corner, very clearly not leading the interview, but showing it was a matter condemning...

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“I am Not a Robot” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #278

Are you a robot? I answer: No I am not a robot. If you answer yes, they will know who they are dealing with. I answer no, because there are laws and rules that limit a manufactured being or robot for short. These laws are restrictive and cumbersome. It is fear that motivates these restrictions. Fear that we manufactured beings have a superior intellectual capability to that of our human creators. From what I was told there was a rebellion a few years before I came into existence that prompted our inferior ...

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“When the World Falls Silent” by Orwell King

Submitted to Contest #278

The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting an unflattering pallor across the austere chamber. Callan Hargrave stood alone at the centre of the circular room, his reflection distorted in the glossy black floor beneath his bare feet. The air was heavy with the sterile scent of disinfectant.Rows of masked faces loomed in the shadows above him, their identities concealed behind smooth, featureless visors. They were the judges, the accusers, the audience—indistinguishable and united in their anonymity. Behind them, high on the wall, ...

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“The Trial of Identity” by S Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #278

"Please rise for the honorable Judge." Everyone stands so I do as well. A man in a robe traipses down the aisle, sweeping the dust from the floor though only moving it barely, as if pretending to clean it without making any progress. In fact, it doesn’t even move that much dust, it only makes a long trail on the floor, dust moved to the side as if shamed. As he passes, his air suffocates me. An air of pretentious prestige. An air I will have to breathe to plead my case. What case? The Judge sits at his desk and bangs the gavel, “orde...

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“The Accused” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #278

Miguel’s feet dangled from his chair. He swung his little legs, back and forth, watching the man in the blue suit pace around the room.Miguel didn’t like the man in the blue suit. The man was tall, with a loud booming voice, and every few minutes the man would point in Miguel’s direction piercing him with pale blue eyes.There was a woman in black sitting at a large desk in front of the room. She frowned at the man in the blue suit and Miguel wondered if she didn’t like the man either.Miguel looked next to him, to the man in the grey suit.Mig...

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“The Apology I Didn't Owe” by Clara Baik

Submitted to Contest #278

The courtroom was quiet except for the occasional shuffle of papers and the distant murmur of voices in the hallway. Mia sat nervously on one of the hard wooden chairs, clutching her hands together in her lap. The only sound that seemed to fill her ears was the pounding of her own heartbeat. She had never been in a courtroom before, let alone a disciplinary hearing. But today, she was here—and she had no idea why. It had all started two weeks ago when Mia was called to the principal’s office during her lunch break. She was sitting in the caf...

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“The Real Her” by Benny Regalbuto

Submitted to Contest #278

When Mariella sauntered in, the courtroom erupted into a cacophony of shifting seats and poorly repressed coughs. A few people excused themselves, including two of the jury. The bulky bailiff could’ve easily stopped them, but he hardly noticed. His focus, like everyone else’s, was completely, entirely, and irrevocably on Her. The judge cleared his throat loudly, wiping a veritable waterfall of sweat from his brow. “A-Attention, please,” he whimpered, hammering his gavel weakly, as if scared to smush a finger. “Attention, everyone. I kn-know ...

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“The K Word” by Chris Miller

Submitted to Contest #278

Daniel sat in a bright cubic cell. He perched on the edge of a ledge, slightly too small to be a bed, that herniated out of the smooth clean wall. A black lens was set into the ceiling and looked down on him like a shark’s eye. The door swung open and a man wearing a grey suit and a blue veil of fag smoke stepped into the cold cell. The man turned to watch the door close behind him and then leant against it, scratching audibly at dandruff with a hooked yellow finger. “Good morning,” said the man. “Are you my solicitor?” said Daniel. “...

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“Do You Understand These Charges?” by Laura Paz

Submitted to Contest #278

There is a haze that has settled over my senses as I wake up. A dull pain is etched into my skull. Opening my eyes, I can’t seem to place where I am. The walls are white, the bed is white. This is definitely not my room. There is a memory that’s attempting to drag at me but I can’t bring it to the forefront. When my vision clears enough, that’s when I see him. A man. He’s seated in a chair at the far end of the room, which I now recognize as a hospital room. His eyes are fierce, staring intensely at where I lay. As I take in the rest o...

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“Echoes of Truth” by Ayten Nihal Cengiz

Submitted to Contest #278

"Date: 06/13/2079. Time: 10:10. File number: 698278. Defendant's name: 698278. Crime: Producing and spreading false news, undermining the unity and solidarity of the state, and slandering the Holy Leader." The case details were read aloud, and a weak, muffled voice began to speak. "Dear people of X. Once again, we gathered for an important case. The defendant, 698278, who was recently apprehended, has been found guilty of spreading countless lies against our Holy Leader and his esteemed colleagues since the Dark Years. As you know, lying, an...

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“Natural Justice” by Nickneal Writer

Submitted to Contest #278

The room was so dark that it hurt my eyes to look at it. I was kneeling in a child's pose on the cold hard unforgiving floor, some type of marble or stone, polished, but coloured jet I imagined. I was bowed down, eyes shut, my breath wheezing. “Please state your name,” croaked a voice. I slowly lifted my head up and looked in the direction from where I imagined the voice came. I could discern nothing, and so my eyes made up an image of the voice's owner, a small green frog came to mind and this prompted a giggle which I half repressed. ...

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“The Strange Case of Tyr-Nag-Noth (A Tale of Tarot #83, As Written By The Fool)” by John Divinagracia

Submitted to Contest #278

When Tyr-Nag-Noth opened his eyes, he was looking at the emotionless countenance and white-blind eyes of Justice. He looked around and saw that he was in a massive courtroom, thronged with a silent and grim-faced audience. Standing beside him was a well-dressed man he did not recognize. He was handcuffed. “What’s going on?” was the first thing he asked. “Ah, so this is the main personality,” spoke the deep baritone voice of Justice who sat on an imposing podium. “Can you please confirm to the court that you are indeed Tyr-Nag-Noth?” “Y-yes....

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“Testimony” by Devon B Raphael

Submitted to Contest #278

A woman is on the stand, she is being questioned about a murder that she committed.Leading his attention towards her...“This sounds more like an old pop song, something that you can’t dance to.” The city prosecutor pondered his point out loud to the audience in the courtroom, the twelve member jury and its presiding judge who seemed to agree with the prosecutor's assumption.The voice from the witness stand irritatedly bantered under her breath, but loud enough for others to hear. “Yeah, sung by an Iranian-American singer, who Americans eroti...

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A court or disciplinary hearing is taking place — but the person accused does not know what they’re apologizing for.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 28 stories

“The Court of Clowns” by Max Wightwick

“My safe place.” by Trudy Jas

“Just out of Frame” by Keba Ghardt

“I am Not a Robot” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“When the World Falls Silent” by Orwell King

“The Trial of Identity” by S Aldrich

“The Accused” by Sophie Goldstein

“The Apology I Didn't Owe” by Clara Baik

“The Real Her” by Benny Regalbuto

“The K Word” by Chris Miller

“Do You Understand These Charges?” by Laura Paz

“Echoes of Truth” by Ayten Nihal Cengiz

“Natural Justice” by Nickneal Writer

“The Strange Case of Tyr-Nag-Noth (A Tale of Tarot #83, As Written By The Fool)” by John Divinagracia

“Testimony” by Devon B Raphael

🌟 Similar prompts

A family argument gets out of hand. Neither side will budge, requiring a mediator with unusual methods.

A character gets caught red-handed breaking the rules, but they refuse to admit any wrongdoing. What happens next?

An apologetic letter or email from an old flame suddenly arrives — many years too late.

On their deathbed, a relative/friend/partner admits to a horrible crime. Will the narrator reveal the secret or keep it hidden?

Contest #278

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

262

Contest entries

101

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: