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“Write a story with two (or more) characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret.”

Posted in Character on Sep 25, 2026

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✍️ 34 stories

The Bane of Cecily

Weekly Contest #374

WARNING: This story contains gruesome character deaths. Cecily arose from a nest of furs and stretched freely in the mid-morning breeze. The sounds of her gentle fluttering echoed softly throughout the bedroom, catching the attention of the nimble maids that served her. Cecily glided from bed to vanity. “Where is my boy?” The princess took a comb to her knotted hair. Fair Winifred shook her head and pointed toward the heavy, wooden door. Cecily giggled, “let him in.” A four-legged creature trotted into the room, carrying the scent of wild o...

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Incendium

Weekly Contest #374

Another rib snapped beneath my boot. The thorn-in-my-side strained an arm forward, clawing at the scorched dirt. Strange symbols began to glow in the air around her hand. A dagger through the wrist promptly extinguished them. No exclamation of pain ever escaped from her. Impressive. If she weren’t worm food, my soldiers might benefit from this display of stoicism. Too bad. My foot remained on the wretch’s back, while we both waited. Staring into the shade of a trampled forest edge while the midday sun gazed down on us. Heat slunk under my ar...

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She Should Be Afraid of Me

Weekly Contest #374

Thud thud. She answers the door. “Yasmin?” I’m frozen at her doorstep. She is beautiful. Of course she would be. I blink the wetness forming in my eyes. Warmth emanating from her figure envelops my heart, superseding the chill of her skepticism. “Can I help you,” Yasmin responds from the doorframe, one hand gripping the weathered door behind her. “My- my name is Sarah. The nursing agency sent me.” I twist a loose sweater thread between my fingers to soothe my nerves. It’s not entirely a lie. The agency did not require much coaxing to give he...

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Suubi

Weekly Contest #374

Mr. and Mrs. Dawson dared to feel hope once again. For the past ten years, they had tried to have children. For the past ten years, they had been thwarted in every way imaginable. With each passing attempt at having their own biological children, every negative result, every small shake of the head from the doctor, and every look of pity in the eyes of their loved ones, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson lost hope. So, life continued on, and this afternoon was like many others. Sometimes, Mrs. Dawson would sit for hours looking through adoption agencies on...

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The Introduction

Weekly Contest #374

Delilah arrives at the unknown restaurant first. She’s carrying a brown shoulder purse over her left shoulder, gripping the strap in her right hand. Her left hand is buried into her favorite rustic red winter coat. She’d chosen to go for a scraggly bun that morning, staring out the window for a few moments in frustration when nothing else had worked out. Delilah watches around the restaurant as she searches for a familiar face. Not even a familiar face, since they’d never actually met in person before. She would just have to know that she ha...

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Ryan's Secret

Weekly Contest #374

Ryan’s Secret The small town she grew up in looked nothing like it did after she returned 12 years later. She walked into the little coffee shop by the corner of the street, inhaling the smell of freshly brewed coffee and muffins. This place was new; she didn’t recognise the faces, but she vividly remembered that there used to be a bookstore where that coffee shop now stood. So much has changed, she muttered to herself as she walked inside and looked around. She didn’t notice him; she was so focused on the view that she bumped right into a s...

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To see value in another

Weekly Contest #374

I hold my pen, staring at a blank page. A processed piece of wood rests unmoved on my desk. And I understand I can make nothing of it. There is no life in it. So I stand up from my chair, feeling the cold air brush against my hair from the open window. My gaze shifts up to the gray skies, to the idle silence of cars passing by. I take my pen and shove my notebook into my pocket before stepping outside. It is cold now, the wind making the air feel transparent like glass. Walking aimlessly through a city I know by the memory of yesterday, I s...

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The Bell Above the Cafe Door

Weekly Contest #374

It came as quite a surprise to James, as he sat alone in a cafe enjoying his latte, when a ragged looking man (who he did not know) tapped him on the shoulder and challenged him to a fight. James’ initial response to the man was, “Either my ancestor wronged yours in some way I’m unfamiliar with, or you sir, are very bored today.” With that line he sipped his latte, attempting to ignore his impromptu bully. The bully proceeded to knock the caffeinated beverage from James’ hand while calling him a coward. The frothy mix of cream and coffee poo...

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McMillan’s Bar

Weekly Contest #374

McMillan's Bar By Douglas Lake "Martini. Hold the olive," Daryl said. He settled onto his usual stool at McMillan's and scanned the room. Another Saturday night. Laughter, raised glasses, the low churn of conversation. He unbuttoned his black suit jacket, pulled out his phone, and made a call. It rang four times before going to voicemail. Daryl hung up without leaving a message. The bartender set a martini in front of him and studied Daryl's graying hair and tired eyes. "Long day?" "You bet. Another day of conspiracies and lies." "Par for t...

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A Drink with God

Weekly Contest #374

I had been drunk for five days by that point, or it might have been six or ten. It was typical for my sense of time to recede with the tide during my episodes. The street stretched thin and bleary in front of me, and had it not been for the perpetual rain I would have wandered aimlessly all night. But I was soaked and dizzy, the alcohol no longer insulating me from the harsh December wind. Or it might have been January. These walks often started with no destination in mind and ended in places that appeared light-years away from the comfort o...

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Miss Emily Smith

Weekly Contest #374

Miss Emily Smith by M. B. George I truly believed my life would be perfectly ordinary. There was no reason to believe otherwise. My job was my dream from childhood, a technological desk job made to bring the creativity of others to life. But nobody can live with normal forever, nor do people choose when their lives get flipped upside down. I stared at my phone, swiping left and right. And then I saw her. My heart stopped but a single drop of cold sweat down my back brought me back to life. Her face wasn’t that of a model, but she had an allu...

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MODEL 07

Weekly Contest #374

The house was almost too quiet when Clayton came home. He was used to Wanda’s latin flare—the smell of spices and the sound of cumbia ringing on the speaker–but there was nothing but the humming of the fridge. “Wanda?” As he walked from the entryway to the kitchen, the sound of his own footsteps accompanied him. With his coat still on, he stood before the marble island where a single white envelope lay in the middle of the countertop. Written on the envelope was his name in Wanda’s elegant handwriting. Alongside the envelope appeared to b...

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The Key Holder

Weekly Contest #374

Russell Hembry liked keys because keys proved somebody had trusted him with something. People certainly did not. At 55, Russell stood 6’4” and weighed somewhere north of 340 pounds. His black work polo stretched over a belly that reached every destination several seconds before the rest of him. Wild gray hair surrounded his head like scorched insulation. He shaved when the itching became intolerable, usually every two or three weeks, leaving his face in a perpetual state between beard and neglect. Customers at Summit Books in Cheyenne avoide...

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The quiet man at willow station

Weekly Contest #374

The Quiet Man at Willow Station Word count: ~2,350 The train station at Willow Edge was the kind of place people forgot existed. A single platform, a flickering lamp, and a timetable that hadn’t been updated since the council cut funding three winters ago. Most trains didn’t stop there anymore. Most people didn’t either. But on the first cold evening of October, two strangers arrived at the same time — one carrying a suitcase, the other carrying a secret. Mara Hensley stepped onto the platform with her coat pulled tight, breath fogging in th...

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Conceal & Correct

Weekly Contest #374

CW: Themes and/or references to domestic violence and murder Rebecca flinched as Alan came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. It was Monday morning. She had been standing in front of the vanity mirror, dabbing foundation all over her face. His footsteps were always so quiet. Even after being married for nearly three years, there were moments like this when she couldn’t sense him coming. “I hope you have an amazing day, sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear, and slowly, her tight shoulders relaxed. She sank bac...

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Write a story that includes something secret in it (e.g., a secret group/society, a secret ingredient).

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