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Start your story with a metaphor about human nature.

Posted in Fiction on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 109 stories

Greece

Submitted to Contest #102

There has always been something magnetic about our nature - pulled to and from each other each year. We could be six or sixteen and I'd find you; sometimes negatively charged, but positive I'd raise your spirits. We played kickball every lunch - the red rubber ball crashing into the wire fence; shaking the players that waited anxiously on the other side, fingers intertwined with the chicken wire. I’d quietly shift from my place at the front of the line, summoning the confidence to try once again at a game I didn’t know how to win, but...

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Dying Stars

Submitted to Contest #102

Life has taught me that humans are dying stars. We spend all of our lives growing bigger and bigger, some more than others, but we grow nonetheless, some shine more than others and some make a bigger impact than others but they are all stars, dying stars. You see, the star keeps consuming its own energy in order to shine and serve as a beacon of light and life for those that cannot shine, just to blow up in the end and make a huge spectacle out of it. Some stars shine without emitting any heat, and some shine harder once they have died. Huma...

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A better future

Submitted to Contest #102

“Sympathy is an opiate, to the flagging human spirit. It is strongly addictive, and it encourages the recipient to closet themselves in their existing inadequacy. You must decide on a beneficial future. Then, you must do what you were taught as a child. You must look where you are going and press the pedals. Get off your bed and walk!” The loud voice of an oversized black priest booms through the community centre, that is crowded with survivors, all gaping at him in amazement. It is two days since the tragedy that left so many people dead, a...

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Splitting hairs

Submitted to Contest #102

"Man is a mystery, they say", said Tom slowly and thoughtfully, looking at the blue sky through the window of his study room. His friend Tim looked at him. Like Tom, Tim too was getting bored. Tim decided to continue the conversation to escape getting bored, but he was not sure the conversation would be less boring. "So?" Tim asked, staring at the wall opposite his chair. This question was a big encouragement for Tom in his struggle against boredom. His gaze was fixed on a single small white cloud in the bright sky. "As per the human n...

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A Long Walk Home

Submitted to Contest #102

Human beings have two choices. The first is to expand their greatness beyond the galaxies and the far reaches of time itself; the second is to contract into spaces so small and so tightly, they have the snails and hermit crabs envy them. Most humans will fall somewhere in between those options and some never consider the choices to be options at all.  It is a conundrum to be a human being. We are encouraged from very young ages to reach for the stars, the planets, the moon above our heads because that is where our ultimate goa...

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Riddled Realities

Submitted to Contest #102

Human love is but a swift steed. Human anger is but an indomitable wolf. Human grief is but a dainty bird. I carefully made my way across the road, the laces of my shoes brushing the tarmac. I ought to have tied them but anticipation held me in its relentless grip. Pausing before the gate, I breathed out slowly, looking at the unremarkable grey colour. The street was quiet at this time; the late afternoon silence and the slight bite of chill to the languishing air made me shiver involuntarily. I maneuvered past the gate that was always o...

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Vultures

Submitted to Contest #102

Humans are vultures, they pick at everything. Mother always said so. Never trust anyone fully, give me 3 reasons why that was even an option. I study persons to pass the time, instead of actually paying attention to the lecture. Dr. Sadhu moves too quickly for me to be very honest. I just show up to see if I can learn anything at all. It’s a continuous loop of not learning and trying the exact thing again. Einstein’s definition of insanity. But then again I have never met anyone truly normal. Yet, people ostracize for minute reasons. If you ...

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Anger and Fear

Submitted to Contest #102

They say anger and fear are like steroids. They push your limits and make you do things you normally wouldn’t do. They pushed mine way too far. I was lying on my bed facing down. It helped me breathe and calm myself. I could also hide away my tears and my anger. I had fought again with my mother. It was the third time this week. And we had managed to crawl to Thursday. Someone knocked at my door. I knew it would be my mother. She was always the first one to wave the white flag. “Iva, I am sorry, baby. Please don’t chain yourself ...

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A Letter to Andrew Jackson from Simon La Greed

Submitted to Contest #102

According to Richard Carlson, "The greed of gain has no time or limit to its capaciousness. Its one object is to produce and consume. It has pity neither for beautiful nature nor for living  human beings. It is ruthlessly ready without a moment's hesitation  to crush beauty and life". A Letter to Andrew Jackson from Simon La Greed (A plead for consideration to Andrew Jackson) by George Key Dear President Jackson, While in committee regarding the appropriation of necessary fiscal outlay, new evidence has...

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Life can take us down many roads.

Submitted to Contest #102

Life can take us down many roads.I thought I had it made, a fortune obtained by the selling of property which had risen by 60% within two years. It was jointly owned with my brother, and I entrusted him to make the sale and return to me my share of the profit.A month went by, and I approached him about my finances, he informed me he had used all the money to purchase land. As I was in no hurry to obtain the cash, I settled for that. I saw myself as a trusting person and property was a secure investment. A year later the land w...

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Just an ordinary man.

Submitted to Contest #102

Just an ordinary man. There is nothing as surprising, devastating and delightful on earth as the fickleness of human nature.  This story starts in the middle. It is late night when Prakash Rao, a station master of a small railway station in a tiny town in Karnataka, India sits down to have his dinner. The meal is simple but satisfying. Rao lives alone and has a lady who comes day time, cooks and cleans and leaves his dinner in the kitchen. There are no modern amenities such as a microwave that Rao possesses, so the lady makes the dinn...

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Seeing is Deceiving

Submitted to Contest #102

Human nature is the ocean.  It does as it pleases, no instructions needed. The difference between the two however, is that the ocean knows when it’s gone too far. It had been 107 days. My hair had grown past my shoulders and was now just above my waist. It was matted and tangled and filthy, but I still kept it braided on either side. Gabriel’s hair had grown too, quicker than mine. He now kept it in a small bun atop his head, but I loved when he let it down at night before we fell asleep, the thick blonde waves falling to frame ...

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Canvas

Submitted to Contest #102

I love to wander around arts and craft stores, to see the diverse supplies available to create with. Easels, sketch pads, molds, paints, leather crafting, wood, ceramics and countless other mediums. The main item that always interests me the most, are the canvas’. They come in all sizes, some variety of colors, material they are made from and thickness, but the one thing they have in common is, they are all blank. I stare at them and wonder, who will take this one home? what medium will they use on it? pastels, watercolor, oil or acrylics or...

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The Last Journey

Submitted to Contest #102

It was all in a days work as John approached his vehicle for the first time in a year, he gave it the full circle before attempting to go in. With time on his hands, the children were still in bed, wife Rosie was in the shower, John took the valued opportunity, to sit alone in his car with not a care in the world. Sitting comfortably, and carressing the interior leather seats with his hands, looking in the rear view mirror, the car still parked in the drive, both hands on the steering wheel, and using the motion of moving his hands up and do...

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Dreaming Seed

Submitted to Contest #102

The small fragile seed would laugh at you if you told it, one day it would be a tall and strong oak tree. Sure, it knows it's going to be an oak tree but it doesn't know if it's going to be tall and/or thick. That's mostly out of its control. Now, what if you gave that seed the ability to dream...? Then it would dream about being the tallest and strongest tree ever. But, still, how tall and thick the seed grows to be is out of its control. Would the seed be justified in feeling sad if it grew crooked and thin? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The...

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