The Ghost of Burnout
A short story written by William Amoi with PlotWeaver: Cards of Creation, a storytelling game made by Mod Hob Cooperative.
This story uses a Frame Tale Plot Pattern, written in 15-minute timed acts with all story cards drawn at random. For more information, visit www.plotweavergame.com
Act 1: Outer Frame Introduction
Story Element Cards: The Every Person, The Orphan, and City Streets
It was a late night on Christmas Eve in New York City. The streets were as busy as ever, and you could feel the crowd move past you. The air was thick with the mingling scents of perfumes, sweat, fresh outfits, and sizzling street food.
Vendors were making a killing, selling hot dogs and snacks to late-night wanderers.
Dylan had finally taken his first vacation in over 15 months. He was completely burned out from long hours and constant overtime, hustling to make ends meet and pay off his debts. After all that grind, he decided he deserved something special, so he booked a trip to New York.
Wandering through the streets of Manhattan, Dylan was fascinated by the sheer number of people and the contrast to his quiet hometown. The smell of the street food was too tempting to resist, so he bought two hot dogs, his stomach rumbling, and continued walking as he ate.
That’s when he noticed a young man about his age wandering nearby. Something about him stood out: the loneliness in his eyes, the slump in his shoulders, the way he looked lost in the crowd. Dylan approached him.
“Hey, who are you with?”
The man looked up. “No one,” he said quietly. “I lost my parents in a car accident a couple of months ago.”
Without hesitation, Dylan handed him one of his hot dogs and invited him to join his walk.
The stranger’s name was Jordan. A flicker of light returned to his face as he accepted the gesture. It was the relief of not being alone on Christmas Eve, of being seen, of being cared for, even if just for a moment.
