Start your story with someone saying “I quit!”

Posted in Adults on Oct 28, 2022

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✍️ 55 stories

“Bad Timing.” by Mel Dingwall

Submitted to Contest #166

‘¡Lo dejo! I quit!’‘Please Rosa, you’re all I have!’ Claire begged the tornado of Latina fury as she whirled around the house gathering her things. ‘I’ll pay you double!’‘¡No!’ Rosa snatched up her bag and strode to the front door.‘I know my father can be difficult...’Rosa pointed a finger to her temple.‘¡Tu padre está loco!’With that she slammed the door behind her. Claire put her head in her hands. That was the second carer in as many months. At this rate the agency would stop sending anyone. She marched into her father’s bedroom...

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“"I Quit!"” by John Constantinou

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit!” Thus came the outburst.“I QUIT!” he repeated, louder and more insistent. The day was promising to move from the mundane to the decidedly unusual.It had started blandly and boringly enough. After morning coffee, cereal, and just passing time, I escape from my apartment taking a walk across the street to the local store. I spot a frog hopping hesitantly away in front of me, lemming-wise to the end of the sidewalk. I clear a frog in my throat in solidarity.I’m looking forward to meeting my friend downtown in a few hours' time. I decid...

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“Bubblegum Pie” by Jim Firth

Submitted to Contest #166

‘I quit,’ says April Stanton, leaning on the countertop. She stares vacantly through the window of the truck stop at the heat rippling on the old highway. Her lips smack as she chews a wad of pink bubblegum. ‘This truck stop is as dead as a doornail.’Andrew Stanton, April’s father, looks at the dilapidated diner directly next to the truck stop. The desert has its own plans if Andrew doesn’t fix up the building soon. ‘The truck stop is not dead, April. It’s just in torpor.’And what about the diner? April thinks, folding a fresh stick of straw...

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“Alison and Shannon” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #166

Warning: Contains mentions of suicide or self-harm “I quit!” Alison mutters to herself, it was the first time she had seen the ghosted face in months. Memories of empty avoidance and shallow conversation seep into the crevices of her mind. It simultaneously pains and angers her. If there was one thing she hated, it was wishy-washy people, people who disappear out of cowardice, despite sometimes falling into that category herself. Her skin would crawl under the response of platitudes that would accompany a difficult situation going unaddr...

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“A Game of Chance” by Richard Ford

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit!” The door slammed shut behind those still seated at the table. Sharpeye made to follow but Quickdraw stopped her with a grunt. “Give it time.” Reluctantly, Sharpeye sat back down, was dealt a new hand. Snake did not even look up from dealing. The five of them did not discuss. They had served together for close to three years now. Hard habits had formed. A round of cards was a sacred thing, only to be interrupted for something serious. A new recruit threatening to quit meant nothing in the grand scheme. It was not the first time the ...

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“Herb Goes Out In A Huff” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #166

Herb Goes Out In A HuffThey should have seen it coming. It had been building for a long time. Still, the event shocked all who witnessed it and is still talked about in the cafeteria, around water coolers, even in the parking lot as the workforce arrives in the morning and leaves at the end of the day. In this mega-company with facilities throughout the world, “Going Postal” has been replaced with “Going Herb.” The highlight of the annual Christmas Party is “Who Gets the Herbie”?, a prestigious award bestowed upon the worker who committed th...

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“The Retirement Package” by Jerald Larson

Submitted to Contest #166

"Look, Vlad," Martin said to his boss, "I've been doing this too long. I thought I'd seen everything. But those kids yesterday? I'm sorry, boss. I quit."Vlad looked down from his dais, then to either side of his throne where his cohorts, sycophants one and all, permanently gathered. A smile began inching its way across Vlad's face, gradually exposing his fangs, but not quite reaching his eyes. He burst out laughing, his entourage joining in a split second later; to Martin, it was like watching some badly-synced b-movie with no mute button."Q...

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“Nothing to Lose” by Lucille Caspian

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit,” Cecilia mutters. Her voice stutters and her head hangs low between her bony shoulders. She has been holding those words deep inside for some time now. Two simple words, festering in the pit of her stomach, growing into something nasty, putrid, and hateful. Cecilia knows speaking them aloud is dangerous. Finally letting them escape gives them life, makes them real. “I quit,” she says again. This time louder, firmer, allowing the words to take shape and form meaning. She reaches toward the corners of the old rickety wooden table in...

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“She Quit” by M.E. Kirby

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit!” What? She couldn’t quit. Yet there Tira was: brown hair jumbled in saucer sized curls, metal rimmed glasses sliding down her nose, coffee stained shawl off one shoulder, wooden squirrel earrings swaying back and forth. Tira was here, no doubt about it, and yelling over his desk with quite clear intentions. But she just couldn’t. . . “I’m telling you, Roy, I am done!” Done? What a weird word. To be done means something is completed and quitting can only happen mid-completion of doing whatever needs to be done; ...

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“One Way Out” by Scott Harris

Submitted to Contest #166

One Way Out “I quit – I’m done – I want a divorce!” Those definitive words propel from Tracey’s lips as the two bags of groceries crash to the Italian marble floor and explode. Fortunately, her purchases are not fragile, only fruits, vegetables and paper products. The two grapefrui...

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“Atonement” by P. T. Golden

Submitted to Contest #166

I quit; I quit it all. Not just my job, no, far, far more. I resigned from chasing dreams and wanting more. I had plenty, more than any deserved. All of it is dirty. Filthy with the blood stains from unfathomable numbers of deaths. First things first: call the bank. "No, you heard me perfectly clearly. Freeze all my assets, even from me. Ten percent a year for the next ten years, you will donate to the list of foundations that I will text you. Yes, until it is all gone." I had three hundred dollars and eighteen cents—more than I n...

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“Grieving Last Year” by Charline Desrosiers

Submitted to Contest #166

CONTENT WARNING: mental health, grief, and substance abuse“I quit!” Vincent exhaled as he threw his paint brush unto the counter. Nayda opened her eyes and batted her eyelids a few times to get use to the shaky brightness of the buzzing bathroom light. She jumped a bit, since she could not see her friend’s traits, which had been growing more tensed for the past five minutes.“What do you mean, you quit?” the woman asked. She wiggled on the countertop to see her face in the mirror as Vincent left the room. She heard him open the pantry in the ...

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“I Quit” by Nina C.

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit!” two simple words that got me scolded when I’d scream them as a child. Growing up my parents told me quitting means failure. They would then go on to list some famous person like Albert Einstein and say, “if he quit you wouldn’t have this light to do your homework!” to which I would have to say through sobs “it was Edison who invented the lightbulb.” But I guess their logic worked well enough because, I made it through high school and I’m going to college in the fall. Right now, though? I’m working at Patties Diner. I’ve worked here...

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“The Cherry on Top” by Cassie Varney

Submitted to Contest #166

Tatum slipped into the break room after the busiest rush they've seen in awhile. He was having a hard time getting his thoughts together to talk to his boss. He made his decision last night and getting through these next two weeks would be almost impossible. Marley was watching the register while he got his act together. Leaving her would be the hardest, she only started six months ago but she had become the one person he could lean on for support. They had gone out a few times together after work and talked about their terrible boss, crappy...

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“Bowling Against the Damdykers” by Kathleen Papageorgio

Submitted to Contest #166

“I quit,” I flatly exclaimed. Since I was the captain of our bowling team I decided I was not going spend my Sunday nights tolerating the sight of Allen and Lu Lu Damdyker purposefully aim their bowling balls straight for the gutter anymore. I was also stuffed up to the neck with the obnoxions that spewed forth from these people. I was through. But it wasn’t only Allen and Lu Lu’s futile “Pie Chucking” type of bowling form that needed changing. It was more about their know-it-all disguise they wore over the obvious ignoranc...

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Start your story with someone saying “I quit!”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 55 stories

“Bad Timing.” by Mel Dingwall

“"I Quit!"” by John Constantinou

“Bubblegum Pie” by Jim Firth

“Alison and Shannon” by L.J Sunwing

“A Game of Chance” by Richard Ford

“Herb Goes Out In A Huff” by Murray Burns

“The Retirement Package” by Jerald Larson

“Nothing to Lose” by Lucille Caspian

“She Quit” by M.E. Kirby

“One Way Out” by Scott Harris

“Atonement” by P. T. Golden

“Grieving Last Year” by Charline Desrosiers

“I Quit” by Nina C.

“The Cherry on Top” by Cassie Varney

“Bowling Against the Damdykers” by Kathleen Papageorgio

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who knows it’s time to retire or change jobs, but is hesitating.

Write about a rivalry between two coworkers that has unforeseen consequences.

Set your story at a retirement or leaving party.

Write about someone who has long since quit but decides to go another round for old time’s sake.

Contest #166

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

180

Contest entries

73

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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