Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Start your story with the line, “It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same,” and end it with, “[…] and that was all that mattered.”

Posted in Adults on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 178 stories

“Memory Gap” by An Echo

Submitted to Contest #68

It has been twenty four years since I'd last seen it, but the place looks exactly the same. My grip tightens around the seat belt, as we pull up the driveway. My stomach churnes. I fear the Burritto, I got from the drive through, would be on the carpet of my Toyota Tacoma. Breathe Catheleen. Breathe. "I was so happy when you called yesterday. I couldn't believe it..." Except, I don't remember. I don't remember calling her or asking her to bring me back...here. Was I drunk again? That would explain why I was passed out when she came...

13 comments 13
Read story

“A Diamond” by Diana Reyes

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since I'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same, the goose bumps, the shivers, and the memories inculcated deep within my soul never vanish nor grant me a sound sleep. "What are you doing here?" the soft yet intimidating voice echoed inside the room. I knew him, without looking at his visage; his voice is enough to drive me nuts. I decided to not face him, I tried to make my feet move to keep my sanity but half of me wanted to stay, even a little longer. "You have not changed a bit, Felicity", ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Welcome Home” by Daniel Roueche

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. The door was that same olive green she’d hated as a little girl. The roof hung down over the red brick like a thick eyebrow. It always reminded her of the look her father gave her when he disapproved of her. Low and angry. The windows glared down at Gwen, daring her to come in.   Her mind screamed at her to stay away. But she couldn’t. She felt she needed to go back, and not only because her therapist explained that facing childhood...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Return Journey” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. As she drove across the flat landscape of East Anglia, Jodie could see the familiar outline from miles away. It looked like some graph showing population statistics or the number of casualties of an illness, though the peaks were blunted. She knew that other campus universities had undergone renovation, had lost much of their distinctive 60s silhouette, but this one had not. Even though when she was there in the 90s there had be...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Amazing Grace ” by Arianna Noelle

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same.Well...almost.Growing up in an old town like this one, everything moves at such a slow, creeping pace, that you almost expect time to wait for you to come back home before the clock starts ticking again.Twenty-four years.Just enough time for the old grocery store clerk who used to offer me candy as I waited on my mother to finish shopping to forget my name.Just enough time for me to get married and have two kids of my own.Just enough time for the ma...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Crook Woods” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same, apart from the plaque declaring what she remembered as ‘Woolwicke’ was now ‘Little Beam’. The white painted double garage with its navy blue painted roller shutter doors. The neighbour’s lamppost she used to be able to see peeping over the hedge when playing in the garden, making believe Mr Tumnas was waiting for her under it, even in midsummer. The conservatory she could see from between the bars of the wrought iron front gate. The shadow inside t...

9 comments 9
Read story

“Funeral rites” by Adah M.M

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. Not even the decor had changed. She had told herself that coming here would help to soothe the pain and anger she felt but standing here, in the hall that would serve as her father's funeral hall, she felt nothing at all. She walked through the hall, avoiding the curious gaze people threw her way. It was no surprise no one knew her. She had disappeared for years and only came back when her father was dead. In a way, she was the prodigal daug...

0 comments 0
Read story

“A FABLE OF RURAL INDIA” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #68

[This story is set in rural India of over 150 years ago.]It had been nearly 24 years since she had last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. She was now 38 but the memory hadn’t faded. She had played in this house in the village of Rampet when young, petted by grandparents. Fond memories still lingered. Her name was Rani. She was actually a citizen of the prosperous village of Chembu, a day away by bullock cart, where she owned large tracts of agricultural land which yielded her a good income. So she chose to neglect this old hous...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Easily Broken” by Don's Literary Corner

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. The taxi pulled into the cobblestone driveway a few minutes after twelve. The sky was veiled by flickering clouds, and the iridescent colors illuminated the streets the thunder had silenced. The shower earlier that day had carpeted mirrors all over town, and with the blinding neon lights shining from the ground as well; the town was aesthetically dystopian. Donna hastily jerked her body towards the door, only to b...

14 comments 14
Read story

“Herself” by ℤ ℍ☮️

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been 24 years since she'd last seen it but the place looked exactly the same. Mirrors cornered her, boxed her into her greatest nightmare. Eden spun around and the world turned into a kaleidoscope, fragments of crooked noses and asymmetrical jaws flew past her. As if she was spinning on a roundabout, it went faster and faster until the world turned into a sheet of brown; angles entangled together.Her head started spinning, so fast she couldn't keep control. Her mind was a canvas of black. She didn't want to open her eyes, to let the n...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Horses, Tears, and Redemption” by Maurice Mullen

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she had last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. At least this is what Lisa thought as she was driven through the large arched gateway that announced your entrance to The Manner House. She stared out at the skeletal trees that lined the driveway as the cab drove her up to the front of the large plantation style house. Stepping out of the cab she looked up at the imposing house with it’s two stories of vast hauntingly empty verandas that wrapped around the building. Lisa was immediately overwhel...

0 comments 0
Read story

“The Trial of Portraits” by Edward Gyan

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same.Jennifer stared at the only house on the street as she sat in the car. A gun lay in the front passenger seat beside her. She grabbed it, and immediately, the house groaned. The ground trembled, vibrating the car. The windows, as well as Jennifer’s teeth, rattled slightly. Vines burst out of the ground and threw themselves at the house, encompassing the building as though they were wrapping a present. The once lovely building suddenly looke...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Journey to Fate” by Sue Marsh

Submitted to Contest #68

Journey to Fate Suzanne Marsh It had been twenty four years since she’d last seen it but the place looked exactly the same. Sally Miles dressed in her best silk dress, sat quietly on the steam locomotive, hating the cinders blowing on her dress; into her eyes. She had no real desire to return to Fate but it was something only she could do. Her brother Sam had become a notorious bank robber, her fate was Madam of the best brothel in New York City. Why, she questioned herself was she returning to her shack of a home, here in Fate. The answer...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Haunted Weekends at Dranoon Castle” by Barbara Burgess

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same, even though shed only been six at the time. The image of the four tall turrets with a full moon above them and a sky full of stars had stayed in her memory all these years. She’d often dreamed of Dranoon Castle but never thought one day it would be hers. Now with all her relatives dead it was up to Sheila to make something of this dilapidated building. As she turned the last corner in her new Mercedes, she stopped the car, switched off the engine a...

0 comments 0
Read story

“A Cabin Vist” by Levi Alexander

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same, Grey entered the cabin, memories flooded her mind, of all the times their family came up for holidays. "The hidden cottage." They muttered, that's what their mom would call it, as her mother's story played in her head, they repeated it, "follow the road down to Mulvoid Lake, take the hidden path through the forest of mist, the cave of terror. You'd end up in the enchanted woods." only now, they realised how weird it all was, for...

0 comments 0
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with two characters watching a sunrise and end it with one of them seeing the moon reflecting off a lake.

Adults – 301 stories

Start your story with someone admitting a secret and end it with someone telling a lie.

Dramatic – 180 stories

Start your story with someone robbing a bank and end it with two people driving on an interstate.

Dramatic – 86 stories

Start your story with the line, “This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives,” and end it with, “By then it was too late.”

Sad – 132 stories

Contest #68

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Meet in the Middle

$50

Prize money

877

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 20, 2020 EST

Won by FJC Montenegro 🏆

Title: Silence

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢