Write about someone who needs to face their past in order to move forward.

Posted in Adults on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 73 stories

“The Trap” by Rosetta Thomas

Submitted to Contest #161

This was the last chapter, the last line to be exact and he was on the last word. 85-year old Jonathan Moses had just finished reading his new book. This book was an autobiography of a woman that he knew all too well … Amanda Lovelace, a former child evangelist and a former member of his church. Jonathan knew when she was born, in fact, he Christened her. He watched her grow and blossomed into a graceful young woman until she left and went overseas to study and then to live. She was visiting from abroad, and had stopped by the day before, to...

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“SINS OF THE FATHER” by Peter Merz

Submitted to Contest #161

Todd manipulated the fidget spinner in his hand. He needed to focus on the problem at hand. His sister, Sally, had reminded him about the funeral and his need to be there. So, Dad really was dead. Those words should have been like a heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders. But that wasn't what he felt at all. If anything, he felt like someone just dropped an even more horrendous weight on his shoulders.He didn't want to go to the funeral, but he realized the aftermath of not showing up at his own father's funeral would only cause unneede...

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“315” by Francois Kosie

Submitted to Contest #161

Content warning: Swearing, violence.It feels great putting those big plates on the bar and catching the glances of people working out around me. I get someone to spot me, and they comment on the weight I’m lifting. Then my earbuds are belting out motivational speeches and music while I push through one more rep. When I’m done, the barbell clangs loudly onto its stand. After my set I take a moment to think about how today’s going great. Work went well, my workout is going well, and it’s Friday night. Tonight’s my date with Sarah from work! Sh...

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“Don’t Hate Me, Cause I Love Myself” by Pres T

Submitted to Contest #161

*This story contains the topics of mild physical violence, threats of suicide, as well as discussions surrounding mental illness. Reader discretion is advised Childhood is one of the most important starting points for any future adult. Troy knew this as he watched his wife Valentina, progress more and more in her pregnancy. The young couple was ahead of the ball in so many ways. Getting the nursery prepared months in advance. Troy purchased a new car that was more family friendly. The Lincoln Aviator provided the Brooks family that luste...

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“Never said Goodbye” by Lynda Baker

Submitted to Contest #161

I always found making friends a chore. Being an only child raised on what had once been a dairy farm there was little opportunity to socialize. By the time my parents had it, both cows and farmers were long gone. The house itself was on its knees begging for a lick of paint and some tiles to stop the rain pouring in. There was an outhouse where we'd keep chickens. They never arrived. So much for a fresh start! Ever the optimist, Daddy bought paint and allowed me to help brighten the place up "We'll take the tru...

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“Allison” by Greg Madden

Submitted to Contest #161

We were happily married for seven years before Allison gave me the big news that she was eight weeks pregnant. It should have been a celebrated day. We were in our late twenties, and I had just become the team leader of the IT Applications Support group at my company, Royal Labels. Other than playing basketball twice a week at the YMCA, I was home reading a book or watching TV. Allison worked at Lebanon Premier Hospital as an x-ray technician. Except for a rare weekend shift or covering after-hours emergencies for our jobs, we were usually h...

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“Room For Me” by Donna Williams

Submitted to Contest #161

I wake up every day in that room. Everyday, That room. I've lived in that room almost all my life. From the time I was brought home as a baby, That room. Same four corners. That room. Design has changed over time, from crib to twin bed to Mom's old queen sized frame squeezed into a cramped corner under the window across from the door. Lumpy mattress. Squeaky box springs. The door that is always closed. That closed door. I first closed that door in a fit of anger so many years ago. I wanted to slam it but knew better so I closed it as angrily...

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“Forget-You-Not” by Sruthi Putcha

Submitted to Contest #161

I love you so much but Death loves you more. Death loves you but Time loves me. Why else would everything be frozen, if not for Time’s sorrow and pity? Time’s gift is an opportunity to weep without fear of judgment, but I don’t take it. It isn’t for a lack of trying, of course. I squeeze and squeeze the rag in my mind holding my tears until my fingers ache. Maybe sometimes grief isn’t loud or sharp. Maybe sometimes it’s cold, so cold. It coats your heart in an emotionally numbing layer of frost, protecting it unti...

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“Mansion of Memories” by Zoë Page

Submitted to Contest #161

“How long do you think you’ll be?” Mikael surveyed me with a look of concern on his half-shaven face. In fact, he was still holding the razor, white foam plastered across the right side of his face, the left smooth and shiny. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom right at the top of the stairs, staring down where I was, by the front door, just pulling my coat off the stand and swinging it on. I’d just shouted up to let him know I was leaving and that he was to be in total responsibility of our toddler, Tate.“I’m just looking through it to ...

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“Ghosts of Chemicals” by Ruby Urlocker

Submitted to Contest #161

I had, at best, a love-hate relationship with the past. Maybe a shy away from for months and then one night obsessively think over relationship with the past is more accurate. There were reasons why I didn't talk about it. Reasons why I told myself I was moving on, when that wasn't quite what I was doing. I was going through the motions. I had a steady job now. I had bought a new wardrobe of flashy, clunky, geeky clothes including yellow button-up shirts I could wear with a white tank top underneath, and lots of jeans I spray-painted and spl...

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“Á Mortelle Décés (A Mortal Dies)” by Lea Wade

Submitted to Contest #161

Mary Martin Stewart recalls with nightmarish acuity the moment she heard the news. The phone rang differently. Didn’t it? She’s sure it did. It always does when being the harbinger of bad news. It was 7:05 pm on Wednesday, the 21st of February, 1980. She was in the bathroom washing the ash mark from her forehead from the morning’s blessing when the telephone screamed at her from its place on the wall in the kitchen of her small Wichita, Kansas apartment. Every time she played the conversation over in her head, it came to her in slow motion; ...

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“My Name is Sharon” by Andrea Murray

Submitted to Contest #161

THIS STORY CONTAINS SWEARING, VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE The clanging of heavy doors and raised voices woke Sharon, my head; she whispered bringing her hands to her ears. The room slowly came into focus and all of a sudden she was wide awake despite the throbbing of her head and the ringing in her ears, oh shit not again she said swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk until her feet touched the cold cement floor. The ugly faded green walls and the thick grey door with the tiny window had not changed since she woke up in the same roo...

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“Set Free” by Savier Silva

Submitted to Contest #161

Can we talk? Those three words were like a bomb set into his lap as Alyx looked upon them on the screen of his phone. The number was unlisted, but he had long before memorized that string of numbers and the person that they belonged to. He didn’t expect to ever hear from her again and as such Alyx could only bring himself to look at the words that listlessly hung on his screen. He had options of course, simply delete the message and let the words eventually fade from his mind as all things would. Alyx wasn’t cursed with a photographic m...

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“Bye, Dad” by Tracy Mitchelle

Submitted to Contest #161

She pulled down her shirt sleeves and adjusted the collar before she went inside the school. She was already sweaty and thankful that there was air conditioning in her classroom. She hoped no one would ask her why she had a high-collared, long sleeve shirt on when it was so warm out. She walked stiffly through the halls on the way to her class. The rushing of the other students worried her because if they bumped into her, she would hurt. She quietly stepped into her classroom and her friend, Stacey, waved at her. She walked over and sat down...

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“Mother. ” by C Wang

Submitted to Contest #161

“Ring, ring.” “Ring, ring.” “Ring, ring, rrringggg!” Mary stared sullenly at her phone. It kept vibrating on the dining table in front of her, with the third ring increasing in both intensity and volume. She held it up in her hand, looking intently at the name displayed on the phone. “Mum and Dad” flashed on the screen, with a sliding bar at the bottom. Fidem looked up from her laptop on the couch. “Is that Grandma?”. Mary looked up at her daughter, eyes and expression conveying what she was not saying in words. Fidem nodded sagely, ad...

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Write about someone who needs to face their past in order to move forward.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 73 stories

“The Trap” by Rosetta Thomas

“SINS OF THE FATHER” by Peter Merz

“315” by Francois Kosie

“Don’t Hate Me, Cause I Love Myself” by Pres T

“Never said Goodbye” by Lynda Baker

“Allison” by Greg Madden

“Room For Me” by Donna Williams

“Forget-You-Not” by Sruthi Putcha

“Mansion of Memories” by Zoë Page

“Ghosts of Chemicals” by Ruby Urlocker

“Á Mortelle Décés (A Mortal Dies)” by Lea Wade

“My Name is Sharon” by Andrea Murray

“Set Free” by Savier Silva

“Bye, Dad” by Tracy Mitchelle

“Mother. ” by C Wang

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone sharing a secret that has a big impact on everyone.

Write a story where someone finds comfort in an unexpected event, place, or person.

Write about a character who lives a seemingly charmed life.

Write a story where a character has to take on heavy responsibilities (perhaps beyond their age).

Contest #161

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

241

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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