Start or finish your story with a speaker unable to finish their sentence, perhaps overcome by emotion.

Posted in Angst on Feb 16, 2024

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✍️ 93 stories

“The Sun and Stars Combined” by Elizabeth Buonaccorsi

Submitted to Contest #238

“He can’t, he’s all I…”My knees go weak, and I fall to the ground. The men on the other side of the doorway become blurry, dark spots in my vision. No one tells you how quickly life can change, the rug of the world pulled out from under you and your left on the floor, speechless and broken in a heap that will never be able to be put back together. “I have training today; I’ll be home tonight for our date. I love you more than the sun and stars combined.”The last words he ever spoke to me, the last thing I will ever hear from his be...

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“home...” by Chen-el Brill

Submitted to Contest #238

Home… The high-pitched droning whistle of the sprinkles indicated the home irrigation system had turned on at its preconfigured time. It only required a few moments for the ground to become wet enough for its aroma to escape and waft across the yard; carried by the cool air of dawn. The eighteen-year-old boy sitting on the porch, sighed as he felt his muscles relax. He did not know they were taut in the first place, but now it seemed like they could relax and relax indefinitely. He took a sip of the hot tea beside him and felt it go ...

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“Not Fancy Free” by Michaela Johnson

Submitted to Contest #238

Out of all the scenarios to the standard interview question, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years,’ I certainly never thought I would be here - camped out on the floor of my closet staring down at the mess I created. Even though employers are probably looking at a generalized answer, it’s crazy to see where life brings you. Personally, my mantra has been regret free and fancy free, but a little remorse is seeping into my pores at my current predicament. This whole thing was becoming counterintuitive. The harder I tried to declutter,...

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“To Play the Victim” by Dmitrii Jeraux

Submitted to Contest #238

Warning, the following story contains: Mental health problems and Violence. "I... I don't know" - James looked away as if trying to physically hide from the question itself, squirming deeper and deeper into the blood-red leathery armchair. Playing the killer as a victim, was by far his last resort. "Please try to remember, Mr. Middleton. I understand that it pains you to, but I have to know exactly what happened" - swiftly responded the doctor, in a well-rehearsed fashion. An old man, in his 60-s, silver stubble face, pale complexi...

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“Monster and Dog” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #238

Lilybeth hummed to herself as she made her way down the path to the fishing hole. her Jack Russell by her side bouncing, along, yipping happily, as if the two were dueting. She sang a made-up song, “The fish will bite today…Hip hip hooray. Hmm hmm hmm hm hm hm hm.” As they passed their neighbor’s home, which was halfway between their own cabin and the river, she fell silent. Bobbi looked back nervously as well, and slowed, glancing up and forward, back and forth, until given the sign it was safe to sing again. Lilybeth put a slender finger...

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“Worst Things” by Sage Kahn

Submitted to Contest #238

“I—” …love you too. The words catch in my throat. Across from me, Devin waits, one hand reaching across the table, fingers inches from my own. He clutches a glass of root beer in his other hand, his white knuckles the only visible sign of nerves. His honey-brown eyes are bright with hope. Or is it expectation? Time stutters, crashing to a snail’s pace. My tongue presses to the roof of my mouth, the L shape almost fully formed, lips arrested, frozen in this one moment of time. Devin blinks, the motion slower than molasses. My stacca...

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“The Damage We Endure” by SL Brandon

Submitted to Contest #238

Alaina sat in the train station on her usual out-of-the-way bench. It was plain and worn with rust-spotted legs. She lost herself in the unintelligible din that did little to cover the intermittent click-clack of high heels as the station announcements rattled off their repeating messages. Everyone had someplace to go and something to do. Except her. Stuck without a job, she was the one person in the station who was completely unimportant. The vibration of an incoming call pulled her from her daydreams and she pulled out her phone. Ugh. If...

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“Confusion” by Carlton Newsome

Submitted to Contest #238

This had been a long week, and it was time to relax. I finally worked up the nerve to ask Victoria out on a date. She was cute and approachable. We had always shared lunches at the cafeteria and seemed to get along well. She never seemed to study and was always asking me for help with math or help proofreading a paper. I picked her up at her apartment. She was wearing a very reveling skirt, a shear shirt and was 3 sheets to the wind. She mentioned she had been down by the pool day drinking all day. There were like 10 other people at her...

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“The Hopeless Walk of Life” by Donna Mattia

Submitted to Contest #238

The cement under my feet is the only constant of which I can depend. I wander along the busy streets observing the steam escaping from the underbelly of the city, through the vented manhole covers, that hide the secrets of a functioning, well-tuned metropolis.These six years, living on the streets, have paralyzed my physical and mental well-being. Losing my job intensified all my ills, including my addiction to alcohol, to a point of self-destruction. I even gambled away all of my liquid assets to achieve that designated goal of financial fr...

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“The Hunt” by Mans Like Amelie

Submitted to Contest #238

THE HUNT ‘Dear citizens, it has been decided that Humans are no longer an endangered species. Earth is no longer a restricted zone and open hunting may begin.’ I looked at Natalia, still holding the hem of her snow white wedding dress in my hand. Her gloves were half off, her bun falling out and the lipstick on her face smudged.Her ring shone like a star on her finger. Our eyes were locked on each other for an amount of time I still can't calculate, both of us struggling to comprehend what we, and apparently the rest of the world, had j...

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“Forgotten Memories” by Jacob Cazier

Submitted to Contest #238

Charles Buckner had lived a life full of adventure, had known great victories and heart breakingly more defeats. He had seen men so courageous that their stories would live on for generations to come. He had loved only one woman his entire life and it was to her that he owed his many great victories. But as Charles walked down his driveway and opened the mailbox his heart stopped when he saw a letter from someone he had not thought about in a very long time. In a daze Charles limped up his driveway, past the confused look on his wife’s face ...

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“Meadows With Sorrows” by Lana Moon

Submitted to Contest #238

Trigger Warning: Mental Health “Right now, I just won’t be able to…” My thoughts sit in the back of my throat as my heart cramps painfully in my chest. “You can’t what, Emme?” Connor’s voice was never agitated or harsh even in the most intense of moments. His deep brown eyes always burned with eagerness and adventure, darting around new places as if he found a new home. The softness of them never waned and only intensified with a glint of determinat...

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“One last time” by Hebrizs 26

Submitted to Contest #238

Running has never been one of my favorite hobbies, but I somehow felt like I could use it today. I quickly grabbed my sweatshirt, took a bite out of my ham sandwich, and left the kitchen. The first few steps were horrible. With each leg lift, I felt like I was carrying some kind of weight that was only making my journey harder. In fact, it wasn't my body that was heavy, it was my soul carrying the ruins of our conversation from yesterday. It was not the first time he had hurt me. Of course, not the last, I was sure. He keeps pushing me ...

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“Stories From the War” by Rex L. Wyatt

Submitted to Contest #238

“I held him for hours that night, waiting for someone–anyone–to help, to save him, but no one ever came…” We sat silently for a few moments, watching on as Grandad looked at the floor and wiped tears from his eyes. This was the furthest he had ever made it into this particular story. Our Grandfather–Grandad, we called him–had been telling my older brother and me stories from the war ever since we could remember. We would sit at the foot of his recliner, listening intently, as he told us endless stories about his experiences as a US soldier i...

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“Shellshocked” by Melody Watson

Submitted to Contest #238

“What the ?!?” It could not be. “No…” moaned Joanne. In the middle of the cattle herd was a miniature horse with one of the mother cows licking its face to a near glowing white. “How the hhe…?!?” No one around our ranch had miniature horses. My little sister, Macy, giggles, leaning her head to the side. “I think she's cute.” “Well…” this sounds like Joanne is as speechless as I am. The cow continued to lick the horse while her calf nursed. Nothing was off for them but for my sisters and I there was a mystery horse in our herd. Where had it c...

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Start or finish your story with a speaker unable to finish their sentence, perhaps overcome by emotion.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 93 stories

“The Sun and Stars Combined” by Elizabeth Buonaccorsi

“home...” by Chen-el Brill

“Not Fancy Free” by Michaela Johnson

“To Play the Victim” by Dmitrii Jeraux

“Monster and Dog” by Tanya Humphreys

“Worst Things” by Sage Kahn

“The Damage We Endure” by SL Brandon

“Confusion” by Carlton Newsome

“The Hopeless Walk of Life” by Donna Mattia

“The Hunt” by Mans Like Amelie

“Forgotten Memories” by Jacob Cazier

“Meadows With Sorrows” by Lana Moon

“One last time” by Hebrizs 26

“Stories From the War” by Rex L. Wyatt

“Shellshocked” by Melody Watson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in which a conversation takes place where the true subject is only implied.

Write a story including the line “I can’t say it.”

Write a story in which an important message is cut off, leaving characters to wonder or puzzle out what was left unsaid.

Set your story at a silent retreat.

Contest #238

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

285

Contest entries

98

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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