Write a story about someone whose time is running out.

Posted in Angst on Jan 19, 2024

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.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 112 stories

“The Sign” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #234

The Sign“So, when you say about three months, Doc, are you thinking three to four months, or are you more of a two to three months kind of guy?”“Sorry, Fred, it doesn’t work that way. All I can say is you have about three months. That’s been my experience. It’s not an exact science when it comes to that part of it. I had one guy go for a full year, and another guy, he… well, it’s not an exact science. That’s all I can tell you.”A regular refrain Fred had heard from his Dad- “Life isn’t fair; get used to it.” Fred never smoked, never drank, a...

3 comments 3

Read story

“I hope death is kind. ” by Veronica .

Submitted to Contest #234

Your eyes closed, The distant smell of your newborn’s head returning. His dark hair caked his head, blood and fluids from having just been birthed covered him. He didn't cry or scream. He wasn’t breathing for a while. You remember the nurses ripping him out of your arms, bringing him to a table that felt like it was miles away, putting an oxygen mask on his tiny face. You had never been so scared. Never. Next, an operating room. You had complications with a natural birth, not going as smoothly as your first. Too much bleeding may...

1 comment 1

Read story

“It's Getting Dark” by Evy Holmes

Submitted to Contest #234

It’s getting dark. We have to get home. Lexi spun in a slow circle, peering into the shadowed trees through the dark curls of her bangs. Their grandmother would lose her mind if they didn’t make it back to the house before sunset. They had been warned endlessly about staying in the woods after dark. Not that Lexi believed in her grandmother’s superstitions, but her brother did. Ohhh, my brother! “James!” she called. “James, come on! I didn’t mean it!” The volume of her voice scared the nearby birds into silence, and her ears strain...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Skunk Cabbage” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #234

Cooper Conell groans as he rolls on his side. Grabbing the bedpost, he pulls himself up, coughing until he’s a wheezing breathless wreck. The sad part is this is as good as he’s going to feel all day. He blows a kiss at his late wife’s photo. Cooper grimaces, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his hip as he wobbles to a standing position. He pats his ever-expanding belly, running his hand over his bald pate where his rich black hair used to be. “…The golden years…,” he mutters to himself. Dressed and ready for work. Cooper searches the ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Reflection in the hourglass ” by Paige Harrison

Submitted to Contest #234

They’re coming for me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Time slips through my fingers like sand in an hourglass. The worn wooden walls around me ache with age, threatening to collapse at the slightest disturbance. I lay sprawled upon the frayed couch, patches of stuffing scattered violently around me, a massacre. Tick. Images flash through my mind, crimson painting my view as screams rattle around me. I don’t remember what happened last night, only the haunting memory of my sister's lifeless body collapsed before me remains. I clutch m...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Echoes in the Bay” by Edward Geldens

Submitted to Contest #234

Alexander Grey lived in the heart of Saint Petersburg, Florida, where the orange hues of the sunset gently kissed the waters of Tampa Bay. A retired information technology professional, he had once been a maestro in the digital realm, orchestrating systems and networks with the rhythmic tapping of keyboards and the glow of monitors. Now, in the serene autumn of his life, his home echoed with the memories of raucous laughter and lively debates – remnants of a time when his children filled the house with energy and aspirations. Alexander’s n...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Pretty in Blush” by Kiera Hillaire

Submitted to Contest #234

It’s her last day so she wants to make the most of it. “What else can I see? Where else can I go?” She could go anywhere and see anything she wanted, the sky was the limit. She looked at everything in curiosity, festivity, and silence so as not to disturb the beauty of it all. She dared not to touch anything as she feared how fragile everything was. She ate everything with her eyes and imagination. She closes her eyes and smiles. She takes a deep breath, breathing in all the excitement, scents, and all the wonders of the world that hid in th...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Lottery of the 30s” by RD Smith

Submitted to Contest #234

It was only four hours until Luke Harlon’s final birthday. At least, that’s what he told himself. He always prepared for the worst, even if the chances were always only one percent that getting your code selected actually happened. He sat alone on his worn, gray couch and stared at the television. The soundbar’s audio reverberated around the minimally decorated apartment with an upbeat ad for an exercise bike. Luke might have chuckled at the irony of that timing if he was paying attention. Millions were watching this same parade of definite...

5 comments 5

Read story

“A life.... time. ” by Crystal Wexel

Submitted to Contest #234

Rita sat in the mauve vinyl chair, her thin legs covered with several white blankets, the heat having escaped them despite the nurse bringing them from the warmer. She shivered in response to the clinic's cool temperatures, and the feel of the ice chips on her tongue, but mostly she shivered at the sight of the IV drip from the bag that hung over her head. She watched stoically as the fluid traveled from the bag, down the tube, and into her body. It was several minutes before she spoke to her daughter. "I'm proud of you and your sister ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Until Midnight ” by Katie DeMerchant

Submitted to Contest #234

It wasn’t exactly like waking up from sleep. There was the taste of dirt and something musty in my mouth. It took a long time for me to understand where or what I was. There was the smell of something chemical and it made my nose wrinkle. My eyelids felt stuck and my mouth was as if it had been sealed shut. Something in my throat burned and my chest itched. I ran my hands over the white buttoned blouse and ankle-length grey skirt. My feet ached as I realized they had been crammed into a pair of shoes that was a size too small. Slowly memorie...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Corner of my eye” by Eva Greatorex

Submitted to Contest #234

Crouching against the edge of the moonlit barn I took a deep breath of the crisp night air, letting the cold sear my lungs. I never usually slept well, my mind always jolted me awake with the same cruel, twisted memory from that day.I shivered and cast the thought aside. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I tilted my head upwards. Moonlight bathed my face as I rose and strode back inside. Today would be my day, it had to be. Grabbing my satchel and lacing my boots I roused Hector. ‘Come on boy’ I murmured ‘If we leave now we’ll get a head s...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Soon Silence” by Jodi Creager

Submitted to Contest #234

His leather shoes clunked in the puddle of oil and rainwater in the broken street. The shadow of a rainbow greyed in the black light crossed his view. Phillip ran, briefcase clutched to his tight chest, towards the dimly lit diner in downtown Chicago.He stopped under a streetlamp to collect his breath and loosen his boring brown tie. Phillip was shaking and his heart was racing. "Get it together," he said aloud. He took out his phone.Phillip's wife answered on the second ring, "Hello," in her upbeat voice."Miriam it's me," he chocked up a li...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Pastime” by Timothy Rennels

Submitted to Contest #234

PASTIME I took my son to his first baseball game today. My Yankees, now his Yankees, like dreams manifested thundered into the colosseum to do battle with their opponents. I could see through his six-year-old eyes with a wonder that I hadn’t felt in years. He caught onto the rhythm of the game and roared his delight as a part of the throng, rising when they rose, cheering when they cheered, leaving him with a lingering hoarseness that could never outlive the images still dancing in his head. As I tucked him into bed that night,...

4 comments 4

Read story

“A Time for Every Soul” by Gaby Brogan

Submitted to Contest #234

Niamh Ó Lochlainn: London, 2024I writhed on the bed in pain, retching and nauseous, unable to even look at the destination I had paid such a steep price to journey to. The fairy folk had taken small sacrifices from me before. A lost bowl or cup here, a few drops of blood there. But this incantation meant consequences unlike any I had experienced before.My body craved relief, an end to the pain, but oblivion would not come. The Aos Sí would take what I owed. I held back moans on the damp mattress.Through the haze, I was grateful for the punis...

1 comment 1

Read story

“We Apologize for the Inconvenience” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #234

The morning commuters at Gate A distributed themselves along the concrete station platform like crows on a wire. Finance was a solemn business and the men and women who waited for Train 1 were clad in funereal attire: overcoats of black, navy, dark gray, with one or two exceptions in beige—and one poor soul with no overcoat whatsoever. Mallik shivered as he stood in the cold misty air. Why on earth did I forget my blasted coat at work? He recalled yesterday’s noisy debate in the stuffy little meeting room crammed with screens, whiteboa...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who wishes they could turn back time.

Character – 70 stories

Write about someone taking advantage of some unexpected free time.

Fluff – 31 stories

Start or end your story with someone saying, “We have all the time in the world.”

Dialogue – 71 stories

Set your story in a place that’s frozen in time — literally or metaphorically.

Narrative – 56 stories

Contest #234

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Time Out

$250

Prize money

340

Contest entries

132

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 26, 2024 EST

Won by David Pampu 🏆

Title: 6:47 PST

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!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story about someone whose time is running out.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 112 stories

“The Sign” by Murray Burns

“I hope death is kind. ” by Veronica .

“It's Getting Dark” by Evy Holmes

“Skunk Cabbage” by Michael Jefferson

“Reflection in the hourglass ” by Paige Harrison

“Echoes in the Bay” by Edward Geldens

“Pretty in Blush” by Kiera Hillaire

“Lottery of the 30s” by RD Smith

“A life.... time. ” by Crystal Wexel

“Until Midnight ” by Katie DeMerchant

“Corner of my eye” by Eva Greatorex

“Soon Silence” by Jodi Creager

“Pastime” by Timothy Rennels

“A Time for Every Soul” by Gaby Brogan

“We Apologize for the Inconvenience” by VJ Hamilton

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who wishes they could turn back time.

Write about someone taking advantage of some unexpected free time.

Start or end your story with someone saying, “We have all the time in the world.”

Set your story in a place that’s frozen in time — literally or metaphorically.

Contest #234

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

340

Contest entries

132

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: