Write a story including the phrase “Better late than never”.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 67 stories

“Words Spoken Too Late” by B Easton

Submitted to Contest #125

“Back in my day, when you buried a body, you had the decency to at least give him at least a few parting words.” The disgust in Pa’s voice would’ve been enough to fill the six-foot hole, but just to make sure there was no chance of him coming back, I packed the grave with enough dirt and heavy rocks to make up a small barn. Still, no matter how much debris lay on top of him, there was no stopping Pa’s voice from tearing into my eardrums, and as such, I gave into his final demands. “Well, gee, Pa, what is there to say… besides what took so l...

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“I Wish I Never Knew” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #125

“You will always be mum and dad to me but I have to do this” she told them. “We know love; it’s silly but your dad and I want you to come home afterwards”. “Are you kidding Mum? Why wouldn’t I come back? This is my home you daft thing. I just need to do this, find out who gave birth to me when she was just sixteen and gave me away. Anyway it might not happen – people don’t always find their birth parents”. She walked around the table and put her arms around Jenny, her mother since she was six weeks old. This kind lady, soft skin, salt and pe...

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“A Late Start” by Molly O'Connor

Submitted to Contest #125

A Late Start I turned over, nuzzled my pillow and snuggled deeper into the cocooning warmth of my quilt. Lazily I opened one eye, squinted and peeked at my digital clock. “Crap!” The covers flew and I was on my feet racing for the bathroom shouting. “Kristen, I slept in. Get up. Now! We are very, and I mean very late.” &n...

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“Life Changing Candy” by Deborah Elliott

Submitted to Contest #125

Life-Changing Candy Deborah Elliott The sign in Maple’s Candy Store window read, “Sweet Wishes Fulfilled.” Every kind of candy ever created filled the sparkling glass barrels that sat on the wooden shelves. On the lowest shelves were the kids’ favorite: bubble gum, lollipops, jellybeans, jawbreakers, and those large multi-faceted candy engagement rings that the girls liked to wear on their fingers. The next level held the fancy chocolates that courting men came in to buy for their sweethearts. There were chocolate creams, ch...

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“The Stone Labyrinth” by Melissa Woods

Submitted to Contest #125

The church smelled of old stone. A distinct smell: a little musty, like fresh dirt, though not as strong, and with a cool layer John could only think of as mineral (although he couldn’t have described what mineral smelled like). It reminded him of historic churches he’d visited in Ireland. They were ancient compared to this one, but it was old for a Christian church in the U.S. Maybe because it doesn’t get a lot of traffic out here, he thought. The church was in a rural area, within a national forest. It lay, nearly hidden, two roads ...

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“THE SMALL WOODEN BOX ” by Mike Williams

Submitted to Contest #125

It was a good day for Grace Templeton. It was a bad day for Jonas Bard. Jonas managed to reach the bank just a few minutes before it closed. The teller frowned as she looked at the withdrawal amount. The other tellers were starting to close their cash drawers, while she was trying to garner up the large amount that was being withdrawn. Jonas had carried a small wooden box with him to the bank. The teller put the stack of bills in two envelopes. She gave the two envelopes to Jonas. He placed them into his box and...

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“Forgiveness” by Carlota Ruiz De Velasco

Submitted to Contest #125

Once I got back from L.A. in January, I drowned myself in work. Two months had passed since my last visit. I kept sending one of my juniors to attend the productions abroad. Ayden kept sending an email every single day. I read some but I didn’t always have the courage to open them. I couldn’t forgive the only person that could cure the empty feeling in my heart. Sometimes, I cried in frustration because I felt like I should forgive him, that I should try again, but the thought of saying those words froze me. It was with despair that ...

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“One who is always late” by Sakaram Puddoo

Submitted to Contest #125

One who is always late . “Hi. Mrs. Bhagea , I’m pleased to welcome you and your daughter. I can’t see Mr. Vinod, your husband. Is he coming?” asked Mr. Arnold, the fifty-five-year-old engineer who is celebrating his birthday. “He will be joining us in an hour. We were waiting for him and we planned to leave home at 2.00 pm. Anita and I were ready around 1.30 pm. At 1.40 pm, he called us. He informed us that he left the office at 1.00 pm and was expecting to reach home in half an hour. He w...

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“The Pickpocket” by Mary Pastorello

Submitted to Contest #125

The pickpocket crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the busy street corner, one leg up against the wall for support, and surveyed his surroundings. Breathing deeply, he smiled. The whole day lay ahead of him, full of promise. At this hour, on this corner, the day, the city, and its people were his for the taking. As he leaned against the wall, and possibly without realizing he was even doing it, the pickpocket squared his shoulders, straightened his back, and readied himself for the challenge of a new day. ...

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“Absence Makes The Heart Grow Shallower” by Mabel Jennings

Submitted to Contest #125

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Shallower ‘It's better to be the best version of yourself, then being the second best version of somebody else’ What does that really mean. How do I know if I'm the best version of myself? You could say as long as I'm happy but really, I can't be happy 24/7. So when I am sad, am I not the best I can be? When I'm anything but happy am I not enough? As I write this and as you read this. We are total strangers. You have no idea who I am. I have no idea who you are. But I can tell you before you start rea...

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“Stranger of JFK airport” by Ali LOUFOUMA

Submitted to Contest #125

(Warning: contains words like blood and suffocate.) Every morning at 9:45, he was at the airport, sitting in the lobby, always in the same place, faithful to his writer's look, his gray shirt, his black sneakers and pants. In his eyes, the same look, in his silence, the same sadness. Nothing had changed. But one day, a detail changed, his shirt was no longer gray but white. The day before, he had directed his gaze once to the 18th place on the right, for 15 seconds. The day of the change, 30 seconds before g...

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“The Flu” by Jay Duquette

Submitted to Contest #125

Whatever the final death count, the emaciated, delirious man tied to a rusty metal bed in a small sparse boarding house room would never know and had he known, would not have cared so much, except for the fact that he had somehow contracted the illness. Fear was all he felt once the realization set in that he would likely perish. Even that fact quickly deserted him, as his terrified mind collapsed in a boiling fever. The subsequent fevered screaming and wild thrashing was simply his body’s instinctive and extremely agitated immune response t...

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“Better late” by Edward Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #125

Better Late By Edward Hamilton The universe was to blame. He was built this way. He had never been the type of guy to be anywhere at the time he should be. He was born under the sign of Tardy. The only time he wasn't tardy was when he was absent. Stanley had fought many years against the forces of promptness. He was a rebel, a renegade, he fought the power..at least in his mind he did. The rest of the world viewed him as a slacker. Stanley was neither reliable nor accountable. He always had an excuse why the universe kept him from being,...

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“The Lapse in Judgement ” by Rebekah Wong

Submitted to Contest #125

The Lapse in Judgement After nearly dying because Rina had slid off the icy road into a snowbank, barely a foot away from a tree and four feet away from a river, she thought it would be rather hilarious if a wild animal lunged from within the dark forest and ate her alive. There would be a cruel irony of surviving one incident just to be taken out by the second one. She had predicted the crash would happen before it had even occurred. Anyone who challenges their fatality cannot be surprised when the weakness of mortality becomes unq...

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“Utopian Lies” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #125

The party can be heard outside the extravagant and intricately designed restroom door. The low tones hum and give support to the piano piece intertwing in the sound. Margo tugs her dress to expose her shoulders. The scarlet material extenuates her pale skin and contrasts her glassy teal eyes. Tricking men was a talent that came easier to the striking women in recent years. In a short time, she had gone from administrative work to being in the field. She went from working as an academic assistant to carrying classified secrets to the ...

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Write a story including the phrase “Better late than never”.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 67 stories

“Words Spoken Too Late” by B Easton

“I Wish I Never Knew” by Valerie Preston

“A Late Start” by Molly O'Connor

“Life Changing Candy” by Deborah Elliott

“The Stone Labyrinth” by Melissa Woods

“THE SMALL WOODEN BOX ” by Mike Williams

“Forgiveness” by Carlota Ruiz De Velasco

“One who is always late” by Sakaram Puddoo

“The Pickpocket” by Mary Pastorello

“Absence Makes The Heart Grow Shallower” by Mabel Jennings

“Stranger of JFK airport” by Ali LOUFOUMA

“The Flu” by Jay Duquette

“Better late” by Edward Hamilton

“The Lapse in Judgement ” by Rebekah Wong

“Utopian Lies” by L.J Sunwing

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character who is always running late arriving somewhere just as it closes.

Write a story about a late bloomer.

All clocks suddenly stop. Write about what happens next.

Set your story in an airport, as someone rushes for a flight.

Contest #125

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

164

Contest entries

113

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: