Write a story involving a character who cannot return home.

Posted in Angst 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.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 320 stories

“Consequences” by Archie Parekh

Submitted to Contest #98

TW: suicide “Multiple contusions, broken bones, third- degree burns- that doesn’t even begin to cover the trauma she faced, Smith. There was nothing more you could’ve done to save her. I’m sorry.” The trauma surgeon’s understanding brown eyes broke his generally inscrutable countenance to an empathetic one on his square face, as he offered some comfort to his colleague over losing his patient; something they were both used to, yet it hurt no less each successive time. The latter returned the gesture with a kind smile, as the former, Dr. Dani...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Trapped” by Reet Miglani

Submitted to Contest #98

“God I barely got any sleep last night, can’t believe its morning already, and ouch, why is this mattress so uncomfortable?! I knew I should have gone with the other one, curse you Dylan for tricking-““AAAHHHHHHHHH”9 hours ago“Karen, change the news exclusive, remove the story of the fire, instead add the exclusive about the people who disappeared, all the details are in here, it was David Williams, a known photographer, Brian Matthews and Emma Smith from the police ranch, both detectives, Ashley Brown, an interior designer, and Elenour Jone...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Lost in Time” by Shrutika Tiwari

Submitted to Contest #98

Misery; that's all what memories mean for me anymore. Only last night I was breathing in her fragrance- a lovely shade of chocolate her hair was and her eyes blue and bewitching. Then like every other morning I woke up again, only to realize I don't exist for her anymore. I sigh as I navigate through the wilderness trying to follow the hidden trail I use regularly to go looking for water. I chew the remnants of a raw fish I caught the previous morning.Fire is a luxury; scratch that- everything I took granted on Terra is a luxury here, be it ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Into The Frostlands” by Ema Fancher

Submitted to Contest #98

“For you sins, you shall be exiled to the Frostlands,” the white-cloaked figure looming over Chrysalis said. His voice was not angry, it was not enthusiastic. He was calm, disappointed. The white man had convened with the crimson-cloaked figures at this side. They had returned to their semi-circle pedestal above the trial floor after a mere five minutes. Five minutes decided her fate, and it was the worst possible punishment. As the Crimson Court declared their verdict, sharp gasps and murmurs flooded the dark room behind her. Her empt...

0 comments 0

Read story

“ALL SET ” by Claire Tennant

Submitted to Contest #98

Content warning: domestic abuse The bright sun shone through the bedroom window. Jean awoke, She heard the front door slam, knowing it was someone she once trusted leaving the premises; staggering, swearing his way out the house, down the path, across the road in search of the bottle. He would call it sauce but was stronger than ketchup and less prestigious than the Houses of Parliament. He would be away all day and return at night in the same filthy mood. Gritting her teeth, she sat up, ignoring the pain but noticing...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Forever Funhouse” by Bob Warren

Submitted to Contest #98

The Forever Funhouse Bob Warren (June 16, 2021) When the City condemned the dilapidated old Excelsior Fun Park, Cassidy became excited. "We've got to go back," he teased his friends. "You're only immortal once," he laughed at the hazards. At night he'd sometimes gaze across town at the dark silhouette of the forlorn Ferris wheel. It seemed to taunt him like a challenge. He'd not been back there for years, not since he and Willow were fifteen. They'd often go there for kicks in the summer, for the Midway's blinking lights and its r...

1 comment 1

Read story

“A moon tale” by Emma Harris

Submitted to Contest #98

I knew becoming an astronaut was the worse job I could ever have chosen to become. I have just found out that I must be the lucky one to go up to the moon this year. I sit on the ship. I am utterly terrified. I took many attempts to escape the moons pull, and now I think I am finally free the moon is going to pull me back again. I don't have any friends or family. My co-workers think they are dead. But sadly, no my friends and family live somewhere completely different, and it is a place I thought I would never see again. The rocket is takin...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Siblings” by Willow May

Submitted to Contest #98

Today is Cleo’s birthday.She never really was one to celebrate it and most of the time she went out of her way to ignore its very existence. Even after everything that happened- the dead coming back to life and the complete and total collapse of society as they knew it as a result- Cleo stood firm in her belief that her birthday was a pointless day.There are more important things to stress over right now other than me seeing another rotation aroun...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Goodbye Poppy” by Jeannie Cleven

Submitted to Contest #98

Jonathan sat on the remains of a fallen pine tree on a small island directly across from his Grandpa’s place. It was so quiet. Nothing was moving. Jonathan took a deep breath and looked over the frozen lake. Grandpa John… affectionately known as “Poppy” should be somewhere over there, but no sign of him yet. Poppy was so proud of his home, and he should be. He was a young man of 19 when he bought this piece of land on Lake Akerman, which many years later earned the nickname of “Lake Belly Ache” after one holiday cookout where questionable...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Floretta of Zephyr” by Elizabeth Ogik

Submitted to Contest #98

Strange things are happening in the village of Zephyr lately. The king returned from war with a woman who now lives in the palace. Since then, the king’s daughter Floretta spends most of her time in the woods talking to herself. No, perhaps Floretta speaks to the woodland creatures. I saw her conversing with a Chipmunk as she handed it a Hazelnut, and the Rabbit who was looking on also seemed to say something to the princes. Anyway, it’s not my duty to watch over the princess, but I think the woman in the palace has something to do with th...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Homeless” by Raazia Sajid

Submitted to Contest #98

Our motorbike was stolen last week, one and a half days after we bought it, right out of our locked compound. It was our first mode of transport in this country, and we were super excited. Didn’t even have time to insure it. Should we have done it the same day? Probably. But then you usually think you'll have at least a week. We've had a lot of stuff happen to us in the last five years, also known as The Trial Years. I suppose if you looked into our life from the outside you might say we have some pretty rotten luck. At my first job, for w...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Different” by Evi K

Submitted to Contest #98

"Are we really doing this?" Hieu asked, his voice barely audible over the music."Of course!" shouted back the girl.She grabbed his hand and headed outside. Her dark olive skin glowed as it reflected the lights of the club. It probably looks as if I'm being kidnapped, he thought to himself. A tall and beautiful girl walking confidently, dragging a wimpy looking guy behind her.They got outside, the girl wished the doorman a lovely night and quickened her pace towards the parking lot.She looked around excitedly. "Where's your car?" she asked."I...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Your Scarlet Letter Found Its Way Back Home” by Anoushka Sharma

Submitted to Contest #98

“Y-You are not kidding me, r-right?”Amyra could hear his lips quivering through the phone, and visualize his face flushed with emotions of all sorts with the good news circling around the ramparts of his ears. She could imagine him clasping the cord around his knuckles and pressing his ear closer to the phone, waiting for the one affirmation she was about to give him.“Not at all, Captain Yuu. You really are going to be a dad.” She chuckled softly, to add a tinge of light-heartedness to their conversation. But who was she kidding, this wasn’t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Destined for Darkness - A Letter for you” by Hadia Abbas

Submitted to Contest #98

Dear Esser, I watch you. During the night, during the day... during work hours, during leisure time. I watch you all day, every day. It sounds terrifying, right? There's a random stranger lurking about, looking into your life. Staring, never joining. But I'm not a random stranger. I'm not a creep, looking scandalously into people that do not concern me. No, I'm not. I'm... Well, I'm family. Or at least, I was. I grew up with you. Don't you remember? Your one little sister, your one best friend. I'm her. I'm yours....

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Prince and the Crimelord ” by Mikayla Ross

Submitted to Contest #98

He really did hate the slums. The foul street urchins wandering the streets, clutching onto his clothing, begging for his money. Street brawls breaking out on every corner, creating pools of blood everywhere he stepped. Though most of all, Alexian hated the smell, the stench of dead things, and uncleansed bodies reeked around him. Yet there he was, trekking through Osagia’s slums. The putrid smell infiltrating his nostrils, making him gag. He didn’t want to be there and there was really no good reason for him to be there other than the fact...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a family with a long-standing tradition, whose members all have conflicting origin stories for it.

Thanksgiving – 58 stories

Start your story with a character having a premonition, but no one believes them.

Dark – 147 stories

Write about someone who’s desperately trying to change their luck.

Teens – 101 stories

Set your story on (or in) a winding river.

Middle School – 122 stories

Contest #98

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Origin Stories

$50

Prize money

751

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 18, 2021 EST

Won by Mary Sheehan 🏆

Title: Blessed Home

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 involving a character who cannot return home.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 320 stories

“Consequences” by Archie Parekh

“Trapped” by Reet Miglani

“Lost in Time” by Shrutika Tiwari

“Into The Frostlands” by Ema Fancher

“ALL SET ” by Claire Tennant

“The Forever Funhouse” by Bob Warren

“A moon tale” by Emma Harris

“Siblings” by Willow May

“Goodbye Poppy” by Jeannie Cleven

“Floretta of Zephyr” by Elizabeth Ogik

“Homeless” by Raazia Sajid

“Different” by Evi K

“Your Scarlet Letter Found Its Way Back Home” by Anoushka Sharma

“Destined for Darkness - A Letter for you” by Hadia Abbas

“The Prince and the Crimelord ” by Mikayla Ross

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a family with a long-standing tradition, whose members all have conflicting origin stories for it.

Start your story with a character having a premonition, but no one believes them.

Write about someone who’s desperately trying to change their luck.

Set your story on (or in) a winding river.

Contest #98

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

751

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: