Write about someone trying to atone for a mistake they’ll never be able to fix.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 192 stories

“Every Little Broken Memory ” by Izen Martinez

Submitted to Contest #70

Bright, white lights welcome Arthur back to consciousness. The deafening beeps of monitors and whirring of machinery greet him upon his awakening. Arthur’s only visible surroundings are a window to his right and a curtain circling around his bed. He tries to remember how he’s ended up here, but the bits that trickle in at random only make him anxious and bothered. He does remember being with someone important right before everything went black.“Oh my god. Oh my god what did I do?”He pulls away the curtains, knocking them over. “Jac...

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“Curtain fall” by Arjun Prasannan

Submitted to Contest #70

It all began at the age of 18 when I received the first prize for a short story writing competition at Rendezvous, the annual cultural festival of IIT Delhi. I was in my first year of Mechanical Engineering at Delhi Technological University (DTU) then. Being the only female student of my branch, I was noticed by everyone, often by the name of “Mech Queen”. This recognition gave me the additional tag of a writer, and some of them proclaimed I would go places. Yes, they were right. That was the only beginning; the journey from the “M...

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“The Culprit Behind My Nightmares.” by Ntsoaki Letseka

Submitted to Contest #70

This is my story, one which I have relived a thousand times through nightmares and very traumatic memories. This time though, I will relive it by giving an explicit account of what happened. I hope by telling it I would have ultimately taken the first step towards healing and hopefully achieving a sense of resolution.Let us rewind back to 2016. I was just a teenager then; 16 to be precise. A teenager breezing through life with a permanent state of mind,I was in love. There is no deadlier combination than that of a teenager and infatuation. S...

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“Regret makes life” by Max Rearick

Submitted to Contest #70

Mistakes have been made, and I am an unwilling participant in the game it plays. No one truly means to make mistakes that cost larger than you know your mentality is worth. Death is a mishap, a variable no one marks as a prospect of decision making. Dead is one that I had looked up to, one who was a role model to what I had hoped would shape my future. Dead he lays on the floor of a house I do not own. Those in blue suits show up before long, asking questions I can’t answer. My parents arrive thanking the gods above, and blame slips through ...

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“Black Friday” by Diona Reeves

Submitted to Contest #70

The toy was right there, sitting in the top rack of the old man’s shopping cart as he struggled to get his groceries into his car. Thirty minutes earlier, the same man had been standing in the toy aisle, reaching for the last available action figure. He tossed it in his cart and made his way down the aisle, as I just missed the opportunity to get my 3-year-old the only item he wanted from Santa. I had waited weeks for that toy to go on sale, saving up my tips from the diner to be sure I had enough. Saddened by this unfortunate turn of even...

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“Daddy's Girl” by Elizabeth Musgrave

Submitted to Contest #70

“Daddy!” He caught his daughter as she jumped off the top step into his arms. He quickly hugged her, tucking her under his arm to keep walking up the stairs of the porch. She giggled and laughed as only a three year can when held almost upside down. “Daddy, you silly!” she squealed as he entered their home, kissed his waiting wife, and then set the little girl on her feet. He tousled her curly hair under his rough fingers. “Love you, pumpkin,” he told the bright shining face staring at him, “now go help Mommy with dinner.” He watched as her ...

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“sorry” by Snjeguljica 33

Submitted to Contest #70

I stand in front of her door again. A little autumn rain is falling, but I can't care less. I stand again, like who knows how many times. Maybe it’s finally time for me to stop. And so nothing matters anymore. He's gone. He will never return. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to do anything… Like I used to hear a song… my life is a little masquerade… that might be the right description. I always hid. From everyone, even myself. I don't blame anyone, I can't even fight anymore, because I think more and more that every hour, m...

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“Pride” by Liam Squires

Submitted to Contest #70

Here I sit alone on the day after Christmas, as is custom. The neighborhood lights spill into the dark living room, forming a gentle aura like that of a cozy dream. Slumped half sideways against the loveseat armrest, as my knuckles push up on my cheek, I can’t help but reflect. How many years has it been since I spent Christmas with my wife’s family? She and I eat together on Christmas day, then she goes south and spends time with her family for the next few days. I came the first couple times, but her brother was quick to clash, so naturall...

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“The Story of Saya” by S Kammula

Submitted to Contest #70

Amma told the children that she spun her feelings into thread. It wasn’t exactly correct, but it made for a good story while she worked on her weaving. The adults of the village told their children to take Old Amma’s stories with a grain of salt. They said that she had lived a hard life, and that a hard life could change a person. Despite their parents’ warnings, children gathered at Amma’s house to hear the wild stories of her youth. Amma told them that after her family had passed away, she moved into an abandoned house in the country. Sh...

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“Where the Dust Falls ” by Mackenzie Hebner

Submitted to Contest #70

Where the Dust Falls By: Mackenzie M. HebnerHe told me to meet him where the dust falls. Those were the last words he said to me. “Meet me where the dust falls.” I knew what it meant. Deep down I knew. And he knew it too, that I knew. So I suppose that makes this partially my fault. When I didn’t come, he made his decision, but it was as if I chose for him. I chose to let him go when I chose not to consider his meaning. I knew where the dust fell, where he’d once made use of such ambiguous description. I knew where the dust fell, where ...

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“the End Brings a New Beginning” by Jordyn Rickertsen

Submitted to Contest #70

My eyes opened, my vision blurry. Which was weird because I was supposed to be dead. I had checked and double-checked my parents' schedule, the cleaning lady's schedule, and the cook's schedule. There shouldn't be anyone here. I'm not supposed to be here. They couldn't have known. "I-I" Millions of thoughts shoot through my mind when I take a look at my surroundings. "Where am I?" If they had found me, wouldn't I be in a hospital? I could hear the sound of feet hitting the floor come to a stop behind me. "She awakes" said a deep ...

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“Worth It” by Kathryn Allen

Submitted to Contest #70

“She needs a liver transplant if she’s going to survive,” Dr. March said, clutching her clipboard to her chest. She wore a worried expression as she delivered the post-op report in the small hospital room. “Mr. and Mrs. Summers, it is extremely unlikely that your daughter will find a donor in time, given the extensive blunt trauma to her liver.” Kayla Summers heard all this from where she sat at the foot of her sister’s hospital bed. She wat...

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Write about someone trying to atone for a mistake they’ll never be able to fix.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 192 stories

“Every Little Broken Memory ” by Izen Martinez

“Curtain fall” by Arjun Prasannan

“The Culprit Behind My Nightmares.” by Ntsoaki Letseka

“Regret makes life” by Max Rearick

“Black Friday” by Diona Reeves

“Daddy's Girl” by Elizabeth Musgrave

“sorry” by Snjeguljica 33

“Pride” by Liam Squires

“The Story of Saya” by S Kammula

“Where the Dust Falls ” by Mackenzie Hebner

“the End Brings a New Beginning” by Jordyn Rickertsen

“Worth It” by Kathryn Allen

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who’s so obsessed with a goal that it leads to the destruction of their closest relationship.

Write about a character who everyone thinks is guilty of something terrible, but isn’t.

Write about two people who know they’ve made a mistake, and one of them wants to tell the truth but the other wants to lie about it.

Write about a character who’s so afraid of making the wrong choice that their indecision ruins the very thing they were hoping to keep safe.

Contest #70

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

731

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: