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

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?

✍️ 192 stories

“THE UNTHINKABLE” by Charlotte Geldenhuys

Submitted to Contest #70

Sometimes a high school going girl may fall for a man, who may be too mature for her. Some girls may not have the best fathers and as a result, do not have the role models they deserve and need. They may make one silly mistake, fall pregnant and this is something that cannot be fixed. This is permanent and hopefully, they will be able to raise the baby and give the child a loving, stable upbringing the child deserves. Some moms are strong and capable of walking this rocky road of single parenting alone. If they are s...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Commissioner’s House” by Tracey Carvill

Submitted to Contest #70

He looked down at the steaming mug in his hands and frowned. He didn’t recognise the mug, but it was unmistakeably coffee. He didn’t drink coffee often, but he was grateful for it now. He felt disconnected, somehow … unreal. He couldn’t remember why he’d come into the room. The woman crouched down before him watched him take a sip of the coffee and smiled. “Feeling any better?” He forced a smile in return. “Yes, thank you,” he replied. He was lying. Looking around the room, it was starting to come back to him. The shock must have caused ...

3 comments 3

Read story

“For Greta...” by Dragana Ristova

Submitted to Contest #70

She heard the weather man’s warning that it was going to rain, so unlike many people at the funeral, she had her black umbrella with her. Little drops were falling from the sky onto the casket that was being lowered slowly into the ground, creating an even more sorrowful atmosphere around the newly-put tomb. The name Greta Louise Jackson was written on it. It was written in the most elegant cursive font, similar to Greta’s handwriting.She noticed that as soon as her eyes landed on the text and her heart froze for a moment. It was only a mome...

2 comments 2

Read story

“One mistake” by Amanda Stuntz

Submitted to Contest #70

Dale watched the children playing in the front yard, chasing each other, giggling and laughing when the small black dog joined in. He couldn't help but smile at their antics, wishing he could be a part of it. The older girl ran around the large oak tree in the middle of the yard, the younger one chased after her until she disappeared up into its branches. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, a large plastic bag full of colorfully wrapped boxes in his hand. The girls stopped playing and ran for the house the moment he stepped in...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Unforgiven” by Rick Bramhall

Submitted to Contest #70

He looked down at his body and saw that he was nicely dressed. There was his favorite tie, the Donald Duck one with the sky-blue background, over a white dress shirt. But where did the dark-blue wool suit come from? Someone must have bought it especially for the funeral. His finger tips and palms ran down the cloth. It felt warm and fuzzy to the touch. He kept his hands over his ribs for a moment, lost in the sensation. Then all of a sudden he felt a distinctly cool breeze on his backside. Not through clothing, but directly accosting and s...

0 comments 0

Read story

“After the Garden” by ♡ Tana ♡

Submitted to Contest #70

3 A.M, Thursday, September 17thAdam:hey are you awake? i really need to talk to you.3:03 A.Mmaybe i shouldn’t have said ‘need’. i really, really want to talk to you.3:08but it’s basically like needing to3:20eva please talk to me. i know that you probably hate me, and to be honest you probably should, but please just listen3:30 so i’m just going to say this, ok? and you don’t have to respond or anything, i just need you to read this and know that i am so so sorry. and i know that just saying sorry is never enough, and y’know what, maybe ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“How Real Dreams Can Be ... (a continuation on the last two) ” by Matt Render

Submitted to Contest #70

‘It’s strange how real a dream could be.’ Rosa one thought spring morning, sweating as she awoke wrapped in the white sheets on her massive bed, the morning light flooding the space all around her room through the large wood panel windows, creating constellations of dust clouds in the air, dancing beneath the light rays like ghosts in the daylight. With her head still stuck to the pillow, a small puddle of drool around her mouth, her eyes stared out the windows across the long stretches of lake and the expanses of empty sky, allowing her min...

0 comments 0

Read story

“REDEEMED IN PHOENIX?” by William Webster

Submitted to Contest #70

The screen door slammed behind the two men upon entering the cafe, which sat in Grey Mountain on the side of the highway about 75 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Adam Ackerman, owner of the cafe, stood behind the bar. Without missing a beat he continued to wipe it down as the men walked in. “We’re closed.” Ackerman said without looking up. Hearing the sound of their expensive soft leather shoes rather than boots, slapping the hard wooden cafe floor, Ackeman knew that they were not his usual customers looking for cheap...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Can You Hear Me?” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #70

Can You Hear Me? By Heather Ann Martinez The waves kept pulling me further away from him. I knew he had stopped breathing and there was not anything I could do. I eventually let go of the thought that someone or something was going to save him. I asked God to keep him safe until we meet again in heaven. I knew our parents will see me coming home. I know my mother will cry and my father will not speak to me for some time. I murdered their favorite son. I did not intend to when we stole the fishing boat. I didn’t mean to fight with him o...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Is He Still There?” by Bernadette Beauchamp

Submitted to Contest #70

Alexandria drove up to the senior apartment complex that her parents were living at now. It was a perfect fit because it was one of the few places with an elevator, which was necessary for her dad now, and it was close to the hospital, another necessity for her dad now. She sat in the car for a moment, dreading the visit and wondering if these visits were even doing any good. Could she ever undo the pain she had caused? She was beyond angry now, she guessed, anger still seemed to creep in once in a while. However, right now she was jus...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Atonement?” by R L Brewer

Submitted to Contest #70

“Jim, pay attention, it might save your life one day,” he said with a sigh. There were Jims in every audience, no matter what the age. This time it was a high school student, next time it would be a businessman. Always idiots in every group. “I’m not stupid. I would never get into a crash like that.” There was a nervous titter of laughter from the group of teens. Ah, the boy was one of those guys, Eric Makerson thought. A popular guy, probably the local heart throb or the footy star or both. Eric glanced down at the floor for a moment.&n...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Humble Endings” by Lydi B

Submitted to Contest #70

A smile pushed through my somber expression upon sight of the image. Displayed on my monitor was a photo of two men, one of which I used to know in much younger form. The crinkles of thirties scrunched their eyes into the most genuine exuberance as they held up two fish of varying sizes. The caption read: Bram’s is bigger. Bram. Was that the name of the man he had chosen? Had he found his joy in the aftermath of what may have been the most traumatic event in his life? For nearly two decades, I had hoped and prayed for happiness for my dear,...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Tyler Bardot and Vagteren” by Z Osborne

Submitted to Contest #70

“It happened about two years ago, the worst day of my life…” I explained. I could see him shift in the darkness. He sat back in his throne and folded all four of his arms. “Tell me what happened on that day, Tyler.” he asked. I shifted my stance and took a deep breath. His name was Vagteren, a cosmic being that had control of the multiverse. Most people referred to him as the “Governor of the Multiverse”. I knew him well, but he had no memory of me. He had sent me from the future to this point in time, before we had met. This meant I ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Irreversible” by Antonella Paveto

Submitted to Contest #70

When pacing, Michael would think clearer, but he was frozen on his spot, a mix of emotions making his mind go everywhere, back and forth, left and right and every direction possible. Regret, remorse, his doing was loaded with all of it, and his mind made sure he felt it's entire weight. He messed up. He knew right away how badly he messed up, big time on this one, as his dad would always sigh. When younger, he wasn't a rebellious kid, so he didn't quite often heard his dad say such phrase- but it unavoidably came to his mind, accent and faci...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Forever.” by Christine Hungerford

Submitted to Contest #70

The crackling fire popped in its square box of a fireplace behind the dreary stone hearth. Its flames reached upwards—like it desired to escape but tortuously knew its sparks were the only escapees. But why? It hadn’t done anything wrong. It was just a substance once lit and then snuffed out. Its smoke left to drift away to voice its epiphany. If it had any. “But there isn’t. For any of us.” The speaker would be a silhouette if the living room was a little darker. She lay on a scarlet cushione...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Sad – 154 stories

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

Thriller and Suspense – 179 stories

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.

Kids – 120 stories

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.

Sad – 85 stories

Contest #70

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: To Err Is Human

$50

Prize money

731

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 04, 2020 EST

Won by Irene Rebello 🏆

Title: What you made me.

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 192 stories

“THE UNTHINKABLE” by Charlotte Geldenhuys

“The Commissioner’s House” by Tracey Carvill

“For Greta...” by Dragana Ristova

“One mistake” by Amanda Stuntz

“Unforgiven” by Rick Bramhall

“After the Garden” by ♡ Tana ♡

“How Real Dreams Can Be ... (a continuation on the last two) ” by Matt Render

“REDEEMED IN PHOENIX?” by William Webster

“Can You Hear Me?” by Heather Ann Martinez

“Is He Still There?” by Bernadette Beauchamp

“Atonement?” by R L Brewer

“Humble Endings” by Lydi B

“Tyler Bardot and Vagteren” by Z Osborne

“Irreversible” by Antonella Paveto

“Forever.” by Christine Hungerford

🌟 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: