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

Posted in Character on Jan 19, 2024

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✍️ 70 stories

“The Last Time Machine” by Jonathan Page

Submitted to Contest #234

I knew better than most that kids in books are parentless. The day I transformed from Katya’s hero to the villain in her story was the day we faced each other across a glass partition when she was only six years old. “If you don’t come home with me today, Daddy, I will never forgive you,” she said. And she never did.There were two things that Katya loved. Traveling and animals. For her sixth birthday, we had a big “Wild Birthday Party” at the Central Park Petting Zoo. There were lemurs, crocodiles, sea lions, peacocks, goats, rabbits, and ev...

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“Glossing Over the Rough Spots” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #234

“Hello?” “Yeah, hey kiddo, it’s me.” “Dad? Where are you calling from? I don’t recognize this number.” “Yeah, it’s not my phone. I’m in jail. Listen son, I–” “–Wait, what!? What do you mean you’re in jail!?” “Oh, it’s this whole big stupid thing. Anyway, I need you to wire some money–” “–Dad! Why are you in jail?” “Because of my damn sunscreen, that’s why. I guess it was too American for the locals and didn’t meet their commie quota.” “What are you even talking about? Your sunscreen? You’re not making any sense!” “Yeah, apparently they have ...

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“Remember When Books Were On Paper?” by Allan Bernal

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #234

>> Okay Jayson, what brings you to therapy today? And remember, if you want a text transcript of our meeting today, you can upgrade to our Premium- Um, no. I’m good. >> That’s fine Jayson! Whenever you’re ready, your forty minutes has begun. Though you’d get sixty with our Premi- Okay, just give me a second. I… don’t really know where to begin… I signed up and completed all the forms to start therapy last week, so you’d think I’d have planned this better. But… I guess something came up with work yesterday I wasn’t expecting...

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“Winter Dream” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #234

Sparkling off the water, the late afternoon sun streams through the tall windows. Your silhouette is almost washed away in the bright light.You made good time.I nod. "Left a little earlier. Missed most of the traffic." As I bend over your chair for a kiss."I'll put the stuff away. There is plenty of time for a walk. Maybe put the boat in the water before supper."Sounds good. I feel your eyes on me as I moves about.The small dock at the bottom of the yard is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Watch the white clouds change to pink, peach, ...

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“No Good Options ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #234

The loneliness could strike at any time. More than once, it had caught her off guard while driving to work. It had snuck up on her in line at the grocery store, on a walk in the park, and while sitting in the dentist’s chair. No time, place, or activity was safe from from the sadness, but the worst was when it woke her in the middle of the night. Arden gasped, then sat up. Her room was pitch black, and cold, but she felt clammy. She tossed her comforter aside, and fumbled for her phone on the nightstand. Her fingers brushed the screen and ...

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“Control Z” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #234

She had barely made it through the day. The experience of training another new employee was still bitter in her throat, making it difficult to swallow. She procrastinated the start of dinner despite the growling hunger pains beginning to announce themselves. The girl was sweet, she couldn’t take out the mounting frustrations on her. Trying to keep herself detached from the situation, she had repeated the same instructions that she had over the years as the sea of new employees flowed past her. Would this one follo...

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“Tomorrow, the Sun will Rise” by Ty Warmbrodt

Submitted to Contest #234

Journal 6, Entry 23, 6/13/2018 Today we stood in front of an open grave in black suits, black dresses, and with white handkerchiefs. Everyone huddled close under a ceiling of umbrellas as God’s tears poured down on us over the life of a courageous and thoughtless young man. I watched the stars and stripes soak up the drizzle as it lay there on the perfectly polished mahogany casket suspended above its final resting spot. Standing before the gravestone, the priest gave his benediction before the flag was folded up and presented to my wife a...

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“Is Chering Caring?” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #234

*Trigger warning: this story contains sex and cursing.* Regina’s suspicions and reality collided with loud banging. Two bodies, in pure form, were committing an impure act. Both were equally caught up in their carnality; the intruder had gone temporarily unnoticed. The bang of the slamming door finally caught their attention. Julian scrambled to disentangle himself from his paramour. She flew out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door using only the sheet for coverage. He threw on a pair of pants and l...

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“He's not really in there” by Claire Trbovic

Submitted to Contest #234

I watched the back of his head from across the street. Salt and pepper. I hadn’t seen his face in years, always just the back of his head. I’d know it anywhere. It’s shape, the way he held it, the shoulders it sat on, the clothes he wore; today it happened to be the same jacket as that weekend away we had in Scotland. His hair was always the first thing I recognised. Like a flea bitten grey horse, except nothing like the way that sounds. My brain immediately worked to refile that memory, dragging it forward to view like a folder from a ...

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“The Wisdom Loop” by Franco Lopez

Submitted to Contest #234

I still remember that first time I was at an airport getting ready to board a flight. I was six years old, wearing a new striped polo and a paper crown, and was enjoying a strawberry starfish popsicle while holding a red balloon. It was my birthday. I had a pin that showed it off to everyone, and everyone was so kind all day. We were heading to Florida for the weekend to visit amusement parks, and I did not have a single worry running through my mind. Just before boarding the flight, I bumped into an elderly gentleman sitting just outside th...

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“Flowers for Omnomnom” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #234

The plant occupied most of Nell Turnbulle’s greenhouse.Nell stood and smiled at her with a mother’s love. ‘Let’s see what he makes of you, then.’The plant—all eight feet, thirty teeth, eight tentacles of her—quivered in response. Her pretty blue flowers shook and danced.Nell smiled. Audrey listened to her mother. Audrey was a good girl. And she would show Grayson that her plant-breeding hobby wasn’t ‘nonsense’ and ‘money down the tubes’. It was a viable business, and it made her happy. It was her own. Of course, even now, Nell noticed that s...

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“Dr. Davies, Delaney and Death” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #234

contains adult languageAuthor's note: Read, "Della and Dr. Davies" for perspective.“You see, I don’t process death, at all. Honestly, I can’t comprehend any reason to do so, it’s inevitable, unstoppable and no matter how hard anyone tries, it cannot be defeated. Not even my second degree blackbelt can stop it with a palm-heel strike to the face, or a sidekick behind the knees. It can’t be knocked to the ground without the potential of getting back up again. It isn’t a worthy adversary, it’s a fucking ringer, strategically placed to win, no m...

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“When I Was Her Hero” by C.N. Jung

Submitted to Contest #234

Never in a father’s life is he ready for the day that he is expected to turn his daughter over to the arms of another man. Never in my life was that a moment I was prepared for. It was a moment that people joked about. “She’s gorgeous, Ledger!” My friends would tease. “Pretty soon, the boys will be knocking at the door like crazy!” “Yeah?” I’d always snorted, waving them off like they had mush for brains. Because my little girl was my little girl. She wasn’t going anywhere. She was just a baby. My baby who loved to play with Barbies and ...

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“Friday’s Child” by Paul Littler

Submitted to Contest #234

Today Jason had missed Mum’s funeral on account of the murders. Time was his greatest loss over the last thirty years, he decided, sitting on the bed in his cell. Add another loss, now Mum was dead. He looked at the clock on his shelf and wished he could turn back time. Again his parole eligibility date had come up, attracting the usual press ranting and raving. Previous applications had failed three times, so he’d been wary, not raising his hopes; but his new sol...

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“Breaking The Chain” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #234

The scent of cedar shavings and feces infused the evolutionary lab with the unmistakable essence of life. It was in stark contrast to the sterile atmosphere of the rest of the Exodus Voyager. It was here that Jessica found herself drawn, spending most of her time. She scrutinized the 78 Djungarian dwarf hamsters that were under her care. The slightest difference in anogenital span–the distance between the reproductive opening and the anus–signaled their gender. She needed the make an accurate determination to ensure an equal distribution of ...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 70 stories

“The Last Time Machine” by Jonathan Page

“Glossing Over the Rough Spots” by Michał Przywara

“Remember When Books Were On Paper?” by Allan Bernal

“Winter Dream” by Trudy Jas

“No Good Options ” by Chelsey B

“Control Z” by Hannah Lynn

“Tomorrow, the Sun will Rise” by Ty Warmbrodt

“Is Chering Caring?” by Kate Winchester

“He's not really in there” by Claire Trbovic

“The Wisdom Loop” by Franco Lopez

“Flowers for Omnomnom” by Joshua G. J. Insole

“Dr. Davies, Delaney and Death” by Myranda Marie

“When I Was Her Hero” by C.N. Jung

“Friday’s Child” by Paul Littler

“Breaking The Chain” by Scott Christenson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone whose time is running out.

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: