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

Posted in Character on Jan 19, 2024

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?

✍️ 70 stories

“The Item in Question” by Macauley Moffatt

Submitted to Contest #234

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her long brown hair was ratty from sleep. She stood, immobilized from exhaustion and pining for ten more minutes. Her pyjama bottoms were frayed and tattered. She got them in college and refused to retire them, claiming they brought her luck. Her lower belly gently protruded from beneath her shirt, round and soft. She poked at it with concern. “Why do you taunt me so?” She wondered. “I eat vegetables, I walk the dog, but you remain.” She sai...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Five More Minutes” by Nicole Hill

Submitted to Contest #234

It’s a funny thing. Time. The extent to which we keep track of it, hold it in our hands as a measure of our successes and failures. When we are young and naive, time stands still, creating barriers we are always pushing up against. We are five years old and yearn to be ten; we are ten and yearn to be teenagers. When we finally reach the awkward years of acne, body odor, and braces, we wish, to yet again, be older. Sixteen. We want to be sixteen so we can drive. Because time becomes a measurement of freedom. And then, we want time to go faste...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Chocolate Milk Naps ” by Eliana Smith

Submitted to Contest #234

Chocolate Milk Naps by Eliana Smith If Beatrice could go back and turn back time, you best believe she would. She would have started at the ripe age of 7. She would have done some things the same like staying at her Grammy's every summer, but some things differently like staying away from the older neighbor boy who knew more about life than she did at the time. She would brush her Grammy's hair more often and hold her papas hand during prayer. She would pet her...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Ball Pressure” by Gregg Voss

Submitted to Contest #234

There was silence in his classroom, then, as Jimmy allowed the enormity of what Kay-Kay was suggesting engulf him like a mid-summer Sahara sandstorm. Was there a way back? She had suggested as much. Jimmy didn’t believe in time travel or parallel universes. He also didn’t believe in the physics theory that he had heard from one of the Barton School’s science teachers that all situational possib...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Too Hot to Handle” by Deloise Gambrell

Submitted to Contest #234

Too Hot to Handle She read the instructions over and over again, word for word to make sure she didn't miss anything. It explained where to find the book and it must be in her possession before five pm. It should be found at the Historical library, or the game would self-destruct. Once the game self-destructs, that would be the end, with no hope of ever discovering the fortune. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. Unfortunately, the Historical Library was on the south side of town, and she was on the east side of town. It would take he...

0 comments 0

Read story

“"Nothing Worth Saying Aloud"” by Marlen Cardenas

Submitted to Contest #234

As a kid, I loved how fast time flew by, I so desperately wanted to grow up, and be like the older kids going out with their friends. I never thought I’d regret it; how much I’d wish for things to go back to the way they were. It’s senior year, it’s supposed to be memorable; I would’ve never guessed it was for the wrong reasons. It was pretty normal at first, looking forward to every senior event just like everyone else. I was working part-time at a restaurant. It was fun, taking orders felt like a game on the screen; it wasn’t hard at all...

0 comments 0

Read story

“If Only” by Lauren Halliday

Submitted to Contest #234

Stuck in her head, Lila pulled the church’s door open, going over in her mind which prayers to say and when. Her first Confession was a little awkward - staring at Father Brown, unable to hear him over the blood in her ears, though Father Brown was helpful in the later ones; Lila now sat behind the curtains. Scuffing her boots on the soaked mat, Lila felt as though this winter was worse than last. Heading towards the back pews, Lila wondered if she'd see Heidi or Lee. Her palms began to sweat. Reaching into her pocket she felt for her keys a...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Born To Love” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #234

BORN TO LOVE. Old Joby Senior looked at the grey walls of the hospice, while the oak tree blew its fine green leaves against the window pane. Quite a colourful display for late Summer. A smile came to his lips. Thinking about his early love of opera and good classical music. It had started way back as a boy listening to Mozart on the old school radio just a frame it was with a screen plugged into the wall....

2 comments 2

Read story

“Delays and Dangerous Ends” by Amanda Song

Submitted to Contest #234

Dear Rose, You and time have lots in common. Time spurns me, yet it is kind to the stars. It sends us their light across an infinite expanse of dark nothingness, mocking me with the possibility of seeing something that’s already long gone. Do you ever read these letters? Or are they also victims of time, left to fade and yellow until all that remains is a dusty silhouette of us?I am writing to you on the patio. None of our old stars are visible tonight. It was only when you came over and sat in the wicker chair beside me, bundled i...

0 comments 0

Read story

“You” by Aneesa Shamsee

Submitted to Contest #234

The funeral finally came around. Black was everywhere, emerging from corners, seeping through doors. People mumbling apologies, but I’m still not quite sure why. ‘Sorry for your loss,’ they say, but it only confuses me more. What did I lose?I don’t remember how it happened. Some say it was an accident, and others say it was planned. No one really knows, so they could be making it up. But that doesn’t seem likely.They look stupid. With their oversized hats and black veils. You would say they look like zombies or vampires. Using their hat...

2 comments 2

Read story

“I Should've Been There” by Asa Conroy

Submitted to Contest #234

“What?” Reilly barked. Mossy green eyes narrowed and burning, glowered directly into Kiran’s. “I should’ve been there, Reilly.” He repeated weakly, failing to ignore the shiver that trailed down his spine. Their gaze was cold. It hadn’t been like that before. After two months, the deep, ugly bruise hadn’t faded from their right eye. He felt sick every time he looked at them.“What would you have even done?” Reilly demanded, “What the fuck would you have even done that we didn’t already try?” Their voice faltered, either from anger or fro...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Hanging Out with Gatsby and the Lost Generation” by David Marshall

Submitted to Contest #234

Since she was in high school, Alex always wanted to back in time. Specifically, she wants to go back to the 1920s when life was free and full of passion. Where did she get this fascination? It all started when she was a young teenager reading the “Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. She always imagined what it would be like to live out on Long Island, going around and visiting different places such as East Egg and the Hamptons and mingling with people such as Daisy, Tom, Gatsby, and even Nick. Also, it would be fun to go to the big bashes ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Last Night” by Muru Walters

Submitted to Contest #234

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the small kitchen. Crusted food covered last nights dishes piled in the sink. Any students flat surely could have looked worse than this and in fact, Ben had been in worse before, hence his acceptance to live in what most would consider an unacceptable mess. Ben is sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Ben’s roommate Stephen walks into the room with an amused look on his face. “Good morning, how’s your head?” Ben looks back up at him annoyed. “It’s fine” “Why do you look like...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Darkness Before the Sunrise” by Jodi M

Submitted to Contest #234

I’ve been best friends with three girls for five years. Up until September eighth of 2023, it was senior sunrise and I went with, my current friends, Noemi, Angela, Gabby, and Anabeth. At senior sunrise there was a reason why I went with my current friends. I went with them because my "best friends" Aliyah and Madylin told me the day before they weren’t going when I asked them through text message. My other best friend Melanie, told me she asked Aliyah if she was going to senior sunrise and she wasn’t. So I showed up to senior sunrise with m...

1 comment 1

Read story

“If I Could Only Turn Back Time” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #234

If I Could Turn Back Time Like in that Cher song from the late 1980s, I find myself thinking and even saying out loud, almost singing “If I could turn back time.” That would seem to be the only way I can change the sad situation I am in now. But, of course, it is impossible. I have lost my well-paying job, and all for what I said that the boss took seriously, but also mistakenly. Some of the people that I work with –actually now I have to think and say ‘that I used to work with’- went to high school with me. During br...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone whose time is running out.

Angst – 112 stories

Write about someone taking advantage of some unexpected free time.

Fluff – 31 stories

Start or end your story with someone saying, “We have all the time in the world.”

Dialogue – 71 stories

Set your story in a place that’s frozen in time — literally or metaphorically.

Narrative – 56 stories

Contest #234

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Time Out

$250

Prize money

340

Contest entries

132

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 26, 2024 EST

Won by David Pampu 🏆

Title: 6:47 PST

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 about someone who wishes they could turn back time.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 70 stories

“The Item in Question” by Macauley Moffatt

“Five More Minutes” by Nicole Hill

“Chocolate Milk Naps ” by Eliana Smith

“Ball Pressure” by Gregg Voss

“Too Hot to Handle” by Deloise Gambrell

“"Nothing Worth Saying Aloud"” by Marlen Cardenas

“If Only” by Lauren Halliday

“Born To Love” by Christine LW

“Delays and Dangerous Ends” by Amanda Song

“You” by Aneesa Shamsee

“I Should've Been There” by Asa Conroy

“Hanging Out with Gatsby and the Lost Generation” by David Marshall

“Last Night” by Muru Walters

“Darkness Before the Sunrise” by Jodi M

“If I Could Only Turn Back Time” by John Steckley

🌟 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: