Write about someone who realizes they're on the wrong path.

Posted in Character on Jan 13, 2023

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✍️ 69 stories

“The Loop Path” by Una Berzina-Pudule

Submitted to Contest #181

Autumn showers were rapping on the glass and Celia was sitting on the floor, lazily petting Maeve's fur. "I guess we could go to the forest if it lets up in five minutes." The border collie huffed at the dreary weather outside. "I don't feel like it either, but it'd be good for us, huh?" Celia felt stupid trying to convince a dog to go on a walk. "We'll go. You'll get rid of some of your zoomies. And I'll get out of my head a bit," she gave the dog a tight hug and got up to get ready. *** It had been two hours since Chase arrived home and bo...

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“A Way Home” by Benjamin Gibbs

Submitted to Contest #181

Angel sniffed the ground. He'd been here before. He lifted his small face to look at the split path in front of him, trying to decide. He'd been gone for two weeks. He missed his home, the warmth, the free food, the affection from his human housemates. Life on the road was fun, and for an alpha cat like him, it was a part of life. Angel lived for adventure. A lone traveler, despite sharing a house with two other cats, both bigger and stronger than him. Neither of them had more experience though, being five years younger and infinitely more s...

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“The Train” by Mya Sandberg

Submitted to Contest #181

I just got off the train. The wind is heavy outside in the city, and a weight bears down on my shoulders. The stars in the sky are not visible due to the light pollution, and my shoulders shiver from the sightless, cold sky air. I miss the mountains. I thought I would find a home here, but I did not. I miss the hills and the barren, dry lands. I miss the cacti, the animals. I miss my home. This is not a place for me. This is not where I am meant to be, but there is no turning back now. I stand for a moment, watching the train start up and ta...

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“Karuby” by Timmy W

Submitted to Contest #181

It is the day of senior prom. Ruby drives and Karter rides shotgun. He is dressed in a black tuxedo and she is wearing a flowing blue dress. Karter holds her hand as she drives. He can’t take her eyes off her because she is beautiful and he loves her.“You look so stupid,” she says.“Why?”She laughs. “You’re staring at me and licking your lips.”“What?” Karter says, his face stoic. “I wasn’t looking at you. I was looking past you. I was thinking.”“Thinking?”“Yea. Thinking.”“About?”“Something,” he says, turning away to hide the smile spreading a...

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“The Wrong Path” by David St.George

Submitted to Contest #181

Charlie awoke to a blazing headache and the knowledge that he should have known better. Going out drinking on a night before he was supposed to work was a stupid idea. But he knew that he couldn’t call in sick; the boss would have his hide for sure because he had already missed three days this month. With a gargantuan effort, Charlie rose out of bed towards the bathroom to relieve the pressure that was on his bladder. His head felt like three tons atop his stooping shoulders. While doing his business in the toilet, he noticed something tha...

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“Take Me to Church” by Needs Chocolate

Submitted to Contest #181

My life had been slowly falling apart since meeting my current boyfriend, Jake, in July. He was incredibly handsome and persuasive and I'd been in over my head since our first conversation. However, he was married and better with words than deeds. In my head I knew what had to be done, the rest of me hadn't quite caught up though, and my heart was breaking. I needed to search my soul and knew exactly where to do that. The next morning, I was up before anyone else and grabbed the bathroom before the others soiled it. After my hair had dried,...

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“is there an afterlife ?” by Andre Kahofer

Submitted to Contest #181

I poured Whiskey into a glass, watching it fill with the dark brown color of my favorite drink. Taking the glass from the kitchen to my living room, I placed it on a table next to my couch. I went a little to harsh so the sound made me think it broke for a second. I turned on the radio like everyday. “ Good evening ladies and gentleman, the weather tomorrow will be quite shivering with an astonishing - 7 degrees celsius, rain also to be expected with a chance of 68 percent”. I took my first sip from the glass, remembering how I used to make ...

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“Life Renewed” by Chance Cansler

Submitted to Contest #181

Logan was a man who had lost his way. He was a successful businessman, rising to a high position in a Fortune 500 company, but his success had come at a high cost. He had become self-destructive, drinking heavily and engaging in dangerous and reckless behavior. He had lost touch with the things that once mattered to him; he was self-destructing. Everything changed when Logan's grandmother, Ellen, died. She had always been the rock of his life, and her passing left a huge hole in his heart. At her funeral, Logan learned that she had left hi...

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“Death of a Gunman” by Mary Ann Ford

Submitted to Contest #181

All it took was one mistake.Chauncey’s dark eyes shifted to the door again. They were out there and waiting, but he was never one to make the first move. Too long he had enjoyed a wild, dangerous life, but now and only now he realized it couldn’t continue. There was always someone faster, smarter, or low enough to murder him with his back turned.Patiently he carved another notch into the handle of his six-gun. For the first time it didn’t give him pride to do this. For the first time he didn’t feel excitement at the prospect of the fight wai...

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“Twisted” by Keila Aartila

Submitted to Contest #181

I was twenty-nine when I got married, thirty-one when I got divorced. A short marriage that culminated in a journey lasting a lifetime. Being engaged was a fun concept. I chose the engagement ring I wanted. He complained the diamond was too small. I didn’t want a bigger diamond. I liked the one I chose. He did like the huge discounted price, though. He decided to go with the ring on which I first settled. The ring wasn’t fitted when he proposed and offered it to me. I wore it anyway, and almost lost it when it fell off in the ba...

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“His Second Chance ” by Jasmine May

Submitted to Contest #181

May 9th, 2022: Dean Dean: 21 That stupid velvet box sits right below my monitor, mocking me as Scarlette’s shrill voice echoes through the barren apartment. No pictures on the walls, no blanket casually over the back of the couch. No cheesy throw pillows. Everything is back to how it was before her and yet it feels emptier than it ever had. Scarlette tried, the first time she came over, she tried to bring life back into this little shell. She brought our old bed here; I moved the one I built for her out before Scarlette came in her...

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“Death of an Angel” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #181

Aether, of the Angels of Eldenar knelt by his bedside, repeating to himself the Mandates Unbreakable. A breeze from the open window dared to silence his whispering devotion. Today was an ill day. To Aether, the air reeked with the smell of heathen magics. He knew the scent well, for it was his duty to stamp out such evil. The unseen energy flowed through the morning like a river of power. It urged Aether to feel it, to keep it... To use it. "Do not indulge in the power of the Forbidden." Aether said, breaking the near silence. This was the f...

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“Are We There Yet?” by Karin Cavanagh

Submitted to Contest #181

“Are you ready yet?” she called from downstairs. “We haven’t got all day, you know.” “I know, I know,” I muttered. “Be there in a sec.” I tossed the last couple of items in my case and made sure I had my wallet, phone and keys. It had been a long time since we’d been on a holiday, and I mean a real one. Not just the quick weekend trip down the coast but a journey which would take me far from home, for at least a good couple of weeks. I was looking forward to it. I grabbed my bag, fairly sure I had everything I needed and headed...

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“Turned Around” by William Simon

Submitted to Contest #181

Enzo pulled the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. His back was tight from the long drive, and he stretched languidly. He always liked it up here, it was peaceful. He’d started out when it was still night in New York and driven for hours with just a short break for gas and a breakfast of sugary doughnuts. Now he stood on a thin dirt road with the morning light shining through a thick tree canopy. The weather had been fair for most of his journey, but it was clear that it had rained through the night here. I better get on w...

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“You Are Here” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #181

“I’m forty two!” “What has that got to do with it?” I stare at her face and I will her to understand, to at least try to understand. My eyes are upon her face, but I don’t see it. They bore into her. Searching for her essence, looking for something that resembles hope. I am here, and yet I am not. She sees something that is not me. She sees something unreal. I wonder whether she ever saw me as anything other than what it was that she constructed. There must be something I am missing. A single word that will unlock everythin...

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Write about someone who realizes they're on the wrong path.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 69 stories

“The Loop Path” by Una Berzina-Pudule

“A Way Home” by Benjamin Gibbs

“The Train” by Mya Sandberg

“Karuby” by Timmy W

“The Wrong Path” by David St.George

“Take Me to Church” by Needs Chocolate

“is there an afterlife ?” by Andre Kahofer

“Life Renewed” by Chance Cansler

“Death of a Gunman” by Mary Ann Ford

“Twisted” by Keila Aartila

“His Second Chance ” by Jasmine May

“Death of an Angel” by Samuel Bowen

“Are We There Yet?” by Karin Cavanagh

“Turned Around” by William Simon

“You Are Here” by Jed Cope

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who has to “move mountains” to get what they want.

Write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both.

Write about a character who, for whatever reason, retreats to a remote cabin.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Contest #181

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

278

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: