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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#125: Better Late Than Never

Everybody has that one person in their life who’s perpetually late. For those unfortunate souls, time is never quite on their side, no matter how hard they try.

Whether your characters are rushing to make it, or deliberately taking it slow, this week’s prompts are an ode to the latecomers among us, and to those who don’t give up, even when time is running out.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a character who is always running late arriving somewhere just as it closes.

Thriller and Suspense – 19 stories

Write a story about a late bloomer.

Spring – 12 stories

All clocks suddenly stop. Write about what happens next.

Science Fiction – 45 stories

Write a story including the phrase “Better late than never”.

Angst – 67 stories

Set your story in an airport, as someone rushes for a flight.

Thriller and Suspense – 21 stories

Stories

“The Clock Tower” by Jessie Hartness

Submitted to Contest #125

Imagine a small London town on a particularly grim day. As you walk the main road you see everything through a silver lens, due to the pelting rain that often accompanies daily life in these parts. Small cars pass, steam trailing behind as the exhaust rendezvous with the chilly air. You try not to look down the alleyways as you pass by, it’s better to not think of what the shadows might conceal. Men in top hats holding umbrellas over women in petticoats enjoy an evening stroll. Some may even say the town is beautiful on nights like these, it...

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“Slow and Steady” by Rachel Kenley Fry

Submitted to Contest #125

“It’s got a lot of torque, you see,” Peter Hareman gestured with his hand, as if his brand-new car parked in the office in front of the crowd of his assembled co-workers. “That’s why it’s so fast and, what was it the dealer said? Efficient.”Many of the people nodded, sloshing the punch in their hands as they hung on Peter’s every word. Leo Sheldon, however, turned toward the coat closet.“Leaving so soon?” called out Peter, abandoning the attention of the assembled audience and rushing to catch up with Leo.“Yeah,” Leo drew out the word like h...

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““New Mom at……40?!” ” by Kelly Stuhlmueller

Submitted to Contest #125

**this story contains explicit language regarding relations between a married couple. My first marriage ended in divorce after nine years. I like to say it was “mostly” my ex Ken’s fault but I must admit- my obsession with wanting and trying to have a baby, may have contributed to the demise of our marriage. As a new bride of age twenty-four, I had my life , rather our lives, planned out. I would graduate from business school at age twenty-five and we’d travel a little and get down to starting our family of two to three children and a Lab...

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“A Wizard is Never Late” by Adrian Majerle

Submitted to Contest #125

A wizard is never late, so you can see how this is a little embarrassing. I must look ridiculous in long black robes in this steamy weather next to the nonmagical people on the train. A few of them eye me with suspicion. Not only is my attire outlandish to these sorts of people, I’m sure my hastily washed, shaggy hair would have set off some alarm bells with the nonmagical community. I would have changed into more acceptable clothing, but there had been no time. I am extraordinarily late by wizard standards to my meeting with Ole Scar. He c...

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“The Summer Visit” by Michelle Nieweg

Submitted to Contest #125

-----------TW--------- Contains themes of self-harm, sex, and violence --------- Yellowish, purplish bruises covered my best friend's legs. The welts were like a watercolor patchwork overlain on the crisscross-y scars she had made years prior, from that darker and sadder place. The raised lines on her upper thighs were layered over themselves from many different sessions of slashing away at her own pale body. And perhaps what shocked me more than seeing the bruises now, was the fact that she chose to wear super short, black denim daisy duke...

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“Twinkle, Twinkle” by Halle Schaffer

Submitted to Contest #125

I’m at the swimming pool today, sitting over the edge with my feet dangling in the water. I sit and I look down into the chlorine at the red and blue stripes on the bright white tile, and I think about lines. How I forgot to draw them. Love is lined. There’s a line between the friends I love and the lovers I can’t live without. The line between ‘getting coffee’ and ‘getting coffee’. A hug versus the arms that keep me warm for the long winter nights. It’s like walking around the rim of a slippery pool. How close to the edge can we c...

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“Out of Time, a Clock’s Last Tock” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #125

Winter inspected her sun room anticipating her sisters' arrival. Spring, Summer and Autumn were due for their annual planning session. Being the eldest, Winter wanted everything in perfect order. She dressed in traditional black. Her sisters preferred the graceful styles depicted in Arthur Rackham’s fantasy illustrations. But Winter dressed formally, especially when entertaining. Her style complemented her orderly home, decorated in white. Snow draped every surface. Her servants followed instructions. Every detail received its due. But fo...

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“The Day I Met the Wind” by Eric Miller

Submitted to Contest #125

Have you ever met the wind? If you'd have asked me that yesterday, I'd have probably answered "no".Well, first I'd have probably looked at you funny, and asked you "what do you mean? Have I ever been outside on a windy day ? Or, felt the wind blow? Well, sure. Sure I have."But, to answer the actual question directly, I'd have had to say I never actually met the wind. That was, until today.It started when my Garmaw took us to the prairie. (By the way, 'Garmaw' is how my sister and I learned to say “grandmother” when we were little...and ...

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“Three-Legged Race” by Timothy Merritt

Submitted to Contest #125

Private First Class David Wilson took a few seconds to pause in front of the barracks mirror to pose for a selfie. He was taking advantage of the momentary lull in the regular hustle and chaos of his Basic Combat Training platoon to get a few pictures with just him alone. He wanted to send a few photos to his mom and sister before his unit deployed. “C’mon Wilson!” his friend Brian Paulson called from the other end of the barracks. Paulson was pulling his duffle back from a metal locker that stood next to one of the ...

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“2 Clicks Left” by Michelle SHAAY

Submitted to Contest #125

Orin loved driving with his car windows down, but the crisp fall air made him quickly rethink that idea. In fifth gear now, he accelerated the sports coupe well beyond the posted highway speed limit. The music was blaring loudly from his car stereo as a call interrupted him from singing an energetic hook of his favorite song. "Damn." While shaking his head Orin mumbled to himself before answering the call. "I know man I am pushing to get there now. I had to hit the store and then grab some food too, but I should make it by eight though." "Th...

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“Better Late” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #125

Lionel dressed in a hurry, which he often did when he wanted to get somewhere on time. He would put his tie on once he arrived at his destination, or get someone to help him with it at the church. It had been a long time since he had put one on, and he felt that he did not have the time to stumble through it now. He rushed out the door, and ran to the bus stop. Once there he kept tapping his feet while he waited. His car was in the garage, so he had to take alternative means to travel the 90 miles to his destination. T...

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“Better Late Than Never” by Allie Kratzer

Submitted to Contest #125

You don’t see it, do you? The way you have a tendency to tilt your head towards the sun when you walk outside or how to rest your chin on the palm when you think. You don’t see how your hair hangs just over your eyes and makes you look tough and adorable at the same time. You don’t see how you can light up a room with your smile or how you wrinkle your nose right before you laugh or how your lips form a perfect little O when you mouth I love you from across the room. You never could see the way your eyes and face glow when I walk in or how y...

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“Timeless” by Morton Newberry

Submitted to Contest #125

(Warning: contains strong language and depictions of physical violence.) The show starts when time stops. The children stare at my purple costume, frozen in their places as I walk around. I'm the only one moving in the entire birthday party; everything and everyone else is as static as a picture. I run across the stage, and time resumes its flow when I reach the other side. I turn to the audience: they applaud and cheer in awe, their minds trying to understand the mechanics of my tricks. I present myself, naturally, as a mere magician. N...

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“The Connecting Flight” by Anthony Gauthier

Submitted to Contest #125

I look at my watch. 9:34 a.m. Out of the corner of my eye I see the chips in my nails that weren’t there when the flight started, I can still feel the pain in my ring finger where I bit a little to hard. My flight is coming in 15 minutes late and last I checked my connecting flight was still on time. This means my connecting flight, which leaves from gate 68, starts boarding right now and is set to take off in about 10 to 15 minutes. I don’t even notice my leg moving up and down as my eyes attempt to burn a hole in ...

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“Clueless” by Jan Lukas

Submitted to Contest #125

Time out… Our trusted timekeepers dropped the mic and left the building. The building, in this case, being the world. All at once, at the same precise nanosecond they just up and left. Left us all to count the seconds ourselves. Which we of course immediately failed at miserably. Have you ever counted the seconds of a minute accurately without looking at a clock? If not, I challenge you! No way, you will get to 60 in precisely 60 seconds. Humans are surprisingly bad at doing very simple things perfectly. And so, the moment the clocks stopped...

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$250

Prize money

164

Contest entries

113

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 24, 2021 EST

Won by Shuvayon Mukherjee 🏆

Title: The Heart Specialist

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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