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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#42: End of Story

Reaching the end of a story is a bittersweet thing. Upon reading the final word of a particularly good piece, you’re often hit with a sort of story-hangover: the ache of wanting to stay in the world of the tale, yet knowing there’s no more story to be read.

A truly excellent ending can mitigate that pain — which is why, as a writer, it’s crucial to nail the end of your own stories! Of course, this can mean different things for different pieces. A great ending might underscore a story's theme, or it might pose more questions than it answers; it all depends on context and execution. For more info, check out our tips for crafting a memorable ending here, and then dive into our ending-themed prompts below!

p.s. — We're hosting a Live Copyediting Workshop! On May 20th, Editors Tracy Gold and Julie Artz will take to YouTube to copyedit passages submitted by writers like you! For a chance to have your writing featured, click this link to register for the event and you'll receive submission instructions by email.

🥇 Winner

⭐️ Shortlisted

This week's prompts:

Write a story that ends with the narrator revealing a secret.

Mystery – 178 stories

Write a story that ends in the past.

General – 77 stories

Write a story that ends with a character asking a question.

General – 282 stories

Write a story that ends by circling back to the beginning.

General – 239 stories

Write a story that ends with one character waiting for the arrival of another.

General – 214 stories

Stories

“Unfriendly waiting” by Sadia Faisal

Best friends are things you come by only once in your lifetime... Or are they? I've had a lot of "best friends" during my life and I don't think I'm still friends with any of them. They have all ended for the normal reasons; growing up, moving on, changes. One of my friends, though, that is a different story.It all started after we graduated high school. I was just finding out that I was unable to go to a writing college in New York due to how expensive it was and since my family was just my mother, my sister, and I on a very low i...

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“Angel Of Hope ” by Vrishni Maharaj

I loved doing the dirty work. No, I didn’t mean typical dirt-under-your-fingernails type of gardening or scrubbing drains and toilets. It’s more like the filthy blood and sweat that goes into making an ugly, otherwise undone job successful. The satisfaction upon completion is blissfully thrilling— I would rather die than give up that feeling. Settling into the sofa, I took a deep breath. I had done a particularly good job today. The United States had far surpassed the million cases benchmark, thanks to my

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“But, Calista...” by Tvisha Yerra

I breathe in deeply, trying to remember the lessons about lying that my mother taught me years ago. I open my eyes, staring into the cop’s eyes.He leans to the other person, whispering. I still hear it, “She fits the description, black hair, and blue eyes.”“Katrina Hemlin?” he asks, directed to me this time. I nod and the police continues, “You were friends with Calista Normf?” The name unleashes a flood of emotions, and I try to keep it in. Tears sting my eyes, I don’t bother to keep them hidden. Maybe the cops ...

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“Chaos Tea” by Zilla Babbitt

An eerie white light fell through the cracks in the window and slid down to the floor. The light flung the dust into the air and illuminated the splintered floorboards. The air was cold and empty and smelled like dead things—as though a cold, dead rabbit reeked somewhere in the room.The light touched a pair of feet gently, pale and arched and elegant, crossed carelessly on top of each other. The man lay sprawled on the mattress, tattered clothes hanging loosely on his bony frame. Da...

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“Diamond Necklace” by Holly Pierce

Ida and I were walking along the beach and I saw a beautiful purple shell. I quickly picked it up before the waves took it. My father always used to give me shells... “Whoa, this is so pretty!” I said. Ida had also found a beautiful shell, and hers was light blue. “Let’s keep looking around,” Ida said. I wanted to go look for my father, but I humored Ida. We waded in the water every so often, picking up shells here and there. Something shone in the sunlight, and I stooped to retrieve it. I grasped a small charm and pull...

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“The Big Red House Where Truth Resides” by Zilla Babbitt

It was actually a rather small House; with cracked red brick walls and small-paned dusty windows, but by that society’s standards it was a big house, nearly a mansion. The early-morning mist settled low on the gables’ shoulders and the silver oaks and willow trees that gathered round the house seemed to draw up their strength as the sun rose high. She awoke with a gasp, bolting upright. “Anything wrong, Wey?” Meeli asked sleepily from across the room....

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“Truth or Dare” by 𝔸. 𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕒𝕝𝕖

"Truth or dare," she asked, rosy lips curling over newly straightened teeth in the pale moonlight."Truth", the boy says, snickering while moonlight catches honeysuckle hair and eyes that glinted like sapphire."Hmph," The girl says, thinking of a worthy enough question to send the boy into a frenzied state. "What is your biggest fear."He smiled shyly before speaking "Oblivion.""Oblivion?" The girl questioned, a playful smile tugging at her lips "Why fear oblivion?"He shrugged simply before rubbing his han...

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“Sarang” by Rhondalise Mitza

My footsteps slow as I reach the end of the hall. I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing every so softly. I stop in front of your door and reach for the knob, but I don’t pull it open quite yet. I’m waiting for you to sense me and say, “Come in, I’ve been waiting for you.” I’m waiting to hear your wonderful voice, clear as a bell and also wavering in and out of existence. When I’ve waited for over five minutes and still haven’t heard you say anything, I push the door op...

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“The Choices We Make” by Daryl Gravesande

People make stupid decisions all the time. I'm no different. It's those stupid decisions that give us experience. But in this instance, I am different; because this STUPID decision could've been avoided if I hadn't held myself back and just let the truth run free. I see that now. Quarantine was over and people started going back to their old jobs. I decided to take a chance at a job that I thought would look pretty decent on my resume. Little did I know, that this job... would change...

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“Living A Lie” by Daryl Gravesande

They told me to just wait in the damn car! Why didn’t I just listen? I would’ve been better off this way. I want to tell you how this ends, but I suppose I should start at the beginning. When this all started. When everything was perfect. Cut to a family of 6. Me, my brother and my two sisters. We were a nice family. A good family. Before this all started. We lived in a quiet, suburban town that hardly gets any action. I THOUGHT that was us. I could've never been more wrong. I never knew that m...

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“Medium Lemonade With Extra Ice” by 𝐿𝒶𝓉𝒶 𝐵

It happened. It happened quietly and fast. It happened to me. I strolled down 15th street into a small coffee shop called Midleap Express. Which is my usual hang out place. I like it because it's never too busy. The door chimes as I walk in and I get a whiff of coffee and cool air. I can hear someone shout “Welcome! I'll be right there” from the back of the store. The floorboard creaks as I walk to a table closest to the window. I wait a couple of seconds before a middle-aged woman comes out with a smil...

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“Open Your Eyes” by Reuben Howard

Open your eyes, the world is waiting. Slowly arise from the allure of your stupored state and join the living again. Now, get up and walk out the door. Make a right, a left, a right, and you’re home-free. Walk down the street that is etched into the back of your eyelids and take one hundred and thirty-seven steps. Upon taking that last step, try to contain your excitement. Give your knock that has become an exact science from the thousands of times you’ve used it. She greets your unannounced intrusion with a smile that makes your day. Ov...

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“Where are you, John?” by Chris Nl

JohnWind brushes my face as I let in the warm end-summer breeze pass me by. I’ve always loved driving. There’s both a sense of rush and calmness that goes with it. Always has. A sense of control yet freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. I hang my arm on the open driver side window and tap my cigarette on the metal frame before lighting it up. Ring.

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“Wish You Were Here.” by Avery Mason 🍍😇🤩

Daniella scratched her mosquito bite, groaning in satisfaction as the itch reduced. She then rubbed her rug burn, which she had gotten the previous day. Daniella tapped her foot to the rhythm of the clock. She heard the doorbell ring, and she shot to the door. She saw her best friend Caleb. Daniella smiled and hugged him.“Hey, hey! How far are we running today?” Daniella pretended to think.“How about ten miles.” Caleb groaned.“That’s way too short....

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“Somewhere Between” by A.r. Eakle

I’m walking somewhere between St. Louis and Kansas City down I-64, and the lake next to me is blinding, as if God were sitting down right there in front of me. Maybe he is, and I’m just too chicken shit to look at Him. Maybe it has nothing to do with God. Maybe I’m hungover, or even still a little drunk. The cars speed by and I’m on the shoulder, rocks and dirt and debris pelting me in the back of the head and on the exposed parts of my arms and legs like a bunch of angry little sweat bees. My head hurts so bad that I...

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$50

Prize money

1025

Submissions

Ended on 23:59 - May 22, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: The Firebird's Answer

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