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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.

This week's prompts

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

Mystery – 162 stories

Write a story that ends in the past.

Teens – 68 stories

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

Narrative – 260 stories

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

Short Story – 214 stories

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

Kids – 199 stories

Stories

“Mission Failure” by Josie Banner

Submitted to Contest #42

Sam woke up in a cold sweat. Although, that wasn’t any surprise to him. He sat himself up, staring at the wall of his tent, flapping in the Antarctic wind. He took a few deep, icy breaths before getting his gear on and leaving the tent. His tent was one of 30 others, all strapped to the ice and surrounding a few small, snow-covered buildings: the weather station, the mess hall, and a lab. The thermometer he had on the outside of his tent read -27 ° F. Wading through the freshly fallen snow, he entered the mess hall, grabbed a plate of food, ...

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“To Tell a Tale” by Megan Meyerson

Submitted to Contest #42

She could barely button up the back of her dress, her hands shook so badly, and she made sure to wear slippers, as she did not trust her unsteady feet to carry her safely on heels. She did not fully register anything on her way to the banquet: the carriage ride, the walk into the theater, the sounds of the other performers; Breacon’s last, encouraging pat on her shoulder, or the climb up the steps onto the stage.Her eyes took in the audience, clearly visible in the sun’s rays slanting through the colored windows above, and felt the panic she...

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“The Purfect Minion” by Eva Vidal

Submitted to Contest #42

I never thought a ball of fluff would be the thing to bring about my destruction, but here we are. As I look at said ball of fluff, sitting across from me, I consider the irony of my situation. My once grand entryway, immaculate in all its splendor, now lays in such a state of disarray that it has never seen before. All brought about by that damn pile of fluff. It was only a few days ago when I first encountered it, looking at me then as it did now, pure innocence sitting on my doorstep. I had no idea where it came from, or how i...

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“A view of life from an AI lumberjack's perspective” by Keith Helikos

Submitted to Contest #42

Have you ever thought about what does the day looks like for a non-playable character of the game and how do things revolve around them? -----(As soon as the loading game screen was finished. The game quickly went back to where it was left off by the player.)Game system: "Welcome back, Aeon! Resume quest?"Player: Yes *click*The game started with a momentary cutscene featuring one of the villagers who is asking for help from an adventurer to heal their land that was plagued for months by an unknown source. After a few dialogues, the game shif...

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“Classroom of Truth!” by Justice Akagbulem

Submitted to Contest #42

Oh shit! Here we go again. Matthias jumped out of bed all covered in sweat, trying to undo the tie that was wrapped tightly around his neck. He breathed heavily as if he had just finished running a marathon. He sat on the floor and leaned against the wooden frame of his bed, trying to wipe off the dust the sandman had graciously dumped on his eyelids. He sighed when he was done and buried his face in his palms. He had a nightmare the previous night yet he could barely remember anything that happened. All he knew ...

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“The Future” by Jessica Tomaselli

Submitted to Contest #42

It was a still, hot day in early June when I was finally going to meet my niece. I had driven three hours and so would my sister and her family to meet in this park for the opportunity to see their baby for the first time. My niece is almost six months old and I still haven’t met her. She was born in January before the world went insane. At the time there didn’t seem to be a huge rush and then everything shut down. So now here I am almost 6 months later standing in a wide open patch of green in the middle of nowhere waiting to meet her for t...

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“Arrival” by Anne Connell

Submitted to Contest #42

She rose early, just as the midwinter sun was starting to stream through the window. It was warm and snug in her bed – leaving it was a chore. She pottered out to the kitchen, put the kettle on and started to think about her day. Her thoughts were interrupted by a demanding meow. She poured some milk into a saucer and placed it on the ground. The kettle boiled and she poured the bubbling water into the tea pot. She smiled – the bubbling hot water always looked so alive and joyful. She took the tea pot out o...

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“A Hot Date” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #42

Marvin ran his hand along the stubble that dotted his cheeks. He grunted a bit. This wouldn’t do at all. He glanced down at his watch. He still had some time, he could visit the barber today for a shave. He really wanted to make a good impression. It had been almost a year since he saw his wife, Ethel. The distance was hard, but he wasn’t trying to rush her. He knew she needed that extra time to get her things in order and say goodbye to her friends and family before coming up. Well, today was the day. He’d gotten the news from Pete that she...

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“The End of a Story” by Sarah Fuller

Submitted to Contest #42

The night sky wakes me up. I lie in bed, breathing. Everything is quiet except my mind. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. One step at a time. A voice reminds me that it’s time to get up. Time to face a new day. Clothes, makeup, hair. A bag of plain crackers in case I feel hungry. Keys, bus card, chapstick. In my jacket pocket, I find a silver coin. Breathe in, breathe out. The cold air hits me like a punch as I lock up. It’s too early on a Sunday for others to be around. I revel in the quiet loneliness of the winter morning...

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“The Battle of 1543” by A S

Submitted to Contest #42

The Battle of 1543I look out my window in adoration of my beautiful land. It was 1543 when the ‘Battle Between Cats and Dogs’ arose. No one knew why we were such rivals... I guess it all started when the jester broke into the castle. He was a young fellow; bright, quite handsome, but also the prankster of the century. He used to sneak into the castle at nights with the intention of using our place as an inn. I would go to the basement at night to lock the doors, never trusting that the guards did it right. The cat might have been clever, but...

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“Waiting” by Caitlyn Ash

Submitted to Contest #42

I waited. I sat on the porch step, listening to the countryside around me. I always sat here, on this step. In my room were tons of Polaroid pictures of me sitting with my dad, sitting with my mom, sitting with my grandparents, my friends, and my dog. My wonderful, amazing dog. My mom always said we were like two peas in a pod—and we were. My dog and I did everything together. We slept together, we played together, we ate together, we travelled to...

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“The Crane” by Sean Roulet

Submitted to Contest #42

The Day of the Wedding“Rose has always been late. Why would this be any different?”He heard the comment and wondered if Rose was being fashionably late, or if this was going to be a foreshadowing of something else. All the guests were sitting down, and looking busy as they perused the handout paper with the ceremony details, and softly spoke to each other. It was impossible to see outside from his vantage point.The engagementShe typed his full name into the website, curious to see what he looked like after all these years.&nb...

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“The Door To Betty's Brownstone” by Phebe Shumate-Yawson

Submitted to Contest #42

Abigail, clutching a pair of blue baby shoes in both hands, approached the door to Betty's brownstone. It had been twenty years since she'd passed through this doorway yet it appeared to have remained just as she remembered it, as if Betty's welcome would never expire. Abigail hadn't expected to choke up even before stepping foot inside, so she took a deep breath and knocked.The door seemed to open in slow motion as Abigail's mind flooded with memories of bringing her son here. Betty stepped into the threshold, kissed by a ray of light. Her ...

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“DESTINY” by Irudaya Michael Immanuel Savarimuthu

Submitted to Contest #42

Some of the people from the nearby villages that belong to the capital town entered the fort identifying themselves the refugees of the assault by the invaders. After verifications they were sent to live with the section of the people – the oppressed class by the ruler. The oppressed community gathered to invite the newcomers and was eager with fear to hear the horrid nightmares faced by them in the war. They believed the villages were ransacked by the invaders who were been mentioned the brutal barbarians by their ruler. After having their ...

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“Meet Your Mentor” by Kimberley S Klein

Submitted to Contest #42

Bleiderburg strolled his way along the cobbled paths as if he owned all of Vandalen; whacking the bushes on each side of the trail with the butt of his wooden walking stick. He had woken up in a good mood that morning despite the dark clouds floating ominously over the trees in the distance signaling the inevitable return of evil sorcerer Kokaloth. Not even the slow disappearance of the hair on his head, something he had secretly been fretting to himself about for a few years now ever since the first clump unceremoniously fell out, could bri...

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$50

Prize money

903

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 22, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: The Firebird's Answer

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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