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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

“Forest People 2” by BRoOkE HAs A COwBoY HAt

Submitted to Contest #42

I looked up at the stars. Jackson and Caleb had already been sleeping for a while, but I couldn't fall asleep. After Jackson and I's conversation before he fell asleep, I had a sick feeling in my stomach.I had lost everyone I loved, except for Jackson and Caleb. They were great, but it wasn't the same. You love so many people, but only certain people do you really love.I heard a rustle in the bushes, crawled into my lean-to and grabbed my bow. I pulled the arrow back and aimed at the bush. There was more rustling for a while, without anythin...

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“A life in silence” by Marte Van Der Linden

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #42

Only three people came to his funeral.One was the nurse who had looked after him during the last weeks of his life. She knew his name, or thought she did, but always referred to him as “the grumpy old dear in room 21A”. He had died alone while she was tending to Mrs Dahl in 13B, and she thought the least she could do was come to his funeral.The second person was one of his old neighbours, a tiny woman with grey hair pulled into a tight bun. Mr Halvorsen, as she knew him, had always kept himself to himself. She hadn’t known him, not really, b...

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“Play Dead” by Najwa Zandlo

Submitted to Contest #42

Play dead. No - not like that. What are you doing with your face? This shouldn’t be hard. Just lie there for fuck’s sake. I had a dog that used to “play dead.” I’d point my fingers at him like a gun, say “bang,” and he’d flop over and put his paws in the air - the universal sign. It took me weeks to train him. Every day after...

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“Open Your Eyes” by Reuben Howard

Submitted to Contest #42

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. Over t...

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

Submitted to Contest #42

Thanks to Brooke D. who gave me the grand idea of completing my series!!! Thanks, so much Brooke! If you have not already, please first read “Wish You Were Here,” then read, “Wish You Away!” Thanks for supporting me.“Wish you were mine.”I whispered, as I pulled a daisy out from the ground, the soil spilling over my dress.I watched him with fascination as he showed his friends how to shot a free throw. The orange basketball hung in the air like the sun. I leaned against the old oak tree, sinking into its roots. I tangled the daisy in my hair,...

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“The First Winter” by Lynn Penny

Submitted to Contest #42

There once was a time when the world was young and held no more than a village. It was a time before hatred, war and suffering. The mortals of the village had only seen peace and happiness, death was of nothing to the villagers, for they didn’t even know what death was. There was only life.The villagers worked together to keep balance within their land, each having a different job. Some would prepare meals for the village to feed; others would keep the buildings strong to withstand the storms. Everyone had a job, but two twins had the most c...

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“The Hermit” by Tula Singer

Submitted to Contest #42

She arrived earlier than she should have. I led her in through the back door, where she had been waiting for a half hour, and took her into the kitchen. “Would you like coffee?” “No.” “Please, sit here.” She sat down on the seat opposite mine. I drank coffee as she settled her bags beneath the table. “Remind me your name again?” “Frida,” she said. Frida wore two pearl earrings, a silver necklace, and red lipstick; her hair, gray and short, was tucked behind her ears; her nails were long and violet. She straightened her back...

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“Smokescreen ” by E. Jude

Submitted to Contest #42

Marlene sat in the front booth of the diner. It was a nice colour. Duck egg, people called it, and it was comfy. It was leather, feather padded, with a sleek, varnished table. Marlene liked booths. They gave her just the right amount of privacy, but at the same time never emitted any feelings of coolness to a passer by. This one wasn't any different from the last or the next booth, and it would work just fine.The diner was... bright? It looked as though the architect and designer were mainly inspired by bizarre and fantastical candy shops. T...

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“Goodnight, Daniel ” by May Mills

Submitted to Contest #42

I put on my black dress shoes, grabbed my umbrella, and headed out the door. The sky was a light gray, and I could feel the rain coming down lightly, but surely. It was days like this that I really enjoyed, when the sun was at rest behind the clouds and the rain cleansed the busy streets of the city. Eventually, I made my way to the cemetery where I saw a green field and a slick black casket in the middle of a large group of people. Saying goodbye had always been hard for me, but Daniel deserved it more than anyone. As I made my way to...

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“Silver Hollow” by Lourdes Cruz

Submitted to Contest #42

"I'm so bored!" A rambunctious ten-year-old boy yelled to his older sister. Her emerald eyes shone anxiously as she looked around, trying her best to silence the dark-haired boy. "Shhh! Be careful! You don't want to attract any monsters, do you?" The young boy groaned loudly once more, repeating the phrase "But I'm bored!" for about the hundredth time. "You know we have to stay put! We can't get caught!" She whisper-yelled, bringing her thin finger to her lips.The young boy simply sighed and said, "You're right. But we have to at least do so...

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“Ananya's Perfume” by Phoebe Barr

Submitted to Contest #42

I’m dying. I’ve been aware of it for a while, of course, in an abstract sort of way. The weight dropping off my body, the fatigue settling into my bones, the feeling like all the power and strength I’ve accrued in ninety-six years is slowly seeping out of me. I’ve known since the chemo stopped that I won’t leave this year alive. But I’m feeling it now in a different way. Death as something concrete, as something personal, has crept up upon me. Now I know it in some deep cavity below my wisping lungs. Ananya, I think now. I haven’t thou...

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“Lilith's Sister (Sunrise Part Two)” by Holly Pierce

Submitted to Contest #42

“No way! It’s not possible that we’re sisters. When I was born she left… she went to California.” Lilith's breathing quickened and her face paled to a lighter shade of violet. I could tell she was trying to stay polite, but she clearly did not appreciate the fact that she was related to Arantxa. “No. I was born before you, and she went to our planet. It was impossible for her to hide when she changed to Nyx every month. She… she had to come back to our planet. Before she died, she told me that if I ever found you I would need to tell you tha...

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“Where It All Began” by Deborah Angevin

Submitted to Contest #42

Maria takes off her gloves and smells her hands, immersing herself her favourite fragrance. She then looks at the reflection in the mirror; the old lady with a permed white hair, with the reading glasses on top of the nose bridge that is unable to hide the wrinkles on her face.Maria then washes her hands and dries them, then walks out of the public restroom that is freshly painted with her favourite colour, flashing the biggest smile on her face after sixty years.Despite my old age, I am glad that I can continue my passion.---At Maria’s seve...

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“Doubles” by Crystal Lewis

Submitted to Contest #42

The traffic was badly backed up on the freeway and my annoyance was beginning to turn into an aching tiredness. I could hardly wait to get home and relax, maybe have a hot bath. I rested my elbow on the door and laid my head against it. Slowly, slowly, I inched forward. My phone suddenly rang and I answered using my Bluetooth. “Hey, Amber honey. Are you nearly home?” came the deep voice of my husband. “Sort of, but traffic is terrible and I’m stuck right in it,” I complained. “Long day at work?” he asked. “Always, but especially today becaus...

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“At the Start of the Rainbow” by Gip Roberts

Submitted to Contest #42

She had it all figured out. Well, sort of. The fine details didn't matter, all that did was escaping from her tyrannical parents. Jocelyn Journeycake was a big dreamer, but this was one dream she would make come true. "No more chores!" the nine-year-old chanted like a street protester, hugging the straps that held the backpack in place with an exhale of alleviation and a grin hanging below blinking, obsidian eyes that faced the long stretch of yard leading to the road to freedom."I will see Canada first!" The itinerary would include it all, ...

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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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