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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

“ Unfamiliar poverty” by Vaishnavi Venu

Submitted to Contest #42

As I run through the dusty lanes on my way back home from school, which feels heavier I don’t know, my heart or the bag on my shoulders, as I think of the trouble I would get into. I knew that my parents wouldn’t believe a word of mine. Finally, panting, I knock twice on the door as it creaks open, hoping I wasn’t in too much trouble. Mom stands in the doorway crossed, hands on her hips. Oh yes I am, I think.“Where in the world were you, Aditi ?!” she asks. “Mom, I had extra classes-” I start exasperatedly, only to be cut off by my father. “...

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“Nosedive” by Sandeep Jayaram

Submitted to Contest #42

Khushbu stood between her sisters, Mansi and Sonam, in the line-up—not inside a cop station but in the compound of the next building. All three were wearing nothing but their night suits. In front of them, swaying, lurching, railing and ranting was their father, Shyamsunder Dixit. Powered by all of ten cheap, large whiskies.The scene had all the ferocity of the Serengeti. Only, in nighties!Father lion raged at the young ones in what had become a routine fixture. The neighbours looked on curiously… like wildebeests. Amon...

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“Don't ask me how. I don't know.” by Hema Anirudhan

Submitted to Contest #42

The ice felt warm. Don’t ask how. I don’t know.It's been two years since I have been homeless. And if you ever saw me on the street, you would have thought please don’t let him ask for money. Well, I can’t blame any of you because given my crappy appearance anyone would have done the same thing. My hair bangs always fell just above my sunken eyes which made me look like a masterpiece of an amateur hairstylist who does not know the meaning of the word “stylist”. And I had a pair of shorts and jeans, which I was given by the homeless shelter b...

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“The Right Side of the Bed. by DayLa Muse. ” by DayLa Muse

Submitted to Contest #42

I was greeted by a florescent brick wall and unfamiliar tones leaving me completely disoriented. I’m knocked off of the comfort of my equilibrium that I was accustomed to, yet, I can't recall for the life of me how that felt. As I walk up to the wall I notice that it is in constant flux. Was it the bricks, my legs, or the ground that adopted the consistency of gelatin? But all I know is that... I hate gelatin. That thought made me laugh. The laugh that erupted from within me overtook my being and sent me into an uncontrollabl...

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“360” by B M

Submitted to Contest #42

I sling my half-asleep body out of bed and shuffle to the kitchen for morning coffee. A little 5 cup pot, stained with the remains from old brews. I grab one of the mugs I gifted to mema, it was a sea foam green with "WORLD'S GREATEST GRANDMOTHER" written on it, she uses it religiously but every now and then I snag it. I proceed to fill it up. I leave a little room for my hazelnut creamer. I enjoy my coffee strong. A heaping spoonful for every cup. My grandma refuses to drink my it, or if she must, she waters it down. I rub my eyes a...

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“Weeding My Garden” by Adela Vasilache

Submitted to Contest #42

June 20th 2011Hi 2019 Josie! Miss Posner said that this is for our 18 year old selfes. I really wish I was 18 now so I could do whatever I want and not have to listen to mom and dad all the time. I wish they would let me do more fun stuff, like watch more TV, play with my friends, and not make me do my homework all the time. We have to do this because Miss Posner says that we’ll get these letters when we’re about to graduate high school and it will be fun to look back on our elimentary school selfes....

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“Stripeless Feat” by Ishmam Shafquat

Submitted to Contest #42

Throwing his book aside, he rubbed at his eyes. He’d been reading about animals for an awfully long time. They are so unique and different, just like humans. If you combined those things, you’d get either an ordinary being, or a magnificent creature. And that’s what Alastair’s world consisted of, an innumerable amount of ordinary beings and magnificent creatures, and Alastair, for one, was the ordinariest of the ordinary beings. Alastair went outside to get some fresh and found Jordy leaning against the wall. “Hello kitty cat”, Jor...

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“A Lost Family” by Lily Simmons

Submitted to Contest #42

Charlie sat at his desk with a pencil in his hand writing a paper. There was a knock on the door, “Still working on that paper?” asked Charlie’s mom. Charlie nodded, still staring at his paper. “Well, you are welcome to come have dinner with your family. We are eating pizza tonight.” his mom said. “I have not even finished my math homework.” Charlie said quietly. “Sweetheart, you need to eat something. You need energy to work on your homework and It is not due until next week. It is only Friday.” his mom replied. “Fine, I will finish this pa...

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“The Willow Tree” by Serena Deleon

Submitted to Contest #42

As I walked through the gates, I became overwhelmed with emotion. What if she doesn’t remember what I look like? It has, after all, been several years since I last saw her. What if she doesn’t forgive me? The panic began to set in, my chest tightening. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.“I can’t do this” I said to myself. I can’t bear to look into her innocent eyes and explain to her that I failed her.Trying to calm down, I said to myself, “Breathe, Sandy, Breath”. The air entered my lungs and I felt my chest rising and descending. My heart slow...

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“The butterfly's grave” by Allen Winter

Submitted to Contest #42

Lilien let Gabriel guide her through the maze of bridges in that exaggeratedly large courtyard. Her head was still spinning and she was breathing hard from the vision she had in the hall. Gabriel's warm hand was the only thing holding her together. Her hair was undone, she felt the strands of dark hair sticking into her back due to sweat despite the fresh air blowing across the steeps. She had not even realized they had reached a white kiosk located amid the dense trees that covered the landscape, which linked four bridges going in different...

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“Matt Mitchell” by Tom Higgs

Submitted to Contest #42

Matt Mitchell From time to time through the years, I have met with my high school classmates of sixty years ago and, of course, we reminisce about the old days. “Do you remember when we ….” “Do you ever think about the time we ….” I'm always amazed at how we recall things differently, how one person remembers an event vividly, but another has no memory of it whatsoever. Or sometimes we just have the facts confused. “You had a date with Sally Johnson, at the prom.” “No, Emily Crawford was my date. Sally was Walter's date.” “Oh, yeah.” Somet...

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“Watch me die” by Celeste Kuun

Submitted to Contest #42

I can’t get his blood stains out of my shirt. It’s weird the things you remember as you watch someone die. Some parts of that day are forever lost to me. I don’t remember what time I woke up that morning. I don’t remember what I ate for breakfast. I don’t remember what song was playing on the radio as I was getting ready to leave the house. I don’t even remember whether the taxi hooted.But I do remember the dull thud as the taxi struck Rhys. I remember seeing his body sail through the air, limp like a ragdoll. I remember his eyes were w...

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“Nine One Two” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #42

Bushington and I had just gotten home from work. What a day. Oy veh, but Bushington’s still a member of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. So, after work, we drive home, I open the garage door, put Bushingtom on my lap, put the car in park, and turn off the ignition. He’d been such a good boy today. I pick Bushington up with my left arm by his chest and pick up my briefcase from the passenger floor with my right hand. We (Bushington and I) go to ...

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“End(Beginn)ing” by Rebekah Christensen

Submitted to Contest #42

The bathroom was tiny, barely big enough for one person. Paint flaked off of the walls, the toilet was missing its lid, and rust smothered the sink’s metal faucet. Roseberry stood at the sink, staring into the mirror. A pair of dark gray eyes stared back at her, above a sharp nose dotted with freckles and a frowning mouth. A knock sounded at the door and someone called out, “You’ve been in there forever, Rosie! Other people have to use the bathroom too, you know!”Roseberry clenched her hands into fists. “My name is n...

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“Not My Life” by Sarah Grace

Submitted to Contest #42

The instant Natalie woke up, she knew something was wrong. Her familiar lumpy bed, with the too flat pillows was far too comfortable. The bed she had awoken in cradled her curves, firmly pushing back against her weight. A lead bar was pressing down on her chest, making her feel each breath she took. The lead bar moved. It was an arm. The arm pulled her closer, pinning her against a decidedly masculine body. A hand began to roam, and explore. This snapped her out of her dozy confusion, and she leapt out of the strange bed, panic rising ...

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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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