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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

“The Gardener ” by Inna J

Submitted to Contest #42

Pat’s house always smelled of wet soil. She would get so excited when new seedlings popped up, even after twenty years of gardening. She could make anything grow, including lost boys. At first I resented her. I thought she collected us, like old, tattered books. I thought she wanted to make us over, to make something presentable, something of no substance for her guests to admire. I grew to know that she wasn’t in the business of restoration. Pat just wanted to preserve our stories, to make sure the damage ...

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“The Book of Dreams” by Barry Litherland

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #42

Erin slipped from between the leaves of her book and into the midnight street. She was late already - but for what, you must ask yourself - and she knew he would be waiting for her - but who was he, you must wonder - and they had little time left - but to do what?Erin knew that lives depended on her.Listen with her. You can hear a distant siren, the cry of a child in a tenement block, and the bark of a lonely dog. In the distance, weaving between the coal-stained factories, you hear a train rumble closer. Look now, where her eyes direct...

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“Bad, Bad Girl” by Charlotte Graham

Submitted to Contest #42

An atheist public health inspector at an allegedly haunted Catholic boarding school sounds like the start of a joke, but for the next week or so, it’s my life. I grab my dictation machine and hit record. “Patient’s name is Maria Williams. Female, age 14. Patient is presenting with acute sporadic paralysis of both legs, complaining of shooting pains from the hips down to the knees. Patient also is experiencing apparent psychosis. She claims to see visions of a woman in white bleeding from the mouth, haunting her at night.” I pause and s...

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“Peanut Butter Road” by Nick L.

Submitted to Contest #42

______ Mutually, over the weeks, everyone seemed to have agreed that if they simply didn’t discuss it, it would never come. But it did. Those clouds and the ticking clock, the hot stars sputtering to life with the gusto of a thousand old Harleys. That day, late January, when our time was finally up. Here it was: the epilogue of humanity. The final hours dwindle into hazy sundown, the sky turning to a nihilistic set of drapes, twisting and twirling. What will happen to it tomorrow? I wonder childishly if the gasses will just sepa...

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“Clever cereal companies, and other thoughts.” by Caroline G

Submitted to Contest #42

Signs I am not doing well:I notice that I am eating five, six, even seven consecutive bowls of cereal even though I, after the second or third bowl, do not want any more cereal. I think it is the crunchiness, particularly when you can get that perfect ratio to milk – not in the bowl, though yes in the bowl – but in your individual spoon bite, that I’m after. I’m not sure. I reopen the cabinets, unfold the cardboard top, uncrumple the plastic, pour, reopen fridge, open milk, pour, as if I’m chain smoking, compulsive, needless, gross. This is ...

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“Back In Time” by Helen Molly

Submitted to Contest #42

I’m 37 years old, and a time traveler. I've been traveling in time for the past 13 years as part of my work as a history professor. I’m also a certified genius in the rankings of the two most brilliant people in the world, a child prodigy, starting college, and advanced subjects at the age of 6. But I never wanted to excel in math or any of the subjects my parents were telling me to pursue. Instead, I wanted to learn more about the subject of history. I loved to teach my classmates and friends all about it, and eventually, the idea of a time...

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“100th Birthday” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #42

Who would have thought – 100 years of age! All that time on this earth and my reward….A chocolate cake!Have I enjoyed my long life? Yes and No.. I do have regrets of course. Who wouldn’t after all these years? And hindsight is a wonderful thing, but there isn’t much I can do about it now.I sat in my wheelchair with the rug on my knees and looked around. It was just a room full of old people. Some were sleeping. Others were staring into space. There were one or two shuffling around. When I was a young girl I thought 30 years of age was old. M...

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“Death By The River ” by Reya Attri

Submitted to Contest #42

DEATH BY THE RIVER“Lives are like rivers: Eventually they go where they must. Not where we want them to.”The cool afternoon breeze embraced her, rust green colored leaves furling in the dry barren land, the dead silence filled the thick air as she prowled with her head kept down. Everyone melancholy ambling behind her as though they were alien to Earth. Uncle Larry addressed the gathering with a rather poignant speech that left everyone grieving except one. Lena slowly walked towards the coffin remembering those wistful days…until all the co...

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“Catharsis” by Melany Uhrhammer

Submitted to Contest #42

The clouds were glued to one another. Stuck; filtering the woods a smokey and smooth grey. Chilly winds blew unsteadily; the aftermath from the night before’s wicked thunderstorm. A glimmer of hope streamed down a small crack of two unglued clouds, creating a stick of yellow light. It smelled of pre-rain. Slightly sweet and earthy. My arms were crossed in front of my bare breasts. Even alone I was afraid of someone seeing me naked. I picked up my anxious feet ‘till&nb...

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“Jerry Sonder Goes For a Wander” by Morgan Riley

Submitted to Contest #42

‘Good evening passengers, and welcome to Sydney airport,’ announced the avatar on the seatback screen.Jerry stood in the aisle, stretched and lifted his bag down from the overhead compartment. Just one bag, its contents deliberately minimal: three crew-neck t-shirts, one shirt and one sweater (both blue), two pairs of shorts, socks and underwear, essential toiletries, a small towel, a phone charger, flip flops. Everything else he carried in his pockets or the pouch tucked into his jeans. He flicked the hair tie off his wrist and pulled a han...

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“A trip down memory lane” by Stella Elewa

Submitted to Contest #42

Summertime. It comes and goes but last summer was one to remember In that magical time at the lake we thought summer would last forever... And in some ways it has. After lizzy's funeral we learnt that Time doesn't stop for anything not even love and summer was only temporary but those moments we shared were eternal. The pain of losing a sister was a grief even love couldn't overcome. The pain was overwhelming for both of us and after a well overdued talk brad and I realised now wasn't the right time for us. There had to be distance, a much n...

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“sodden in the moonsoon....” by The Poetess

Submitted to Contest #42

I watched him walking away with his phone to his ear and never looking back. I just stood there “GOD! i am a fool” I thought to myself and took a deep breath. I felt cold and then found out that rain has started it is monsoon anyways, I look around the main street. Everyone running for shelter, trying not to get soaked and I was standing in the there mostly because today I wanted to feel something and I am just so tired and fed up from everything. I wish my heart would understand that but it won’t. A girl about my age yanked me out of her pa...

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“When I Can See Her Again” by Kailia Gilligan

Submitted to Contest #42

She was the most beautiful creature on Earth. Her long milky white hair that I brushed every morning. Her unbelievably wide doey brown eyes that always seemed to hone in on me, reflecting the soft light of the lampshades. We used to lie together every night for bed with her resting a foot away from my face, just staring. And I’d stare right back, stroking her hair. I loved her. And now she’s gone. It was a tumor in her abdomen. My cousin, a doctor, said that it was fatal and there was nothing I could do. Nothing I could do! Like he expe...

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“Table for 2” by Poornima Jadhav

Submitted to Contest #42

PREACHIt was a Sunday night as far as I remember, no wonder the club was so crowded! I asked the waiter to lead me to a table for 2 as I was waiting for her to come and break the suspense. Lost in my thoughts, I kept wondering what was it she had to talk in person and not over the phone. Why did she choose a place far from the city? She has been weird lately. She wouldn’t pick my calls or respond to my texts, she wouldn’t wanna meet. What is it that made her leave 10 missed calls in the middle of the night? Nevermind, I guess I’ll just have ...

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“The Canal” by Grace Dunnam

Submitted to Contest #42

The DuckThe canal was my favorite spot to fly to. There were too many ducks at the state parks, because even ducks had a preference for fancy things. There were always crowds at the Connected Lakes and Highline. The people there both adored and hated ducks, it really was a mixed bag. Kids were also a mixed bag. They would either crouch, looking at you, with their hands outstretched offering white bread (which is awful I will say) or rocks that they trick you into thinking is food. Or sometimes they would chase after you with a stick. Not fun...

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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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