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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

“A Hint of Innocence” by D'Arcy McVeigh

Submitted to Contest #42

Sam strolls into the math class. Late, as always. Skateboard in hand, as always. Sam had just came back from a trip around Europe. A spiritual thing I think. Eliza had always been enamoured by Sam’s appearance; Those misty blue eyes she’d longed to gaze into. Sam Whyte was the new kid in school who had moved from California. Keen to fit in, Sam wore flannel and ripped skinny jeans and associated with the skater crowd, believing to be cool but in reality, lacked the skills of any semi-talented skater. Sam’s skateboard was more of a fashi...

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“DREAM GIRL” by Jyotisai Kar

Submitted to Contest #42

She cut a piece from my heart and picked it by inserting the tip of the blade of a long knife. Very delicately she straightened the knife to carry the blood sprinkling meat piece in to her mouth. A red stream of blood, emanating from the tip and travelling on the shining sharp steel blade, filled the groove of the five corners star sign marked on the blade just before the wooden handle of the knife. Few blood drops spilled from her lips’ joint at the right side as soon as she started chewing the piece. She smiled as she gulped the meat....

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“Burgers” by P W O'Donnell

Submitted to Contest #42

They’re all the same. Pointing. Laughing. Staring. They’re relentless. But today I’ll show them. I thought a new school would be a good change for me. Moved here with mum thinking it would be a fresh start and all the nonsense that happened back there would be erased from our lives. My life. She tries in her own way but she’s cut from a very different cloth. A different fabric all together. How she believes I should tackle my ‘situation’ is a very different approach to the one I want to take. Is it too much be want to be liked? Is it too muc...

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“Duncan’s Ride” by Phillip Allen

Submitted to Contest #42

Duncan awakens before dawn. He puts his feet on the floor and stands and stretches. He slides his dressing gown over his undershirt. He slides his feet into moccasins by the door and walks outside.Making his way to the well, Duncan draws a bucket of water. He returns to his cabin setting the bucket on the table. He cups his hands, pulling the water into his face, washing the sleep out of his eyes. The water is cold but refreshing. He dips his head in the bucket to clean his hair. Duncan runs his hands along the top of his head, grasping his ...

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“Who murdered Rufus?” by Michele Stigers

Submitted to Contest #42

Narrator reveals a secret at the end of storyWho killed Rufus?Rufus is dead. He was shot with a .38 revolver. Who shot him? There’s a long list of suspects. Mary his wife, Donna his daughter, Joe, his son, Ginger, his mistress, George his best friend, Gary, Donna’s husband, Libby, Joes wife, or someone else. Me, I’m Dennis, the detective on the case. Rufus, a wealthy businessman, 65 years old and very distinguished. He and his wife Mary lived in a mansion in Bel Aire. It is lined by fruit trees that consisted of peach trees an...

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“Keeping Secrets” by Trinity Tobin

Submitted to Contest #42

Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world: safe, decent, innocent. Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town is Greenville. It’s been a week since the discovery of and Jake Jones's body, but his death is not the first nor would it be the last that the town of Greenville would suffer. The town now had its first serial killer. Everyone’s afraid to say it, so let me be the first. T...

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“The Case of the Missing Painting” by Ziad Diab

Submitted to Contest #42

Italy September 17, 2005. It was a cold and windy night. Nobody was outside. It was about 3:00 AM at dawn. There was a masked figure. all dressed in black. Almost as if he was in camouflage. He held a big brown suitcase that looked suspicious. He also had a black vest and a hat. He was breaking into the "Museum Of Art.'' The place was heavily guarded and hard to steal from but I guess not for everyone. But this man was stealthy and fast. Also never speaks most of the time. His mission was to steal the painting called "The goddess of s...

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“Country boy in the city” by Thayimoni Dyani

Submitted to Contest #42

Thabo felt ecstatic and overjoyed the day he left Botshabelo, one of the small locations in Bloemfontein going to the mother city, Cape Town.Soon after passing matric he knew that the time was now for him to stand on his feet, fend for himself and support his mother, Mathabo. These two were staying together struggling with none to support them as the family's head had passed on.This became the time for the lad to approach and face the outside world. All the while as he was sitting down amongst other travelling commuters in Shosholoza meyl tr...

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“The Boat Trip” by D Lisk

Submitted to Contest #42

The boat skimmed the jade river as it past by the brown-red hazy web of tree branches in an autumn forest. I ran my hand across that jade river; it was icy as the grave, cool and dominating. I looked back up at my Olivet against the pink and white-striped sail. She smiled at me, her hand keeping her large white headscarf in place over her luminous hair.“Well,” I said to her, “What a day, what a day! The water is a touch too cold for swimming, but hopefully the current will be kind and we’ll be in Brasel by lunchtime for the picnic.”“Oh, I wo...

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“Brother's Keeper” by Thomas McIntyre

Submitted to Contest #42

Hunter Caine turned when he heard his name called over the loudspeaker. He dropped the cigarette he was smoking to the ground, than stepped on it to put out the spark. He walked into the building he had just exited and stepped in front of the receptionist desk at which he had presented himself ten minutes earlier. The young blonde receptionist smiled at him and handed a surprisingly thick file to him. “The patient is ready for you, Dr. Caine,” she said. Caine looked her over f...

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“A Helping Hand” by Jenna Khorshed

Submitted to Contest #42

When you start a family, you start a new era of love and peace. Where you have their back no matter what or how bad the situation seems to be. Having a family means to love and always be loved for as long as you live--but for this particular family, it was quite the opposite. The Cole family was once that type of family--a happy one. Once. You see, the Mother and Father--Lily and John--had twin girls. They named them Zoe and Chloe. Everything was perfect. It seemed like they finally got their happy ending once Zoe and Chloe were born, but it...

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“Psycho” by Nora Lange

Submitted to Contest #42

When Lieutenant Walter Stevenson got a call from his Captain, he knew there was trouble. Lieutenant Stevens had been chasing a man, known by the given name of The Hog-Tie Slaughterer. He had been given the name by cutting his past two victims' throats and then cutting them up like a butcher and hog tying them before tossing them in a drop location. If the murder scene he was about to arrive to was the result of the Hog-Tie Slaughterer then they might have the makings of a serial killer. As Lieutenant Stevens arrived on the scene he was...

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“The House Beside Mine” by Allysa Jane Ibay

Submitted to Contest #42

“You should go to a therapist.” I can’t count the number of times my mother and I have had this type of conversation in the past. She was so convinced that I’ll slowly become an insane being solely by the fact that I can see ghosts and monsters everywhere I go. She arranged me to therapists every now and then and I would run away after that. Not wanting to be bothered by the living as I have had enough just by the dead. I have been staring at the empty house that was on a perfect view from my bedroom window. Wh...

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“The fiasco” by KOVLEEN SAHNI

Submitted to Contest #42

Eshan was a tall, smart and a brilliant Finance head. He had just joined “Prime Clothing” and was following Sara through the corridor. The AGM, Sara was directing him to his room.“Good morning, Sir, this is your seat”, Sara said as they entered his cabin. More interested in the lovely green eyed Sara than his office, Eshan replied “And where is yours?......The cabin of course”. He could have done anything to put her seat besides him. “My cabin is just to your right, Sir,” she replied, fully aware of her bosses blush and his fixed gaze on her...

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“Fair Trade” by Jameson Mason

Submitted to Contest #42

Just another day on the job. Last appointment before I clock out for the day, and my schedule has been pretty tight since it started. Seventeen pick pockets, adding up to about a couple hundred dollars of cold hard cash. I'd hit about three locations today so far, but I figured I’d finish up a little early today. I had a date tonight with that hot young lady I chatted with on Facebook last week. I needed to wash up, get a haircut, probably spruce up the apartment just in case the evening leads us back there for night caps. Plus it’s Friday! ...

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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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