Center your story around a character who’s struggling to let go.

Posted in Dramatic on Jan 17, 2025

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 86 stories

“Shadow and Mist” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #286

Writing the letters to his parents and his sister - the one that would understand - was difficult enough. Packing his backpack with his favorite books and laptop - ready to be destroyed - made the fur under his college uniform prickle and sprout like a horrified feline’s. Szal Veilwinter, though, was a fox... and he had to make the scene look perfect: Like he expected to return to his dorm room and his college life. Like he was merely going home for the weekend. Like there was nothing wrong. He had to let go, he told himself. It shall be all...

7 comments 7

Read story

“A Night of Tricks” by Zaara Khan

Submitted to Contest #286

Tomorrow would be Christmas, her favorite holiday. Full of delicious food, gifts, and most important to Gwyn, family. Gwyn always looked forward to creating new memories with her family and could not wait to see what tomorrow would bring. She walked around her spacious new home, situated in a cozy, quiet neighborhood. There were stores nearby, a laundromat, restaurants— everything anyone could have wanted. But she was alone. To distract herself from the plethora of feelings, she started unpacking her things. “Okay, my clothes can go in this ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Back to Square One ” by Fatima Ahmad

Submitted to Contest #286

“Run! He’s coming from behind the tree!” yelled one of her friends. Maya’s heart started pumping faster as she bolted to the street. Her feet pounded against the pavement, and her legs burned. Her throat was sour and she could barely breathe now. As she ran, the houses on either side blurred, and the wind whipped against her face. All she could hear was her heart pumping and her shoes kicking the concrete ground. Maya slowed down as she glanced back over her shoulder. Brian wasn't chasing her, so she returned to the park. She saw all five fr...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Three Guys At A Bar Somewhere” by Ryan Wolf

Submitted to Contest #286

“Bro! Bro. Did you see that game last night? Tell me you saw that fucking game.” This is Pat. This is how Pat says hello. Pat does not say hello like a normal person. No, I tell him. I did not see the game. I also tell him that I’m pissed at him. Pat blew off work this morning, and I had to do lunch all by my lonesome. But Pat is undeterred by such irrelevant details. “Oh, bro. Bro. I wish they’d give me a chance. I wish they’d give me one chance to talk to management, because I know I could turn this team around.” Is this basketball? I ask....

6 comments 6

Read story

“The Price of Guilt” by Maaria Khan

Submitted to Contest #286

She occasionally glanced at the clock, impatiently waiting for Ms. Myers to stop explaining to the class about the world's greatest lie. She didn't believe in it. In fact, she didn't believe in anything anymore. All Sarah wanted to do was get up and leave. When she finally got the chance, she nonchalantly walked to the bathroom, closed the door behind her, looked at herself in the mirror, and began to cry heavily. Tears rolled down as her pale cheeks turned red. She thought about the week earlier. Sarah held herself and sat down, continuing ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Why Did You Stop” by Angel Ball

Submitted to Contest #286

There was no obituary in the newspaper from my neighborhood, there was no black clad statues to attend the funeral of the boy, wait no, of the girl who was unjustly killed simply for being herself. Its hard to drift smoothly into death when your life is so violently snatched from you. I would know, because I am that girl.The middle of winter is a time as good as any to commit a murder, the snow fuses with the scarlet blood and melts into the ground, leaving not a trace of the body to be found. I was walking down the path I am walking now, a ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“REMEMBER” by Logan Cross

Submitted to Contest #286

Before she leaves for work, she remembers what she forgot–keys, jacket, the sound of exploding metal. The keys, underneath the unfolded pile of laundry; the jacket, hanging off the bathroom door; but it was the slam of the screen door that brought her back to the day they dunked themselves into the lake, the water cold despite the firestorm that surrounded them. When cheap steel jams against a door frame, apparently, it sounds like an exploding Honda Civic. The walk to her car is short, but the ringing is loud. The sidewalk that separa...

4 comments 4

Read story

“It Starts With You” by Reilly Stuber

Submitted to Contest #286

James shook the frost off his boot, cursing under his own breath as the crumple of powder settled underneath it. The locket on his neck, for the first time, felt warm instead of cold on his skin, and he reached a hand up to pull it out from under his layered clothing. The steps he took were heavy, his breath magnifying the air he would exhale, and he couldn't help but remember being a kid and pressing the foggy breaths outwards as if he were innocently smoking.Playing in snow, messing around with poorly-formed snowballs and throwing them at ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Put Out the Fire” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #286

The fire was right outside the door. He could see it. He could smell it. He was choking on its smoke. He watched in horror as it burst through the door, as it destroyed the photos of him and his wife and his children, as it ate his couch and chair and table and books, oh his books, they burst into flame, every, single, one, and the fire was relentless, it was relentless, and it was coming for him and there, was, nothing, he, could, do.Ricardo woke in a sweat, his heart pounding, his mouth open and ready to scream. A loud banging came from th...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Motherhood and the Grief of Losing Me” by Winter Roses

Submitted to Contest #286

Becoming a mother was shocking to say the least. During my nine months of pregnancy, I read all the books and took all the classes. I knew about birth and what was to come, but I didn’t really know the complexity of what was about to happen. The enormity of it, the loss of myself. I don’t think any book or class can prepare you for that. I remember seeing my baby for the first time and being in disbelief that such a thing just came out of me. Not because of his size, he wasn’t very big in comparison to other babies, but because I grew ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Art of Holding On” by A. Elizabeth

Submitted to Contest #286

The first painting , The Wall, was of the room where it happened.The broken coffee mug. The streaks on the wall.I painted the sunlight in the hallway, the way it stretched across the tile in the morning. Bright. Golden. It illuminated everything. It changed nothing.Then, there was The Kitchen. We danced many dances there. A song could come on, soft and low. He would pull me close, spinning me under the dim light that always needed replacing.I painted us. Cheek to cheek. Holding each other like the world was ending tomorrow.It felt real. Soli...

4 comments 4

Read story

“THE WEIGHT OF MEMORIES” by Charles Cravey

Submitted to Contest #286

In the heart of Statesboro, Georgia, a charming southern town known for its rich history and vibrant community, there lived a man named Brian Adams. Nestled amidst the picturesque landscape, where sprawling oak trees whispered secrets to the wind, Brian had made this town his home for as long as he could remember.Statesboro was a unique blend of nostalgia and modernity, with its streets lined with quaint shops and cafes, while also boasting state-of-the-art facilities and bustling business districts. However, for Brian, time seemed to have s...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Weight of Ashes” by Terry Maris

Submitted to Contest #286

The wind pressed against Ethan's face as he sat on the splintering bench overlooking the black lake. The air smelled of damp leaves and burnt wood—a smell he could never escape now, no matter where he went. He'd driven eight hours to get here, his truck packed with all the essentials: a bag of clothes, a flashlight, a half-empty bottle of whiskey, and the urn. It sat on the bench beside him, as heavy as the day he'd picked it up from the funeral home.The lake stretched out like an oil slick under the gray sky, its surface still and impenetra...

2 comments 2

Read story

“THE REGGAE REBEL ” by Maria Barrett

Submitted to Contest #286

The sun-kissed hills of Kingston, Jamaica, pulsed with the rhythms of reggae music. The air was alive with the sweet scent of jerk seasoning and the sound of laughter. In the midst of this vibrant city, a young musician was making waves with his powerful voice and poignant lyrics. Meet Kemar "Ras" Reynolds, a charismatic and outspoken reggae musician from Jamaica. Ras has always been driven by a desire to make a difference through his music, speaking truth to power and giving voice to the voiceless. His powerful lyrics and energetic stage ...

7 comments 7

Read story

“The Inside Out Love Life of Sherman Banks” by Paul Spreadbury

Submitted to Contest #286

Without going into boring details of the rumor fueled imagined plague that wiped out tens of millions of imaged people, let’s cut to the chase. So many people believed in the rumor and in the trumped-up photos showing persons with flesh eaten from their bones the nation turned into two groups of people; Insiders and Outsiders. Insiders stayed indoors, Outsiders dared to go out. Food, cloths, medical, legal and spiritual advice, any possible need an Insider may have was satisfied by delivery or through apps, including the need for female comp...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who must fit their entire life in a single suitcase.

Short Story – 113 stories

Write a story about a cherished heirloom that has journeyed through multiple generations.

Short Story – 49 stories

Center your story around a character who’s afraid of being forgotten.

Dramatic – 77 stories

Write a story with the line “You never know a good thing until it’s gone.”

Dramatic – 43 stories

Contest #286

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Journeys from Home with Sohini Ghose

$250

Prize money

368

Contest entries

146

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 24, 2025 EST

Won by D Gorman 🏆

Title: A Suitcase Full of Davids

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Center your story around a character who’s struggling to let go.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 86 stories

“Shadow and Mist” by Cajek Veilwinter

“A Night of Tricks” by Zaara Khan

“Back to Square One ” by Fatima Ahmad

“Three Guys At A Bar Somewhere” by Ryan Wolf

“The Price of Guilt” by Maaria Khan

“Why Did You Stop” by Angel Ball

“REMEMBER” by Logan Cross

“It Starts With You” by Reilly Stuber

“Put Out the Fire” by Sophie Goldstein

“Motherhood and the Grief of Losing Me” by Winter Roses

“The Art of Holding On” by A. Elizabeth

“THE WEIGHT OF MEMORIES” by Charles Cravey

“The Weight of Ashes” by Terry Maris

“THE REGGAE REBEL ” by Maria Barrett

“The Inside Out Love Life of Sherman Banks” by Paul Spreadbury

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who must fit their entire life in a single suitcase.

Write a story about a cherished heirloom that has journeyed through multiple generations.

Center your story around a character who’s afraid of being forgotten.

Write a story with the line “You never know a good thing until it’s gone.”

Contest #286

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

368

Contest entries

146

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: