Write a story where someone who has done something wrong seeks a fresh start.

Posted in Dramatic on Dec 20, 2024

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✍️ 27 stories

“A CHANGE OF SCENERY” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #282

A CHANGE OF SCENERY I jumped a little as the steel door clanged closed behind me. I stood frozen stiff for a few moments. It was as if time stood still. The grass seemed greener, the sky a more vivid shade of blue, and even the birds in the nearby trees sang sweeter than I had heard them sing in years. I listened with intensity. A sense of peace descended on me, and fear that had resided in me for years fled. Possibilities seemed endless. I finally understood the phrase, “Hope springs eternal.” Well, maybe I didn’t fully understand it ...

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“Inbetween” by Icarus & Vernderii

Submitted to Contest #282

TW: suicide, self harm, mental health, cussing 2:00:00 Only two hours. Her corpse stepped onto the tattered, musty floors, as her warm breath condensates in the frozen air. Into the toll clinks 75 cents, insignificant to the sacrifice already paid. The fluorescent lights flicker a welcome, as the girl with sharp eyes gaze around. In the seats are bodies, some alive, some dead, but all quiet. The girl takes her seat along the window and waits patiently for the journey to begin. 1:59:01 The bodies sway in unison to ...

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“INCOGNITO MASTER PLANNERS” by Luigi Conte

Submitted to Contest #282

Content warning: Reference to sexual abuseFor years, Stacey lived in Benton, Missouri, without much opportunity. Despite her hard work and excellent grades, she often felt overlooked. She was the prettiest girl in school, the brightest in her class of ’92, and arguably the most gifted student Benton High School had ever seen. While she received numerous invitations from both boys and girls to go out, she was too busy with work and her studies to accept them. Every Sunday, Stacey attended church, feeling obligated to give her tithe despite h...

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“A New Horizon” by Ashley D. Gilyard

Submitted to Contest #282

When Emma stepped off the bus in the small, coastal town of Seacliff, a biting wind greeted her, carrying with it the faint, salty tang of the sea. She clutched her duffle bag tightly, the sum total of her possessions inside, and took a deep breath. The air here was cleaner than the smog-laden city she’d left behind. Cleaner, yet it felt heavier—weighted with the past she couldn’t quite outrun. Emma had made mistakes. Large ones. Three years ago, she’d been a rising star in the marketing world, managing big-name accounts and winning awards f...

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“FROM CORNHUSKER TO FLAGGER” by Candy Burrowbridge

Submitted to Contest #282

It's a warm windy day in mid-June, thank God graduation was going to arrive before the blazing hot summer launches. Benson High School was teeming with excitement, yearbooks were being passed around, everyone was on countdown...three days left (after they returned from the weekend). Finals and graduation were all the seniors could think about. Liam, was one of Benson High School's most famous students. He opened the eyes of Omaha Nebraska, when he broke records at NSAA Football Championships, putting Benson High on the map. He tied up the ...

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“SCARLETT'S NEW BEGINNING” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #282

"The disappearance of Scarlett Campbell has rocked the small community of Stone Ridge Falls. No trace of Scarlett has been found. Her family is extremely worried for her. They urge anyone with information to come forward." "Two weeks has passed since Scarlett Campbell vanished without a trace. Today police have discovered the body of an unknown male. Many within the Stone Ridge Falls community fear the unknown male is Tyler Campbell. The husband of Scarlett who also vanished without a trace." "More details have emerged on the identity of the...

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“A LAWYER'S REDEMPTION” by Terence Hewton

Submitted to Contest #282

A LAWYER’S REDEMPTIONA young lawyer was at risk of being late for court. It was a road traffic case – ‘causing death by dangerous driving’ – and the judge hearing the case was a stickler for punctuality. He was driving as quickly as he could within the speed limit to make sure he got to the court on time.His notes for his address to the court were open on the passenger seat beside him.He was a very junior practitioner in his law firm and as this appearance was ‘for mention’ only he was there to say that his firm had taken instructions and wa...

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“Wait.” by Tamara Mallia

Submitted to Contest #282

I pace. I wait. I pace again. I wait. The tremors in my hand have now reached my lower limbs, circulating, surfacing up and emanating as heat from my flushed cheeks. I impatiently tap my heel with the rhythmic chiming of the clock. I can’t wait any longer. If I were to teleport to the Medieval Ages, and I were to be exposed of any crime, I believe this is what torture in the hands of my fellow human beings would have felt like. I know how that may sound, dear reader. An impetuous allusion to a crime. Crime. When one hears of it, their blood ...

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“Twice In A Lifetime” by B D

Submitted to Contest #282

By the time I worked up the courage to call the prettiest girl in town (and not coincidentally the girl who once lived next door) I was an emotional train wreck. So I figured she would hang up in my ear. Or worse, say something like “No, I won’t go out with you, and don’t call again! I don’t date nerds.” But I’m getting ahead of myself, so let me share a little history.This course correction really began three years earlier, when my family moved away from the old neighborhood. Why my parents never asked me how I'd feel if we left Celeste beh...

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“Do All Paths Lead to One?” by Danielle Obiri

Submitted to Contest #282

Marie always knew freedom would be bitter. What she hadn’t expected was for sand and dried blood to stain her tastebuds salty, instead of sweet. Bare feet trudged and scrapped against the sandy excuse of a pavement, flayed and baked by the afternoon sun. The world felt like it had a fever, violently wringing the sweat from Marie’s skin, like what one would do to a slightly damp towel. Overheated, the teenager waddled down the side of the desolate highway. The blood that was splattered on Marie’s person had dried and with each langu...

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“Planet X: Coded Life” by Lucas Alexander

Submitted to Contest #282

“Done!” I said, gazing at the finished boxes in my room. It almost looks abandoned now. Good. It’ll be a fresh start for me.“Helen.” I turn around quickly to see my friend, David.“David? Hi, how’d you get in here?”He waves the spare key in my face and replies with a smirk, “You’ve never changed, Helen. Try not to leave the spare key in the plant next to your door next time.”I giggle, “Good thing it’s just you, right?”“Yeah. Moving out?” I grab my bag and say, “Yeah. I just got out of a relationship and took the poor guy’s money. I wish ...

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“The Space Between Us” by Amber Melanie

Submitted to Contest #282

Going home for the holidays was always hard for me. When my alarm clock started buzzing at 6:15 am on Friday, December 13, I briefly forgot about winter break and almost got up to get ready for class. My immediate next thought was it’s doomsday. I didn’t want to go home. My family would bombard me with questions, but that was easy enough to handle. Mom would brag about how hard I worked at Tufts, and how I had a whole group of friends in pre-med, pre-law, and engineering. I could take Halmeoni’s traditional of “Are you eating enough?” and “Y...

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Write a story where someone who has done something wrong seeks a fresh start.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 27 stories

“A CHANGE OF SCENERY” by Glenna Agnew

“Inbetween” by Icarus & Vernderii

“INCOGNITO MASTER PLANNERS” by Luigi Conte

“A New Horizon” by Ashley D. Gilyard

“FROM CORNHUSKER TO FLAGGER” by Candy Burrowbridge

“SCARLETT'S NEW BEGINNING” by Melinda Madrigal

“A LAWYER'S REDEMPTION” by Terence Hewton

“Wait.” by Tamara Mallia

“Twice In A Lifetime” by B D

“Do All Paths Lead to One?” by Danielle Obiri

“Planet X: Coded Life” by Lucas Alexander

“The Space Between Us” by Amber Melanie

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that begins with an apology.

Write a story where a character relives the same event over and over again.

Write a story set in a world of darkness where light is suddenly discovered.

Write a story that starts and ends in the same place.

Contest #282

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

267

Contest entries

124

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: