Start or end your story with one or more characters shouting “Happy new year!”

Posted in Holiday on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 46 stories

“When The Sea Takes You, I Won't Come With” by Jerome Grafil-Carlos

🏆 Winner of Contest #126

“In my past life, I was a bird.”“How’d you know?”My little brother shrugged. “I just feel it.”Piles of debris painted where the houses used to be, torn-down walls and foundations mere remains of the structures that were there. We must have scavenged through all of them, finding nothing but rubbish and mud. The blue comet streaked across the sky. Cold winds blew onto my back, smelling of sand and cement and something else. A tinge of something bitter, something revolting. The water took four people from around these parts, but the way they po...

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“Ear, There And Everywhere” by PJ Aitken

Submitted to Contest #126

“Read the story, Daddy!” Poppy screamed from her room.Daddy Horse rolled his eyes wishing he could close the chat like on Zoom,“Which story is that my love?” said Daddy Horse under duress from his wife,Who was standing on one of his hooves and pointing towards his face with a knife,It was late on New Year’s Eve so Poppy wanted to celebrate in her own way before bed,With the book she’d heard her Mum and Dad read cover to cover echoing a million times in her head,“The one about the ears, silly!” Poppy enthusiastically responded sounding like s...

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“Not So Happy Engagement Year” by Sarah Kreiger

Submitted to Contest #126

If you are looking for a happy New Years story, this isn't the story for you :)`````````````-----------------------------------------------------It was the eighth time the phone had rung since he woke up this morning and every time it rang, he felt himself closer to curling up in a ball and crying.Dishes piled in the sink, stacked almost as tall as he was. Large heaps of laundry accumulated in various parts of his dingy apartment, no rhyme or reason to their placements. You could argue a severe case of depression, but it was normal lifestyle...

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“Caroline’s Lover Has Cancer” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #126

This story discusses cancer and has quite a few swear words used to capture the familiarity experienced between two friends enjoying lunch. “Caroline’s lover has cancer,” the words left Maragaret’s red lipped mouth plainly. “Adian has cancer?” clarified Suzanne, a piece of green lettuce fell on her chin.“Aidan has cancer,” Margaret repeated her bosom buddy’s question as a statement.“Shit,” Suzanne took a sip of her white wine and bit into a chunk of grilled chicken breast.“Shit,” echoed Margaret calmly. Diners around them clucked l...

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“Snowflakes” by Hannah Barrett

Submitted to Contest #126

The night is quiet and their breath circles over them in halos as Jennifer and Phil walk arm in arm down the dimly lit street. With Phil's move behind him and the rush of Christmastime in the rearview, they decide, just once, to forget that they are running late. They walk slowly, savoring the sharp smells of winter and wood fires. A light snow falls - enough to cover the ugly brown plow tailings but not enough to deter evening drivers, who wend their way through the greeting card scene. “I never understood what Lucy meant about December s...

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“Unhappy New Year” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #126

“Happy New Year!” Rick heard his neighbors shout out as he sat on his sofa in the darkened room. In his mind, there was not a lot of reason to celebrate and be happy. This past year had been the most difficult of his life. It began back in February when his mother was diagnosed with COVID. She and her husband, Rick’s disgruntled stepfather, Jack, ...

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“Asher's Agony” by Minerva Noiropp

Submitted to Contest #126

"Happy New Year," gritted Asher from between clenched teeth. Turning over in bed, she kicked the thin, mildew lad sheet from her thighs. A frustrated tear escaped from between closed lids. The fireworks had been exploding all around the house where she was staying in Mombasa, Kenya. Noisy children, loud adults, babies crying, teenagers screaming, thudding music, and tooting tuk-tuks had kept her evening disturbed. The sleeping tablets she was on were stubborn. Rest kept a distance from her shattered consciousness. In a desperate attempt t...

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“New year, new start” by Trisha Sheshadri

Submitted to Contest #126

Whenever I read books, whenever I watch movies, they always depict love as something wondrous, as something magical, something that leaves both people breathless with happiness.I however, would like to disagree with everything the media shows us. To me, falling in love feels like someone is reaching inside of your chest and squeezing your heart, leaving you breathless with pain every time you look at the one person you had wished to spend the rest of your life with. In my case, it’s because she’s in a relationship with someone else. The wors...

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“New Years Hell.” by Marie Cunningham Davidson

Submitted to Contest #126

WARNING: THIS STORY IS VERY GRAPHIC AND MAY BE EXTREMELY DISTURBING TO PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS. It’s that dreaded time of year again. My memories, chaotic at the best of times, are a jumble of actual, fictional and hugely distorted. Why does New Year's Eve always elicit these thoughts? It’s a rhetorical question, of course, because on this day, ten years ago, New Year's Eve was the nightmare to rival all nightmares. Where my baby sister, at the tender age of eleven, chose to end her life. I have vivid recollections of when ...

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“Lost Souls or a New Year?” by Cal Kirby

Submitted to Contest #126

Note: Contains Sexual and physical violenceLost souls or a New Year?By, Cal Kirby Susie was born on a plantation on July 4, 1836, in rural North Carolina. She was the daughter of the slave Anna and possibly her Master, James Ryan. Master Ryan was a drunkard, abusive and an owner of 120 acres of tobacco land in North Carolina. Susie was a lighter-skinned daughter Anna never really wanted, but fell in love with when the baby first opened her eyes. Anna never knew whether James or his brother, Needham, was the father.Anna had served Master Rya...

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“A Deadly Conversation” by Cody Waltman

Submitted to Contest #126

As I opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony, I left the party behind. She stood twenty feet away at the edge by the stone railing. It was a clear night, and the city’s lights were as alive as ever. Snowflakes descend around us. I take my time as I approach. I keep my hands concealed in my peacoat and move slowly to admire her as I amble closer. She doesn’t acknowledge my presence. Her mind is elsewhere. I can’t know what she is thinking, but it must be intense to distract her from the bitter cold. I think if I had to...

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“A New Year Nirvana ” by Connie Elstun

Submitted to Contest #126

The Mercury Apartment building in downtown Greeley Colorado is usually, a quiet place for me and my Calico cat Bonkers to live, but tonight, the party noise is driving Bonkers, well, bonkers. Me too, as the crazy cat ran around my lumpy sofa fifty times before heading up the Christmas tree. Sally, what is wrong with you? I asked myself then answered, you're lazy, that's what -it's New Year's, and you still have your pathetic Christmas tree up in the corner. Generally, New Year's Eve is filled with jocose laughter and cele...

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“I'll Be Gone For Christmas” by Eileen Wilkin

Submitted to Contest #126

Oskar came home to an empty house. The boxes of Christmas decorations sat unopened by the bay window in the front room. The cookie recipes and all the necessary ingredients sat untouched on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a beer, took it to his recliner, and turned on the news. It was strange not to hear clattering dishes and pans while his wife prepared dinner. Dinner! Oskar looked over to the kitchen, as if expecting to see a fully cooked meal waiting. There was nothing…of course…but he and the kids would get through this. # The old C...

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“The Thousand Year God” by Elle Avrak

Submitted to Contest #126

“Happy new year, Alfred.” The incantation should be scrawled darkly across the entrance of the cell, indifferent to the days and nights strobing about it year after year. 50…100…500…800 years now and 800 incantations to abandon all hope—but not for all ye who enter here. Just for Alfred. It wasn’t really the New Year, it was simply another year—another year Alfred would be kept alive. Alfred knew that the actual New Year had taken place roughly 4 months prior. He had kept track of the day and date for the first year after being ...

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“Happy New Year's... I guess” by Ashley Park

Submitted to Contest #126

The last thing I remember is her crying on our bed telling me that I'm not doing enough emotionally. She doesn't want to be physical with me because I am not doing enough for her. I go to work, I come home, I go to my second job, I help with the kids and dinner when I can, what else am I supposed to do? I try to console her, but she shrugs away from me. I shiver at the thought of the woman I love and have loved since high school would or could feel this way about me. I am at loss for words and am unsure of how I can fix this. I know this isn...

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Contest #126

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Ended on 23:59 - Dec 31, 2021 EST

Won by Jerome Grafil-Carlos 🏆

Title: When The Sea Takes You, I Won't Come With

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Start or end your story with one or more characters shouting “Happy new year!”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 46 stories

“When The Sea Takes You, I Won't Come With” by Jerome Grafil-Carlos

“Ear, There And Everywhere” by PJ Aitken

“Not So Happy Engagement Year” by Sarah Kreiger

“Caroline’s Lover Has Cancer” by Amanda Lieser

“Snowflakes” by Hannah Barrett

“Unhappy New Year” by Greg Gillis

“Asher's Agony” by Minerva Noiropp

“New year, new start” by Trisha Sheshadri

“New Years Hell.” by Marie Cunningham Davidson

“Lost Souls or a New Year?” by Cal Kirby

“A Deadly Conversation” by Cody Waltman

“A New Year Nirvana ” by Connie Elstun

“I'll Be Gone For Christmas” by Eileen Wilkin

“The Thousand Year God” by Elle Avrak

“Happy New Year's... I guess” by Ashley Park

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character reflecting on the previous year.

Write a story about two people who don’t know each other but bump into one other on New Year’s Eve (either once or every year).

Write a story about someone seeking a fresh start after a difficult year.

Write about a character setting an unusual New Year’s resolution.

Contest #126

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

162

Contest entries

100

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: