Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.

Posted in Narrative on Sep 15, 2023

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✍️ 111 stories

“Prose and Considerations” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #216

Prose and Considerations The odors of calfskin and parchment tickle my nose, blending into an intoxicating perfume that beguiles me. I shall endeavor, in this fresh journal, to set forth that which I cannot otherwise communicate. The book is almost too lovely to use… but now I have begun, there is no going back. The last gift from my poor Horace before his untimely departure from this earth, this slim volume seems a most appropriate vehicle to convey my deepest—and darkest—thoughts and feelings. The supple hide, a...

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“We'll Always Need Groceries, Even if the World is Ending” by AA Battery

Submitted to Contest #216

Gabby managed to squeeze her vehicle into one of the few empty slots in a colony of rubber and metal. Her phone chimed, and she picked it up to read the text from Julia.Julia: Can you grab a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon?Gabby: It’s already on the list.Julia: Aren’t you sweet?Gabby: Anything for my dry, Mrs. Wine-o!Julia: Mrs. Wine-o needs Mrs. Cheesy home. FYI I made chicken just how you love it, overcooked. You’re welcome :)Gabby crossed the scorching black asphalt, her hand gliding over her face to mask the infectious effect Julia had on h...

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“Caged Will” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #216

The Summer had been, done its thing, then headed off to warmer climes. Now, as the leaves hung on for dear life and shivered on the bough, a new season made itself known. Sophie was down with that. Autumn meant a return to school, and school meant a return to a life that suited her very well indeed. The Summer had been OK, but she’d felt a lack of cohesion and a growing anxiety as all her hard work began to unravel. She’d worked hard to build her little team. She’d worked very hard indeed. Being netball captain helped. She’d discov...

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“When You Reach Me” by Kirana Marksohn

Submitted to Contest #216

Dear Lily, I’ve loved you ever since that first day. During the mourning of the autumn leaves, right before the winter sky turned gray. Do you think about me when the stillness of life is insufferable? Or is that experience only one I keep? When we were young, I followed your footprints in the sand until they led me to your house. You had a white ribbon in your hair and cheeks that flushed red while your father opened the door. I picked daisies from my garden and put them in a vase. And when I handed them to you, he threw them awa...

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“Différents Chemins” by Thunderbolt 69

Submitted to Contest #216

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a comfortable gold chair with a rhombus-shaped cherry wood table in front of me. There was another chair on the opposite side of the table, a black cushioned office chair with a cup of red wine on the arm of the chair. Strangely nobody was sitting there; just who was the wine for? Me? The room was large with nothing else; it had no windows or even a door. I didn't see any lights, but it was dimly lit, similar to when you first go into a movie. How did I get here in the first place? I had a slight heada...

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“A hunters game” by Vivacity Rex

Submitted to Contest #216

**Warning - This story contains dark themes. Including violence, death, and blood.**Amid 14th-century Ireland, the darkened night enveloped the briar and thistles as Mar, a vampire of 127 years, strolled through the thick fog clinging low to the ground. The moonlight reflected off her milk-pale skin, contrasting her deep, ebony hair as she glided through the night.As Mar reached the village that was her destination, she noticed the thrum of two heartbeats at a constant distance as she strolled. She aimed for a shadowed area and slowed, waiti...

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“The Grassy Knoll” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #216

November 13, 1963It seemed like only a moment had passed, after closing my eyes, when sunlight was warning me to get up, if I wanted to meet Clay Shaw on time. Not wanting to be late, I quickly got dressed and waited in the lobby for my ride. At 9:30 sharp, we were on our way.Instead of meeting at his office, we met at a restaurant on the edge of town. When I went inside, I found it completely empty, except for Clay, who was sitting at a table in a far corner. I sat down across from him, and we measured each other up. It was who Clay broke t...

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“What Did I Do?” by Todd Crickmer

Submitted to Contest #216

Nadine glances over the wall of her cubicle at the clock on the far wall. The searing red digits of the clock read 6:45. Thirty more calls before quitting time, she instantly calculated. She had only worked at the call center for seven months. But measuring your business day in the number of calls handled quickly became second nature. Production was drilled into their heads from day one. Speed, accuracy, courtesy; speed, accuracy, courtesy – greet the caller within one ring, assess their need as quickly as possible,...

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“Bialowieza” by Tyler Brines

Submitted to Contest #216

James sent little clouds of moisture from his mouth as he panted in the chill darkness. With the safety of a thick pine at his back, he allowed the weight of his gear and the pain of his injuries to overtake him. He could ignore them no longer. As he slid down the tree to rest on his haunches against it, he could feel warmth running from the shorn flesh of his arm down to fall upon his legs and the needle-covered forest floor. He didn’t need to look upon his injuries to understand how dire they were. The deep, triplicate grooves carved into ...

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“Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow” by Liam Curedale

Submitted to Contest #216

“Tomorrow. The train will arrive tomorrow,” he croaked. “The ticket says today.” “The ticket is wrong.” “How do you know?” “I’ve been here a while.” I strolled over the platform. The rails stretched far beyond the horizon, yet there was no sign of a train. I looked at my ticket stub. A smudge slightly obscured its contents: “Platform B-1.” “The ticket says that it should’ve been here 30 minutes ago,” I yelled from across the station. The man looked ancient. His clothes were far too ragged to help identify the decades of hi...

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“The Countdown ” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #216

The Countdown Every year started the same. On January 1, wake up to the sound of Dad cursing the dying Christmas tree as he struggled to remove the lights and the star." Why do I /*$%4@# let them con me into a real tree yearly, ouch Y.^*#$g?" About then, Mom shouts, "Chows on, get it while it is hot." Only a few hours until there's nothing on TV except football games for almost twenty-four hours. I'm unsure why we do the same things and wish for different outcomes. Maybe I am stressing over the upcoming events that will unfold tomorrow at ...

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“Not Another Adventure!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #216

"That's it" Zaine said, as he popped some banned bubblegum into his mouth. It was the start of lunchtime, the hour before the Nationwide Literacy test, compulsory. Zaine said to his lifelong friends, Neehan and Beau. "Miss Meanie, in fact, this whole school and their tests have really got on my wick!" "Hey, you!" Zaine called, "Yes, you, Kerrie, you're the bell monitor. Over here, now!" "What for?" Kerrie asked. "You're the bell monitor. Come with me, you'll thank me for this one day." Puzzled, reliable girl Kerrie followed Zaine to check t...

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“Nate's Fate” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #216

The lobby of the Cooke building in downtown Manhattan was brimming with shoppers and enthusiasts as if nothing nefarious had ever transpired. Carter and TC marveled at the bustling crowds, smiling faces and overall holiday spirit in the security monitors. Nate’s quick thinking and selflessness kept hundreds of holiday shoppers from ever knowing the evil that just hours ago threatened to devastate their Christmas and possibly threaten their lives. “We got lucky today.” Carter admitted. TC agreed, “I have complete faith in ou...

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“THE BLACK CROW” by Crysi Writes

Submitted to Contest #216

“What do you mean by manipulating her thoughts? Kenya gazed at her reflection in the glass before her and makes a quick grin as she takes a sip of water with her handcuffed hands before leaning in, “What I mean detective, is that the longer you stay here with me, your pile of unsolved cases will continue to riseeeee”. Lifting her hands in a visual calculation of his failures. “You think this is a joke!” “Duuuude, you need to chill before you bust that vein in t...

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“Roadside Diner” by Ron Robinson

Submitted to Contest #216

It was last call and everyone had gone for the night except an old cowboy who sat in a booth beneath the red neon sign in the window. The melancholy refrain of Don Gibson singing Sweet Dreams poured from an old jukebox in the corner, and the overhead lighting cast an white glow over the room where the smoky aroma of charbroiled steaks lingered in the air. The bartender and the waitress with him knew the cowboy had been drinking and because the aging cowhand was a regular they knew he might overindulge and leave without settling his tab.John ...

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Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 111 stories

“Prose and Considerations” by Cindy Strube

“We'll Always Need Groceries, Even if the World is Ending” by AA Battery

“Caged Will” by Jed Cope

“When You Reach Me” by Kirana Marksohn

“Différents Chemins” by Thunderbolt 69

“A hunters game” by Vivacity Rex

“The Grassy Knoll” by Howard Seeley

“What Did I Do?” by Todd Crickmer

“Bialowieza” by Tyler Brines

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow” by Liam Curedale

“The Countdown ” by Kimberly Walker

“Not Another Adventure!” by Julie Grenness

“Nate's Fate” by Myranda Marie

“THE BLACK CROW” by Crysi Writes

“Roadside Diner” by Ron Robinson

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story in a coffee shop without using obvious words to describe it (e.g. barista, coffee cup.)

Write a scene in which a character’s behavior or reaction to something is affected by a past experience — without saying what that experience was.

Include dialogue that shows that a character is socially awkward.

Include a scene in your story in which a character's body language conveys their hidden emotions.

Contest #216

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

115

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: