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

“A Greeting from the Edge of the Universe” by Dragon The Poet

Submitted to Contest #216

As an intern for Area 51, I’ve seen a lot of strange things. A lot of strange things. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Even before I got here, I’ve been doing research on extraterrestrial life, since the summer before I started high school. I remember being bullied for being obsessed with aliens in middle school, so the research stayed classified. My own way of showing that I wasn’t crazy. Sure I probably seemed as crazy as the Ancient Aliens guy Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (who ironically works here in the history department). I got a degree...

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“Pegs” by Rose Lind

Submitted to Contest #216

In the basket contained wet red cotton shorts, two black leggings pilling on the crutch, a wool blend navy jumper included in a laundry bag, nickers with various patterns and a pink dressing gown with faded coffee stains and cigarette holes. Each was lifted and left to dry in the Australian winter sun.We had had long, cold nights, westerly winds, and the adaptation was to catch the warmest part of the day and when the sun would air dry the garments.Australia has a unique washing line called the Hills hoist. Although the company closed their ...

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“All's Dark Here” by Lucy Robertson

Submitted to Contest #216

This story contains scenes that are graphic in nature and may affect sensitive readers. This includes bodily harm, violence, and a child's death. “They say the living ain’t never know what it’s like to be dead. But the dead know what it’s like to be livin’”. No truer words ever came out of my Mimi’s mouth before that moment. Even as a teenager, I reckoned that whatever happened that summer out in Rutherfordton County would be my opus into adulthood. My hair had finally grown out from an abysmal bowl cut sworn onto me since I was five, m...

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“Domonico” by Ariana Gregovich

Submitted to Contest #216

There’s a community with a population of 600, their location unknown to everyone but their two very powerful leaders, King and Prince. 10 years back, a child was having a dream, not realizing that what was happening in their dream was actually happening in real life. In the child’s dream they were slaying their parents. King and Prince didn’t want anything like this to happen again, so they made dream protectors... aka Domonico. At this, they came up with their new motto, “Maintain your happiness!”. Welcome to the community! Here is a m...

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“Escape of Broken Girls” by Ro Davis

Submitted to Contest #216

Disclaimer: This story contains sex trafficking and Suicide“The world is a dark and dangerous place.” That's what everyone says. That's what everyone believes. I guess that’s what happens when you live in this type of world.Let me start over. I am known as 14. We’re not supposed to talk about our birth names, I have a hard time remembering mine anyway. When I was 4 years old, I was taken and sold into the ring. The ring where we are kept in cages like animals. hung upside down for hours on end. Raped. Left shaking, cold and alone after ...

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“Graces in Dark Places” by S Nicole Langley

Submitted to Contest #216

Graces in Dark Places By S. Nicole Langley Magdalene felt as if she was stuck in such a dark place. She suspected that she was a bit lost in her own life and was not exactly certain how she had gotten there. She had recently made some uncomfortable choices such as entering into a relationship with a guy she had met online. He was kind, and posed no threat, but he seemed a bit too anxious for her liking. Everything was going so well for the first few months as they communicated via social media and phone calls, but as soon as the two ...

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“That's it: the night is lustrous, the cake is styrofoam, and the child is finally still. ” by Hosea Guy

Submitted to Contest #216

“Good,” the professor says, his deep voice echoing across the vast lecture hall, carried and emphasized by the microphone clipped to his collar. “Now, once you’ve written five ‘I am’ statements, we’ll take a look at the average responses from the population and see if they correlate with yours.” I examine the immaculate sheet of white before me, five proclamations of individuality scrawled in pencil between the blue lines: I am a writer. I am a son. I am a brother. I am confused. I am scared. The third s...

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“The Midnight Train” by Krysty Malys

Submitted to Contest #216

A name is usually the first thing we learn about a person. The woman told me her name was Mara, and I believed her. Somewhere in my memory, I knew her as someone else. Watching her as coal-black eyes bore into mine and long brown hair that hung around her beautiful face like a picture frame; I knew her. “Mara.” Repeating her name, I tried to shake the cold pit in my stomach. “I’m Kira.” Mara smiled knowingly. A ...

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“The Weekend of All Weekends ” by Shanelle Monique

Submitted to Contest #216

Work was finally over. Rain unlocks the front door, kicks her shoes off and falls on the couch. "Thank God it's Friday! A weekend of much needed relaxation" said Rain. She heads up stairs and runs a nice, warm bubble bath and turns on some music. Rain steps into the tub, sits down, and closes her eyes to relax. Then her phone rings. "Hello." said Rain. When the voice on the other end spoke, Rain quickly sat up. "Greg!" shouted Rain with a smug grin on her face. Greg and Rain's best friend Stacy were the ...

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“Soul Salvation” by Ava Dean

Submitted to Contest #216

This story contains themes of physical abuse as well as implied sexual and physical violence. Though it is not explicit, I do advise readers to take caution. February 12, 1818 - New Mexico She doesn’t know how long she’s been riding, she can only guess by the way the full moon now sits at its highest point in the inky blue sky. The luminous sphere is partially covered by deep gray clouds, limiting the only light source in the quiet desert unfurling around the neophyte outlaw. As she comes to a slow stop on her steed, she allows hersel...

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“The Enigma of Eccentric Tomes and Curiosities” by Chuy Leija

Submitted to Contest #216

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the deserted street, Sarah found herself standing in front of the mysterious old bookstore she had heard rumors about for years. Its sign, faded and nearly illegible, read "Eccentric Tomes and Curiosities." Sarah's curiosity had finally led her here, to this dark and narrow alleyway that was nearly hidden from the bustling city center. She pushed open the heavy wooden door, causing an antique bell above to chime with an eerie, melodic tone. The shop's interior was unlike anything...

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“Inspiration is a Nightmare ” by Alexandria Sammataro

Submitted to Contest #216

Samantha sighed dejectedly as she stared at the blank canvas in front of her. She had been sitting like this in her studio now for five hours, wishing for the tiniest bit of inspiration to strike her. But no, she had painters block. Samantha had been painting her own original works in her secluded cabin out in the woods now for three years. She liked being out in the woods. It was calm, there were no distractions, and inspiration was all around her- if she knew where to look. And Samantha was desperate for inspiration now, because she ...

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“Project Detonation” by Kearnon Henske

Submitted to Contest #216

Project Detonation By: Kearnon Henske “Buzz, buzz, buzz!” Carter's alarm was blasting. Carter woke up after a good night's sleep. He rushed out of bed, knowing that he had many things to do. While most kids would eat breakfast and get dressed, Carter didn’t have time for any of that. Instead, knowing that he had many important things to attend to, he ran through the house, out the door, and hopped on his bike, riding deep into the forest. He came to his destination, and after jumping into a hole, he plunged into a deep pool of wate...

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“Fascinating but odd....you decide” by David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #216

Fascinating, but odd….you decide. The first Friday of the month heralded my monthly dinner at my club with my great friend Henri. This little ritual had been going on for the last twenty years, always enjoyable. We were both Judges on Her Majesty’s Court. Our conversation and discussions tended to be about what had happened in the courts over the preceding month. I had a feeling tonight my story would integrity and fascinated Henri. The dinner menu was excellent and during its consumption we spoke about the previous month's mundane court c...

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“What Happened To John” by Susanne O'Connor

Submitted to Contest #216

What Happened To John The wheels rattled over the tracks. A conversation, an interesting one, roused me from my semi conscious sleep. I shouldn’t have been asleep; I had, after all, paid handsomely for this journey. I needed to take it all in. ‘He’s got five years, I wish it was more but that’s how it is,’ a middle-aged woman said. ‘There’s always a chance that things might change. Who knows with the way...

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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

“A Greeting from the Edge of the Universe” by Dragon The Poet

“Pegs” by Rose Lind

“All's Dark Here” by Lucy Robertson

“Domonico” by Ariana Gregovich

“Escape of Broken Girls” by Ro Davis

“Graces in Dark Places” by S Nicole Langley

“That's it: the night is lustrous, the cake is styrofoam, and the child is finally still. ” by Hosea Guy

“The Midnight Train” by Krysty Malys

“The Weekend of All Weekends ” by Shanelle Monique

“Soul Salvation” by Ava Dean

“The Enigma of Eccentric Tomes and Curiosities” by Chuy Leija

“Inspiration is a Nightmare ” by Alexandria Sammataro

“Project Detonation” by Kearnon Henske

“Fascinating but odd....you decide” by David Nutt

“What Happened To John” by Susanne O'Connor

🌟 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: