Write about a character giving something one last shot.

Posted in Narrative on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 51 stories

“One Last Chance” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #136

“You need anything Mr. Abbott?” the nurse asked as she completed pumping nausea medicine and steroids into the bag that the chemo would drip from. “Michael,” Michael said with a warm smile as he retrieved a novel from his knapsack and placed it onto his lap. “Michael, I’m Mary,” the nurse corrected herself. “What book are you reading?” she asked, looking down at the novel that appeared on her patient’s lap. Michael glanced down at the novel and ran his hand along the front carefully, admiring the cover. “My granddaughter wrote thi...

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“The Last Hussar” by Chris Campbell

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #136

A new day dawned on the wastelands of Europe, bringing with it increased radiation levels as the rising sun heated up the parched ground, and unhindered summer winds blew radioactive dust through open windows, doors, and bombed out walls that once sheltered their evacuated custodians from the elements outside.Hugo Borscht, a reluctant denizen of the night, sealed the doors and windows of one of the remaining liveable apartments located on the outskirts of Kyiv. Seven floors up, each stairwell was protected from unwanted intruders and scaveng...

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“Dust to Dust” by Caroline Clausen

Submitted to Contest #136

Pain splintered throughout his body and turned his vision black. He blinked, trying to regain some of his composure, at least enough to see. He could hear the sounds of the struggle raging around him. Someone was screaming. Someone was calling for him. Someone was crying. Maybe it all came from the same person. He couldn't tell. He couldn't see. He let his eyes close. There was no point in pushing himself out of the dirt. He would just get hit and fall back down again. There was no point in trying. This was the end, he could feel it in his...

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“The Free Throw” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #136

The Free Throw You may have heard a coach say something like, “What the kid lacks in talent can be made up for with hard work and desire.” Don’t believe it. Timmy was small for his age, clumsy, slow on his feet, lacking in any semblance of hand-eye coordination, and saddled with vision only corrected to a functional level with Coke bottle thick lenses. Other than that, he had all the makings of a great basketball player. Timmy’s desire and work ethic were unmatched in the history of grade school sports, but he still stunk at ...

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“Last Chance” by Alice Richardson

Submitted to Contest #136

Last Chance Mum, dad and I lived on what you might call a hobby farm on the outskirts of a nice little country town. Big enough to have everything you could need, including a permanent doctor and staff in a well equipped medical centre, two hotels and two supermarkets. We had a few head of multi-coloured sheep that mum looked after lovingly. She used their wool to spin into thread that was then knitted into jumpers, jackets, scarves etc, that were very much sought after in the city boutiques. It was a lucrative business for her with the adde...

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“What's that.. Lurking?” by Mahi Raghawa

Submitted to Contest #136

Content Warning: Mediocre swearing, Suicide. "What the hell was that?" My friend screeched. "What happened?" I questioned. "I don't know, I just saw something standing behind that damn tree!" I turned around to the direction he was facing and I went in closer for a better look. I was walking through some diminutive twigs and kept giving myself a jump scare each time. As I leisurely made my way towards the instructable 'figure' my friend had spotted, I managed to make out some details about it. "That isn't a figure, It's just a stupid Lamp!"...

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“Nine Glass Doors” by Luke Schumacher

Submitted to Contest #136

When I open my eyes, all I can feel is a gust of cold air. It makes me shiver, but that’s not what I’m focused on. What I am focused on is the white room around me, with three brown doors imprinted into them. Where am I? I stand up, and immediately shiver. I’ve always been a warm blooded person, so it’s safe to say I don’t do the best in the cold. I turn around and see another door, parallel to one of the three. When I reach for the handle and try to twist it, it just stays in place. It’s locked. Did I get kidnapped somehow? The last thing...

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“Writer's Block” by Kathryn Gabrielle

Submitted to Contest #136

Jimmy tosses his sweaty orange socks on the floor next to the bed. It had NOT been a good day. When he found the old typewriter at the yard sale he knew he had to buy it. True, the letters were all but worn off, but he loved the smell of it. And, miraculously the carriage still moved. He tried to write for a little while, but nothing worked. Now, he was restless, so restless. Why couldn't his mind just slow down?Crumpled papers litter the floor, making an odd pattern. Jimmy unscrews a burnt out light bulb and throws it across the room in tot...

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“Last Valentine's Day Part Three” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #136

The case was closed. The District Attorney had charged Nick Amberly with the murder of Kathy Lockhart, and he was ready to go to trial. As far as everyone was concerned, it was over. Detective McClay knew he should be working on another case, but he wasn’t. Though all the evidence pointed towards Nick when McClay arrested him, now his sixth sense was ringing like an alarm bell. Something’s missing, he thought. No doubt he drove her out there, but there’s no sign of a struggle. Why didn’t she put up a fight? Her case file seemed to have a pe...

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“Stick to the Plan” by Clyde Laffan

Submitted to Contest #136

I dunno if I should be telling you all this. Ma warned me if I go blabbing to folks like you, then others in these parts may say I've lost my marbles or some-such-thing. “Remember what happened to Billy Sanders,” she had said, then whispered, “God hates a sinner.” I promised to keep my mouth shut, and I did, but when I was awoken this morning from a fitful sleep by a flock of loud, squawking cockatoos perched outside my window, I knew I needed to reveal all. I’ll be quick. The doctor, the one with the crew cut and clipboard, will make his ro...

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“Relative Dimensions In Space” by Michael Regan

Submitted to Contest #136

“Stand still, I can’t believe after all these years you haven’t learned how to tie a bow tie.” “I told you I should have bought a clip on tie.” ### Tim Westland was one of the growing bevy of young Canadian high tech multibillionaires. His small software company in Sidney BC developed one of those boring programs that nobody has ever heard of but one that secures international bank transfers. It was one of those ideas that are so blindingly obvious you can’t help thinking “Why didn’t I think of that.” In 2025 he sold his company to a...

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“One Last Shot” by Joe Rafferty Bailey

Submitted to Contest #136

ONE LAST SHOTAs she walked through the cemetery, jeans artfully ripped at the knee, Elise realized the winds that struck the tombstones were also running through her. This helped her feel at peace and not so alone, as she stood among her dead friends – the only ones who might understand her current state. But then the image of her wall calendar flashed through her mind, and her stomach dropped with the realization that she had to chaperone her son’s Valentine’s Day dance. This wouldn’t normally be such a big deal; however, she’d recentl...

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“One Last Gift” by Cora Irelan

Submitted to Contest #136

It had been several hours, and the room was beginning to look a little like a landfill. Lucille pulled another dress from the back of her closet. She examined the garment closely, not even recognizing it, until the memory suddenly came back to her. It had been five years ago; she’d found the thing on sale at J.C. Penny’s and convinced herself that she would wear it to an interview or a funeral. She’d never worn it. In fact--she reached in through the small neckline opening--yes, the tag was still on it. She tossed it onto the top of the ever...

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“Light Entities ” by Tom Falconer

Submitted to Contest #136

It had been six months since Light Entities had been released. For six months—gamers tried to beat the game. For six months—gamers had failed. Gamers weren't hunting for a faster speed-run or a 100% completion achievement: they just wanted to beat the damn thing.The top of the Playstation 8 console lifted up and the upper half of John's body was exposed. "That wasn't so bad John, I've seen you do worse." Ryan said "I'm done Ryan, I'm done. I'm not playing this garbage anymore," John said while exiting the console."You can't quit!?!...

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“One Last Shot” by D.A. Dawal

Submitted to Contest #136

Hi, it’s Yaro. Can we talk? Please. After reading his message, I said SCREEN OFF to put my phone’s display in standby mode. Since he returned from the pilot colony on Mars last week, he kept calling and sending messages, expecting I would agree to meet. I lost count of how many times I blocked his number so he couldn’t bother me anymore. Maybe, it was thirty times. Maybe more. But he always had a new number to use for bothering me. A tiny ant on my dashboard tried to drag a cookie crumb, reminding me that my last visit to the car wash ...

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Write about a character giving something one last shot.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“One Last Chance” by Kathleen Fine

“The Last Hussar” by Chris Campbell

“Dust to Dust” by Caroline Clausen

“The Free Throw” by Murray Burns

“Last Chance” by Alice Richardson

“What's that.. Lurking?” by Mahi Raghawa

“Nine Glass Doors” by Luke Schumacher

“Writer's Block” by Kathryn Gabrielle

“Last Valentine's Day Part Three” by Howard Seeley

“Stick to the Plan” by Clyde Laffan

“Relative Dimensions In Space” by Michael Regan

“One Last Shot” by Joe Rafferty Bailey

“One Last Gift” by Cora Irelan

“Light Entities ” by Tom Falconer

“One Last Shot” by D.A. Dawal

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with someone saying “You’ll never know unless you try.”

Write about somebody who knows they’re probably going to fail at something, but does it anyway.

Set your story on a baseball field.

Write a story where hard work doesn’t pay off.

Contest #136

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

207

Contest entries

100

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: