Write a story about waiting — but don't reveal what's being waited for until the very end.

Posted in Nonfiction on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 323 stories

“No Rest for the Meek” by Alex Pilgrim

Submitted to Contest #49

I was bored, that’s the thing. That’s how all life changing stories start: the main character was bored on his phone. While mindlessly scrolling through my downloaded apps, I noticed I had Duolingo installed that I hadn’t checked out before. I vaguely remembered downloading it a few weeks before during a rainy weekend. I honestly didn’t care much about it but I had nothing better to do while I was waiting for the guys to show up. I scrolled past German, French, Irish, and Spanish – I had learned German thanks to my Austrian dad, and Spanish...

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“Waiting for the world to change.” by Sam Kirk

Submitted to Contest #49

Nina was nearing the café at which she was to meet Gabriella when her phone vibrated. It was a text from her bestie saying that she was running 15 minutes late. Nina rolled her eyes, let out a deep sigh, and placed her phone back in her jacket pocket without replying. Gabriella was late for almost everything in her life, including her own birth. The doctors had to induce labor two weeks after she was initially due.“Knowing her, it will be more like 30 minutes. Or more,” Nina thought to herself and frowned.Realizing that she had some time to ...

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“ Puppy” by Felicity Edwards

Submitted to Contest #49

A string of old trucks rattled up to the outskirts of the city. Half a dozen fit youthful men and women leapt out and gazed around. It was a post-apocalyptic scene played out at each place they stopped. They found a few knots of survivors huddled under crumbling masonry or cowering in still intact cellars. Starving, shell- shocked and hopeless, they gazed with blank eyes at the unknown people walking up to them. “Hello, we’re from the United Nations Aid scheme. We’re here to help, you can come with us now and we’ll move you to...

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“Mmmm” by Pamela Saunders

Submitted to Contest #49

In the beginning, you are in a good safe space. And in your space is perfect darkness. And the darkness contains a pulse of life, which surrounds and nurtures yourself and your sisters. There are many of you, very many - a whole crowd. You live in your space, content to solely be, unadventurous, safely nestled together. Just every now and again, at regular intervals, one of your community is chosen to make her way forth into a new unknown. None of you know why this is the way, or what comes afterwards, but you each accept that it is a good a...

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“Mission Success” by Ben K

Submitted to Contest #49

Italian loafers clack against the empty walkway of Parizska street. Street lamps light the way as Frankie peaks over his shoulder. Pale and sweating bullets. Frankie steps inside a phone booth in old town. Closing the doors shut behind him. Frankie puts his back against the phone while pulling at the black tie of his suit. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he looks around the street through the glass of the booth. “You're okay. It's okay Frankie boy. You can get through this just like everything else.” Flipping around, Frankie rips at t...

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“Waiting For The Right Moment” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #49

He arrived on the platform with time to spare, patting his pocket to make sure that the little box was still there. As he climbed aboard the train and made his way to a vacant seat, his mind returned to the heady moment when he’d decided to ask Violet to marry him. He’d felt giddy enough to want to blurt out his secret there and then, but a proposal needed to be perfect and so he’d resolved to do things properly: buy a ring, find a romantic little picnic spot, then go down on one knee and ask the most important question of his life. The car...

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“Going Home” by Conan Helsley

Submitted to Contest #49

“Going Home”By: Conan HelsleyThe cab stops in front of their house and I sit there wondering how I'll tell them. It's been difficult lately, ever since I had that outburst at Emily's wedding. They thought I was drunk, so I let them think that, it was easier than having the real conversation, easier than dealing with what was actually going on in my life. I laugh, and the cabbie kind of glances but goes right back to his phone. My laugh has been a bit startling of late. Sometimes I can't keep it under control. I fancy it s...

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“Retirement” by Knycki Taylor

Submitted to Contest #49

David put his eye to the telescope eyepiece, Mars was eluding him. With a sigh, he stepped back and hugged his jacket around him. The temperature had begun to drop after 8, and his light coat was not helping anymore. Walking back into the house he thought about what the problem might be. Mars should be large and visible tonight, and yet he could not get it into focus. Even in less than ideal conditions, it is close enough to get at least a red dot on the scope. He had been viewing it for 5 nights in a row since the beginning of O...

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“Six Days to Go” by A. Arima

Submitted to Contest #49

Six days to go. My heartbeats get faster every time I think about it. With every passing second, I can sense my discomfort growing larger than ever. It has been a long wait. I try my best not to think about it...or him! There are no two ways about it. I have to face him. If I avoid him, it would only be for a short period of time. He would send a letter at my place. I do not want anyone to get hold of the letter at home and give me those scornful looks, making me feel all the more guilty. Yes, I can postpone meeting him. I have done it on a ...

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“Waiting on a rainy day” by Sreedevi Mahapatra

Submitted to Contest #49

“Ouch , the same mistake again!” I am really dumb. Once again I am trapped in this little cage like room . How do I get out? Now I am on their mercy. I have to wait wait wait... I am glad that at least I can see through the scene around me through the mesh walls or else life would have been more miserable. Of course this is happening the third time. Twice I was lucky. The old lady took pity on me and let me go but now I can’t see her. Last time I heard talking to her son that she would like to visit her old friends and enjoy the ...

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“Waiting Alone” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #49

I just finished the last bit of available food. That should last me a little while. I worry how I’ll find more food. I’ll worry about that later. I still have plenty of water. As long as the deep thirst doesn’t hit me. If it does, I’ll need to ignore the urges. They come on so strongly and quickly. I must be strong. The food will take a while to process. But if I drink, I’ll need to relieve myself. There is no place for me to do that. I would have to use my bed. Well, the pile of blankets in the corner of the room that I use as my bed. T...

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“Worth the wait” by Varsha R

Submitted to Contest #49

The waiting room where I have been waiting for 15 minutes is completely filled with zero noise. That’s because I am the only person in the waiting room. I am highly strung. The tick tock of the clock hanging on the wall is making me get irritated. I am such a chatterbox and this ‘no-person in the room to talk with’ scenario is getting me high. Ah! I’m bored. Let me introduce myself. I’m Jane, from India. I graduated two years ago and now I work in a private company. I am a single child which means my parents are lucky so that they have to t...

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“the wish” by Nate R. Blade .

Submitted to Contest #49

Some people don't think before they wish the reason I say this is that I knew someone who got their family killed now, these were nice people but the daughter had anger issues she didn't get physical she just said horrible stuff if she didn't get her way. Before I tell you the story, I should tell you how I met them. One day I was going for a daily walk and as I walked back home when I was about half a block away I saw some unfamiliar people moving in. I walked up to the family as the daughter was throwing a fit, saying “I don’t have to help...

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“Feigning Tales” by Christine Johnson

Submitted to Contest #49

He arrives at the bench early, sitting about six inches to the left of the sun shade line. He measures his wait by how many times he has to scoot further to the left before his departure. He did not need to come out as early as he did. He knew it only increased the uneasy feeling that flowed through his belly, but the longer he remained close to the bathroom, the more he wanted to throw up. He had done his best to stay busy this morning. He made his bed and cleaned his side of the room. The distinction between his ...

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“From Whom to Where?” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #49

Peter DeLuccio sat waiting for what could have been three hours to three hundred years in the train station. There was no way of telling what the day or time was since he’d discovered that the area lacked any clocks or calendars. The sun sat low in the west, giving a dull glow on the tracks that seemed to lead right into the orange-gold ball of light, but even that was no use in helping with determining the time since the sky had looked the same since Peter had arrived here. Peter looked down and checked his ticket for the umpteenth t...

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Write a story about waiting — but don't reveal what's being waited for until the very end.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 323 stories

“No Rest for the Meek” by Alex Pilgrim

“Waiting for the world to change.” by Sam Kirk

“ Puppy” by Felicity Edwards

“Mmmm” by Pamela Saunders

“Mission Success” by Ben K

“Waiting For The Right Moment” by Jane Andrews

“Going Home” by Conan Helsley

“Retirement” by Knycki Taylor

“Six Days to Go” by A. Arima

“Waiting on a rainy day” by Sreedevi Mahapatra

“Waiting Alone” by Kat Gruszka

“Worth the wait” by Varsha R

“the wish” by Nate R. Blade .

“Feigning Tales” by Christine Johnson

“From Whom to Where?” by Chris Buono

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that takes place in a waiting room.

Write a story about a person waiting for an answer to a question.

Write a story about a relationship where one person is always running late and the other is constantly kept waiting.

Write a story about two strangers chatting while waiting for something.

Contest #49

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

1054

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: