Write about a character reminiscing over something they should have said, and how their life would be completely different had they said it.

Posted in Sad on Nov 11, 2022

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✍️ 63 stories

“In The Meantime” by Danielle Marya

Submitted to Contest #172

The weight of time was heavy on her shoulders as she perched herself upon the outdated and torn cobalt vinyl-topped stool. She had been waiting for what he called "in the meantime" but for her this meant it was the end of their time. She was tired of hanging on the fringes of his lapsed moments and the expired memories of whom they had hoped to be. The sad thing, or rather it was quite pathetic, she knew at the beginning that this was going to be how it ended.He had slowly pulled his hand away from her even as the romance began. Each day, he...

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“Hidden Feelings” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #172

She picked up the clump of dry earth in her hand and threw it onto the wooden casket. Pale and sad faces were lined up on either side of the grave and as one person finished throwing dirt onto the dark wooden lid, the next person did the same. It was hard to imagine that there was a body in the casket and that just one week earlier he had been alive and breathing, walking around, laughing, working at a project that would never have his name on the final copy - giving all the credit to someone else. John wouldn’t have minded though; he was th...

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“Life goes on, but they will always be with you. ” by Courtney Alexander

Submitted to Contest #172

I anxiously rummaged through my grandma’s old box containing her belongings. I wasn’t sure what I would find, but all of her old mementos and knickknacks made me feel closer to her. It’s only been a few days since she left this earth, so I still longed for her presence. I took a deep breath and fought back the tears that threatened to stain my brown cheeks. I needed to be strong because I wanted to showcase something special about her at her funeral. My grandmother had a complicated past, so she didn’t exactly get along with everyone...

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“Righting a Wrong” by David Elkind

Submitted to Contest #172

RIGHTING A WRONG By David L. Elkind I tilted my head back and finished my second beer. It was my favorite, Guinness. Their motto is Good things come to those who wait, but today I felt that Bad things come to those who don’t think. I looked around and was disappointed that Danny hadn’t arrived yet. For...

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“Eviction Notice” by Chloe Downing

Submitted to Contest #172

"Every lie is two lies, the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it." I live in San Diego in a big, white brick, 500 square foot corner house with my mom and dad, and my dog, Bear. I live a pretty good life aside from the fact my parents are always working. I don't go to bed hungry, and I've got a beautiful house. Plus my dad finally managed to buy his own law firm last year, so you can imagine he makes a lot of money. But ever since that happened, most days it's just me and our maid, Frieda from the time i wak...

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“The Potato Eaters” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #172

The one word I'd use to describe him was gentle and quiet, so when he arrived late for his evening meal, his shirt soaked with his own blood, he told me he had shot himself. His brother Theo was notified and he spent the last few hours with Vincent until the early evening July 28. When he was discharged from Saint-Remy in May, the psychiatric staff decided that living on his own in a peaceful, rustic setting would be best for him. So they chose my inn, The Auberge Ravoux at Auvers-sur-Oise, 27.7 kilometers from the center ...

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“He's a Very Naughty Boy!” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #172

I have only one regret in this life of mine. I may have other regrets, but this single regret eclipses all else. Besides, this is the mother of all regrets and it spawned a series of regrets that followed on from the original, because once I started, I just couldn’t stop. No, that’s a lie. I could have stopped at any time, but I didn’t, and I often wonder why that was, as well as wondering what would have happened if I had put the brakes on everything and done what I suppose was the right thing, only, even now I don’t know whether that rea...

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“Home Alone ” by Lena Coleman

Submitted to Contest #172

Eli awoke at 11:00am on Christmas day with a hangover. He could taste the sleep on his tongue, a groggy dryness misted with last night’s whiskey. His eyes are burning from the pure white snow on the window. A nauseous headache.He checks his phone with no missed calls. No good morning texts. Only the stale porn he enjoyed last night staring back at him. Clearing his cell’s browser history, he is ashamed. He drags himself to the bathroom to piss, shuffling the holey socks he’s worn since Tuesday, pulling up h...

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“Fire All the Way Down” by Galaxy Grandeur

Submitted to Contest #172

Mikel stood on the rooftop, chest heaving as he realized there was nowhere else to go. Overhead, the fireworks lit the sky up in a series of magnificent colors. Shades of blue and red and green seemed to add millions of sparkling new stars to the sky. Past the celebration, Mikel could hear the screams and mad rush of people as the city panicked. Listening further, he could hear the pounding feet of his assailants as they raced up the stairs after him. Any minute now and they’d be upon him. For the hundredth time Mikel pondered if he had don...

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“The Bridge” by Colleen 0'Hara

Submitted to Contest #172

Standing on the ledge high above the car park he stared ahead unaware of the gathering crowd who were watching him intently. He had been there for the better part of an hour. Images darted around his mind like a broken record on repeat. They always found a way of coming to the fore. Even 40 years passing hadn’t lessened them. They say time is a great healer but not. If anything, it was worse. The pain seemed to live and breathe in every part of his body. He could still remember that day. Everyone had told him not to do it but being 17 he ign...

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“A One-Of-a-Kind Friendship” by Ali Rose

Submitted to Contest #172

What the hell is happening?12 years of friendship down the drain? How does that even happen? No warning, no goodbye, no explanation…Poof, just gone! Sam and I had met at a work function in 2004 and immediately just clicked. We lived in different cities but worked together daily, interacting via phone or internet. Our work relationship blossomed into friendship and when our jobs changed, we stayed in constant contact. I was 20 something, in a new city, my family halfway across the country and my then relationship...

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“Fraudulent Claims” by Kimberly McFetridge

Submitted to Contest #172

I’ve always considered myself a loyal friend. I’m as dependable as they come; if someone I care about needs me, I am there for them. I’m also good at keeping my friends’ secrets and never gossip to one friend about another. Unfortunately, in the past few months, my loyalty to Lani came back to ruin me. If I’d only said something to her when I suspected she was double- dipping and creating false receipts to Bloom Cosmetics, I wouldn’t be facing a fine of $10,000.00, possible jail time, astronomical lawyer fees, and the loss of my esteeme...

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“Woodgreen” by Erin Payne

Submitted to Contest #172

A whirring stream of bitter wind sang through the corridors of Woodgreen care home. “Mrs Sims?”, a somewhat clinical yet almost sweet voice called out - the type of voice that established a good working relationship without truly revealing anything about oneself. “You have a visitor”. Audrey Sims began to perk up from her crocheted blanket, “who could that possibly be?” She mumbled to herself - her surprise evidencing her lack of company she has generally. She didn’t have to wait long until the kindest face peeked around the door, the kindes...

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“I'LL THINK ABOUT IT” by Debbie Curtin

Submitted to Contest #172

It seemed like only moment in time when Vera answered her calling. The life she was currently living was what it was, a job, money in the bank and a boyfriend. But where am I going? Day after day it was the same old same old. Get up, figure out what to wear, stuff a lunch in a bag, out the door and off to work. Then as time went, the boyfriend she was on and off with in a casual relationship, who was anchored at his workplace due to family pressure, asked Vera a question out of the blue. It happened when they were out for pizza one night. Sh...

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“Home” by Troy Shu

Submitted to Contest #172

"The king may have his horses. The king may have his men. Only we can put our hearts back together again." ~ Unknown The much-anticipated night had finally arrived, and the whole kingdom was abuzz with excitement. He should have told them a long time ago. But no one would've listened. The Queen, in all her royal glory, lays on a chaise-longue in the magnificent ballroom, picking at some lint on her mink-skinned robe. The father, the King, sits on his worn armchair, engrossed in a leather-bound book without a second-thought for ...

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Write about a character reminiscing over something they should have said, and how their life would be completely different had they said it.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 63 stories

“In The Meantime” by Danielle Marya

“Hidden Feelings” by Valerie Preston

“Life goes on, but they will always be with you. ” by Courtney Alexander

“Righting a Wrong” by David Elkind

“Eviction Notice” by Chloe Downing

“The Potato Eaters” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“He's a Very Naughty Boy!” by Jed Cope

“Home Alone ” by Lena Coleman

“Fire All the Way Down” by Galaxy Grandeur

“The Bridge” by Colleen 0'Hara

“A One-Of-a-Kind Friendship” by Ali Rose

“Fraudulent Claims” by Kimberly McFetridge

“Woodgreen” by Erin Payne

“I'LL THINK ABOUT IT” by Debbie Curtin

“Home” by Troy Shu

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story in a world devoid of logic, where feelings govern all decision-making.

Write about a character who must confess their true feelings by midnight, or risk losing it all.

Set your story in an unfiltered world, where people are always honest about how they feel.

Write a story about a character who acts like they ‘don’t have feelings’ — except they’re just putting up a facade.

Contest #172

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

188

Contest entries

90

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: