Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Posted in Sad on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 43 stories

“No More Chances” by A.H Gilbert

Submitted to Contest #153

“I don’t want it to end this way.” Even though my thinking was slow, and my head throbbed in pain with every beat of my heart, I would have recognized Firas’ voice anywhere. I tried to turn in his direction, but the pain worsened. So, I just shifted my eyes and saw his narrow silhouette in the doorway of my cell. A blade of sunlight seeped in from a slit of a window behind him, the cell’s only source of fresh air. It wasn’t enough to relieve us from the stench of excrement, sweat and rot. I heard the big man in the corner shift. His heavy...

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“The Steeple and the Light” by J Ezioro

Submitted to Contest #153

When I walked into the house, the table was set and the food was steaming. My father rose, his chair screeching loudly on the tiles. The plates were empty—had he waited for me? I stood stock-still as he hugged me. I had expected screaming, curses in another language. My mother watching, empty-handed on the sidelines. That’s what happened the last time I was here—who could blame me for a pessimistic streak? I set down the wine I had spent too many minutes agonizing over in a grocery store aisle and tried not to think about how gaunt my father...

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“Willow on the Hill” by Kevin Alphatooni

Submitted to Contest #153

Horns blared as Linda sped through morning traffic on her mission to get me to the airport. I was surprised at how well she handled the big Range Rover. Thirteen years of marriage and I seldom saw this side of her. My hand hurt from gripping the bottom of my seat but, when we arrived in front of the Delta terminal on time, I gave a sigh of relief. Despite it being a Thursday, the terminal was already packed with people frantically trying to make their flight. “I’m proud of you for doing this,” Linda said. I took a long look outside. She had...

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“Saxum and Alex” by Kilcon Neatoe

Submitted to Contest #153

"I've always loved turtles." He said as he let the animal crawl out of his arms and onto the grass. It settled in a puddle and opened its mouth in response to Alex's treatment. "Does that mean it likes me?" Sax was busy picking rocks from the ground. "I think it's thirsty." Sax showed Alex the stone he found. "This one looks like pyrite, which is odd for a forest...

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“Sister Twister” by Marie White

Submitted to Contest #153

She shouldn’t have answered the call from an unfamiliar number, or, at the very least, should’ve hung up when the caller revealed her identity. Alexina had worn out her welcome five years ago, when she’d used the “skills” she’d practiced throughout childhood—often at Hannah’s expense—to lure the man Hannah loved into her arms. Since then, they’d shared no phone calls, no texts, no emails, no visits, no information whatsoever. She should have resumed the boycott. Instead, the couch beneath her groaning as she leaned forward, she’d blurted, “I...

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“Letters from Rachael” by Kristine Bone

Submitted to Contest #153

Letters From Rachael “Granny, you have a letter!” squealed six-year-old Kylie. “You never get letters!” The wide eyed, youngest great grandchild of Adeline Helm handed a small, white, wrinkled envelope to her great grandmother as she sat in her recliner. Adeline smiled, the wrinkles in her face creasing deeply, as she took the letter from her excited grandchild. Kylie got excited easily and for some reason today she thought this was a major life happening that her great granny was getting mail. Well, Adeline thought to hersel...

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“The Witch’s Horse ” by Jen Digate

Submitted to Contest #153

I approached the stallion from the side to avoid surprising him. Last time I moved too fast he whirled to face me and charged a few steps in my direction. We were both grieving and missed Ebb. I was lost because I was nowhere near done with my studies when she died. He was lost because they had built a living language between them and now it was gone. It had been made of breath, magic, movement and touch, beautiful things. I had four years as Ebb’s student. The stallion, Gravity, had twenty. Now we had inherited one another in a c...

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“The letter.” by Yumna Ariff

Submitted to Contest #153

My hands shake as I hold onto the ballpoint pen trying to collect my thoughts and actually do what I set out to do. It’s been weeks since I started ‘writing’ this letter to her. There’s this sick feeling in my gut that only shows itself when I think about that night. The feel of the metal against my skin and her telling me to just do it. Pull the trigger and end it. A single tear snakes down my face and I wipe it away as I shove the memory of that night away and take a deep breath and start writing,Dear Krissy,………My hand hovers over the cris...

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“Rifts And Ridges” by Jo Fredrickson

Submitted to Contest #153

Juniper sat, glancing at her watch every few seconds. She swung her legs in her chair, her green jeans making a swishing sound as they dangled back and forth. She picked at her brown sweater, scratching at a persistent mosquito bite on her dark-skinned arms. Every time the door to the Bistro opened, she leapt to her feet, but every time it wasn't Holly. She sighed, spooning her ever-cooling soup, picking at a softened potato. She pulled out her phone every few moments, checking trying to write Holly a text message, trying to say sorry, tryin...

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“Healing Begins With A Hug” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #153

Healing is the power to heal one's heart from unimaginable pain. Healing is the power to forgive and be forgiven. Healing is the power of love and it all begins with a hug. My family has been in a state of civil war for decades and the problem is no one knows why it all began, but we do know where it all began. This decades old rift began with my grandmother Julie and someone name Cindy. Over the years I asked my mother "Why grandma looks so sad?" My mother didn't answer. So, I went to my grandfather and I pleaded with him to tell me, he...

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“A Long Ride” by Martha M

Submitted to Contest #153

Sensitive content: Suicide, adult language The afternoon insects of summer were picking up intensity on their chorus as Sharon approached that same familiar, gut-clenching turnoff. Her heart fluttered as she steered, her ears beginning to roar almost loud enough to drown out the buggy thrums. “Don’t say I never did anything for you, big brother,” she mumbled. The car lurched up the steep, narrow driveway past the hideous sea foam green mailbox she’d always hated. Listening to her brakes squeal, she resisted the urge to spin a donut into...

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“Painful Ties” by Charae Smith

Submitted to Contest #153

Ceramic pieces of my favorite coffee mug shattered across the break room floor. Relieved that no one was in this early, I quickly swept up and disposed of my mess. I settled for a bottle of orange juice instead. My craving for caffeine disappeared after seeing those posters of Hillshire High plastered all over the back bulletin walls. They captured my attention for the rest of the day because I actually went there. Being one of the few high schools in town that was still afloat, my company was throwing a fundraiser to help raise money. The n...

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“The Rocking Chair” by Mandy S

Submitted to Contest #153

When the sun shifted low in the sky, not low enough to touch the water but enough to duck under the willow branches, it cast long rays of golden-orange light onto the rotting wooden porch of Herman Wells. His faithful, aging beagle, Charlie, faced into the light, letting it soak into his fur as he snoozed.Herman stroked a wrinkled hand over his companion from his rocking chair, which, like the porch, was old and full of splinters. The old man paid it no mind, though. The red faded blanket protected him well enough as a cushion. The crickets ...

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Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 43 stories

“No More Chances” by A.H Gilbert

“The Steeple and the Light” by J Ezioro

“Willow on the Hill” by Kevin Alphatooni

“Saxum and Alex” by Kilcon Neatoe

“Sister Twister” by Marie White

“Letters from Rachael” by Kristine Bone

“The Witch’s Horse ” by Jen Digate

“The letter.” by Yumna Ariff

“Rifts And Ridges” by Jo Fredrickson

“Healing Begins With A Hug” by Melinda Madrigal

“A Long Ride” by Martha M

“Painful Ties” by Charae Smith

“The Rocking Chair” by Mandy S

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a character learning to stand up for themselves.

Write a story about two characters who have been fighting for so long, they can’t remember what started it.

Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Contest #153

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

214

Contest entries

104

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: