Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions.

Posted in Short Story on Sep 13, 2024

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✍️ 33 stories

“Echoes of Yesterday” by Jax Wilder

Submitted to Contest #268

The shrill ring of my phone pierced through the quiet of my apartment, startling me. I glanced at the screen and froze. The caller ID was my own name. Not a friend, not a family member, but me. Heart pounding, I hesitated, fingers hovering over the answer button. My mind raced, trying to come up with some rational explanation for why I was receiving a call from myself. Then, curiosity got the better of me. I answered. “Hello?” My voice came out breathy, almost afraid. “Don't go back to him.” The voice on the other end was unmistakable—my voi...

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“No Do-overs” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #268

No Do-overs“I shall pass this way but once; therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”- Ralph Waldo EmersonDear future me,Don’t settle.Sincerely,Present SelfJohn thought it was clever, short, and to the point, good advice for any young person about to leave high school and wade off into the great unknown. A positive message- dream, strive, and make...

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“THE ANCHOR” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #268

I spilled coffee again.Of course, it had to happen while Rachel walked with legs on full display in that short skirt. The kind of skirt that makes your brain stop working. Not that my brain ever worked properly when she was around, but today was something else entirely.I stood by the coffee machine, staring at the dark liquid filling my mug, not really seeing it. My thoughts were elsewhere, specifically on how Rachel had walked past me earlier. I let my eyes drift over her for longer than I should have. My brain was short-circuiting, imagini...

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“The Echoes Of Magic” by Elizabeth King

Submitted to Contest #268

The candle flickered in Ithika’s study, casting elongated shadows across the stone walls. She pulled her woolen cloak tighter around her shoulders, her fingers tracing the edge of the ancient tome spread across her desk. Outside, the wind howled against the stone tower, a distant storm brewing in the mountains. The warm, familiar scent of parchment and dried herbs filled the air, but even that comforting smell couldn’t calm the unease that had settled in her chest. Tonight, she would finalize the spell. The one that could change the future o...

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“Mirror She-Me” by Kate Simkins

Submitted to Contest #268

I first saw her in the mirror.Me, but not-me.Same, but not-same.Beginning, flashes, something caught in the corner of my eye. Turning and then just seeing. Myself. Normal. Shrugging. The woman in the mirror responding as she should.But then, stopping. Her own movements. No denying her presence.There were differences; hair length and colour, not-same.And similarities; eyes, same. Expression when scared witless, same.She can’t talk to me. She is frustrated. She can’t hear me. More frustration.I write a note, scribbled on the back of a supermar...

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“Devil Always Collects” by Dan Coglianese

Submitted to Contest #268

Jareth’s heart swelled as his newborn son, Caius, wrapped his tiny little fingers around his pinkie. He gently caressed the soft hairs on his son’s head as Alessia held him in her arms. The nurse came in and asked, “How are we doing?” Alessia beamed as she looked up and said, “He’s perfect.” Grabbing his arm, the nurse asked Jareth, “And how about y...

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“The Longest Run” by Jennifer Luckett

Submitted to Contest #268

(This story deals with family violence and mental health issues.)Erin hated everything about Summer, especially the bugs, the storms, and the furnace of humidity when she stepped outside her front door. That morning, she reached inside the mailbox and grabbed a bundle of envelopes. She spotted the fallen postcard near the potted ivy when she dashed out the door for her run. She received one from Aunt Linda when she visited Paris, a trip Erin missed due to her diagnosis three years before.Erin flipped the card and read the message twice. Her...

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“All that Glitters” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #268

At the church that day, I had the strangest sense of déjà vu, like I had surely been there before although I don’t remember exactly when. I almost felt like I was in a dream, or as if I had been teleported there, time traveling or something. Everything felt surreal. I could hear the organ playing the bridal chorus. Here comes the Bride, all dressed in white. And the bride was me. I was there to get married. I could picture everyone sitting in the pews, bride's side on the left, groom’s side on the right. Everyone was expectantly waiting...

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“Message in a Bottle” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #268

John gazed out of the kitchen window in a fantastical trance. The world outside this window was a carefully crafted fantasy. The garden was overgrown now, but still it described a form of order that he could not exert on the aspects of his life that really counted. Life was wayward and chaotic. It presented a pretence of order for a while, and then it would unravel however a person reacted to the undoing of all their efforts. This John knew, was a death of sorts. A harsh end that handed him an opportunity to begin again. The assault course t...

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“A Note to Self” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #268

It was Note to Self, as he called it, from deep in his past. His first look at it was a shocker.Jason Talks to Himself Two Weeks Earlier “I wish that people were not so quick to tell me what I should do with my life, especially concerning my writing. Way too often I hear words such as ‘You should write a novel. You should write short stories. You have the imagination for both. You should not waste your talent by confining it to commercials. I am making a good living writing for television and radio commercials...

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“The Unpleasant Necessity of Making a Choice” by Laura Craig

Submitted to Contest #268

The mailbox had a distinct shimmer to it that evening. A look that Peggy decided was due to the sun lowering itself towards the horizon. She collected the various letters and one magazine. Back in the house she set the stack down, went into the living room, and sat down on the couch next to her husband who was mindlessly watching CNN. She picked up her wine glass, still half full, and took a small sip. Her husband reached for his own glass and drank down most of the red fruity alcohol in one swallow. Peggy stifled a sigh. She knew they would...

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“Choose the field ” by Kenzie Weitzeil

Submitted to Contest #268

Dear Mackenzie,I have meticulously crafted this letter to ensure it reaches you at just the right moment. It is absolutely imperative that I share this message with you now. The life we are living—filled with joy, love, and endless possibilities—began with a single, seemingly small choice made on this very day. That choice, though it may have seemed insignificant at the time, set the course for everything that followed.I know you might be feeling uncertain, standing at a crossroads, wondering which path to take. It’s easy to get caught up in...

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“You, But Not You” by Heidi Fedore

Submitted to Contest #268

I’m lying on my usual bench in front of Alimaster High School waiting for my boyfriend, Andrew, to pick me up. Late as usual. My foot jiggles off the end of the seat and my other leg is draped over the back of the bench. My mother would have a lot to say about my slouchy, improper position. At least, I’ll give her credit for keeping her peace about Andrew, who she says isn’t good enough for me. Like we all are given a value or something and should be with people who are on par with us. It’s hotter than usual for early June and I regret weari...

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“A Message from the Past” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #268

As the first rays of dawn crept through the gaps in the curtains, Alex woke to the persistent buzz of his phone on the nightstand. He squinted at the early light filtering through the curtains, its pale fingers stretching across his room. Groggy but curious, he reached over and fumbled for his phone. The notification light blinked insistently. As he picked it up, he saw a text message notification that seemed oddly out of place. The sender's name read: “Alex - 15 Years Ago.” Alex blinked, rubbing his eyes, thinking it was a trick of his stil...

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“Mother's day” by Amanda Stogsdill

Submitted to Contest #268

Warning This story contains themes of pregnancyMother’s Day by Amanda StogsdillStaring at the hospital door, I panic. As my heart accelerates, I'm dizzy. Can I do this? Keeping it isn't an option, if it's adopted, another family could love it. If it were terminated, my problem would be solved. That seems wrong, too. Killing an unborn child, just because I don't want it? It's kicking; I should feel something, but I'm dead inside. I can’t carry it for nine months, then give it up!Chewing my nails, I collapse on the graffiti-covered bench, gazi...

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Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 33 stories

“Echoes of Yesterday” by Jax Wilder

“No Do-overs” by Murray Burns

“THE ANCHOR” by Darvico Ulmeli

“The Echoes Of Magic” by Elizabeth King

“Mirror She-Me” by Kate Simkins

“Devil Always Collects” by Dan Coglianese

“The Longest Run” by Jennifer Luckett

“All that Glitters” by Kim Olson

“Message in a Bottle” by Jed Cope

“A Note to Self” by John Steckley

“The Unpleasant Necessity of Making a Choice” by Laura Craig

“Choose the field ” by Kenzie Weitzeil

“You, But Not You” by Heidi Fedore

“A Message from the Past” by Vera N

“Mother's day” by Amanda Stogsdill

🌟 Similar prompts

Your character gets everything they ever wanted — only to realize the true cost.

Write a story about someone seeking forgiveness for their past actions.

A character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. What are the consequences?

Center your story around a character’s attempt to escape a bad situation that inadvertently leads them back to the source of their problems.

Contest #268

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

286

Contest entries

128

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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