There’s been an accident — what happens next?

Posted in Short Story on Sep 6, 2024

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✍️ 70 stories

“The Crash” by Amalie Bringardner

Submitted to Contest #267

I stared out the window of the car. My family and I were driving to my big high school graduation which, for some reason, was being held twelve hours away from the high school. It was storming furiously outside, and my family was starting to freak out a bit. “Maybe we should stop?” Mom suggested, looking outside nervously. “It’s really pouring and the roads could get slippery.” Dad shook his head. “If we want to make it in time for River’s graduation, we can’t stop.” I sighed. “If it’s getting dangerous, the graduation doesn’t matter.” “It’s...

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“The Accident ” by Molly Milsom

Submitted to Contest #267

Will they ever know?My cheek rests in a pothole, rain falls from the sky, pounding the dirt into thick mud. I’ll be an outline drawn with chalk soon. This is where they will point and say “the body was here” Open veins are seeing the setting sun, the clouds, the orange sky for the first time. My left hand is glued to the road in-front of my face. A pulp of flesh.I don’t know where my other hand is. Where my legs are. I can feel the gravel between my teeth, smell the thick wet concrete. I wonder how much time has passed. “What ...

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“The Office Must Be Destroyed” by Len Rely

Submitted to Contest #267

Special agent Aschach (pronounced Ah-shock) entered the office building a different way than the others. He looked up and saw a wingless helicon parking on the roof as the Sun started to set, probably that associate relations manager who was getting the axe tonight. He had to get inside the Time Management Bureau before that part of the building changed hands. He knew that between 6:15 and 6:27 no one would be looking at the office diplomat who was his escort (not because they were afraid of...

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“The short cut” by ANTHONY JOHN WILLIAM WILLIAMS

Submitted to Contest #267

The Short Cut.A small crowd gathered on the bridge to watch the scene develop below. I wandered over, pretending not to care. KBC News, a local Television studio, were giving live updates, "Looks like a walker found something earlier today... a body down there, in the trash. Seems like the Victim had been dead for a while, but the site was disturbed this morning. Police are looking into this tragic accident...”Site disturbed, was that me? No, I just got here. Victim? was it a murder then? I turned back toward wo...

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“Sunsets and Tears” by Danny Konczynski

Submitted to Contest #267

Cassandra and I had been together for two years, but I wanted more. So, it was time for me to start planning the next step and I knew exactly what I was going to do. And on a hot Wednesday in the middle of July, everything was in place. “Let’s go down the shore later, walk the boardwalk and grab a cheesesteak.” “Okay.” We both showered, got dr...

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“Mum, I’m Scared!” by Leigh Peters

Submitted to Contest #267

The smell hit first, even before my mind’s eye could grasp that I was, in fact waking up from something…when had I fallen asleep? I don't remember feeling at all tired.... in fact, I had been enjoying bouncing around on the back seat. Urg..that smell, acrid, overpowering. It’s tickling the back of my throat. I want to cough but my throat is just too dry. What happened? I remember being on the back seat. Window down. Enjoying the sun. Mum playing that noise she calls music, loudly, it hurt my ears. I remember he...

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“Angie's all about baby dragons ” by Renate Buchner

Submitted to Contest #267

The woman with the remarkably long silvery hair who always suits up for events like today's rubs her fingertips gently over the paper. She doesn't smile often, but as she finished the last sentence of the manuscript late at night, the corners of her mouth turned up. She squinted slightly when the first rays of sunshine appeared and the outline of her human-sized figure, Athena, moved across her creation. A positive omen?She approached the door and halted for a while. Her head rotated to the side, ensuring the manuscript faced down so the sun...

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“PAST THE TIME” by Jean-Ann Ridley

Submitted to Contest #267

Jenan Field-Ridley1115 wordsPROMPT: There’s Been an Accident - What happens next? PAST THE TIMEEdward woke from sleep. Was it time? It was getting late. It might even be past the time he should be picking up Terry from Kindergarten.Through the windows, he could see a group of schoolchildren approaching. Perhaps they would know where Terry was. There was even one with a curly mop just like Terry’s. Edward got up from bed and went to the window.“Hi!” he called. “Kids!” But to his surprise, the children drew back. Some started to giggle. Some e...

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“Assigned Angels” by Myra Cook

Submitted to Contest #267

It's funny how God puts stumbling blocks in your way so you can learn to overcome obstacles and to trust him. Starr and Dawn me under the circumstance of a car accident caused by a demon in a red mustang. These two ladies didn't know each other but was destined to meet by God's grace. Here's what happened and how they overcame the obstacles of their injuries and how God appointed his angels to guard them from the enemy. News bulletin: "There's been a car accident on I-75 heading towards Hamilton Blvd., looks like two cars collided...

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“The Calm of the Storm” by Michael Irving

Submitted to Contest #267

The Calm of the StormBy Michael IrvingJuly 9, 2021 “You will want to take shelter quickly. The rain and hail will hit any minute,” the officer yelled over the deep bass of the crackling thunder in the sky. He rushed to his car alongside his partner, signaled to indicate that he was entering traffic, then casually drove off as though this was another part of his day. If he let it get to him, then he would end up like me I suppose. The other driver I “met” that day put his hand on my shoulder in reassurance and asked, “Will you be okay?” I no...

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“Adolescent Tempest ” by Hyacinthos Hollow

Submitted to Contest #267

Skeel Nishiyama stared down into the courtyard, sparsely lit by dying lamplight, at the body of a woman who had lived only moments ago. Even from the balcony, the child could see blood pooling around the lifeless corpse, seeping into cracks lining the stone streets. He could smell it; blood was on the steel railing he clung to now, where she'd fallen back and ripped open her palm. He couldn't bring his voice out, the night as silent as the unmoving lump of flesh. The corpse of his mother. His insides threatened to spill out as the spinning s...

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“The Accident” by Janet Byron

Submitted to Contest #267

We were asleep in our beds, after a long hot day on the beach at Aghios Georgios, on the island of Corfu. It was the 1990’s and we had fallen asleep to the beat of disco music from the taverna across the road. It was difficult to sleep with so many tourists moving between the bars and nightclubs just below our window. The mosquitos were busy choosing which one of us to bite next. We were drifting in and out of sleep when suddenly we heard an almighty crash and screams. We shot out onto our balcony, to see below us a man laying in the r...

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“The Numbness of Shadows” by Liliana Tricks

Submitted to Contest #267

Before the Addiction: Before the addiction, my life was good. I was genuinely happy and felt accomplished. Despite a troubled upbringing—separated from my siblings and left in situations that child services noted but did nothing about—I grew up differently. My beliefs and mindsets changed due to the minimal support I received as a child. I made peace with the tainted relationship I had with my mother, metaphorically killing her in my heart to give myself a healing heart that couldn’t let go while she walked the earth. My biological father wa...

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“Five Minutes From Home” by David Willett

Submitted to Contest #267

A single headlight creates a tunnel of visibility through the backstreets of my suburb. A light downpour outside looks more like floating dust than rain. It's a good thing I know this area well enough that the void outside my limited field of view does not bother me. The darkness occasionally creeps in as the only working light blinks; I should get that fixed. Not that it matters. I am only five minutes from home; it is a problem for tomorrow. Right now, I want to soothe this tingle in my body with the warm safety of my bed. Who knew half a ...

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“Rock Bottom” by S. R. Whitworth

Submitted to Contest #267

What compels a human to pursue dangerous adventures – to pursue the unknown and risk mutilation and disability and to die tragic, horrific deaths – all in search of an adrenaline high? Alcohol, surely, would have been the safer option and the man who wedged himself between limestone would agree. He’d go back and tell his past self to forget adventure and hop down to the bar to break open a cold one with the boys instead of getting stuck between, well, a rock and a hard place. Christopher was no ordinary caver nor had this been his first acci...

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There’s been an accident — what happens next?

Submissions are closed

✍️ 70 stories

“The Crash” by Amalie Bringardner

“The Accident ” by Molly Milsom

“The Office Must Be Destroyed” by Len Rely

“The short cut” by ANTHONY JOHN WILLIAM WILLIAMS

“Sunsets and Tears” by Danny Konczynski

“Mum, I’m Scared!” by Leigh Peters

“Angie's all about baby dragons ” by Renate Buchner

“PAST THE TIME” by Jean-Ann Ridley

“Assigned Angels” by Myra Cook

“The Calm of the Storm” by Michael Irving

“Adolescent Tempest ” by Hyacinthos Hollow

“The Accident” by Janet Byron

“The Numbness of Shadows” by Liliana Tricks

“Five Minutes From Home” by David Willett

“Rock Bottom” by S. R. Whitworth

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story with two characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret.

Your character overhears something that changes their path.

Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm.

Your character wants something very badly — will they get it?

Contest #267

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

357

Contest entries

126

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: