Write a story in which someone time-travels 25 years or more into the past.

Posted in Short Story on Jan 10, 2025

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✍️ 75 stories

“WHEN MUSIC WAS A THING” by Latoya Edwards

Submitted to Contest #285

Mikala Jackson stared out of her history class window letting her thoughts wonder away about the world. She looked beyond the array of students sprawled across the campus lawn engaged in deep signing conversations, pass the rows of mini semi-conductors that lined the coast, and stared at the distant ocean. This world was nothing like the world she read about in her History of the Old America course. The old America seemed so vibrant and alive. It was so much to do, so many ways to interact with each other, and most of all, the world had soun...

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“The Time 2000” by Emerson McConnell

Submitted to Contest #285

This was the time when I became the world youngest, but most famous, scientist of all. It goes like this: 'Abby!'' Mom calls from downstairs. I'm busy fiddling around with my grandpa's broken computer. People from all around the world send me broken items that they can't seem to fix, but I can. I'm not in it for the money. I'm in it for the satisfaction of fixing things other people think are impossible to fix. "Let's go Abby!'' Mom calls from downstairs again. I stand up and sigh. It's time for me to perform in my talent show. For many year...

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“Lost in Time” by Jaxon McGinn

Submitted to Contest #285

In the year 2026, Eliza Trent was a brilliant physicist known for her groundbreaking work in quantum mechanics. Her lab housed the world’s first functional time machine—a sleek, pod-like device that used a controlled wormhole to bend space and time. Although intended for observation rather than travel, Eliza couldn’t resist the temptation to take a small leap into the past, just to test her theories firsthand. On a quiet night, with her colleagues gone, she set the machine to transport her to 1995—a year she remembered vividly from her child...

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“Past Imperfect” by Robert Radcliff

Submitted to Contest #285

The hum was a low thrum in my bones, a vibration that resonated with the very fabric of reality. I gripped the worn leather of the temporal displacement device, a contraption I'd cobbled together from schematics found buried deep in my grandfather's attic. Tonight was the night. Tonight, I’d finally fix the biggest mistake of my life. 25 years ago, I'd let her go, and the ghost of that decision had haunted me ever since. There was hardly a day that went by that I did not consider my decision and regret it. The numbers on the device flickered...

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“Solar FlashOut” by Chris Cancilla

Submitted to Contest #285

Benjamin Jensen sat in the middle of the woods. The snow silently fell around him, and on him for that matter. He had a cup of coffee with some whiskey added for flavor. The January campout was going well, and he volunteered to stay at the site and keep the fire going. The temp was warm and toasty at zero degrees. However, he was adequately dressed and properly fed, and with his beverage, he was happy.As he looked into the forest behind the campsite, he saw fog. “Snow fog, interesting.”He stood and dropped more wood on the fire so it stayed ...

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“Beyond Broken” by Deborah Sanders

Submitted to Contest #285

Trigger Warning: car accident involving children,grief, anger“Michael? Are you going to walk the dog?”“Soon,” I called back.The mission of clearing out the basement was well underway. My wife, Rachel, and I were emptying out my dad’s house, my childhood home, preparing to sell it. I wanted to sort one more box, the one marked “Mike”, before taking Daisy on her walk. Inside, I found my high school yearbooks which were keepers, and below them, various sports team pennants and towels, all of which I decided to discard as donatio...

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“Contrition” by Lety H

Submitted to Contest #285

Tuesday, 11:02pm &nb...

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“JAYLEN'S JOURNEY TO THE PAST” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #285

Jaylen's journey home to Harbor Haven continues when she unexpectedly goes to the past and witnesses the beginning of the love story of her parents. Nine years is a long time to be away from home. Reading my father's last words gave me the strength I needed to pack all my belongings and leave Glenn Brook for good. I still don't know how my dad's letter found me, I'm glad it did. His words gave me what I needed to find peace. It still hurts that he's not here but at least I have a piece of him with me. I'm eager to get back to Harbor Haven, I...

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“Thirty-Three Seconds” by Muneer Barakat

Submitted to Contest #285

"What if I and 'me' were in the zone?"The nurse ghosted me. The only woman in my 35 years who had seen me naked, Still, she never said a word to me. She must find me repulsive. Stupid flimsy gowns, you can't hide a boner in them. Well, if everything worked out and I landed those two million bucks, maybe she'd look at me in a whole new light."What if I screw up?" I wondered aloud, scanning the room for any changes, a habit I picked up few days after I signed for this crazy scientist project seven weeks ago. It looked like a tiny hospital room...

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“Echos of the Past ” by Kara Celeste

Submitted to Contest #285

“Hey, I gotta go.” She snapped her phone shut and peered out the windshield. Towering above her was a three-story, turn-of-the-century mansion. Its red bricks were stained black, and wild bushes seemed to reach out toward her. She pulled out her phone and opened her texts. “Do you remember that dream? I think I just found the house.”The rubber keys groaned as she typed each word. She hit send and snapped her phone shut. “Before 7 PM, my ass,” she chuckled to herself. The expansive field behind the mansion was concealed...

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“LOVE ACROSS TIMELINES” by Maria Barrett

Submitted to Contest #285

The flickering neon sign of the "Time & Tide" bar cast an eerie glow on Elara's face. Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside her. Tonight, she was taking a leap into the unknown, a desperate gamble to save the future. Elara, a renowned chrono-archaeologist, had stumbled upon a chilling discovery: a catastrophic event, a "temporal fracture," was about to shatter the very fabric of time, erasing the 21st century from existence. The only way to prevent this cataclysm was to travel back to 1990, the year the frac...

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“His name was Jonathan?” by David Cantwell

Submitted to Contest #285

Here? Where is here? Or the better question, when is here? Once again I find myself trapped in a maze of my own design. A new trap every day. Sometimes I find myself in the oddest of places. Today, I’m standing out in a road nothing around me except the tumbleweeds and cactus strewn across the sand-colored landscape that surrounds me.Ever since my first time, my only time, in that machine, I’ve found myself each day in some place I never planned to go. Place isn’t the right word; time is more correct. I’m the world’s first time traveler; as ...

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“The Time Watchers ” by Lee Kendrick

Submitted to Contest #285

The Time WatchersBy Lee Kendrick “Sir, don't you think it odd that in the past six months, Interpol has known every serious case of ours before we even told them?” Detective Inspector Cuthbert asked.“Well, sergeant, I agree they have been on the ball, especially these last six months, but it's only because they have better technology than we do!” Replied Superintendent, Dayton.“ Pardon me, sir, but what type of ball– a crystal ball!” Inspector Cuthbert quipped.“Anyway, Inspector they get us results, and that is what counts!” The S...

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“Windows in Time” by Clay Sisler

Submitted to Contest #285

I rushed inside and slammed the door behind me as I escaped the cold. Unopened mail littered the floor, the unmistakable mess of a man who hadn’t been home for quite some time. The house was as cold as a freezer. I kept my coat on as I adjusted the thermostat. I started the heat and smelt the dust burn as the heat began to waft through the vent. Satisfied, I passed by the living room where the furniture sit covered by white sheets, past the closed door of the first floor bedroom, and made my way into the dark kitchen. I flipped on the light...

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“Second Chance at Then” by Andria Mackinnon

Submitted to Contest #285

“I’m sorry, but you didn’t get it.”I blink, my heart already racing. “What? I…I failed?”My boss, Betty – full name Bethany – shakes her head, her eyes narrow, and her lips purse together.“But I worked so hard.”She shakes her head once more. "You will need to wait until the next one is announced."“But I worked so hard. How is this possible?” My voice rises, angered.“Celeste, please sit down.” Betty raises her hands to the sides of her face.I realize that I have moved out of my chair. “Sorry.” I slide back down and exhale slowly and deliberate...

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Write a story in which someone time-travels 25 years or more into the past.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 75 stories

“WHEN MUSIC WAS A THING” by Latoya Edwards

“The Time 2000” by Emerson McConnell

“Lost in Time” by Jaxon McGinn

“Past Imperfect” by Robert Radcliff

“Solar FlashOut” by Chris Cancilla

“Beyond Broken” by Deborah Sanders

“Contrition” by Lety H

“JAYLEN'S JOURNEY TO THE PAST” by Melinda Madrigal

“Thirty-Three Seconds” by Muneer Barakat

“Echos of the Past ” by Kara Celeste

“LOVE ACROSS TIMELINES” by Maria Barrett

“His name was Jonathan?” by David Cantwell

“The Time Watchers ” by Lee Kendrick

“Windows in Time” by Clay Sisler

“Second Chance at Then” by Andria Mackinnon

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in the form of a landline phone conversation.

Write a story from the POV of a now-defunct piece of technology.

Write a story about people preparing for Y2K.

Write a story with a character or the narrator saying “I remember…”

Contest #285

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

430

Contest entries

147

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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