Write a story that ends by circling back to the beginning.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 214 stories

“Not Your Fault” by Claire Taylor

Submitted to Contest #42

My eyes are drawn to the lanky-looking girl across the room – specifically, her hands. She’s wringing them mercilessly on top of her long, bouncing legs. I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it. I can only look at her for a few seconds before I feel my leg start to bounce with hers. She’s anxious and I’m the one being thrown into a new home with no warning. I hear the man, d...

19 comments 19

Read story

“Sweaty Hands and Date Plans” by Aqsa Malik

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #42

We sit side by side, not holding hands, but not not holding them either. It was that awkward stage in our relationship where actions were tacit, but still primitive enough to be carried out with extreme caution. God forbid one party made the wrong move, and everything ended as quickly as it had begun.So we sit, our hands slightly touching, one brushing the top of the other. Enough to create sparks, but not entirely enough to trigger a full-fledged hormonal awakening. Eesha's eyes flit to our hands, barely illuminated by the neon lights flood...

4 comments 4

Read story

“THE OUTCAST” by Patricia Buyu

Submitted to Contest #42

The OutcastI was born after a heart-throbbing love story between two young lovers went sour. My young mother had her whole life ahead of her, but I brought it to a stop. My coming was unplanned, unexpected, not welcomed, yet imminent. My mother met my father when she was still at the thresholds of her teenage years, still swayed by my father’s boyish cat calls along the high school hallways that led to their classes, ‘corridors of love’ they called them, and nicely written romantic letters that were always overpopulated with poetic expressio...

20 comments 20

Read story

“Back to Dreams Aphotic” by Mackenzie Littledale

Submitted to Contest #42

A Short Story by Mackenzie LittledaleInspired by a poem by Shona MossNarcoticOrland let out a primal grunt as he climaxed. He collapsed and rolled onto his back beside the foreign woman, whose name escaped him. “You can go now,” he said, losing interest in her. Orland moved to sit at the edge of the bed with his back to her so he didn’t have to see her delicate porcelain features out of sorts. Sneering, he reached behind to push her clothes in her direction.She gasped, clutched her clothes and hurried to dress. Orland followed her to keep he...

8 comments 8

Read story

“Turning back time” by Kira Krieger

Submitted to Contest #42

The night had been very long. Ambrose and Odin spent the whole of it looking up at the stars. They made-up absurd constellations, laughing themselves to sleep on a grassy hill facing the San Francisco bay. Odin awakened to the sun in his eyes. He glanced over to Ambrose, who was snuggled up in a ball with his bag of odds and ends. Odin swiveled his gaze out to the water. His eyes grew, and his jaw dropped. “Ambrose!” Odin stammered, pulling on the blanket under them. Ambrose clenched tighter before rolling over and squinting at Odin. B...

2 comments 2

Read story

“It's in our blood” by Palash Jhawar

Submitted to Contest #42

As I walked up the dark staircase, each step felt like I was climbing a mountain. My breath was ragged and my chest felt heavy. I put my left hand on the sidewalls for support and could feel the faint thumping of music originating nearby. I could feel something dripping down my brows, sweat or blood – I could no longer tell. The fingers in my right hand were cut and swollen, and holding my gun with it no longer seemed viable. But I had to. I had to reach the top of this staircase and I knew what was waiting for me there. And if I wanted any ...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Karma's Injuries ” by Ivy Moonlit

Submitted to Contest #42

I wasn’t supposed to be out, but I just had to clear my mind. I just had to get out. I shouldn’t have been walking down dark alley ways, I was always reminded they were dark and dangerous. Why was I walking there? The last thing I remember was foggy, but I think I heard footsteps running, they were trying to be quiet, make a quick escape, or were they screaming? I couldn’t quite grasp the memory anymore. I fell down, did I lose my balance, or was I pushed? Did I get knocked out of the way? I couldn’t even remember why I needed to clear my he...

1 comment 1

Read story

“And If You Pardon Me” by Christopher G

Submitted to Contest #42

“…And if you pardon me…da-da-da-da…forever in blue jeans...” I sang in the voice of a seasoned smoker, out of tune with Mr. Diamond’s static-soaked voice on the radio that lay dangerously close to my aged CB. I sighed with a stoic acceptance that it wasn’t in the cards for me to become the next Neil Diamond, not even with liquid courage in the shabbiest of karaoke dive bars. As a matter of fact, my voice could probably make a deaf person blind. No, there is no logic behind that hyperbole, but these are the type of philosophica...

9 comments 9

Read story

“Words at a Wake” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #42

“I hate to say this,” said Olivia’s cousin Maxine, who had a habit of saying things she hated to say that would have seemed to be borderline masochistic if she didn’t enjoy it so much. “But to a large extent, and I know you’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead, he was the architect of his own misfortunes!” She was speaking to Olivia’s neighbour, Edna, a timid, but thoroughly nice little woman, who had been put in a thoroughly awkward position, but to her credit, said, “Well, I always found him a perfect ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Woman unnoticed ” by Sayani Sarkar

Submitted to Contest #42

It was probably ten o’ clock on a cold winter morning. There was a light which fell directly on her face waking her up. It was a big crack on the nearer side of the window that the small curtains couldn’t cover.She had meant to get the crack fixed. She had even called a guy last week.But nobody seemed to pick up the call most of the time and the one time they did,they kept saying ‘we can’t hear you’. It’s one thing for people to ignore her in person knowing that she wasn’t a very attractive person nor had a great personality but it’s another...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Deja vu” by Catherine Stevens

Submitted to Contest #42

The neighbors dog was barking incessantly, its high pitched wail is setting my teeth on edge. Groggily I roll over and cram my pillow over my head, but it does little to silence the noise. “Shut that dog up” I shriek at nobody and everybody. My head feels like its going to burst, I am so tired I can barely open my eyes. My body ache...

2 comments 2

Read story

“On the Run” by Anastasia Ifinedo

Submitted to Contest #42

My life was pathetic. Under the cover of a cloudless night, I'd dashed into the woods. The rain hid my scent and covered my tracks. Still, I knew I wasn't safe; it was only a matter of time until the police caught me. Maybe, I'd kill them too. The dogs were barking, eager to sniff me out. I could hear their owners ordering one another. Find her, a man said. You're only making this worse for yourself, darling, another soothed. Lies. They'd say anything to stop me, but I'd never fall for their tricks. I will escape. Or they die....

7 comments 7

Read story

“Ants” by Smudge Himmel

Submitted to Contest #42

Peter was staring at ants. It was an easy thing to do: crouch down and watch as their red and black bodies spun over the pavement like a roller coaster in two dimensions. His breath fogged against his glasses. It wasn't a cold day, far from it, but wearing a medical mask over his nose and mouth had that effect. The elastic straps pulled uncomfortably at his ears. The sun was hot on his neck and gleamed off of the ants' carapaces. Peter pulled out his phone and without looking dialed his friend Celia. After five rings she picked up. "Peter?" ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Star Kiss” by Keith B.

Submitted to Contest #42

Out of all the rock concerts Chris had been to this was the loudest and most electric. He would not had guessed that a childhood crush of his would be a lead singer in one of the most promising indie rock bands of its’ time. Chris stood in the middle of the crowd several feet back from the medium size stage. He was shoulder to shoulder with very excited, sweaty, drunk young male and females, who were also pushing, screaming and smoking. The girl in front of him was lifted up onto her boyfriend’s shoulders. She joyously raises her hands in th...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Summer Ritual” by Jessica Orenstein

Submitted to Contest #42

It was a humid summer night as Sydney, Sasha, and Simone, the "three S's" as they were often called, sat on the beach just after midnight, a week before school started. The water stretched out in front of them, smooth and calm, a mirror, reflecting the moonlight. The sky was dusted with 1,000's of stars that twinkled and winked at the girls, just as they had done each year, every year, since the summer after 1st grade. This had been their special tradition for as long as they could remember- a precious ceremony, where they ...

4 comments 4

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that ends with the narrator revealing a secret.

Mystery – 162 stories

Write a story that ends in the past.

Teens – 68 stories

Write a story that ends with a character asking a question.

Narrative – 260 stories

Write a story that ends with one character waiting for the arrival of another.

Kids – 199 stories

Contest #42

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: End of Story

$50

Prize money

903

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 22, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: The Firebird's Answer

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story that ends by circling back to the beginning.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 214 stories

“Not Your Fault” by Claire Taylor

“Sweaty Hands and Date Plans” by Aqsa Malik

“THE OUTCAST” by Patricia Buyu

“Back to Dreams Aphotic” by Mackenzie Littledale

“Turning back time” by Kira Krieger

“It's in our blood” by Palash Jhawar

“Karma's Injuries ” by Ivy Moonlit

“And If You Pardon Me” by Christopher G

“Words at a Wake” by Deborah Mercer

“Woman unnoticed ” by Sayani Sarkar

“Deja vu” by Catherine Stevens

“On the Run” by Anastasia Ifinedo

“Ants” by Smudge Himmel

“Star Kiss” by Keith B.

“Summer Ritual” by Jessica Orenstein

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that ends with the narrator revealing a secret.

Write a story that ends in the past.

Write a story that ends with a character asking a question.

Write a story that ends with one character waiting for the arrival of another.

Contest #42

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

903

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: