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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write an open-ended story in which your character’s fate is uncertain.

Posted in Short Story on Feb 7, 2025

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 95 stories

“The Last Stop” by Denise Walker

Submitted to Contest #289

Grace awoke to the rhythmic clatter of steel wheels against tracks. The train rocked softly, inducing a strange sense of disorientation in her. It was like a thick fog, enveloping her senses and leaving her feeling lost and helpless. She blinked repeatedly, attempting to align herself as the dim glow of overhead lights cast elongated shadows across the aisle. The shadows revealed rows of empty seats stretching endlessly in both directions, enhancing her feeling of isolation. "I'm on a train; how did I get here?" Grace whispered. She sat up s...

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“No One Will Know” by Heather Stephens

Submitted to Contest #289

No One Will Know            The brilliant reflection off the speed limit sign flashes in my eyes, before I read another ten mile per hour drop. The car doesn’t slow as we pass by.           “You shouldn’t go so fast.” I say.           Kevin huffs from the driver’s seat. “No cops out now.” The last streetlamp on the edge of town flickers as we approach, as if it’s some sci-fi tech...

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“Hanging on by a Thread” by Ramani Yeruva

Submitted to Contest #289

The colorless guise in the midst of peril was I, Zara Antonelli. It was a cold April day in Craco, Italy and the clock struck five. The death hour. The hour that reminded me why I spent my days alone in my lodging. I had no life anymore, at least not after the abiding reminiscence of my past. Vincent was truly such a pure, young spirit. No soul would dare end a life like his. Yet here I am. Unable to escape the torture nor face it, I live lifeless. I noticed a familiar person approaching through the window. The woman bearing mail t...

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“On the ledge” by Andrea Junge

Submitted to Contest #289

The man drove until he could drive no more and when he could not go another mile he stopped by the side of the road.He left the motor running, lacking the will and  the energy to turn it off and without ever looking back he started walking, in a straight line, away from the highway and into the forest. It was the last days of summer and the air was full of sounds and smells and colours but all he was looking at was his boots. He set one foot in front of the other, not caring where they would lead him.The man was limping slightly fr...

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“Tempus Fugitive” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #289

This neighborhood definitely wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Amidst towering skyscrapers and opulent hotels, a squat grey building of only three stories sat looking as out of place as a dowdy aunt at the Oscar awards. Samantha Reilly checked her GPS once more: this was definitely the right place. Exiting her car, she made her way towards the unassuming looking structure, her mind running over the letter she’d recently received. “If you want information about the downtown killings, come to this address.” It was years since anyone had put pe...

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“Valley of Dreams” by SRI KANDULA

Submitted to Contest #289

The valley was a microcosm of the American dream. With a population of just over 40,000 people, Larkspur Valley was home to both the foreign haves and homegrown have-nots. It was a community on the edge of peace, waiting for someone to give it a little push.Kyle Matthews was born in the valley. Its rocky walls held all his memories. He was an athletic kid, with a passion for sports that ran in the family. His father, Greg Matthews, took the State team to Nationals and, everyone who watched Kyle’s Little League games saw a bright baseball car...

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“Tempus Resurgens” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #289

The clock on the wall read 2:57 PM. Margaret Ashworth studied its methodical movement with the same analytical focus she'd once applied to quarterly reports and market projections. The second hand's steady march reminded her of stock tickers – those digital harbingers of fortune that had guided her decisions for four decades at Ashworth Pharmaceuticals. Now, in this sterile room with its institutional whites and greys, another number demanded her attention: Protocol 65. The newest initiative from the Department of Dignified Transitions, laun...

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“A Soul In Danger” by Zack Herman

Submitted to Contest #289

I was pulling out of Martin Hollow Road onto State Route 12 when I first saw the man. It was raining. H e was standing there by the STOP sign. He made no effort to get out of the rain. He just stood there and kind of stared at my old, rusty Dodge truck as I stopped. He was a wiry sort of guy. It looked like he was dressed in some sort of a work uniform that looked maybe a size too big for him. The fact that his shirt was untucked added to his sad sack appearance. He was wearing a straw hat, so at least, his head wasn’t getting wet. He was a...

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“The Tie” by Ramona Scarborough

Submitted to Contest #289

The Tie            Soggy, blue patterned silk flung in a culvert. Liz Baker slowed down to peep over the edge.            What’s the story on that? Maybe some guy got tired of the rat race, yanked off his tie, and drove off to a new life.           Liz pictured some drone bookkeeper in a hive of cubicles. His queen bee boss stung him with constant criticism. Liz’s imaginat...

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“The White Leaf” by Dante Solari

Submitted to Contest #289

The forest was alive, though not in the way we usually think of life. It was an ancient existence, conscious, pulsing in every leaf and every drop of dew. The trees whispered among themselves in a language I could almost understand, their roots shifting beneath my feet like the veins of a colossal organism. The air was thick, laden with meanings that slipped just beyond my comprehension. It felt like walking inside a dream that refused to let me sleep—keeping me awake, aware of every moment, of every choice that had brought me here. The prom...

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“Ahmed's Task” by Angela Brooks

Submitted to Contest #289

The small aquamarine bottle was half buried in the sand. Ahmed, cooped up inside, could hear the sound of the waves as they crashed on the shore. The worst of the storm was over, but now and then there were a few lightning strikes and rolls of thunder. Ahmed felt a trickle of water and peering upward, he noticed that the stopper was loose. He blew as hard as he could and the stopper popped out. With a long swish he exited the bottle, stood up and surveyed the surroundings. It felt odd to be walking on the sand, after floating in the sea for ...

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“Thoughts and Fears ” by Noelle Zavattieri

Submitted to Contest #289

The bag shoved over my head hours ago made it impossible for me to know what was going on. There was a cool, thick air swirling around my torso, which I assumed was magic to guide me down this never-ending hallway. Based on the heavy footsteps surrounding me, about three or four witches were walking with me. I must be a celebrity here; evidence suggested not the good kind, though.  We walked for a few more moments, until finally a deep voice came from in front of me demanding “stop.” As the words left their mouth, the magical tether wra...

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“Tired Ears ” by Cameron Smitson

Submitted to Contest #289

The world outside the windshield was painted in the sun's evening glow, making my blue house look almost dark grey. My idled engine drones in the background as I stared at her hunched figure sitting on the front porch step. In my paralysis I considered if it would be easier to just drive off and stay the night at a hotel. I glanced back at the white line that runs on the asphalt, when I heard a honk from the car behind me. Her red hair parts as her head lifted at the sound. The feeling of brotherly obligation tugged at me. Another honk blare...

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“Destiny ” by Kairavi Sharma

Submitted to Contest #289

Clare’s feet pounded against the pavement, her breath coming in short gasps as the noise of the city closed in on her. The crowds, the honking cars, the overwhelming chaos—she had to escape. Without thinking, she veered off the sidewalk, heading toward the one place that had always brought her peace. The sea. As she reached the shore, the salty air wrapped around her, the wind tugging at her clothes. The crashing waves whispered a quiet lullaby, drowning out the turmoil inside her. Clare breathed deeply, letting the rhythm of the ocean calm ...

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“A Cruel Love Story” by S.M. Knight

Submitted to Contest #289

In the heart of a corrupt land was a town full of thieves and bandits. A fierce and psychotic leader ruled it. He was once fast, strong, and handsome. Yet, the years of ruling and many assassination attempts had aged him. His body grew old and feeble. His mind did not weaken. It grew colder, more paranoid, more cunning. The town was full of criminals, but there was no crime within the walls. If subjects violated the Lord’s rules, they suffered a cruel and sinister punishment. The Lord favored philosophy, preferring to leave punishments to ...

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