Start your story with someone sitting on a crowded train and end it with them looking out over beautiful natural scenery.

Posted in Spring on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 258 stories

“An Adventure” by Carol Keefer

Submitted to Contest #90

A light glimmers on the leaves, casting shadows on the lush lawns as I seek my adventure, traveling across this great land. I capriciously took the quickest and nearest seat to the front on the overcrowded train ride. “All aboard,” the conductor bellowed, ambling down the aisle, beads of sweat on his brow with nimble fingers punch star shapes validating our tickets. A disingenuous dark-hair woman sat next to me, apologetic about her large overstuff carpetbag seated on the floor between us.She continued to chat as the active bu...

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“Let Me Go Home” by Mallory Senn-Flinn

Submitted to Contest #90

Content warning: themes of abuse and death.Thanks for reading!--------Plant a tree, save a life.Plant a forest, save humankind.Stella looked up from where she was sitting inside Chicago’s busy L-train and read the ad for the Trees for Tomorrow Foundation on an overhead panel. Funny, that ad, on a train in a city of 8 million people where skyscrapers and giant, metal beans seemed to soak up more square footage than trees. Stella wondered where these trees were supposed to be planted in a place like Chicago. As much as she would love to look o...

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“A small Journey” by SIMON Prathap

Submitted to Contest #90

I moved the cursor to the right bottom. My mouse pointer moved its way to the battery status bar and it showed 38 mins left. I took my mobile phone clicked the power button, battery status showed 38% left. What a coincidence? Laptop life left with 38 mints, my mobile left with 38% charge. I need to recharge, not only my phone and laptop, I wanted to charge myself too, and it looked like it is not possible. I lacked charger socket in this huge sleeper class train, I imagined myself back to 1980, my train ticket cost me Rs.789 that included GS...

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“Welcome home” by Sherry Mennig

Submitted to Contest #90

Wiping my tears away, I looked out the window and saw the families and loved ones of others still waving on the platform as the train pulled away from the station. I did not have a loved one out there, I didn’t have anyone here in the city. Not anymore. I started out alone in my booth, but it soon was filled with 3 other strangers due to it being a weekend and a busy travel day. An older woman in her late 60s sat down next to me and pulled out a mess of yarn and knitting needles from her old worn bag with a faint flower print still on it. Sh...

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“A Sunrise Sign” by Jimaeh Stahl

Submitted to Contest #90

It was another dreary day, the weather was so beautiful but why couldn’t her mood be. Jade sighed, as the train rumbled on. She hated when she felt this way, it made her want to cry all day. She hate days when she felt like her heart was gone. She had given it to someone but only to have him return it. Why did it hurt so much? Why did she still miss him?If it wasn’t for her high school friend Lucy, she would be home right now crying her heart of for someone who didn’t love her. Lucy, that sweet women has been begging her to come visit her ho...

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“Runaway Royalty” by Kylee Haverty

Submitted to Contest #90

They don't recognize you. They don't recognize you. They don 't recognize you.That's what I keep telling myself. But, this is a very crowded train.They don't recognize you.I am disguised. They won't discover who I really am. They can't. I can't go back to that awful place I was to call home. I was supposed to be crowned last week. I was to be crowned a queen. Queen of a country. Like I could ever be a queen. I wasn't fit for it, and everyone knew. Well, that is, except for my mother. Perhaps she refused to understand. ¨ You will be a ...

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“Sapphire Seas ” by Natalya Webster-Willis

Submitted to Contest #90

Even with my music blasting through my earphones I can still hear the other conversations being held by the other passengers. I had hoped for this to be a relaxing trip but my hopes had been dashed when I had seen the masses of people waiting at the railway station. Remembering all of my other trips when I would have found the conversation soothing rather than my own thoughts. But, the one time where quiet was preferred is the one where everyone and their brother decided to take a train ride. I guess more people in London used this mode of t...

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“The Green Ocean” by Alayna Snedden

Submitted to Contest #90

The train whistle echoes off the concrete walls of the station, announcing it prepares to depart. My lungs burn and my feet ache inside my heels. With my bag in hand, I race to the nearest open door to board. Somehow, I managed to slip through the doors as they shut behind me. “Your ticket, ma’am?” A lengthy man asked with an outreached hand. I hand it over and he directs me to my seat. The train is at maximum capacity this morning. Passengers fill every seat and the car roars with conversation and laughter. Annoyed, I put in my headphon...

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“Surprise!” by Leah Summers

Submitted to Contest #90

Eliza sat on the train, trying her best to finish a letter to a friend in London. She had been trying to finish it for a few days now, and the noise on the crowded train was not helping. She had tried blocking out the noise with her headphones, but they hadn't done much. But, the dull to the noise was still appreciated. Logically, she knew that her stop was coming up soon and she should just put the letter in her satchel and finish it later, but she felt a sense of obligation to finish it now, not tomorrow. She was about two thirds of the w...

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“On Surviving Death and Other Small Mercies” by N K

Submitted to Contest #90

“That’s a beautiful name,” says the smiling portly middle-aged man against whose legs the left side of my body presses and sweats on. I thank God he’s friendlier than the woman across the aisle who kicked the young man at her feet for an inch more of legroom. I suppose I might not be particularly accommodating if I had three bouncing children to keep track of and twice as many suitcases. When the fidgeting boy on her lap dives into the sea of people behind, she spins into the back of the man who is perched atop her backrest and a portion of ...

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“Dark World” by Samuel Yi

Submitted to Contest #90

Chug chug chug, choo choo!!! The train started moving. I was on my way to see my uncle and aunt. They were our countries most respected people. I'm going to visit them because they said they had bought a new car and wanted me to see it. I was big into automobiles. They just fascinated me. How the pistons moved, how the combustions exploded inside the engine, they all excites me. I hurriedly took my seat. In front, sat a little girl with a pretty red dress. She looked about 5, or 6. She was holding a little teddy bear that was worn out. The t...

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“Second Best” by Shaquita B.

Submitted to Contest #90

After reading the message on the screen for what had to be the third time, she dropped her phone. At that exact moment, the horn blew, alerting travelers they had arrived at their destination. Passengers on either side of her pushed and shoved to exit the powerful machine of steel. Feet trampled over her phone as she bent down to grab it. Once she did, she re-read the message again. Unfortunately, the words were the same. Grabbing her luggage, she exited and thanked the porter as he helped her down. She observed the sea of people going ...

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“THE JOURNEY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #90

I was thankful that I was able to board the 6.30 PM train and occupy a seat as it was overly crowded. The problem was the 6 o’clock train had been cancelled as power had been cut following heavy rains earlier in the evening. I have to introduce myself! I am Pinto who has a degree in art. I am tall and fair and people say I have a winning smile always. My resume has been sent to a French art school and I was told I would likely be awarded a scholarship to study art further in that country. How am I dressed? I have on a blue T-shirt over grey ...

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“The Train Ride” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #90

A squeal woke me with a jolt. I ducked down, waiting for the explosion. Only the digital voice overhead announcing the next terminal number reminded me where I was. It took two deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Another to clear my vision. One more to focus. The train. I was on the train headed west. Two more stops and I could get off. The cooling system couldn’t keep up with the overcrowding, and the heat became oppressive. Sweaty bodies pressed together, and the stench made me huddle further down in my seat. I drew my hoodie over m...

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“Your journey on the train” by Emma Sinclair

Submitted to Contest #90

The train conductor stamps your ticket before handing it back. You thank him, amused at how the strap of his hat pushes up his lips to make him pout. He checks the ticket of the person to your left, pushed up against your elbow on this busy train to… you don’t quite remember where.The carriage has 2 rows of seats facing each other and a central row of leather straps hanging from the ceiling. The benches are hard and, from little you can see, the wood polished to such a degree that the headrests catch the light streaming through the windows. ...

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Start your story with someone sitting on a crowded train and end it with them looking out over beautiful natural scenery.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 258 stories

“An Adventure” by Carol Keefer

“Let Me Go Home” by Mallory Senn-Flinn

“A small Journey” by SIMON Prathap

“Welcome home” by Sherry Mennig

“A Sunrise Sign” by Jimaeh Stahl

“Runaway Royalty” by Kylee Haverty

“Sapphire Seas ” by Natalya Webster-Willis

“The Green Ocean” by Alayna Snedden

“Surprise!” by Leah Summers

“On Surviving Death and Other Small Mercies” by N K

“Dark World” by Samuel Yi

“Second Best” by Shaquita B.

“THE JOURNEY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

“The Train Ride” by Katie Ingold

“Your journey on the train” by Emma Sinclair

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that weaves together multiple lives through their connection to a particular tree.

Write a story in which an endangered species (of plant or animal) plays a central role.

Set your story in a world living with the consequences of a climate apocalypse.

Write about a community that worships Mother Nature.

Contest #90

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

814

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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