Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 324 stories

“The Ballad of Rick: The Beginning” by Jean Nacua

Submitted to Contest #63

I went outside to a world on fire. The nearby buildings were either smoking or still blazing. There were cars and trucks in smoking wrecks. What the hell was going on? And what is that godawful rotten smell? I better return inside. Great, no one's around. This was a hospital, goddamit. There should be someone around. And where was Laurie? My wife should at least be here to watch over me. My already dizzy mind was making want to vomit. Take a deep breath. And I gagged. What is that awful smell? Deep breaths, calm down and look around. Some ki...

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“Squirrelly Confrontation” by Dede K.

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. My face burned from the purple in the flames. Loud pops and cracks exploded from the fire. “He’s gone, he’s gone, finally he’s gone!” A maniacal laugh escaped my dry scratchy throat. The neighbors began to gather, staring at the glare of the fire in my black rimmed glasses. “How did this start?” The crowd was whispering amongst themselves. “Someone needs to move her now before she hurts someone.” You may be asking the same question as the crowd. Well, this al...

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“What Will It Take?” by Gina Bierman

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. They weren't actually on fire although my mind felt like it was. Trying to comprehend rather im doing right by the people in this world is hard to come by. Everything was happening so fast, faster than my mind was able to comprehend. Why can’t I just get everything together, why is it so hard for everyone to just work with me on things. They aren’t even important things people just like to make things harder than they actually are. Of course they would, it isn’t them who has to w...

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“Flitting Samaras” by Sleepy Sheepy

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I could have missed it. I could have kept my tongue in the back of my throat when a knock came at my door the night before, then an older cousin who came carrying dishes of chicken and rice up to my bedroom, wouldn't have shifted my drapes open. They took a peep out my curtains, and I'd regretted even calling out that they could come in so much, I had hoped staying quiet throughout their visit would give a hint. But they're open, and this morning, they bother me. I think about get...

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“The Summoning” by Dan Willmot

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Not a single wooden soldier had escaped Autumn’s chilling touch, so cold, it burned the branches to nothing more than twisted bark draped in all hues of red. The frigid concrete step beneath me froze my bare feet. While wisps of wind playfully tugged at the thin fabric of the long coat covering my pyjamas. "Ari, get in here!" My mom hollered from inside the house. I grunted and turned back inside, abandoning the peace of the neighbourhood in the early morning light. ...

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“Autumnal” by Laurie Longo

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The embers enveloped the air and grew up inside my dying body in the same way they expanded through the sinews of the branches of the tree. These, although manufactured in the places they were planted in the city, still breathed life to the last, even to the last shred of hope and that ever lingering last thread that interwove the tip of the branch with the thinning of the stem. We would see in the Summer how the leaves would fly on their wings, the branches like fingers before we start...

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“Ignis” by Megan Faith

Submitted to Contest #63

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. There was a smell unlike the scent of the bonfires we danced around. The darkness of the smoke choked me and I was completely alone. I fell into the grass, gulping down my last of courage hoping to escape. When I awoke, the forest was ugly with the destruction done by the hunters. They wanted to weed us out, wanted to hunt us like animals. But they did not know it was just me, I sent the others to the river. By the time the fire was set, they had caught the scent and ran for their cove...

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“Love's Flames” by SARAH WOODHOUSE

Submitted to Contest #63

Love's Flames By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I ran to the hose and turned the water on, spraying the fire out. Cursing to myself, I see how close the leaves were to my house and I know that they were set alight on purpose. But who would do such a thing? I had just moved into my house a week prior. I haven't even had a chance yet to meet my neighbors. A man comes out of the house next to mine. “What happened?” He asks. “I'm not certain. I was inside my house when I smelled smoke and I came running outsid...

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“The ash of the leaves” by Brighton Muklebust

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I step outside, the leaves are on fire. My eyes blur with the harsh light of day and I know something is wrong. Soft dapples of red and orange cloud my sight. The alluring colors pull me towards the ground, and I can’t comprehend what lays before me. I quickly outstretch my arms to snag one of the balls of fire, but a faint crunch frightens me. Everything feels so new, so different. I have stepped into another dimension, but I drift back once my father pulls me into his arms. Then, abruptly, my vision fades into darkness. ...

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“IN THE LINE OF DUTY” by Sharon Achieng

Submitted to Contest #63

IN THE LINE OF DUTY ©️Sharon.A. By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire,the pungent smell of smoke choked me holding my throat I coughed hard trying to clear my airway,my eyes were already teary,everything seemed to be spinning round and round to infinity.I badly needed water,it would be just a little time before I pass out from the suffocation, stumbling towards the tap in the yard I heard "Detective Lana come in,detective Lana? Can you hear me? Detective Lana is everything alrigh...

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“This is the End” by Justyne Vasquez-Mora

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire...like literally. The town of Thomasville, Georgia was like it was in the devil's cage. The town's sirens were shouting as loud as a whale. It was five minutes past midnight and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Everyone in the neighborhood was running wild all over the streets like loose baboons. I decided to step further into my driveway to see what everyone was freaking out about. “Hey you. What’s going on,” I asked as some man that ran by. “Out of nowhere something hug...

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“The Glowing City” by Alice Rookhuyzen [STUDENT]

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire" .... everything was, burning. I looked around. The entire city was burning. I ran, to my house. It was gone my home, my belongings, ...my life gone burned to ashes and dust. I screamed tearing through the burnt walls and door ... searching frantically!!! "MOMMY" a voice behind me shouted. I turned and ran to my three year old daughter and scooped her up. "Why are you here by yourself, where is your nanny?!!!" " I not know mommy" Buildings everywhere in sight were encased in a thick lay...

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“The Pyro Who Denied His Nature.” by Maya Curtis

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the were on fire, because someone had set the tree that was on my lawn on fire. At the moment I was pray that the fire, which was spreading to the grass on my lawn, wouldn't make it to my house before they put it out. Currently I was standing on my neighbor's lawn waiting for the fire men to put the fire out. While they were working on putting the tree out the fire continued to spread across the lawn, but surprisingly not toward the house it was going parallel to the house. God does hear prayers. By the ...

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“A red brandishing Sword” by Marjorie Kabwe

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Well, not literally. But still it was a beautiful thought. They were as crimson red, dry and brittle like my fragile heart. The sunset was a gorgeous golden yellow melting into the horizon. Everything the light touched turned into bright gold, including the shop where I had just had my favourite tea and strawberry swirl cheese cake. There was a new line of drinks the shop had introduced. I fell in love with their limited edition Pumpkin Pie latte in a heartbeat. It was warm, spicy ...

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“Brothers and Sisters of Flame” by Michael Crone

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The greens were fading to beautiful reds and yellows, signaling Autumn was on the way. As a kid, it was always my favorite time of year. Cool evenings spent around the firepit, horror movie marathons, everything and anything pumpkin flavored. It reminded me of home and it brought me comfort. I grew up on a farm. The springs were busy and the summers were long and hot. Fall always brought with it a nice respite. When I was little I would ride the tractors to the pumpkin patches and help...

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Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)

Submissions are closed

✍️ 324 stories

“The Ballad of Rick: The Beginning” by Jean Nacua

“Squirrelly Confrontation” by Dede K.

“What Will It Take?” by Gina Bierman

“Flitting Samaras” by Sleepy Sheepy

“The Summoning” by Dan Willmot

“Autumnal” by Laurie Longo

“Ignis” by Megan Faith

“Love's Flames” by SARAH WOODHOUSE

“The ash of the leaves” by Brighton Muklebust

“IN THE LINE OF DUTY” by Sharon Achieng

“This is the End” by Justyne Vasquez-Mora

“The Glowing City” by Alice Rookhuyzen [STUDENT]

“The Pyro Who Denied His Nature.” by Maya Curtis

“A red brandishing Sword” by Marjorie Kabwe

“Brothers and Sisters of Flame” by Michael Crone

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story in a coffee shop that’s just introduced a new line of autumnal drinks.

Write about a character making fall decorations out of construction paper.

Write a story from the perspective of a bird migrating for the winter.

Write about two characters going apple picking.

Contest #63

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

905

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: