Write a short story about someone who does not spend December 31st celebrating New Year's Eve.

Posted in Winter on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 77 stories

“The End.” by L. Leeper

Submitted to Contest #22

The eviction notice was enough excitement to carry Elijah through midnight and beyond. The New Year celebratory fireworks and booze paled in comparison to the thrill of street walking and couch surfing; one never knew what could be found in the jaws of instability. Elijah folded each article of clothing with care and placed it in her suitcase. She had until sunrise to be out of the studio apartment as rent had went unpaid for the third month. Her overzealous landlady insisted on working holidays and weekends, she wouldn’t miss the opportunit...

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“Unexpected New Years Gift” by Connor Abate

Submitted to Contest #22

My wife and I were sitting together on the couch watching a movie when she started feeling contractions. She randomly gripped my hand and dug her nails into it like it was a stress ball, well, if stress balls bled. "I think the baby's coming, Micha" she hissed through her clenched teeth. It honestly took me a few seconds to register what she said because I was too focused on the amount of force she used to grip my hand and the blood that dripped from my hand into my lap. When it did register, I started to panic a bit. This is our first baby...

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“Maybe Next Year” by Carol Kalmes

Submitted to Contest #22

Maybe Next Year Some people avoid the number thirteen. They don’t get on an airplane on Friday the thirteenth. They don’t’ stay on the thirteenth floor of a hotel, if there is one. Some cross every number thirteen off their calendar or literally rip the page right out. Me, I avoid New Year’s Eve. It’s a reminder of failure and loss. The books I didn’t publish. The job I quit. The weight I didn’t lose. The marriage that failed. The child who no longer plays in the backyard. I’m not sure which came first, but I know all were exacerbated the...

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“Mutual Healing” by Lynne Fellows

Submitted to Contest #22

‘Should I get a parrot?’ Emily posed the question as the lift door closed.‘What?’‘A parrot? Or maybe a parakeet?’‘Why on Earth would you want a parrot?’ Mariella asked, her painted-in brows knitting together beneath a wispy fringe.Emily stared back at her friend, mirroring her puzzled expression. ‘Em, you’re not making any sense.’‘Oh, so you can hear me then?’Mariella’s eyes darted left then right. ‘Of course I can hear you.’‘Only you don’t seem to be listening. Hence, the parrot.’‘OMG, Em, have you totally lost it? How many glasse...

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“AMAZING BUT TRUE ...” by Easwari Saminathan

Submitted to Contest #22

Reyman woke up and opened his bedroom windows. It was a sunny morning in the streets of a South Indian town. The town where he lived was in a coastal state with beautiful sceneries and long beaches. He had been living in that part of town for almost fifteen years. That was when he had just graduated from high school and got a job in that town. The nature of his job was stressful and his working hours were not regular. Most of the time he had to be up at dawn and returned home at dusk. There were times when he was woken up in the middle ...

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“New Year's Eve” by Nandan Chalamalasetti

Submitted to Contest #22

Today is New Year’s Eve. It’s almost 2020, and I am sick and tired of the same shit every year. I would like to be anywhere but here right now. It’s 11.30 now, which means 30 more minutes of this toxic environment. I can’t take it. “Mom, I have a headache, can I go home?” I said in the most convincing voice I could pull off.“Is it really that bad? Can’t you stay for a while more? We will probably leave soon to make our way to Causeway Plaza to see the fireworks display!” my mum said, trying her hardest to persuade me to stay. It almost ...

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“Anti-New-Years” by Stephen Parato

Submitted to Contest #22

“They’re all slaves to time.”Randy was practically shouting at his two friends, Scottie and Marky, who nodded their heads in hesitant agreement.“It’s always NOW. Quantum physics even proves that everything is happening now; past, present and future. We just decode reality as a series of sequential events.”Randy paused for effect.“It’s like a DVD. The whole movie exists on the disc, but when you play it on your television, you only see one scene at a time.”Scottie cleared his throat. “I get what you’re saying, Randy. But how can something tha...

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“Modern Day Shakespeare ” by Casey Mullins

Submitted to Contest #22

He has a baby-face. Young and sensitive and full of emotions. A desire to be loved. New with relationships and nothing of seriousness. She’s 10 years older and has a kid. He’s barely out of high school with the world at his feet. They work together and he was her trainer. He sees her and falls. He knows it’s a dangerous game, a woman who is damaged from a domestic violence breakup up with a young son. She’s like a magnet pulling him in. Her beauty, her personality, and all the kindness she has to offer, after how wrong she’s been done. In th...

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“Nothing to Celebrate” by Kara O

Submitted to Contest #22

The fire crackled as a log split; its insides consumed from within. Azma tossed another branch in. Her fingers throbbed, numbed by the cold. The air, dry as would be this time of the year, pinched her cheeks raw, cracked her lips, and froze the inside of her nose. She would be warmer if she would sit a bit closer, but the glare of the light irritated her, burning her irises and making spots dance in her vision. So she made do by hugging herself. The air seeped through the thin fabric of her green sweater and robbed her of body...

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“Old Year's Helm” by Seth Bonty

Submitted to Contest #22

As I sit here, nursing the same drink I made for myself two hours ago, I look at the watch on my wrist. 11:27 P.M. it blinks back at me, confirming what I already know. "I'm never going to get this done." I say, not to anyone in particular. I stand up and walk to the window. As I open it, the cold air stings my face. I look out over the street below me and can't help but feel a sickness in my stomach. It's always like this. I can feel it coming as its happened so many times before. As I hear the screams from behind and below me, the cold air...

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“New Years Eve Revelation” by Ropafadzo Zinyuke

Submitted to Contest #22

“This should help,” He said with genuine concern echoing in his voice as he passed the ice pack to me. I simply nodded and grabbed the ice pack as I quivered with anger bottled up from all the times he had made an effort to hurt everyone around him's feelings with his words and actions. “I'm sorry,” He said staring at the bruised bump on my forehead he was responsible for but I didn’t respond because I knew the rage fueling inside me would explode like a volcano releasing nothing but deadly toxins and chemicals I would regret saying because ...

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“The 15 Minute Party” by Book Worm

Submitted to Contest #22

New Year’s Eve did not mean much in India other than to Christians, anglicized upper class elite and youth of all classes educated in missionary institutions until the 1990s. The rest spent it watching the annual late-night entertainment programme on the state-owned channel Doordarshan anchored by a young man and a woman with clipped British accents and include a pot pourri of Indian and Western music and dance, the highlight being a live performance by a celebrity Bollywood singer. Majority of Indians would ring in the new year to ‘the nigh...

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“THE LETTER IN THE SYMMERLY” by Sharat Jacob

Submitted to Contest #22

“I don’t care about your stupid year and don’t you ever come back, you mindless little kitten!”, I yelled at the paperboy cycling away to stay alive. “You know, I can’t do that as you do have a daily subscription!” he shouted out as he shot out of sight.After ensuring he had gone away, I settled down at the kitchen table with the newspaper sprawled in front of me. Snorted at the headlines. Happy New Year, my foot! Nothing but a waste of money and resources which could be used for better purposes. I mean, come on, everyone’s really losing a f...

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“A Fresh Start” by Emily Domedion

Submitted to Contest #22

Seeing the city in daylight was a startling change for Sarah. She was used to experiencing the city mostly at night, with lights shining from thousands of windows above her, and the fog of car exhaust from the street and her breath all mingled together against an ashy black sky. But today being a holiday, she had gotten out of work early, and the sun was just starting to set. Its golden light was diluted to a watercolor glow by grey clouds and grey buildings and grey asphalt. The people she passed as she walked home were vibrant with color, ...

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“Love and Promises” by Courtney Cook

Submitted to Contest #22

Sometimes Jade didn’t keep her promises. Usually an endearing trait, she could fall so far into her work that she wouldn’t return home for days. Alice gazed up from her spot on the floor to the wooden cuckoo clock on the wall as the bird flew out to signify another passed hour. 10pm and Jade still wasn’t home. Alice never interrupted her wife while she was at her studio, but it was New Year’s Eve so she picked up her phone to try and call her. It went straight to voicemail. Alice sighed and tried to tell herself that it didn’t matter. She th...

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Write a short story about someone who does not spend December 31st celebrating New Year's Eve.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 77 stories

“The End.” by L. Leeper

“Unexpected New Years Gift” by Connor Abate

“Maybe Next Year” by Carol Kalmes

“Mutual Healing” by Lynne Fellows

“AMAZING BUT TRUE ...” by Easwari Saminathan

“New Year's Eve” by Nandan Chalamalasetti

“Anti-New-Years” by Stephen Parato

“Modern Day Shakespeare ” by Casey Mullins

“Nothing to Celebrate” by Kara O

“Old Year's Helm” by Seth Bonty

“New Years Eve Revelation” by Ropafadzo Zinyuke

“The 15 Minute Party” by Book Worm

“THE LETTER IN THE SYMMERLY” by Sharat Jacob

“A Fresh Start” by Emily Domedion

“Love and Promises” by Courtney Cook

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a short story about a person who goes to bed on Valentine's Day and wakes up in 1920.

Write a short story about someone with unconventional New Year's traditions.

Two strangers meet at a New Year's Eve party. They spend the party together, and then never see each other again.

Write a short story in which the last line is the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve.

Contest #22

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

338

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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