Write the Last Lines of a Less Than Happy Ending

Most readers prefer happy endings. I do. But I don’t mind less than happy endings or sad ones if the story earns those endings. The sad or tragic endings that readers object to are the ones that feel like the writer sat down to her computer and said, “I’ve had happy endings for my last three books. This one, everybody dies.” Those are the endings that feel forced, that don’t feel like the tragic events follow naturally through the story. So my writing prompt today is to write the last lines of a less than happy ending based on this character.

Her expression arrested my attention when I discovered this photo four years ago because it can be interpreted in so many ways. Here’s what I wrote four years ago for a less than happy ending.

*****

Amy, Rachel, and I descended the steps of the police station. I zipped my coat as a sudden gust tore down the street.

“It’s all over,” Rachel sighed.

At the bottom step, I said to Amy, “I’m glad I had the chance to help you, no matter what happened, to prove how sorry I am.”

Amy had been gazing down the street as fat flakes collected on her hair. Now her head swiveled to me, and I knew that stare. I’d seen it since we were kids.

“What makes you think you’ve proven anything?” she said in that ice-cold tone that sunk into me better than fangs.

“He nearly died saving you,” Rachel shouted. “If that doesn’t prove it, nothing will.” She blinked. “That’s the truth, isn’t it? Jake can’t reconcile with you because you won’t let him. Not because he doesn’t want to.”

That was the truth. All these years, I had thought I hadn’t tried hard enough to make up for the way I treated Amy, and it really came down to Amy didn’t want to forgive me. She liked wielding the power of unforgiveness.

I drug in a deep breath of frigid air, shoving my hands deep in the pockets of my coat. “If you ever want to act like a real sister, Amy, I’ll be ready.” I headed down the sidewalk, Rachel falling in step beside me.

“You were never a real brother to me.” Amy’s quiet voice sliced through the snowflakes.

I stopped. “Not when we were kids. But I am now.” 

“You got that right,” said Rachel, giving me a tired smile.

We turned the corner at the end of the block, and I didn’t look back.

*****

Let me know how you would use this character in a less than happy ending.

Here are more writing prompts for endings.