〜きり

十年前に会ったきり、連絡していません。

Jūnen mae ni atta kiri, renraku shite imasen.

We met ten years ago and have not been in touch since.

きり means not since then, and a negative always follows

出かけたきり、まだ帰りません。

Dekaketa kiri, mada kaerimasen.

They went out and still have not come back.

Met at N3; here the point is that it takes a past form

後ろが肯定だと意味が通りません。

Ushiro ga kōtei da to imi ga tōrimasen.

With a positive after it, the sentence makes no sense.

出かけたきり帰りました does not work