Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story with the line “Don’t tell anyone.”

Posted in Angst on Oct 18, 2024

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 80 stories

“Giggling” by Tiago Rebelo

Submitted to Contest #273

Giggling, “Stop!” I jump over the small branches. “Where are we going?” I laugh while Anna runs ahead of me through the bushes, only seeing a glance of her golden hair. We go deep into the woods, too deep, and I look back. I don’t know where I am. I feel scared, “Ann- Anna, we- we should go back,” I feel lost, the trees don’t look familiar anymore, “Anna, it’s not funny!” I stop, and my sister stops too ahead of me, “You’re such a whiny,” I clench my fists, “I’m not a whiny!” I yell angrily, “You are whining right now,” My sister laughs.She ...

6 comments 6
Read story

“You always knew ” by Nicholas Greene

Submitted to Contest #273

Lena stared at the same page for the third time, the words blurring in front of her. The ticking of the old clock on the wall kept her company, its hands dragging toward 9:47 PM. She hated how she knew the exact time her father would walk through the door, hated that it had become a pattern—something predictable in the chaos of her home. Her mother used to sit in this very chair, years ago, reading while waiting for him. But Lena didn’t read to wait. She just needed something to hold so her hands wouldn’t shake.The front door groaned open, a...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Deprivation ” by C. H.

Submitted to Contest #273

She’d been alone for 2,191 days, and most probably was going to die alone. How many days did she have left? She didn’t have a clue. She wasn’t physically afraid of an intruder, even though she lived in a rural wooded area. She knew she had the lord on her side, and a shotgun on the other. She would have no problem burying a few bullets into someone’s chest if their intent was to hurt her. Why would she? Would you? I don’t want to hear your reasons if you answered ‘yes’. This was no longer the time of soft thoughts. Hell, empathy had disappea...

2 comments 2
Read story

“The New Breed.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #273

Disillusioned, Lorelei Lonergan finished emptying her fridge, and sorted the last of her humble belongings, mostly second-hand. Her former co-jockey had loaded the rest of her cardboard boxes into her quite trusty wheels. Lorelei gave her the keys, and then drove to the stable to collect her horse. She was still limping after her devastating horse-racing injury, but her physiotherapist was pleased. This was it, time to move on to a new chapter of good intentions in her individual book of life. The future had no doors, Lorelei was no quitter,...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Locked Away” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #273

Don’t tell anyone. I’m not supposed to be living here in the McKillop mansion. But when Mrs. Mildred McKillop invited me, an undocumented refugee, to stay in her home, what was I supposed to do? She caught me when I was at a low point, a few years ago, going door to door offering to rake and sweep leaves in the fall. “Ten bucks a pop,” I would say to whoever opened the door of each fine, gracious home in the ritziest enclave of Denver. They’d take one look at me, a sixteen-year-old kid with a bad haircut, wearing an outdated Denver Dynamite ...

7 comments 7
Read story

“My Monster, My Demon” by Tammy Norman

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger warning: Mental Health, mild violence or inference to violence. The pounding rain outside my window soothes my mind. I kneel on the floor, rag in hand, and clean the bloody mess before me.  The rhythmic splattering on cement outside washes away the constant urgency that threatens to engulf me. The smell of its freshness mixed with the smell of the bleach clears my mind.  I embrace each second, taking careful attention to scrub every inch of this white tile floor.  I never used to like the rain. Yet, its darkness and c...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Where the Wild Places Forget” by EV Throne

Submitted to Contest #273

The rain fell lightly, pattering against the canopy of branches overhead. The forest beyond the garden was alive with whispers—the wind stirring through brittle leaves, roots shifting beneath the earth, the soft hum of distant creatures moving through the night. It should have brought Lira peace. But there was no peace to be found here, not anymore. She stood just beyond the stone wall, hidden among the vines and wildflowers that had grown unchecked along the courtyard's edges. The scent of damp earth clung to the air, and the cold mist kiss...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Don't Tell Anyone” by Tim O'Brien

Submitted to Contest #273

“Don’t tell anyone,” the new guy whispered, looking over his shoulder like he expected a SWAT team to bust down the door any second. The words reeked of desperation and fear, mixing with the foul stench of the egg salad he had for lunch. This was James, the new moron—the one I had stupidly decided to take under my wing. My gut clenched. Something wasn’t right.His face was pale, his breath jittery like a man who hadn’t slept in days. I stared back at him from my chair, already regretting this whole interaction. I didn’t like being cornered.“W...

2 comments 2
Read story

“HIS SECRET” by Kat Ginley

Submitted to Contest #273

HIS SECRETA SHORT STORY BY KAT GINLEY Nothing much is visible on a day like today. The rolling hills and countryside, shrouded in thick mist, may or may not exist at all beyond the veil. The old dark stone houses lining the street are barely visible and create a sense of mystery.  And they are trying to do just that, she muses, as her sneaker clad feet crunch on the pavement, almost the only sound to be heard in the neighborhood. Not many people venture outside on this icy cold, foggy day. Warm within those very houses, heating and ligh...

0 comments 0
Read story

“The Secret in the Forest” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #273

The Secret in the Forest Trigger Warning:This story contains themes of emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, and non-physical abuse, which may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution. The forest was a place where Nadine’s deepest fears lurked—wild animals, looming threats hidden among the dense trees and shadowed undergrowth. The towering trees with their thick, dark leaves turned the woods into a dim maze of uncertainty. Every rustle, every whisper of wind, made her skin prickle. She wasn’t just afraid of the a...

0 comments 0
Read story

“White Jacket” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #273

It was a Tuesday. As Melinda walked beside her guardian, she watched swifts weave their aerial paths above Castle Street, flying and feasting on their breakfast in mid-air. Someone talking rapidly distracted her. She glanced down the side street and watched a business suited man clutching a mobile phone while carrying a laptop under his other arm.With practiced ease, she disengaged, not wanting to find out what lay beneath the spikes of frustration, though envying him both gadgets. Everyone had technology at their fingertips except her.Child...

3 comments 3
Read story

“The Night of the Fire” by Christie Mack

Submitted to Contest #273

The flames were too bright to be real. For a long moment, all Anyah could do was stare, transfixed by the billowing smoke curling into the sky, spreading like dark fingers clawing at the moon. The old house was supposed to be abandoned, a forgotten relic of the past on the edge of town. With broken windows, vines overtaking its brick walls, and a sagging front porch, the place was always deserted except for them. And yet, there it was, burning. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Josh whispered, his eyes wide and locked on the flames. His...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Don't Tell Anyone.” by Meredith Moyer

Submitted to Contest #273

Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Tell them what? I want to ask what you mean, because somehow, I think I forgot. You told me to keep quiet, but what was it I was supposed to stay hushed about? I believe I may have hidden it somewhere deep in my head. Too hard to dig out. I know that it was painful, because my heart and lungs, they remember. They remember so vividly. My heart skips its beat sometimes and my lungs fill with cement, but I am not so sure why. The only thing I can remember is that you told me to forget.May...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Somerville, Massachussets” by Zen Tremaine

Submitted to Contest #273

Age 9, LiamPercy sat on the highest platform of the playground, legs stuck under the railing so they could swing in open air. He hung onto the bars while his eyes followed Liam, who was running in circles around the swing set to annoy Jake.“Stop it, Liam! I’m going to get Mr. Davis!”“He won’t do anything; I’m not even touching you! How about you stop being a baby?”Percy laughed and called out, “Yeah, Jake! You’re a baby!”Liam looked up towards Percy and smiled.“God, leave me alone and go hang out with your boyfriend or whatever!” Jake whined...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Don't Tell” by Tirzah Young-Miles

Submitted to Contest #273

Due to signing a non-disclosure agreement, the names in the story you're about to read have been changed. Any similarities are purely coincidental. We’ll call the central figure here Captain Casanova, or just Cap for short.During the first semester of my freshman year at a university I’m not allowed to name, I enrolled in a creative writing course taught by Captain Casanova, himself. One October morning, he invited me into his office after class to tell me how much potential he saw in me. Adjusting to life hundreds of miles away from home ha...

6 comments 6
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in the form of diary/journal entries about a secret or confession.

Short Story – 70 stories

Begin your story with someone either being followed or following someone else.

Dramatic – 54 stories

Your character is invited to a secret meeting. Who invited them, and what do they encounter?

Short Story – 41 stories

Write a story that hides something from the reader until the end.

Dramatic – 116 stories

Contest #273

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Locked Away

$250

Prize money

361

Contest entries

165

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 25, 2024 EST

A winner will be announced soon.

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢