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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#117: All Hallows' Eve

October 31st: Halloween — or All Hallows’ Eve, to give it its spookier name. Just an excuse to wear a costume? Or, for one night a year, do spirits walk among us?

The Celts certainly thought so — and many of our own holiday pastimes stem from the methods they used to keep Halloween ghosts at bay. Others, like bobbing for apples, evolved from Halloween rituals for matchmaking and divining the future.

Personally, I prefer to spend the holiday with my nose in a spooky story rather than a bowl of icy water, which is why this week’s prompts are designed to put you in touch with your macabre side. Happy Halloween!

🥇 Winner

“Sleep Story” by John Merino

"Now blessings light on him that first invented this same sleep: it covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; 'Tis meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. 'Tis the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap; and the balance that sets the king and the shepherd, the fool and the wise man even. There is only one thing that I dislike in sleep; 'Tis that it resembles death.”- Don Quixote“I have to practice staying ali...

68 comments 68 WINNER 🏆

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“1-800-Spiritual-Specialists” by Laura Pamenter

1-800-Spiritual-Specialists Laura Pamenter There is no weather in the phantom realm. Just a gust of wind of every time a new ghost transports to our world, leaving behind their first home. The banshee-like howl of the wind woke me today. It tore through my bedroom window like a hurricane, sharp and ferocious. They say sleep isn’t necessary f...

9 comments 9 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Two Bodies” by Emily Blackbay

Trigger warning: body horrorIt began when, as a small child, I noticed a cut on my forearm the size and shape as the tip of a cat’s tongue. I had been scaling a cluster of tall rocks on the beach’s far end. Out of sight my mother slept peacefully, the pitched tent of a beauty magazine shading her face. Blood welled inside the shallow puddle of the cut, and as I instinctively put my fingers to stop the flow, peeled the skin off my forearm in one long strip. There was no pain, and the wind blew my cr...

2 comments 2 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“An Uninvited Guest” by Cait McNeal

Dancers spun past in whirling flurries of color: scarlets, golds, midnight blues and deep luxurious purples. Wine flowed freely and tables stood piled high with succulent dishes too tempting for even the solomnest guest to resist. Revelers drifted past on feet made light by merriment. Lightning split the sky outside, and a heavy rain beat a martial rhythm against the enormous windows but inside laughter echoed through ...

6 comments 6 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Purely Selfish Poltergeisting” by Mack Gage

Erin was a speck of dust on the map back home, trapped in the holographic border marking the edge of Human space. All around her, specks of dust were still exploding. When she thought of home Erin meant West Virginia. Of all the places left on Old Earth, West Virginia might have changed the least. It was still poor. Still a backwater. Still hell, for a precocious young woman like her. If a person could still be precocious when they were dying, and young after they’d been to war. Home wasn’t th...

2 comments 2 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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This week's prompts

Start your story with the words “Everything was ready for the ritual.”

Horror – 52 stories

Write about a character who uses a night where everyone’s in costume as cover for something sinister.

Horror – 35 stories

Write about a missing person nobody seems to know or remember.

Thriller and Suspense – 51 stories

Set your story at the boundary between two realms.

Halloween – 74 stories

Write about someone whose busiest night of the year is Halloween.

Halloween – 27 stories

Stories

“Sleep Story” by John Merino

"Now blessings light on him that first invented this same sleep: it covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; 'Tis meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. 'Tis the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap; and the balance that sets the king and the shepherd, the fool and the wise man even. There is only one thing that I dislike in sleep; 'Tis that it resembles death.”- Don Quixote“I have to practice staying ali...

68 comments 68 WINNER 🏆

Read story

“Styx and Stones” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

A cold thick fog enveloped the muddy banks of the River Styx, chilling Persephone’s ankles. Demeter pulled Persephone’s coarsely woven robes tightly around her—robes of finely combed linen made from flax soaked in olive oil. When dried in the balmy Grecian sun, Persephone’s clothing smelled of newborn lambs and gentle sunbeams and fresh mown grass, but her dark destination had none of those sensations—nothing to smell, nothing to taste, nothing to feel. Demeter kissed her daughter’s forehead.“I do not want to go back,” ...

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“Soul Reaving” by Alex Sultan

cw: mature subject matter, graphic violence Everything was ready for the ritual, and Aluin found there were more ways to enlightenment than divinity—more ways to power than training or speeches.A book in the hands of an occultist. Wrapped in chains, locked shut, hieroglyphs written down its spine. Dangerous work from unstable scholars. Practices better left unread. Aluin stood still in a cell as the occultist drew symbols on the wall, eye-stalks and claws, then lit candles.Bloodied tentacles twitched around him. Offer...

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“Hellville” by Ivy Genesis

Content Warning: strong language Word was going around Hellville that a new priest was in town. The old one died just 7 days after his retirement, but it was just enough time for him to find a replacement. The church was not frequented too often, and for a good reason: the church was built in the deepness of the woods, where tree crowns covered the sky and crows were eating the carcasses ...

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“Summer's End” by Jon Casper

“Everything was ready for the ritual.” The suspect, Allen Summer, closed his eyes and sighed. “Samhain….”There was a pregnant pause. Across the gray metal table, Detective Tara Donn raised an eyebrow. “And…?”A knock on the door interrupted them. Sargent Oliver poked his bald head into the room. “Donny, a word?”Tara grunted from her seat and met Oliver in the hall. “You believe this fruitcake?” she said.“Forensics called,” said Oliver. “Kelly’s fingerprints are all ove...

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“The Night Creatures” by Howard Halsall

Jessie and I never saw the van that killed us that night at the crossroads. It flew out of the darkness like a predatory raptor swooping down on its prey. An anxious resident who’d heard the crash called the emergency services. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived to discover the other driver had abandoned his stolen vehicle, leaving us unconscious and trapped inside our mangled car. The paramedics performed defibrillation as we raced to the hospital, however after all their efforts, they declared us both dead on arrival.

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“Ivan Isn't Here, or Who Is Ivan?” by Kevin B

Ivan was not in attendance at Dalia’s christening, because nobody knew who Ivan was or whether he had been, or if he could be. The beautiful christening dress was too small for Dalia, and that’s just the sort of thing her parents would have blamed on Ivan had Ivan been someone they were familiar with on the day their child was introduced to the Lord. Dalia’s mother, Reina, remembered a dis...

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“The Consequences” by Babyann Hernandez

****Trigger Warning: content Contains Sexaul assualt, Blood, Violence and Lots of Cursing.**** What’s the definition of a bad person? I used to think it was just those who harmed others. Sexual predators, serial killers, murderers. Lately, I’ve regressed. I don’t believe bad people exist anymore. I believe people are just driven to extremes from deep severe pain or anger. Turning minds b...

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“The Great Pumpkin Massacre ” by Daniel R. Hayes

(Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Murder, Violence, Spooky terror.) It’s Halloween once again, and soon the kids on Dead Wood Street will be out trick-or-treating. The night will be full of imagination and wonder as sweet treats are handed out. The old can be young again as they watch the little ones stagger around in costumes of fright and glorious splendor. Indee...

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“The Girl from the Snow” by Sallie Castile

The Girl from The Snow By Sallie Castile It was quiet on the moor, secretively quiet, as though the thick layer of snow was hugging every sound down into the earth. Birds were hovering over the leafless, skeleton branches of the trees, but no birds sang. Th...

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“The Last, First Kiss” by Lexie Eldridge

Everyone remembers their first kiss. Sometimes it’s with your first crush or some random kid under the slide. Mine was with my childhood best friend. Her name was Becca Kent. She had brown hair that her mom braided intricately and always wore red overalls, faded from frequent wear. We did everything together. Sometimes, we even did things we knew would get us in trouble. One day we found a movie shoved under the TV stan...

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“In His Hands” by Michael Martin

Everything was ready for the ritual… everything except me. He would soon fix that. The sensation of his hand sliding to the base of my neck wakes me from a deep slumber. He cradles my head, his fingers wrapping around the back of my neck as he’s done many times before. A gentle squeeze later, he has me exactly where he wants me. How I’ve longed for his embrace. His hands are home, they’re safety incarnate – like reinforced walls, impenetrable. I’m where I belong. It’s time again, isn’...

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“1-800-Spiritual-Specialists” by Laura Pamenter

1-800-Spiritual-Specialists Laura Pamenter There is no weather in the phantom realm. Just a gust of wind of every time a new ghost transports to our world, leaving behind their first home. The banshee-like howl of the wind woke me today. It tore through my bedroom window like a hurricane, sharp and ferocious. They say sleep isn’t necessary f...

9 comments 9 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“With Four Words” by Tommie Michele

She stumbled into the shop with eyes wider than the chasm between life and death.I could come up with a better metaphor, given time. The chasm between life and death is not as wide as many assume.I should know. I run this place.Some do not believe it exists. Some fear it. Some call it Purgatory.All are misguided.She stumbled into my Apothecary not long ago. I've been keeping an eye on her since she crossed the doorframe and the bell above rang out with a lonely tone. I remain silent, of course. Waiting f...

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“Employee of the Year” by John K Adams

When two police detectives entered the accounting department, everyone looked up. They quickly returned to work.Head of accounting, Cynthia, bid Penelope Grass into her office.Once inside, Penelope said, “I want a lawyer.”The cops looked at each other. Cynthia stared at her desk, shaking her head.Detective Stiles said, “We have a few questions, Ms. Grass. No one’s making accusations.”“Talk to Shelly, in HR. She deserves a grilling.”The detective’s talk with Shelly had led them to Penelope. Shelly ...

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$250

Prize money

239

Contest entries

153

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 29, 2021 EST

Won by John Merino 🏆

Title: Sleep Story

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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