#117: All Hallows' Eve
October 31st: Halloween â or All Hallowsâ 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 â 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 weekâs prompts are designed to put you in touch with your macabre side. Happy Halloween!
đĽ Winner
âSleep Storyâ by John Merino
âď¸ Shortlisted
âTwo Bodiesâ by Emily Blackbay
âAn Uninvited Guestâ by Cait McNeal
âPurely Selfish Poltergeistingâ by Mack Gage
This week's prompts
Start your story with the words âEverything was ready for the ritual.â
Horror
â
52 stories
Write about a missing person nobody seems to know or remember.
Thriller and Suspense
â
51 stories
Set your story at the boundary between two realms.
Halloween
â
74 stories
Write about someone whose busiest night of the year is Halloween.
Halloween
â
27 stories
Stories
âSleep Storyâ by John Merino
âStyx and Stonesâ by Deidra Whitt Lovegren
âSoul Reavingâ by Alex Sultan
âHellvilleâ by Ivy Genesis
âSummer's Endâ by Jon Casper
âThe Night Creaturesâ by Howard Halsall
âIvan Isn't Here, or Who Is Ivan?â by Kevin B
âThe Consequencesâ by Babyann Hernandez
âThe Great Pumpkin Massacre â by Daniel R. Hayes
âThe Girl from the Snowâ by Sallie Castile
âThe Last, First Kissâ by Lexie Eldridge
âIn His Handsâ by Michael Martin
âWith Four Wordsâ by Tommie Michele
âEmployee of the Yearâ by John K Adams
$250
Prize money
239
Contest entries
153
Stories
Ended on 23:59 - Oct 29, 2021 EST
Won by John Merino đ
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!