#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!
This week's prompts
Start your story with the words “Everything was ready for the ritual.”
Horror – 49 stories
Write about a missing person nobody seems to know or remember.
Thriller and Suspense – 49 stories
Set your story at the boundary between two realms.
Halloween – 69 stories
Write about someone whose busiest night of the year is Halloween.
Halloween – 26 stories
Stories
“Perfectly Almond-Shaped Eyes” by Katharine Widdows
Submitted to Contest #117
“Little Boy Lost” by Rudy Uribe
Submitted to Contest #117
“Bitter Revenge” by Howard Seeley
Submitted to Contest #117
“The Curious Story of Life and Death” by Jessica Payne
Submitted to Contest #117
“Two Bodies” by Emily Blackbay
⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #117
“The Battle for B'Droom” by Amanda Fox
Submitted to Contest #117
“Slumbering Horror” by Mark Shoe
Submitted to Contest #117
“God's Knowing” by Prithviraj Suryawanshi
Submitted to Contest #117
“Teen Creatures” by Charlie Murphy
Submitted to Contest #117
“An Uninvited Guest” by Cait McNeal
⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #117
“A House so Deadly” by Kenna Stacks
Submitted to Contest #117
“Root and Branch” by David Brown
Submitted to Contest #117
“Memory, Oil on Canvas” by S. Thomson
Submitted to Contest #117
“A Halloween Cat-astrophe” by Tanya Humphreys
Submitted to Contest #117
“Purely Selfish Poltergeisting” by Mack Gage
⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #117
$250
Prize money
227
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!