#13: Spooktacular

This Thursday is Halloween! And you know we couldn't let October 31st go by without giving you all a batch of spooktacular writing prompts.

But don't worry if your tolerance for the scare factor is low: whether you're a fan of spine-chilling fiction or prefer stories about friendly ghosts, there's something in these prompts for everyone!

If you want to do some Halloween reading after you submit your short story, here are some great resources to help you find the perfect, spooky read.

100 Best Horror Books of All Time

All of the Best Stephen King Books, Ranked

And Then There Were None: The 10 Best Agatha Christie Books

33 Best Vampire Books to Sink Your Teeth Into

The 50 Best Suspense Books of All Time

Guide to Southern Gothic: 10 Dark Must-Reads

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone spending the night in an old Victorian home-turned-hotel on Halloween.

Halloween – 45 stories

You go to visit your neighbor. When you ring the doorbell, a stranger appears and tells you that your neighbor has been dead for ten years.

Thriller and Suspense – 49 stories

Write a story about someone who sees a black cat cross their path... for the tenth time that day.

Mystery – 40 stories

You go for a walk and accidentally bump into someone. They feel the bump, but the person can't seem to hear or see you.

Thriller and Suspense – 52 stories

Write a story about an eventful evening of trick-or-treating.

Kids – 37 stories

Stories

“The Death of Me” by Heather McGovern

Submitted to Contest #13

It’s a dark, dreary day in the middle of October. The ground is soaked from the rain that occurred earlier in the morning, and the smell of wet dog greets my nose. I decided to go for a walk since my parents are yet again fighting, and talking about divorcing yet again. In the distance someone is walking, and I cannot make out if they are behind or in front of me. ***The footsteps that the person are taking seem to grow closer with every step they take. Birds fly as the steps grow towards me. Fear runs through my veins, and I dash a...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A Different Frequency” by David Morrison

Submitted to Contest #13

It's an overcast autumn day. It has been several days since I have spoken to anyone. I'm in a relationship, or at least, I'm not entirely certain it is still going on. Had we broken up? Did we have a fight that I had forgotten? Lately I've been feeling scattered, as if my brain were a shattered mirror and I was trying to figure out the broken pieces and put them back together. My mood has been dark, and I feel a deep sense of loneliness. I've been having trouble concentrating, or remembering things. Did I miss something important? Was I sup...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A Little Walk by the Pale Streetlight” by Timothy Gabriel

Submitted to Contest #13

“I said, excuse me!” Robbie yelled. This time, his third attempt to apologize, he got a little louder and added an exaggerated ‘curtseying’ arm motion. He admitted to himself that it was mostly his fault the two men had bumped into each other, but that was no reason for this guy to be so rude. Robbie had been walking along, trying to remember where he was and why he was out walking. It was like he had either just woken up or a fog bank had descended upon his brain, he was having a hard time thinking straight. Anyway, he had bumped into the o...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Who Bumped Into Me? A Scary Tale of the Invisible Kind” by Thomasina Rushing

Submitted to Contest #13

We may often wonder what is blowing in the trees, or how the wind blows and it sounds scary. All I can recall is one cold and chilly night, when I was walking home after choir practice. I bumped into a stranger, and I know the person felt the bump, but the person could not see me or hear me. I could hear the person talking and moving about just like the wind. This person looked super scary as if risen from the grave. His clothes were torn and ripped and his left arm was missing. So I'm afraid to ask what happened because when this person spo...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Encounter” by TERESA MARINE

Submitted to Contest #13

&...

3 comments 3

Read story

“I'm still here...” by Randi W

Submitted to Contest #13

Her eyes flew open the second my alarm went off. Sighing, she stretched and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. 'I guess I'd better speed things up! Mother will kill me if I'm late again!' thought Gemma as she started her morning routine. She tried to go faster but her movements felt like slow and heavy. Everything around her appeared to be moving in slow motion, even as she tried to fight the clock of time. She glanced down at her watch an...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Pumpkin Man” by Amy Hill

Submitted to Contest #13

The Pumpkin Man It was a dark and thundery night when Lexi, Kate and Avia were having a sleepover, it was one week before Halloween and the girls were planning their costumes. Avia had come up with the perfect idea of being Disney princesses. Avia would be Cinderella, Lexi would be Snow White, and Kate would be Rapunzel. The three of them were part of a drama group at college and were the popular ones. They all met at a very young age and lived on the same street. They were brought up together and were inseparable...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Untold Secret” by DEVIKA P

Submitted to Contest #13

The quiet village deterred me to go there to visit this home I have not been there for years. It felt like a theater waiting for the curtain to rise.Heat steamed off the cobbled streets children walked, laughed and screamed in excitement as i stood there and wondered what to do next.Trick-a-treating it is, and a night to remember for everyone following the footsteps of the others I walked along as kids do with their heads down staring at the cobbled stones.The hilltop chapel remained in its shadow while goats trailed the path.It was siesta t...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Mansion Of Tricks With Treats” by Amanda Stuntz

Submitted to Contest #13

THE MANSION OF TRICKS WITH TREATS “This place is a lot bigger than I thought it was.” Jenny parked her bicycle and got off. she pulled her witches had down over a head full of blond hair. The house was decorated from the yard to the porch. Spider webs with huge black spiders hung from the roof. The yard was full of grave stones and ghosts. Even the trees were decorated with skeletons. “Maybe we should skip this house.” Mike was still seated o...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Halloween From The Point Of View Of An Puerile Minor ” by Emily Esparza

Submitted to Contest #13

Ah, Halloween, a spooky season indeed. Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated each year on October 31, this celebration is observed as a spooky event usually celebrated by children. Though it’s barely acknowledged by some, some usually celebrate by handing out candy to the young fellows of the neighborhood, trick-or-treating with loved ones in our spooky costumes, or maybe even sharing spine-chilling stories to Tis the season that is quickly creeping upon us. But what truly is Halloween? It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of S...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Bark or Treat” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #13

I asked my mommy and daddy if it was okay and they said “yes” as long as I brought poop bags. So, I was dressed up as a butterfly and was happy. I had on green stalkings, green shoes, a gold shirt, and multi-colored wings, which my mommy made for me. Homi didn’t have a costume, but that’s ok. I would just tell people he was a weird looking bee and we were flying onto daffodils. I live in a suburb. I’m not sure what that means, but it’s nice. So, Homi and I go to our first house and I have an empty pillow ca...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Trick Or Treat” by Roderick Redpath

Submitted to Contest #13

"Trick!" the lady said."Wait...what?!" the boy asked again.The lady looked at him with confidence and said, "Trick. I want a trick.""Um...er...okay?" he responded a bit confused.He's never had someone responded with a trick, and definitely didn't have someone not give him any candy. He looks around and not sure correctly what to do; he pulls out a trick he remembers his dad doing to him. He reaches up and pretends to grab the lady's nose. Pulling back his hand with his thumb between his closed fingers, he says, "I've got ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“VEERBHADRAN AND HIS SPOOKY STUNTS” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #13

Veerabhadran was a reporter in a popular magazine. Recently the circulation of the magazine fell down for no reason and everyone connected with the magazine, including the distributors and local and outstation agents, were worried. An urgent meeting of all staff members was called to discuss the issue in detail. If and only if, the magazine covered spicy and juicy write-ups, anecdotes, stories or documentaries, it would be very difficult to increase the circulation. As a matter of policy, cinema stuff and political gossips were kept at bay. ...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The White Raven Inn” by Catherine Burford

Submitted to Contest #13

Wanda Matthews and Shelby Jones were the last people to check into the White Raven Inn before it closed its doors for good in 1987. It all started when Wanda made a bet that Shelby couldn’t make it through Halloween Night without running out of the Victorian home-turned-hotel screaming. Although Shelby hated being scared, she was always extremely competitive. It didn’t matter if it involved boys, haunted houses, or dangerous stunts; she hated losing and being seen as weak. It didn’t take long for the college student from Boston to give into ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“THE GRIEVING TRAVELLER ” by Ferdinand Otieno

Submitted to Contest #13

The gods must have cursed me, Samuel thought as he looked at the flooded road and the downed street light.Emergency lights and police vehicles were around the Mount Gretna road redirecting every driver to the Bellaire road that would take them past the minor accident and blocked road. His nine-hour drive from Indianapolis to his home would now eat more of his time. It did not help that darkness had already started to creep in, unnoticeable unless you were specifically looking for it. The churning sky and rumbles of distant thunder promised a...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

223

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 01, 2019 EST

Won by Zilla Babbitt 🏆

Title: Queen Cymbeline

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!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

#13: Spooktacular

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone spending the night in an old Victorian home-turned-hotel on Halloween.

You go to visit your neighbor. When you ring the doorbell, a stranger appears and tells you that your neighbor has been dead for ten years.

Write a story about someone who sees a black cat cross their path... for the tenth time that day.

You go for a walk and accidentally bump into someone. They feel the bump, but the person can't seem to hear or see you.

Write a story about an eventful evening of trick-or-treating.