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!

#182: Feeling Watched

Being self-conscious is one thing; being paranoid is quite another. Feeling eyes on you changes your behavior, simultaneously casting you in a reality TV show and a dystopian horror film. Do you thrive in attention, feel jumpy, or overthink your every move?

Let’s don our trench coats, take a furtive glance around a street corner, and search the unmoving darkness for answers. Don’t forget your torch.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a home alarm system going off.

Dramatic – 49 stories

Set your story in a society where everyone is constantly aware of unwanted surveillance.

Dystopian – 27 stories

Write a story where someone’s paranoia is justified.

Mystery – 78 stories

Write about a character who wishes they could just disappear — and then they do.

Mystery – 50 stories

Start your story with someone entering a taxi and saying ‘follow that car.’

Dramatic – 33 stories

Stories

“PROJECT BAC012588” by Angela Pirozzi

Submitted to Contest #182

Brian Adam Cramer tried to keep his focus on the task ahead, but kept peering back over his shoulder, feeling eyes burning holes into his back where he saw none. His messenger bag tucked close to his body, the wind threatening to tear it away with each violent gust, he hurried along the road to his destination. Knowing that if he didn’t make it to Pathway Laboratories tonight, he might never make it there again.Felicity Ann Daniels chewed at her ragged cuticles, staring at the doorway every few minutes. Checking her phone to see if she had r...

Read story

“At Least They Have Good Taste” by Kimberly Close

Submitted to Contest #182

That wasn’t where she’d set it.No, she was certain. Her mug had been on the dining room table, left to cool for a moment while she completed a few quick tasks, not empty beside the sink. Had she been the one to move it, she would have taken the brief time needed to wash it, as was proper. Not leave it to dry, for the leaves to crust and curl to the bottom.And yesterday, Cora had lain her cardigan over the back of the couch only to find it hours later stuffed in the hamper.For years it had happened, with rarely a quiet spell where she didn’t ...

Read story

“The Heavy Sleeper” by Elizabeth Johnson

Submitted to Contest #182

“The baby is crying… again.” I roll onto my stomach so I can reach my husband, jostling his shoulder groggily. He doesn’t move. I’m not sure what specific biological adaptation all men seem to have developed for being heavy sleepers, but from talking with my fellow mothers it appears to be an epidemic. I press my toes, which I’m hoping are freezing cold, into his legs, still, nothing gives. “Dan!” I hiss. The crying continues. Sighing dramatically for no one but myself to hear, I pull myself up and out of bed and towards my son’s room....

Read story

“The 4:15 Bus is Running Late” by Kyle Bennett

Submitted to Contest #182

My cousin Amy had a sly smile on her face across the table. I tried to give her a warning look, but the corner of my mouth involuntarily curled just enough to acknowledge that we shared a secret. Not a secret I want to share with my sixteen year old cousin. "I wonder where Jeremy and Rose got off to?" Aunt Gladys asked, looking around the table. Her eyes passed right over me and Rose. "I'm sure they'll be here." My mother said. "Well", Aunt Gladys said with a wink. "They are newlyweds". "Gladys!" My mother scolded. "You b...

Read story

“Forget Me Knot” by Doug Turnbull

Submitted to Contest #182

“He’s staying with his wife,” Sasha sobbed, dabbing her eyes. “I’m such a fool!” Amy patted Sasha’s hand, trying to calm her down and perhaps, more importantly, lower her voice. A few customers looked their way. Amy offered the lookers a strained smile. They sat across from each other at a small round table in a tucked away corner of INCANTATIONS. The store was busy today, especially for a Monday. Not that she was complaining. Customers were always good for business. “Drink your tea,” Amy urged. With shaking hands, Sasha manage...

Read story

“GHOST HUNTING IN A REAL HAUNTED HOUSE! Not Clickbait ” by Savannah Wagner

Submitted to Contest #182

“Hey, what’s up you guys? Welcome back to my channel. In today’s video we are actually exploring a real life haunted house! We are in the outskirts of Illinois, down a gravel road, miles away from the nearest city, standing in front of this…Benny, get the whole thing.” “It’s not the best lighting during the sunset. We should have gotten here sooner.” “We would have but SOMEONE had to get their Starbucks. And when I mean someone I mean Topher.” “The nearest Starbucks from this place was 40 miles away. I’m exhausted from the flight from ...

Read story

“It’s All In Your Head” by David B Fraser

Submitted to Contest #182

The first rock landed near Margaret’s ankle. She looked about wondering and then returned to digging out leaves from the flower boxes on the back of her house. The next rock landed a little further behind her. She looked again. The third rock hit the porch door beside her and she held up her garden claw tool to protect herself. Margaret raised herself up, with effort. She could not tell if something moved in the overgrown field beyond her fenced backyard. A rock hit the porch roof and rolled down beside her. She couldn’t se...

Read story

“The 11th Figure” by Danielski Belski

Submitted to Contest #182

The 11th Figure The floor is slick with puddles and wet wood from fallen branches as I make my way through the storm with only a newspaper over my head to shield me. Finally, I spot the lights in the alley of the one place I feel is safe from the whip of the weather. The single trees that stand in the distance fluff themselves warm with every cool breeze that lashes by. It’s unnerving how their monstrous bodies loom over the street, smothering street lamps. Turning the corner, the bright, ugly lights of my sanctuary mark their glow ...

Read story

“Dinner Party” by Jon Burge

Submitted to Contest #182

Jake heaved himself out of the deep passenger seat of Paul’s rented sportscar and sighed heavily. Paul had just parked the car by himself to avoid the confusion that might come with knowing whether or not he needed to tip the valet. Even though Paul was much better at pretending, he knew that both he and Jake were out of their element, and he didn’t want the rest of the world to see an awkward interaction. Paul climbed out of the driver’s seat much more nimbly, adjusted his black bowtie, and swung the car door shut with the flourish of...

Read story

“Coffee and Danish” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #182

Coffee and DanishShe has a perfect smile. Straight, uniform, dazzling white teeth. It occurs to me that they might be implants.I remember when she went head over handlebars off her bike and chipped a front tooth. I was ten and she was eight. The tooth had to be capped, and it always looked like a poorly shaped makeshift. She’s effervescent, chattering about how good it is to get together after all this time. Then I realize that she’s stopped talking and is looking directly at me. Her gray eyes are full of concern.“Are you all right?”“Um...

Read story

“Diana Princess of Themyscira, Clark Kent, and Batman” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #182

Sunday. Afternoon. She was immersed in And Quiet Flows the Don. She did not mind the lengthy Russian classics, overwhelmed with the never-ending tragedy. It was snowing outside. She had a coffee cup on her nightstand, which was already half empty. The thought of making more of it brought a smile to her face. The comfort of her pajamas, the softness of her bed, the — The alarm goes off. This shit again. The alarm system going off was a weekly, sometimes daily occasion. She always forgot to call someone to fix it. Checking the came...

Read story

“Tequila Tuesday” by Leanne Levi

Submitted to Contest #182

Warning: This story contains an implied sex scene and themes related to abuse.Tequila Tuesdays By Leanne LeviHe texted way too early. I squi...

Read story

“The Jasmine Bush ” by Angela Pirozzi

Submitted to Contest #182

Sensitive Content Trigger Warning: References to domestic violence, substance abuse, physical violenceLauren Hollings pulled the blankets tightly to her chin, listening to the roar of the hemi engine as it pulled down the tranquil street in the early morning hours when sleep was either friend or foe. And it had been foe for too long to recall. The empty space beside her was a constant reminder of the life she had naively been duped into. Fat tremulous tears gathered in her eyes as she heard the key engaging the front door lock, then the dead...

Read story

“Midnights Curtains” by Kelly Sibley

Submitted to Contest #182

I have something to confess. I know it’s stupid, but I’ve always hated having my curtains open. If I opened them, it meant, at some point, I would have to close them. Not during the day; I mean, come on, I’m not a baby or anything! … It was just having to close them at night. When it was pitch black and dark. Reflective glass gives nothing away as to what could be lurking behind the window’s mirrored surface. Who’s watching? What’s out there? You can’t see out, but everything out there can see in! I know it’s silly and immature. It’s...

Read story

“Going Ghost” by KT George

Submitted to Contest #182

The unemployment rate in the United States hovers around 10 percent. It's not the highest it has ever been, but many people are out of work, short on cash, and limited with their options. There's a sense of hopelessness in the country, and it's bleeding into every corner of the world. The television news pundits are all predicting more of the same. It's a recession, and the government is out of moves to control the downward spiral. To make matters worse, a war in Eastern Europe has spilled out into neighboring countries, threatening not ju...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

237

Contest entries

154

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 27, 2023 EST

Won by Liv Chocolate 🏆

Title: Careful—You’ll Slip, Fall, and Die on Those Slippery Slopes

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!

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 ⭢