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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#272: Fright Night

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReedsyFright to share your stories (and potentially be featured on our social accounts)!

Spooky season has arrived, and what better way to embrace this time of year than by diving into some spine-chilling writing? I’m constantly amazed by the variety of enthralling narratives we come across in this contest — from subtle, eerie stories with sinister undertones to tales that are outright macabre.

So, as one of the year's most popular holidays approaches, let’s get into the Halloween spirit and conjure up some creepy tales. Grab your coziest sweater and favorite hot drink, and let’s get writing!

This week's prompts

Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

Short Story – 112 stories

Start or end your story with someone running away from something, literally or metaphorically.

Dramatic – 85 stories

Write a story from the point of view of a ghost, vampire, or werewolf.

Short Story – 144 stories

Center your story around someone trying to resist their darker impulses — and they’ll either succeed or fail.

Angst – 63 stories

Write a story in which the narrator or a character says "Did you hear that?"

Short Story – 84 stories

Stories

“The Terrifying Tale of Todd's Totally Spooky Night” by Tina Harden

Submitted to Contest #272

Todd Braverman considered himself the bravest man in Cowardly Creek, which, admittedly, wasn't saying much in a town where the annual Courage Festival involved competitive hiding under blankets. But Todd was determined to prove his mettle once and for all by spending the night in the town's infamous "Murder Mansion," a dilapidated Victorian house on the hill that had been vacant since the previous owners fled screaming about a demonic Roomba.Armed with nothing but a flashlight, a bag of cheese puffs, and his lucky rabbit's foot (which, much ...

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“Hyde Mind” by Tavi Oliver

Submitted to Contest #272

The rain pattered against the window, drumming a staunch rhythm in the darkly lit room. In this small, stuffy space, stale coffee and old books hung in the air, with the faintest hint of something more sinister. Alexandra Vine sat hunched over her desk, the glowing, soft luminous light of the lamp casting a radiance over the tangled mess of papers surrounding her. Chaotic, frantic thoughts weighed upon each sheet, a mirror of the storm that brewed within her and the one outside her window. Ever since the accident, Alexandra had fought this d...

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“Grandma's Farm” by Mack Crotwell

Submitted to Contest #272

When I agreed to care for my grandmother’s decrepit, well-seasoned farmhouse, I don’t think I was in my right mind. Because here I am, standing at the threshold, debating turning around and telling the moving van to take me back to my apartment in the city. I could beg for my lease back, even though I had to beg for the apartment manager to let me out of it. The old, white house is exactly what you would picture as a farmhouse. It’s a simple, two story home with wood-stained shutters on every window. The one’s on the back of the house swing ...

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“Chronicling the Ages : A Sanguivore's Reflection” by B. D. Bradshaw

Submitted to Contest #272

Chronicling the Ages : A Sanguivore's ReflectionA comprehensive account of the eras spanning the vivications of the esteemed Lady Lahmia Pavel.Era OneDawn of ImmortalityMy intimate era. This age marks my most profound transformation - the end of my mortal life, and rebirth as Sanguinis renatus, a creature of the endless night. My beloved, Demetrius, has bestowed his most precious gift, sharing his blood, that we may rule these lands together, immortal. The process was agonising, yet necessary, and Demetrius remained at my side through it all...

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“Johnny Be Good, Please.” by Tucker Sloan

Submitted to Contest #272

Johnny Be Good, Please.Trigger Warning: This short story contains gun violence and mature themes. John was a stupid name. A family name. A name I was stuck with. I wanted to change it in second grade when a fellow student began calling me Johnny B- after a character he saw in a movie once. “My name is John!” I told him right before I smacked his lower lip. I could hit pretty hard for a second grader. You had bette...

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“Hands” by Damien Exton

Submitted to Contest #272

When you’re alive, nobody prepares you for seeing the hands of your killer.Those hands, you’ve watched them operate in normal life, doing vanilla things we all do: scratch a nose, juggle a biro, thrum fingers on a tabletop in thought. You’ve seen them do good things. You’ve been there, you’ve witnessed those moments, and you were happy to witness them. They made you feel glad to be alive, glad to be a part of this wonderful tribe called humanity. I give; you reciprocate. I am your brother; you are my sister. We all make out well and share ou...

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“The Sun Is My Night Light” by Sive Rivers

Submitted to Contest #272

The Zoltar fortune card I held felt as though the machine was mocking me. Remember, yesterday, you could not wait for today to arrive. It went on about being content and happy, and looking forward to tomorrow. Once I left the park, I’d toss it. “That was so much fun! I’m glad you grew out of your fears. Weren’t those haunted houses cool?!” My sister was starting to stumble around. Her boyfriend wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady as we headed towards the exit gates and out to the parking lot. Since I could no longer drink...

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“Mrs. Sanchez” by Sabrina Chacon

Submitted to Contest #272

The way she moved amongst the crowd of students in the hallway pissed me off. She wore dress pants and a blue blouse, with heels that made her far taller than she needed to be. Long brown hair, even browner eyes and a smile that made everyone feel at home all came together to make a woman that I suppose other women envied and most men wanted. I trailed behind her, the students seemingly parting as I passed through so that I touched no one. Whether they knew I was there or not, I had no idea. Their faces all seemed so similar yet so strange...

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“THE NIGHTMARE OF MALLORY” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #272

The story of Mallory begins as any other story. The story of innocence's. The story of beauty. The story of kindness. The story of love. But beneath that story lied a nightmare. A nightmare no one saw coming. Mallory only first name. No last name. No face to go with her name. Erased from the memory of those who knew her. Erased from the town she was born and raised in. A lovely girl. A girl of beauty and love with the heart of gold to those who knew her. On the outside that's the Mallory her town knew. On the inside was a heart of darkness. ...

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“Getting to Know Someone You Want to Have Sex With” by Tommy Goround

Submitted to Contest #272

Fuck you. The real problem with bringing your werewolf or vampire on a leash is that the mood does its own thing and i’m not paying full price for dinner. I was on a date the other day, she said “Yes, Yes, Yes…” and I said the same when she wanted me to spend money at the 1852. This is a very expensive restaurant built of an old Monterey House somewhere near the Museum of Fine Art. 1852 is literally their address so we both know they lack style and panache but will charge 30$ for eggs and sell absinthe for the same price as Mountain wat...

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“Elbows and Knees” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #272

Sleeping three in a bed, top to tail, was never an outcome that any of us wanted. But the flat was cold enough that whenever we spoke, our breath misted the air as if we were dragons. Benedict tried for a while to sleep in the tin bath, but kept bashing himself on the sides. Besides, he reported that the tin radiated cold, which, naturally, it would do. We never bathed properly anymore as heating enough water was far too much effort and only the first of us to bathe felt much of a benefit. One less thing to argue about when we gave up on bat...

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“Grave Reflections” by Amy Kelly

Submitted to Contest #272

The mist across the graves was silver fleece felted through the brown earth and between the protruding tombstone teeth. The wan face of the moon witnessed the shadows spreading on the ground below. Halloween night thrummed with the magic of darkness. The beat of every human heartbeat echoed in the air. Sweat saturated with adrenaline and sugary treats, mingled with the smells of dirt and candles from glowing Jack O Lanterns on every porch stairs. The iron gates of the cemetery creaked as I exited. Rats and beetles scurried at my feet as my c...

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“Moonlit Malady” by Arthur Yates

Submitted to Contest #272

*This story features elements of dread, horror, mild gore, and adult language*“The damn dog got out,” Bill muttered to himself, noticing the back door ajar, allowing the frigid night air to invade his kitchen. Fall nights were merciless in the northern mountains of Utah, and Bill wasn’t about to let the sonabitch Winston inflate his heating bill just to chase another squirrel and get those prickleys—Bill's term for burrs—tangled in his fur. Snatching his coat from the arm of the couch, he shot his wife a terse explanation and stormed out, sl...

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“Something Like Desire” by Ane Gummel

Submitted to Contest #272

` The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years. Unexpectedly, tonight there is a candle burning in the window. I see myself reacting: I shake my head in disbelief. The candle is sitting atop a plain wooden table, no other furnishings are visible. The flame is feeble, noncommittal. It’s pissing me off. I’ve been observing the cabin every day and night for the past three months and haven’t seen anything. Suddenly, this candle is flickering audaciously in the window like it’s always been there. The cabin is creepy enough when ostensibly ...

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“Bloodbath at the Beach” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #272

Ready for another typical Monday after a normal resort town weekend, Ocean City, Maryland chambermaid Rosa Gonzalez slowly unlocked the door of the luxury condominium unit and wheeled her equipment cart into the room. She had expected to make quick work of it–a minor dusting, picking up a few dozen discarded paper cups and booze bottles and a once-over with a vacuum. To her horror, she found pools of red bl...

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$250

Prize money

488

Contest entries

175

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 18, 2024 EST

Won by Mortimer Ridgewood 🏆

Title: Drone

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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