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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

“Vampire Relapse” by Loren Bailey

Submitted to Contest #272

He hated himself for what he was about to do. The car slowly rounded the bend, its pace unhurried in the fading light of dusk. Clusters of wildflowers and gently swaying trees gleamed in the golden glow from the headlights. Tin cans clanged softly as they scraped against the pavement, and white ribbons fluttered delicately behind the vehicle in an ethereal dance on the wind The cooling night air held the sweet notes of late summer, and the car’s windows were rolled all the way down. An infectious beat drifted from th...

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“Hell, of sorts” by Mimi Forster

Submitted to Contest #272

It was Jack Towne’s first day on the job, so to speak, and he was understandably a little nervous. He had very little detail to go on. That was routine, he was told.Gabriel had said that nervousness was normal for a spirit in transition, as he called Jack who agreed it sounded much classier than ghost. That word in Jack’s mind conjured up a rather confused image somewhere between Patrick Swayze and a number of other cinemaland permutations. Gabriel conceded Swayze did a good job with the material he was given. But he...

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“These Thoughts Are Mine Alone” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #272

TRIGGER WARNING: This story centers around a character who wants to hurt a child I get up at 4am. I brush my teeth. I get dressed. I go for a run. I run for at least an hour. Hard. I run as fast as I can, until my heart feels like it’s going to explode from my chest. This is important. This keeps me steady. After I run, I shower. I shower for a long time, in hot, scalding water. I make myself burn. This is important. This keeps me steady. On good days, on days when I can feel the calm in my body, I let myself go out into the world for a shor...

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“Dark Ice” by Ariel Golia

Submitted to Contest #272

"Hello, nice to meet you."I suppress a laugh. No, if he knew whose hand he was shaking, he would not be happy to meet me.He winces as I shake the offered hand, probably the cold. He quickly embraces his warm cup of coffee, sipping it before turning back toward me. "So, what do you do?"I shrug. "Travel. I have some business to attend to here.""Nice. I'm a social worker for the family line."Oh I know. I know everything. Too bad for all the families that are on his waiting list. He's going to be leaving behind his own distraught family himself....

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“Scars” by Hannelore VdC

Submitted to Contest #272

Trigger warning note: Depression, self-harm, dissociation She could hear screaming. Lots of it. Sometimes one voice, sometimes many, but non-stop, never-ending, constant screaming. Like the background noise of a radio you couldn’t quite hear anymore but couldn’t entirely ignore either. There were words and sentences strewn among the meaningless sounds, yet she could never understand them. Always out of reach. Never to be fully heard. But she knew their meaning, if she cared to listen. Tumbled, knotted, complicated strings of pain, all exclai...

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“Don't Say Yes” by Katherine Pearson

Submitted to Contest #272

Disclaimer: This short story contains short depictions of blood letting in connection to an activity some may deem ritualistic. “Did you hear that.” “No.” Tap, tap, tap. “There it is again.” “I don’t hear anything. Did you hear me? I’ve been asking you a question for the last five minutes.” Savana chewed her finger, her gaze locked on the living room window. “Savana?” “It’s on the glass.” Rhianne closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation. “What is on the glass?” “ The tapping....

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“The Dooley Park Curse” by P Jones

Submitted to Contest #272

“Alright, the car is all packed!” Hedra said, slamming the car trunk closed. I smiled back at her and jumped into the passenger seat. I had waited all year for this and now I was just a five hour drive away from Dooley Park. I know camping at an abandoned amusement park isn’t exactly everyone’s dream twenty-first birthday celebration, but then again, I’m not like most people. Despite hating all things spooky, Hedra, my best friend, was the one that orchestrated the event. “So, what’s the story behind this place?” Hedra asked later in th...

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“Isolation” by Peter Meloche

Submitted to Contest #272

The man jerked his head back from the satellite phone. He couldn’t tell if what he heard was static, or screaming. The other two men in the room turned and met his gaze. The man holding the sat phone pressed the transmit button, “Kimberly, are you there?” Static responded. “Kimb...

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“The Whispers ” by Ayanna Edwards

Submitted to Contest #272

The whispers started on a stormy night, echoing through John's empty mansion like a chilling warning: "You can't bury the past forever." John's eyes adjusted to the darkness, but the shadows seemed to writhe like living things. His granddaughter, Rachel, had insisted on staying with him during the winter storm, and he was grateful for her company. As the howling wind rattled the windows, Rachel checked the fireplace, ensuring the flames danced warmly. "Grandpa, do you need anything?" she asked, concern etched on her face. John smiled weakly....

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“Don't Jinx It ” by Jessy Lowmaster

Submitted to Contest #272

I stood atop the ruins of an old castle, staring out over the damp green plains and sparsely-set yellow maples. The castle must have been an impressive monument in its day -- the walls were thick stone, with strong and solid lines of columns and arches. Floral patterns and frames were carved in window-shaped slabs. Despite the distances between them, each separate section of wall was mostly intact. The structure obviously hadn’t fallen to age or decay. Rather, it looked as though some enormous monster had stood in the center of the castle an...

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“Behind My House ” by Kami Zim

Submitted to Contest #272

9/5/1986 - Entry log 34Behind my house there is a meadow I dare not venture. The land drapes low, like a dewy blanket of fresh grass, dappled with dazzlingly blue flowers— an exotic tapestry. Thick pine encompasses the borders, locking in any animal that strolls through within eyesight. It’s beautiful. I do not wish to disturb its splendor. I see deer pass by and sometimes I wave. They only stare but I pretend they’re waving back. I never look too long— I can’t. They don’t know I decorate my house with their carcasses. 9/...

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“Little Red” by Dylan Shipman

Submitted to Contest #272

There are a lot of scary things living in the forest; bears, monsters, wolves.One wolf in particular was realizing that it was his lucky day. He could see a little girl straying from the path. With that bright red hood, it wasn't hard to find her. As the Wolf crept closer, he could see her chestnut hair and bright blue eyes. His stomach started rumbling; it’d been so long since he’d gotten to eat a proper meal.But, more than wanting to eat, the Wolf wanted to play.That was always the best part about playing with humans. They always tried to ...

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“Person in the Mirror” by Fern Everton

Submitted to Contest #272

CW: This piece contains themes of trauma, mental health, and the effects of such (ex. self harm, suicidal ideation). This also includes some swearing. Reader discretion is advised.You thought you were finally rid of them, didn’t you?You cut them out of your life— blocked their socials, deleted their contact, told everybody who truly cared about you that you were through with them. You erased any traces of them in your home. You set out to find help so they couldn’t hurt you anymore. You found therapy and loving friends, yet it wasn’t enough....

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“Invisible Trap” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #272

CW: This story contains themes of emotional neglect, childhood trauma, mental health struggles, and unhealthy relationships. Reader discretion is advised.The You Are Here sign and accompanying arrow was nowhere to be seen, but then neither was the map upon which it would have been situated. She wasn’t even looking for the map, but had she been, she’d have looked in all the wrong places. The confusion of that unborn search was not helped by the fact that it would never be clear whether the map was one of life’s paths or of her mind itself. We...

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“She Could Be Dangerous” by Tucker Sloan

Submitted to Contest #272

SHE COULD BE DANGEROUSWritten byTucker Bradley SloanFADE IN:EXT. BRIDGE OVER DRAINAGE DITCH-DAYA young dead girl floats down a drainage ditch and under a bridge. A young EMILY sees the body from the bridge. She climbs down to the body, and with a strange look in her eye, steals a small emerald necklace from the body then heads back up the ditch towards the bridge as she puts on the necklace.TITLE OVER:Over a decade later INT. PARSONS & PARSONS FINE JEWELRY-DAYQuirky Emily, early 20’s, still wears the stolen necklace. She is a s...

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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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