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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

“Blunt-Fangs' Lunch” by Kirti Rajwekar

Submitted to Contest #272

I came to, stood on a beach. A man jogged towards me. "Where am I—?" He ran right through me. It was the strangest sensation, something cold yanking my insides. I patted myself down. Solid. There was blood on my collar. I brought my fingers to my neck; two pinpricks, just to the right of my throat. It all came back. Breaking into the decadent mansion, creeping into the candlelit room, walls adorned with golden-framed portraits. The burgundy coffin, the sleeping form within, arms crossed over a chest that rose and fell. Bringing down my woode...

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“The Lycanthrope Society ” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #272

The Lycanthrope SocietyI thought I wanted to be a pediatrician until a rabid wolf scratched my dog. Brownie was a curious, loving pup. He was a mixture of Shepherd and gold in color, like a Lab, with a big head like a whiskey barrel-carrying Saint Bernard. The attack nearly killed my best friend here at work. I’ve followed him throughout every stage of maturation. Four thousand dollars for two surgeries and countless days, nights, and hours of worrying made me curious about why animals do the things they do for years. I studied the...

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“Trick or trick” by Torry L

Submitted to Contest #272

2:59 PMNever could I have ever made more fun discoveries during my time alive. Turns out, witches do exist. Though here, they prefer the term ‘enchanter’. Don't see the difference, but hey; if the lady wants to be called that, Ima do it. After all, she is helping me. I left her kiosk with a precious pendant in hand and will be using it soon. When the sun sets and darkness falls. After they’ve buried what was left of my physical form. They’ll lay on my fresh sheets, feeling safe in the comfort of my house. I’ll come knocking on the doors like...

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“Alone in a World Full of Monsters” by Kelsey Fish

Submitted to Contest #272

I sat on the edge of my desk as the next to last student, Cheri, turned in her exam and walked out. “Thanks!” She chirped, her airy voice cutting through the thick, drippy silence that hung in the air. I gave her a small smile, holding her essay in my hand. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting, hungry. “How do you think you did?” I asked, my nerves standing on end. If Cheri noticed, she didn’t let on. “Well, it was difficult,” she started, “but I think I did alright!” She smiled, warm and bright, sunshine breaking through after a l...

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“A Home” by Hashim AlHamar

Submitted to Contest #272

A man was looking for a home. A nice home. One he could see himself living in, comfortable and at peace. Not that where he was living now was all that bad. It wasn’t. But it wasn’t a home, per se. Just a place where he slept, shat and ate. And the rent was monumental. No. He needed someplace cheaper and nicer. And from there, a search. He felt like a reverse Goldilocks. The first place he went to see, after scouring all the ads and listings, was almost perfect. Cozy one-bedroom, top-floor apartment with a grand view of the riverside. Comfy f...

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“A Taste of Desire” by Ellie Mae

Submitted to Contest #272

The night air in Washington, D.C. carried a chill that crept under William’s skin despite his centuries of resilience. The city bustled with life, even at this hour, as it always did. Neon lights flickered in the distance, casting shadows across the National Mall, where tourists wandered with tired feet and waning excitement. William lingered near the Smithsonian museums, blending in effortlessly with the passing crowds. To them, he was just another night owl exploring the capital’s history under the cover of darkness. But for William, tonig...

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“Laryngitis ” by Lou Jayne

Submitted to Contest #272

Her red shoes stand out like a single bright poppy in an otherwise empty field. Beckoning me towards them, my mouth watering wildly as my fingers itch and throb to grab them from her, they have to be mine no matter what.I need them like a shadow needs darkness to hide itself in, but I can’t just take them from her. Everyone would see. I need to clear my head and figure out a plan to get them from her. I feel the sharpe edges of my filed down fangs rolling my tongue along them, almost slicing it in half. Yes those shoes mean as much to me as ...

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“In Defence of Shadows.” by Scoop Rittersblock

Submitted to Contest #272

*The following is a translation by a Shadow Whisperer who is cataloguing the life and times of the cities “Light Negative Entities.” She is an intuitive skilled in the art of Shadow Communication.Good evening dear human. I believe your custom of greeting is such and so I honour it. It is my pleasure to talk with you today - a first of its kind, I am told - and made possible by the unique talents and abilities of the Shadow Whisperer.My thanks and eternal gratitude go out to her.For starters, can I say that we as a collective find your ways o...

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“Little Drummer Boy” by Adam Sifre

Submitted to Contest #272

“I hate her!” Jesse whispered to the empty room. "I f-f-fucking hate her. Shame and excitement roiled through his eleven-year-old body, "I fucking hate her," he repeated, not wanting to let go of this feeling. His face felt hot, as if he'd been standing in front of the basement furnace. It was a familiar feeling. The anger and the heat. Tears escaping like steam. If he'd stop to think about it, Jesse would be hard-pressed to remember a week when she hadn't done some petty, cruel act that set him off. It was a ritual ...

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“Courthouse Whispers” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #272

Tree roots had pushed and cracked the sidewalk and the surface of the parking lot, and weeds had filled in many cracks. A tumbleweed rolled across the walkway to the double doors at the entrance and nestled in a corner. The cracked glass in the doors glinted in the light from the sunset. Each of the three floors had broken windows, and the shards remained in the shrubs and weeds along the perimeter of the building. Potted plants, dried up, leaned with cracked leaves. A small furry animal scurried from the bushes by the boys’ feet, hurried ac...

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“Abandoned” by Hannah Sirgo

Submitted to Contest #272

Danny had always loved exploring abandoned places. And everyone always followed Danny. He was the fun one. He made the days exciting, and interesting, and entertaining. There was never a dull minute with him. So, when Danny said he wanted to something, everyone agreed to do it. I always followed along, of course. I didn’t want to get left behind. But I hated every second of it. The threat of toxic gases, the threat of disease, the threat of unsafe structures, the threat of strangers. It was high risk, low reward. Danny claimed some grand ne...

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“Cursed Beasts of the Woods and Hills” by Tucker Sloan

Submitted to Contest #272

Trigger warning: This piece contains violence, mature themes, and some strong language.Cursed Beasts of the Woods and HillsTucker Bradley SloanIt gets cold at night. Some people think fur keeps you warm, but mine makes me itch. The way it quickly grows through my skin, covering my bare body in the moonlight.Not to mention, it makes using toilet paper impossible. We have had to resort to other means for cleanliness. What? You do not want to know. Mom was turned first with a curse by a cripple who was blocking a covered bridge she had to ...

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“Rebbeca's Awakening” by Balint Ale

Submitted to Contest #272

Rebecca's phone vibrated on the nightstand, cutting through the stillness of the night. She stirred, her eyes barely open, noticing the soft glow illuminating the ceiling. With a groggy sigh, she rolled over and reached for her phone, knocking over a glass of water in the process. The name on the screen sent a flicker of unease through her sleep-fogged mind: Tom. Still half-asleep, she swiped to answer. "Hello?" she mumbled. "Rebecca," Tom’s voice came through, sharp and urgent. The next few words hit her like a cold splash of water, and adr...

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“Let Me Out” by Lindsay Burns

Submitted to Contest #272

Thud, thud, thud. There it was again, the noise from the attic. ‘Did you hear that?,’ Amber asked her husband, not for the first time.‘It’ll be the pipes knocking,’ Andy always said, ‘because of all the long, lazy baths you have when I’m not here.’ Although she’d tried to convince herself he was right, and even though over time she’d almost taught herself to ignore it, Amber couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief that their time in the old cottage was almost up. Just a few boxes left to pack…just one more night… ‘Well, that’s the attic empt...

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“It Called in the Night” by N S Neill

Submitted to Contest #272

“Did you hear that?” The problem is yes, I did hear it. It’s the sound of something very large and living and it sounds hungry. The deep vibration of its starved voice suggests a thing of colossal size, which surely could not exist in the waters we are monitoring. I slide off my headset and race over to see the spectrogram printed out of the low frequency sound we have just detected. The printout shows a squiggled glow of yellow outlined in orange confirming the sound’s rise and fall, this flame like imagery is the depiction of a marine bea...

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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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