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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

“Stay Quiet, Friend” by Nuria Kojic

Submitted to Contest #272

Lyla sank into the couch, the flickering glow of the TV screen illuminating the shadows that loomed the darkened room. She had chosen a silly romcom, hoping to distract herself, but the air felt thick, almost suffocating. Every creak of the old house made her jump, and the shadows in the corners seemed to whisper her name in a language she couldn’t understand. It was late, and her roommate Clara was working on her thesis upstairs, but Lyla couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t the only ones in the home. An uneasy tension coiled in her...

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“The Spook Who Sleuths” by Daniel P. Douglas

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #272

My office was darker than FDR’s fireside chats and twice as smoky. That’s how I like it—keeps the clients on their toes and the spirits at bay. Name’s Roxie Hart, and I’m what you might call a supernatural tomfoolery private dick. Some folks get their knickers in a twist over that last word, but in my line of work, you gotta call a spade a spade and a detective a dick. I kicked back in my chair, feet up on the desk, pondering life’s great mysteries. Like why dames always fall for the wrong guy, or how Spam manages to be both a wartime delica...

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“Running Toward Yesterday” by TJames T

Submitted to Contest #272

If not for the deafening beat of my heart, the sound of his footsteps would give me the strength to finish the race. Reality quickly confronts me as I peer over my knee; the finish line is only seconds away. However, my body and my mind have reached their breaking point. The once crisp lines dividing imagination and reality, blur in an instant. Those not blurred beyond recognition, divide in two, three, or even four to skew my perception, and the worst of them do both. With my back against the wall, I push through the burning sensation in my...

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“Yes, Demons Do Exist” by Jeff Meade

Submitted to Contest #272

Yes, Demons Do ExistI watched the safari truck jostle along the rough dirt track, weaving around mud holes and low hanging acacia branches. Dusk had fallen moments before, and the family hanging out of the pop-up roof squinted fervently through the gloom to spot the elusive leopard. What they spotted instead was me, and I had timed this perfectly.“Dad, did you see that?” I heard the youngest girl squeal, wagging her finger towards the rear of the vehicle. The family had been calling her Quincy. Her older sister was Berkeley, and the other fa...

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“The Devil Wears Heels” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #272

**Trigger warning: This story has it all: alcoholism, swearing, violence, sex, and sex assault. ***The alcohol quelled their inner demons while the masks allowed the bar patrons to hide from the outer ones. Some hid under elaborate costumes, while others were scantily clad assuring themselves that it was just for Halloween. They could all go back to being pious tomorrow. Speaking of which, he never thought he’d see a nun in a bar, but she’s not what drew his attention. Sitting next to the sister was a woman. Red devi...

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“Renaissance” by Malcolm Twigg

Submitted to Contest #272

The view from the first floor bedsit window tonight was dreary. Great drifts of spume hurtled across the road, leaving shallow lakes to creep across the promenade and pour back into the ocean.. Richard turned away and sat morosely on the thread-bare chair beside the bed, dully regarding the marked and faded wallpaper, the fly-specked single light bulb oscillating gently in the draught from the ill-fitting windows. He turned his attention to the faded and patterned floor covering. If he looked closely, images danced before his eyes: the head ...

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“Treasure Trove” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #272

There's the bastard now. He's such an asshole I just want to grab him by the throat and strangle him. "Hello, Fred. Why don't you sit next to me? I'd like that." I smiled a phony one and moved my chair to accommodate another beside mine. "Thank you, Josh. I don't mind if I do." The pathetic shit took me up on my offer and plunked himself down in a chair smack dab shoulder to shoulder with me. "Fred, what's new?" "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. But if I do. You must promise me you won't speak it to anyone else." "Sure, Fred, I swea...

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“Dark Secrets of The Black Forest” by Nina H

Submitted to Contest #272

The last glowing trails of red and orange light disappeared behind the trees as Megan opened her eyes. Something cold, soft, and wet pressed against her cheek. Moss. She was lying on the floor of the woods, an ache in her head and arms. And she had no idea how she got there. Not five feet away, she saw Deanna, also just opening her eyes. And Alicia. Why were they all in the woods, at sundown, with nothing but the clothes on their backs? “My head…it’s pounding. How did we get here?” Deanna asked. Alicia cradled her head in h...

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“The Engine Room” by Allie Hastings

Submitted to Contest #272

Thursday, 1st April 1943 To walk from one end of the ship to another would take approximately five minutes, if one’s strides are long, and their pace consistent. To descend from one deck to another can be an arduous process, depending on which deck one is wanting to get to. Of course, these estimations are hypothetical, and on fletcher class destroyer, full of military personnel, these travel times may be longer. &nbsp...

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“Language for Love. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #272

Words were so him. Lachie headed off to the Grand Annual Football Presentation event, taking his place as the hard-bitten journalist, to report on all the latest trophies. His photographer was at his side, these two were the hottest items in seeking any gossip at all about mere humans. It was that time of the season, football players in the finals walked as kings in their town, always needing some glamorous young babe in a fabulous frock at their side.The hype was developing, as Lachie joined the brilliant flashes of cameras and television ...

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“Mother's Revenge” by B Hart

Submitted to Contest #272

When she picked it out, he had no idea how it had gotten there. It was a rustic red color, with pearl reflective windows and chrome rims that looked like they had been polished with a green fungus. It had a price written on it in large bubbly numbers—$500. When she asked for a drive, the man scoured his pockets and told her he didn’t have the keys—that the car wasn’t his. But the girl was determined—it called to her. She walked to it and tried the handle, and to her prevail the door opened with a long, croaky whine. The man looked unwell, bu...

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“THE HOUSE WHERE DEATH WAITS” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #272

"Did You Hear That?" The question slipped from my lips, though I knew no one could answer. I hovered in the thick shadows of the old house, watching the couple by the fire. The man shifted, eyes scanning the room, a furrow growing between his brows. His wife's fingers trembled around her wine glass, the deep red liquid shimmering in the flickering light. They couldn't see me. Not yet. It's strange being dead. Time loses its grip, and all warmth becomes a distant memory. I no longer feel the pulse of life in my veins. Only flashes remain of...

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“Pineapple” by S. Hjelmeset

Submitted to Contest #272

Spinning, spinning, spinning, her tiny feet walk up my legs, over my belly, over my chest, until she turns to land on her feet. «Again!» she squeals, and I take her hands in mine to let her spin once more. I look over to my brother, who is doing the same thing. Our cousins are in an exceptionally good mood today. Even the toddler in grandma's lap hasn't cried once. The children's infectious shrieks of laughter have put smiles on all our faces, and to make matters even better, mama and aunty are preparing the first real meal in days.The smell...

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“Horrors!” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #272

Horrors!Dennis Hopper- Speed: “If the bus goes below 50 mph, it blows up.”Murray Burns- Reedsy: “If you stop reading this, it blows up in your face.”Or… pick three of the following terrible events that will befall you should you choose to stop reading. They’re broken down into categories to make it easier for you. If you don’t get far enough to make an informed decision, three random selections will be made for you. Make your selection below with an X:_____ Have this blow up in my face. &n...

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“Mind Control” by J T

Submitted to Contest #272

“Don’t scratch at it.” Sammie swatted the redhead’s hand away from the back of her neck. “I said don’t pick,” she repeated through gritted teeth. She sighed, grabbed the redhead’s loose hand, and buckled it back down to the chair. “If you try to fight, it’ll only make things worse.”Sammie spun a dial on the radio sitting on the workbench. The redhead’s body stiffened and then relaxed as Sammie turned the dial back. “I think you are about ready. Nod if you agree.”The redhead struggled to keep her head stationary, her eyes screwed shut in conc...

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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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