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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#273: Locked Away

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

Ah, secrets. What is it about the unknown that’s so alluring? Do you relish the implicit power of knowing confidential information? Do you love the feeling of connection and exclusivity that being told a secret brings? Or do you enjoy dissecting other people in your head after you’ve discovered their deepest, darkest secrets?

This week, let’s write some stories that unravel long-buried truths — and maybe even a character’s entire life in the process.

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of diary/journal entries about a secret or confession.

Short Story – 69 stories

Begin your story with someone either being followed or following someone else.

Dramatic – 53 stories

Write a story with the line “Don’t tell anyone.”

Angst – 80 stories

Your character is invited to a secret meeting. Who invited them, and what do they encounter?

Short Story – 40 stories

Write a story that hides something from the reader until the end.

Dramatic – 113 stories

Stories

“THE PERFECT ROSE” by Sandra Lord

Submitted to Contest #273

Maddy and Don Mitchell chose Valentine’s Day for their wedding because anniversaries would be easy to remember. Every year, Maddy gave Don a single red carnation in memory of the first anniversary when they had been too poor for roses. Every year, Don picked up a dozen red roses at the florist’s shop on his way home. And every year, they went someplace special for dinner and dancing. “Are you getting a dozen red roses for Maddy aga...

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“Winter” by Rebecca Martinez

Submitted to Contest #273

Vienna sat on the creaking swing set, waiting for him and tracing her cold fingers numbly on the rust that smelled like blood. As she looked around, the sunset-colored leaves that fell on the pavement were the only glimpse of color on this bleak, lifeless autumn afternoon. Winter was creeping into the year, once more, like an unwanted guest. She feared winter the way little kids feared the dark. It was a pulsing, throbbing remainder of the way time passed mercilessly and waited for no one. She realized time felt like a race, she had to...

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“Screens” by Renata Paschoal

Submitted to Contest #273

Her neck arteries hammered in her throat as panic rose. She was sure she had been followed. But by whom? She was an average Jane—plump, with brown hair and eyes. Maybe she had lost it for good. Probably, it was all in her head. As soon as the garage door closed, her pulse began to rebalance. Phew! “I’ll watch Succession,” she mumbled. Brian Cox’s acting was so mesmerizing that she couldn’t think or do anything else. Her body barely changed positions in the comfort of her recliner. Like every Wednesday morning, the bell rang, and the ca...

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“Hunger” by K.S. Byrd

Submitted to Contest #273

The fascinating thing about dreams? You never realize you’re in one—until you wake up.Kevin woke up to a chill. “What the hell happened?” he muttered, his voice hoarse. He placed his hand on the frosty ground, struggling to push himself up. It was a slow, painful process. He groaned and grabbed his pounding head. A wet, sticky substance greased his hair and stuck to his fingers. Inspecting his hand, his fear became a reality. “Blood.” Without thinking, he wiped his hand on his shirt.The last thing he remembered was speed walking along the tr...

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“Silent Screams” by Daron Thompson

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning:This story addresses multiple sensitive themes, including mental health struggles, poverty, child exploitation, physical abuse, manipulation, and coercion. It explores the harsh realities of life in an impoverished environment, the emotional impact of hunger and neglect, and the pressure to engage in illegal activities as a means of survival. Reader discretion is advised. Title: Silent Screams Diary Entry 1 - March 5thMama always says, “Keep it inside, Bobby. Don’t let it out.” But it’s too heavy. Every time I try to swallow ...

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“Between the folds” by Sam Greene

Submitted to Contest #273

21/7/2021 The day was gentle and expectant. It was one of those days with God rays bathing the white and turquoise kitchen, making dust swirl languidly in ways that spelled out afternoon siesta, but not quite yet, let's just linger for a little while, awake. The air smelled citrusy and was warm on the skin. We were doing the dishes, bumping our butts against each other every now and then. I would come up behind you, ironically over-performing my deviant gender identity, and pretend to hump you. At that point I felt like an eternal boy riding...

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“Earl ” by Mikayla Peck

Submitted to Contest #273

March 12th, 2076I knew the day would come when I would have to confess this to someone. Yes, I'm confessing it to a leather bound journal I keep in my nightstand but it still counts right. I did confess it to the good Lord Almighty a time or two as well.I'm rambling. I tend to do that now that I am a bit older. Oh, who am I kidding I do it constantly. Always have, always will. Well, I better just spill it. It's not like anyone will read this anyway. He has been gone too long for anyone to care. I married that son of a bitch back in 2014 on a...

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“The Wandering Mind” by Caroline Offutt

Submitted to Contest #273

October 18, 2024 I am in the 9th grade and am 15 years old. School has been in session for over a month, and I am already struggling. Every day, I return home, holding back the instinct to break out in tears and crawl into a ball on the floor. I control this urge; I do not like anyone to see me weak, much less crying on the floor. How is this possible? Am I stupid? Is there something mentally wrong with me? These questions keep me up at night. I lay in my bed as a pool of cold, wet tears begins to fill up my bed. My mind drifts to my smug, ...

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“A Dessert To Die For ” by Claire Brocksopp

Submitted to Contest #273

5th May 2014I can’t tell you how pleased I am that it’s Monday. I have spent the entire weekend hiding inside myself turning down so many delicious opportunities. I have a problem and I know this. The trouble is knowing it and actually doing something about it are two entirely separate things. I sometimes think back and try to picture where it started and when it suddenly got out of hand but if I’m being honest there’s no specific time frame that stands out, I just know it’s been going on for far too long now and no one has a clue. At least,...

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“The Reunion #Readsysecrets” by Lou Jayne

Submitted to Contest #273

The Reunion Monday 21/10/2024 Dear Diary,Today I received an unexpected letter! I have absolutely no idea how she found me? The adoption agency were under strict instructions not to give out any of my details if they were ever asked.When I gave her up it was with the understanding that she wouldn’t be able to Seek me out in the future. I know that sounds harsh! but I have my reasons. The questions I now have to face is do I reply or leave things as they are? or should I change my own mind about a decision I made 28 years ago? Tuesd...

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“Oxygen” by Donna Sims

Submitted to Contest #273

“Uncle Reggie?” He turned around. The lines on his face were deeper than I’d remembered, and the whites of his eyes were crimson. He rubbed his face with his rugged hands, slowly stood up, and turned towards me. It’d been at least two years since I’d been home, and his hair? Grayer. I noticed, too, that his pace was slow, donning a cane for support. He paused, looked at me wryly, and, pointing downward, said, “Hip replacement. Two weeks ago.” I dropped my bags on the floor. We held each other close and wept. I pushed my face into ...

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“Sunken Bones” by Travis LaPrairie

Submitted to Contest #273

The coastal town of Ayrloft often had a constant salty mist rolling through the cobbled streets from the Casbalt Ocean. The ankle-biting cloud cover always appeared at the worst times, and tonight was no exception. After verifying his trusty vessel, a seasoned dock worker slung his pack over his shoulder and made his way down the rickety old plankway to the town. Every other crew member had turned in for the night, and the soft glow of the streetlights was his only company on his journey home: that and the mist. The sensation always brought ...

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“The Night of the Fire” by Christie Mack

Submitted to Contest #273

The flames were too bright to be real. For a long moment, all Anyah could do was stare, transfixed by the billowing smoke curling into the sky, spreading like dark fingers clawing at the moon. The old house was supposed to be abandoned, a forgotten relic of the past on the edge of town. With broken windows, vines overtaking its brick walls, and a sagging front porch, the place was always deserted except for them. And yet, there it was, burning. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Josh whispered, his eyes wide and locked on the flames. His...

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“The Thief” by Peter Sides

Submitted to Contest #273

Theme – Don’t tell Anyone THE THIEFThey say you regret the things you could have done but didn’t. What about the things you did? Those unnecessary things, those things you shouldn’t have done. I regret those more. Lost opportunities are lost. But your past stays with you, till you die. You hope. You hope your blighted past is forgotten, never to be discovered, as its unlikely ever to be forgiven. And as all true secrets are, they are only secrets, as long as you don’t tell anyone. But of course, you cannot un-tell it to yourself. You ca...

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“HIS SECRET” by Kat Ginley

Submitted to Contest #273

HIS SECRETA SHORT STORY BY KAT GINLEY Nothing much is visible on a day like today. The rolling hills and countryside, shrouded in thick mist, may or may not exist at all beyond the veil. The old dark stone houses lining the street are barely visible and create a sense of mystery. And they are trying to do just that, she muses, as her sneaker clad feet crunch on the pavement, almost the only sound to be heard in the neighborhood. Not many people venture outside on this icy cold, foggy day. Warm within those very houses, heating and ligh...

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$250

Prize money

355

Contest entries

162

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 25, 2024 EST

Won by Asia W 🏆

Title: Venus Buried

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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