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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 Convergence” by Todd Beller

Submitted to Contest #273

Eliza Thorne stared at the crisp white envelope in her hand, her heart racing. No return address, just her name in elegant script. She slid her finger under the flap, extracting a single card: *Your presence is requested at The Convergence.**11:11 PM, June 21st**The old lighthouse on Raven's Point**Come alone. Tell no one.* Eliza's mind whirled. The Convergence? She'd heard whispers, urban legends really, about a secret society pulling strings behind the scenes. But surely that was just conspiracy theory nonsense? Yet here was an invitation....

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“Doppelganger ” by Lee Kendrick

Submitted to Contest #273

DoppelgangerLee KendrickDetective Sergeant Inspector Cummings of Scotland Yard was assigned to follow the man fifty yards in front of him. The man wearing a grey Macintosh raincoat with a brown fedora hat was known to Interpol as a master criminal. But why he was in bombed-out East London puzzled both Interpol and Scotland Yard.The man crossed the road walking towards the ruins of what used to be a pub and some shops. He seemed to be in a hurry. He then climbed on the rubble of the bomb site. Fifty-five-year-old Cummings followed, climbing b...

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“The Council” by Kristina Hopper

Submitted to Contest #273

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” The wind was howling and causing the ship’s bells to ring frantically. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” the deckhand continued to recite the verse of Psalm 23. The night sky had taken on an auburn hue. Annoying sea rats roamed throughout the sand of the long-gone island. The deckhand’s prayer could be heard until a path of twinkling lights presented itself. A wooden door appeared at the end of the path guar...

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“The Street That Wasn’t There” by Young Akpasubi

Submitted to Contest #273

The early morning sun painted the streets of Mariborough with a golden hue, making the cobbled roads shimmer as if they were made of polished brass. The street vendors, as they did every morning, set up their stalls with the same practiced movements: the man selling fresh pastries waved at the grocer who was already haggling with his first customer; the flower woman dusted her blooms with soft care, sending little specks of pollen floating into the air. Mariborough was always alive, a city buzzing with life even before the clock struck eight...

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“A Picnic ” by Jess Norton

Submitted to Contest #273

Trent lets the red gingham blanket billow out in front of him. The breeze flicks the edges of the blanket this way and that until finally allowing it to settle over the grass. Trent and Jenn both drop down. With her knees bent to the side, Jenn smooths her long brown dress over her knees, and Trent, with his legs straight out in front of him. The sun peaks shyly through the oaks' branches. Trent unpacks the picnic basket, placing peanut butter jelly, Reese's cups, and a cold Dr. Pepper in front of her. “I hope these are still you...

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“Deprivation ” by C. H.

Submitted to Contest #273

She’d been alone for 2,191 days, and most probably was going to die alone. How many days did she have left? She didn’t have a clue. She wasn’t physically afraid of an intruder, even though she lived in a rural wooded area. She knew she had the lord on her side, and a shotgun on the other. She would have no problem burying a few bullets into someone’s chest if their intent was to hurt her. Why would she? Would you? I don’t want to hear your reasons if you answered ‘yes’. This was no longer the time of soft thoughts. Hell, empathy had disappea...

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“Truth is a Gray and Muddy Color” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #273

Dear Maribel, I can still remember every detail of how you looked when we met. Your bangs were slanted, as if you had cut them yourself in a fit of rage. Your clothes hung off of you, making you seem so much smaller than you actually were. And even though you were small and thin and barely came up to my knees, you were so strong. Even then. Your shoulders pulled back, your chest pushed out, your head raised in defiance against anyone who dared challenge you. I knew then that we had been made for each other. That you were my destiny. My fate...

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“Locked Away” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #273

Don’t tell anyone. I’m not supposed to be living here in the McKillop mansion. But when Mrs. Mildred McKillop invited me, an undocumented refugee, to stay in her home, what was I supposed to do? She caught me when I was at a low point, a few years ago, going door to door offering to rake and sweep leaves in the fall. “Ten bucks a pop,” I would say to whoever opened the door of each fine, gracious home in the ritziest enclave of Denver. They’d take one look at me, a sixteen-year-old kid with a bad haircut, wearing an outdated Denver Dynamite ...

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“The Secret Meeting That Should’ve Stayed Secret” by Daron Thompson

Submitted to Contest #273

The Secret Meeting That Should’ve Stayed Secret Chapter 1 - “Who Even Sends Texts Like This?” Aaliyah was lounging on her couch, decompressing after a long day of the daily grind. She had clocked out of her 9-to-5 a few hours ago and was just about to dive into her side hustle when her phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number: “You’re invited to a secret meeting tonight at 7 pm. Don’t be late. - J” Aaliyah frowned at the screen. This had to be some kind of spam, right? She was about to delete it when another message appeared. “...

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“Pleasant Valley Premium” by Sarah Jorgensen

Submitted to Contest #273

“It’s so green,” muttered Jane, as the perfectly manicured lawns of Pleasant Valley glided past the car window. “They must pay the gardeners a fortune.”“Drones,” said Dan from the driver’s seat. “Garden drones.”Jane searched her husband’s face for signs of sarcasm. Even after 3 years of marriage, she still couldn’t tell when he was toying with her.Dan chuckled. "It’s true,” he insisted, nodding his head towards something in the distance, “Look -”Jane followed his gaze to a neatly trimmed, emerald-green nature strip. Hammered into the grass w...

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“Martha's Masterpiece” by Bärbel Morsch

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of exploitation, psychological distress, and disturbing revelations. It deals with sensitive subject matter that some readers may find upsetting.***At 702 Warwick Road, a quaint sign shaped like a dollhouse once beckoned visitors: "Experience Martha Bunny's Unique Collection. Open daily. Admission: $1" The promise of wonder and amazement drew crowds from far and wide, each eager to witness the marvels that lay behind the weathered wooden door.Martha Bunny's Museum of Curiosities was the talk of the...

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“Harrowed” by Michelle A

Submitted to Contest #273

When Ellis first moved to the small town of Windham Crest, he could tell that something felt off. The town wasn’t unlike any other small old town, with its old-fashioned main street, worn signs, and old-looking buildings. But it was the chill in the air and the eerie silence that seemed to befall the town that brought the unease that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Ellis told himself it was just the stark difference from the big city where he used to live. The town was exactly what he had been looking for: somewhere unremarka...

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“The Lions of Revenge” by Len Rely

Submitted to Contest #273

The deputy stepped out of his vehicle with a look of confusion and ambled over a small tree that had fallen across the driveway. In the six months since he had been assigned to this jurisdiction this was the most remote address he had seen, possibly the most remote in the whole of New Jersey. A dark-colored farmhouse with an adjoining barn leaned wearily against the side of a wooded mountain. FBI vehicles had been seen coming and going weeks ago, a training exer...

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“Lady Butterfly” by Cathy Saali

Submitted to Contest #273

Dressed in black on a cold, dreary day, the handsome athletic sleuth creeps down the street. He follows at a safe distance so as not to give himself up to the golden beauty weaving through the crowded street. He’s gaining on her. Soon he’ll spin her around and reveal the truth she hides. She starts to turn; he ducks in a doorway. BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP! My hand fumbles for the off button as the alarm succeeds in rudely waking me. Today is the day I’m going to follow her. I psych myself up and jump out of b...

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“The Last Game” by Daron Thompson

Submitted to Contest #273

The Last Game Mike sat on the worn green bench under the old oak tree, his hands trembling slightly as he carefully set up his beloved chessboard. Each piece was placed with the same precision as always, the result of decades of practice and routine. The black and white squares of the board were scratched and faded, and the wooden pieces had lost some of their sheen, but Mike still treated them like treasures. He came to this spot every single day, rain or shine, hoping that someone would stop and play with him. Most days, no one did. People...

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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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