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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

“Homecoming” by Robyn Bruns

Submitted to Contest #273

September 10Today was awful. Jennifer was asked to go to Homecoming. I am happy for my best friend, but I know this is another way Abigal will be around her. Abigal’s boyfriend Chad is good friends with Jason, who asked Jennifer. They will go as a group, and I will be stuck at home all night because my best friend sucks.Sept 13My mom asked what I was wearing to Homecoming. I told her I was not going. She told me, "But you and Jennifer had so much fun freshman year, why wouldn’t you go again?" I yelled because Abigal and Jennifer are double d...

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“A Grandad's Letters to his Grandson” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #273

Dearest Grandson, George In the annals of time, there shall come a day when men reflect upon the shadows of the past and declare that I, the harbinger of dread, ushered forth the most notorious fiend of the Twentieth Century, a spectre who eluded justice with chilling ease. Your grandfather, a figure shrouded in darkness, prowled the streets in the year of our Lord 1888. Slaughter was never the aim I envisioned for my existence. Indeed not. From a young age, the desire to wield the scalpel and delve into the mysteries of the human form cons...

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“The Meeting of the Saints” by Ian McKerracher

Submitted to Contest #273

The saints began to trickle in. Old Mrs. Robinson was a widow from two years into a sweet marriage but has lived alone for the last 47 years. She was making tea and coffee. Peter Frampton (no relation) had also come early and had helped set up the chairs in the rented community hall, ostensibly for the so-called social gathering. Anthony Fresco, a middle-aged bachelor and old-school gentleman, was greeting everyone at the door with a big smile and overwhelming gestures of bowing and addressing the members of the congregation by name and with...

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“Where the Wild Places Forget” by EV Throne

Submitted to Contest #273

The rain fell lightly, pattering against the canopy of branches overhead. The forest beyond the garden was alive with whispers—the wind stirring through brittle leaves, roots shifting beneath the earth, the soft hum of distant creatures moving through the night. It should have brought Lira peace. But there was no peace to be found here, not anymore. She stood just beyond the stone wall, hidden among the vines and wildflowers that had grown unchecked along the courtyard's edges. The scent of damp earth clung to the air, and the cold mist kiss...

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“Trick or traitor” by Paul Simpkin

Submitted to Contest #273

Monday 28 October “Hello Mr.Raven,” I said. He squawked back, looking round trying to find something to eat for his breakfast. Those ravens always notice me. It is my custom to go for my daily walk before 9am when things start to get busier round here. I saw one of the ravens sitting on a bench by the chapel and I said hello. Everyone else ignores me. The ravens don’t. I have lived here for a long time now. I don’t think I could live anywhere else in London. There is a great view of Tower Bridge. It is very handy for St Paul’s and for lots ...

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“Now Serving…Harvey!” by Patrick Huber

Submitted to Contest #273

“Quad Oat Latte with Cinnamon?” A young female, barista announces. She looks around the crowded coffee shop for anyone to react. Within a minute a middle aged man in a well-tailored suit steps up and grabs the drink. “I’m the quad” he says as he takes the drink and in return gives a wink and suggestive grin. Not only has he done this before, but this is the start of his routine. He visits this coffee shop in particular not because of the quality espresso drinks but for the young, attractive baristas. His regular...

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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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“In the Shadow of Secrets” by Edward J. McCoul

Submitted to Contest #273

“In the Shadow of Secrets” by Edward J. McCoulSamantha Burke had the eerie sensation that someone was following her again.It started three days ago, a prickling awareness at the back of her neck whenever she stepped outside. At first, she chalked it up to paranoia—just an overactive imagination, she told herself. But tonight, as the fog rolled in thick and heavy over the London streets, the feeling had intensified.She could hear it now. Footsteps. Always a few paces behind.Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck, Samantha kept walking, f...

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“The Violent Dream” by Kearstin Foshee

Submitted to Contest #273

Notes/Warnings: Thoughts of suicide, violence, gore, blood, mental health. I sank into the white, fluffy couch, its plush cushions nearly suffocating me with their warmth. My therapist sat across from me, her glasses falling along the bridge of her nose as she peered downward, her pen tapping in a relentless rhythm against her notebook. “Mave,” she coaxed, “tell me more about your dream.” I swallowed hard, forcing down my rising bile. The dream had not been one I wanted to relive again, but it had been tormenting me for mon...

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“The demon spy” by James Little

Submitted to Contest #273

Midnight's bells tolled as fog clung to the streets, muffling footsteps. The moon hid behind clouds, turning away from the depravity below. Shadows moved like whispers in the gloom, unseen deals struck by men who profited from human misery.Orilana crouched on the rooftop, feeling like a ghost in a city without a place for her. Her pulse was steady, and her muscles tensed like coiled springs. The thrill of the hunt burned within her, but she kept it tempered and focused. Her target emerged from the haze—a figure shrouded in black robes, his m...

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“The closeness of shadows” by Penelope Stansfield

Submitted to Contest #273

Shirley had known Agatha for as long as she could remember, inseparable since infant school. So when Agatha suddenly disappeared that June without a word, it felt like Shirley had lost a part of herself, and the months that followed were filled with heartbreak and unanswered questions. But then, five months later, Agatha came back, just as suddenly as she’d left.Shirley was thrilled to begin with, her lifelong friend had returned to their small town and everything that had been disturbed was now slotted back into place, but things ...

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“The Secret Ingredient ” by Nina H

Submitted to Contest #273

(Jump to Recipe) [Link has been disabled] It’s getting close, my friends! The holiday season is closing in on us faster than my Aunt Trudy can say “fruitcake” and throw back a cocktail! So what does this mean for those of us doomed to put a smile on our faces while we welcome the in-laws, cousins, black sheep, and freeloaders? It means we scour the internet looking for the best recipes to impress even your mother-in-law, who is arguably more judgmental than an entire panel of Supreme Court Justices. You may be wondering the secret of ...

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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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“Smoker” by Mark Mc Quown

Submitted to Contest #273

SmokerBy Mark Mc Quown Smoker was a Labrador Retriever who had spent many winters in the cabin that Smoker could see in front him but could not get to it. He smelled the smoke coming from the chimney, he smelled the fire inside and the food cooking, but he was stuck. The day was clear with no snow in the air and this was helpful as Smoker watched the Fire Truck pull up to the cabin and the firemen racing out from all sides. There was no fire, they came for the dog.Smoker had jumped out the front door this morning, as soo...

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“New Orleans Nightmare” by Rachel Keller

Submitted to Contest #273

Louise was never one to scare off easily, nor did she ever care to believe in the paranormal. One of her earliest memories was sitting restlessly in a pew during the St. Louis Cathedral’s 11 o’clock Mass, swinging her legs up as far as they could go in her Sunday best. She remembered rolling her eyes whenever the priest would cry out that God can save us from the evil spirits lurking the city. More importantly, she remembered pitying all the fervent church-goers who believed him. Therefore, when the student body of Tulane decided to throw a ...

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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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