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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#55: In On a Little Secret

One of The Hobbit's most memorable scenes is when Bilbo encounters Gollum in the Misty Mountains. We know Bilbo has the ring in his pocket, and that Gollum refers to the ring as his "precious." But Gollum doesn't yet realize it's missing, and Bilbo doesn't know who the ring belongs to.

This scene utilizes dramatic irony by providing readers with key information that the characters are unaware of. It creates suspense, tension, and immediately invests readers as we anxiously await the events we know will eventually unfold.

This week's prompts all revolve around the theme of secrets. We encourage you to get creative with how and when you reveal information to characters — and readers!

This week's prompts

Write a story about a meeting of a secret society.

Mystery – 155 stories

Write a story about an old family secret surfacing generations later.

Adults – 141 stories

Write a story that either starts or ends with someone asking, “Can you keep a secret?”

Kids – 421 stories

Write a story involving a conversation that’s packed with subtext; the characters aren’t quite saying what they mean.

Dialogue – 78 stories

Write a story where the readers are in on a secret that the characters are unaware of.

Novel – 101 stories

Stories

“Secret's Aren't For The Keeping” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” Alea Newman barely kept back a scoff at the question. Could she keep a secret? Everyone else seemed to think she could. Which was why she knew more secrets than all the people in town. She did not know when it had happened. But sometime in her life, she had become the unofficial secretkeeper for those around her. One day, she was trading secrets with her friends and the next, everyone —both young and old— had begun tell her their secrets. At first, she had enjoyed hearing secrets from people. She had felt important. ...

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“A Deep Secret” by SUBHOBRATA BASU

Submitted to Contest #55

Tina's mom told her, "Go and call your sister. Everyone is waiting down here." Tina, with a heavy heart, was coming to her sister's room. She heard some weird noise and slowed down her walk. She gently peeps through the door. Hearing her sister’s footsteps, she tries to clear up everything. Tina noticed her sister and entered slowly. She finds her in deep sorrow, with teary and swollen eyes. Tina sits beside her and holds her hand. Teja broke down into tears. Tina: "What happened, dear sister! It's okay. It's okay for you to cry. You can t...

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“The Case of Peter Davis” by Bookmark Here

Submitted to Contest #55

What you know about Peter Davis is that he is a killer; well, at least he will be one. Peter has always had what most would call a chip on his shoulder. You think that this is a trait that someone can eventually grow out of. Peter never did. If you believe that someone could have a chip on their shoulder and still not be a killer. Absolutely, but this will not be the case for Peter. He showed a lack of empathy from an early age, and this was not out of lack of love or neglect from his loving parents. It was not because he was abused in any w...

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“I'd do anything for you” by Emilie Stokes

Submitted to Contest #55

"Can you keep a secret?" Luke said as he swayed side from side, with a shining smile stretched across his face. Janus knew this would happen. Whenever they went out, Luke would go home wasted, he never knew how to say no to pretty people, and she was usually the one dragging him to his house. They've been thick and thin for as long as she can remember. Ever since Luke and his little sister, Abby, became friends, the three became inseparable. And when the three of them became two, he dragged her through her pain. Now, she happily drags ...

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“Paper Planes of Destiny” by Ayesha Numa

Submitted to Contest #55

1972. The roads of Kannur, a little town in the south of India had more potholes than the municipality liked to admit. If Shahda wasn't as pious as she was, she would've cursed as her head bumped on the window for the twelth time that afternoon. The bus driver, however, had driven through these roads with roaring children in the back every day for thirty years. So bracing of the body on sighting a pothole and the momentary tremor it caused, were a part of him. But tremors had only just been introduced to Shahda's world re...

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“The Problem With Some Secrets” by Ben Dolce

Submitted to Contest #55

Richard collapsed onto his favorite bench. It offered a great view of West Potomac Park and he tried to enjoy the cup of overpriced coffee. He then took a long, deep breath and mentally told himself, “Relax! It’s only work.” After a short time, a mysterious woman wearing a bright, skimpy dress sat down next to him. She snapped her gum a few times like it was a status symbol, then whispered, nonchalantly without looking at him. “You wanna hear something interesting?” He wrinkled his forehead as he took in the odd stranger. “Why would you want...

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“Family Façade” by Maahi S

Submitted to Contest #55

Winters in Brecheston were quite harsh. Despite the sheets of golden snow blanketing the village, I was still able to pick out the places I knew and loved most. Not much had changed at all. I paused to take it all in. The perfect backdrop for a painting. I recalled countless days under the thatched firewood shed trying to reasonably reproduce the scene into my sketchbook. I wondered if I would still find it there resting on my table waiting for another page to turn. I kept my hopes down. Highly unlikely after all that happened. I s...

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“Some Kind Of Hero” by Jasper Hutchings

Submitted to Contest #55

“She asked me to do something for her. She said she couldn’t. That she would get in trouble if she got caught. That is I was there!” I yelled at the men as they tied me up. They scoffed. . I had a blindfold on and couldn’t see. The air smelled like salt and puke “I don’t work with anyone! I am a civilian!” I yelled. “Silence!” One of the men yelled at me, he had a thick Italian accent. “If you are innocent, then why do you have these with you?” the other man said, this man had a thick Russian accent. One of them ripped my blindfo...

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“Fragile, unreal, and wildly protective” by Katrina Lee

Submitted to Contest #55

The cupcakes are burnt, but she eats them anyway. His arms on the counter a rest for his chin, transfixed gaze spelling out his fascination with her. “You’re like an animal.” He teases. Still, though, opens his mouth, into which she tosses a piece of the cupcake. The melted chocolate leaves a smear on his lower lip. “It is good.” His brows arched high up in seeming mockery, though he finds the cookie—still emanati...

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“MEAT TIMMY” by Madhuleka Iyer

Submitted to Contest #55

Kanika knew she was being followed. The brown dog wagged its tail and eyed the small bag of meat that Kanika held in her hand. The loose leash scraped the road as the dog walked, salivating heavily. She was walking on a small, dark alley. The place smelled rustic and all she could see were closed windows of almost-out-of-work warehouses. There weren’t many people and fewer would probably enter, considering the fact that there were no streetlights and the sun was setting faster, as if it had a bet that it would set before the moon showe...

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“Heaven's Closer Than You Think” by Grey Oberst

Submitted to Contest #55

-. --- .- --..-- / .. / .- -- / -. --- - / -.. . .- -.. .-.-.- / .. / .- -- / .. -. / .... .. -.. .. -. --. / ..-. --- .-. / .-. . .- ... --- -. ... / .. / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / ... .- -.-- .-.-.- / -.. --- / -. --- - / - . .-.. .-.. / -- -.-- / ..-. .- -- .. .-.. -.-- / ..- -. -.. . .-. / .- -. -.-- / -.-. .. .-. -.-. ..- -- ... - .- -. -.-. . ... .-.-.- / .. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / . -..- .--. .-.. .- .. -. / . ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / --- -. -.-. . / .. / .-. . - ..- .-. -. .-.-.- / ..- -. - .. .-.. / - .... . -. --..-- / .--. .-.....

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“Fiona” by Ash Hale

Submitted to Contest #55

“Sweetheart, we will be late for your appointment. You should hurry.”The sickly-sweet voice of her mother reached her through the sheets.Fiona opened her eyes. Her mother stood in front of the mirror, trying and horribly failing to tame her mane of thick, red, curly hair. Her blue eyes surveyed the contents of the dressing table and finally landing on the searched possession widened in happiness while her pale hand involuntarily reached out for the object. Her fragile stature stood bold and confident, ready to take on the world.She turned ar...

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“One of Us Will Die” by Hannah Carter

Submitted to Contest #55

Before we leave, one of us will die here tonight. I just wanted to let you know before you read any further: this is the kind of story that will unfold. So you have no misconceptions about the night you are about to witness. So don’t make any emotional attachments here—you’ll only break your own heart at the end. Got it? Good. Here we go. I stride through th...

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“Who's left to laugh?” by Miss Tee

Submitted to Contest #55

You are ten hours late, but it doesn’t really matter, it was your funeral after all and you had missed everything and everyone had gone already. The weather could not have been more perfect, the leaves on the ground moved melodiously to the tunes of the chilly air while the sun kept peaking to inform of its existence. You’re dressed in a Stuart Hughes Diamond edition black suit, a Rolex GMT master II and a dress up lace shoe that belonged to your father, and so was the body in the coffin but its quality was way cheaper and nothing compared t...

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“Sally's Star Signs” by Cyndy Reads

Submitted to Contest #55

Ronald Hasenfratz woke up every weekday at 5:21 A.M. After three beeps of the alarm, he would hit snooze and sleep until 5:30. Then, with only one beep, he would shut the alarm off, switch the nightstand lamp on, and swing his feet over the edge of the bed. His closet consisted of ten neutral work shirts. There were also five of the same black pants, one pair of je...

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$50

Prize money

896

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 21, 2020 EST

Won by B Easton 🏆

Title: Secrets for the Living

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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