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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

“Triple A” by Adebiyi Adedoyin

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?" Arike asked as the delivery man's eyes widened in surprise. “What, what secret are you talking about ma'am?" he asked as his eyes darted back and forth between her and the iron poker she was holding. “Well since you're here might as well share it with you." She said waving the poker around. “What secret?" He asked wearily. “I have been trying to bake cookies for my friends and I think I failed and since you work at a food delivery site I was hoping you could help me out before I make a total disaster," Arike said. “I...

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“Midnight” by Claudio G. Henze

Submitted to Contest #55

Can you keep a secret? The real answer is no, no one can. Secrets do not belong to us and are not ours to be kept. One might try to keep a secret hidden from one specific person or might fight all urges to reveal an unknown fact to a group of people. The secrets we hide from ourselves are the most powerful, since we are, probably, not even aware of them. But sooner or later those secrets will be awakened, maybe in centuries, years, days or just minutes of being revealed to us. I will tell you a story full of secrets but will not yet reveal a...

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“Mirror Man ” by S.E. Clark

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” The man in the mirror asked me. I nodded my head and his nodded back. I felt the strong belief that I could keep his secret, like a child clutching to the belief of Father Christmas. The old floorboards creaked under my feet as I stepped closer to the mirror. My shaking hands reached out and held the intricate frame. The glass was cold against my forehead. Eyes tightly shut, I avoided looking at him. The man in the mirror never smiled. His anger poured out at me like heat from an open flame. Suddenly, I turned and ra...

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“A Series of Secrets” by Nolan Pieper

Submitted to Contest #55

“Last but not least let’s give a toast and round of applause to Sam! He has been with us five years now and has churned out nothing but gold in the writers room since day one. We always knew you would be a great addition to the family and we hope you will be around with us for at least another five years. Again thank you to everyone for their hard work this year and here’s to another season done. Get some rest because we start again tomorrow for season 32!” Sam stood up in the crowd on the Fox Studio Lot and meandered his way through the ho...

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““Can You Keep a Secret?”” by Cynthia Cronan

Submitted to Contest #55

REEDSY.COM 21AUG2020 Writing prompt #55 Write a story that either starts or ends with someone asking, “Can you keep a secret?” “Can You Keep a Secret” by clcronan 2020 “Can You Keep a Secret?!” the scream echoed off the walls off the empty corridor. The corridor was dimly lit, and looked worn and tired. One hundred years of chaos and sadness branded into too many layers of paint. A sad, faded, filthy, soft green paint was uppermost, and was 31 years old now. ***** “This will be your office. Keep the door closed ...

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“The Truth” by Elizabeth Burrows

Submitted to Contest #55

Eyes slowly blink open only to be met with nothing. Darkness and shadows are the only thing visible. A feeling of emptiness creeps into the depths of the stomach. There is nothing. Not one thing moves. The blackness is infinite. There is nothing beyond the dark veils that the shadows have created. The air is still. Too still. It hangs heavily in the air as thick as water. Air that is so heavy it causes deep breaths to be drawn, yet nothing changes. There is no sound in this vo...

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“Walking Along the Edge of Heaven” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #55

Walking Along the Edge of Heaven By Heather Ann Martinez Can you keep a secret? I never could. I always felt like I was catapult across the stage whenever my great aunts interrogated me about something they knew I had a hand in. They knew I broke the vase in the sunroom, cracked the ceramic cookie jar and ate all of my grandmother’s strudel in one sitting. I would tell my friends in school I was trustworthy and loyal to their well-hidden stories, but I was not. The minute our teacher asked if I saw or heard something, I confessed ...

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“"Can You Keep a Secret?"” by Marilyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a Secret?” my brother, Kurt asked me, and I immediately said to him “Sure. What’s up?” as I shrugged my shoulders in a sisterly manor as if it was a given that I’d keep a secret for him. Uwe boy little did I know how difficult this secret was going to be to keep. The timing couldn’t be worse either. Dad and I are about to go on a father, daughter vacation together. Mom felt it was important that I get to have this special memory with just my dad as her, I and my brother have gone on lots of vacations ...

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“The Conference” by Michele Soux

Submitted to Contest #55

I adjusted my gray paisley tie one more time in front of my hotel room mirror. All of the wrinkles of my navy suit were ironed out yesterday and my hair was carefully sculpted out of my face. I dreaded hobnobbing and networking - but at least I looked like I did. Turning to reach for the TV remote on the bed, I reached over and flipped off the news that played in the background. One last check that my shoelaces were actually tied - and yes, they were - and then I grabbed my briefcase to head out the door. I nodded politely to an el...

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“The Runaway ” by Eleanor McLoughlin

Submitted to Contest #55

Tristan woke slowly to the knocking and lifted his head. Pain brooded in his skull. There were shapes twisting about in front of his eyes, caused by the darkness. Everything was tangled in his mind. Bizarre half-forgotten dreams, the past, the present. He laid three facts down in his mind like metal bars. He was on the sitting-room sofa. A blanket was tangled around him. There was light trying to force its way in through the curtains. Then he pulled himself off the couch and ran to the door. He undid the bolts, pushed up the plank, unknott...

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“The Duck Pond” by Peter Watts

Submitted to Contest #55

The pond shimmered and sparkled beneath the setting sun. A mother duck glided across the water, followed in tow by a string of ducklings; each one keeping pace with the sibling in front. The mother reached the sloped embankment, hopped from the water onto the muddied grass and began walking towards the dusty path that encircled the small pond, glancing back only once to check on her trailing infants. A car containing two people was parked beside the path. The dull hum of the engine continued to whir as the passengers sat in silen...

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“The Untold Truth” by Laiba Rahim

Submitted to Contest #55

I hate them I will never forgive them, they took her away from me. They killed her, she was in so much pain but they didn't care about her and now it's time for them to pay for their sins. My name is Julie and I'm 23 years old and was born on 3 July 1998. I'm a writer by profession. Since from my childhood I was close to my sister Amma. She was my elder sister and was like my mom and my best friend. Amma and I lost our parents in a plane crash and at that time we were just kids but still my sister took care of me, while she was...

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“Run.” by Kate Mehaffey

Submitted to Contest #55

It has been decades since that night, yet I can still remember the day I was brought here, to New Solas. It seemed too good to be true, which I knew meant it wasn’t, but all I could see was a beautiful shining city, with a government of honest, true men. It wasn’t until later I began to see it’s flaws, as I was patrolling the Destitute like I am now. I trudge past the poor; their teeth rotting, clothes reeking of sweat and alcohol. A young woman reaches out and grabs my coat. I turn, grasping my gun, but her ghastly countenance stops me. &nb...

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“A weight too heavy” by Lucy Jones

Submitted to Contest #55

A weight too heavy Introduction Oh, so you found it, you really found my note you either worked really hard or it was just handed to you. Those are the two types of people, people who work and others who don’t. Anyways, I have a story to tell and I’m not getting any younger. Around 50,000 years ago, your people thought there was nothing. While your people were wrong. There was a magical, despicable, awful, yet wonderful place called Manirio (Man-er-o). Manirio was my home. You could see Manirio as many things in fact, it was many things...

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“Arnold's Lodge Meeting” by Michael E. Owens

Submitted to Contest #55

Arnold meandered around the dark corner to the lodge. A few cars lined the dimly lit streets. He had missed the last several meetings as his wife had been extremely ill and eventually died. As he reached the door, an eerie feeling came over him. Having not attended in several months, he was not sure of the password to get in. I’ll knock and they will let me in, he thought to himself, three fast knocks and two slow.Ra-rap-rap - - - rap - - - rap. Slowly the eye hole in the door opened. “Whatya want?” the voice inside bellowed.Arnold paused. T...

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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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