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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

“Wine and Warfare” by Jasmine Winchcombe

Submitted to Contest #55

"Hey!" A whisper echoed from the shadows as I walked down a long corridor. I turned and saw a figure, shrouded in darkness, huddling in the corner. A long bony finger beckoned me towards him. "Archie" hissed the voice. I was taken aback. This person knew my name, or at least, the name the Master had given me. The figure half emerged, and I was startled to see a familiar face. It was Jim. Jim saw my dazed look and grinned. "It's ok, Archie. I need to tell you something." He looked around suspiciously. "Not here though. Come on." Jim hooked hi...

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“The Secret Keepers Society” by Cheryl Fulks

Submitted to Contest #55

The Secret Keepers SocietyJoe stood up and asked everyone to raise their right hand. "Can you keep a secret?" the group stood up and agreed to (The Secret Keepers Society) pledge. He continued to call the meeting to order. "Darlene", Joe asked, "could you read the minutes from last week”. Darlene stood up and told them that last week, the group unanimously voted to accept Charlotte as a member. Everyone looked at Charlotte and smiled with a welcoming gesture. The second call to order she stated was the group had agreed to...

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“The Forgotten Society” by Bruce Charles

Submitted to Contest #55

Men and women sat together around a circular table, all wearing cloaks that hid their identities. The room was too dark to see clearly in, only the few candles providing some illumination. One of the members stood and greeted her comrades. “Welcome back to the Forgotten Society. For today’s meeting, we shall talk about the progress of our plan.” Facing the man next to her, she asked, “How goes it?”The man she addressed stood and replied, “It’s going smoothly. If it continues to go smoothly, I expect that we should be ready in about a month.”...

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“Chess Club” by Shea K

Submitted to Contest #55

They glanced over their shoulders when they came, and pulled their hats down low. Not all of them were wearing hats, however, and some had to make do by burying their faces deep in their collars. Grace Matheson simply hid in the shadow of an umbrella, though the rain was a full hour past, because she didn’t want to ruin her makeup. Still, in spite of their best efforts, it was impossible to hide the money that ran in their blood. They were the cream of high society, and couldn’t help but arrive with fanfare. In the wavering evening light, b...

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“Grandpa's Secrets” by Kasia Brie

Submitted to Contest #55

Sand squished through her toes as she walked the Anastasia Island beach with her twelve-year-old son, Jordan. Maisie had him every other week throughout the summer, and this week was their family vacation. Coming to the beach house had been a family tradition since before she was born. It was a family home her great grandparents had purchased in 1945 after their sons Stanley, Robert, and Michael had returned home from WWII. Somehow it had remained in the family despite some desires to sell it. At the death of their parents, Stanley, Rob...

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“Targeted Mad” by Phillip Moore

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” That was the question that started it all. I quickly clicked out of the dialogue box that had posed it upon my screen, but it was persistent. Another appeared, prompting me to answer the same question. There was only one option to click on; ‘yes’. I assumed it was the beginnings of a scam or some type of malicious software bait. Again, I clicked the close button on the window. My screen flickered and it returned to taunt me a third time. I squinted at it, mildly frustrated. “What the hell?” I asked aloud. I dragged m...

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“Stars on Cuffed Jeans” by Sophie Marin

Submitted to Contest #55

"Can you keep a secret?" Isabel shouted into the wind atop Bear Mountain. "I'm gay." That was the first and only time that Isabel had ever truly admitted her sexuality to anyone. Sure, maybe it was just to the occasional bird or bear, but it was a start, at least compared to whispering it to herself in the precious confines of her bedroom. As if she’d ever forget the fact. The memory of that day was permanently etched into the forefront of her mind— she could remember every little detail, down to the stars she’d drawn on the cuffs of her j...

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“Autumn's Quest” by Leane Cornwell

Submitted to Contest #55

As late autumn rains begin in earnest, they take hold of the Pacific Northwest where I live. I notice the start of annual soaking and am aware my mood has suddenly turned giddy. Fall down-pours, which at times cause tire grooves on Hwy 22 to become misplaced rivers. Together with impatient little waterfalls springing from mountainsides along the highway, they burst across the asphalt racing alongside the rain-rivers. They are forgotten perils we Oregon drivers encounter annually. Yet my mood remains buoyant and optimistic. Summer’...

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“Siblings ” by Megan Yoo

Submitted to Contest #55

Lara Kim rushes down the streets of her hometown, Ulsan in South Korea. She held tightly the tiny hand of her younger brother, Cody Kim. She lets out a small pant as she holds the stolen loaf of bread tightly, the vendor shouting and chasing after them. She could feel the fear radiating off of her 7 year old brother, and looks down at him for a moment. “Want a ride?” She asks playfully, making his eyes shine and his head nod quickly. A small laugh falls from her lips and she picks him up, putting him on her back and hooking her...

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“Alice's Secret” by Susan Monroe McGrath

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” Alice lifted her head, shifting her attention from the salad she was pushing around on the plate in front of her to the man standing at her side. Justin leaned close, his body curved over Alice, his breath carrying traces of malted wheat as his words brushed across her skin. Alice narrowed her eyes and pointed at the chair across from her. Justin straightened his body away from her to pull the chair out, the steel feet of the black legs scraping across the concrete of the coffee shop patio. He dropped h...

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“Making An Ass of You and Me” by C Alexis McGregor

Submitted to Contest #55

"Can you keep a secret?" Five words, unspoken, speaking to a secret bond of trust, existing between confidantes,; however, in truth, but a foolhardy assumption. The shadowy hallway feels cooler in the dim light. Rubber soles cushion my footsteps. Ice. I need ice for a child's bumped bruised knee. I rotate right, taking three steps into the staffroom, on my quest for ice. I loop left, opening the freezer door as Hilary whooshes past, her face a mask of her emotions. The heat of her hostility, burning and bilious, sparking with s...

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“Mr. Greere's Refried Dreams” by Jaya Avendel

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” asked Mr. Macado Greere of his bulldog, Fairy. The dog stretched her back out and groaned. Her nails scratched on the kitchen floor. Mr. Greere pulled a crystal glass out of a kitchen cabinet above the counter and set it down. Fairy settled and put her nose on her paws. “The annual Bibury Garden Fair is coming up,” Mr. Greere continued. He put a slotted absinthe spoon over his glass and balanced three sugar cubes on top. “With Mrs. Estes dead, I aim to win first prize with my vegetable marrows. They are massive...

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“To: The North Pole, 1100 W. Sleigh Avenue” by CB Pinky

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” Stupid Rachel Seyfarth said to me while she was behind me in the Bathroom Line. “Santa isn’t real. I know it because I’m Catholic, and Christmas is about God. Santa is just a way for not-believers to make fun of God.” Santa, if you’re reading this, which I know you are, I want to tell you personally that I do not believe Stupid Rachel. I could not understand why she was saying these horrible things to me. And worst of all, when I said back to her “That’s not true,” Mrs. Anderson gave us both red slips for talking i...

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“The Second Staircase Conversation” by Madeleine Hays

Submitted to Contest #55

The last time she asked to talk to me like this, it didn’t go well. We’re sitting underneath the stairwell at school. The walls by the landings are covered in flyers held up by blue tape, the kind that’s almost paper and doesn’t get stuck to surfaces as easily as others. The ground is covered in stains from God-only-knows-what. The yellow paint on the edge of every step is peeling off. A few years ago, they painted all the “hazards” with the same garish shade of bright yellow. The next day, the former third member of our former trio promptl...

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“For The Love of Benjamin” by Khadine A. Dorsett

Submitted to Contest #55

She sat counting the bills, putting them to her nostrils and inhaling the crisp, fresh smell that was common for a wad freshly printed. Like a junkie, she checked the serial numbers and smiled, pleased that all sixty of them were in numerical sequence. It mattered very little that she was supposed to collect seventy-five, as that’s what they had agreed to, but she was content to add the green notes with their iridescent blue ribbons to her growing stash.“He’ll call you for the next drop” the burly gentleman said. “Be on 12th and Main at eigh...

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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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