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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

“Family ” by Matt Render

Submitted to Contest #55

The living room of people is too loud, too bursting with excitement, for anyone to hear me walk into the kitchen, hands clutching everyone's large brown take-out bags for Eli’s big birthday dinner. My whole family is busy reminiscing and jostling eachother as I stealthily tear through the myriad of paper bags with the take-out dishes before I find Eli’s— a juicy hamburger. I peel back the tinfoil wrapping with precision and I slide a tiny microscopic tab of aresenic just beneath the melted glob of cheese. “Where the fuck is Glen wi...

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“Ghosts” by McCollonough Ceili

Submitted to Contest #55

We were both ghosts, the Guardian at the Historical Society and I. We were in Laurie’s office back when she was Lorraine, an Ocean Rescue Captain for Hallandale Beach. We were watching a meeting of sorts between Lorraine and a policeman. His uniform had a gold badge on it not too different from hers, which made me think he must have been a Captain or maybe the Chief of Police. There was another man in the room that was dressed in the male version of Lorraine’s uniform. Black pants, with a white dress shirt. He too had a gold badge....

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“The yellow wallpapers” by Purushottam Kumar

Submitted to Contest #55

Sean Vacca pressed his way through another morning, following the cracked sidewalks like a programmed warehouse robot. It was another grey Tuesday in November, and it was time for the weekly junior college faculty meeting. The meeting weighed heavy on Sean’s faded dreams. He had already burned through his allotted absences during the first semester. The darkness that haunted his soul seeped through every crack and line in the wood paneled faculty room. Dr. Caun was the president of the Jacksonville State Junior college. He began the session ...

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“The Girl with Lightning Eyes” by Phillip Moore

Submitted to Contest #55

She wore a rubber blindfold, melded and sewn into her face. The illegitimate child of the Norse god had eyes reminiscent of her father’s power. Though unlike him, she had never seen the cold and bitter beauty of the North. In fact, she had not seen anything since she was a young child. She had been scooped up by strange men in black garb and tormented daily by evil dressed in white for the past twenty years. She knew not who she was, where she was from, or even her name. The closest thing she knew to the embrace of a family were the cold hug...

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“A Dangerous Affair” by Bruce Charles

Submitted to Contest #55

It was late at night when Ashley drove up to her house. To her surprise, the lights were still on, meaning her wife was still up. Ashley, not looking forward to the encounter, stepped slowly out of the car and entered her house.As she expected, Madison was sitting in a chair frowning with her arms crossed. “Hi, hon,” Ashley said with as much warmth she could muster. She tried kissing Madison’s cheek, but she dodged her lips.“Where were you?” Madison asked, her tone icy.Ashley inwardly cursed. It was times like these she wished she had friend...

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“Gender Equality” by Josephine Hulburt

Submitted to Contest #55

“No! I am not a misogynist!” Blaine slapped his hand against the polished table in the conference room and glared at the board members, especially his manager, Joan, who had made that accusation. “I’m just tired of training people—okay, women—only to have them leave because they’re getting married, or they’re pregnant, or any other family issue they might come up with.” Joan removed the reading glasses hanging around her neck and slid the applications toward him. “You know we promote gender equality in this company. You also know that we a...

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“A Draft in the Library” by Carly Kapusinsky

Submitted to Contest #55

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. They sprint through the door, one, two, and just barely manage to slam it shut before the third can cross the threshold. As it is, the frame shudders with the sudden slam of unstoppable force meeting unyielding object, silent only for a moment before the spine-tingling scrape of claws o...

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“Pseudocide in Oceanside” by T. Rezy

Submitted to Contest #55

Barnaby walked briskly through the chandelier lit hallway towards the kitchen where the shouting was coming from.''I did not take it, I tell you! Why would I do this?'' protested Allard in his raspy old french accent.''Never trust a french man, like my late father used to say, may God rest his soul. I should have listened. I demand that you empty your pockets immediately.'' She exclaimed. Astrid had never been fond of Allard, although she was very fond of his éclairs au chocolat.Noticing Barnaby, Allard cried out ''Barnabé this woman has gon...

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“Inner-City Cluckers” by Lee Jay

Submitted to Contest #55

It was dusk before Alex noticed; she had to hurry now. She packed her satchel - with a single Sickle feather from her largest Plymouth Rock - a rooster named Prince. She packed a bucket of spent grain from the local brewery to share with the others, and some diatomaceous earth for mites, an ongoing problem of chicken owners everywhere. Alex had only been a hobby chicken farmer for a couple years, but she felt like an expert. She had encountered numerous chicken problems and behaviors, and come up with many creative solutions. She truly ...

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“The Fool and The Deranged” by Audrey Zimmer

Submitted to Contest #55

The doors of the mansion where we were meeting were daunting and perfect. I was always amazed at the places Zero picked out for us to meet. They always exceeded my expectations, although I wouldn’t be telling him that. He was the sanest out of all of us, but if I even mentioned I liked the place, his ego would blow up so big that his tiny body would combust. That would be a mess to clean up, and that’s always the worst part of any job. Cleaning up the brain matter and blood. As I walked in, I checked myself out in the huge mirror in...

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“Red Shoe Society Scandle” by ALYSSA GRIMMETT

Submitted to Contest #55

The Red Shoe Society Scandal Book by: Alyssa Grimmett It all started out with someone stealing my red high heels. I never thought much about it though, since they weren’t expensive, and I got them at a thrift shop. It was still scary at the moment since I had my doors locked. Who would have thought it could lead up to someone abducting me? Friday June 22, 1990; It was a quiet little afternoon and I was going to lock up my shop since there wasn’t really any customers. Just ...

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“The Queen of Darkness” by Ollie Joyner

Submitted to Contest #55

Diane..."Did you hear that?" I ask. I shiver. This place is creepy.Miari shoots me a glare."Shut up!" she whisper-shouts. "I didn't invite you here so you could make a fool of us.""Sorry, but did you?""No. Now be quiet."Usually, I'd believe her, but in our unnerving setting, I have room for doubts.We're walking down a street, lit only by the occasional streetlight, at 1 in the morning. I can see a massive house at the end of the street that reminds me of the haunted houses my friends and I used to go to.Miari is taking me to this creepy plac...

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“The Society of the Fish's Fishermen” by James Johnson

Submitted to Contest #55

It was a cool and calm day for fishing. The kind of weather every angler hopes will be on the forecast as he strings up his rod and reel. Today is the day that I thrive. I am known ubiquitously as The Great Fish’s Fisherman. Think of me as a murderer if you will, but I will always voice liberty and equality for all fish, even if it costs me my river. Even if it costs me my life. Nobody really knows what I do for a living, if you can call it a living. I work by myself, and occas...

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“Atop Mount Peleir Hill” by J.P. Lynch

Submitted to Contest #55

Atop Mount Pelier Hill By J.P. Lynch ‘When rakish gentlemen wished for congenial society they rode up to Mr. Conolly’s hunting-lodge, perched like Noah’s Ark on the top of Mount Pellier, among the Dublin Mountains. Here they were reported to drink heavily, indulging in blasphemous oaths, and amusing themselves with preposterous orgies. This may have been, as it is said, a haunt of the notorious Hell-Fire Club…’ Maxwell, C. 1956. Dublin Under the Georges: 1714–1830. Sir Thomas Fitzgerald pulled on his sturdy woollen overcoat as he st...

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“CRUSH CRUSHED THE ROGUES” by Anonymous :)

Submitted to Contest #55

A curly haired beautiful teenager is walking beside a bungalow by staring at a handsome guy through a window. She lost her attention towards her walk and staring at him. He moved from his place for some work. Now she is worrying to see him again. Nonchalantly thinking of the guy she looked,she gave a dash to a boy who looks same as the one she stared on. She got excited to see her crush in front of her and felt ambiguity to speak with him. Handsome hero is shouting on her as she is not at all concentrating on what is going on. She came out o...

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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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