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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

“In the Afterlife” by 𝕊𝕦𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕚 🤍

Submitted to Contest #55

“Okay, just count back down from 20.” the doctors told me. My vision had started to blur. I started counting back, and before I even reached 13, I was out like a light. This was a life or death situation. One wrong move and I’d be dead. My family waited outside anxiously, trying to see through the tiny glass panel on the door. You’re probably wondering what happened to me. Well, a while ago, I got into a major car accident and it messed with my brain. I’m not sure exactly what happened to me, but it wasn’t good. It was one of those situatio...

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“A Dreamy Girl” by Tariq Saeed

Submitted to Contest #55

“Susan you are now a grown up girl, For God sake don’t dream so much especially during the day, Auntie Alan warned Susan.”You must go to work.Im tired.My bones are weak .I don’t understand that why You dream so much.Life is something very practical.These dreams will not full fill your needs.“.Auntie Alan said very concernedly” ,The animal sleeps but man dreams.”replied Susan.”You must go to parliament and becomes a speaker, You would be a great Speaker”. adviced Auntie Alan very sarcastically.Next day on breakfast table Susan asked...

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“Remember?” by Omani Saleem

Submitted to Contest #55

“She’s mad” the milkmen whisper, “killed her husband!” the women gossip, “run away” the children scream.Delilah rani has been used to comments like these for years, comments she knows are lies. She did not kill her husband, the court did not find her guilty. But it seems like this town always will.3 years ago, on the morning of the first day of summer, Delilah rani was seen running out of her house at full speed, her clothes were the same red color as the color of the red stains on her hands, it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was cov...

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“Ice on Fire” by 𝕊𝕦𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕚 🤍

Submitted to Contest #55

Authors note: This is a story I wrote about a month ago and I thought it kind of went with the theme. It's not finished but I might do a part 2.The ProphecyOne before the century Two will unite the world Three months he will lay imprisoned Four dimensions unfurled Five more join the quest Six minutes tick by Seven separateEight streaks across the blood moon skyPart 1: Cassia The air was cold and crisp. I could feel every step like an earthquake. My eyes swooped across the crowd and locked o...

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“Hi, darling!” by Velma Darnell

Submitted to Contest #55

"You are the love of my life, and I promise I'll always find you, even centuries later." "How is that even possible, darling? Are you saying that we will live forever?" replied a beautiful woman, whose eyes sparkled with happiness and whose smile was a man's favorite thing in the world. "That's not quite what I meant, but you almost got it, sweetheart," he replied. "What I'm saying," a man continued, "is that you'll always be the one, looking at whom, I'd feel like the wave has covered me. It's like a slight electric shock that goes th...

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“The Secret of the Violets” by Maya W.

Submitted to Contest #55

Saki tugged on the sapphire teardrop around her neck. It had been a gift, from someone she once loved very much. But none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered was the envelope in her hand, as she tentatively reached towards the seal with shaking fingers. The envelope had been a gift to, in a sort of way. It contained instructions. Instructions Saki almost never wanted to follow. Before tearing the seal, however, a single tear dripped down Saki’s cheek. She was tired of The Violet Society. She was tired of doing everythi...

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“Strange Inmate” by Chimamaka Adeniyi🙅

Submitted to Contest #55

Her hand stayed for a second, Tris’s eyes intently on it, waiting eagerly to see what the clenched fist would do next.“Then BOOM! Just like that!” Fendi screamed, punching the air sideways with the suspended hand.Tris’s mouth gaped; I (the narrator) am still trying to find out whether it was a sarcastic expression or actual surprise coming from our protagonist.“You’ve gotta be kidding me” She said, even though Tris knew she wasn’t.“Oh no Tris, I’m actually a human being so technically when I reproduce it’s called birthing” She snorted, ...

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“My Love is like a Dream” by Deepti Kumari

Submitted to Contest #55

" Can you keep a secret?"I asked Sophie." If I do not tell you now I will die because of its burden."That's why I am calling you this late.'Tell me first. She asked'I was rolling on my bed and dreaming about him and talking to my friend."Hey Sophie! You always ask me a question about my Ideal type. Aren't you?""Yes, why?"What is wrong with you?I did not respond.I am going to answer you.Actually, I am not a person who believe in Ideal type or the perfect person rather than the person who fitted you the most.The person with whom you want to ex...

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“Grandma Wallace's Coffee Cake” by Natalie Strawbridge

Submitted to Contest #55

My sister smacks the card down on the table, next to my bowl of cereal. She stands, not speaking, arms crossed, staring at the side of my head. “What’s this?” I ask, even though I know. It would be impossible not to know; she posts a daily countdown to her wedding on Instagram. I haven’t liked any of the posts. She has friends for that. But I ask anyway because it’s fun to get a rise out of her, to see her jaw clench and her eyes narrow. I’m sure there’s some rule, written in an ancient dusty book or on an internet article about how to be ...

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“The Potato Peeler's Club” by Melissa Hassan

Submitted to Contest #55

It was the middle of April. Just after the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year. The lockdown has been in place since mid March. Curfew has been implemented to prevent people all over the island of Sri Lanka, from gathering in large groups and venturing out in public. People have been self isolating themselves at home.The schools have been closed for sometime due to the outbreak of the Corona Virus. Many children have been doing their studies online in the meantime, trying to make up for lost time. All over the island there were strict rules put in ...

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“Transparent Whisper” by Jamela Faye

Submitted to Contest #55

"Once you die, you can't bring anything with you. But whatever's inside you will stay"*** Mephiline Sotaro, was an ordinary girl. She has light-pink hair and ocean blue eyes. With her shortness and cute face, it proves her innocence by just looks, but not her life. At the time when the sun shines at its brightest, in her home, its depressing as night. All of the lights were on, but for her, it wasn't. She felt like a girl sitting in a corner of a blank room, and why you ask?While sitting on that corner, she hears broken glass...

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“Metamorphosis of a civil yet disturb specimen ” by Anja Z

Submitted to Contest #55

Life isn’t easy when you’re not who you’re supposed to be, but you just have to cope with it. You find a piece of life or reminder of happiness you grab it and just hold onto it to survive the cruelness of the world. You stay strong you lift your head up and you begin your day, like theirs nothing that disturbs you, not a single specimen or object in your way. Mary Anne looked at herself in the mirror for the 5th time that morning. She looked okay or so she guessed. She was wearing a red polka dot dress with a red ribbon in her hair. Her ...

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“Cupid” by Eve Naden

Submitted to Contest #55

2004, Dartmouth “Can you keep a secret?” There were splinters in her palms and the signal on her phone was waning. Margaret Wolf gritted her teeth against the pain and ploughed on through the undergrowth, her tights tearing on the brambles as she passed. At her feet sat a carpet of golden leaves, but she could no longer appreciate Autumn on the Dartmouth Estate. Everything had become so tainted so quickly and it was only the adrenaline rushing through her veins that kept the tears at bay. She didn’t understand how everything had gone...

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“Pink hair, Coffee and Nunchucks” by Kate Le Roux

Submitted to Contest #55

Razia’s bright pink hair flipped briefly upwards as she jumped from the tree to land lightly on her feet. She paused a moment, crouching, surveying the forest, her keen eye resting briefly on a mochaleaf as it unfurled ostentatiously to her left. No orcs in sight, or annoying spying gremlins either. Satisfied that the way was clear, she stood up to retrieve her pack from a hole in the tree, her hand on the knife at her belt, then moved purposefully off along the path. The sharp needles from the tall trees cracked under her boots. Infernal fo...

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“Laugh ” by May Mills

Submitted to Contest #55

I waved my hands up in the air staring at Russell, “pass, I’m open,” I shouted. I prayed that Russell would throw the old, dark orange basketball at me before someone on the other team ran over to cover me. Russell looked away but threw the ball at me anyways. Snake eyes, clever, I thought. Before anyone could stop me, I ran over to the hoop and made an easy layup. As the ball went through the net, my team whopped and cheered, I gave Russell and Kevin high fives. “Five to three, we are winning,” I yelled. I walked over, grabbe...

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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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