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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

“The Tennis and Football Club” by Ayaan Haque

Submitted to Contest #55

Right when I entered the building there were 3 beeps. Then a man who sounded like he’d rather be dumped into a volcano said in a monotone voice “The Tennis and Football Club is meeting in room...” He paused as he checked his printed schedule for the recreation center “...B211 right now.” I looked at the schedule on the wall. Right now (5:30 AM), there were only 3 activities going on: The Tennis and Football club, Knitting Class, and Princess club, which was full of girls who pretended to marry “princes” who really were kids from the hig...

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“A New World Order.” by HBR Patel

Submitted to Contest #55

The driver turned-off the Car's headlight after reaching the entrance. The gate was closed and it was completely dark. The gate protected the entrance of an old and abandoned mansion. There was no streetlight and thus it was pitch dark with an occasional chirping of crickets. The driver then open the glove box and took out a strong flash-light from that. He turned it on and search for the receiver in the darkness. After finding it, he turned it off. He remembered the passcode that was written on the invitation letter with invisible ink. ...

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“The Hidden Societies” by Jack Zheng

Submitted to Contest #55

I was walking toward my door when a random guy came walking up to me all mysteriously. I knew who he was. But why is he here? ... Oh, sorry if you were confused about who I am talking about let’s start from the beginning. This is how it all started. Just like any normal day, I was just walking down the road, minding my own business.But noooo. Some guys had to come out of nowhere and kidnapped me right then and there. The next thing I knew, I was in a dark room and I was asked if I wanted to join them right now . What th...

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“The test” by Vakula Surendar

Submitted to Contest #55

I stared, fascinated, at the dark piece of black swirling and steadily expanding inside the box, emitting a cold blue glow. “This is so cool.”, I breathed softly. Ewin’s lips twitched as he watched me from his spot next to the desk. “What’s so cool about it?” I glared at him, and he raised his arms in surrender. “Hey, sorry. It’s just that you’ve seen these before.” There was no apology in his teasing tone or mischievous grin. “Yeah, but I’m actually using it this time. It’s different.” Ewin shrugged. As a third year, he was well past the in...

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“Seek and find. ” by Vianney Muñoz

Submitted to Contest #55

“Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone” That was the quote that Phillip had found several times in sundry websites while making his new investigation, it seemed to be the motto of some sort of club. He became obsessed with finding out who were the members of that group and how to stop them. Phillip was a hacker who specialized in discovering the dirty laundry of important people to blackmail them with that information. He knew that it was not the line of work his mother would want him to follow, but he found it morally ...

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“Snakes Among Us” by Monique Petty

Submitted to Contest #55

He showed up angry and aloof. Starched shirt. Extra stuff as that was his preference. Upset and distraught, that although he is a third generation benefactor to a U.S. oil tycoon, he had no idea about this. It was a level of distraction that even his grandfather hadn't known. The leather bound invitation read: We don't invite new money. It was in bold lettering at the top of the membership application. You must prove your financial worthiness to our cause. It continued, what is this worthiness? Keeping the wealthy immensely wealthy and cre...

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“A Quilters Secret” by Anne Nielsen

Submitted to Contest #55

Muriel stood in front of the cereal display at Briarwood Grocers. As she scanned the boxes movement to her right caught her eye, she felt rather than saw the person, but she didn’t mistake the slight nudge she felt on her elbow. Muriel gave such a small nod of acknowledgment when a note was surreptitious slid into her hand that anyone near her would have missed it. A tingle of excitement ran down Muriel’s spine. It’s on she thought, as she smiled at the box of Cheery Nuts cereal. Walking to the car she could hardly control her excitement as ...

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“The Spiders” by Grace Ko

Submitted to Contest #55

The tiny spiders gathered together in a small room, thus starting one of the first Spider Home Broker meetings. The society was kept secret for a very important reason, but none of them seemed to know what it was. When asked, they would only mutter, "Only the humans know." What they did know was that the meetings would be biweekly, as directed by the lead spider (Who they were, no one knew). Storm clouds were brewing in the dark night sky as they huddled together under the shade of the faded red soup can. They were in the first of many...

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“A Case of Criminal Obedience ” by Adam McKenna

Submitted to Contest #55

Old Moritz Koppe’s bungalow living room emptied in dribs and drabs throughout the evening. Family members from across the board, some of whom he hadn’t seen for decades, and whom lived as far away as Nebraska and Argentina, and even back in Germany, had come to pay their respects and nibble on the hastily prepared buffet that Marie, his wonderful daughter-in-law, had put together the previous evening. As the last relatives trickled out — an odd couple of distance cousins from Michigan with an endless stream of tales about the “horrors” in t...

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“The Dead Of Winter” by Karen Johnson

Submitted to Contest #55

The Dead of Winter Gram had called Marcie early that morning and told her to come over, explaining she wanted someone to plant daffodils in the flower beds outlining the front of her house. At first, Marcie tried to beg off, but Gram had insisted the bulbs had to be planted today. To Marcie, November didn’t seem the time to plant anything, especially this November. Normally, the month of November was an enigmatic time with oscillating sun warmed days and cold nights, but this year, winter had come on early and hard. The thermometer on the b...

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“Secrets Kept By The Attic” by Natalie Hardy

Submitted to Contest #55

A thick coat of dust covers the boxes acting like a blanket. To my left, a broken bookshelf is leaning against the wall, its contents are lying on the floor. I stand up straight, hitting my head on the ceiling. The floor creaks with every step I take. I’m being as quiet as possible, trying not to wake my family below. The clock in the corner reads midnight. I should be in bed, but this is my only shot to look in the attic without Mom finding out. She doesn’t want me up here, but my curiosity has g...

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“My Grandmother, Victoria. ” by Kaylee Jaye

Submitted to Contest #55

The story technically begins decades earlier, even before my own traumatizing event. My, whatever many, great grandmother, Victoria, had gone missing. I’m not 100% of the fact and fiction of the story. By the time I heard it, the game of telephone had already been played. Victoria had been a sweet young girl, about 12 when it happened. They lived in the same house I did, we all called it “the family house”. It had been built in the middle of nowhere, the town being built to the east of it later. When Victoria lived there, the town wou...

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“The strangest family secret” by Sabrina Costilla

Submitted to Contest #55

Ever get a strange letter while on your way to work one day with a wax stamp closing and your name written on the front? No just me today? Strange… Ms. Andriana D. Macklin I walk to my bus stop and take a seat at the bench there was never anyone up this early so I was alone before the sun ever rose staring a milky white envelop in my hand I hold it up to the street light trying to see the content but it was no use the stamp was to big to guess anythin...

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“A Queer Thanksgiving ” by Kira Severy-Hoven

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you pass me those potatoes?” Jill frantically reached through the countless bowls and various utensils scattered along the kitchen counter. “One sec mom. I’m not quite done with them yet.” Bowie tenderly began peeling a second potato; the second out of ten. “Oh please Bo, you are so useless.” Carrie took the bowl from him and quickly cut the rest of them. “Here mom.” She handed the bowl to her mother, who was now shoveling cranberry sauce out of the can into a formal dish. “Bowie doesn’t have to be good in the kitchen. He’s going to be ...

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“ONE LITTE CURSE” by 💕A &M💕

Submitted to Contest #55

We had come to the end of another year. There was a long holiday before us. My friends and I decided to try something new. Most holidays, we usually went for swimming or skating. We had been together as long as anyone could remember. At first, we had planned to do the usual until night covered up the whole sky.We were cooped in one of our rooms discussing the upcoming days when Andrea asked, ''Why doesn't your mum allow us going in your attic.''The question was directed to me but I had no clue. I looked into my best friend's eyes and faces w...

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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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