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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

“Signature Odor” by Maha Kteish

Submitted to Contest #55

“This house smells as bad as it did 20 years ago, huh?” George talks to himself while he sets down his wife’s overstuffed suitcases down on the squeaky floor of his 87 years old, family house. “Um, George. Is this where we are going to spend our Christmas vacation in? Are you delusional?” Karen’s heels’ clicking is embracing the voidness of the hallways’ corners, and George remembers being beat up in every one of them. He remembers the taste of blood, the taste of tears, his mother reading, his fathe...

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“Our Little Secrets...” by Spark Tang

Submitted to Contest #55

Chapter 1 “Let’s start this family meeting,” the first lawyer says. “Why were we all called here all of a sudden?” one of my relatives asked. “I know right we haven’t seen each other in years and now all of a sudden you want to talk to all of us,” my aunt asks. Their questions sparked off what seemed like endless complaints, questions, and concerns. “PLEASE KEEP QUIET!” the second lawyer said, raising his voice. He wasn’t shouting but it was loud enough to make the whispers and the murmurs subside. I...

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“Little Did I Know ” by Mosami Trivedi

Submitted to Contest #55

I have felt since so many days like I never felt before. Everything was crushing me down… kids around, sounds like monsters. It is my first job obviously, but I couldn't be so wrong in pursuing my career, understanding my passion. And after my first baby miscarriage, I was so sure about what I want around are kids, joy, cuteness blossoms everything even an empty heart. But somehow here I am pleading for not press the charges to the parents of one cute 6 years boy, The School peon Vinayak astonished and nervous to say that I push...

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“Does Sylvia Know?” by Cain Adomnain

Submitted to Contest #55

“Does Sylvia know?” “I’m not sure.” “No. Seriously. Does she know?” asked Gwen’s grandmother, leaning forward from her rocker and putting her face closer to Gwen’s mom Kathy. “Mother, it’s so hard to tell.” “I worry so much about all this. It’s terrible!” sighed Grandma Mary tugging on the bottom button of the beige cardigan she always wore. “I know.” “I thought about Rose and Harold last night, and poor little Sylvia, and I couldn’t go to sleep until well past midnight.” Gwen and I were finishing lunch at a little table in the...

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“A Life for a Life, A Daughter for a Daughter” by See Zheng

Submitted to Contest #55

“We’re hooome!” my cousin exclaimed as we opened the door. Even after eighteen years, I’m still not used to her loud-for-no-reason yelling. I just sighed, gently closed the front door. “Welcome home, Misses.” our head maid, Grace, smiled and greeted. Ruby dumped everything onto the maids' hands and literally flew into the living room. They turned to me but I just shook my head. “I’m fine. Thank you, Lily and Lyra.” “Grandmother, I’m back!” Ruby exclaimed and flew into her arms. “Oh, welcome home, my little jewel.” my grandm...

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“See You in my Dreams” by Jaya Menon

Submitted to Contest #55

"Can you keep a secret?" Mina leans towards me, pin-straight hair curtaining her face. She stares directly into my eyes, so close I can see the constellation of freckles framing her moon-grey eyes. She grins conspiratorially, not allowing for an answer. I wait, letting her have her moment. Her eyes dart to the side, as if to check that no one is nearby. Voice dropping to a whisper, she breathes, 'I'm running away to LA.' For as long as I could remember, this had been Mina’s dream. LA was where it was at, she would tell me, where she wo...

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“The Secret Giver” by Guinn Shaddon

Submitted to Contest #55

"Psst...yeah, you.....Let me whisper something in your ear: Can you keep a secret? I have something very important to tell you. Don't be afraid. Accept what I say." He looked very scared....He looked helpless, but he moved closer to her. She took slow steps until she was near enough to whisper: "Your life is about to change. That rock you sleep on will soon be a thing of the past." She was glowing with a soft blue hue. He felt a fluttering in his heart. He felt a hope flowing up inside him. He bowed his head and said a prayer. W...

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“Questions For Sad Girls” by Blisters Wournos

Submitted to Contest #55

Trigger warnings: suicidal thoughts, self harm, eating disorders, sexual abuse, abuse Can you keep a secret? I've known since I was six and saw that body on the train tracks that I would die by suicide. He had jumped in front of the oncoming subway car and smeared across the tracks. My mother screamed and tried to cover my eyes and for the first time in my life I realized that some people get to decide when they die and I wanted to be one of them. Can you keep a secret? I spit my food down my sleeve like my elbows were mad...

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“Treasure ” by Sai Vivek India

Submitted to Contest #55

Sam, there is rain from 10 days there is rain and we have to evacuate this place very soon the volcano can explode at any time we will move next morning Sam. John volcano will not erupt because there is rain but in rain, the volcano will erupt there nothing to worry about. Sam, I have listened that there is a treasure in this soil but we have to find that in which place. John you have fought a very big thing today night we will find the treasure and we will become the richest person in this village we can be happy. (Night) John, you are read...

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“The Ace Up My Dress” by Amritha Ram

Submitted to Contest #55

Can you keep a secret? Yes, you. I’m talking to you. You look like someone who’d listen, and you should. This one’s a good one - you’d never be able to tell if you saw me. My name is Arya, and I’m a receptionist at a beauty salon in the city. You probably wouldn’t notice me twice on the street if you saw me. Well, maybe I’m being a bit modest. I’ve been told my entire life how blessed I am in the looks department. I do, at times, wonder how my 5’7” balding father and pale (also kind of balding) mother produced me, with my long tan leg...

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“ International Assassin” by Elizabeth Moggy

Submitted to Contest #55

Can you keep a secret my boss said before this crazy Mission. I was sent to Russia for the mission. The mission was to get the bombs from the Russian army. So I sneaked into the Russian army base And hid in the plane. While I was hiding in the plane I saw a guy holding a box with the bomb in So I followed him to this vehicle and hid in the trunk of the vehicle and when I got out of the trunk I followed him into this big house. So I waited until he went to the bathroom and then I took the bomb and drove away in&n...

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“A Letter on the Power of Secrets” by Eleanor Grayson

Submitted to Contest #55

Can you keep a secret? Dear Cecilia, If you ever find yourself courageous enough to ask that question or one of its likeness (i.e. Can I tell you a secret?), it is in your best interest to banish it from your thoughts and perish it from your vocabulary. If you can. It may be a very difficult endeavor, but it will save you much heartbreak. They (your mother and her husband and all their friends in that social circle they call ‘enlightened’) cast me as a woman scorned because I hold this view, and yet they know not truly the pai...

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“Secrets Spill Like Hot Coffee” by Grace Leigh

Submitted to Contest #55

To be fair, my day started off rough, so it was only fair that it went downhill from there. I woke up late, burned my toast, couldn’t find the black tank top I swore I laid out last night, and then tripped trying to exit my apartment and put my shoes on at the same time. At work, I got chewed out for my team not sticking to the timeline my boss was so particular about and then had to work through lunch because we had to re-do part of the presentation that hadn’t saved the day before. &nbs...

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“Red Flashing Lights” by Kelsie Robison

Submitted to Contest #55

She’s finally here, waiting for the stranger to walk in and call her name. Are they a woman? A man? Could a man even really understand her? She shivers at the thought of a man poking around the inside of her brain. Would he even take her seriously? Would he treat her like a lost puppy like all of the men before him? Probably. She cracked a smirk, thinking of how pathetic she feels. She’s finally called to the room. A woman with short blond hair is smiling at her. She looks like she’s barely twenty, although she dresses like an eighty-five-ye...

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“Frank and Katie: A Comedy of Errors” by Marina Datthyn

Submitted to Contest #55

Her: It was 4:30, and Katie should have been starting dinner. Instead, she was painting her toenails and talking on the phone to her sister, complaining, again, about Frank. “Honestly, Lucy, can you keep a secret?” Her sister laughed. “Who am I going to tell?” &nbs...

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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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