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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 Youngest of a Generation” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #55

All adults do is file taxes, complain that eating hot chip upsets their stomachs, and lie.Take today for example. Mom and Dad told me we were going to have fun today as we got into the car.They lied.So I stayed in the car, tightly gripping onto my seatbelt because for once it was actually useful—it kept Mom and Dad from forcefully scooping me up and taking me into Great Aunt Margaret’s mansion.Yeah, that Great Aunt Margaret. The one I was named after. The one that’s like a hundred years old.P.S., that’s why we’re at her mansion, for her hund...

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“Abandoned?” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” he asks as we wait for the train. Of course I can, I think. I’ve never told anyone about my childhood crush, and how we used to make out behind his shed. I’ve never mentioned the night I came downstairs and saw my mum kissing my father’s brother – mostly because I’m not entirely convinced that was what I saw, but still. But this… I sigh as I take his hands again. “Yes, and I will if you want me to. But are you sure about this?” Once again there’s that stupid grin, half-scheming, half-proud, with a faint hint of...

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“The Graystockings” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #55

Dear Readers: Please note that this is a limited glance into the inner workings of a group that for the most part has chosen to remain secret. They do not have evil intentions, but they do have a mission which should become clearer as the characteristics of the group are revealed. We need to take this gradually, because, let’s face it, the group means well. It’s just that sometimes the means do not outweigh the end. It may be possible to intervene, if more radical elements take over, but we must proceed with caution. If we do...

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“Christmas Addictions” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #55

No one’s riding their bike in a hundred degree weather while blasting Christmas music from speakers strapped to their bike in the middle of August unless they’re having a life crisis or they’re addicted to Christmas music. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I’m the latter.I got about halfway through my Christmas music playlist—so around ninety minutes—when a white van pulled up next to me, cruising at the same speed as my bike. I freaked out and pedaled faster, but I was racing a gas-powered vehicle so this probably was...

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“Similar” by Geneva Savage

Submitted to Contest #55

It's incredibly hot. It's still more humid. Even indoors, I can't get cool. I, however, am not indoors. I'm outside in the thick of this summer's horrendous weather. Apparently, “rookie” reporters must weather the weather whatever the weather. I wouldn't mind on any other day, but this week has reeked disappointments enough already. “You,” my boss called from behind me as I walked into the conference room. Deep breath, I coached myself mentally. Three years. How can she still not remember my name after three years? When I turn around, ...

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“The Librarian” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #55

Dr. Lavinia Rivers found herself thinking about another Pilar, not the one who was her friend. This time it was the Pilar who was head librarian at the Biblioteca Xeral, the main library of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. This Pilar held quite a prestigious position, because the university library has an excellent reputation, some of its holdings are extremely old and valuable, and there is still considerable respect for higher education in the city, as in a good part of Europe. Today Lavinia was hoping to go back to speak...

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“Roller Coaster Ride” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #55

We are meeting at the fenced off old amusement park tonight. The one with the signs warning about danger and not entering, and we are going to ride the roller coaster that is still under official investigation after that terrible accident there last month. The one that claimed two young lives and inflicted what the mealy-mouthed call life-altering injuries on two more. We will walk past the deflated bouncy castle, where pools of water have already gathered in the flaccid, fading plastic folds, and past the waltzers that w...

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“A Tale of Mo” by K A

Submitted to Contest #55

When I saw you that night, under those golden lights, I knew I had to have you. I watched you hold the little boy so tenderly as you sang him to sleep. I envisioned you in five years in the same position, holding a boy that looked just like me. Your voice was like a siren, luring me closer - sweet melodies that left comforting oscillations in my ears. What I felt was magnetic, the way you moved so majestic. I couldn’t contain the sensations that you stirred inside of me. You saw me then, but you turned away, and my heart grew fonder for yo...

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“A Cannibal's Cookbook” by Inkstained Introvert

Submitted to Contest #55

“This is so cool.” My older sister and I were poring over my Gran’s old cookbook. Technically, it had belonged to our grandmother’s grandmother, but Gran had contributed so much over the years that the book was more hers than anyone else’s. Jade and I had grabbed the musty book out from where Mom kept it hidden, at the very top of the bookshelf in the living room. The cookbook had only been ours for a few weeks, ever since Gran died. We’d been cleaning out her house for several days following the funeral when Mom found the cookbook in the ...

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“The Tamrind Tree Betrayal ” by Sreedevi Mahapatra

Submitted to Contest #55

Once upon time there lived a king. A very handsome king indeed but unfortunately had donkey ears , long curled like a leaf . Always he covered his head and ears with a big turban. No one knew the secret except the royal barber. The barber was sufficiently warned never to open his mouth or stand to lose his head. The Poor barber was restless day and night. One day he told Mrs.barber that he had a secret but was not suppose to share with any one. Mrs.barber gave an indifferent glance and advised him to share w...

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“Vacant/Possession” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #55

Corinne and Stuart had always known what they would do if they inherited a large amount of money or if they won the lottery. The former was highly unlikely, as to the best of their knowledge they had no aging rich relatives, and as to the latter, well, you were always being told you were more likely to be struck by an asteroid than win the lottery jackpot. “Which I don’t get,” Corinne said, more than once “Because so far as I know, no human has ever been killed by being struck by an asteroid though it was bad news for the dinosaurs...

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“The Adventures of Roxanne Fenway” by Courtney Haynes

Submitted to Contest #55

“Rook to D7,” the words flew briskly off of Roxanne’s ruby-colored lips as she plucked a book written in Chinese Mandarin from the shelf.She read the language on its spine effortlessly. Not the one, she thought before expertly putting it back in place.The other end of the room was a perfect antithesis. Those five cups of coffee failing Philby miserably, he fumbled about the wall of books like a lost fool. His rambunctious hair, what remained of it, had refused to be tamed by the comb this morning, pointing in enough directions to draw lines ...

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“Don't Breathe a Word” by A L Burn

Submitted to Contest #55

I have to do this, or I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.Esther reached the bottom of the cobbled path, pausing to steady her breathing. Strands of hair clung to the nape of her sweat-beaded neck and the wind swiped at her cheeks with pin-pricks of sand. Glancing both ways down the pitch-black coastal path, she felt assured that she was completely alone. Heading right, she began to check the number of each run-down beach hut.Twenty four… twenty five…. Then the doubt began creeping its way into her mind.Why am I doing this? Thirty two… th...

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“Just cancer ” by Ifan Fin

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?”Trudy held her breath for a couple seconds too long not to have to compensate this momentary lack of oxygen with a big sigh.“Well. Can you? I need to know. Already, I’m pretty short of time.”“I’m really good at keeping secrets.” Trudy said unconvinced about her confession that came out of her mouth fast and unexpected. She felt slightly off about it all.Smoke did not look as if it was exactly the kind of answer he wanted to hear. Nevertheless he proceeded with a soap-opera-worthy statement.“I have a lung cancer.”She s...

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“Neighbors.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #55

“I’ve put on weight again. Look at me I’m huge,” Ann wailed as she grabbed and squeezed her stomach. Phil had put on a few pounds himself over the years and didn’t care that Ann had become a little more “Cuddly”. He knew that there was a knack to these conversations, if he said the wrong thing he knew that there could be tears, screaming or the silent treatment or if he was very unlucky all three. “Nonsense, you look great darling.” He would have got away with it if he hadn’t added, “There`s not many women your age who look as good as you.”...

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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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