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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#65: Spooky Season

What is it about Halloween that we find so deeply appealing? Is it the excuse to dress up and pretend to be something other than ourselves for a few hours? The exploration of all things creepy and macabre, of subjects normally too taboo to engage with? Perhaps it’s just the abundance of all our favorite candies at the same time.

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying the allure of this thrilling and chilling holiday. And while many people’s Halloween celebrations will need to be very different this year, there’s no reason why we can’t still enjoy a bit of spooky fun!

Whether you like horror, the creepy aesthetic, or just overloading on candy, this week’s prompts have plenty of inspiration to get you into the Halloween mood.

This week's prompts

Start your story with two characters deciding to spend the night in a graveyard.

Novel – 320 stories

Write about someone’s first Halloween as a ghost.

Halloween – 206 stories

Write about a group of witches meeting up on Halloween night.

Halloween – 135 stories

Write about a vampire or werewolf who moves into a quiet suburban neighborhood.

Vampire – 160 stories

Write about someone taking a child trick-or-treating for the very first time.

Kids – 87 stories

Stories

“Ghostly Memories” by Sue M

Submitted to Contest #65

Levi pulled a black shirt from his closet, black jeans from the laundry basket and a pair of mismatched black socks from an assorted pile of things behind the bedroom door. After getting dressed, he slipped on a pair of black sneakers and put on a black baseball cap that he decorated with two felt triangles to look like ears.This will have to do, Levi thought.Since early February, Levi startled when he looked in the mirror. After taking a few seconds to compose himself, he drew whiskers onto his face using a piece of coal from the barbeque g...

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“Witching Hour” by Meredith Lindsey

Submitted to Contest #65

The sky was dark over the town of Summerville. Black clouds, rolling in their thickness, provided a barrier between the light of the stars and moon and the sleepy town that laid before them. On a typical night, the children would be tucked away in their beds and the darkness would hide the occasional straggler slipping through the streets to an unknown destination. It was no matter, though, for the town wasn’t sleeping tonight. The streets and sidewalks on every corner were lit by porch lights that exposed carved pumpkins, dangling hairy...

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“Samhain” by C Alexis McGregor

Submitted to Contest #65

My eyes delight on the burnished tints and tones of this autumn day. My nose tingles with the scents of leaves interspersed with smoky accents. All in all, this moment in time gifts me a perfect, 'Wheel of the year.' The bells on my front stoop alert me to the arrival of my visitors. Through the antique glass, they appear distorted, bent, disfigured. Tabitha, Ferula and Arwen sweep through the open door, already dressed for our afternoon. "Come along, Morena, bippity bop, let's go!" "Patience, sisters, I'll be ready in a blink of y...

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“Their Fiery Vow” by Hermione Lovegood

Submitted to Contest #65

A chilly wind swept over the large garden behind the grey house. A moment passed and all the leaves- the new-borns, the adults, the old ones and the DEADS began to swing in a short slow rhythm. Slim lines of dark water started flowing on the outer wall of the watering pot at a corner. A cricket stopped chirping right in the middle of its monotonous note. The half-hidden moon came down behind the lemon shrubs and hid completely. And suddenly! Suddenly all the petals, red velvet in the light of night, together, fell off the roses. On the ...

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“Battle of Smoke and Magic” by Emerald Lace

Submitted to Contest #65

When the worlds were molten, and violence reigned, there was only Smoke and Light. They battled for control of the universe and the souls of the creatures that grew within them. Smoke would take a victory only to be extinguished by the Light. For eons, this battle raged until a creature rose up, embraced the magic within itself, and was able to create a spell that held the Smoke inside a prison made of blood, sweat, magic, and bone. Smoke crept through the cracks of the prison and infected the hearts of Man, but mostly, the Light held contro...

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“Samhain Soulcakes” by Cyndy Reads

Submitted to Contest #65

Kay: Ayyyyyy happy Samhain witchessssss June: Happy Samhain!! Ali: yoooo lets get itttttt Kay: What time yall comin over? Kay: Ive got like… so many soul cakes in the oven right now Kay: Just waiting to be eaten Ali: omg Ali: currants or raisins Kay: Raisins Ali: yaaaassssssssssss June: I still have to cleanse my tools and finish my alter. I don’t think I’ll be too much longer! Kay: Sick! You still bringing the moon water? Kay: Also Ali, your bringing your tarot cards, right? Ali: im in the m...

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“The Three Witches of Cloverwood” by Giraffe Person

Submitted to Contest #65

"Oh, Martha, do shut up."In the graveyard of the beautiful Cloverwood town, there sat three very ugly hags. They were, in fact, so ugly, that people's eyes burned after seeing them. The three hags provided a contrast with the majestic pines of Cloverwood forest with their own extremely ugly selves. But the three hags didn't care about their ugliness and their effect on other people. They didn't care about anything, actually, except one day in particular."Well, Elena, you always tell me to shut up and I feel like not shutting up today. I...

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“A New Start” by Jeremy Johnson

Submitted to Contest #65

The empty moving van bounced down the ancient driveway spewing clouds of exhaust into the air as it drove away from the old house, then turned north on the brick road that ran towards the center of town. From the covered front porch, the man watched the movers drive away while he sipped an ice cold beer. The house was situated on a sparsely populated block on the outskirts of some no name little town. A few neighbors were out working in their yards but most had retreated to the comfort of their homes for their nightly routi...

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“So...you want to talk about it?” by Megan Faith

Submitted to Contest #65

Dinah placed the trash cans at the curb, hoping to catch a glimpse at the new neighbor. He ducked back inside before she got the chance. “Hmm,” “Dinah!” The other neighbor’s voice asked her to come over. Joan the town gossip saw Dinah’s look of disappointment from a mile away. Dinah came over. Joan was sweet enough, a little annoying but she’s the type of lady that would fix your hair after a crying session and call you pretty. Buy you chocolate and tell you to eat the whole thing because you deserve it. “What’s the tea, Joan?” She s...

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“Howls in the Night” by Charles Wasilausky

Submitted to Contest #65

On one blustery October day, a moving van was seen in front of an old, abandoned house. Now, this house was going to need a lot of work as the windows were boarded up, the door was almost completely off its hinges, and the wood on the floor and porch were rotted through. It wouldn't support the weight of an adult. There were rumors about this house being haunted. Most people in this small town of Allyn avoided this house. When a group of teenagers saw the moving van in front of the house, they were surprised and decided to do some investigat...

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“The Tidy Habits of Veronique Galan” by Jennifer Osborne

Submitted to Contest #65

Maybe this time...Maybe I can blend in, regroup, and learn to let go.The quiet streets of Millersrun, with their colorful Victorians and thrift shops show the vulnerability of this small city. I find comfort in this, as it mirrors my own situation, both currently and historically. I find no peace in high-end, pristine cities where everyone is beautiful and has a full family. I tend to look for a mix...some diversity, some sense of a struggle, and hard work.To keep myself out of the news, I have to change my name every seven or so years. I us...

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“The Neighbour” by Maria Blackman

Submitted to Contest #65

When the Lees returned from caravanning around Australia, the first thing that they noticed was that the house next door had finally sold. As they pulled into their driveway, they remarked on the changes the new owner had made. There was a new fence and gate around the property, though it was plain to see that the garden was still in disrepair. Jenny and Keith’s own garden had taken off since their respective retirements, and they hoped that it hadn’t fallen into disarray while their son had been looking after it. One of the neighbours fro...

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“Little Red Riding Hood (Remix)” by Lakshay Kumar

Submitted to Contest #65

"Dad, hey dad, are you up?" "Let me just sleep for two more minutes princess" "No DAD wake up, DAD, WAKE UPP!!" Little Red Riding hood shook her father like a horny teen shakes his damn cock. "Ugh, ok I'm up, I'm up, no need to yell" her father managed to sit up in bed "Good morning" Red Riding hood smiled. "Morning" he smiled back, fetching his box of esse lights from the bedside table. "What do you want sweetheart?" He said, blowing smoke on his daughter's face. She coughed and declared sincerely "Its granny's goddamn birthday...

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“Child of the Moon” by K.M. Hotzel

Submitted to Contest #65

When I reached the woods wisps of fog had settled on the ground winding their way through the forest. I took my clothes off, folded them neatly into a little package, and stuck them into the hollow tree stump of a gnarly oak. Despite the chilly breeze, my body tingled with excitement as I buried my toes in the fallen leaves. Today was a full moon, and not any full moon, but a blue moon. I relaxed my body, watching the small cloud in front of my mouth dissipate. The moon had barely risen over the edge of the horizon when I felt the su...

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“October 30th” by Candela B

Submitted to Contest #65

The sound of my phone’s alarm slices into my consciousness like a knife through jello. The brightness sears my vision, flashing the date, October 30th. As if I could afford to forget that tomorrow is Halloween. And not just any Halloween, but the kind that only comes around once in a blue moon.Groaning, I swipe my finger across the screen to shut it off. I really don’t want to get up. I don’t particularly want to be awake, either. It’s pitch dark, my muscles are throbbing, and the sheets smell like stale sweat. Fuck, that’s right--I wen...

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$50

Prize money

908

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 30, 2020 EST

Won by Joshua G. J. Insole 🏆

Title: Bridgemoss Guardians

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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