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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

“The Wolf of Hopes and Dreams ” by Kara Stevens

Submitted to Contest #65

There’s a new family next door, but I’m not allowed to socialize with them. My brothers can do anything they want but I must stay home and do my chores… and my younger brother’s, too. To get through the emotions, I listen to music of my own choosing today. Not the Contemporary Christian music my mom listens to; I choose Disney music today. I feel the magic in the ai...

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“The Ghoulish Gourmet” by Chris Wagner

Submitted to Contest #65

The host of Shadow Chef always seemed a little...strange. He never took his sunglasses off, his studio had several dimly lit corners he did his announcing from, all outdoor shots were at night, and any recipes involving garlic sent the contestant packing. His personal life, though, proved this to be more than just quirky showmanship. He never went anywhere during the day. People asked about this, but he kept deflecting the question with an excuse about Covid, even when they made it very specific that they referred to the months...

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“A Wolf’s Pack” by Isabella DJ

Submitted to Contest #65

There was a knock on the door. “They’re here! They’re here!” Diana’s mom called out, clapping her hands excitedly. Very formally, Diana, her mum and then her dad went to stand in a line behind the door. Diana was forced into her pinkest dress, one with lots of frills, and sparkly pumps. Trying to hide how thrilled she was, Diana’s mother opened the door, biting on her lip to keep herself from cheering. In the doorstep stood a tall man in a black suit with his hand around a teenage boy’s arm. Diana’s mum’s happy expression was wiped off her f...

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“The Vampire of Suburbia” by Charlie Howell

Submitted to Contest #65

Ruben shuts the blinds when the first rays of sun come up. He was rich once. He lived in a manor, was an elite, wore heavy clothing to stuffy parties. A manor which he could no longer afford to maintain and had sold to the historical society. He was using the money to buy a house a little ways out of city. Ruben, with his keen hearing, can pick up the sound of every car passing by, hear the very inner workings of the engine. Jadness, Ruben’s familiar, the man who Ruben feeds off, sits on the bed: back ag...

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“Thirst ” by Lee Doe

Submitted to Contest #65

My thirst for blood was the only thing that was constant. Time changed. People changed. Places changed. But the horrible burning in my throat never seemed to waver. Never seemed to be quenched. At some points...it was but an inch, slightly bothersome, but otherwise ignored. This was not one of those times. The fire that raged on inside my throat drove me mad. Did I bother ignoring it? Did my mortality bother me? I was not human, I would never be human. I didn’t want to be human. So why did I fe...

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“All Hallow's Eve” by Ian Withintent

Submitted to Contest #65

I don’t enjoy All Hallows Eve, Halloween. In fact, it always makes me a little bit sad. I cannot help remembering the story of that young boy who disappeared. Surely you have heard of him? It was a few years ago now. Just down this very street. Harvey was his name. It was only his second ever Halloween. The previous year he had gone ‘trick or treating’ with is best friend Elwood, along with Elwood’s family. The pair of them, each only four years old at the time, went as a two headed, three legged troll. Elwood’s mother had sewn the outfit fo...

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“Halloween Fun” by Lisa Onion

Submitted to Contest #65

I worked on putting the finishing touches of my Vampire Queen make-up on and looked myself in the mirror. I look amazing in black and red along with the make-up. I smiled, “are my two favorite men ready?!” I shout as I look myself over a bit to make sure nothing is out of place. “I can’t find daddy!” My son shouts. “Alright. I will help you look for him!” I respond back as I make my way out the bedroom, happily satisfied with my appearance. Soon as I turn the corner, “roar!” I scream at the top of my lungs, turn and smack into the...

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“Ronnie” by Sam Goodman

Submitted to Contest #65

“Oh Ronnie, don’t you just look adorable!” Mrs. Jenson cooed. She brushed the faux fur away from his face. She had wriggled Ronnie into an orange-brown lion costume. He stared back at her with his wide crystal blue eyes and pouty lips. “Ronnie are you excited to go trick-or-treating?” Mrs. Jenson said in her soft, high-pitched voice she reserved for her precious boy. Ronnie continued staring at her. He reached his pudgy, dimpled hand to tug at the matted fur framing his face. “Don’t do that dear, you will mess it up,” Mrs. Jens...

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“Children of the Candy Corn” by Dana Schellings

Submitted to Contest #65

The full moon shone brightly in the dark blue sky, bathing the small town in an eerie white glow. The weather was unseasonably warm, freeing costumes from the burden of winter coats. But best of all, since it was the type of small town where no one locks their doors, parents felt comfortable allowing their little monsters, superheroes and Disney princesses to roam the streets unsupervised. No kid could have asked for a better Halloween, except perhaps one. For Jack, or as he was known tonight, Iron Man, only one thing kept it from being perf...

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“Buried Alive” by Afreen Shanavas

Submitted to Contest #65

His death was my fault. No matter what people say. I pulled the trigger. The fluorescent bulb flickered and the wind howled. Curled up in my duvet knees drawn to my chest, I perused a copy of ‘The Origin’, by Dan Brown, chugging hot chocolate. “Let it go”, Ambra Vidal said. If only I didn’t drive. If only I let go. Drunk and soporific, I drove him to death. A fresh tear appeared, which rolled down my sullen cheek, to the book, manifesting a small round crinkle. Shutting the book, I placed it on the bedside table, and hauled myself onto the w...

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“Loretta” by Walt Landers

Submitted to Contest #65

To a child, the dark buildings of London loomed tall and gloomy and foreboding. A tiny girl, whose mother had died of consumption just weeks before moved among the people like a frightened little kitten, darting here and then hiding. Sometimes a piece of bread with just a bit of mud could be found. She carefully wiped the bread off on her rag of a shirt, and though it smelled slightly of being close to a mouth brimmed of rum, she took four quick bites and chewed with happiness. To find an abandoned carrot was like finding a gold ring. At nig...

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“One Night Stand” by Meg Kovacs

Submitted to Contest #65

“You couldn’t have just found a party to go to or some trick-or-treaters to scare?” I asked, sighing. “Why does your one night on the town have to include possibilities of dismemberment, disembowelment, and possible possession? That’s just bad planning.” My hands shook a little as I folded my laundry as neatly as I could. “I want to see a ghost, and I’m finally seventeen, so I don’t have a curfew for the entire night! Nothing is gonna happe-” his words got cut off as I threw ...

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“The Graveyard Visitors” by Eunice Amero

Submitted to Contest #65

1,431 words The Graveyard Visitors The sun was just starting to set. It was Halloween. What a night for Bob and Vinson. They could hardly wait for Halloween for they had plans. Bob and Vinson were friends and was in the same class in school. They were two boys that was known to do anything. They weren’t afraid of nothing. In school they would play tricks on the girls and get in trouble. This year for Halloween they talked about going trick-a-treating and after they finished they would go out in different costumes and scare kids after...

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“Going Home” by Danielle Kellett

Submitted to Contest #65

“Is your backpack all packed up for our night in the cemetery?” I asked my seven-year-old daughter Stacy, with all the enthusiasm I could muster. I looked around her room as she sat on the bed with her arms folded. I sighed, knowing we were about to go through it again. “I don’t WANT to go,” she said petulantly. Originally she had agreed, but that had been a couple of months ago. The whims of children. “I know baby,” I said. I tried to sound reassuring while I got down on my knees to look under the bed. Aha! The bright pink My Little Pony ba...

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“The grave yard scare” by Donna Morgan Scott

Submitted to Contest #65

My friend Charles and I were relaxing on the couch one night in October. We were watching a movie, but the movie Bagan to bore us. We decided to go and check out a cemetery, it being a dark and cloudy night with a full moon. We got some clothes on and headed out to the local cemetery, on the way, we chatted about what we may encounter. The roads were clear, as most people were asleep, considering it was 2:30 in the morning. All we could hear was the sound of a slight breeze blowing through the trees and some coyotes howling off in the distan...

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$50

Prize money

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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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