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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

“Aryzath and the Witches” by <inactive> .

Submitted to Contest #65

Author’s note- I wrote this for a Literature assignment, and the prompt matched, so I figured, why not put it on Reedsy? But I have to give a head’s up to y’all. We’re covering The Lady of Shalott (Alfred Lord Tennyson) in Lit and the assignment was to write a story on what Lancelot would do after the Lady’s death (spoiler of the poem) and how he would find more about her. I do not own any of the characters, just the storyline. My parents were lost as to who these characters were, so have a list of them-1. King Arthur- King of Camelot 2. Gui...

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“leave a light on” by Natalie Strawbridge

Submitted to Contest #65

I read the text from Marcia for the third time, just to be sure I’ve read it correctly.Can I ask you a huge favor?Sure, what’s up?Are you free on Halloween? Can you take Harrison trick-or-treating? I sprained my ankle and I’m still in a boot, and Phil just found out he has to work.I roll my eyes. Phil always finds some way to avoid holidays. When we were kids, he'd often fake a stomachache as soon as his Christmas presents were opened so that he could ditch church and family brunch. And last Thanksgiving, he claimed that he and Marcia needed...

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“A Halloween Miracle ” by Malz Castell

Submitted to Contest #65

“Hi darling.” “Hey, Tori.” “I’m here. Just like we had decided. Our longstanding date night. Today, our youngest left for college.” “You remembered,” I breathed, not caring that she couldn’t hear me. She didn’t even know I was here. And yet, here she was, just like we had agreed the day the twins were born. The night we were going to spend together, a couple of empty nesters, alone at last after twenty-four years with three kids. She carried a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket in the other. She spread the blanket on the grass and opene...

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“Mrs. Vampire” by Skyler Woods

Submitted to Contest #65

Vampire movies make me laugh. In the movies, we can’t see our reflections in the mirror, which is absurd. You can’t kill us by stabbing us through the heart with a wooden stake. You can only kill a half-breed vampire with a wooden stake. My favorite myth is we burn up in the daylight. Why do they put these myths in movies?Oh, I’m sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Nina Vegas and I’m a vampire. I just moved into a lovely neighborhood with my husband and son. We purchased a nice four-bedroom home that has a glorious backyard pool. It...

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“Under A Willow Tree” by Echo Sundar

Submitted to Contest #65

“C’mon sweety.” My grandma told me, sticking out her wrinkly hand. I still didn't move.“You know if this is too much we can go and trick-or-treat.” She assured me. But no one wants to be that kid where even their grandma thinks they're a scardy cat. “I'm..coming.” I stuttered. Trying to get my body to move. I took my grandma's hand and squeezed it with all my might. “There’s nothing to be afraid of honey.” She reassured me. Squeezing my hand back except a lot lighter. “Remind me why we're doing this again?” I asked trying to fit all my fe...

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“The cut that always bleeds” by Ari Berri

Submitted to Contest #65

WARNING: THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD, AND SOME SELF-HARMING. IF YOU AREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, PLEASE DON'T READ IT. IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, KEEP GOING! Jake cursed under his breath. His left arm had started bleeding. He was at a Halloween party for witches and wizards. His older brother, Micheal, had disappeared with his friends. That was a relief. His parents were talking with their friends. Why didn’t he have friends? He didn’t know. He was fourteen, and the youngest in his family. They all treated him terribly, and he was a...

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“No friends” by Ari Berri

Submitted to Contest #65

Okay, people, please do not attack me if you're religous or offended by this. I'm not trying to offend anybody, it's just a story I decided to write. I know it's not true, okay? Enjoy! It's a lot of dialouge, I know. I come to the graveyard a lot to think. I guess I was thinking too hard, because the gates are locked, and I can’t get out. I don’t mind, though. It’s not like I have anything else to do. I’m sitting on the top of a hill, the wind blowing my long blonde hair everywhere. My name is Jayla, but I go by Jay. I might end up stayi...

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“The Silent Sister” by Rambling Beth

Submitted to Contest #65

The lights are off in the house, and I can barely see as I follow my sister Lucy to the games room. She’s young, like me, and full of energy, which I lack. When we reach the games room, we find our brother, Christopher, and our mother, Josephine, sitting on a couch, looking drained. Christopher’s eyes are red, and mum’s face is gaunt, long, and tortured and pained. I wonder what’s wrong. They won’t tell me, even though I keep asking as loud as I can. Lucy crawls into mum’s arms on the opposite side of Christopher, leaving no room for me. ...

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“blood and apples, ghosts and apples...” by Syeda Fatima

Submitted to Contest #65

The epic moonlight shined across the lurched trees in the graveyard. I quietly stood there. Did I really end up getting agreed over a stupid bet with Amelia that I would spend a night in the graveyard? I still couldn’t believe it. But I had to prove myself brave…Entering through the crooked gate, I let out a deep breath. Ah! Sophia. I wish you were with me. I wish you never went lost, a tear trickled through my dry cheeks. My eyes had got used to crying all night in remembrance of my sister, my life… if only she was with me, oh how she loved...

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“Vampire Lawn Care” by David G.

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #65

He couldn’t recall exactly when having a nice lawn had started to matter to him.He and Mary used to joke about it when they’d moved out from the city, how the neighbors would talk about grass treatments and how tall to mow the blades, how they all had the same houses with the portico and the dormer windows and the multi-crested roofs and the two-car garage with the same foreign SUV out front, how they dressed in identical fleece pullovers with logos displayed across the chest and named their children after presidents – Madison, Lincoln, Kenn...

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“What if.......” by Palak Shah

Submitted to Contest #65

The boughs of the cemetery twisted like contorted bones, writhing in a silent scream. Beneath them lie the cold stones, each marking a dwelling place in which no-one is home. The innumerable flashing fragments shine in the brilliant wintry light, for today there is no weather; no wind, no cloud, just sub-zero temperatures. Even the leaf stems lie white and sharp. Ahead the path glistens like white quartz, yet ice crystals on weary concrete is all it is. He pauses, his breath rising in visible puffs, and then he remembers why he came; it...

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“Sightings at the Cemetery” by 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖 𝕎.

Submitted to Contest #65

“I dare you,” my sister told me. “Isa, I don’t really want to go-” “I double dare you.” “But cemeteries are creepy and-” “I’ll give you all my chocolate candies.” This made me pause and reconsider. “All of the chocolates? Including the peanut butter cups?” “Only if you come, Ana,” Isa replied. “Fine, I’ll do it, but only for the chocolates,” I conceded. So I was bribed by my younger sister with chocolate. Sue me. I will do anything for the stuff, even ...

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“Not at All what I expected” by Mustang Patty

Submitted to Contest #65

On top of everything else I’ve gone through this week, now I must find a suitable costume by Saturday. I tried to get out of it, but ‘the powers that be’ say that participation in the Halloween events is mandatory for everyone. And that includes me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve always loved Halloween. Deciding on a costume was one of the best parts of the entire year. After all, my birthday is two days before, and then there’s all that candy. Oh. I guess my birthday was two days before the big day. I don’...

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“Re: Don't Freak Out” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #65

To: Elsie Harning <elharn82@gmail.com>From: Annika Harning <iamdead@theotherside.com>Subject: Don’t Freak Out, Just Read ThisEls,Don’t freak out when you get this, okay? Please. Just read through this email. You’ll probably want to remember to breathe, too. [In, hold for four seconds, out, hold for four seconds. Got it?]I found a way to communicate with you, just for 24 hours. Don’t ask how; had to make some shady deals with some higher (and lower) powers. But they set this up for me and now I’m here.I just want to let you know I...

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“Evanescent Halloween” by Priyanka Boopathy

Submitted to Contest #65

Halloween's time!! People dressed up as different creepy creatures, Streets filled up with trick or treats, Oh!! Here comes Alan and Alex, Both looking creepy, Ah, They were Damon and Stefan… Woah!! Am a big fan of Vampire Diaries, being in a crowd of clown, Frankenstein and Pumpkins. Alex noticed something weird, he found one of the old man in a long black beard with a black dress on, Looked like he was stalking them on their every move, He had a creepy smile, Alan approached towards him to talk, In seconds, He vanished into...

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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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