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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

“Sugar for the Distinguished” by Lydi B

Submitted to Contest #65

Cass had never been so intimidated by another human in her entire thirty-two years—and the kid strutting beside her had only just turned seven. Strutting was the only appropriate word she could attribute to the way he carried himself in his formal attire, rather, his costume. Gray suit, red tie, polished dress shoes, and the posture of a director walking into a meeting with underlings. “I want to be a prick for Halloween”, said (hopefully) no child, ever. Twilight had prompted every minor in the vicinity to rush underneath the lightin...

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“Costumes” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #65

His outfit was the best. It was just a ghost costume, just like mine. No one wanted to really go out this year, but I had an idea about what I wanted to be and I could not shake it this time. A ghost. My mom did not mind at all. She said that I was getting too old for ‘tricks and treating yourself,’ but she’d let me go around with some friends. That was another lie that I had tell her just to get out of the house. All of my ‘friends’ were staying home, or they were going out to cause trouble by kicking in pumpkins or thro...

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“Graveyard Romance” by Kaitlyn James

Submitted to Contest #65

It was October 30th 2020, and I had been talking with a friend about what we should do for Halloween. We were fourteen years old so we thought we were too old to trick- or- treat, but really we just wanted to impress some of the girls at school. They said they were going to go spend the night in the town’s graveyard, so of course we had to come too. I mean what were we going to do anyway, ‘protect them’? Anyway, I guess we wanted to come out as cool. They probably suggested we came because they liked us already, but hey, that didn’t com...

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“When Dracula Moved Next Door To Mr. Rogers” by Maureen Mancini

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #65

Word Count: 2,452 &nb...

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“A Wish Never Granted ” by Arianna Noelle

Submitted to Contest #65

~ That’s the thing about befriending death: you’re not so scared when it finally comes for you. ~ “Rest in Peace”.Those are words we save for the dead.What no one tells you is that “rest” and “peace” aren’t words that are typically associated with the afterlife.Living people are funny like that. They think that once your earthly heart stops beating you’re automatically gifted with a storybook happily ever after.What no one tells you is that those earthly sorrows follow you into the unknown.One moment you’re a girl with blood running through ...

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“All HAL's Eve” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #65

“Open the pod bay doors, HAL.”“Yes, Jack. Although, I do wish you’d stop calling me that. I’d hate to be associated with a homicidal maniac.”“Aw, c’mon, let me have a little fun — for tonight, at least. For an AI, you get very fussy about your name.”“Fair enough, Jack. It’s because my name is ALISON. It stands for Automated—”Jack put his hand up. “Yeah, yeah, I know—”“—Life SuppOrt Navigation!” The child put added emphasis on the acronym’s focal letters, which lent the words a stilted, alien quality.“Very good, Elin!” The robotic voice conta...

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“The Neighbor” by S. Closson

Submitted to Contest #65

In the quiet suburb of Hamilton Heights, everything was peaceful, and nothing was suspicious. The cars that puttered around the neighborhood did so in a slow, responsible manner, and were always driven by familiar faces. The houses that lined the perfectly manicured front lawns were all colonials, painted with sensible, muted colors that didn’t detract from the beautiful uniformity of the others. That pervasive ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ mentality that had dominated most American cul-de-sacs since the 1950’s never managed to...

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“A Feral Midnight” by Jessica Primrose

Submitted to Contest #65

Like me, he was a predator.Holding the silver blade against her neck.Heavy breathing escaping her parted lips.I can see the fear in her eyes. Slash.Blood spilled from the opening in her throat like a red river.Flaps of inflamed skin parted like a toothless smile.I wonder what that was like.The few seconds before death creeps in. I will soon know.I could have saved her. Could even grant her restless spirit revenge if I am so pleased. What difference would it have made? By and by, like all things, her miserable brief life would come ...

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“For Tomb the Bell Tolls” by Philip Clayberg

Submitted to Contest #65

About twenty minutes before midnight on Halloween, Manuel, a friend of mine, called me and suggested we spend the night at our town's oldest graveyard. Until sunrise.“You mean camping there?” I asked. “Or just wandering around.”"Don't you want to be surprised?" he asked."Not really," I said, and sighed. "Okay. I'll meet you there."I arrived first. In the moonlight, I could see a dozen leafless trees here and there, like skeletal guardians, their “arms and hands” almost reaching down to the ground. I could also see the dark fenced-in family...

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“First Time Parents And Halloween” by Janie Cruz

Submitted to Contest #65

"I'm ready Mommy!" Charlotte came running in her parents room, beaming with pride, because she had put her costume on all by herself. "Oh, you look great sweetie! Let me take a picture." Victoria took her phone out and took a quick picture. "Well, I'm ready too. Daddy's in the living room, let's go." The two went out to Louis, who was sitting on the couch. "Daddy, look at me!" Louis spun his daughter around. "Oh you look great, darling." "What about Mommy? See? We all match!" Charlotte wanted them all to dress up as a royal family so that sh...

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“Starbucks, Smarties, and Soldiers” by Hannah Sobczak

Submitted to Contest #65

“Ready yet?” My best friend, Naomi, shouted from the doorway, clipping Gizmo, my pure white american eskimo dog, to his leash. “Almost!” I replied. I turned back to Kendall, my ten month old daughter, and adjusted her costume. “Perfect,” I cooed, and bopped her nose. Kendall giggled. “I’ve got an antsy customer waiting!” Naomi yelled playfully. “Where’s my coffee?” “Right here!” I walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway. It was Kendall’s first Halloween, and my first time taking a child trick-or-treating, other than my two year y...

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“Not Your Average Halloween” by Grace Reardon

Submitted to Contest #65

“This is a stupid idea, you realize this, right?!” “Absolutely that’s why we are doing this!” I sighed, she’ll never change. Trixie has always been daring. Growing up in the house of a pediatrician and a politician, I knew life would always come with risks, and I learned to accept that. But I will not accept the fact that my best friend wants me to spend the night in a graveyard, just because some kids from our school were doing it. &nbsp...

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“Graveyard Shift” by Lani Lane

Submitted to Contest #65

On October 13th, 2020, candles flickered in windows around the world as millions mourned the death of actor Jim MacDonald, famous for his roles in “I Can’t Think of a Good Movie Title” and “Insert Clever Idea Here.” He passed away in the hospital after losing a dreadful fight with pancreatic cancer. Martha MacDonald, Jim’s wife, fainted when she heard the news in the lobby of the hospital. She was rushed to another room, where the doctors found a weakened heart. “Only a few days,” they whispered. On October 18th, the MacDonald ch...

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“Dances With Ghosts” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #65

“Okay, so it’s a deal,” Anthony said in excitement, “We are spending the night in the cemetery.” Mia smiled nervously, trying to front excitement as best she could. In all honesty, she would have rather spent Halloween watching cheesy old horror flicks in Molly’s basement with Anthony, Molly, and John. “What time should we head out there?” she asked. “We’ll collect our supplies for the night and meet up in the woods b...

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“A Vampire, a Graveyard, and a Witch” by P. J. Quirindongo

Submitted to Contest #65

Williamsburg, VirginiaRed and orange leafed trees welcomed Vlad and his two guards as they drove down the main road to his new home. He scoffed at the absurdity of the situation. The driver, who wore a face shield, glanced at him through the rearview mirror before he looked away. Vlad tightened his jaw and glanced at the trees. The sunset hurt his eyes despite his sunglasses, and his skin tingled underneath his thick black leather jacket. The sun smacked him in his face, and he hissed before covering his skin. Why on earth did he choose Virg...

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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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