Write a story about someone participating in a seemingly innocent game that suddenly takes a turn.

Posted in Dark on Apr 12, 2024

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✍️ 62 stories

“The Game is Called 'Esaar, Bawar, Noar'” by Sofia Fleming

Submitted to Contest #246

“Alright, that’s everything, time for the game to begin! HaHA!”I try to study my cards. My hands are trembling, like always. And then, I notice everything has stopped and everyone else is watching me. I awkwardly glance between everyone until I notice the clock’s minute hand is pointed at me. The clock also deems me as a spade as the card did. “…Oh, yeah. I go first since I’m…the guest, or something. Uh…” What’s my objective again? Make a- Make a full red trail? I need to play an Ace or ten, don’t I? That’s what he said, wasn’t it? Fuck. Qui...

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“The Queen of Clubs” by Odin Grano

Submitted to Contest #246

The Queen Of Clubs. The night was bitter and as I crested the barchans, coming inland to the sea, I smiled as I had found what I had come looking for. The shack had a tin roof capped thick with a permanent sheet of ice and snow and Its wooden walls looked so thin with windswept age, that I thought I might have arrived too late. But I had not. The warm orange hue confirmed to me that there still might be something breathing inside. Breathing, beating and waiting for me to knock. I walked to the side of the shack where it met the froz...

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“What Used to Be Cinnamon ” by Kaelyn Klaus

Submitted to Contest #246

Disclaimer: This story does contain mention of drugs and other such substances. I have never been in contact with such substances and they are only used to help with this story. “Gabriel come on!” Malissa hollers to her little brother. She runs past him. As she does she reaches out her hand and tags him. “Freeze!” She yells, smirking at her brother's grouchy expression. “You're cheating!” He grumps (in that annoying way little brothers do)Malisa rolls her eyes. “Quit saying that every time you d...

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“Sudden Death” by Douglas Goff

Submitted to Contest #246

G stretched his long arms and looked around the table at his friends. Their Friday night poker game was in full swing. Glenn, an accountant, was the quiet one of the group, but when he spoke it was usually worth hearing. He had just turned forty, but wore an old man looking gray fedora. Jerry, the group’s unofficial leader, was a tall lanky fellow that lived his life like he was a character in the movie Ferris Buellar’s Day Off. He had moppish black hair covered by a black Stetson with a red feather shooting out of the brim...

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“The Sleepover” by Ella Englert

Submitted to Contest #246

Beth was eagerly preparing for her first all-night sleepover party. Even though she was in 6th grade, her parents had never let her have a sleepover before this point. Beth was so excited. She sat in front of her mirror, carefully applying makeup to her pale face and curling her messy blonde hair into perfect spirals. She rummaged through her closet, trying to decide what to wear, before finally settling on a dark red dress with maroon ruffles. The dress was very pretty and brought a smile to Beth's face. Beth looked through her vanity, atte...

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“It’s Like Survivor! ” by Skylar Church

Submitted to Contest #246

Emily was paid two days ago and she has $6.12 in her bank account today. Some may say being poor brings people to the brink of the dumbest things they will ever do. Emily would agree with those people. However, to my benefit, she has never learned to say no. “Wait I think I have like an idea!” Emily looks at me with dead eyes. “What about reality TV?” I suggest. “People become like micro-influencers from stuff like that. We could look at some submission sites! It might ac...

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“Smoke” by Hannah Polis

Submitted to Contest #246

The children were chasing along the banks of the river, their feet kicking up the dirt that had settled along the edges. It hadn’t rained in weeks now, and the scorching July sun had made the water vanish, leaving behind only dust and rocks in the river’s empty bed. The heat of the summer rested like a heavy blanket over the small town. It was Annie who ran ahead of the others, her long blonde hair trailing behind her, her laughter loud and high-pitched. “Bet you can’t catch me!” She jumped over a rock and fleetingly glanced over her shoulde...

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“A Cottingley Confession” by Jonathan Todd

Submitted to Contest #246

I have wondered for whom I am writing this confession and have come up empty. Perhaps it is only for me, Elsie, and my own feelings of guilt for what we did. That feeling is unavoidable despite the years of others telling me there really was no harm in it all, that the fault lay in the adults around us. When I try to reconcile that sentiment with the whole story every single moment when we could have told the truth eats away at my conscience. As Frances once said, we were having a bit of fun. It was a game. She couldn’t understand why they w...

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“Marie's Tomb” by Arthur An

Submitted to Contest #246

The Kia Forte rolled to a stop on the unlit Basin Street, just south of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Four figures emerged from the vehicle beside the graveyard's whitewashed brick wall, its surface reflecting the eerie glow of the waning moon.Dominique Tran's sister Lela, an enthusiastic first time visitor to New Orleans, had concocted the idea. They were to infiltrate the cemetery under the cover of darkness, each entering from a different side, in a race to locate the tomb of Marie Laveau, the 19th-century voodoo queen of New Orleans. The win...

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“Sally” by Stephen Hilsman

Submitted to Contest #246

It was a day just like any other; another typical summer day. The heat from the sun was blaring down on everyone, while the fully-bloomed flowers blew back and forth in the wind and birds flew from one tree to the next with no rest stops in between. Children were running around, enjoying the first day away from school, their cheerful laughter mixing into the otherwise dull and gloomy sounds of the city around them. The playground at the center of town was the place to be that d...

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“THE SURVIVOR” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #246

THE SURVIVOR He was tall, dark, and handsome with a cute schoolboy smile and Stacie felt her heart leap in her chest like some schoolgirl with her first crush. They had met on one of those dating sites and had their first meeting at a coffee shop several days before. It had gone well, very well and Stacie had carried her cell phone around in her pocket for the next twenty-five and a half hours anxiously waiting for his call. The call finally came and Stacie did her happy dance before picking up her cell and greeting him with a casualness th...

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“A Serpentine Shadow ” by Zinat Abdullah

Submitted to Contest #246

Hollowbrook. Hollowbrook - not a name for a person, or an object, rather, it stood for the ramshackle suburb which had a dark brook running through it, the water now dyed black. Why it was black, Evelyn never knew. It could have been the presence of brachiopods - their blood leeching into the once-clear water. Maybe the blood of Nuckelavee, washed down from somewhere upstream, from where no one knew. Or, it could be the bones of Trolls, crumbled to dust by the suburb’s ancestors as they declared that troll bones had medicin...

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“The Eyes Have It” by Melody Murphy

Submitted to Contest #246

The invitation came on my cell phone around 8 a.m. that morning. It read - "Geocaching Fun! Come join us at the Leeland Ave. Park this morning at 10 a.m. to participate in our game." It sounded innocent enough, so I decided to spend my morning looking for items and hopefully getting a big prize at the end. I went to the park around 9:45 a.m. to get my barrings and see if the whole thing was legit. It seemed to be, as I saw a banner that advertised the activity and even a vendor selling coffee. I approached someone that looked like he w...

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“Snake Eyes” by Thalia Muse

Submitted to Contest #246

The rules of Basilisk are simple. And people like simple things. The "Emperor" of each round chooses a number between four and eight, and puts that many chips in the pot. Every other player must choose whether they want to match the bet, raise it by 1 for everyone (including anyone who had already put in their chips) or stay out of that round. Starting from the Emperor and going clockwise, each "in" player rolls one or two six-sided dice, their choice. If they don't roll the same number on both dice, they take that many chips from the ...

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“Fright” by Irene Cornwell

Submitted to Contest #246

The trip to Hot Springs was an annual joy. Being with my grandparents balanced the fact both of my parents were very preoccupied people.T To my Grandmother Daisy, I was a special child. She had one child in an era when women might have a dozen. Her sister Maud had nine children. She knew loss during pregnancy and even death of a babe upon birth. I was her second chance victory over fate. What I liked best was she was always glad to see me walk into a room. Joining her and Grandpa Yeisley staying in a cozy cabin in the State of Monta...

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Write a story about someone participating in a seemingly innocent game that suddenly takes a turn.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 62 stories

“The Game is Called 'Esaar, Bawar, Noar'” by Sofia Fleming

“The Queen of Clubs” by Odin Grano

“What Used to Be Cinnamon ” by Kaelyn Klaus

“Sudden Death” by Douglas Goff

“The Sleepover” by Ella Englert

“It’s Like Survivor! ” by Skylar Church

“Smoke” by Hannah Polis

“A Cottingley Confession” by Jonathan Todd

“Marie's Tomb” by Arthur An

“Sally” by Stephen Hilsman

“THE SURVIVOR” by Glenna Agnew

“A Serpentine Shadow ” by Zinat Abdullah

“The Eyes Have It” by Melody Murphy

“Snake Eyes” by Thalia Muse

“Fright” by Irene Cornwell

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes the phrase “It’s all fun and games…”

Set your story in a playground: two characters are having a serious conversation while on the seesaw/in the jungle gym/on the swings.

Write a story about someone who takes a joke way too far.

Write about a character who treats everything like a game and struggles to be serious when they most need to, or vice versa.

Contest #246

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

245

Contest entries

99

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: