Begin your story with someone either being followed or following someone else.

Posted in Dramatic on Oct 18, 2024

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✍️ 52 stories

“Running for Freedom” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, non-physical abuse, and control. Readers may find these elements distressing. Please proceed with caution. Nadine could feel it. The faint prickling at the base of her neck, the unsettling hum in the air. Someone was there, lingering close. She kept her head down, quickened her pace, and gripped her son Yulian’s hand a little tighter as they climbed the steps to their new home. After months of planning, it was meant to be their refuge, a place wher...

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“Dissonance” by Darcey St. Amand

Submitted to Contest #273

This story contains mental health, minor violence, substances and swearing. At this hour, there was an uncanny silence in the street. Although it wasn't the cold that caused my chest to tighten, I repositioned my coat and pulled the collar up to protect myself from the chill. Once more, I was following her. Despite the uncertainty in her stride, she walked with purpose. This had become a habit—something that provided purpose to my meaningless existence. I told myself it was curiosity when I followed her for the first time. After fol...

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“The demon spy” by James Little

Submitted to Contest #273

Midnight's bells tolled as fog clung to the streets, muffling footsteps. The moon hid behind clouds, turning away from the depravity below. Shadows moved like whispers in the gloom, unseen deals struck by men who profited from human misery.Orilana crouched on the rooftop, feeling like a ghost in a city without a place for her. Her pulse was steady, and her muscles tensed like coiled springs. The thrill of the hunt burned within her, but she kept it tempered and focused. Her target emerged from the haze—a figure shrouded in black robes, his m...

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“Errant Knight” by Nicholas Cronin

Submitted to Contest #273

I start stumbling out into the cold, and walk in a general direction. Lack of taste, check. Drowsy perception and coordination, check. I keep checking my watch at the time. Almost midnight.Around midnight, I start to realize most of the noise in the city I’m in has disappeared. I’m in the wrong part of town, where the witching hour has turned the general area into a literal ghost town. This isn’t what bothered me, and why I quickened my pace and slowed it down, gathering a confusion in my mind. My footsteps echoed around another. I was being...

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“Lady Butterfly” by Cathy Saali

Submitted to Contest #273

Dressed in black on a cold, dreary day, the handsome athletic sleuth creeps down the street. He follows at a safe distance so as not to give himself up to the golden beauty weaving through the crowded street. He’s gaining on her. Soon he’ll spin her around and reveal the truth she hides. She starts to turn; he ducks in a doorway. BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP! My hand fumbles for the off button as the alarm succeeds in rudely waking me. Today is the day I’m going to follow her. I psych myself up and jump out of b...

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“New Orleans Nightmare” by Rachel Keller

Submitted to Contest #273

Louise was never one to scare off easily, nor did she ever care to believe in the paranormal. One of her earliest memories was sitting restlessly in a pew during the St. Louis Cathedral’s 11 o’clock Mass, swinging her legs up as far as they could go in her Sunday best. She remembered rolling her eyes whenever the priest would cry out that God can save us from the evil spirits lurking the city. More importantly, she remembered pitying all the fervent church-goers who believed him. Therefore, when the student body of Tulane decided to throw a ...

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“In the Shadow of Secrets” by Edward J. McCoul

Submitted to Contest #273

“In the Shadow of Secrets” by Edward J. McCoulSamantha Burke had the eerie sensation that someone was following her again.It started three days ago, a prickling awareness at the back of her neck whenever she stepped outside. At first, she chalked it up to paranoia—just an overactive imagination, she told herself. But tonight, as the fog rolled in thick and heavy over the London streets, the feeling had intensified.She could hear it now. Footsteps. Always a few paces behind.Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck, Samantha kept walking, f...

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“Criminal ” by Jasmine Flowers

Submitted to Contest #273

Criminal #reedsysecrets Dear Diary, "I just stole a million dollars from a bank today It was probably the best heist of my life! Now, I can finally buy that mansion I’ve always wanted to buy and the X-Box for my son’s birthday that I forgot four months ago. Yes! This was the day! Today was a good pay day” Sincerely-“ Step...step...step… What was that? Step…step…step… Probably my imagination. I walked through my house, but everywhere I went, I heard extra footsteps. I ran faster, so did they. I tiptoed. They would too. I placed my...

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“Spicy” by Emily Miles

Submitted to Contest #273

Iris glanced around the room as she pulled on the nitrile gloves. Grabbing the side of the book drop with one hand, she reached in deep with the other, groaning trying to get further inside. Sam walked over cautiously, head cocked to the side.“Iris,” Sam said, with their hands folded politely in front of them. “How can I help you this morning?”Iris slowly retrieved her arm and stood upright, adjusting her stance, blowing a wisp of hair out of the way.“I accidentally returned a book with something important inside,” Iris explained matter of f...

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“Saving Mr Scruffy” by W B

Submitted to Contest #273

The problem with being good at your job is that others notice. I should have had the foresight to fumble a few easy cases during my training and spend the rest of my career coasting, but no. You see, in my line of work, there are the easy cases, the hard cases and the downright impossible cases. Naturally, after excelling at my job for years, the chap upstairs has rewarded me with successive examples of the latter, and you were the hardest yet.After receiving the alert, your parents dragged you from your bed. You weren’t happy but then again...

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“The Following” by Andrew Darrah

Submitted to Contest #273

My name is Adam. And I am a “Follower”. Who am I following? Well, they call him Brother Ignatius. Some call him a prophet. Sent by God Himself to save us all. He may even be the chosen one. Depends on who you talk to I suppose. But in reality, no, he’s just a cult leader. Before we get too far into this, I’m not exactly bought in. Yes, I joined The Following of my own free will. No coercion, no brainwashing. Very little convincing even. I am a willing Follower. But there’s a catch. I want to write a book. Just out of college, not sure what t...

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“I am Victoria's Keeper” by Julianna Lovingood

Submitted to Contest #273

For years I have followed Victoria Donahue. She doesn't know who I am. Doesn't know that for almost half a decade I have incorporated parts of her life into my own. It all started the summer I met her ex my now husband. It was innocent curiosity. I wanted to know who his first love was, the one who got away, his first choice. he told me about her on our fourth date. While eating sushi on his couch. Victoria Donahue. Maybe it was her name, or the way he described her that piqued my interest. I can't remember the exact moment or reason anymore...

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“Now Serving…Harvey!” by Patrick Huber

Submitted to Contest #273

“Quad Oat Latte with Cinnamon?” A young female, barista announces. She looks around the crowded coffee shop for anyone to react. Within a minute a middle aged man in a well-tailored suit steps up and grabs the drink. “I’m the quad” he says as he takes the drink and in return gives a wink and suggestive grin. Not only has he done this before, but this is the start of his routine. He visits this coffee shop in particular not because of the quality espresso drinks but for the young, attractive baristas. His regular...

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“Greece Jazz” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #273

It was very hot. The only breeze was an occasional zephyr that teased the dust of the road. The dust would dance with twirling skirts of sad form then drop to the ground in exhaustion. On both sides slight twitches of bramble and round sage brush boringly applauded the occasional dust fandangos. The collar of my shirt rubbed my neck, breaking out sweat, then rubbing it dry. It pissed me off. I tried to wrap my handkerchief between the two but it would eventually slide one sided and that would piss me off also. I trudged alo...

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“Deadly Ambitions ” by Jade Lawson

Submitted to Contest #273

The librarian locked the sliding doors with a low click, an emphasis to the glare he was already giving from the other side of the glass. I rolled my eyes. It's his own damn fault for not flickering the lights fifteen minutes prior to closing. And for being too lazy to do the patrol like the other librarian usually does to start cajoling us out of our hiding spots so she can lock up right at midnight. Zipping my bag, maybe a tad aggressively, I swung it back around, letting it create a warm bubble against my back while the rest of me f...

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Begin your story with someone either being followed or following someone else.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 52 stories

“Running for Freedom” by LifeCycles Creative Media

“Dissonance” by Darcey St. Amand

“The demon spy” by James Little

“Errant Knight” by Nicholas Cronin

“Lady Butterfly” by Cathy Saali

“New Orleans Nightmare” by Rachel Keller

“In the Shadow of Secrets” by Edward J. McCoul

“Criminal ” by Jasmine Flowers

“Spicy” by Emily Miles

“Saving Mr Scruffy” by W B

“The Following” by Andrew Darrah

“I am Victoria's Keeper” by Julianna Lovingood

“Now Serving…Harvey!” by Patrick Huber

“Greece Jazz” by H.e. Ross

“Deadly Ambitions ” by Jade Lawson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in the form of diary/journal entries about a secret or confession.

Write a story with the line “Don’t tell anyone.”

Your character is invited to a secret meeting. Who invited them, and what do they encounter?

Write a story that hides something from the reader until the end.

Contest #273

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

353

Contest entries

161

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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