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

Posted in Dramatic on Oct 18, 2024

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 52 stories

“Ketos, or fish in a barrel” by Katarina Schäfer

Submitted to Contest #273

“Here there be monsters” – Anonymous MapmakersJimmy ducked behind the barrel to avoid detection, his mark being as ferrety as he was, and paused for a second to let the blighter’s blood settle some. It was an art form – a science – stalking a target. Not to be taken lightly, and not to be bungled, in Jim’s experience. In his world, predator could easily become prey; the streets contained no truly vulnerable victim. Not a-one. Even the little orphan-girlie with her big, woebegone eyes begging on the corner had a blade down her sock, the beate...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Black Out” by S.M. Sykes

Submitted to Contest #273

The street was dark. The power went out about thirty minutes ago, cutting my bar shift short. This was good because we were dead, but it also meant that my brother wasn’t off of work yet. I would have to walk the ten blocks home by myself. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me, but in a blackout, it was eerie. There was nothing but shadows everywhere. I pass a few others walking home from the bars, or home from the late shift. Altogether it was light traffic for a Friday night. As I walk, the shadows move, making trashcans and fire hydrants look...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Chasing the night” by Zhauntae Dotson

Submitted to Contest #273

It was a cold midnight in late December. A new blanket of snow covered everything, and a crisp breeze added to the below-freezing temperature. A man crouched behind a wall, fully covered by the black of the night. Another man carried a duffle bag slung across his shoulder. Most people couldn’t see it, but he was panicking, hurrying to his destination; sweat wet his brow and dripped down his face despite the cold winter air. The man behind the wall grabbed a bag and silently followed his target. The only sounds were the crickets chirpi...

1 comment 1

Read story

“THE PATH ALMOST FOLLOWED ” by Frances Goulart

Submitted to Contest #273

THE PATH ALMOST TAKEN I don't usually walk at night, well, not this late after dark but I have a reason to walk tonight. This is no time for a car ride. And I am recording my thoughts because well, maybe someone (I really don't know who) might be interested in hearing why I did what I am about to do. And it‘s too late to tell me I am being impulsive, headstrong. It’s much too late for that. By the time you will hear this, whoever you are. Maybe you’re just a morbid bystander, maybe a friend (if I ha...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Azra'il” by Jihad Awwad

Submitted to Contest #273

Critiques are welcomed and encouraged thank you for taking the time to read this story.Azra’il looked at the list of souls he had to collect in the war-torn land of Valithorai. The list was as follows.Salythara Firestone Elvin, female, age 22, Healer from the Valley of Peace, time of meeting 7:10 pm. Death by dragon fire. Alistair Drakeblood Orc, Male, age 10, Child from Valithorai, time of meeting 7:10 pm Death by dragon fire. Valdorai refugee camp1417, 23rd of Thors month, 7:05 pmDay 36,500 of the Hundred Years War."More ma...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Among the Cornstalks” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #273

#ReedsySecretsAmong the Cornstalks Ed Josephson wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck as he fought back the 35-mile-per-hour winds and driving snow while trying to navigate his way along Seahawk Lane. As he wound his way past the cornfield across from Berlin, Maryland’s Stephen Decatur High ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Dark Streets, Broken Souls” by Daron Thompson

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning:This story addresses multiple sensitive themes, including poverty, mental health struggles, child exploitation, physical abuse, and crime. It explores the harsh realities of life in a high-crime neighborhood and the emotional impact of neglect and coercion. Reader discretion is advised. Chapter 1 - The Shadow David’s sneakers slapped against the wet pavement, echoing through the narrow alleyway. The air was thick, and the night felt heavy, almost suffocating. Rain dripped from the cracked rooftops above, tapping a rhythm t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Beloved” by Bethany Adams

Submitted to Contest #273

Priscilla had just started sipping her morning tea when she caught someone staring at her through the screened porch windows. She jumped. “The hell?” She squinted. She quickly pulled away in disgust. What was Sammy Sandores doing outside her house first thing in the morning? And why was she looking into Priscilla’s windows while she was in her bathrobe? Mrs. Sandores fumbled in her coat pocket a little, her aged hands not listening to her much these days. Finally she got it, a pair of pliers that fit clumsily in her hands. She bent down towa...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Seeing Red ” by Arianna Noelle

Submitted to Contest #273

“Last one to Dairy Queen’s a rotten egg!” my friend, Justin, shouted through a mouthful of chewing gum as he barreled past me on the sidewalk, red coat flying out behind him like a superhero cape. I chuckled to myself as I watched the coat be brought to life by the unseasonably cold September breeze and pictured Justin on the front cover of a comic book with a Dairy Queen Blizzard in hand, sporting a pink-toothed, Hubba Bubba grin. “Hurry up! Your mom’s coming to pick us up at five and I wan…”. I didn’t hear the rest of his words because all...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Nobody Knows You're Here” by Rado Randriamamonjy

Submitted to Contest #273

I could hear the hounds' infernal yapping somewhere in the night behind us. Making decent time in these woods under these wet conditions had been harder than I’d planned. Most of the day before had been spent trudging through mud that came up to a pig’s eye. An unforeseen hitch delivered to us by that morning’s rain. Still the day’s head start was god-sent. Hattie was less positive than I. At sunset, when the hounds first sounded their cries, she cursed my name. Cursed it, and called for God to strike me down, '...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Beginning of the Loop” by Ayden Carver

Submitted to Contest #273

I was running from something, I just didn’t know what. It was following me with an intense yellow glow. I could feel all my senses rushing back to me. I didn’t want to die, I didn’t want to be stuck here all my life, or at least what was left of it. I just didn’t want to be alone. That was what I was thinking after the reality shift, or at least that’s what I and the very few others that were involved called it. It all started a few years ago. I was 15 at the time. I remember sitting in my backyard underneath the patio roof...

1 comment 1

Read story

“We follow” by Stephanie Howe

Submitted to Contest #273

We follow The sound of heels beating against the broken sidewalk made him smile. He followed the sound, anticipation inside him. Ready to pop like a balloon. Soon. Soon he’d feel that soft flesh he’d been admiring beneath the warm lighting of a bar near his office for the last hour. Soon he’d see the light dim from her eyes and feel her sweaty skin cool. Soon. The word was a crescendo inside him. Bouncing around his bones like an echo. A sick promise he’d m...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Shadows of the Darkness” by JoAnne Burgess

Submitted to Contest #273

I step out of the pub, turning the lights off and locking the door behind me. I slide the keys into my bag. The last of the waitstaff left thirty minutes earlier since it was my night to close up. Another day in the books. The old cobblestone street the pub is on, in this part of the historic village, has that deserted after midnight look, moody and dark. The amber glow of the street lights cuts the thick darkness on this rainy, cold night. As I begin the long walk back to my apartment, I begin to hear the brisk drum...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Kim's Shadow ” by Ayanna Edwards

Submitted to Contest #273

--- Kim's eyes scanned the grocery store, her heart heavy with secrets. She had been following Vincent for weeks, uncovering lies that shattered their relationship. Six months ago, Kim met Vincent at a coffee shop. Charismatic and charming, he swept her off her feet. Their whirlwind romance left her breathless. Vincent spoke of a difficult past, claiming to be a widower with no children. Kim's empathetic nature drew her to him, and she offered comfort. As their relationship deepened, Kim noticed inconsistencies in Vincent's stories. At first...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Locked Away” by Bertrand Thompson

Submitted to Contest #273

Sitting languidly at my desk, eyes drifting from writing, I look out my window onto the dreary grey street. It’s wet from rain, dark under the autumn evening, low below my window. The street is almost empty, when I see him. He walks down, looking ahead – always ahead – and going somewhere I do not know. I sit up from my desk, put on my coat and leave my apartment, walking down the stairs and out onto the wet footpath outside. I tug my coat closed to keep out the cold air. Scanning down the street, I see him walking, and begin to walk after h...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Short Story – 68 stories

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

Angst – 80 stories

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

Short Story – 40 stories

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

Dramatic – 113 stories

Contest #273

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Locked Away

$250

Prize money

353

Contest entries

161

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 25, 2024 EST

Won by Asia W 🏆

Title: Venus Buried

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 52 stories

“Ketos, or fish in a barrel” by Katarina Schäfer

“Black Out” by S.M. Sykes

“Chasing the night” by Zhauntae Dotson

“THE PATH ALMOST FOLLOWED ” by Frances Goulart

“Azra'il” by Jihad Awwad

“Among the Cornstalks” by Bob Faszczewski

“Dark Streets, Broken Souls” by Daron Thompson

“Beloved” by Bethany Adams

“Seeing Red ” by Arianna Noelle

“Nobody Knows You're Here” by Rado Randriamamonjy

“The Beginning of the Loop” by Ayden Carver

“We follow” by Stephanie Howe

“Shadows of the Darkness” by JoAnne Burgess

“Kim's Shadow ” by Ayanna Edwards

“Locked Away” by Bertrand Thompson

🌟 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 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: