On their deathbed, a relative/friend/partner admits to a horrible crime. Will the narrator reveal the secret or keep it hidden?

Posted in Dramatic on Nov 22, 2024

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✍️ 66 stories

“To Tell or Not to Tell” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #278

Sheriff George was not happy about what he was about to do, but he had made a promise. Ralph, the man who had hired him originally, and who was his predecessor as police chief was in the hospital, soon to die, probably only to live for a week or so at best. Ralph had called George on the phone and made him promise to see him there. And George would not break a promise to the man whom he respected so much.When he got to the hospital, he stalled a while in front of the elevator, before he pushed the fatal button. When he r...

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“Scars That Define ” by A. Emeline

Submitted to Contest #278

In a Victorian cottage surrounded by a dense forest with a slight frost coating the vegetation resides a family centered around a blazing fireplace… “All I remember was an odd sort of humming… a strange buzzing of sorts. The sound of utter silence and blood pounding in your ears when fright takes full reign. No more gunshots. No more screams. No more explosions. My sweet, precious Ivy, I’ve never experienced anything like that before in my entire life.” Uncle’s eyes turned misty, the hazel hue glazing over to a darker, haunted shade. “When...

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“The weight of secrets” by Chaz Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #278

The hospital room was dimly lit, the walls a sterile white that echoed the sterile atmosphere within. Machines beeped softly, their rhythms a constant reminder of the fragility of life. In the center of the room, a bed lay occupied by Samuel Hargrove, a man whose once robust frame had withered to a shadow of its former self. His breath came in shallow gasps, and the pallor of his skin suggested he was more spirit than flesh. Around him, seated in a semicircle, were his family members—his wife, Ellen, their two children, Clara and Jake,...

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“Legacy of Terrance Wheelock” by Ralph Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #278

Terrance Wheelock is the current patriarch of the Wheelock family. The Wheelocks arrived in Massachusetts in 1702, settling in a small hamlet along the Blackstone River. They opened up a mill, The Wheelock Woolen Mill, which provided a source of revenue for the town of Riverdale and its citizens. The river was vital to the manufacturing of cloth. As the factory’s success grew, so did the Wheelock’s wealth. Their name became associated with such prominent buildings as the town hall, the library, and the high school.&nbs...

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“Sins of the Father” by Helen Jack

Submitted to Contest #278

The letter arrived simply enough. Just another standard, white, legal-sized envelope folded among bills and flyers advertising the new grocery store in the center of town. Noah picked up the mail as he always did, eager to bid the stresses of work goodbye for the day and spend the evening with his wife and daughters. The smell of baked chicken greeted Noah as he walked in the door. Toys and craft supplies littered the living room floor, and the laughter of you...

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“Cold Comfort” by Manning Bridges

Submitted to Contest #278

This story contains descriptions of crimes and physical violence and themes of death. In the ICU, time always moves wrong—too fast and too slow at the same time, like a warped record. The heart monitor struck out its time in precise electronic pulses. Elias, an oxygen masked hooked over his mouth and nose, struggled to breathe in the spaces between. A ragged inhale would race ahead, its subsequent exhale lagging behind the machine's steady count. Outside the window, Manhattan's skyline smashed against an ink-washed sky, November ...

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“The Family Secret” by Atan Solp

Submitted to Contest #278

Today is another anniversary of my father's death, and at the moment, I have learned about our family secret.Then, on his deathbed, my father told me something I didn't want to know. But thus, he cleared his conscience.He apologized for the fact that nothing could be changed. The burden of the secret had already fallen on my shoulders. *** When I was ten, my family moved to a small town. My father once again sold all our real estate and bought a house in a town on the other side of the country. He was a computer programmer who worked f...

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“The Truth Beneath the Blood” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #278

The room smelled of antiseptic and regret, a sterile prison where the sun dared not penetrate the heavy drapes. As the machines beeped their monotonous dirge, I sat in the corner, watching my father drift between worlds—one foot still planted in the realm of the living, the other teetering on the precipice of whatever lay beyond. He was a shell of the man who had once chased me through the yard, laughter echoing like gunfire. Now, all that remained was a gaunt face, pale and waxen, and a voice that trembled like a leaf in a winter wind.“Jake...

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“He and She (A story of a family)” by Nataly Yarocevich

Submitted to Contest #278

He and She(A story of a family)A bed in a hospital... Through the heavy breathing, you can hear a man whispering someone's name. If only He could see Her for the last time... If only He could apologize... If only He could turn time back...They met in the late 90s at a disco. He had recently served in the army and returned to His dear coal mine, where He worked as an electric locomotive mechanic, and She was a 14-year-old schoolgirl who was dating a friend of His. From the very first meeting, He realized that it ...

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“Dad’s Thanksgiving Surprise” by John Whytock

Submitted to Contest #278

Email to fishgineer@jmail.com:Hey brother,Sad news. Dad is gone. Last night at about 11. I wish I could say he went peacefully in his sleep and just faded away, but it wasn’t like that. It was horrible. You’d be glad you weren’t there. I’m not even sure I should talk about his last minutes on the Earth. Maybe I should just let you remember him as he was, even though we both know he wasn’t all that great. Let me know. Margo and I will be heading to mom’s on Thursday. You still in Alaska? Don’t forget about the halibut!! It’d beat the shi...

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“Vorkuta 1942” by Chris Pye

Submitted to Contest #278

I never knew winter could be so merciless. I remember blue skies before the Kulak Purges of '37. I remember skiing over glistening surfaces and loving the innocence. And the laughter. But here, beyond the barbed wire of Kapitalnaya Forced Labour Camp, the bitter snow has frozen all colour from the Siberian landscape. Swept away all form. Deadened all reason.For the hundredth time today I gaze through the dirty barrack window, past the heavy guards with their steaming dogs to the watchtowers. I can just see the metal fence, heavy with ic...

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“Keep Me in the Dark” by Moon Fang

Submitted to Contest #278

I can still remember how it felt to be there, parked beside the lake, on the way to meet my new landlord, not really sure why we had pulled over. He sat in the driver seat his long arms stretched over the wheel gesturing the darkness, I sat there hypnotized my breath, fogging up the windshield. We barely knew each other, he was older, and someone that had suddenly landed in my life, someone I had let in before it was too late. I was 23 a single parent, raising my infant son with my girlfriend. The way we had mad, through a mutual friend, see...

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“One Rainy Night” by Christine Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #278

TW: Death bed confession of a crime. Dark secrets are cast into the shadows of one's mind. Greg’s feeble body lay motionless in the hospital bed. His pale wrinkled face lacked the spark of life. Tubes and wires were connected all over his body turning him into a cyborg project. He glanced up as Trish his sister took hold of his hand. It was a gentle grip as the IV was taped to his paper-thin skin.Coughing he murmured, “Good to see you.”“And you,” she forced a smile while fighting the tears welling in her eyes. ...

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“A SOLDIER'S CONFESSION” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #278

Families are supposed to be close. Families tell each other everything. But what happens when one death bed confession changes everything. One confession changes your whole life and that of your family. My family was as close as a family can be. Our love for each other was so strong. I believed nothing and no one can tear us apart. But I was so very wrong. Grandpa Charles was the best man I ever knew aside from my father. He was strong and fearless. He was also the biggest teddy bear. His love was unconditional. Grandpa Charles always forgav...

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“The End of Terror” by Ellie F

Submitted to Contest #278

[TW: terminal illness, abuse, suicide, murder, one swear word]“To learn irrefutably that you are mortal is to know the end of terror.”The quote echoes around my head as I wait for him. I am staring at the ceiling when he arrives, my tired eyes tracing the cracks in the white plaster. I have done little else for days and now when I close my eyes I can see the same web-like pattern on the back of my eyelids. Numerous starchy pillows behind my head and torso prop me up so that I am sitting somewhat upright in the bed. A heavy presence enters th...

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On their deathbed, a relative/friend/partner admits to a horrible crime. Will the narrator reveal the secret or keep it hidden?

Submissions are closed

✍️ 66 stories

“To Tell or Not to Tell” by John Steckley

“Scars That Define ” by A. Emeline

“The weight of secrets” by Chaz Rodriguez

“Legacy of Terrance Wheelock” by Ralph Aldrich

“Sins of the Father” by Helen Jack

“Cold Comfort” by Manning Bridges

“The Family Secret” by Atan Solp

“The Truth Beneath the Blood” by Scott Taylor

“He and She (A story of a family)” by Nataly Yarocevich

“Dad’s Thanksgiving Surprise” by John Whytock

“Vorkuta 1942” by Chris Pye

“Keep Me in the Dark” by Moon Fang

“One Rainy Night” by Christine Hamilton

“A SOLDIER'S CONFESSION” by Melinda Madrigal

“The End of Terror” by Ellie F

🌟 Similar prompts

A family argument gets out of hand. Neither side will budge, requiring a mediator with unusual methods.

A character gets caught red-handed breaking the rules, but they refuse to admit any wrongdoing. What happens next?

An apologetic letter or email from an old flame suddenly arrives — many years too late.

A court or disciplinary hearing is taking place — but the person accused does not know what they’re apologizing for.

Contest #278

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

262

Contest entries

101

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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