Start your story with a character being followed.

Posted in Dramatic on Sep 16, 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?

✍️ 100 stories

“For Us All” by Kara Newlin

Submitted to Contest #252

“Come on, don’t look suspicious,” Myles thought, “They will know I'm wearing a wire the second I walk up.” He pulled his coat tighter around himself. The setting sun barely peeked over the top of the buildings as cars zipped past him on his left. He hesitated. “Is that just my heart pounding or did I hear footsteps behind me?” Myles thought, “If I look back they will know I'm onto them. Then I'm done for.” He glanced at the nearest store fighting the desire to dash inside where warmth and friendly faces went about their business. A gust of w...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Rain” by Maddox Carollo

Submitted to Contest #252

He sat there, the boy, the clouds forming a fearful darkness in the sky above, and the leaves showing their pale undersides to the world in the rising wind, twisting and curling, like things alive. It was quiet up and down the street save the children across the road from the boy, playing a game of tag, shouting and laughing, chasing each other around in circles of emphatic glee. Swings were tossed hap-hazardly this way and that, leaves skittered across the abundantly pot-holed...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The World Without Her” by Sam Hoekstra

Submitted to Contest #252

I know my friends think I've been here for too long - that I come to the grave too often.They don't know how to say that, of course - nobody has a satchel full of poignant phrases to adequately express feelings like, "I've been really worried about you ever since she died," or, "I think you're spending more time in the past than is helpful right now."Maybe if there were such phrases doled out in emergency aid kits, the kinds that you keep in your car for that one day that you never hope comes, maybe she wouldn't be dead.I don't know what tim...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Lizzie” by Pen Bragan

Submitted to Contest #252

The following is a work of fiction. The main character, Lizzie, is loosely inspired by each of the canonical five victims of the serial killer Jack the Ripper in London, 1888. Trigger warnings for stalking, murder, domestic violence, alcoholism, child loss. Whitechapel District, LondonOctober, 1888 My heart raced as I stumbled over the rain-slicked cobble stones in the East London alley, my alcohol-laced blood surging through my veins. The dark figure loomed behind me, steadily closing the gap despite my desperate attempt to f...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Ma” by Philip Dmitriev

Submitted to Contest #252

The Japanese concept of Ma has been described as a pause in time, an interval or emptiness in space. Ma is the time and space life needs to breath, to feel and connect. If we have no time, if our space is restricted, we cannot grow. This universal principle applies to every aspect of life. It was the first town since the bus had crossed the border. The small and provincial town that lies in the middle of a valley, surrounded by farms and the mountains in the distance. It arrived at 7:30 pm when the sun was still up and it would be until 10 p...

1 comment 1

Read story

“He's Following Me!” by Marchea Sovde

Submitted to Contest #252

He’s Following Me! Lisa looks behind her. He’s still there! Why is he following me? He keeps getting closer and closer! I cannot believe I am out here alone. Why are there not more people on the trail? I never should have let Erika and Monica go back without me. Why was I so stupid! It was a warm, sunny, and clear morning – a perfect day for a hike. Lisa, Erika, and Monica decide they will head out on the Blevins trail. &nbs...

6 comments 6

Read story

“On the Run” by Alexandra Caulway

Submitted to Contest #252

The day I was followed was like any other Thanksgiving Day – until it wasn’t. As was my ritual, I was out for a run. I never did the local turkey trot. I don’t run to make friends. I run for the quiet. For the meditative act of deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. For the puff of air in front of my face, like a personal storm, pent-up emotions melted to mist. For the crunch of leaves beneath the rubber soles of my sneakers. The bite of winter’s first frost on the tip of my nose. The dampness that gathers beneath my shirt...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Obsessed” by Liberty Zimmermann

Submitted to Contest #252

ObsessedAshanya's pulse quickened as she sprinted down the desolate alleyway, her footsteps reverberating off the brick walls. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as the ominous footfalls behind her drew nearer. She could feel the presence of her pursuer, their shadow lengthening and looming menacingly. Each breath came in ragged gasps, as the sound of her own panicked heartbeat drowned out the distant city noises. Time seemed to slow as Ashanya stumbled forward, her desperate flight driven by the primal urge to escape the ever-tightening gras...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Bellevue School” by Asia Bown

Submitted to Contest #252

Note: Story contains allusions to sexual violence, abuse, and drug use. Decades had passed since Nancy last set foot in the Bellevue School. From the driver side window it appeared just as imposing as it had when she was 12 years old. Perhaps it was all in her mind, for now the crumbling building could only be described as dilapidated. By the looks of it, no one had moved within its walls in many years. The once brick-red Victorian mansion had faded to a moldy brown, the wooden frame flimsy, nearly collapsing in on itself. Where the front po...

0 comments 0

Read story

“With Undying Love and Devotion, Your Secret Admirer” by KaSandra Swanson

Submitted to Contest #252

Sensitive content, stalking and sexual contentEvery day started the same for Jenna. Her alarm blared $uicideboy$'s "Do You Believe in God." It was time to crawl out of bed and stumble to the living room. Asena, her terrier-chihuahua mix, followed closely on her heels. Asena knew exactly what came next. Jenna groggily put on her shoes and robe, giving Asena what she had eagerly awaited. Outside they went. The same routine every day: up at 4:30 pm, take out Asena, then back inside to get ready for work. Jenna waited while Asena did her busine...

0 comments 0

Read story

“HUNTED” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #252

The man was stealthy and impressively silent as he stalked me. It was not his fault the wind had changed direction and I’d caught the scent of gunpowder and freshly oiled steel. I stood still as a statue as the wind changed direction again, it howled through the treetops, and whistled through the elderberry brush, taking the stink of the man with it. He and more of his kind camped out in the cabin at the edge of the mesa. They drank whisky into the night and smoked skunky tobaccos…apparently, they never bathed either, strong was their scent...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Sweet Innocence” by Angela Wicke

Submitted to Contest #252

Something about the air tasted different today. Normally, the miasma of car emissions, sewage, and urine lent the air a unique, if not pleasant, tang that was as familiar to me as my own name. Not today, though. Not that the other flavors weren’t present—this was New York, after all—but there was something new added to the mix. A sweetness, like a freshly cut strawberry on a summer afternoon. I breathed it in deeply, savoring it. It’d been a while since I’d smelled a soul so pure. If only I had more time t...

1 comment 1

Read story

“All Health Breaks Loose” by Ellista Ikenberry

Submitted to Contest #252

I glanced over my shoulder, and there he was, slinking, believing he was out of sight when he wasn’t. I didn’t know what he wanted or why he had chosen to follow me of all people. But there he was, tracking me all the way back to my apartment for the third time that month Stupid cat. He was mangy, his fur knotted in places, missing in others. I could tell his life hadn’t been a stroll through a sunny meadow. I watched him for a while, fascinated by the way he moved with graceful precision. This was a beautiful creature. My brain switch...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Bad Luck” by Fredrich TheFrogdrick

Submitted to Contest #252

Tell me, who do dangerous people target? It’s the people who walk slowly, looking at their feet or looking around at the beauty of the world. Or at least that’s what most of them target, but some ignore how you walk or how you look at the world, for some, there is no rhyme or reason, just bad luck.One day you’re walking home. It’s not yet dark, but the sun is setting. There are a few clouds in the purpling sky, but none are threatening to rain on you. You might have something to protect yourself, on your keychain or in your pocket, but ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A Twisted Game of Fox & Rabbit” by Heidi Boyer

Submitted to Contest #252

It happened again, but this time I didn’t wake up, I couldn’t wake up. My breathing was quick as the cold air brushed against my hot clammy skin. I was running through the tall slim trees in the blackest of nights, but this time I didn’t want to be caught. I wasn’t in a dream, and this was no fun little game. I was awake and aware of the terrible reality I was in. There were no words to describe how terrified I was as my captors chased after me. Their evil laughter was suffocating as the forest ground cut into my bare feet. I wanted nothing ...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who struggles to do the right thing.

Character – 35 stories

Write a story in which one of the characters is a narcissist.

Character – 40 stories

Make a character’s obsession or addiction an important element of your story.

Dramatic – 130 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Character – 55 stories

Contest #252

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Obsession

$250

Prize money

360

Contest entries

143

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 31, 2024 EST

Won by Danielle LeBlanc 🏆

Title: Seven Hundred and Thirty Days

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

Start your story with a character being followed.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 100 stories

“For Us All” by Kara Newlin

“The Rain” by Maddox Carollo

“The World Without Her” by Sam Hoekstra

“Lizzie” by Pen Bragan

“Ma” by Philip Dmitriev

“He's Following Me!” by Marchea Sovde

“On the Run” by Alexandra Caulway

“Obsessed” by Liberty Zimmermann

“The Bellevue School” by Asia Bown

“With Undying Love and Devotion, Your Secret Admirer” by KaSandra Swanson

“HUNTED” by Tanya Humphreys

“Sweet Innocence” by Angela Wicke

“All Health Breaks Loose” by Ellista Ikenberry

“Bad Luck” by Fredrich TheFrogdrick

“A Twisted Game of Fox & Rabbit” by Heidi Boyer

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who struggles to do the right thing.

Write a story in which one of the characters is a narcissist.

Make a character’s obsession or addiction an important element of your story.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Contest #252

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

360

Contest entries

143

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: