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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

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

Posted in Dramatic on Oct 18, 2024

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 113 stories

“Why Kids Love Their Grandfathers” by David Blackburn

Submitted to Contest #273

        WHY KIDS LOVE THEIR GRANDFATHERS                              By David Blackburn My grandparents were cattle ranchers in West Texas. My grandfather's grandfather moved to Texas in the early 1840's when Texas was still a nation; he built a ranch and a family that endured for many generations and was the foundation for our values of hard work and e...

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“A Day Ahead of Him” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #273

It was just an ordinary day in the making for George – nothing the least bit new or different would happen. But that was the way he liked it. He would get up early in the morning as he did every day of the working week. He needed to do so in order that he could eat his favourite breakfast, which took the chef a while to prepare just the way he wanted it. But first he would dress up in his best clothes, as he felt he would need to continue making a respectable impression on the people who would be seeing him throughout mos...

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“Psycho Pathy” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #273

The stepbrother, David, older than me by six years, was a fastidious and fussy teenager. Everything in his bedroom was orderly. His math books were organized by color, his clothing was folded and put away, and his bed was neatly made each morning. He was pathetic and cold, like a fish stranded on dry land; I instantly disliked him, and the feeling was mutual. I thought the marriage a hasty, ill-conceived idea – Blaine Curtis, a goofy Caltech mathematician seemed a poor match for mother – and his son, David, was a definite weirdo, a psycho. I...

3 comments 3
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“He left” by Sara Pothmann Cullen

Submitted to Contest #273

Things happen in threes, isn’t that what they say. I never gave much credit to the idea, much weight, everything had been so good before. I never needed to believe in luck, good, or bad. Now, I sought refuge in it. I never saw it coming, my first bout of bad luck. I thought we were happy, I truly did. I skipped around our beautiful kitchen, in my gym clothes, with my slick ponytail swishing perfectly behind my back. He went to work at the same time, got back at the same time, and we settled into our usual routine. Dinner, TV, and eventually…...

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“Hell Hath no Fury” by Angela Ewing

Submitted to Contest #273

                                                     2,936 WordsHell Hath No FuryClaire Swanson had just turned fifty-five when she became the office manager of Prouty Classic Car Sales & Leasing in Manchester. She was confident in her abilities to run a small office, although ...

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“Hard Border” by Craig Scott

Submitted to Contest #273

There are poems written about snow. Brzezinski knew this was true because he had heard them from books in his youth. They had belonged to his father, an educated foreigner who entered a government van one day and was never seen again. His mother had brought the dusty books out sometimes from their secret place, after the lights were turned off, and translated them. And more than a few of those stories were about snow – how beautiful it was, it’s delicacy and purity. How it made the world feel clean and new. Maybe snow was different in other ...

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“The Weight of What Was” by EV Throne

Submitted to Contest #273

The forest hung heavy beneath a sky swollen with mist. The road wound like a scar through the brambles and wet stones, narrowing into a thin thread of mud that tangled among crooked trees. The light that drifted through the clouds was faint—more shadow than sky—turning the air into a dim haze that blurred the edges of the world. Orin’s boots pressed deep into the mud with every step, and still he walked. The rain clung to his cloak and skin, soaking through to the bone, dragging at him like an old regret. On his back, the bundle shifted, a f...

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“Endless Windows” by Needs Chocolate

Submitted to Contest #273

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. Just a shadow, here or there. No matter how hard she tried to clean off the glass, the grime and streaks kept her at a distance from the world outside. The world which he had warned her would break her heart. "You don't want to see what has happened out there, Persephone. Trust me, please. I will keep you safe." He had promised her. Keep her safe from what? What secret was he keeping from her? She cleaned the window behind his back every ...

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“The Family Journal” by Christie Mack

Submitted to Contest #273

Lena stood at the cemetery's edge, watching the thin line of mourners scatter, their hushed condolences drifting away on the cold breeze. The ceremony had been short, almost perfunctory, but her father wasn’t the kind of man who drew crowds in life, and his death wasn’t going to change that. Lena barely listened to the murmurs of distant relatives and former colleagues; her mind was elsewhere—on her last conversation with him. It had been six months ago. An argument that had escalated too quickly. Her father, with his stubborn, domineering v...

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“Pleasant Valley Premium” by Sarah Jorgensen

Submitted to Contest #273

“It’s so green,” muttered Jane, as the perfectly manicured lawns of Pleasant Valley glided past the car window. “They must pay the gardeners a fortune.”“Drones,” said Dan from the driver’s seat. “Garden drones.”Jane searched her husband’s face for signs of sarcasm. Even after 3 years of marriage, she still couldn’t tell when he was toying with her.Dan chuckled. "It’s true,” he insisted, nodding his head towards something in the distance, “Look -”Jane followed his gaze to a neatly trimmed, emerald-green nature strip. Hammered into the grass w...

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“The Street That Wasn’t There” by Young Akpasubi

Submitted to Contest #273

The early morning sun painted the streets of Mariborough with a golden hue, making the cobbled roads shimmer as if they were made of polished brass. The street vendors, as they did every morning, set up their stalls with the same practiced movements: the man selling fresh pastries waved at the grocer who was already haggling with his first customer; the flower woman dusted her blooms with soft care, sending little specks of pollen floating into the air. Mariborough was always alive, a city buzzing with life even before the clock struck eight...

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“A Picnic ” by Jess Norton

Submitted to Contest #273

Trent lets the red gingham blanket billow out in front of him. The breeze flicks the edges of the blanket this way and that until finally allowing it to settle over the grass. Trent and Jenn both drop down. With her knees bent to the side, Jenn smooths her long brown dress over her knees, and Trent, with his legs straight out in front of him.   The sun peaks shyly through the oaks' branches. Trent unpacks the picnic basket, placing peanut butter jelly, Reese's cups, and a cold Dr. Pepper in front of her. “I hope these are still you...

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“Martha's Masterpiece” by Bärbel Morsch

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of exploitation, psychological distress, and disturbing revelations. It deals with sensitive subject matter that some readers may find upsetting.***At 702 Warwick Road, a quaint sign shaped like a dollhouse once beckoned visitors: "Experience Martha Bunny's Unique Collection. Open daily. Admission: $1" The promise of wonder and amazement drew crowds from far and wide, each eager to witness the marvels that lay behind the weathered wooden door.Martha Bunny's Museum of Curiosities was the talk of the...

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“Harrowed” by Michelle A

Submitted to Contest #273

When Ellis first moved to the small town of Windham Crest, he could tell that something felt off. The town wasn’t unlike any other small old town, with its old-fashioned main street, worn signs, and old-looking buildings. But it was the chill in the air and the eerie silence that seemed to befall the town that brought the unease that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Ellis told himself it was just the stark difference from the big city where he used to live. The town was exactly what he had been looking for: somewhere unremarka...

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“The Confession Booth” by James Carr

Submitted to Contest #273

“Forgive me, for I have sinned.” Father O’Brien sat in the dim light of the confessional booth, surrounded by the familiar scent of polished wood and incense. Outside, slightly muted sounds of movement echoed through the chapel. The creak of the pews as lone visitors shifted position. The occasional pop from the wick of a burning prayer candle. A familiar backdrop to the quiet moments he cherished. “I’m here to confess to killing a woman,” said the voice from the neighbouring booth. Father O’Brien’s heart seized in his chest. He had heard co...

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Contest #273

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This week's theme: Locked Away

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Ended on 23:59 - Oct 25, 2024 EST

Won by Asia W 🏆

Title: Venus Buried

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