Start your story with someone sharing a secret that has a big impact on everyone.

Posted in High School on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 39 stories

“Insidious” by Keila Aartila

Submitted to Contest #161

The old man claimed her innocence when she was a small child, and gave her the gifts of blame and shame in exchange. I, the selfish secret, was planted. A well-hidden whisper that dictated the choices and beliefs of a young girl growing up, and she didn’t even know it. I hid in in the back of that girl’s mind, quietly, for a long time under the guise of protection. She was a good girl. She wanted to protect her family, so I was buried deep. Then she unexpectedly found her voice. Dug me up. Now, I’m vulnerable to the world. This is a...

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“The Daughter Who Screwed My Husband” by Heather Sidwell

Submitted to Contest #161

She was darling; everyone in the community thought so, especially all the men. She just had this way about her, the sparkle in her eye that drew them in and then, like a Siren, she would sink her claws and fangs into them, cutting them far beneath the skin, tearing at their flesh and then ripping out their hearts. My fifteen year old son laid his eyes upon her married form and swore he would marry her himself one day. Sadly, none of us realized just what a promiscuous, narcissistic, sociopath she actually would turn out to be. What a joke! S...

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“19:27:46” by Joey Balk

Submitted to Contest #161

‘So, you know how we said we had to reduce CO2 emissions and separate our trash and such to prevent climate change?’ ‘That was over twenty years ago, Laura. What about it?’ Twenty-two, but who’s counting? At this point I’m unable to keep my leg still. Like a jackhammer I keep bouncing it up and down, sending ripples through the glass of water in front of me. ‘Yeah… that was a lie. What we discovered then wasn’t that the climate was changing, we already knew about that for thirty years, give or take, and with the rapid development of te...

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“Campfire Fam” by Kyle Quande

Submitted to Contest #161

Clea sat quietly, the campfire crackling and illuminating the darkness. She watched and listened to her surrounding friends. Perhaps her new family, or so she would like them to be. Clea had told them her story and opened herself up to them. It was the first time she’d spoken the words aloud, Clea had never intended to keep her past a secret, but she never felt she could talk about it before this moment. Just something warm and inviting about this group of people made it easy for her to speak and open up about herself. Now that she was done ...

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“My Little Dove” by Calypso Cassiopeia

Submitted to Contest #161

“You came down here to tell us something, did you?” Mum asks, everyone sitting around the table; Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jean, Uncle Daniel, and a few others. I feel seen for once—as I sit at the head of the table—but it doesn’t feel good. “Well, yes,” I clear my throat, my lungs heaving with all the grief I have shoved down for all these years. It’s time to tell them the secret I have been keeping for four years. “Spit it out then,” Grandma hurries, her voice scratchy and breathless from the countless cigarettes she ha...

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“Just a few moments” by Simone Garrison

Submitted to Contest #161

TW: Contains some mentions of the mental illness depression, and self harm. Also the mention of death. Looking at my grandmother making her famous apple & peach cobbler. Her fingers covered in fresh flour that my mom just finished making in her new mini grain maker dad got her for her birthday. I never thought it would be this hard to tell the truth to tell my truth. “It never is and never will be,” Daga said. Already I’m just like the real Daga to read my mind and reply back to me with such casualness you’d think we were linke...

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“The Secret” by Richard Morris

Submitted to Contest #161

“The baby isn’t yours,” Sarah-Tempest said to her husband two weeks after announcing her pregnancy. Rekthorne’s face blanched. She stopped taking the pill months ago, and they had diligently worked to get her pregnant. They both stopped all alcohol consumption. She started taking extra calcium and other supplements she believed would help a baby develop without problems. They tracked her body temperature, waiting for the telltale jump up one degree for her to be fertile, and they made love twice a day. In the meantime...

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“Such a Crazy Dream, Right?” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #161

I walked into my room in Meredith High Boarding School, exhausted. Jeannie, and Margret were there, chatting. “Hey guys,” I said, dropping my stuff on my bed. “How was your weekend?” “Good,” Jeannie said. Margret, without looking up from her book, said, “I got a gerbil. His name is General Marshmallow.” I grinned, “Was that your idea?” “Not even a little bit.” “How about you?” Jeannie asked. I shook my head, “God, I had the weirdest dream. It was about you, actually.” “Really?” I nodded. “What kind of dream?” Margret asked, smirking. “Gross,...

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“Sisters” by Stella Fletton

Submitted to Contest #161

“There's something I need to tell you…” Shelly signed to her three sisters. They were in their bedroom; the door was closed and the four girls were sitting facing one another on the bed. “What is it?” Cassandra signed back, speaking as she did so. Shelly gave a long, steadying sigh. “OK, but you have to promise not to get upset because it's going to be okay... everything is going to be okay. Do you promise?” Shelly’s searching gaze was also reassuring. She never asked a promise of them lightly, so this was serious. Angelina, Adrienne and C...

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“The Ghost Collector” by Gary Wells

Submitted to Contest #161

Steve Griffin sat sullenly at his parent’s dining room table. Steve was a thirty-one-year-old YouTube celebrity wannabe. He had spent several years rooming with various friends who were also trying to become on-line personalities. They had created a number of channels, none of which gathered many subscribers. Their current focus was on creating ghost hunter-style videos. While Steve had been focused on the technical aspects of contacting the dead, his friends were more focused on making the channel “entertaining”. But they didn’t make it ...

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“Coming Out” by Chris Skelton

Submitted to Contest #161

‘Mum, are you telling me you’re a lesbian?’ Cullum’s question sounded more like an accusation. His sister, Penelope, sitting next to him on the living room couch, looked equally surprised, but with a guise of delight. Jenna, sitting opposite her children, brought her legs up close to her chest as her face flushed. That morning’s practice sessions in front of the mirror had not prepared for the stunned silence following the announcement. Penelope broke the silence, ‘WOW! My gaydar missed that one. You’re not just my mother, ...

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“The fall of Zion” by Sarah Parker

Submitted to Contest #161

Selena's alarm went off, and she toppled out of bed with a crash. Her rimless glasses fell from the dresser on her head.Selena groaned, picked her glasses up, and pushed them onto her nose.Her room door was thrown open, and her mother was standing there." Selena, Honey, is everything alright?""Yep." Selena pushed herself to her feet, "I just fell out of the bed. It's nothing too serious."Her mother let out a sigh of relief, "Ok. We leave in five, hurry."Selena opened up her closet and pulled out an outfit.She changed her clothes a...

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“Three Minutes Until the Conclusion” by Curtis Jackson

Submitted to Contest #161

Advisory: the following short story contains descriptions of violence, scariness, and thematic issues.The success of his lecture was pictured in their eyes. The people fixated upon him and their ears' reception of each sound wave of his words. The speech of famed scientist-environmentalist Terrance Secreto held his audience's attention. In his heart, the drums rolled after a quick glance at his pocket watch; 6:56 p.m., almost three minutes until his conclusion.For over 50 minutes, Secreto updated his listeners about the advanced alarms of cl...

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“Orders to kill” by John Berry

Submitted to Contest #161

“Gavin, you can’t be serious.”“Yes, I’ve been one for 15 years,” I said.“Prove it.”“Let’s get into the courtyard and I’ll tell you more.”The siren rang out, and the guards marched 50 prisoners past their locked cells and into the courtyard for free time.Together we sat at the top of our stands, looking at everyone working out, with the fence behind us. 10 guards walked around with submachine guns, ready to use them to stop any riots as they had in previous years. This was a prison of hardened criminals.“Why are you a spy? Why are you telling...

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“HER SECRET” by Dee Weinberg

Submitted to Contest #161

HER SECRETBy Dee WeinbergI know her secret. I didn’t ask for it, it was flung at me in a rush of words during a conversation I never expected.It was a perfect autumn morning. The kind that energizes you with warm sun and the delicious smell of mowed grass and fire pit ashes from the night before.I was finishing raking the leaves that had drifted over from the neighbor’s huge maple tree. My back was starting to ache from pushing the piles of leaves into the black garbage bag hung on the fence. I felt my phone vibrate and debated if ...

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Start your story with someone sharing a secret that has a big impact on everyone.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 39 stories

“Insidious” by Keila Aartila

“The Daughter Who Screwed My Husband” by Heather Sidwell

“19:27:46” by Joey Balk

“Campfire Fam” by Kyle Quande

“My Little Dove” by Calypso Cassiopeia

“Just a few moments” by Simone Garrison

“The Secret” by Richard Morris

“Such a Crazy Dream, Right?” by Katherine Saltwell

“Sisters” by Stella Fletton

“The Ghost Collector” by Gary Wells

“Coming Out” by Chris Skelton

“The fall of Zion” by Sarah Parker

“Three Minutes Until the Conclusion” by Curtis Jackson

“Orders to kill” by John Berry

“HER SECRET” by Dee Weinberg

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story where someone finds comfort in an unexpected event, place, or person.

Write about a character who lives a seemingly charmed life.

Write a story where a character has to take on heavy responsibilities (perhaps beyond their age).

Write about someone who needs to face their past in order to move forward.

Contest #161

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

241

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: