Start your story with the arrival of a strange visitor in a small town.

Posted in Horror on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 187 stories

“Same Old Dirty Devil, Same Old-testament Gold” by Kendi Karimi

Submitted to Contest #96

The officer’s eyes are a cruel shade of dark brow. He narrows them together, taking a step forward, before his partner objectively places a hand on his chest. “I’m telling the truth,” I plead. But who can believe a stranger with a red face like mine and no identity? These mortals with their papers of proof! Ever since dear daddy banished me from heaven and sentenced me to a life of emotional torture for eternity, I decided that I might as well make the best of the situation. Sure, I led a rebellion and everything, but when this devil left...

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“A Tale of Two Towns” by Wolfe Montgomery

Submitted to Contest #96

Once there was a town called Misery. It was a town full of anger, strife, and heartache. The buildings leaned like drunken sailors, propped up against each other. Cries of anger, pain, and sadness filled the air. The people of this place were mean, petty, cruel, and vicious. They lived like pigs in their own filth. They were drunk most of the time and spitting mad the rest. It needs not to be said that the town had no visitors, for no one likes to dwell in Misery. Instead they would stay in places like Fortune and Fame and Success. Unt...

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“A Stranger in UTKOOR” by VISHWANATHAM ANNAPURNA

Submitted to Contest #96

On Wednesday, 31st October, 2012, a man arrived in the village. It was late in the evening. He was looking for somewhere to stay the night. He knocked a door and a woman opened it. 'Good evening, madam,' the man said. I'm sorry it's so late. But can you help me, please? Is there a hotel in this village? I want to stay here tonight. The woman laughed. 'A hotel? Here in UTKOOR? No, sir, I'm afraid there isn't.' 'What a pity,' said the man. I'm a stranger here. And I want to see your village tomorrow. The stranger was very polite. He was ta...

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“Boy of the Blue Sky” by Svara Narasiah

Submitted to Contest #96

It wasn't normal, the day Mace came. Usually it's cloudy here, with a grey sky and frequent rain. Sunshine is rare, and when it does come it usually gets washed away by the chilling thunderstorms that shake our houses and scare the dogs. But when that strange boy came, it was like the sky cracked and a little bit of heaven poured through. We felt warmth on our skin and the sky was finally blue.But we were too frightened to care about this new wonder; the boy looked fierce and foreboding; even the dogs seemed to shrink away from him as he wal...

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“Carolina Moon.” by Drew Andrews

Submitted to Contest #96

There are roughly seven-point-something billion people in the world today. All fiting into one of two categories friends-of or foes-to.I fully recall,correctly, the night I met her. It was the first Sunday of the month, rain was stealing the air, too late and way too cold for anyone to be out. The sky had been as dark as the coffee I had been drinking. It was the night the lights went out in Georgia and the sheriff had blood stains on off-duty hands. Looking at her right, then and there, she had no hand out to flag down any of the numer...

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“Discovery of Jane Doe in Newport” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #96

No one knew who she was. She just appeared at our small sea resort on the coast, wrapped in some kelp lying on the beach. She did not have a memory of the past and no language to describe what kind of trauma she had been through. Some of the locals hinted that she was an alien from another planet. But if you have ever been in a small community, you know how they are when it comes to rumors or innuendo about some mysterious person who suddenly appears out of nowhere. Brett Walker loved to beachcomb with ...

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“Six Slices of Toast” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #96

I just landed, my first flight, my nerves still on the plane, me waiting for redemption, in a box car terminal. I was to be to plucked from the land of sand and pines, and deposited in my new home away from home, by the sea. A year they said, possibly. The “possibly,” never nudged my complacency from its excited state, as I was leaving the place I had spent the previous minutes, days, years of my life, and was finally escaping into the unknown from the nebulous consistency of a past. It left my envy, envious. I was ...

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“A Visit To Bunratty Ireland” by Elizabeth Cat🌟

Submitted to Contest #96

I grasp the handle of my luggage firmly and manage to squeeze through the crowded airport terminal. Once I'm outside I take a deep breath of fresh air, allowing my lungs to fully expand in my chest. It's so wonderful to be on solid ground again, breathing real air. I mentally squeal. Irish air! I scan the parking lot, looking for a place to sit and call a taxi. In the taxi I peer out the window and think. I'm out of my mind excited! I'm half Irish and have wanted to travel to Ireland forever. But now that I'm older, 18, I have be...

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“The Witch's Apprentice” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #96

TW: child death The digging never got any easier. Whoever decided that graves needed to be six feet deep deserved a good, long slapping in Raelyn’s opinion. Spitefully, she tossed the last bit of dirt away and then allowed the shovel to drop. She reached up with a blistered hand and wiped at her sweaty brow with the wide brim of her sunhat. It shrouded her face against the ivory light pouring from the full moon above. The stout woman allowed herself a moment to catch her breath before shifting her grey eyes downward, at the hole she had made...

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“Outside My Window” by Mack Denver

Submitted to Contest #96

It was a bright, sunny day when he arrived in town. None of us believed anything bad could come of a new arrival. Our town was a small town with few visitors, so we should have wondered why there was suddenly someone who wanted to live in this town in the middle of nowhere. But it was a bright and sunny day, so only joy filled us residents when we learned of our new neighbor. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a fit body. My sister could not keep her eyes off of him.One day, as I was walking out of school, I saw him. In our town, we are ...

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“The Day of the Stranger” by Serena Johnston

Submitted to Contest #96

Trigger warning: Talk of murder In the early morning of January first, a strange woman came to our little town, weather-beaten and tired. She said she was 'visiting', but I wasn't so sure about that. It wasn't out-of-the-ordinary for a strange person to suddenly appear in our village, because at the start of every year, a stranger would come to our town. Sister Sophia, the Reverend Mother, would take charge of them, and find them a place to live. Then everything went back to normal. But this woman was different. She was wearing something ...

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“See-Saw” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #96

If you really want to know what I think… Well, I did not think much of them when they showed up. A whole family come in to take an old home that I had almost forgotten about; they were gonna take the barn next to it as well and then, well, that was none of my business… None of my business… Y’see, I think that was the problem right there. We were a small town and did not ever have to deal with anyone wanting to move in. Sure, you got your occasionals; I mean tourist, y’understand? Nothing wrong with that when the weather is nice and yo...

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“Not wanted.” by Patricia Green

Submitted to Contest #96

“Good morning Margaret, how is the family?” Betty asked. The well-dressed matron she spoke to ran the only Bakery in town and every morning stood at the front door, watching to see what everyone else was up to. “Why, wonderful! Yesterday I spent most of the day with my Cissie, trying on her Grandmother’s wedding dress. It fits perfectly, as she has that little frame like her Gran. Just a little nip here and a tuck there and it will be ready for the big day! I can hardly wait Betty!” “Oh how wonderful! Yes, I’m sure you are so thrilled for Ci...

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“One step at a time” by Anna Tishchenko

Submitted to Contest #96

One step at a time, Calea walked the long old road towards another village. Last among her kind, it was her duty to connect the two worlds, the living and the dead. Festival night was only one day away, and she would need to hurry to make it to the ritual in time. The town ahead was unknown to her, but it mattered little. On festival night, she alone could bridge the gap and when the next festival night was finished, her power, her curse would pass to another. So, it had been since the festival and the ritual began. She stopped a moment, s...

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“The Man in Black ” by Scarlett Flare

Submitted to Contest #96

They never saw him coming. How could they? The little town of Saturnia was seated in the crease of a long valley. Everyone there knew each other. There hadn’t ever been a single visitor in its whole history, that was, until now. Esmeralda was following behind the few people collectively heading toward the main square. In that minuscule town, it was the equivalent of a crowd. As she and the others reached the main square, they found the whole town gathered around something Esmeralda could not quite see. Being only six years old, she...

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Start your story with the arrival of a strange visitor in a small town.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 187 stories

“Same Old Dirty Devil, Same Old-testament Gold” by Kendi Karimi

“A Tale of Two Towns” by Wolfe Montgomery

“A Stranger in UTKOOR” by VISHWANATHAM ANNAPURNA

“Boy of the Blue Sky” by Svara Narasiah

“Carolina Moon.” by Drew Andrews

“Discovery of Jane Doe in Newport” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Six Slices of Toast” by Joe Swanson

“A Visit To Bunratty Ireland” by Elizabeth Cat🌟

“The Witch's Apprentice” by Jj Gomez

“Outside My Window” by Mack Denver

“The Day of the Stranger” by Serena Johnston

“See-Saw” by Kendall Defoe

“Not wanted.” by Patricia Green

“One step at a time” by Anna Tishchenko

“The Man in Black ” by Scarlett Flare

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about strangers becoming friends, or friends becoming strangers.

Write about someone welcoming a stranger into their home.

Start your story in an empty guest room.

Write about a character who has to rely on the hospitality of strangers.

Contest #96

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

858

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: