Write a story where a character finds out the truth about something they thought they’d known their whole life.

Posted in Horror on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 30 stories

“The Abyss Gazes Back” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Submitted to Contest #107

Of course he was late. I’d been warned. When he finally arrived, he sauntered in, wearing an Italian double breasted deconstructed blazer in flecked wool. It looked luxurious, silk and cashmere with patch pockets. He could have paired the jacket with anything. He chose basketball shorts. The kind you find on the floor at Ross Dress for Less. “Are you Dr. Friedrich?” he asked, pronouncing my name in a German accent. His tone indicated neither an apology nor any amount of curiosity. Youthful decadence, entitled by a raw bea...

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“The Devil's Birthmark” by Amir Sher

Submitted to Contest #107

The forceful knock on the door woke me up from my daydreams. The business was slow nowadays, to put it mildly. It seems no one needed old-school private detectives anymore, not with those hotshots, young cyberpunks around. They could solve any case by hacking into phones and social media accounts, without ever leaving their stylized modern office, with their twenty-year-old Instagram model secretary and cappuccino machine. Most people don’t realize that nothing beats good old fashion leg work and stakeouts. Do you want to know if your...

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“The Basement Has Mold” by K.M. Kinley

Submitted to Contest #107

[TW for body horror] The basement has mold. The first time she hears those words, Alice is five years old. Her hand rests on the old brass doorknob of the basement’s gritty oaken frame and she pouts when twisting her wrist does not budge the lock that holds it in place. Her father’s hand rests on her shoulder in a grip much tighter than one holding a five-year-old should use and he pulls her away from it. Alice remembers the way her hand slips from the door, her palms slick with sweat from the tightness of a grip she does not realize th...

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“Uncle Ken's Visit” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #107

He came to visit me when I was living in Gilbert, Arizona. We had been in our house for almost six years with my son and daughter. Attending Arizona State, I had gotten my teaching certificate and was working as a substitute teacher in three local school districts. Earlier that year, he sent me a letter to say he was going to pay us a visit. According to his letter, he would be coming in August. He had set the date for the second week in August and asked if I had time for a lengthy visit. I told him in my return lett...

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“Walter” by Francis Daisy

Submitted to Contest #107

“He pissed in his cup!” Emma says to me as she is tying off the kayak on the trailer. “I just got that line! It’s not Piston Cup! When Mater and Lightning McQueen discover all of Doc Hudson’s championship trophies, Mater says that Doc did “What in his cup?”"Pass me that rope. We need to tie the kayaks to the rack. Not to each other like we did the last time...when they fell off on our first turn," I am on the other side of the trailer tying knots. Already the sun is high in the sky and my shirt is soaked with sweat. “That’s why we always lau...

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“Ghost” by Sorcha Wilde

Submitted to Contest #107

Content warning: suicide Ghost.You made me into a fucking ghost, didn’t you?Shameless. You ungrateful fuck, after everything I gave you, all those hours, all my love, all my attention and affection and sincerity, I gave you my body and mind, and worst of all, my fucking heart, yet on a whim you so glibly chose to make me disappear from your life, to toss all the precious things I gave you away like they were nothing at all, like I was nothing at all, a worthless bitch, not a life partner but a meaningless one-night stand, not the woman who l...

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“Ain't Genealogy Great!” by Matt Ward

Submitted to Contest #107

Ain’t Genealogy Great! (Based on a true story) Walter Hanson was from East Tennessee. He was a proud southern gentleman. Maybe not so proud of the south’s slavery history, but still loyal to the memory of his ancestors. Proud that his great-great-grandfather had fought in the Civil War for the South. Proud of the tombstone in the local cemetery that, while not marking the grave of his progenitor, it did commemorate the man’s loyalty to the south with the inscription, “Jacob L. Arbeiter, Cpl. CSA, 1834 – 1865.” Jacob Arbeiter was a Germ...

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“The Box” by Paige Ishii

Submitted to Contest #107

The Box What was in the box? There have always been glimpses of that box. Dad would take that box out and hold it close. We were never to touch it. Dad would let us try to open it, but it was no use. We didn’t have the key. The beautiful, intricate box was a puzzle. Only he knew the key to open it. But now that Dad was gone, here was the box. Again. A few months before Dad died, he told me very specifically, to take...

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“The Evolution of Butch's Views” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #107

The changing world made increasingly less sense to Butch. His Caucasian complexion had become more of a liability. He recognized that not so long ago its display would all but guarantee him what the kids were calling “privilege.” Having the upper hand in society had been something that the 56 year old enjoyed. As a straight, White, Christian male, he believed himself to be a living representation of everything correct with the the country. In his opinion, after all, straight, White, Christian males tamed the natives, built the railroads...

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“Grandpa's Clarity” by Dhruv Srivastava

Submitted to Contest #107

Sunlight streamed through the orange and red forest canopy, dappling the ground with warm light while a brisk wind rustled through the forest. Waves and drifts of leaves moved around like an ocean - the graveyard of autumn’s past. Henry Wallman walked through these woods in a good fitting pair of dark blue jeans, a faded orange shirt, and a black bomber jacket. On his wrist he wore a watch worth more than the phone in his pocket, and around his neck he wore a necklace with a ring on it. Fall was always a bittersweet time for him - on one han...

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“Divine Bloodline Chapter 2” by Shannon McGill

Submitted to Contest #107

Chapter 2 Antonia woke up feeling like a new woman. The absence of physical or emotional pain combined with the realization of her own sobriety meant only one thing: Mama was right. She sank into the soft ground with her eyes closed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t where she fell asleep, and that was fine. Perfect, even. If she could wake anywhere, Home is the obvious choice. She looked around, delighted to find herself beneath the giant tree on her family’s land. Balmy wind gently coaxed the dying leaves from branches while the...

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“The Man I call 'Daddy'” by Tanya Smith

Submitted to Contest #107

The Man I Call ‘Daddy’ By: Ireland Lorelei I was still in so much shock. How could he be here one day and then gone the next? I had just given him a hug and a kiss on his cheek as he left for work and I left for school this morning. My dad would never see me dressed up for my senior prom, or see my graduate high school next year, he wouldn’t be here to see which scouts came to my games and what colleges I got accepted to. He wouldn’t see any of my college games. He wouldn’t walk me down the aisle or play with his grandkids. I don’...

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“Delusions” by Abigail Bulger

Submitted to Contest #107

Jude When asked about his hallucination by professionals, he doesn’t know what to tell them. The visions of wrong were always there. His senile great grandmother -Mama Goldie- says he “has the sight.” Mother says Mama Goldie is batty, and that medicine will make the visions of wrong go away. He takes them, eager for the visions to disappear. But they don’t. He still sees things he isn’t supposed to. He just now feels like he’s watching from underwater. As if he’s detached from it all… ...

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“Another Piece of Family ” by Aoife Blu

Submitted to Contest #107

TW - mentions of suicide. Theresa looks me up and down, an unreadable expression on her face, but that's understandable considering she only met me two hours ago. I know she's unsure of what to think about me - most people are. I give her a moment to form the question I'm anticipating she'll ask - everyone asks it. Her gaze parts from mine momentarily, flickering to the table, then back up to me. Her nails create a rhythm on the chipped, creamy colored plastic. The clicks only last a scarce amount of seconds before they silence. &n...

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“Manhandled ” by Lemon Lime

Submitted to Contest #107

“You know, eating tofu doesn’t make you a good person,” Carla banged the cherry bowl down on the table and looked disdainfully at Arthur. “Sure it does. I’m going healthier than meat and protecting the environment.” He stuck his fork in his mouth again. “Phytates will reduce the absorption of crucial minerals!” “Honey, I think it’s high time you dropped the nutrition course.” Carla scowled. “Never supportive, never.” She knocked over theglass of prune juice as she violently lea...

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Write a story where a character finds out the truth about something they thought they’d known their whole life.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 30 stories

“The Abyss Gazes Back” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

“The Devil's Birthmark” by Amir Sher

“The Basement Has Mold” by K.M. Kinley

“Uncle Ken's Visit” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Walter” by Francis Daisy

“Ghost” by Sorcha Wilde

“Ain't Genealogy Great!” by Matt Ward

“The Box” by Paige Ishii

“The Evolution of Butch's Views” by Pako Dunwhile

“Grandpa's Clarity” by Dhruv Srivastava

“Divine Bloodline Chapter 2” by Shannon McGill

“The Man I call 'Daddy'” by Tanya Smith

“Delusions” by Abigail Bulger

“Another Piece of Family ” by Aoife Blu

“Manhandled ” by Lemon Lime

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a white lie which spirals out of control.

Write about a character pretending to be someone they’re not.

Write about a game of ‘truth or dare’ that goes horribly wrong.

Write about a character who tells a lie which turns out to be true - or a truth which turns out to be a lie.

Contest #107

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

150

Contest entries

204

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: