Write a story about someone who finds someone’s diary, and tries to reunite it with its owner. It’s up to you whether they read it or not!

Posted in Mystery on May 19, 2023

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✍️ 52 stories

“Spoiler Alert, I Just Found A Murderer's Diary” by Lillian Albert

Submitted to Contest #199

You know how in books, the love-hungry person finds a diary on the ground, and it’s their crush’s? They return it and live happily ever after? That literally happened to me last week. At least, the finding a diary bit. I’ll let you keep reading to learn if I found my true love. Let’s start generically. It was a dark and stormy night (for real, I’m not joking. There was lightning and everything. Plenty of rain, too, of course), and I was walking home from my ten hour shift at DQ. Of course, I had forgotten my umbrella (but, to be fair, w...

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“Lost to be Found” by Brigette Kozlowski

Submitted to Contest #199

Cinnamon spice and dusting sugar swirled in the air at Hollow Creek Confections. Sylvia wiped off smears of chocolate ganache from the stark white marble tables. A limp smile parted to let out a loud sigh."Everything okay?" Ruby asked. She kicked up her heels and plopped them down on an accompanying chair."Tired. I think the entire town must’ve come in today." "Yeah, we’re sold out. There’s just enough flour for cinnamon rolls tomorrow. I’m gonna have to run out and get some more tonight." Sylvia joined her friend. "Thank you for d...

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“Bunny, Winter, Cloven” by Electra Nanou

Submitted to Contest #199

'Books smell of time, don't they?' Holly mused, taking a long wistful sniff of the bookstore. 'I'm stealing that,' Ben singsonged as he made for the shelves on the left, nodding to the clerk at the till. Holly followed him. 'I better get royalties.' When she stopped beside him to read the spines on the shelves, he took her fingers between his. 'I've dedicated all my books to you. You want my money, too?' he gave an exaggerated gasp. 'I want everything.' Her sneer brightened his face in a way Holly hadn't seen in a while. Her heart lept at h...

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“What Dreams May Come ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #199

“I’m sorry, she’s not here.” A wiry man ambled toward me wearing stained overalls and a flannel shirt, “I’m Mr. Ashbury to super here and this young lady disappeared a couple of days ago when the rent was due.” “Do you know where she went?” I asked, feeling suddenly lost and empty. “Nope, can’t say I do.” He put his thumbs on the straps of his overalls and rocked back on his heels. “Are you looking for lost money or lost love?” “Neither.” I said, shaking my head, “I found this with her name on it.” “Sorry you wasted your time.” He ...

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“In Unexpected Places” by Lindsay Burns

Submitted to Contest #199

Rose’s dad had constantly reminded his daughter to hold her head high. ‘Look like you’re proud of yourself, for goodness’ sake,’ he’d say, only just clinging onto his patience. As a child eager to please, Rose had reluctantly raised up her chin. As an indifferent teenager she’d simply ignored him. As a young adult she’d come back at him. ‘Do you really think I’d get from A to B if I looked up as little as you seem to think?’ Of course, Rose did look down quite a lot. Not due to shyness, or shame, or fear. None of those things. It was becaus...

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“Cocktails and Confessions” by Quinn Micheals

Submitted to Contest #199

April 3, 2023I specifically requested this night off, yet here I am, another Friday pulling a double. I’m annoyed, angry almost, though no one here can see it. I’m charming and witty, charismatic and refined, everything I need to be to earn generous tips. After a while I settle in, catching my stride, not even glancing at the clock. I talk to strangers apathetically, pouring them whatever they desire, and watch them slip into a less than ideal impaired state. Talk of the weather, the latest sports games, and politics, turns into overshares a...

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“The One Who Lingers in the Mausoleum ” by Jasmine Wesley

Submitted to Contest #199

George Vaughn: March 12th, 1986 - December 29th, 1992. He was only six… Wilted daisies, three of them, were scattered over his grave. It had been about three decades and his loved ones, most likely his parents, took the time to visit him. It warmed my heart to witness moments like this. I kneel in front of the grave, my hand hovered over the flowers. I whispered, “George, are you here?” No response. He passed on. It made sense. There weren’t many reasons for a child’s soul to fight to stay on Earth. The experience would be lonely and ...

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“Colton's First Reader” by Rudy Senecal

Submitted to Contest #199

“Unit 341, signing off.” Station responded, but it wasn’t much more than a scratch on his ear. The green line train wasn’t far off but instead of standing to get ready like the rest of the late-night riders, Parks opened the same email he’d looked at a dozen times already. There was some other basic information like his date of birth, address, and social security number. None of which mattered, what mattered to him was toward the bottom of the email. He slowly scrolled tow...

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“Under the Bench ” by Mitchell Kaye

Submitted to Contest #199

“It wasn’t lost, it was being delivered.” That’s not what I expected to hear after tracking down the owner of the diary I found under a bench in Central Park. Yet, here I sat in front of a crying woman, holding what I should’ve realized immediately was not meant for me. I found it in a small alcove of the park that the city created to shield its visitors from the expanses of salesmen and sun tanners. The entrance is a chain-link fence painted the same dark green as the leaves behind it. It’s somewhere you’d expect park groundskeepers to...

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“The Journal” by Carrie Backer

Submitted to Contest #199

Ellen’s sweat-soaked tracksuit warmed her body, despite the chilly April temperature grazing her cheeks as she ran. The benches at the bus stop on the corner of Main and Sixth were never vacant on her outbound jog. As usual, a young girl, maybe nineteen, sat writing in a brown leather-bound book. As Ellen approached, the young girl looked up. “Good morning!” Ellen said smiling, her greeting waning in the noisy traffic as she passed. The girl’s eyes acknowledged Ellen, but her lips tightened into a quasi smile, as she returned to her...

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“In Another Time” by Brigid Levi

Submitted to Contest #199

Twirling a stray curl that had come loose from my bun, I contemplated the boring date Jon had planned for us that evening: dinner at the same Thai restaurant and back home for a board game we’d played a thousand times. Was it too late to cancel? Wait, I’d canceled the last one, so if I canceled this one, he’d definitely think something was up. Which wasn’t wrong… SLAM! I nearly hit the ceiling when a teenage girl tossed a stack of books on my desk. “I’ll take these.” She snapped her gum. I bit back the reprimand that itched on my tongue b...

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“A Dropped Diary ” by Bridey S.

Submitted to Contest #199

Plop. Plop. Plop. One of my favorite things to do is just sitting on my favorite bench in Jenkinsville Town Square, reading a big book, right after it rains. I adjusted my neck to get comfortable. Plop. A drop of rain hit my forehead, and started slowly sliding down my face. I reached up and wiped it away. Splash. Someone walked through the puddle in front of me. I looked up, and saw a little leatherbound book. It looked old, worn, and used. Plop. Plop. More rain fell onto me and the book. I sighed, why not pick it up, what’s the worst that ...

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“The Sweet Goal of Returning A Diary” by Kevin Robles

Submitted to Contest #199

I was at my favorite place in the world. Scavenging through all the cheap junk I could find, searching for any good condition books that gripped my attention. But as I continued to rummage the mess of boxes, I found nothing except the older versions of technology. DAMNIT, I am so over technology. Ever since people have been able to wirelessly connect their phones to their brain that's all life has become, technology this and technology that. People do not even seem to be awake, like the cashier of this store, he just stands there all d...

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“Double Trouble” by Tracy Alele

Submitted to Contest #199

Amaya looked to her left and tried to peer over Henry’s shoulder. She couldn’t hear the conversation entirely, but it was something to do with the show that night. Something about Justin having to cancel because he had the flu. Rubbish! She thought. She knew exactly why he had bailed. She withdrew back and got up, stretching her arms out. The people around her stared, including Henry, but she couldn’t be bothered. She was happy, beyond happy. Ecstatic. The real reason Justin didn’t want to perform that night was because something very import...

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“Never Assume” by Kate Gaston

Submitted to Contest #199

In one of the dozens of boxes roughly packed with printed materials, wedged along the tables at the flea market, I found a faded clothbound book labeled Betty’s Diary. I was intrigued, what had Betty written seventy years ago? On the first page, dated December 26, 1949, was written in an elegant script, “Aunt Maureen wishes you the best for your senior year in high school.” Entry One Dated: January 20, 1922 Today is only Monday, and I am already writing in my diary. See. If anyone reads this, you can tell my aunt that I do write ...

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Write a story about someone who finds someone’s diary, and tries to reunite it with its owner. It’s up to you whether they read it or not!

Submissions are closed

✍️ 52 stories

“Spoiler Alert, I Just Found A Murderer's Diary” by Lillian Albert

“Lost to be Found” by Brigette Kozlowski

“Bunny, Winter, Cloven” by Electra Nanou

“What Dreams May Come ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“In Unexpected Places” by Lindsay Burns

“Cocktails and Confessions” by Quinn Micheals

“The One Who Lingers in the Mausoleum ” by Jasmine Wesley

“Colton's First Reader” by Rudy Senecal

“Under the Bench ” by Mitchell Kaye

“The Journal” by Carrie Backer

“In Another Time” by Brigid Levi

“A Dropped Diary ” by Bridey S.

“The Sweet Goal of Returning A Diary” by Kevin Robles

“Double Trouble” by Tracy Alele

“Never Assume” by Kate Gaston

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story on a warm summer evening with a full moon, when everything feels magnetic and your character’s about to meet someone important.

Write about a character having a spiritual experience at a concert or a nightclub.

Your protagonist walks past an intriguing stranger, then turns around to take another look at them. The stranger turns around, too. Write about what happens next.

Write a story about a character who returns home changed by someone they met on a trip.

Contest #199

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

256

Contest entries

143

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: