Write a story about someone who keeps coming across the same stranger.

Posted in Mystery on Jul 10, 2021

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✍️ 182 stories

“An Afternoon Alone” by Karen Kinley

Submitted to Contest #37

The woman behind the counter gave me a weak smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Here you go,” she said and handed me my bag. As I turned to leave the deli, I nearly bumped into the customer behind me in line. The young man’s hands were jammed into the front pockets of his jeans. His cap, turned backward, sported a small tiger paw.I mumbled “I’m sorry” and kept going. Outside, the brisk air felt good on my skin. I crossed Madison Avenue, the traffic thick as usual. A nice long walk was what I needed, so I kept walking and headed for the par...

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“Red Sky at Morning” by 𝕔𝕛 𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣

Submitted to Contest #37

I first met him during one of my late-night excursions on the beach. I had been prone to insomnia since school, you see. It was why I applied for the job at Ocracoke. The calm, repetitive work that the lighthouse offered was a nice break from my symptoms, but sometimes, on grey nights when the light wouldn’t go as far, sleep eluded me. It was a chilly night in late summer as I recall. The sun hadn’t shone all day, leaving the sand like ice under my toes. A single moonbeam pierced the dark clouds and fell like a spotlight on a sol...

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“The Stranger” by Mary Donahue

Submitted to Contest #37

One day I was walking down the street of New York and I saw someone who was walking behind me for a long time. I got scared so I went into a store for awhile. After an hour or two I went back outside and there was the strange man still walking behind me. By that time I called the police. I was so freaked out. when the police showed up the man was gone.The man had dark brown hair and looked maybe in his early 50’s. When I got home I sat on my bed until I heard a knock on the door. when I opened the door it was the same man and he asked to com...

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“The Nephew.” by Estelle Westley

Submitted to Contest #37

With the crisp air chilling her cheeks, Amanda picked up her step as she made her way to the coffee bar. This had become a morning ritual, but today she was enjoying the walk even more. The sun was out and the air was clean.She took up her favourite spot, the table overlooking the trimmed lawns that ran down to the lake. This morning there was a buzz in the air and more coffee addicts around than usual, creating a buzz that annoyed Amanda.Sally put a coffee in front of Amanda, she never changed her morning ritual of coffee first and then a s...

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“My Stalker” by Saranglogy R

Submitted to Contest #37

It's a coincidence if you meet a random person at a different place second time.But what do you call if you meet the same stranger more than probably I don't know, twelve times.Yes, recently for the past few days I have been coming across the same stranger more than once. I don't know if I should call him a stranger anymore. He is present if I am in library, or in the park while jogging, in the restaurant where I work.I first met him at the library. I was searching for a book and coincidentally we both picked the same book, but he offered me...

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“Unseen Forces” by James Johnson

Submitted to Contest #37

The Weatherman had got it wrong again. Rain turned to snow and back again as Carl drove his rusty car, he didn't know what kind it was, home from work. "There goes the barbecue." He thought. Carl yanked the wheel of the car to the right as a grey car with its headlights off zoomed past him down the road. He muttered under his breath and turned to look over his shoulder at an old lady who was just then swerving back into her own lane. The car was already invisible, masked by the wet drops of snow that were being poured down from heaven. Carl ...

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“Drawing a Blank” by Althea Keaton

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #37

“Are you happy?”I look up, startled. The subway car was empty when my girlfriend and I got on. Now there’s someone sitting across from us; I don’t know how I could’ve missed her. I must have nodded off and missed a stop.She’s pretty. Auburn hair cropped at her chin. A smattering of freckles across high cheekbones. Copper eyes, bright, like newly minted pennies. A forlorn smile on her pale lips. I’ve never seen her before, but something (-----) tugs at me. A strange feeling in the back of my mind, like I’m searching for a file that doesn’t ex...

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“The Realm” by Claire Champion

Submitted to Contest #37

My life was going well. I have a great family, an occasionally annoying younger brother and I lived in an average house (picket fence and all). I didn’t think there was more out there, or that maybe it was a little boring until I met the stranger. To tell you about her, I need to back up quite a bit. To a Tuesday night in late September. ~September~I had my hands stuffed deep into my pockets. To say that Midwest winters are cold is a drastic understatement. Midwest winters are brutal. It’s so cold that when I stepped outside the wind ma...

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“You, Who Is A Stranger Every Time We Meet” by Em P.W.

Submitted to Contest #37

The lone barista behind the counter slides Lyra’s regular-sized Frappuccino to her. “Here’s your usual with extra whipped cream. Please come again!” The barista flashes a set of braced teeth.Albeit Lyra has no recollection of visiting this café, she sends her a polite nod and trots toward the seat she reserved using her belongings. Despite the crowd, the opposite chair remains unclaimed. Just Lyra and her medical books. Euphoria.She places the cup near her pouch, into which she shoves her hand to feel for the sharpies before she notices...

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“Stranger Friend” by Carissa Engelbrecht

Submitted to Contest #37

Just one more hour, she thought, spooning the last of the pudding cup into her mouth. The day had been slow, with only a handful of patients coming in after lunch, which always made the day drag. Not to mention Mr Cartwright and that damn halitosis. It was enough to make anyone gag, but today had been, if it were possible, even worse.Amelia had taken one sniff and had to excuse herself to rid her stomach of its content. He remained, as usual, utterly oblivious to the reaction opening his mouth caused and would dutifully sit and wait for her ...

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“The Ugly Tree” by Tamim Aoude

Submitted to Contest #37

The spot underneath the tree in the park where I usually sit was empty again. I know why the people who visit the park don’t sit there, but it is rather odd that no one else attempts to give the spot a chance. It’s as if it were made just for me. As though the tree shoo’s anyone with its branches and leaves, who dares come close. To be honest though, I think they know to keep clear of such a monstrosity. It’s unlike any other tree in the park. Crooked and broken, sick and sad, it appears as though there is no spirit left. It makes one feel u...

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“The Face of Love” by Bruno Lowagie

Submitted to Contest #37

I am face blind. That means that I don’t recognize faces. I see two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and I know these elements make a face, but I don’t know who that face belongs to. Everyone is a stranger to me.As is often the case with strange disorders, there’s a difficult name for my condition; it’s called “prosopagnosia”. You can look that up if you don’t believe me. It’s rare, but it’s a thing. In kindergarten, the teacher said: “Look, there’s your mother!” and I would run to the mother of some other kid because I didn’t recognize my own mo...

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“Deadly Games” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #37

Oliver finally worked up the courage and walked outside towards the stranger. He’d been observing him from behind the curtain for fifteen minutes now, wondering why the man stood there. Was he one of those creeps mom warned him about?“If you’re one of those creeps, you’d better scram, mister,” Oliver said to the stranger at the edge of their lawn. “Or I’ll get my dad.”The man was tall and slender, long black hair covered the side of his narrow face, revealing only a small nose and thin lips. Those lips curved in a smile.“I’m no creep,” the m...

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“The Secret on the Corner ” by Joshua Hopper

Submitted to Contest #37

The man standing on the sidewalk in front of my apartment wasn’t somebody that I wanted to meet. I knew that instantly. He stood about 5’9” with steely white hair—a la Albert Einstein—and a face void of any emotion. A cigarette was permanently affixed to his left hand. I noticed him as I rounded the corner of my apartment complex, a renovated historic hotel located in the central business district of town. He had his gaze fixated on the buildings across the street. That was fortunate. I didn’t want him to see me. Every step that I took was c...

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“The Furtive Fedora” by ✰ Jessica ✰

Submitted to Contest #37

The sunlight beamed into my eyes through the tree branches. My bike tires bumped over the cracks in the sidewalk and my heavy backpack pulled down on my shoulders. I knew my way to Granny Hatton’s pretty well. I had studied the map online a couple times.My mom was the one who had convinced me to go visit Granny. This was after I had made plans to go to the beach. Yes, I protested, but my mom kept persisting, so I agreed to go. And she had also made me reluctantly hand over my phone. I turned right onto Dorton street, Granny’s street. Pensaco...

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Write a story about someone who keeps coming across the same stranger.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 182 stories

“An Afternoon Alone” by Karen Kinley

“Red Sky at Morning” by 𝕔𝕛 𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣

“The Stranger” by Mary Donahue

“The Nephew.” by Estelle Westley

“My Stalker” by Saranglogy R

“Unseen Forces” by James Johnson

“Drawing a Blank” by Althea Keaton

“The Realm” by Claire Champion

“You, Who Is A Stranger Every Time We Meet” by Em P.W.

“Stranger Friend” by Carissa Engelbrecht

“The Ugly Tree” by Tamim Aoude

“The Face of Love” by Bruno Lowagie

“Deadly Games” by Harken Void

“The Secret on the Corner ” by Joshua Hopper

“The Furtive Fedora” by ✰ Jessica ✰

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a valuable object that goes missing.

Write a story that takes place in the woods.

Write a story that starts with the reveal of a long-kept secret.

Write a story about a rumor making its way through the grapevine.

Contest #37

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

629

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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