Write a story that involves a mystery — it doesn't need to be crime-related, it should just include something that remains unexplained until the end.

Posted in Mystery on Jun 26, 2021

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✍️ 206 stories

“The Room” by Ihita Ghosh

Submitted to Contest #51

Imagine a white room. On the floor lies a girl. Dirty, ragged, and bruised. Hair disheveled and coated with dirt. Hands and feet tied up with a white cloth. About 15 or 16 years of age and taking slow, light breaths. Just then, she stirs and her eyes flutter open, terror encasing her as she registers her surroundings. Looking down she notices her binds and begins to squirm in an attempt to get free, but to no avail. She tries gnawing at the ropes and manages to make a hole big enough to slip one hand through and then the next. Now the girl t...

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“Candor” by Dom Goodwin

Submitted to Contest #51

Narrator: Of course, where else would I start if not the beginning. Detective: You called me here to report a crime. What crime? Narrator: Why detective, I thought you asked for the beginning. Nothing ever begins with a crime. Detective: Fine, start from the beginning. Narrator: It was a dark and stormy night… Detective: This isn’t story time, cut the theatrics. Narrator: For your information, detective, this particular crime can only be understood if the mood and setting is set. It was a dark and stormy night. Somebody was...

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“You Should Have Gone Home” by DJ Clair Wy

Submitted to Contest #51

Today was the day i died. Let me start at the beginning, it was just like any other day, my car was still in the shop, bills were piling up; so i had to borrow my husband's car. I just went to the store to buy bread ... Bread , just bread. My phone starts ringing im aready stressed to the tits, i pick up " yes mom i will be there for dads birthday on Saturday. Bit i got to go." i hang up and start my engine. On my way i just think to myself as see a person walk by , i wonder what their problems are like , i wonder if its easy , i wonder i...

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“Refuge” by Ana Hantt

Submitted to Contest #51

Claude opened her eyes to a paved square in shades of green and gray, but she didn’t recognize the place. It wasn’t the housing complex of her childhood in Congo—the beige wooden-homes intact before the conflicts started. It wasn’t the wide backyard facing the sea she shared with the other twenty people after her family had arrived in Brazil asking for asylum either. She tried to find the narrow alley packed with brick houses she was living in now, but she couldn’t. For instance, it wasn’t any of the places she had been before, so she stoppe...

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“Secret Enemy” by Alyanna Marie Poquiz

Submitted to Contest #51

"Congratulations!" my Grandfather shouted and gave her daughter a hug. "Thank you Papa!" Mom beamed. "Aren't you going to say something?" Nyla whispered. "Hello." I said in a bored tone. "Idiot." Nigel shook his head and snatch a piece of brownie from the table. Nyla gave me a small smile and held my hand. "It's time for a new beginning,Niamh." she said. I didn't say anything. I felt like I was still in a dream. Everything happened so fast I haven't even had a time to brush my hair or paint my nails. "Look at them,they ...

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“Jan Has Six Greyhounds” by Abbey Rafferty

Submitted to Contest #51

I wake to the sound of my alarm obnoxiously screeching from the tiny speakers on my phone. Lazily, I roll over feeling my way around my nightstand for the hand-held nuisance that just ruined my morning. The phone reads, “good morning” with a small blushing smiley face emoji, a grave juxtaposition to the violently loud siren currently blaring throughout my bedroom. I resist the urge to throw the little devil out of my window instead choosing to turn it off and slamming it back on the nightstand. Then, I crawl back into the bed, letting the so...

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“Trees in Disguise” by Calvin Fong

Submitted to Contest #51

“8:00.” Joey put his ski mask on. Frank took his out too. They popped out from behind their bush and tip-toed onto the wooden porch. “You’re sure this is the right house?” Joey whispered. Frank looked down at the slip of paper in his pocket. The address number matched the one painted above the door. “Pole,” Joey said. Frank pulled a large metal rod out of his pants. “And remember,” Joey started. “You do the talking, I know.” “We don’t want another Johnson family situation here.” “But I did enjoy playing board games with them,...

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“What is that smell?” by Clarys J.C.B.

Submitted to Contest #51

The house stank.You know this smell. It meant that something had died. Where? You don’t know exactly. What you do know is that it was somewhere in your house.It’s been almost two days since it started smelling. You and your whole family have been cleaning cupboards, shelves, and basically the whole house just to locate the source of the smell. You’ve looked in almost every nook and cranny of your house. It was unbearable. What was becoming a concerning thought was that as the days pass with no sign of you and your family ever finding the sou...

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“Death at the Davenport Mansion” by Magnolia Brooks

Submitted to Contest #51

“I’m afraid he’s dead.” Miss Clavene peered over the corpse. “Dead! But he can’t be! Charles can’t be!” A young woman in her twenties cried. Her dark hair covered her face as she clung to her husband’s body. “He can’t be.” She took in a heavy breath, her voice shaking as she exhaled. “We were only just married.” Sympathy was not easily found in this foul mansion. Everyone had reasons to hate each other, reasons even to kill. Mrs. Davenport tapped the young lady on the shoulder. “Petunia dearest, stop clutching him so tightly. If he ...

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“Help!” by Andrew Sasenaraine

Submitted to Contest #51

The Peterson family was preparing dinner. Well, they were making as much of the dinner as possible. Their mom was out getting groceries for the rest of dinner. Their dad was most likely driving home from work, and would be home any minutes. But surprisingly, their mom was home before their dad. The three children in the family, were Charles, Anna, and Joe. Charles was the oldest, Anna was the second oldest, and Joe was the youngest. "Hello children" their mom said when she walked through the door. "Sorry I took so long. I had another errand ...

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“The last call ” by Manu Naik

Submitted to Contest #51

It's almost seven in the morning. Stephan's lying on his bed with his eyes on his alarm. He's been awake for almost thirty minutes for now. He's just been staring at the alarm clock since then. He needs to be at his new work at ten o'clock. It's his second day as a call connector in Bangalore police department control room. The alarm starts ringing. Stephan sighs and gets off his bed. He goes to his kitchen and prepares his coffee. He walks towards the balcony with his coffee mug to watch the streets. He sees his neighbor Brad mowing his law...

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“Waiting in Line” by Nancy Lou Henderson

Submitted to Contest #51

A long line of people stretched ahead of Jess. The people in front of her seemed not to be moving, but she did not care because her mind was busy remembering her journey to get here. Had she done enough, and was she ready? Should she get out of the line and go back? The requirements to get inside this place, and then becoming one of them were strict. Jess smiled as she remembered how many mistakes she had made in her life before deciding to get into this lineup, but self-help, hard work, prayers, and d...

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“My Friend Todd ” by M Solarova

Submitted to Contest #51

As soon as I step in through the door, Ethan, Andy, and Tony are hollering at me from the bar.“John! The man, the myth, the legend!” “Welcome home buddy!”“Let me buy you a drink!”By the time I walk up to them, there’s a shot with my name on it sitting on the bar. They each have one, too.“To having our John back with us!” Ethan says ceremoniously.“Cheers!” Andy yells out.“To friendship!” Tony adds.“To drinking!” I close out our circle. “So, how was it down there?” Ethan asks eagerly, as soon as the empty shot glasses hit the bar.“Eh...

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“An Afternoon in the City” by Helen Walters

Submitted to Contest #51

Marcus’ feet barely touched the ground as he tore down the street. Darting around parked cars and the piles of trash that seemed to line every surface, Marcus practically flew across the pavement. Behind him he could hear Jack struggling to keep up. Jack might have longer legs, but it was clear that Marcus was the faster of the two men. Up ahead, Marcus saw an intersection and waited for the telltale crackle of his com. As if on cue, Noelle’s voice broke through the static. “Marcus, Jack you th...

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“THE CLOWN” by Meghna Chatterjee

Submitted to Contest #51

THUD THUD THUDVoice of his footsteps circling around her boomed. She kept her sweating palms clasped in her lap. The ticking of the grandfather clock was her only companion.“Bibiti babiti boo! A right scoop of Vanilla poop! Bibiti Babiti boo!” and a chuckle rang alarms in her ears.Isabella didn’t remember how HE ended up here. All she knew for now was that she was in the dark cellar with HIM. Snowflakes embellished her garden in the cold wintery night but the temperature in there had reached its pinnacle. HE stopped moving.Her breath ca...

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Write a story that involves a mystery — it doesn't need to be crime-related, it should just include something that remains unexplained until the end.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 206 stories

“The Room” by Ihita Ghosh

“Candor” by Dom Goodwin

“You Should Have Gone Home” by DJ Clair Wy

“Refuge” by Ana Hantt

“Secret Enemy” by Alyanna Marie Poquiz

“Jan Has Six Greyhounds” by Abbey Rafferty

“Trees in Disguise” by Calvin Fong

“What is that smell?” by Clarys J.C.B.

“Death at the Davenport Mansion” by Magnolia Brooks

“Help!” by Andrew Sasenaraine

“The last call ” by Manu Naik

“Waiting in Line” by Nancy Lou Henderson

“My Friend Todd ” by M Solarova

“An Afternoon in the City” by Helen Walters

“THE CLOWN” by Meghna Chatterjee

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that begins and ends with someone looking up at the stars.

Write about someone who has a superpower.

Write about someone who returns as an adult to a place they last visited as a child.

Write a story about someone who's haunted by their past.

Contest #51

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

1248

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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