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

“Promise” by John Meiners, Jr

Submitted to Contest #51

Promise Detective Ryan Finnagan pulls up to the home of Helen Chastaine. There are protests in the area, and many are worried and on edge. A suspec...

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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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“The Girl in the Window” by Amaka E.

Submitted to Contest #51

The Girl in the Window The brownstone was quiet, though I couldn’t remember a time when it wasn’t. I placed my AirPods in my ears as I walked down the stairs, opened the door, and stepped into the Brooklyn air. It was dry and brisk. I was on my way to the store, mom always had me picking up a few things. I walked past the people walking up and down the street minding their business, as you did in New York. As you did in Brooklyn. It was Tuesday, so street cleaning rules were in effect. Neighbors scurried, hurrying to get one of the last few ...

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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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“Mr. Duplicity” by C. R.

Submitted to Contest #51

"Are you ready to talk?" "Are you ready to listen?" Colonel Jackson straightened and adjusted his crisp lapels. "I would like to know how a …." Amy raised an eyebrow at her interrogator, "A what? A woman? A housewife? A civilian?" Amy leaned forward and smiled bashfully, "Which is it, Colonel? I will let you fill in the blanks." The Colonel cleared his throat clearly irritated with the petit southern woman sitting across from him. Her hair was wavy and dyed several shades of blonde. How she made it safely to her husband, he had ...

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“The Creation (and Rebirth) of Thermal” by Sara C.

Submitted to Contest #51

“She can heat anything with her right hand and cool anything with her left! This makes her excellent at hand-to-hand combat, able to defeat any foe with just the touch of a finger. An enemy’s chest plate of armor? Melted straight through their skin. A tidal wave tumbling toward the city? No problem. Sea frozen solid. She needs no weapons or special adornments - just her own unique, powerful flesh. Nothing is impossible for Thermal!” My heart smiles as I read the cover back of the first ever issue of “Thermal.” It originally belonged to my ...

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“The Murder of my Beloved Baby” by Jazmin Bogarín

Submitted to Contest #51

It's a saturday and all I can think about is how tired I am. I'm not just talking about needing sleep. I'm tired of everything and everyone. More specifically, I'm tired of her. I'm tired of the amount of yelling, ignorance, and the stupidity that I have to live with. You think I'm crazy? Why don’t you try living with a psychotic demon with an IQ smaller than her shoe size. I swear, that woman wakes up yelling at her children every day. I'm exhausted! My eyes feel like lead after a week of school torture. I need my weekend sleep! Can I sleep...

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“Your Average Murder Mystery” by Phillipa Royer

Submitted to Contest #51

"Talk murder to me," Vega said, playfully jostling his friend on the shoulder. Byron Lewis looked at him with a raised eyebrow."It's family matters." Lewis replied "Besides, what do you know about murders?' Vega stirred his coffee with his plastic straw, then took a long sip. Lewis looked at his friend with annoyance until he was finished with his show."Henrietta and I watch that crime show, True Crime." Vega said "It's really gotten under our skins, and I've got to say I've picked up a few things. Rehashing what happened will let you see di...

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“The Case of the Missing Slinky (Chapter One in Detective Hamilton)” by Rebeca Sage

Submitted to Contest #51

Albie Sanders was the weird kid on Blackstone Avenue. It was no doubt that the kids that hung out with him were bribed by his dad with money, and Carter knew that. Carter Hamilton was the mystery solver of the neighborhood. He was a very good observer. Though, that was his part-time job. Carter sold lemonade on the sidewalks with his little sister Abbie. So you may be wondering, what do these two very different boys have to do with each other? Well, that’s easy. There was a mystery to be solved at the Sanders’ treehouse. And it all started w...

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“FLIGHT 141 ” by Mike Williams

Submitted to Contest #51

On a dark and still night in August, 1971, Swiss Air Flight 141 departed for Zurich at 10:25 p.m. Transfer to Prague was scheduled to commence following the two-hour layover. It was three years since the Russian invasion and their tanks were still patrolling the streets of Prague. “Don’t drink the water in Europe,” Mike had been advised by many. As Mike got off...

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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

“Promise” by John Meiners, Jr

“An Afternoon in the City” by Helen Walters

“THE CLOWN” by Meghna Chatterjee

“The Girl in the Window” by Amaka E.

“My Friend Todd ” by M Solarova

“Mr. Duplicity” by C. R.

“The Creation (and Rebirth) of Thermal” by Sara C.

“The Murder of my Beloved Baby” by Jazmin Bogarín

“Your Average Murder Mystery” by Phillipa Royer

“The Case of the Missing Slinky (Chapter One in Detective Hamilton)” by Rebeca Sage

“FLIGHT 141 ” by Mike Williams

🌟 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 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: