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

“Border Conspiracies” by Grae Velyra

Submitted to Contest #51

Eli perched at the edge of an old rusty metal railing, both legs stepping above its lowest beam. Her thick brown curls struggled to break free from the black hair-lace that was knotting them together behind her neck in a ponytail. The railing was the only thing that separated her from the edge of a cliff.The Muarawetan fishing bay stretched a few meters ahead of her. She picked a viewpoint and grabbed the vintage wooden binocular that had been dangling on her neck. She scanned through it; her new extended view now went past a sea wall that s...

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“It's A Secret To All” by Bree Kokiri

Submitted to Contest #51

*This story is a companion piece to Cypress Wormwood: Monster Hunter. The stranger’s words echoed as Barnabus hastened his pace to get home. “Keep it hidden, keep it safe, or it’s your head, Toggins! Best believe we’ll come knocking when the time comes to collect, so don’t go getting slick. And trust me, we’ll know.” When the time comes...who knows how long that would be. Barnabus felt the thing slipping in his clammy palms as he struggled to keep in discreetly concealed in his long, black, overcoat. He didn’t like this one bit. He didn’t wa...

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“For The Love Of Dance ” by Cindy Bennett

Submitted to Contest #51

You kept staring at me, across a crowded , smoke-filled room. I couldn't seem to look away no matter how hard I tried. My friends each grabbed an arm in an attempt to pull me off the dance floor. I stood firm , transfixed .Nothing and no-one could pull me from my spot. I had never experienced such a strange state of paralysis in my life! Megan and Tully had been at me for weeks to stop mulling around the house and get back to my first love, which of course is dancing. I didn't have it in me. I truly didn't. I was exhausted both mentally and...

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“Time Peripheral” by N. Thorne

Submitted to Contest #51

“How old are you today?” He hesitates and then responds, “Seven or eight.” Handing money to the cashier I look down at my brother, unruly mop of blond hair, eyes bright, patiently waiting for his purchases. A wave of sadness washes over me. I can’t hardly remember him at this age. There was too much turmoil in our lives at that time. So many blocked memories. “Thanks sis." He grabs his snickers and gum and runs out of the convenient store to meet his friends outside. “Hey!” I call after him. Following him out the door, grocery ...

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“All In” by ANDREW MAIR

Submitted to Contest #51

Murdoch eyed his opponent. The game had settled on this one hand.Murdoch could see the chips in front of him and quickly calculated that he had only this shot to turn the corner. He kept his composure as he eyed the three of hearts and three of spades in his hand. But is was not his own hand that was important to him, it was Carrigan’s. Michael Carrigan was not one of those gamblers that roamed from town to town trying to set up a game and then move on. He owned the largest ranch in the area, he owned the bank and lo...

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“Meeting With The Higher-Ups” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #51

I hate my job… no, not hate, but I certainly don’t like it any more. My job used to be my joy, and I would have happily done it without pay. Then I got too good at it, I guess. Got promoted a few times, and now… this.There’s a meeting on my calendar with my boss, her boss, and someone else I can’t see in the BCC on the meeting invite. This afternoon. Hopefully they’ve finally figured out how unhappy I am and are ready to move me back to my old position. No, that would’ve just been Maia, my boss, telling me to pack up and move back downstairs...

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“Repeat” by Kristine Murdock

Submitted to Contest #51

“Rise and shine, pumpkin,” Willow heard her dad say softly from her door. The light from the hallway protruded from the ever-so-slight crack straight onto her eyes. She groaned and rolled over. “I’m not shining today,” she retorted under her breath. Her dad was always up at the break of dawn--or before--much to the sophomore’s ‘unrequited delight.’ But, as it was, school didn’t wait, and neither did the cow, the goat, the four horses, or that one pig Willow thought they should have butchered two seasons ago, but kept it for her little sister...

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“Sherlock Holmes and the Conspicious Passenger” by M Brounstein

Submitted to Contest #51

It was during the late autumn of 1899 that Sherlock Holmes contracted Scarlet Fever from the docks, where he had been performing several investigations simultaneously. I spent over a week at 221 B Baker Street caring for my friend, and in time, he recovered. On the second day after his fever broke, I let him sit up in his favorite chair just as he used to. “You need a holiday, my dear Holmes,” said I as I poured him some tea. “Nonsense.” Sherlock replied. “You know v...

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“The Clown-Clad-Corpse” by Lydia Vitorri

Submitted to Contest #51

In life, I was truly an idiot.I see that now, floating over my clown-clad-corpse that littered the muddy driveway. The blood leaking out of the bullet wound in my dumb shell soaked into the thirty buck costume I had bought off of Amazon 2 days ago. I hadn’t known then that this was the outfit I would be wearing for the rest of eternity as a ghost.How do I always end up in situations where I have no dignity?And more importantly, who killed me?I guess to answer this question, we’ll have to start at the beginning of this whole mess.It all ...

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“Love Sequestered” by Jay Seate

Submitted to Contest #51

Love Sequestered By Jay Seate Lisa ran her palm over the smooth lacquered surface of the antique vanity. She’d found the beautiful relic at an estate sale near Carmel. She opened each drawer, one after the other. The aroma from its wood was like inhaling the past. Underneath the lining in the top left drawer, she found a piece of paper withered with age, yellowed enough to be the Magna Carta. She carefully removed it. It wasn’t a document, but a letter. “This must have been here forever,” Lisa breathed. Her intent was to replace the an...

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“The Lady of the Forest” by Nehal Gamal

Submitted to Contest #51

The Lady of the Forest Nehal Abdel Tawab I don't know how it all happened, or what brought me here. All I know is that I'm stuck here now, and there's nothing I can do to get out. I also know that it's my entire fault that this happened and that I should've just listened to what they said and took the safer way. But what can I say? I'm as hard-minded as a rock. At this moment, all I'm hoping for is for everyone to stay safe because I couldn't bear the thought of my friends getting hurt because of one of my stupid moves. It's funny how the ev...

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“Adrenaline” by Ingrid Johnson

Submitted to Contest #51

If you’d have told me 20 years ago I’d be spending my Friday nights driving people to parties, dropping them off and driving away again—I probably would have shown up to my classes. I glance at my last passengers of the night in the rear view mirror. There are two of them, both giggling as one of them holds the phone in front of her friend’s face. She has a tube of bright red lipstick in her hand as she focuses on her makeshift mirror. I hide my smile as I forget to warn her about the upcoming speedbump. “No...” She cries, drawing a line acr...

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“Last Journey” by Mini Kohli

Submitted to Contest #51

I have been wronged……dreadfully and obnoxiously wronged! Standing in the balcony of my nineteenth-floor apartment, I repulsively go over every instance I have been wronged through the thirty-four winters I have seen. I was named David by my father and Dave by my mum. But what I want you to do is to, for a moment, think about me as Dave A. And meet Dave B…….my alter ego…... He is privy to all the injustices I have been subjected to, for he has been with me through it all. Do you feel sorry for me for all these years?.....Don’t. Becaus...

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“The Little Yellow Llama” by E.D. Tinsdale

Submitted to Contest #51

Probate had been granted in the affairs of Mr Douglas Michael McKinnon, and the small estate was being divided as per the instructions. It was mostly standard. The house, car, and a small pension went to the wife. The holiday flat in Aviemore now belonged to their son, Douglas Jr. Thankfully, he’d taken the deceased’s beloved Yorkie, the wife had wanted it put down. But the last section, added only three months ago, was the strangest bequest he’d ever come across, and it was already causing problems. Simon Judworth, of respected London solic...

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“Come on Daddy, Haunt Me” by Kevin DuPont

Submitted to Contest #51

The Impossible House, he called it. Sampson Quinn sat in the chair opposite me looking like a sixty-year-old college philosophy professor in the body of a 29 year old. I hold the report he had prepared for me on the incident at this – Impossible House. Quinn’s’ own griffonage competed with the strange words. His report of what had happen...

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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

“Border Conspiracies” by Grae Velyra

“It's A Secret To All” by Bree Kokiri

“For The Love Of Dance ” by Cindy Bennett

“Time Peripheral” by N. Thorne

“All In” by ANDREW MAIR

“Meeting With The Higher-Ups” by Sjan Evardsson

“Repeat” by Kristine Murdock

“Sherlock Holmes and the Conspicious Passenger” by M Brounstein

“The Clown-Clad-Corpse” by Lydia Vitorri

“Love Sequestered” by Jay Seate

“The Lady of the Forest” by Nehal Gamal

“Adrenaline” by Ingrid Johnson

“Last Journey” by Mini Kohli

“The Little Yellow Llama” by E.D. Tinsdale

“Come on Daddy, Haunt Me” by Kevin DuPont

🌟 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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