Write a story that hides something from its reader until the very end.

Posted in Mystery on Dec 22, 2023

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✍️ 101 stories

“Flight of Fantasy ” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

Submitted to Contest #230

Jean-Luc was a man of many fantasies.His most persistent ones were somewhat delusional and had begun early in his life. He had been a quiet child, somewhat introverted and yet had a way of firmly holding stage center. When he was quite young, his parents began to be concerned about the slightly kinky nature of his narratives and often tried to temper his stories of murder and mayhem. They weren’t very successful.Time passed and Jean-Luc gradually learned to reign in his imagination. The look of shock and horror on his aud...

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“Parking Lot” by Karla Rivera

Submitted to Contest #230

A low rumble aches in my stomach, my head starts to throb. The pangs of hunger are interrupting my thoughts. As my foot slowly comes off the break, the red light flashing in my face indicates that I have to press down again after having just released. It’s dark out but the crimson light’s brightness stings my eyes. An ant’s pace. Traffic is moving so slowly that I try everything to keep my mind occupied. It’s a parking lot. Rumble in my abdomen again. Drops of rain plop on my windshield and the wiper comes every five seconds to push them awa...

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“You Won't See Me” by A.J. Williams

Submitted to Contest #230

I notice emptiness in her gaze—devoid of love, sorrow for our losses, or joy. In my memory, Angie mentions her discontent, and I urge Angie to roll over, I start focusing on the present. My wife regards me, unimpressed. Beyond her, snow falls gently. Small white flakes dance in the cold wind, adrift like us, yet destined for a place we may not desire. I exhale, taking a seat beside her, aware of the cause of her unhappiness, though she remains uninformed. "Quit drifting into deep thoughts. You always do this, gazing into the distance as if ...

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“Where is Mrs. Clink ” by Nina Darling

Submitted to Contest #230

“Where is Mrs. Clink?” Rutherford Clink looked up from his steaming mug of coffee and saw the mail carrier at the door. The old mail carrier had wrinkles lining his weathered face, much like Rutherford. Rutherford had been sitting on the porch enjoying the birds. His wife, Fiona, had put out hummingbird feeders and the birds just flocked to their front yard. He replied, “At the market.” He handed the letters across the porch railing and smiled, “She usually likes to give me a corn muffin on Mondays.” “Oh,” He nodded, “I think she’s made a ba...

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“Immune to Fear” by A Kathryn Vaughn

Submitted to Contest #230

“It appears I’m being deported for the summer,” Ella told Nina. “Or should I consider it exiled?” “I would love to spend the summer in New York City, but I’m stuck here playing nanny, nurse, chef, and housekeeper to Dr. Markam’s family,” said Nina. “No worries, Nina. I rather prefer the company of strangers,” Ella said staring out her bedroom window down at Michael’s garage. How could he have left like he did? Vanished without any indication of his plans. Ella thought they connected that day. For the past year, Michael and Ella sh...

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“Converse in Crimson” by Yara Haya

Submitted to Contest #230

Rain generously falls onto the concrete ground while I exit the car. I put my arms over my head to shield myself from the rain, but it turns out to be useless. They drop down my arms and onto my Converse shoes. “Why does it always rain on my birthday?” I grumble. “Well, rain symbolizes growth, you know? You’re growing, makes sense.” Mia says while grabbing the umbrella from the trunk.“Since when have you been a know-it-all?” I roll my eyes.“I’m older than you, so I’m smarter, but since it's your birthday, I won’t push it in your fa...

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“Back to Square One” by Olivia McGowan

Submitted to Contest #230

Maren was already awake when her mother called her down for breakfast. At 6:24, exactly like every other day, she heard her mother’s voice ring out from downstairs, summoning her.“Coming,” Maren yelled back. She said that last morning too. Not that anyone noticed.Pulling on clothes, in the usual shades of grey, she made her way down the stairs. Maren wrinkled her nose. She was sick of pancakes. Every morning, for nearly a year, she’d had pancakes.Her mom, Talulah, made her way over to Maren’s side. “Your hair looks like a bird's ne...

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“Hard to Hear” by Edward Roberts

Submitted to Contest #230

After a weekend away with the girls, my body tingled with anticipation to be home with my boyfriend, Matt. However, the joy of arriving home was dampened by the exhaustion of a three-hour drive and the presence of another car in my driveway. Apparently, my boyfriend’s twin, Michael, extended his two-day visit with his brother. More accurately, Matt spent the weekend babysitting his trouble-prone twin, protecting Michael from himself. Each change of season brought a new drama from which Michael needed extricating. If he wasn’t being hunted by...

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“Potted Lillies” by George Lies

Submitted to Contest #230

Potted Lillies “Potted lilies” is what Tommy Flanagan heard from his beau Monica as she pulled back from him in her quiet sort of way. She stared at the front window logo of Rustic Garden shop, and then pushed open the door. “I’ll be a moment.” Enjoying a cool June in Pittsburgh, away from summer’s humidity, they strolled Walnut Street through the chic Shady Side neighborhood, home to brand name shops like Green Leaf Vegan, Mud House Coffee, and Victoria’s Secret. He plopped himself on an outside bench. While he&nb...

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“Kids Clotes” by Brandon Zarycki

Submitted to Contest #230

Sandra Thomas stood behind the front counter and watched the man enter the store. The man Sandra would be forced to guess was probably in his late twenties, maybe early thirties a couple of hours from now. And when really pressed Sandra would say, “Yeah, twenty-eight could be about right.” But at the time this was just another person coming into the store carrying a large cardboard box. ‘Baby clothes’, is actually the only thing Sandra can remember thinking about when seeing this ‘five-foot nine, five-foot ten’ man walking towards her. ‘He w...

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“The Dead Man” by Kathrine J. N. Rajalingam

Submitted to Contest #230

Confusion radiated in me as I sat in the car, my impatience growing as I waited for the people to leave. Despite my intentions to be far away from here by now, I found myself unable to resist the temptation to see the dead man. With each passing moment, the funeral parlor grew more crowded as people continued to enter. I would rather steer clear of all these people attending the wake. I ignited the car engine with a turn of the key, which roared to life. Just as I was about to drive away, my plan was interrupted by a sudden knock on the wind...

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Write a story that hides something from its reader until the very end.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 101 stories

“Flight of Fantasy ” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

“Parking Lot” by Karla Rivera

“You Won't See Me” by A.J. Williams

“Where is Mrs. Clink ” by Nina Darling

“Immune to Fear” by A Kathryn Vaughn

“Converse in Crimson” by Yara Haya

“Back to Square One” by Olivia McGowan

“Hard to Hear” by Edward Roberts

“Potted Lillies” by George Lies

“Kids Clotes” by Brandon Zarycki

“The Dead Man” by Kathrine J. N. Rajalingam

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story framed by a single scene: something happens, a flashback or inner monologue intervenes, and then the story ends with the rest of the original scene.

Write a story in which a character achieves a new level of clarity about how they’re really feeling.

Start your story with someone uttering a very strange sentence.

Write a story in the form of a list.

Contest #230

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

362

Contest entries

108

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: