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 May 8, 2021

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✍️ 79 stories

“Historical Society Clue” by Mccollonough Ceili

Submitted to Contest #12

October 10, 2019Dear Diary,The following clue was given to me in a yellow envelope with the help of a plump grey haired woman averaging about 80 years old. The envelope simply said “Kata A. Malone , C1 from Beatrice Brown”Here is how it happened. While my friend AC (short for Anna Cate) went to find some cute lifeguard to engage with, and ventured over to the nearby historical society with Tom’s key in hand. Not really quite sure why I had to bring the key, just that I needed it for if nothing else luck. I certainly had no ide...

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“The Dead Walk Out of the Sea” by Rachel Frankki

Submitted to Contest #12

The Dead Walk Out of the Sea by Rachel Frankki “Mom do we really have to go to the beach today? It’s so cold out!” I groaned and dragged a withered beach towel over my shoulders. It was the middle of October and my Mom wanted to go the beach. Don’t ask me why, I couldn’t understand it. All I could expect from today was a swimming trip that left you unable to feel any source of warmth for the next few days. “Yes, Jessica! You know it’s going to be so much fun!” She shouted from behind the red cooler she was pulling out of the trun...

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“The Case of the Missing Lemonade Money ” by Pamela Raymond

Submitted to Contest #12

All the conditions were ripe for a successful lemonade stand. Bright electric sunlight coated the sky. A warm balmy breeze generated the right amount of stickiness to prime potential customers. At the end of the driveway where Gertie and Gordon set up shop, stood a shaded lazy oak, just the right place to nab unsuspecting passersby. A full pitcher of lemonade crafted from a citrus powder and ordinary tap water sat at the end of the table. Clear plastic cups flanked the sweet drink. Only thing out of place was the empty shoe box where the mor...

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“With a Memory Foam Grip” by Margaret Cyrus

Submitted to Contest #12

I’m a writer who doesn’t write. At least I used to be. That changes today. I have a short story due for my Creative Writing class this Friday, and I am done procrastinating. In the last week and a half, I took every reason not to write. Friend were going out? Writing could wait. My stomach was growling? Writing could wait. I needed to get to bed early because I suddenly started caring about my mental health and well-being that very minute? Writing could wait, once again. Not this time! I would sit down, and write until my fingers cramp...

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“Murder at Rough Point” by L. Wibking

Submitted to Contest #12

The house stood at the end of a small cape, on the edge of a cliff over the sea. A 225 foot sheer cliff; a rock-strewn, churning sea. Rough Point, the house, rose up three stories with a chaotic assortment of ascending gables and towers and spires, in the style of a very English architect’s dream—or nightmare—of French châteaux. A dirt road wound through a thick wood, mostly ash and copper beach, to arrive at Rough Point. The road looped back into itself, away from the façade of the ancestral home of Sir Elden Terry, and returned through the...

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“The town” by Ivanna Herrera Bernate

Submitted to Contest #12

There was little to nothing strange about the town. There was no exact reason why a man like I would decide to stay. The town was small, everyone knew well each other. There were little crimes, which would be merely small robberies, and sometimes some vandalism, mostly by teens trying to be cool, but nothing beyond the line. The town could be described as dull and ordinary, but yet I stayed; perhaps there was something strange about the residents. Perhaps there was more than the good old neighbor attitude and all the inhuman friendly smiles ...

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“Hiding in the darkness” by Sabrina Costilla

Submitted to Contest #12

"Hey, hey you wake up." I heard a girl's voice but my eye's didn't want to compel, "Hey! Wake up!" The same voice said in a loud whisper. I slowly opened my eye's, the first thing I saw was bars and a dark room. Groggily I sat up and looked around I couldn't see much there was no lights that was clear. "Hey." I turn my head to look at where the voice was coming from. It was obvious a few seconds later I was in a cage or maybe a cell I could tell for sure not at first. The girl was on the other side of another set of bars to my right I ...

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“My Grandfather's Scooter” by Arshi Arora

Submitted to Contest #12

My grandfather was my favorite person in my entire family. I would eagerly wait for the summer break to begin so I could spend a good one month with him and the rest of my extended family, who I found reasonably tolerable. I would hear my father and the other elders of the family call him ‘Daddy’ and had unconsciously picked up this word to address him. I would spend hours talking to Daddy or playing board games with him. Daddy was a wonderful story-teller. He would often narrate stories from his childhood in Pakistan, where he lived until t...

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“Dick Cabesa and the Missing Dame” by Beatriz Relvas

Submitted to Contest #12

The year is 2019. Small towns are a thing of the past, part of a bygone era when life was simpler. I never thought I’d find myself in a place like Mayberry, a town out of time. There are no computers here, no cell reception, and only one car on the road, my old beat up Chevy. My name is Dick Cabesa. I got a call about a week ago about a missing woman. I’ve been a P.I. for a good many years now and I’m pretty good at what I do but this case has me stumped before I’ve started. There’s not much information on this little town and even less on t...

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“Drunk in a Field” by Sean Platts

Submitted to Contest #12

Can’t quite tell if it’s dusk or dawn. All I know is that I’m really drunk and really bad at telling the time. Wishing I had a watch right now—or a phone. How about a functioning conscious? I think my liver is giving me the middle finger. Oh, sweet Jesus. Here comes the flood. Yeah, my jaw just unhinged, and I sprayed a bunch of bodily fluids into the tall grass around me. Now that I think about it, “sweet Jesus” was probably not as appropriate as “sweet Noah” would’ve been. He was the one who did that thing with the boat and the animals, ri...

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“I saw His hand moving” by Samantha Ballowe

Submitted to Contest #12

A TRUE STORY It’s almost impossible to understand, how when we make up our minds on something important, that without warning, something mysteriously changes it! I call these ‘unexplainable’ times - turning points! It’s when a person doesn’t understand at first, what force is driving them to act opposite of what their logic is telling them to do. It had been a grueling week, the kind that had dr...

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“Reflection ” by Emily Ramirez

Submitted to Contest #12

The whispers are everywhere. No matter where I turn they linger. They reside within these walls I am confided in. This establishment that claims to shape me into someone that society will like. Not this empty shell of a being that people think that they are conversing and coexisting with. I refuse to say where I live or where I used to live because then you might come to find me and I am not risking my current state of happiness. Anyways, I had to run so I could live my peaceful life. I tell those around me that I was emancipated and live on...

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“No one knows” by Elisa Nablyn

Submitted to Contest #12

Lying on the cold forest ground Scarlett Sheridan slowly gives up on life. And for the first time in her life, no one is around to save her. Alone, is the popular girl with thousand of friends at university. Alone, is daddy’s girl with a horde of servants at her service. Alone, is the girl who knew too much and is dying for that reason. She’d always thought that secret would serve as a guarantee of her life, but she is slowly realising, that it was the cataclysm of her demise. Ignorance for her, had always been the worst thing, but at this p...

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“A Shade for Coffee” by Scene Wan

Submitted to Contest #12

“...anytime, alright?”With a start, he looked up. A girl, twenty-something, maybe, was smiling at him. She was wearing the apron of a certain popular coffee chain, and he could see an unfamiliar face reflected in her brown eyes as she looked kindly upon him.“June!” She glanced away, then nodded at him, moving to answer an order at another register.It seems he had just put something in his pocket. Looking around, he noticed the line behind him, and hurriedly moved to the side, towards the counter. It seemed he was in a store of the aforementi...

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“Being ideal is not good; even a boyfriend” by Shazia Bano

Submitted to Contest #12

Ashutosh went Veronika’s home for the very first time. It was Veronika’s birthday and she wanted her parents to meet Ashutosh, as after one month, their graduation would be complete and she knew Ashutosh would never come to Delhi again.Their friendship seed was sown when they both were in first semester of same year batch in IIT Delhi, by the time they were in final year, that seed had converted into a fully blossomed tree.A tree which gives fruits to everyone but cannot eat the fruits itself. Everyone in the college considered them as an id...

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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

✍️ 79 stories

“Historical Society Clue” by Mccollonough Ceili

“The Dead Walk Out of the Sea” by Rachel Frankki

“The Case of the Missing Lemonade Money ” by Pamela Raymond

“With a Memory Foam Grip” by Margaret Cyrus

“Murder at Rough Point” by L. Wibking

“The town” by Ivanna Herrera Bernate

“Hiding in the darkness” by Sabrina Costilla

“My Grandfather's Scooter” by Arshi Arora

“Dick Cabesa and the Missing Dame” by Beatriz Relvas

“Drunk in a Field” by Sean Platts

“I saw His hand moving” by Samantha Ballowe

“Reflection ” by Emily Ramirez

“No one knows” by Elisa Nablyn

“A Shade for Coffee” by Scene Wan

“Being ideal is not good; even a boyfriend” by Shazia Bano

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that takes place in a small town where news travels fast.

Write a story about a character with a sidekick.

Write a story featuring a protagonist with a knack for getting to the bottom of things.

Write a story that features an ensemble cast of characters.

Contest #12

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

175

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: