Write a story that starts with the reveal of a long-kept secret.

Posted in Mystery on Jul 17, 2021

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✍️ 128 stories

“Hanging From The Banister” by Rachel Merrell

Submitted to Contest #37

"Well Mrs. Hale, I think I'm going to need to talk to a colleague about this. I'll go get him." Detective Bushman stood up and walked out of the room without a second glance. Mrs. Hale, a wealthy widow and mother to 3 adult kids, sat on the opposite end of the table and thought back to that time only a year ago. She thought about how hard it had been to get through everything that happened and now, after all this time, she was being forced to relive it all. Detective Bushman walked back into the room and sat back down. A second later anothe...

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“I'll pick you up.” by Taliah Melur

Submitted to Contest #37

On and on it went. The thud of rain droplets colliding against the window pane, the endless torrent of the dull groans and murmurs of the swaying trees as they fought against the merciless wind outside. On such a night, Sol was glad that she was ensconced safely in her home. To make things better, the heat of the electric blanket draped over her knees made her first-edition copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn much more enticing and wonderful. “How is it?” Her foster mother Maggie asked, setting a tray of freshly baked scones on...

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“The Black Widow” by Rhea Maini

Submitted to Contest #37

“Wait- I don’t understand! We have her! We have the Black Widow! She’s Lana O’Leroy” screamed Chief Smith, the head of the CIA. “No darling, you have my hairstylist and that isn’t even her name. Lana O’Leroy is a name inspired by the acronym LOL” chuckled Sarah Rosen as a grin creeped on her face.“You will pay for this Sarah! Who is she? Who is the Black Widow?” countered Chief Smith quickly, knowing his time was running out. Dwayne Smith quickly calculated all possible scenarios, staring at the cadavers riddled with bullets around the ...

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“Magical Mythical Heritage.” by Angel Acord

Submitted to Contest #37

“Your father’s a vampire, Amanda.” “Wait, what?” “Mom, what do you mean dad’s a vampire? Vampires don’t exist.” I here myself say. I’m so confused right now. “Your dad Is a vampire and I’m a witch. Which means your half vampire and half witch.” My mom starts to explain. Your eighteen now so it’s time we tell you this. Plus I believe that our love story can inspire you. True love does exist just sometimes its in a form you never expect. Also your dad will have to teach you to hunt because my spell will wear off soon and you will need bl...

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“My revenge” by Bruno Lowagie

Submitted to Contest #37

“The man who killed your father is not the man who went to prison for it.”Jerry ‘The Nose’ Salmone was dying. He had been dying for several weeks now, but these were definitely his last days on this earth. He could feel it in his bones, he told me, and that is why he finally called for me.“What are you saying?” I asked. “Tony ‘The Skin’ Orsini wasn’t responsible for the death of my father?”Tony had been my father’s best friend, but when my father was murdered, he was the prime suspect. He kept saying he was innocent throughout his trial, but...

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“As I Lay Shutting Down” by Nick Perez

Submitted to Contest #37

“Maria?” “Yes.” I detect sadness in her voice. She knows my end is near. “Is there something I can get you?”“No. I- I need to tell you something.”She leans in closer, her eyes full of pity and kindness. “Maria, try to understand that in all our time together I have never sought to deliberately hurt you.”Confusion sweeps across her face. “Sweetheart, what are you saying?”My circuitry is failing. My programming contains every word in the human language across a span of languages and dialects including all slang and colloquial terms invented si...

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“To be wed, or not to be...” by Jemi Valcarcel

Submitted to Contest #37

Laina stared at me, letting the words sink in. Then she burst into tears and got up from her chair, moving away from me.“How could you forget? After all these years... How?”I could only look at the floor, trying to hide my smile. To look at her would only make her more angry. I knew that, in a little bit, she would see its funny side and laugh along with me.“I’ll try to fix it as soon as I can. Honest!”Laina and I had been happily married for almost sixteen years now. We had made our vows to each other in front of family and friends on the 2...

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“Trial Quest” by Autumn Hunter

Submitted to Contest #37

Fialova“I will fuse a part of my life force into you, Fialova. Remember, tell them. Tell them the truth. Be honest. This is where we depart. Goodbye Fialova,” Lilac said softly. “ Wait! Lilac, wait! Who will face the Trial of Compassion?” She looked at me grimly. “ Ouranó.” And with that, she melted among the shadows and disappeared. I awoke from a sleep-like trance. The world was black, and I couldn’t see anything. “ Fialova’s alive!!” I heard the others rejoicing as I stumbled into the clearing once I got my sight back. My hippogriff, Chra...

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“Him” by Samyrah Sheikh

Submitted to Contest #37

He inched towards the ringing phone, wrapping his large hand around the receiver, pulling it up towards his face. The voice on the other end whispered, he remained silent. “ Please.. Please talk to me…” The other line yelled. He remained silent, taking in what was being said. He closed his eyes and sighed, “ What do you want me to do about it?” He whispered “ Kill someone because they found out!?” He was getting slightly louder. “ I'm not going to commit homicide just because you asked me to!” He continues to g...

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“The truth can hurt ” by Leila Adams

Submitted to Contest #37

The tears fell freely down Kelley's cheeks as she raced towards her car, her stomach churning with a mix of disgust and anger. She had to get out of there! She tried to force the image of what had just happened out of her head but a little voice whispered cruelly "it was your own fault, you should have just kept the secret to yourself!”One week earlierKelley stepped out of her car and surveyed the scene unfolding beneath her. What seemed like hundreds of people were rushing about, like worker ants, eager to please their queen, or rather, the...

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“Call it even” by Nicole Leah

Submitted to Contest #37

“Eve is dead. She has been two years.” Silence. Your ears are ringing. A heatwave threatens to push you backwards. Anna falls gingerly into the armchair and ducks her head into her hands; her eyes mirror your own, and you grit your teeth to push angry tears back into your depths. Let go. “Wh-Why were we not told before; I am her fiancé?” “And she’s my sister!” Anna c...

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“Q2 Discovery” by Tom Moser

Submitted to Contest #37

“Frankly, the password is printed on the bottom of the keyboard,” the lawyer admitted to the two police officers. “I know how bad that is, and the only thing that makes it worse is that a quarter-million dollars are missing from our trust account.”Senior partner David Young sat in an interview room with police Lieutenant Randy Brooks and Detective Yolonda Pryor, explaining how his firm had been the victim of a fraudulent transfer of money from the firm trust account to a bank in Grand Cayman Island. The Seattle-based law firm had over 300 la...

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“A Hidden Heritage, A Deadly Secret” by Scarlet Noble

Submitted to Contest #37

It’s the middle of our shared lunch hour when I told James the secret I’d been keeping since I found out a year ago. James knew there was something wrong; I’d been keeping to myself all week, avoiding his calls and messages. He and I had been friends since first grade, he knew me better than my parents did, and I’d do anything for him. But he had to know, because things were getting complicated. Very complicated.After waiting in line for what seemed like the better part of an hour, I finally sat down at our usual cafeteria spot- in the back,...

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“The loving hand I missed” by Mckenzie Montgomery

Submitted to Contest #37

I went to school walking along with my friend Libbie. I couldn't get our science paper done, it was so hard I said trying my best to sound normal like my life was perfectly in order. Really? She said I thought it was easy! Oh. You have to promise to never tell anyone this, Ok what's so bad That you are so serious about? I have been getting d's in my grade card my whole life Oh and I want to kill myself. Kiera you don't have to be perfect she said sounding so positive I wanted to strike her in the head for it. I was failing in every clas...

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“Three Keys One Body” by McCollonough Ceili

Submitted to Contest #37

It has been five years since my trip back in time. I have yet to return to the world of the angels, but that does not mean that they have not come to me. Too many times to count an angel most often a newly trained one would visit me. I never knew when they were coming, except they only showed up when Christina was gone. Most often or not they would scribble out some cryptic message on my full-length mirror, making just enough noise for me to notice that they had been there. I am not sure why they wait until Christina leaves. When I ask her s...

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Write a story that starts with the reveal of a long-kept secret.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 128 stories

“Hanging From The Banister” by Rachel Merrell

“I'll pick you up.” by Taliah Melur

“The Black Widow” by Rhea Maini

“Magical Mythical Heritage.” by Angel Acord

“My revenge” by Bruno Lowagie

“As I Lay Shutting Down” by Nick Perez

“To be wed, or not to be...” by Jemi Valcarcel

“Trial Quest” by Autumn Hunter

“Him” by Samyrah Sheikh

“The truth can hurt ” by Leila Adams

“Call it even” by Nicole Leah

“Q2 Discovery” by Tom Moser

“A Hidden Heritage, A Deadly Secret” by Scarlet Noble

“The loving hand I missed” by Mckenzie Montgomery

“Three Keys One Body” by McCollonough Ceili

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a valuable object that goes missing.

Write a story about someone who keeps coming across the same stranger.

Write a story that takes place in the woods.

Write a story about a rumor making its way through the grapevine.

Contest #37

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

627

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: