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

“Lies and Secrets” by Jessica Todd

Submitted to Contest #37

It took a long time for me to understand the difference between telling a lie, and keeping a secret.I suppose in a way, there is not really a big difference.You lie to divert the truth, and to keep a secret you lie.However, lies are told all the time. A child takes a cookie before dinner, lies to their parent in hopes of earning another treat for dessert without having to tell of the naughty indulgence they had without consent. A husband lies to his wife about paying the bill when she asked, when he feels like doing it later and not having t...

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“Bystander ” by Fiery One

Submitted to Contest #37

*** “I uh- I have something that I need to tell you.” I sigh, trying to look into the eyes of the two detectives sitting opposite me, the light hanging over be practically blinding me. “Is this about the dead girl?” The detective asks; leaning in closer to me over the table. “I know who hurt her.” My hands start to shake, if this doesn’t go the right way I am in heaps of trouble. I know that this is the right thing to do, but at the same time is it worth telling them the story. “Start at the beginning, what happened that night?” a male ...

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“To Catch A Killer” by Marissa Brits

Submitted to Contest #37

Well, this proves it. I'm dead inside. After the untimely death of my beloved pet hedgehog Hector, named after my late grandfather, I had thought for sure that I would feel... something. My mother had soothingly placed her hand on my shoulder, as the last of the dirt was piled on the tiny, pitiful grave, and said it would be completely acceptable for me to grieve, or cry. I had looked up at her, surprised to see how emotional she was standing beside this tiny graveside. I suppose the name ‘Hector' etched into another gravestone so soon was t...

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“The Envelope” by Rebecca Ybarra

Submitted to Contest #37

I walked down the white hallway that smelled of sickness and disinfectant. The only thing I could hear was the click of my heels as I exited the hospital where my father has passed away. It still seemed so unreal. I left Jane in the room to mourn him alone. We had never been close. As her tears fell on his cold body, her grief consumed the atmosphere and pushed me away, signaling she wanted him all to herself. As I stepped outside into the cool October breeze, the parking lot was dotted with beams of white light. I sank slowly into the drive...

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“Just in Time” by Corey Keys

Submitted to Contest #37

Dear My Mistress, This is my confession, and it is not a confession of love. That is long past due, for I cannot simply stay put and not write something on it. To someone whom I hold in my heart forever, I write this as a confession for my painful upbringing as to what I am now. And to what I am to face. I still miss you, everyday. But on a day just like this one. I met you. I gaze out the window and see the snow falling on the ground, pockets of people formulate outside of this motel that I stay in. People in business uniforms, with the st...

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“E-Souls” by Mallory Thomas

Submitted to Contest #37

E-souls: A short story By Mallory Thomas I woke up that morning to find myself alone, my parents already gone to go work. It wasn’t a surprise, I usually woke up alone, and I basically raised myself, my parents were never home. I remember the nights of me and my best friend and neighbor Jason just sitting and wondering how we got there. Jason, just like me, was basically raised alone, with his parents being gone for weeks at a time. We were still about 7 or 8, so we didn't truly know about what wars were going on in the cities aro...

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“What You've Always Wanted” by J G

Submitted to Contest #37

By the time he finally revealed his icy blue, cold eyes, River already knew it was him. She’d recognize those eyes anywhere. Especially after the long, torturous months of wanting and almost never receiving his steadfast gaze. And now, as he sat in front of her, real and clear, River had never been so torn. Her mind began to race. Six months earlier…After almost 25 minutes of circling around the packed parking lot and stalking people leaving the university buildings in hopes of taking their parking spot, River finally pulled her silver 1997 ...

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“MISS” by Emma RUSSELL

Submitted to Contest #37

It was her name that jarred me. Miss Josephine Paxton. Miss.A large boardroom table with a dozen seats. Dark mahogany, shelves of worn books, the air filled with dust motes, musty and stale. I wondered if all lawyers had a room like this, or just the ones that served rich clients and read wills to greedy families gathered in the half light. The busy London traffic was humming behind the heavy dark curtains and in that afternoon heat, my mind drifted back through time. Back to the war years, back to my youth, back to a time when I was deeply ...

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“If not yours, then who am I? ” by Alexandra Kline

Submitted to Contest #37

You were not mine. I stared at four words on a page. Four typed words. While her body and mind crumbled, she hadn’t cared enough to hand write them. Four words that caused my world to come crashing down around me and suck the air from my lungs. I stared blindly at the page for what seemed like hours, thoughts buzzing around in my head with the dull hum of hundreds of bees lazily floating through the patch of wildflowers in the backyard. I slumped into the nearest chair at the worn kitchen table, staring down at ...

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“The Lake Murderer” by Avery Timmons

Submitted to Contest #37

"You're kidding, right?" The second the smile creeps on to his face, I know he thinks I'm joking. Granted, if it was a joke it wouldn't have been very funny. He's probably hoping that it's a joke. Because what is he supposed to do with this information, anyway? Why did I tell him? Oh God, why did I tell him? I could've kept the secret my entire life and eventually died with it. I could've lived with it gnawing at me from the inside every day. But that might've been better than admitting it to another living person. Now that's someone else th...

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“State of the world” by Rosa Isela

Submitted to Contest #37

I believed my family when they had told me everything growing up, they were adults how could I not. My life was sheltered, how could it have not been, when I was told all my life that the outside world was wrong and evil and full of sin. I believed every world when I was told about the horrible war that disintegrated the entire world and made it inhabitable. I sat on my bed and cried, this wasn't the truth, or it was a half truth. How could I be so gullible, how could I allow myself to just believe everything that was told to me. I cried unt...

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“Happy Hunting” by Sofia Restrepo

Submitted to Contest #37

My name is Jane, but it has not always been this way. A year ago, my life was very different, starting by the fact that I wasn’t on every “wanted” poster in the planet. Now, it is time to tell my version. Yes, I killed the five of them, but they brought it on themselves. And thanks to that, I had to start my life over. I used to have a family, and a group of friends. Now, I’m alone and hiding. Maybe if I had done things a little different, their deaths would not have been blamed on me, and I’d be free. The nightmare began on...

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“The Quarantine Planet” by Jinal P

Submitted to Contest #37

“Are you sure?”“Of course. I am telling you President, it works. We finally did it!” cried Dr. Rowenstein. The man had worked his entire life on this project. No one thought it was possible. Until now.“Have you performed a live test yet?”“Yes, we did. Follow me please” He led me to a room full of scientists. They all looked so happy. If this actually worked, I'd hate to be the one to make their smiles disappear.“For the greater good,” explained Dr. Rowenstein as his associates looked on with excitement; they probably rehearsed this speech a ...

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“A Safe Place” by Jessica Vasquez

Submitted to Contest #37

“I haven’t told many people this, in fact only my mom and child’s father, maybe one friend know: I had an abortion; two really.” I said, putting my head down in shame. “How old were you?” Sharon, my therapist replied. “The first time I was just a teenager, I didn’t know what else to do. I was 15 and my mom was living in another state. I was staying with a friend of hers and I knew he wouldn’t let me stay if I kept the baby. My boyfriend agreed to having it as well, I’m sure he was scared to tell his parents.” Sharon remained calm and said “s...

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“Breakfast Discovery” by Pamela Hardy

Submitted to Contest #37

Breakfast Discovery Cold eggs and a half-eaten steak lay on John’s plate; he spins his fork across the surface in nervous little twirls. He never expected a “Denny’s” to be the key to his past. The food gurgle’s in his gut while swallowing back nervous belches. He had only found out the secret to his life a week ago, never realizing he would be in this position so quickly. He didn’t sleep the night before and, since hauling out of bed to get ready for the day, could not stop shaking. An old woman sits across the booth from him; her...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 128 stories

“Lies and Secrets” by Jessica Todd

“Bystander ” by Fiery One

“To Catch A Killer” by Marissa Brits

“The Envelope” by Rebecca Ybarra

“Just in Time” by Corey Keys

“E-Souls” by Mallory Thomas

“What You've Always Wanted” by J G

“MISS” by Emma RUSSELL

“If not yours, then who am I? ” by Alexandra Kline

“The Lake Murderer” by Avery Timmons

“State of the world” by Rosa Isela

“Happy Hunting” by Sofia Restrepo

“The Quarantine Planet” by Jinal P

“A Safe Place” by Jessica Vasquez

“Breakfast Discovery” by Pamela Hardy

🌟 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 🏆

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