Write a story where someone’s paranoia is justified.

Posted in Mystery on Jan 20, 2023

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 78 stories

“The Grasp of Darkness” by Star Eyed

Submitted to Contest #182

“You’re total is 23.46,” she said, bagging the last of the woman’s items. A cheap bottle of perfume, an assortment of candy, and nail polish. The woman lingered just a moment, adjusting her items and purse. Then she was all alone. Kas leaned back against the cigarette case letting her exhausted mind and body take a break. A peek at her watch and groaned. Her shift had just begun. It would be hours before she could go home. God, how she wished she smoked. Smoking meant 3 full 15 uninterrupted breaks. Her eyes found themselves draw...

6 comments 6

Read story

“The Book Burning In Hallowbrook” by Reece York

Submitted to Contest #182

Trigger Warning: Body horror, violence, and gross imagery The Book Burning In Hallowbrook In the vast and unlit corridors of space and time, where the maker of all undulates and quivers, its unholy essence seeps into and tarnishes the very light that travels the galaxies in flashes of pure and instant chaos. These rays skewer the fabric of reality and traverse the eons, mounting in malice, will, and hatred the longer and farther it travels. Impossibly fast and imperceptible, it hunts for sentience across the galaxy; to spread the know...

0 comments 0

Read story

“New Beginnings” by Marie Arrington

Submitted to Contest #182

Marie thought her life had changed for the better. Oliver was going to be her new start. Sitting on the enormous mustard-yellow sofa, she tells her children’s father she is leaving. Larry didn’t love her. He loved his drugs. Marie wanted to escape this life. It was too much she wanted better for her children. Bang, the gun went off and Larry went down. “What the hell?” Marie yelled as she ran to him; he may not have loved her, but he was the kids’ dad. The cops arrived and took Larry, in handcuffs, to the hospital. He had pulled the Colt pis...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Endless Highway” by Holly Pfeiffer

Submitted to Contest #182

Inigo Collins woke to the sun glaring on the dashboard and an acute, bone-deep pain in his head and neck. It took a moment for his vision clear enough for him to see the airbag had deployed from the steering wheel—and to see what he'd collided with. An old, red telephone booth. It was odd, a telephone booth like this in the middle of nowhere. It took only one look beyond the windshield to place himself there. Orange sand, knotted grass, and cacti made up the surroundings, and in the distance, dust devils spun against the backdrop of the blu...

10 comments 10

Read story

“PROJECT BAC012588” by Angela Pirozzi

Submitted to Contest #182

Brian Adam Cramer tried to keep his focus on the task ahead, but kept peering back over his shoulder, feeling eyes burning holes into his back where he saw none. His messenger bag tucked close to his body, the wind threatening to tear it away with each violent gust, he hurried along the road to his destination. Knowing that if he didn’t make it to Pathway Laboratories tonight, he might never make it there again.Felicity Ann Daniels chewed at her ragged cuticles, staring at the doorway every few minutes. Checking her phone to see if she had r...

10 comments 10

Read story

“The Watcher on Cedarwood Road” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #182

Jamie was ready to restart her life. She needed a change of scenery. She needed something to keep her mind busy. She had just broken up with her jealous boyfriend, Jed. In an effort of making this new start, she found an old farmhouse on Cedarwood road on the outskirts of town for sale for a nominal price. Jed had accused her of cheating on him after she came home late from work one day. He did not understand that lawyers sometimes need to work outside of normal business hours. He was a third-grade...

7 comments 7

Read story

“At Least They Have Good Taste” by Kimberly Close

Submitted to Contest #182

That wasn’t where she’d set it.No, she was certain. Her mug had been on the dining room table, left to cool for a moment while she completed a few quick tasks, not empty beside the sink. Had she been the one to move it, she would have taken the brief time needed to wash it, as was proper. Not leave it to dry, for the leaves to crust and curl to the bottom.And yesterday, Cora had lain her cardigan over the back of the couch only to find it hours later stuffed in the hamper.For years it had happened, with rarely a quiet spell where she didn’t ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Old Man” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #182

This story contains stalking and potential threats to a juvenile.Even in my teen years, I found Cardiff (the capital of Wales) too small for my ‘adventuress spirit’, except Friday nights as these were booze nights. In my heady youth of the late 1960s, the law stated that only 18-year-olds were allowed to buy alcohol or set foot inside a pub. But when I was about 15 years old, my friends and I saw it as a badge of honour to lie to our parents regarding our whereabouts and get into a pub without being challenged. We were considered h...

13 comments 13

Read story

“GHOST HUNTING IN A REAL HAUNTED HOUSE! Not Clickbait ” by Savannah Wagner

Submitted to Contest #182

“Hey, what’s up you guys? Welcome back to my channel. In today’s video we are actually exploring a real life haunted house! We are in the outskirts of Illinois, down a gravel road, miles away from the nearest city, standing in front of this…Benny, get the whole thing.” “It’s not the best lighting during the sunset. We should have gotten here sooner.” “We would have but SOMEONE had to get their Starbucks. And when I mean someone I mean Topher.” “The nearest Starbucks from this place was 40 miles away. I’m exhausted from the flight from ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Midnights Curtains” by Kelly Sibley

Submitted to Contest #182

I have something to confess. I know it’s stupid, but I’ve always hated having my curtains open. If I opened them, it meant, at some point, I would have to close them. Not during the day; I mean, come on, I’m not a baby or anything! … It was just having to close them at night. When it was pitch black and dark. Reflective glass gives nothing away as to what could be lurking behind the window’s mirrored surface. Who’s watching? What’s out there? You can’t see out, but everything out there can see in! I know it’s silly and immature. It’s...

10 comments 10

Read story

“The 11th Figure” by Danielski Belski

Submitted to Contest #182

The 11th Figure The floor is slick with puddles and wet wood from fallen branches as I make my way through the storm with only a newspaper over my head to shield me. Finally, I spot the lights in the alley of the one place I feel is safe from the whip of the weather. The single trees that stand in the distance fluff themselves warm with every cool breeze that lashes by. It’s unnerving how their monstrous bodies loom over the street, smothering street lamps. Turning the corner, the bright, ugly lights of my sanctuary mark their glow ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Coffee and Danish” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #182

Coffee and DanishShe has a perfect smile. Straight, uniform, dazzling white teeth. It occurs to me that they might be implants.I remember when she went head over handlebars off her bike and chipped a front tooth. I was ten and she was eight. The tooth had to be capped, and it always looked like a poorly shaped makeshift. She’s effervescent, chattering about how good it is to get together after all this time. Then I realize that she’s stopped talking and is looking directly at me. Her gray eyes are full of concern.“Are you all right?”“Um...

10 comments 10

Read story

“Forget Me Knot” by Doug Turnbull

Submitted to Contest #182

“He’s staying with his wife,” Sasha sobbed, dabbing her eyes. “I’m such a fool!” Amy patted Sasha’s hand, trying to calm her down and perhaps, more importantly, lower her voice. A few customers looked their way. Amy offered the lookers a strained smile. They sat across from each other at a small round table in a tucked away corner of INCANTATIONS. The store was busy today, especially for a Monday. Not that she was complaining. Customers were always good for business. “Drink your tea,” Amy urged. With shaking hands, Sasha manage...

1 comment 1

Read story

“You remind me of my dead wife...” by Noon Moon

Submitted to Contest #182

Well that was super weird… I'm not sure what that was all about. Maybe I heard him wrong? Yea..that could be it. Seeing as my hearing isn't very good and I often misunderstand people all the time. I know I had to hear him wrong..forsure i did. But what could he have possibly meant by ‘you remind me of my dead wife.’ I don't know why but when he said that, it gave me chills. I’ve barely ever spoken to that guy and that's what he tells me? Whatever..i'm probably overthinking it. I just need to get some rest..yea sleep is what i need. Alright, ...

11 comments 11

Read story

“It’s All In Your Head” by David B Fraser

Submitted to Contest #182

The first rock landed near Margaret’s ankle. She looked about wondering and then returned to digging out leaves from the flower boxes on the back of her house. The next rock landed a little further behind her. She looked again. The third rock hit the porch door beside her and she held up her garden claw tool to protect herself. Margaret raised herself up, with effort. She could not tell if something moved in the overgrown field beyond her fenced backyard. A rock hit the porch roof and rolled down beside her. She couldn’t se...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a home alarm system going off.

Dramatic – 49 stories

Set your story in a society where everyone is constantly aware of unwanted surveillance.

Dystopian – 27 stories

Write about a character who wishes they could just disappear — and then they do.

Mystery – 50 stories

Start your story with someone entering a taxi and saying ‘follow that car.’

Dramatic – 33 stories

Contest #182

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Feeling Watched

$250

Prize money

237

Contest entries

154

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 27, 2023 EST

Won by Liv Chocolate 🏆

Title: Careful—You’ll Slip, Fall, and Die on Those Slippery Slopes

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story where someone’s paranoia is justified.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 78 stories

“The Grasp of Darkness” by Star Eyed

“The Book Burning In Hallowbrook” by Reece York

“New Beginnings” by Marie Arrington

“The Endless Highway” by Holly Pfeiffer

“PROJECT BAC012588” by Angela Pirozzi

“The Watcher on Cedarwood Road” by Madeline Honig

“At Least They Have Good Taste” by Kimberly Close

“The Old Man” by Stevie Burges

“GHOST HUNTING IN A REAL HAUNTED HOUSE! Not Clickbait ” by Savannah Wagner

“Midnights Curtains” by Kelly Sibley

“The 11th Figure” by Danielski Belski

“Coffee and Danish” by Cindy Strube

“Forget Me Knot” by Doug Turnbull

“You remind me of my dead wife...” by Noon Moon

“It’s All In Your Head” by David B Fraser

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a home alarm system going off.

Set your story in a society where everyone is constantly aware of unwanted surveillance.

Write about a character who wishes they could just disappear — and then they do.

Start your story with someone entering a taxi and saying ‘follow that car.’

Contest #182

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

237

Contest entries

154

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: