You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you.

Posted in Mystery on Jul 15, 2021

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✍️ 412 stories

“Twins Stick Together” by Jasmine Kwok

Submitted to Contest #52

I thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of me on the street, smiling at me. 6 months ago I didn’t realize how beautiful it was outside. My anger faded away as Owen smiled at me, his blue eyes crinkling at the edges. The snow covered the ground like a soft, white blanket. It was so smooth and perfect, I almost didn’t want to ruin more of it. My twin brother, on the other hand, had a different idea in mind. He took me by the hand and dragged me along, running and squealing with joy. We walked over to the lake that was j...

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“The Downtown Haunting” by Jaydn Harding

Submitted to Contest #52

“Shit!” He was late! John rushed down the street, jacket flapping in the wind. How could he work late on his anniversary?“Molly will kill me”, he mused to himself, almost in jest. He loved that woman, not least for her kind and forgiving heart. Thankfully, it was just work, not the squash club.John couldn’t recount how many earfuls he’d gotten from her for staying for ‘just one more game.’ He smiled. Earfuls, he thought playfully, if you could call them that. He pondered back to the way her blue eyes sparkled as she lost the determinati...

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“Caught by a Dagger” by Ellie Mason

Submitted to Contest #52

Lakewood, CA. 1962. There was something ever so fascinating yet nail-bitingly intrusive about spying on your neighbours. It was a guilty pleasure of mine. An obsession if you will. The drama that unfolds in my neighbourhood has me gripped at the edge of my seat nearly every day. What else would a lonesome housewife do whilst her husband went to work six days of the week? I had baked every kind of pie, knitted every type of scarf and cleaned the house right down to the last polished silver spoon. It was a Tuesday; Raymond had just graced m...

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“My One and Only” by Sara Valentiuk

Submitted to Contest #52

The young, blonde woman walks amidst a sea of dull eyes and white masks. Her own mask is drawn up over her nose, her blue eyes downcast. Six feet apart, don’t fall apart. The air is ashen and damp with the sky’s tears when she reaches her destination. The government mandated screening device’s metal arm pricks her finger. After a quick analysis, a green light flashes and the door unlocks. She doesn’t have the virus. She is met with distant, sympathetic eyes as the glass doors close behind her and she...

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“Back” by Crys De

Submitted to Contest #52

You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you. Your heart racing, your hands trembling, as beads of sweat fall down your forehead. He reaches his hand out and gently caresses your shoulder. You stand perfectly still, in shock that he is there in the flesh. You grab his hand that is caressing your shoulder, you want to make sure it is real. His hand in yours feels so familiar, it brings back so many memories. He intertwines his fingers with yours, looks deeply in your eyes and smiles. Yo...

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“Ghosts of the Past” by Elise Auldridge

Submitted to Contest #52

There’s too many things that remind me of the past. It’s an everlasting, inescapable cycle. In my opinion, the past should never touch elbows with the future. But the past shows up in every glance of my eye, every shadow cast on the street, they remind me of him. What he did to me, what I endured because of him, how I still longed for him despite the pain. It seems unfair to me that he has been allowed by God to do what he does. It’s the same every time. He slithers his way into your mind, infects it with his melancholy scent, intoxicat...

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“Lorenzo” by Phil Manders

Submitted to Contest #52

The library door slid silently closed behind her. Alice felt the chill of the evening probing at her unzipped, oversized coat, searching for a way in. She flicked her hood up and scanned the street ahead. All was quiet. The library had become a welcome sanctuary after school, they would never find her in there. They probably didn’t even know what a library was. She hung her head forward, allowing her long mousy hair to cover her face. Hugging her folders tightly in to her chest, she hurriedly crossed the road, stopping outside her favourite ...

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“The Clock and the Criminal” by George Makay

Submitted to Contest #52

The clocks were not in sync. The towering dark mahogany grandfather clock by the window ticked steadily away, while a small white clock hung on the opposite wall, which was covered in horrendous turquoise wallpaper. Each of the clocks’ respective second hands ticked alternately to the other, creating a sort of accelerated atmosphere in the poorly lit office. Time rushed through the room like smoke through a chimney; no amount of willpower could restrain its advance. This strange feeling jolted me from my reverie. I stood...

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“Hell's Path” by Chelsy Maughan

Submitted to Contest #52

The vacant holler of the subway reverberated against cement walls and shook against Claire’s thudding heart. Her head swiveled to survey the other train riders, like her, they looked eager to return home as they watched wearily down the tunnel. She breathed in a lung full of musty underground air, thankful that once again, her train was not late. She took six exhausting steps to an open seat, then changed her mind. If I sit down, I’ll fall asleep, and miss my stop, she scolded inwardly. She stood with a weak grip on a safety pole. A handful ...

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“Three Years Without Him” by Shiloh Reed

Submitted to Contest #52

"If you're watching this, I'm dead." The moment those words leave his lips you fall to your knees, a broken sob escaping your mouth as tears streamed down your face recklessly, your breathing unsteady. You gasped for air, but knew you would fail to inhale any, because he was your air. And now, he's gone. He's gone forever and there's nothing you can do to change that. For the first year you're all over the place. Your family puts you in a psyche ward and expects it to help, but it only makes you feel even more alone, nobody else in t...

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“You Saw Him” by Destinee Christopher

Submitted to Contest #52

You’re sitting in a café, alone in the corner. The sweet aroma of coffee and pastries fills the air. You love the smell and for some odd reason it helps you concentrate on your work better. The café was small and there weren’t many customers that came here this early in the morning which made it the perfect work environment for you. It was supposed to be your day off yet you couldn’t stop work from following you like a lonely ghost in need of attention. Your fingers hurt from typing emails and reports and your eyes were bloodshot from the...

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“There are weirder ways to learn about death” by Millie Spence

Submitted to Contest #52

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paula Coehlo - Its been years since someone in Finnley’s life had died. He thought it had calmed down. He almost completely forgot about the recurring nightmares that he got every night. He’s lost so many people; Xander, Twyla, Oliver, even his brother, Felix. He was walking down the street. He was going on a date for the first time since Xander had died. That was six years ago. Sometimes, Finnley feels like he still sees Xander, in the corner of his eye, in ...

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“It'll be Okay” by Jaydah Griffith

Submitted to Contest #52

I remember the day he died so perfectly. I can smell the blood gushing out of his stomach. I can hear him screaming in anguish for the pain to stop. I can picture his lifeless body on the stretcher. The memory is now permanently etched into my mind, detail by detail. A Monday afternoon, almost 2 summers ago, my boyfriend of 2 years died in a hospital in California. The police officer told me he got in a car accident, that the impact crushed his lungs so badly that it killed him. None of it made sense to me...

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“Back” by Emilie Conroy

Submitted to Contest #52

Portia kept running, though her knees ached and her back throbbed. She didn't look back to count how many were chasing her; by the sound of their footfalls, she reckoned about a dozen pursuants. She still had a good lead, yet the gap was closing, and she could hear their threats spitting from between their teeth. Up ahead, she could see the ominous stone form of the Canossa. The thought of dodging in there seemed almost less appealing than what these thugs had in mind for her. Then she chastised herself; the C...

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“Magic Boham” by N C

Submitted to Contest #52

I missed Mr. Bonham more than anything. Why had I not saved him? He had tried to save me…….And he died doing so. I walked into the woods the day after his funeral, my backpack bouncing on and off my legs. The empty passageway was dark, just like how I feel right now. Dark and empty. I kept on walking, thinking of ways I could’ve saved him, possibly make him live a little longer. I hated myself. I killed my magic teacher. Now I didn’t have a teacher, and I lost my only friend. Remember the empty walkway? Well, it wasn’t empty anymore....

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You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 412 stories

“Twins Stick Together” by Jasmine Kwok

“The Downtown Haunting” by Jaydn Harding

“Caught by a Dagger” by Ellie Mason

“My One and Only” by Sara Valentiuk

“Back” by Crys De

“Ghosts of the Past” by Elise Auldridge

“Lorenzo” by Phil Manders

“The Clock and the Criminal” by George Makay

“Hell's Path” by Chelsy Maughan

“Three Years Without Him” by Shiloh Reed

“You Saw Him” by Destinee Christopher

“There are weirder ways to learn about death” by Millie Spence

“It'll be Okay” by Jaydah Griffith

“Back” by Emilie Conroy

“Magic Boham” by N C

🌟 Similar prompts

Twenty minutes before you are about to get married, you find your mother and your fiancé kissing passionately.

Every year, one person is sent to the moon. This year, though you hid in terror, it is your turn to enter the rocket.

"Come with us,” two burly men in gray suits say, grabbing you by the arm and handcuffing you. “You know what you did.” But you have no idea.

You are the only one in the supermarket during a blizzard. Feeling creeped out, you decide to leave, when suddenly you find a baby abandoned on the floor.

Contest #52

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

958

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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