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

“Forever Love” by Melissa Hassan

Submitted to Contest #52

“Today is the day, I say “I do” Tara said to herself as she sat on the window ledge gazing at the unfolding scene outside while sipping her morning coffee, clad in a long white silk robe with curlers in her blonde hair. Her blue eyes alight with anticipation.It was a glorious summer morning complete with clear blue skies, bright sunshine and a gentle breeze. She could hear the sounds of the birds in the trees, as little by little nature came alive.Outside, in her parents spacious and flowery back garden, the wedding planner and her troop wer...

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“Abandoned hero” by Robert French

Submitted to Contest #52

I really don’t need this shit. Another dumb-assed meeting with my shrink I’m gonna be late for. I just want to go home, pick up Jill and the kids, and get out of town for a weekend at the cottage. The sidewalk is packed with plebs heading for the subway, tourists sightseeing, drones heading to business meetings and others I’m too damn weary to try and pigeon hole. I just want to scream at them to get the fuck out of my way.God I’m tired. The dreams came last night. They brought everything back.I see a break in the throng ahead, deke to my ri...

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“Doug is Back” by Mustang Patty

Submitted to Contest #52

“Oh, my God. Is it really you?” Even as I said the words, my arms reached out to hug him. I was stunned. But more than that, I was incredibly happy. And he was hugging me back. My Doug, the man who disappeared one day, was hugging me back. After a huge bear hug, I pulled back the top part of my torso. The bottom was still firmly in his embrace. “I don’t understand. My mother told me you were dead. Where’ve you been?” His eyes told me he hadn’t heard what I said. He raised his hands from my waist to place them on either side of my f...

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“Another World” by Kylie Wallis

Submitted to Contest #52

Driving past a familiar sign that read Welcome to Hill Brook, Jennifer felt relief, almost like she was coming home for good. She pulled up outside the house she'd spent her childhood in. Her mother came to hug her. Jennifer had always reminded Angela of her husband George Wilkins; tall and skinny, with hazel eyes and very curly black hair. "Come inside, I just put the kettle on." There was something important Jennifer needed to tell her mother, something she'd heard only this morning. About her eldest son Daniel. But as she walked into th...

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“Granny's House” by Stacey Fultz

Submitted to Contest #52

It had been many years since I had seen my childhood home, too many. We moved away when I was thirteen, and for a long time, I missed it terribly. The house itself wasn’t much. It was small, shabby, not quite built to last, but the memories and the feelings it evoked in me were everything. Innocence. Safety. Security. Love.I often longed to return, but I never really seemed to have the time. Time. It is such an interesting thing. Infinite, yet, there never seemed to be enough.I don’t even remember making the conscious decision to return now,...

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“Without You” by Adah M.M

Submitted to Contest #52

Trigger warning: depictions of suicide. The Earth is rotating. The sun is shining . The awful plant that sits on the window sill is blooming. The pills you nearly OD'ed are scattered on the floor. Your friends slash self appointed therapists are going to be banging your door soon. You like taking notes of things like this. It's the only way you can keep up with life. One more thing, Death evaded you last night. Jumping from a fire escape can be considered stupid and suicidal but you don't care. You'd do anything to leave your apartmen...

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“Not All Stories End All Rainbows” by Maahi Shah

Submitted to Contest #52

You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you. Oh my god...how? I stand there like a zombie, clueless of what is going on. His face, that chocolate-brown tanned skin, those emerald-green eyes remind me of everything. The past. The dark past. Memories of guilt flush through my body. Electric currents make my knees shake. And there- he wears a smirk on his face. Oh yes, that is my name- Tris. I live in Monterrey, Mexico. I live, correction, used to live with my parents and my friend, Ca...

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“Pine Box” by The-Burrowing-Owl- Author

Submitted to Contest #52

A coffin is shaped, and has a removable lid, but a casket is rectangular, and has a hinged lid. They are both quite similar, at least in function, but I had been taught the difference by my parents and their ceaseless planning for the future. A casket and a coffin are not the same. Often the two have been mistaken for each other, especially by people who have never attended a funeral. I was never wholly enthusiastic about my first one. The road was full of potholes that filled with water when it rained. When the wind was still, they l...

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“Lost Love” by Chizaram Osondu

Submitted to Contest #52

I was at his funeral, I saw his body, I witnessed his casket being lowered down into the ground as people wept and wailed. How is this even possible? How can he be 4 feet away? Is this all a dream?It was just three years ago I was six months pregnant with Chelsea, our first child, we were both so excited and had already begun making preparations. One saturday afternoon, after he came back from work, he called me into the living room to have a discussion with me.The discussion lasted for about an hour because we did not see eye to eye about t...

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“For A Time, You Meant Everything” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #52

Violet was only fifteen when she first met Ruby’s brother, Jack, but she fell for him on that first evening. Of course, she didn’t tell Ruby that she was in love with him: although her best friend felt proud of her brother for enlisting in the RAF, just because he was now eighteen and about to go off to serve his king and country in the war against Hitler didn’t mean she’d forgiven him for any of their childhood squabbles. So Violet kept her feelings a secret; but from time to time, she casually asked how Jack was getting on, hoping that he ...

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“Hunted ” by N. Thorne

Submitted to Contest #52

“We’re going to play a game.” And just like that, I find myself in my own episode of I Was Prey. Except instead of a wild animal like a bear or a mountain lion staring me down, I’m faced with a much more dangerous predator. My former husband. Or current rather….Or….What do you call a spouse who is supposed to be dead? ~*~ “Hello, Alice.” It’s a beautiful fall day, the leaves just starting to dress in their warmer tones in place of summer greens. Wrapping my wool coat around me tighter, I find the chill sweeping throug...

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“When The Dead Returns” by Adair Knox

Submitted to Contest #52

It sounds dramatic in books and movies, but I will tell you first hand, there’s no exaggeration. Time did slow down. The raindrops, so speedy and eager to hit the ground, froze mid-air, curious to see how I would react. The crowded streets, people in such a hurry to get home, suddenly didn’t care so much. They moved lazily as if moving through thick jello. My eyes didn’t settle on anything else, however. All my attention was towards that one man, a smile stretched across his cocoa skin. Dark hair, and bushy eyebrows just a...

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“The Return ” by Jessie Nice

Submitted to Contest #52

The chill of a damp early Winter whipped up through Eleanor’s coat as she stepped out of the corner shop on a November evening. She shivered, wrapping it tight around her, and as she closed the door a resounding lonely jingle echoed through the empty streets. She glanced up at the sky quickly, noticing dank heavy clouds draping across the tops of the buildings, a milky moon peeking through the cracks in the stratus. Sighing, she reached into her coat pocket and brought out the fresh pack of cigarettes, lighting it behind the shelter of her c...

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“Learning to Breathe Again” by Kate Rucker

Submitted to Contest #52

I stared at the letters until they blurred. His handwriting was terrible as always but the sentiments were sweet, so I guess that didn’t matter. The paper was crumpled though, which was the mail’s fault. Charlie would never be so careless. I traced the line of one of the deeper crinkles. The paper was rough and I could feel the letters as I ran my fingers over them. “Um, miss?” A man was standing in the doorway, looking extremely concerned. He was also holding out his hand, the hand that wasn’t worrying at his red cap. I...

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“Spare No Effort” by Um E Hani

Submitted to Contest #52

I have given up. No amount of effort will bring him back to me. They are right, he is gone forever. I have decided to drop the lawsuit. It had been three months since they took him away from me. Ever since he was gone, my home had not been the same. It is just a house. A house, with memories. Thousands and thousands of memories. Memories of him preparing food for me. Memories of him lifting me off the couch while I peacefully slept, or so he thought, and putting me in my bed. After all, this was where I was born, where he first experienced...

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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

“Forever Love” by Melissa Hassan

“Abandoned hero” by Robert French

“Doug is Back” by Mustang Patty

“Another World” by Kylie Wallis

“Granny's House” by Stacey Fultz

“Without You” by Adah M.M

“Not All Stories End All Rainbows” by Maahi Shah

“Pine Box” by The-Burrowing-Owl- Author

“Lost Love” by Chizaram Osondu

“For A Time, You Meant Everything” by Jane Andrews

“Hunted ” by N. Thorne

“When The Dead Returns” by Adair Knox

“The Return ” by Jessie Nice

“Learning to Breathe Again” by Kate Rucker

“Spare No Effort” by Um E Hani

🌟 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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