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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story in which the narrator or a character says "Did you hear that?"

Posted in Short Story on Oct 11, 2024

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✍️ 84 stories

“Did You Hear That?” by Jen Hartmann

Submitted to Contest #272

Did you hear that?The soft pitter-patter of rain outside, just beyond the large bay window behind your couch. You love this couch, with its dark gray fabric and plush black throw pillows. You could sink into it for hours, legs curled up beneath you, wrapped in a cozy embrace that makes it hard to get up. This is your refuge, a place where the worries of the world seem to melt away. Did you hear that?The muted thud of gently placing your mug—your favorite one, black with little ghosts—full of chamomile tea and honey down on the cork coaster o...

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“The Last Light” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #272

The lighthouse had been quiet for years. That was the first thing I noticed as I stood at its base, staring up at the weathered stone tower that seemed to pierce the sky. The second thing was the absolute stillness. No birds. No wind. Only the distant sound of the sea, crashing into the jagged rocks below. I had taken the job without much thought—after all, who needed company when you had isolation as beautiful as this? My friends had warned me that I’d go stir-crazy, but I craved the solitude. The daily grind of city life had worn me thin, ...

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“Blood Bond” by Axel S.

Submitted to Contest #272

The day of the ritual comes with the clearest sky they’ve had in a long time. Alicia and Orion prepare together, not saying a word. Tears dry on both of their faces, a sensation neither of them have experienced in years. Orion throws up outside while Alicia covers her eye bags with pencil and powder. The outfits chosen for them are itchy and uncomfortable, hardly suited for the long hike through the woods that awaits them.  When they finally step outside, cloaked townspeople paint both their faces and pull veils over their heads. A...

2 comments 2
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“Boogieman ” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #272

Jonathan’s kids, Arlo and Devon, crawled into their beds. Cal, their cat, curled up at the foot of Arlo’s bed. Its tail swept up and landed with a contented thud every few seconds.Arlo asked, “Will you read us a story?”Devon giggled. “A scary one.”“I don’t know… would your mom like that? The idea’s to sleep, not get nightmares…”Grinning, she held out an old, hard covered book. “This one…”The book looked familiar to Jonathan, as if from a dream. Taking it from her he looked at the faded print on the spine, ‘Stories for the Sleepless, by Edwin...

8 comments 8
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“Mimic Me ” by Lee D

Submitted to Contest #272

“Did you hear that?” Christoper asked his girlfriend, who was scrolling mindlessly through her Facebook feed. “Hear what” She replied, disinterestedly, maintaining her gaze on to her mobile. “It sounded like someone said something”.“I didn’t hear anything, you sure it wasn’t something on the TV?” “No”. Christopher replied, beginning to feel uneasy. He was not sure why, but something about the noise had sent chills down his spine. How had Gina not heard anything? “Well, what did it say?” Gina posed, with a wry smile. She was not convinced. “I...

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“Did You Hear That?” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #272

"Did you hear that?"Hank lifted his head from his phone and looked over at Felix. "Hear what?"Felix didn't bother to look up from his own phone. He always did that, Hank thought. Never paid attention when he was spoken too."Felix!""What?" He still didn't look up."You said you heard something?"This time Felix did bother to look at him, squinting like he was looking at the dumbest man on earth."Uh, I didn't?""What do you mean you didn't?" Hank asked, gesturing around at their apartment, at the grey walled living room full of nothing but a ratt...

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“Rosepot Reapers” by Weronia Writes

Submitted to Contest #272

“The whirlwind saga of Rosepot Reapers comes to an end! The infamous gang terrorizing Bellemonte since May has been successfully captured and awaits a trial. The story garnered public’s attention last May when three of the gang’s members attacked the Mayor’s son. Criminals left him with a broken arm and a concussion in a stranded property south of the city, having the previous day kidnapped him from his father’s garden as the man was tending to roses. This occurrence brought the group’s antics to the forefront of police as well as the Mayor’...

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“NIGHT FISHING” by Glenn Parsons

Submitted to Contest #272

NIGHT FISHINGNorthern Gulf of Mexico, Fishing Vessel Crimson Tide,40 miles south of Mobile Bay, Alabama, 4 AM The tiger shark had followed the boat for several hours attracted first by the low-frequency sounds that a working shrimp boat created and further reinforced by the smell of dead and dying fish that trailed behind. A twelve-foot female, her sensory systems fired urgent signals into her walnut-sized brain alerting her that food was nearby. Having found no prey in days, she was starving and the 38 pups she carried in her swollen belly ...

3 comments 3
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“Stories of Terradran. Story 1: Beneath the Surface” by Tarja Mo

Submitted to Contest #272

The forest floor was a tangled web of tree roots, each one seemingly intent on tripping Elowen as she hurried away from the camp, her pace quick and uneven. It was the fourth day of their journey to Greenfield, and the second since they had entered the dense Cragwood Forest. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, which she angrily wiped away, muttering curses under her breath. Thomas, the blacksmith’s son from her village, had managed to make each day of their escape unbearable. Despite the tragedy of their village being burned to the ground, ...

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“I Know What I Heard” by Elizabeth Hoban

Submitted to Contest #272

On the last night in October of 1984, I was nearly killed by a fire-extinguisher. I was eight months pregnant and couldn’t sleep. Seduced by the bowl of candy not coveted by trick or treaters, I sat in the silent darkness of our tiny kitchen and plowed through the leftovers. Suddenly, the overhead light flicked on, and my husband stood there in nothing but Snoopy boxer-shorts, about to bring a fire-extinguisher down on my head.“What the …?” He staggered back. “You nearly gave me a heart attack; I thought you were an intruder!” He m...

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“Silent Treatment” by Jessica Chandler

Submitted to Contest #272

Standing in the doorway, I watch my mother pace around the kitchen, a half-empty wine glass in hand and a furrow in her brow. She’s been drinking a lot more the past few nights. I keep thinking there must have been something I did to make everyone upset, which would explain her noticeable uptick in nightly glasses of vino. I just wish someone would break the silence and tell me what I did wrong. Passive-aggressive silent treatments are my family’s specialty. My sister and I learned from a young age how to dish out and deal with some wicked s...

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“The cat” by Nino Perez

Submitted to Contest #272

My mother keeled over at her office desk and died five days ago, I just found out. Apparently, it had taken so long to find her because of the holidays. Workers had barely returned to the office yesterday and by then, the smell had already permeated through the thin walls. My mother always put her work over everything else. She always said that the future of automation was far more important than a birthday, or a graduation, or saying hi early in the morning before disappearing the whole day. I was about to board my shuttle to work when I go...

7 comments 7
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“Amelia” by Anna Ellington

Submitted to Contest #272

“So, the legend goes that Amelia Turner was the hottest chick in town, right?” Andrew started. He kept one hand on the wheel, his other arm casually draped over the back of the bench seat as he turned his attention to everyone in the cab. His features were muted with the blackness of the country roads on a dark night. The headlights from his old truck illuminated only a small patch of road as the truck idled along in the ruts. No need to steer towards the location of this legend. We weren’t the first to go looking for Amelia. “No joke, it wa...

3 comments 3
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“Rockabye Whispers ” by K FS

Submitted to Contest #272

Nothing says Halloween like a good Haunted House, or Haunted Forest. That wonderful adrenaline rush, that heart pounding thrill of the scare. For some people, this is an ongoing addiction. Their life is spent in the pursuit of the next Haunted Tour, Ghost Walk. They actively search out the unexplained, the unknown, frequently viewing television shows with the tag line "Did you hear that?"While these people seek encounters with the undead or otherworldly, for most people these brushes with the specter world are sudden and jarring.&n...

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“End of the Road” by Adam Haines

Submitted to Contest #272

The full moon rose high above the old church at the end of the road and cast shadows through the overgrowth of trees which landed on the stone path leading from the lake to the front entrance."Quiet now, Luke.” The rough voice belonged to William.Soft moans came from his companion as he answered him, “Dammit all, I’m trying. You wasn’t the one shot!”As he said this his weight shifted and William’s left arm went tighter around him in an effort to keep him upright, his eyes darting all around them.“Yeah, I know, but I told you, watch those wom...

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