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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

“Isolation” by Peter Meloche

Submitted to Contest #272

The man jerked his head back from the satellite phone. He couldn’t tell if what he heard was static, or screaming. The other two men in the room turned and met his gaze. The man holding the sat phone pressed the transmit button,               “Kimberly, are you there?”                Static responded.               “Kimb...

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“Don't Say Yes” by Katherine Pearson

Submitted to Contest #272

Disclaimer: This short story contains short depictions of blood letting in connection to an activity some may deem ritualistic. “Did you hear that.” “No.” Tap, tap, tap. “There it is again.” “I don’t hear anything. Did you hear me? I’ve been asking you a question for the last five minutes.” Savana chewed her finger, her gaze locked on the living room window. “Savana?” “It’s on the glass.” Rhianne closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation. “What is on the glass?” “ The tapping....

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“The Whispers ” by Ayanna Edwards

Submitted to Contest #272

The whispers started on a stormy night, echoing through John's empty mansion like a chilling warning: "You can't bury the past forever." John's eyes adjusted to the darkness, but the shadows seemed to writhe like living things. His granddaughter, Rachel, had insisted on staying with him during the winter storm, and he was grateful for her company. As the howling wind rattled the windows, Rachel checked the fireplace, ensuring the flames danced warmly. "Grandpa, do you need anything?" she asked, concern etched on her face. John smiled weakly....

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“Let Me Out” by Lindsay Burns

Submitted to Contest #272

Thud, thud, thud. There it was again, the noise from the attic. ‘Did you hear that?,’ Amber asked her husband, not for the first time.‘It’ll be the pipes knocking,’ Andy always said, ‘because of all the long, lazy baths you have when I’m not here.’ Although she’d tried to convince herself he was right, and even though over time she’d almost taught herself to ignore it, Amber couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief that their time in the old cottage was almost up. Just a few boxes left to pack…just one more night… ‘Well, that’s the attic empt...

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“It Called in the Night” by N S Neill

Submitted to Contest #272

“Did you hear that?” The problem is yes, I did hear it. It’s the sound of something very large and living and it sounds hungry. The deep vibration of its starved voice suggests a thing of colossal size, which surely could not exist in the waters we are monitoring. I slide off my headset and race over to see the spectrogram printed out of the low frequency sound we have just detected. The printout shows a squiggled glow of yellow outlined in orange confirming the sound’s rise and fall, this flame like imagery is the depiction of a marine bea...

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“Don't Jinx It ” by Jessy Lowmaster

Submitted to Contest #272

I stood atop the ruins of an old castle, staring out over the damp green plains and sparsely-set yellow maples. The castle must have been an impressive monument in its day -- the walls were thick stone, with strong and solid lines of columns and arches. Floral patterns and frames were carved in window-shaped slabs. Despite the distances between them, each separate section of wall was mostly intact. The structure obviously hadn’t fallen to age or decay. Rather, it looked as though some enormous monster had stood in the center of the castle an...

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“The Checkout” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #272

Riley stood still in the cereal aisle, staring blankly at the endless wall of brightly colored boxes. His basket hung at his side, its plastic handle pressing into his palm with a dull, familiar ache, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere, fogged with indecision. Cinnamon squares or oat clusters? He and Maya had gone through this a thousand times, and yet here he was, frozen with the impossible choice. The hum of the fluorescent lights overhead seemed louder today, the flickering bulbs casting a sterile glow over everything. The shel...

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“We Know What We Heard” by Amanda Stogsdill

Submitted to Contest #272

We Know What We Heard by Amanda StogsdillThumpity thump! Inside their cozy living room, teens Danny and Tommy paused their video game. Onscreen, two cars were about to collide with one another. Deciding it was the wintry wind, they returned to their game.Thump, thump. There it was again, a little louder than before. Tommy looked at Danny, perplexed. "Are you doing that?" He shook his head, just as confused as his brother.After about a half hour, their mother returned with groceries. Unpacking in the kitchen, they told her about the mysteriou...

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“Courthouse Whispers” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #272

Tree roots had pushed and cracked the sidewalk and the surface of the parking lot, and weeds had filled in many cracks. A tumbleweed rolled across the walkway to the double doors at the entrance and nestled in a corner. The cracked glass in the doors glinted in the light from the sunset. Each of the three floors had broken windows, and the shards remained in the shrubs and weeds along the perimeter of the building. Potted plants, dried up, leaned with cracked leaves. A small furry animal scurried from the bushes by the boys’ feet, hurried ac...

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“Abandoned” by Hannah Sirgo

Submitted to Contest #272

Danny had always loved exploring abandoned places. And everyone always followed Danny. He was the fun one. He made the days exciting, and interesting, and entertaining. There was never a dull minute with him. So, when Danny said he wanted to something, everyone agreed to do it. I always followed along, of course. I didn’t want to get left behind. But I hated every second of it. The threat of toxic gases, the threat of disease, the threat of unsafe structures, the threat of strangers. It was high risk, low reward. Danny claimed some grand ne...

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“Cursed Beasts of the Woods and Hills” by Tucker Sloan

Submitted to Contest #272

Trigger warning: This piece contains violence, mature themes, and some strong language.Cursed Beasts of the Woods and HillsTucker Bradley SloanIt gets cold at night. Some people think fur keeps you warm, but mine makes me itch. The way it quickly grows through my skin, covering my bare body in the moonlight.Not to mention, it makes using toilet paper impossible. We have had to resort to other means for cleanliness. What? You do not want to know. Mom was turned first with a curse by a cripple who was blocking a covered bridge she had to ...

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“Into The Fold” by Bec Newton

Submitted to Contest #272

“Did you hear it, Andrei?” Andrei ignored Phillipe’s excitable demeanour. He was in a meloncholy mood. It was an anniversary of sorts but one that always made him feel so alone, one that was always deeply personal and there was not a soul here that shared this day. Each year he liked to spend the day in the wingback before the large fireplace, staring into the flames, wishing they could burn his sorrows away and yet, he was unable to gain any comfort from their warmth. “Did you hear it?” He wished he couldn’t hear his companion and, as Phill...

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“Everything Is Fine” by Isla Takem

Submitted to Contest #272

The thick aroma of spices coated the neighborhood, tickling the noses of everyone nearby. Plates of hot, sticky plantains warmed the tongues of guests at the weekly cookout. The murmurs and conversations of the attendees melded together into the warm and friendly voice of the community. Nyla sat with one hand on the table and the other holding a toothpick with a slice of fatty, greasy suya at the end. Her friend, Cori, hosted these lively events. Once a week, they gathered in the spacious area of her backyard to feast while enjoying each oth...

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“Murder Death Kill” by Joshua Alderson

Submitted to Contest #272

I had this dream that Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Leatherface started a Garage Rock band and called it Murder Death Kill. They dragged a bunch of instruments and recording gear inside this abandoned house down the street from me to build a studio. People tried to gather crowds to watch them jam, but would end up murdered before a crowd could form. Someone told me they tried to record it once, but when the tape was played back all anyone could hear were the sounds of their murder victims screaming.  Leatherface play...

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“ The Seventh Halloween ” by Anne Perry

Submitted to Contest #272

Lacey set the empty dog-food bag outside the back door for recycling and resumed work on her Halloween costume. She was playing Ms. Frizzle this year—at the suggestion of her fourth-grade students, who adored the eccentric science teacher ever ready for the unexpected.  Her costume included plastic reptiles sewn onto an old dress, two green and purple lizards she hot glued onto a pair of old tap shoes, a hat sporting a coiled snake, and a live iguana she would borrow from a neighbor. She expected the iguana, who tolerated walking on a l...

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Contest #272

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