Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 11, 2024

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✍️ 111 stories

“Halloween Srory” by Samuel Newsome

Submitted to Contest #272

Halloween Story October thirty-first arrived in the Landry household with great anticipation. At least the smallest Landry, Larry, was excited for the holiday. At eleven years young, he had experienced trick or treat in past years with one parent close behind him as he marched up door steps in a kangaroo or clown costume and bravely announced, “Trick or treat!” The neighbors would bestow treats upon young Larry while waving at his parent ...

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“The Fall of Autumn” by Daniel Costa

Submitted to Contest #272

There is a stillness in the air. A blood moon rises over the tree line like a ruby that glimmers in the torch light. A man sat in his parked car at the side of a dirt road. This man is a solitary man, a hermit if you will. He ponders the great questions of life and writes down his dreams in the attempt to interpret their meaning. He has had a few lovers in his life, fewer friends, but that is a distant memory to him, although young. He was at a place called Deadwood by the locals. It is known for its sightings of Bigfoot in 1978 and has beco...

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“Hide and Seek by Ada Omerez” by Mia Balansag

Submitted to Contest #272

Hide and seekBy: Ada Omerez Ever since the first day of kindergarten, Tyler dragged his half-closed backpack up the twisty stairs of his old apartment building. The dim yellow ceiling lights flickered, and he could hear the faint water trickle from the gray day outside. His bag was soaked, not making it any easier to carry. His bag deeply reminded him of the crumbling walls around him, tattered, teared at the seams, and held on by a frayed thread. Tyler wanted to replace his bag, but he never found enough time to fix it. Mostly, he jus...

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“Her” by Colbi Johnson

Submitted to Contest #272

I never thought much about the girl at first. She was just someone I saw in passing—on the street, in a coffee shop, or at the park. She always seemed to be there, but I never paid her much attention. Just another stranger. Before all of this started, my life was ordinary. I worked at an office downtown, a predictable routine that I didn’t mind. My mornings were the same—early commutes, black coffee, and half-hearted small talk with coworkers. I liked the comfort of my routines, the way everything was orderly and familiar. Then I saw her. It...

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“Hide” by Katie Kim

Submitted to Contest #272

“Hide,” My mother told four-year-old me sternly. “Hide, and I’ll find you.” I giggled and ran into the house to find a hiding place as my mother began counting. I hid under the coffee table, trying to stay perfectly still as she announced, “Ready or not, here I come!” I heard her footsteps approach softly, and she stooped under the table with one swift motion to come eye-to-eye with me. I didn’t know how, but she always knew exactly where I hid. A few years passed, and I got better at hide and seek. The rules… cha...

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“Butterflies of the Broken Mind ” by Theresa Sullivan

Submitted to Contest #272

Thema had always been a figure of whispered conversations and hushed warnings among the locals of the sleepy town of Windsor. She haunted a narrow stretch of Traveler Trail, a path through ancient woods that maneuvered parallel to a river. People had been reporting strange happenings on that road—disembodied voices, flickering lights, sudden chills, and most chilling of all, sightings of Thema herself—for as long as anyone could remember. What made Thema Mercer different from other ghost stories wasn’t just creepy experiences. She disp...

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“The Vessel” by Kepler Law

Submitted to Contest #272

I need to wash the blood off. I need to get rid of her. I need to forget that any of this has happened. I stare down at her. Her body awkwardly sprawled, as if it had fallen and never found peace. Her once flawless skin had taken on a bluish-gray hue under the fading light, giving her an otherworldly appearance. What looked to be blacken roots began to engorge her skin. A once-vibrant face was now hollowed and slack, lips slightly parted, as if caught mid-sentence. Tendrils of a black mist enveloped her body. Covering her until s...

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“Third Date” by Simon Ireson

Submitted to Contest #272

It was an amazing evening. Isobel’s third date, since joining ‘Find Your Mate’, was going well. Being honest, she would admit this was the first time she had been relaxed enough to enjoy herself. Equally, her dinner companion was a huge improvement. He was a little energetic, but great company. She thought his eagerness to please was likely due to him being as nervous as her. Tom, as his profile named him, claimed this was his first time trying internet dating. Isobel was unconvinced. He seemed quite at home with the ins and outs of a nice m...

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“The Quiet Words” by Dan Coglianese

Submitted to Contest #272

Dear Reader,Some of you are familiar with one or more of my stories. Many of them feature a character by the name of Samil. He’s a trickster of sorts. Sometimes he is mischievous, and sometimes he’s pure evil. Today, I want to tell you another Samil story. A true story. Hae verba legendo, ianuam obscuritatis aperisCurses are real, but so are counter-curses. By reading these words, you are protected from him. But he insists that you know him. This is the story of how Samil cursed me. A cautionary tale. I first met Samil when I was...

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“Becoming” by Alessan Perez

Submitted to Contest #272

The sky held an eerie hue as Sarah navigated down the wooded path. It was reminiscent of the bloody ooze of an infected cut, a sickly beige with streaks of crimson along the edges. She heard the crunch of dead leaves beneath her feet with every step. Behind her, she sensed a presence, the only sign of it in the form of a subtle electricity buzzing through the ground. An uneasiness over came her and she suddenly had to fight the urge to run, desperate for the safety of her living room. “Keep your cool”, she said to herself as she stoppe...

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“Bhayya, won’t you play with me? ” by Ramesh Matham

Submitted to Contest #272

He wouldn’t have discovered the cave but for the python. The python slithers down the rocky crevice of the mountain and disappears into the bushy vegetation, its skin winking against the moonlight. “Don’t go away, dinner,” he mumbles and climbs down the crevice. He finds the python trying to hide itself under a boulder. He grabs it by its neck and smashes the head on the boulder. That’s when he finds the cave—an inviting opening, a meter-wide at the widest. Wow! Nice place to stay hidden, for, say a week, until the heat subsides. He w...

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“Jane Who Had It All” by Ally Gutierrez

Submitted to Contest #272

In her freshman year, Jane had to read that story about the woman who goes completely mad because of the hideous wallpaper in her room. Ok, that isn’t exactly the reason, but as they say, If you know, you know. The story scared the absolute hell out of her. She wasn’t sure if it was the bulging eyes of the nightmare women rattling the bars that trapped them in the wallpaper, or the crouching women creeping around in the darkness outside the window, or, no—it was definitely the bedpost, the gnawing on the bedpost—this woman in ...

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“Mom?” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #272

Susan rushed into the bathroom, closed the door behind her and rested her back against it. She took a deep breath and combed her hair out of her face. Everything's fine, Susan. She nodded, agreeing with herself and took another deep breath. She pushed off the door and straightened her cardigan. She pulled her shoulders back and marched the two steps to the sink. She reached for the medicine cabinet and clutched the edge of the mirror. Before she could open it, she caught a glimpse of herself. It was only day five and she looked like he...

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“Blood and Bramble” by Spencer Salokar

Submitted to Contest #272

Blood and BrambleBy: Spencer Salokar Gabby was eating dinner one night when her friend Nancy called her. She was sobbing, and through her tears she told Gabby that her and her boyfriend Daniel had gotten into a fight. He had just snapped, hit her, and then left after she had refused to go to bed with him. It made no sense, she told Gabby. They had both agreed to save themselves for marriage, and he had always been nothing but patient. Gabby called her husband, who was on a business trip in D.C., and he agreed that she should go stay with Nan...

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“Scopophobia” by Luis Javier Fuentes

Submitted to Contest #272

David was home alone on Saturday night. The small house felt a bit creepy when all the company he had was his phone and the late night tv host whose jokes were only making the fake audience laugh. He had the television on to create the illusion that there was more than one person in the house. It made him feel relieved. It certainly made him feel safe. But his mind was racing. He didn’t like being alone in the house, even if the roommate had to work the night shift at late notice, he certainly wasn’t forgiving him for that. He kept scrolling...

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Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 111 stories

“Halloween Srory” by Samuel Newsome

“The Fall of Autumn” by Daniel Costa

“Hide and Seek by Ada Omerez” by Mia Balansag

“Her” by Colbi Johnson

“Hide” by Katie Kim

“Butterflies of the Broken Mind ” by Theresa Sullivan

“The Vessel” by Kepler Law

“Third Date” by Simon Ireson

“The Quiet Words” by Dan Coglianese

“Becoming” by Alessan Perez

“Bhayya, won’t you play with me? ” by Ramesh Matham

“Jane Who Had It All” by Ally Gutierrez

“Mom?” by Levi Michael

“Blood and Bramble” by Spencer Salokar

“Scopophobia” by Luis Javier Fuentes

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with someone running away from something, literally or metaphorically.

Write a story from the point of view of a ghost, vampire, or werewolf.

Center your story around someone trying to resist their darker impulses — and they’ll either succeed or fail.

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

Contest #272

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

480

Contest entries

174

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: