Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 11, 2024

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✍️ 111 stories

“The Man in the Barrel (or Steel Drum)” by Maddox Umholtz

Submitted to Contest #272

{TW, Physical violence, gore, abuse, degradation, references to self-harm}Day such and such, living, partly, in the captor’s, the bulking flesh, slice of space, under unknown amount of earth. A mattress, one which has the scent of the hole, and a hole to the right of the foot of it; four feet of space to sit up, a waterspout for gerbils, ferrets and other such domesticated rodents that hangs from the top left edge and protrudes from a small cavity in the ceiling, and a tray of slop that unfolds from the right wall three times a day. Living,...

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“The eyes” by Orthodoxia Papachartofyli

Submitted to Contest #272

I open my eyes and then close them again. It makes no difference. I am shrouded by darkness. I'm tied to the wall of my basement, propped up but stooping, like a forgotten doll on a girl's shelf. I tug my arm, bring it as close as possible to me, and place my bound hand in between my cheek and my shoulder, rubbing it like I do with Peter's hand when he kneads the hard knots on my shoulder blade. Stop it, he always laughs, I'm supposed to do the massaging now, not you. It's a duct tape, I think, as the cold, plastic scratches my cheek...

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“The Last Laugh” by Todd Williams

Submitted to Contest #272

I want you to picture an eleven-year-old boy skimming stones on the banks of the Hudson River just outside of West Point. It was a cool October morning in 2003, and the leaves paint an autumn picture no artist’s brush can quite do justice. The boy wears a Beat Navy hoodie, with the front pocket starting to sag from the choice stones he has picked from the sides of the nearby railroad tracks. He skims stones when he is stressed, and up until last night the biggest stress in his life was worrying about striking out in the playoffs or failing a...

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“The Man in the Mirror” by Christie Mack

Submitted to Contest #272

Anna had little option when she leased the small, ageing apartment in the Carrington Building. The flat was dated but affordable and conveniently close to her college, which made the creaky floorboards and stained wallpaper bearable. The thin, grey-haired manager with a peculiar, tight-lipped grin reassured Anna of the apartment’s appeal. "It’s peaceful," the manager remarked. "A bit aged but sturdy. Just overlook the quirks. Older buildings have character." Anna didn’t need convincing. She was on a tight budget, trying to escape the dorms w...

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“The Secret” by Lizzy Shaw

Submitted to Contest #272

Halloween, October 31stThe room was dark, vacant of sound apart from my heart beating so hard I could feel it in my ears. There was a presence in the room with me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. A surge of adrenaline flowed through me like lightening with the thud of each approaching footstep. The killer’s movement was slow and calculated.I hid behind a red velvet chair, in the corner of my living room. Through a window overhead, a beam of moonlight illuminated the space in front of me. Just over the arm of the chair I could s...

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“No Good Deed” by Thomas Golden

Submitted to Contest #272

“Monty, come on.” The stubborn old corgi looked up at Sarah with a vacuous expression, made all the worse by the fact that he knew exactly what he was doing. He squatted and puffed out whatever minuscule specks of urine were still in his tank. “You don’t have to pee, you’re just marking, let’s go,” Sarah reasoned, giving Monty’s leash a gentle tug. &...

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Write a story with the aim of scaring your reader.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 111 stories

“The Man in the Barrel (or Steel Drum)” by Maddox Umholtz

“The eyes” by Orthodoxia Papachartofyli

“The Last Laugh” by Todd Williams

“The Man in the Mirror” by Christie Mack

“The Secret” by Lizzy Shaw

“No Good Deed” by Thomas Golden

🌟 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: