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A package arrives at your character’s house, but they didn’t order anything. Write about what happens next.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 58 stories

No Forwarding Address

Winner of Contest #122 🏆

The traffic ticket was the last straw. For the most part, Casey loved her little bungalow. It was the perfect size for her, and walking distance from the train, a small locally owned supermarket, and a great Mom & Pop breakfast diner. The only problem was that a string of previous tenants had left their mark in the DIY projects of dubious quality, and the buckets of mail they still received at Casey's address. Monica Volkov was the worst one. For all the other ghosts of tenants past, Casey only received ad mailers and the occasional ...

315 likes 153 comments 153
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Parcels

Shortlisted for Contest #122 ⭐️

There was no knock on the door, no ring of the bell, only a message popping up on his phone screen: your package has been delivered. He hadn´t ordered anything. And yet, as he opened  the front door of his apartment out of pure caution there it was — a tall and lean cardboard box with that easily recognizable smile printed on its sides. The corridor outside the apartment was quiet. There was no sound coming from the other sixteen units on his floor, and the automatic lights were only turned on from the elevator to the vicinity of his do...

66 likes 32 comments 32
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Black Friday

Shortlisted for Contest #122 ⭐️

Peter Smith. That's my name. I live in a suburb, in a split-level 1960s ranch sandwiched between two McMansion infills. Both of the infills are new and have twice the square footage of my humble abode. And today, the day after Thanksgiving is my one day to sleep late. To relax when I am supposed to be working. But this year, the doorbell rings. Not a frantic ring, like something important. And there is no second or third ring from someone who is insistent, like Evelyn across the street bringing us half of an uneaten pecan pie from yeste...

31 likes 20 comments 20
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Misery comes in a box

Submitted to Contest #122

A chicken?...Yes, a dead chicken. Maria couldn't believe her eyes.Red ribbons, popcorn, and in the center of the box, there it was a headless bird.She looked once and stormed to the bathroom to vomit. Chills ran through her body, and for some minutes, she felt captured by an immeasurable terror.She would ordinarily blame morning sickness and her sensitivity to smells. But her eyes saw something that would make anyone's stomach turn that way.After washing her face and cleaning the messy bathroom, she had a burst of courage and went back to he...

22 likes 5 comments 5
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The Package

Submitted to Contest #122

There’s a package outside with my name on it. What would you like me to do? I don’t know what number this is. I just dialed. I dialed until somebody picked up. You picked me. What would you like me to do? Can you help me? I’m sorry, but I’m not used to the phone. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust phones. Communication can be very tricky. I wouldn’t even be calling, but this is an unusual circumstance. The package is just sitting there. Somebody should pick it up. I can’t pick it up. I have been told--taught--told not to pick up str...

21 likes 8 comments 8
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A Quiet Kind of Magic

Submitted to Contest #122

I startled at the whistle of my tea kettle. I was usually the only one making noise this late at night.  It was my fourth Christmas alone since my grandmother had died. She was my mother and my father, and, for the most part, was one of the only people I ever really knew growing up. I missed her dearly. Every Christmas Eve since I could remember, she and I would sit in the living room sipping on piping hot mugs of spiced black tea with orange slices. It’s my favorite smell and my favorite memory. I walked into the kitchen and removed...

20 likes 2 comments 2
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Unexpected Gift

Submitted to Contest #122

A mild lavender aroma permeated the air. It mixed with the sweet smell of peppermint white chocolate mocha, leaving a delightful scent where Caroline sat on the sofa. She read her book while she waited for the mocha to cool. She had just finished the weekend chores around the house and wanted to spend the afternoon immersed in her books. The doorbell rang to pause relaxation for Caroline as she looked over the sofa towards the front door with irritation. Had they come a few minutes earlier, they would have caught her before she sat down. ...

18 likes 9 comments 9
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Package Delivered

Submitted to Contest #122

Fifteen years of marriage proved to be tepid rather than loving as the Wrights drifted further apart. The unvarying abuse, the myriad affairs, the wavering health conditions, and let’s not forget, all the children brought situations to a halt upon Alyse’s hospital release. While attempting this chance at restoration and renewal, Alyse finally recognized her breaking point. She was no longer walking around the great state of Mississippi as the abused wife, nor Matthew’s fool. Mind you, Alyse was no one’s fool. She knew of his infidelities, as...

18 likes 8 comments 8
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Threads

Submitted to Contest #122

Mary walked from one gloomy room to another, feeling she had awakened from a deep sleep. ‘Is this how Sleeping Beauty felt after years of slumber?’ Still groggy, she struggled to understand. It felt like ages since she felt at peace with herself. Days and weeks passed without definition. ‘What season is this?’ What kept her imprisoned? Certainly not Edward. Despite his faults, he proved himself a caring and loyal husband. He wanted the best for her. He encouraged outings. ‘What, then?’ An unnamed fear haunted her. Sunshine seeped from behind...

17 likes 0 comments 0
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One Little Secret

Submitted to Contest #122

Startled, Alex sat straight up in bed and wondered if she was dreaming or if those were really footsteps in the hall. Shivering, she pulled the covers snugly around her half-dressed body and sat peering into the complete darkness. Her heart skipped a beat, and her blood went cold when she heard the raspy voice whispering through the baby monitor. "So you’re the big deal!" Forgetting she was half dressed, Alex threw back the covers and leapt off the bed sprinting across the hallway to check on the baby. By now Cody, her eighteen mon...

17 likes 1 comment 1
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The child of the Gods.

Submitted to Contest #122

It was October 19th, 2024. The dusk of night crept into the room I was in. The moonlight glistened onto all the surrounding objects in my room. I get spooked easy so I got up to turn on the light. As I stopped in my tracks exactly. I saw a brownish truck pull in my driveway. I didn’t have any family members nor did I have friends. I only had one friend which was my cat Mr. Oiyz, I stared at the truck a little longer. Without my glasses, it is hard to make out the figure of the truck. Finally, my eyes weren’t deceiving me and I could see the ...

16 likes 1 comment 1
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Things Left and Found

Submitted to Contest #122

ACT I - A Familiar Gesture. Mel calls out to Bo, her overweight and underwhelming cat of a decade. She follows the faint meowing to the living room. It's typical of Bo to only acknowledge the "ps ps ps" of his desperate owner from afar and leave it at that, but this time something else held his attention. The front door. Who...no, what...is that out there? In a normal scenario, curiosity would seduce Bo to be a daredevil and investigate but this isn't a normal scenario and Bo isn't a normal cat. It also helps that Mel is already making ...

16 likes 3 comments 3
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Unexpected Gifts

Submitted to Contest #122

It was the middle of a Saturday afternoon. I sat in my favorite place on the couch, stretching my legs out on the chaise. Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV, mounted above my fireplace. Netflix always seemed to have something I’d enjoy watching. Something caught my eye as I sifted through selections.  Ooh, that looks good.  Just as the trailer ended, my Ring doorbell sensed movement, spamming my phone with its crappy motion detection. I ignored it.  Probably one of the neighborhood kids walking past.  And pre...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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A Surprise in the Night

Submitted to Contest #122

It was a bare winter night. A dark figure emerged from the steps of the train station, her breath forming clouds in the air. She was wearing a long, thickly padded winter coat that reached her calves, with the hood tightly secured around her face. Despite her cocoon-like protection, the occasional strong gusts of wind seemed to cut straight through, chilling her to the bones. Teeth chattering, she folded her arms and made short, quick steps, making a shuffling noise from the friction of her clothes. The rough cement street was wet from the s...

15 likes 1 comment 1
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Present Past

Submitted to Contest #122

Present Past by Edward Hamilton PING!     As soon as he heard the sound from his pocket, he felt annoyance wash over him. He pulled the phone from his pocket. A couple of swipes and a security code later, he saw the text. Dad! The limited-edition Christmas red Rainbow Troll doll is available ONLY at Toys-a-Lot at 5pm on Dec 24th. I hope you can get it for me. Love you.     He groaned as he stared at the text. This time of year was not a slow time for his work. He was going to get off on Dec 24th...

15 likes 0 comments 0
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