As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 213 stories

“It Came!!!” by Felix Thorne

Submitted to Contest #47

You wake up with the sun in your eyes, yet again you’ve barely closed your eyes thanks to those dreams. Those stupid dreams that keep coming back no matter how much you tell them to fluff off. Those dreams full of your demons that follow you around during the day, weighing down your shoulders, whispering their horrible words into your ears then showing themselves at night. Haunting you at night, making sure you don’t sleep and then when the sun peaks at your eyelids you know dad’s going to come around to wake you up and maybe if he’s in a go...

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“Please Mama...” by E. Jude

Submitted to Contest #47

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2002)The train rattles past. A subtle reminder of time passing. It shakes the crummy apartment that sits next to the tracks, as a faithful cat to its owner. It shakes the whole building microscopically, but evidently. The glass of water that the daughter grasps in her trembling hand, slips, tumbles and smashes onto the cheap, wooden floor. The impact shatters the glass, crystal-like splinters shoot in every possible direction. An inquisitive sight, perhaps to some, but this just brings tears to the girl's eyes.&nb...

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“The Mysterious Man” by Thotsuki Bakuhoe

Submitted to Contest #47

You were only getting the mail. You got it every day after work. Usually there would be bills, magazines, and bank stuff. But never letters. Your family hated you. They hated him, your husband. They said he was only trouble. You didn't ever know why they hated him. You thought about it all the time. He was perfect, he was the love of your life. That is until he died last year. You were heartbroken and you didn't want to talk to anyone. But life went on and you soon tried to get over it. You did all you could to forget about him. You ev...

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“An Invitation To My Own Death” by Artemisia Pearl

Submitted to Contest #47

“Maybelle! Go get the mail! I am expecting a package!” Mom yelled. I shook my head with a groan. I was getting ready for my job interview, and Mom always interrupted my process. I stomped to my bedroom door and slammed it behind me. And like the 28-year-old woman I was, I stomped down the stairs, in annoyance with my mother. “Stop slamming my doors, Maybelle Louise Eirdis!” Gosh. Mom was in a mood today. I paused in my tracks and screamed, silently. I continued on to the front door. When I struggle...

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“You deserved better” by Sam T.

Submitted to Contest #47

You stared at the dingy, large, intricately designed iron gate as if in a trance, wondering how a sight so feared was something that now fueled your intrigue and fascination. It was as if the misty air and the ominous energy was calling out your name, and you were happy to oblige to the questionable beckoning. Snap out of it, you’re crazy! You scolded yourself internally, and tried to divert your attention towards the small walk leading you back home. Whatever you do, stay away from the Torrance mansion. The same warning would keep repeating...

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“"Dear Satan"...” by K. M. Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #47

The day is dark when you awake. In complete honesty, it's nothing new, the black smog rolling off your pointed tower turrets. It doesn't surprise you. Neither does the occasional scream as a soul rushes past your cracked bedroom window; the house is just plain stuffy were you to close it. No, none of this is new to you. Another long, long day in Hell. Yes, that's a capital H. When you're the devil, things get old fast. Really fast. Like breakfast. Your morning tea boils over, staining the crisp, red su...

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“The Miracle” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #47

As you check the Reedsy contest stories, something makes you click a title and read a story.If you are reading this, you are lucky. If someone else is reading this to you, you are also lucky. If these words are being conveyed to you in any shape or form, you are incredibly lucky. Why is that? Because it means you are alive. You exist.Have you ever wondered how close you came to almost not existing? A few stray molecules of DNA here, a stray asteroid there and you’d not be sitting there, reading these words. But, you are. You are here. Alive....

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“ Truth or Dare?” by Emaan Amin

Submitted to Contest #47

It was seven in the morning and you were sitting perched on your leather couch with an unopened pack of potato chips and coke; an excellent combination. You rubbed your eyes and stretched your arms as you yawned. It was a cold wintry weekday, and you didn't have to worry about the school work. As you didn't have much else to do, you clicked the television open and started browsing through YouTube. You opened the pack of chips and started munching on them. It was all very well until the television screen turned pitch black. You frowned and ba...

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“First of Many to Come” by Dobby's Sock

Submitted to Contest #47

You don't like waking up so early but your flatmate is calling out to you."It's his letter! Ay do you hear me? It's his letter!" she is banging at the door. The cries die down but the thuds continue, as loud as before.You wake up with a start from your slumber, all signs of it vaporizing in an instant. You push your feet into your slippers and rush for the door. As you open it with a careless swing, the momentum of your friend finds no resistance and along with her arm, she stumbles ahead and falls on you. But you're so excited you don't thi...

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“Times” by Mary Rogers

Submitted to Contest #47

You are feeling nervous. Seated in front of the computer, you feel your body stiff. Can't write. You stand up from your seat and walk along your room. It is getting smaller and smaller. You can't breath. Feel your legs tremble. A weight on your chest. Cough helps a bit, but not enough. You think you're having a heart attack and go back to your chair. You know there's no one at home; no one can help you now. You can’t reach your phone. Would you have time to call 911? Does anyone can fight death if she comes to get you? The screen is twinklin...

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“Love's Letter” by Tori Routsong

Submitted to Contest #47

The coffee has grown cold in the time since you started the Keurig and proceeded to forget about the coffee entirely. You look down in disgust—nothing worse than cold coffee. You take a sip anyway, grimacing as it pours down your throat. If Jules were still here, she’d tell you to put a little milk, ice and vanilla in there and give it a swirl and it’d be good as new.Jules isn’t here anymore though. You take another sip of bitter, cold coffee.The walk from the kitchen to your computer seems even longer now that you can hear your bare feet sl...

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“A Change of Heart” by Serine Achache

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #47

You know her.Carnations are her favorite flowers. Her favorite color is green. She hates coffee, and always sleeps on the left side of the bed.She reads Me Before You after every exam, eats Pasta every Thursday and hates cooking.You know this.There's a scar just above her left eyebrow, an accident from when she was ten, and a tattoo in her right wrist that reads Smeraldo.You know this as well.For someone who always claims to be so bad with details, you know hers by heart.You know because you were the one who cooked her every meal, whose hand...

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“Certain Slants” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #47

As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks. Normally you despise checking your mail, because it’s full of wasted paper, advertisements, envelopes addressed to people who haven’t lived at your address in over ten years, political propaganda, calls for donations. You really get upset at all the paper that goes into printing up things that get tossed immediately. Even with recycling, you feel it is a real crime that all the effort to sell, threaten, cajole, and otherwise influence people. This letter is dif...

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“You've Got Mail” by Anupama Iyer

Submitted to Contest #47

The temperature of the room is quite low, as it has been raining since the previous afternoon. You stretch your arms as you sit up on the bed when the alarm goes off. A thought about how you used to be the last one to wake up when you were younger crosses your mind, as you get up to begin the day. The rattle-tattle of the rain on the roof of your building and on the windows makes you feel calm; so does the cup of coffee which you take with yourself to the balcony. You feel thankful for covering up the balcony from above, or else you wouldn...

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“I AM WATCHING YOU” by Samadhee Ismail

Submitted to Contest #47

You just had a very busy day at work. Working in a bank had caused too much stress in your work life that you wish you could just quit the job and start something else. Like maybe, you could fulfill your dream of travelling around the world and become a travel blogger. Or you open your own bakery store in your neighborhood. But you are much of a coward to quit the job, because the job at least gave you stability in your financial situation. You are too scared to quit the job. You take the subway back to your cozy apartment, too exhausted a...

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As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 213 stories

“It Came!!!” by Felix Thorne

“Please Mama...” by E. Jude

“The Mysterious Man” by Thotsuki Bakuhoe

“An Invitation To My Own Death” by Artemisia Pearl

“You deserved better” by Sam T.

“"Dear Satan"...” by K. M. Carpenter

“The Miracle” by Harken Void

“ Truth or Dare?” by Emaan Amin

“First of Many to Come” by Dobby's Sock

“Times” by Mary Rogers

“Love's Letter” by Tori Routsong

“A Change of Heart” by Serine Achache

“Certain Slants” by Kathleen March

“You've Got Mail” by Anupama Iyer

“I AM WATCHING YOU” by Samadhee Ismail

🌟 Similar prompts

"Just say it," you silently reminded yourself. You knew you'd regret it if you didn't.

You looked out the window and, not for the first time, thought about how wrong the weather forecast had been.

Suitcase in hand, you head to the station.

You check the time. Perfect. As intended, you've arrived fashionably late.

Contest #47

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

881

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: