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

“Red Letter Day ” by Haruko Otonashi

Submitted to Contest #47

You opened the letter.Of course you did. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Red envelopes are a rarity these days, aren’t they? I myself have once received a love letter in red before—but that turned out to be a prank, so that is irrelevant. Over in the Far East, people make it a tradition to give out red envelopes filled with money on New Year’s Day—but today is not New Year’s Day, I assure you it is not. And there is no money to be found here.I write this letter to tell you that your death is near.Are you panicking? Are you laughing? I’ll tell you,...

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“A letter from winfrey jones” by Denise Butler

Submitted to Contest #47

Judy Jones drove up to her house she had just got off from work after working the night shift; as she was walking to unlock the door to her comfort zone; she grabbed her mail and went in she slowly went through the mail when suddenly she held a letter from winfrey jones; Judy's mouth dropped she was frozen in place because the letter she held was from her dead brother winfrey Judy started tearing up in disbelief she thought to herself how could her dead brother write her a letter ;Judy was in shock and it freaked her out she was kind of scar...

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“Father of the Bride” by Julia Gibson

Submitted to Contest #47

As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks, a large brown envelope, addressed to you with the return address: Office of the Attorney General PO Box 12548 Austin, TX 78711-2548 You have been dreading this day and it’s finally here, the day when your questions will be answered, at least with 99% accuracy. You hesitate, then put the envelope in the book safe on the top shelf, where you keep all personal items. Only this time you lock it. Taking your keys and your cell phone and looking one final time i...

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“Birthday Present” by Bogdan Kross

Submitted to Contest #47

It wasn’t a bad dream that woke you up so early in the morning and made you quickly scan your chamber for any threat. Half sitting, supporting yourself on your elbows, you are cautiously looking around trying to find somebody who would be brave or stupid enough to jump from behind the delicate curtains of your canopy bed and attack you. You made sure, your dagger is always within reach. Now, as you slowly scan the room, your left-hand wonders to the pommel and soft leather grip of your Spanish dagger, standing to attention just next to your ...

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“The Letter” by Jennifer Weiss

Submitted to Contest #47

It is July 27th and you are seven months pregnant. Thankfully, five o’clock has arrived. No, it is not “Cocktail Hour”; it is time to turn on Sesame Street for Zach, your no-nap, three-year-old son, whom you have been playing with since he reset the time on his hand-me-down digital alarm clock, “Gritch, gritch, gritch… at 6:15 a.m., and jumped on your bed to announce, “IT’S SEVEN O’CWOCK,” the permitted time for him to wake Mommy and Daddy. You send up a silent prayer that the robot segment with the “Duh-da-Duh-da-Duh-Da-Duh-Da-Duh” music ...

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“FRIEND, WE NEED THEE” by Scott Smock

Submitted to Contest #47

You trek down the stairs of your apartment building in a kind of style reminiscent of the Joker in that movie. It's been three years since you left your Quaker heritage behind and moved on to the glittering swank of Broadway. Well, technically off-Broadway but, hey, who's counting? Your sex life is your own choice, your drinks are continental and your meditation is active. Life is good. Or, at least, it has been. You reach trembling hands into your mailbox and pull out a wad of joy; bills, bills, bills. Of course your latest issue of 'Rollin...

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“The Letter” by Tedi Carey

Submitted to Contest #47

It was late last Saturday afternoon when I arrived at the communal mailbox that was shared by all the tenants in my apartment complex. It was a muggy, sultry kind of day and I delayed collecting the mail as long as I could. I was not interested in walking out of my air conditioned apartment and out into the 100 degree weather that is so common around here at this time of year. I casually opened my cubby hole sized mail cubicle and extracted the contents. I half expected it to be full of junk mail. I wasn’t disappointed. There were two catalo...

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“THE LETTER THAT STOPPED ME” by Eco Anna

Submitted to Contest #47

I was lying lazily in my room, and I was just daydreaming. It was a plain old boring weekend day, and I decided to just lay around. But I should do something, not just lie around, I thought to myself. I decided to go to my friends house, so I dressed up and gathered up some snacks and left. On the way, I stopped to check the mail box but suddenly, I heard a shuffle. I looked at the ground, and saw that I stepped on a letter. I kept going to the mailbox, but then I froze in my tracks. I turned around and I gravely looked at the letter. My eye...

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“The Letter” by Suzette Ward

Submitted to Contest #47

The mailman is never going to get here, is he? You’ve been waiting weeks to get that catalog. Oh, of course, it’s old-fashioned of you to get a paper catalog when you’re surrounded by technology. Not only are you surrounded by technology, but you could also afford the best of it, can’t you? Still, there’s something about the feel of the paper beneath your fingers, the crinkle as it shifts in your hand, the smell of it. Oh, do you hear that? The mailman really needs to have his employer give his little white truck a tune-up. You’ve list...

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“Mr. Death” by Marian Reiley

Submitted to Contest #47

You check your mail everyday. Today was different though. Yes, you still opened up the door and got the contents of that box attached to the wall in your appartment building's lobby. Rifiling through the envelopes, bills and coupon packets, you see a letter that makes the breath stop on its way out. Both addresses are done in letters cut out from magazines. Chills run down your spine. It was happening again. Already knowing the envelope's basic contents, you open it. Inside, just like before, is a letter composed in a collage of fon...

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“A Good Dream” by Katie Myers

Submitted to Contest #47

It was getting closer to April 1st, not that you needed reminding. Every third e-mail in your inbox took care of that. Your compliance coordinator is breathing down your neck at work, and so are your teammates. You can’t close your eyes anymore without counting your yellow triangles (3, right now) and red stop signs (only 1, not terrible). “Hey, have you scheduled your meetings yet?” “How’s the paperwork going?” “Hey, can you come look at this for me?” “It’s under control,” you say with a forced ...

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“Into the Inferno” by A. Marya

Submitted to Contest #47

You wake up surrounded by demons. You try to keep your body relaxed, and slowly open your eyes, carefully keeping them narrowed into slits. Hopefully, they won't notice you're awake. Your head ached horribly, but you ignored it. After years of dealing with such creatures, you can easily sense their presence. It isn't hard. The smell of those monsters made it simple, if you knew what to look for. Indeed, the metallic scent of copper mixed with the cloying sweetness of lilac perfume, would make anyone else nauseous. Unfortunately, ...

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“The University of Westminster” by Ella Kinnett

Submitted to Contest #47

“Julia,” your mother says, “you need to send your application to the University of Westminster. You are a senior and the year is almost over and you haven't sent one application to any college yet.” You knodd to let her know that you understand and then walk up to your room to finish the application. You don’t really want to go to the University of Westminster but all of your family who went to college did, and you will be the first girl in generations to go to college. My father and his father and his grandfather all went to the University ...

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“Pickles” by Jimmy Arnis

Submitted to Contest #47

You hate sorting the mail. A hardcore Generation Z, you’re of the steadfast belief that the Internet is the absolute truth, so you’ve never understood why some people still cling to the old and archaic way of writing and posting letters. Hello! Heard of e-mail yet? Unfortunately, it’s part of your designated house chores; Maggie, as usual, got the fun chores, like mowing the lawn. As you sullenly poke through the stack, a certain letter catches your attention. It’s just a piece of honey colored cotton paper folded in two, but filigree adorn...

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“The Lavender Letter” by K Jane

Submitted to Contest #47

As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks. You stare at it. You don’t dare touch it as a mint green envelope stares back at you from the shadowy depths of your lighthouse-styled mailbox. Nervously glancing around, you check to see if your nosy neighbors are creaking in their porch rocking chairs. Your street is quiet, peaceful, and void of any porch-rockers. It’s Tuesday morning, nearly lunchtime, and Roger the mailman waves to you from the mailbox across the street. You lift your palm in response and...

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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

“Red Letter Day ” by Haruko Otonashi

“A letter from winfrey jones” by Denise Butler

“Father of the Bride” by Julia Gibson

“Birthday Present” by Bogdan Kross

“The Letter” by Jennifer Weiss

“FRIEND, WE NEED THEE” by Scott Smock

“The Letter” by Tedi Carey

“THE LETTER THAT STOPPED ME” by Eco Anna

“The Letter” by Suzette Ward

“Mr. Death” by Marian Reiley

“A Good Dream” by Katie Myers

“Into the Inferno” by A. Marya

“The University of Westminster” by Ella Kinnett

“Pickles” by Jimmy Arnis

“The Lavender Letter” by K Jane

🌟 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: