Set your story at a tense event where everyone is unsure whose side they’re on.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Mar 8, 2024

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✍️ 27 stories

“November Sixth” by Natalie Wood

Submitted to Contest #241

November SixthNatalie HannahThe screech of a car with an explosion caught my eye on the news; it was raining on November 6th. “People are looting all the stores downtown, Mom!” I cried. “The reporter is trying her best to stay out of the way of all the chaos. It looks really scary, Mom.” Downtown is crazy. People are rushing through freezing rain, causing countless accidents on all the highways. It is out of control. Would you come to see this? Mom, The lady says it is like an exodus to the suburbs and surrounding outskirts. Do y...

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“Boys will be Boys ” by Patrick Druid

Submitted to Contest #241

The birds that had been beating in the trees suddenly launched themselves in the air en masse after a shot was fired."What did you do?!?Breathless, Keith slowed his pace as he caught up to his older brother Tom, who stood stock still.Charlie followed Keith up the hill and the youngest brother, Rick, brought up the rear."Uh...."Tom couldn't seem to get the words out or any words out. He just stood there at the edge of the ravine."What do we….?”, Charlie began catching his breath. He was about to ask again but, when he turned to face Tom, his ...

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“The Visitors” by GW LeCroy

Submitted to Contest #241

Part 1 Jean Davis In a raging swath of flame mankind—those who turned away from the One Truth—burned. This emptiness took hold from inside them suddenly, and they cried out as one—finally one—and their pain and terror of knowing in their last moments that they were too late to change, that they had thrown away their final chance at salvation, struck me as I watched atop a great hill of black and gold. The Visitor was beside me, scorching me with his radiance. Larger than I could comprehend, but who hovered beside me not much taller ...

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“Mutiny” by Ayla Cummings

Submitted to Contest #241

The air surrounding June was stagnant and humid, the soft tapping of rain against rock mixed with the whispering of the wind. She stood still, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Her gaze was cautious as she glanced around at the people she had once called friends. To her right was a taller man with wavy brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a red aketon that lay under his silver armor, the royal insignia sewn into the fabric. His name was William. “Come with us peacefully or be slayed on the spot assassin” William’s voice wa...

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“Kynigi” by Justin R

Submitted to Contest #241

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to.." The Chairman paused. "Nah, fuck all that. Who's ready to get hunted?!" He growled with a smirk. The room was quiet in judgment, wondering what he was talking about. He stood up straight and adjusted his tie."Let me rephrase that." He held out for another long pause. "As you know humanity has developed drastically in the world of medicine. You, a group in your thirties have basically only lived a fifth of your life span . Before such advancements, a fifth of your life would basically make you young adults,...

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“Stitch By Stitch” by Karla S. Bryant

Submitted to Contest #241

“Stitch By Stitch”by Karla S. Bryant When a room is in total silence, you can hear the pull of thread through muslin held taut in an embroidery frame. I focus on the sound and for a moment, roll the needle pressed between my thumb and forefinger back and forth. The open fireplace to the left is darkened with soot, but a fine fire keeps our sewing group warm. It’s unseasonably cool for September, and I’d worn my wool cloak when I went to the market earlier at Head House. Now I can hear thread pull through fabric from every woman seated in th...

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“Perplexing Prison-break” by Chloe M

Submitted to Contest #241

The unmarked helicopter touched down, whisking a cloak of dust over the complex. "Complex" was a generous term for the trailers tucked deep in the desert canyon. Moving as a unit, the private security team hustled out with their guns drawn. Part of the unsanctioned prison was still ablaze. They were paid well to ensure incidents like these never made it to the media. If those in power with money wanted to punish, ransom, or torture (other) criminals in the desolate wasteland without trial, they didn't give it a second thought. Their sk...

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“Nathan's Equilibrium” by Mason Springer-Lipton

Submitted to Contest #241

The keyboard was cold and bristly under my fingertips--space bar, ctrl, W--like snake scales. I breathed in, out, in, out. My heart slammed at my throat. Beside me Nathan stuttered, stumbled over half-spoken words. "I- Professor, it- I don't know how it got there- I didn't mean-" "You didn't mean to open ChatGPT?" I stared ahead across the lecture hall, eyes fixed on the paneled walls and blackboard displaying the remaining exam time in big, looping white letters. 45 minutes. I tried not to look down, at the heads that spun back, eyes up and...

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“We Do Not Make This Decision Lightly” by David Willett

Submitted to Contest #241

The darkness in the Supreme Solutions boardroom had a way of breaking people’s spirits. Its lack of natural light and tundra-like air conditioning earned it the nickname The Judgement Zone. It was usually a place for senior leaders with job titles that started with chief or general manager to be summoned to justify their existence. Now, a group of employees lined each side of the monolithic two-toned charcoal table at the room's centre. Each of them was tasked with making decisions none of them wanted to make. ‘Let’s not forget our corporat...

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“Heated Debate” by Olive Helm

Submitted to Contest #241

“Have you heard the news?”, Elias finally asked when breakfast was close to its end. He meant to ask for a few days now, but his father’s temperament towards such things made it hard to trust he would handle the topic appropriately. And as he expected, a warning glance shot at him from across the table. Breakfast was never his talkative time, but the silence felt strangling now. As if breathing in too much air at once would poison his lungs.“Well, what is it you want to tell us, Elias?”, his father asked. Or rather warned.“Well, sou see, a l...

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“The Execution” by Shiloh Avery

Submitted to Contest #241

No one breathes. Our eyes dart nervously about the innocuously painted cinderblock room, borrowed for the evening like a casserole dish for a pot luck. But we know there’s powder in here, we taste hints of it in the air. We hold our breath. We don’t post flags. We don’t wear themed garments of war. We don’t line up behind our respective champions. We keep our sweaty palms stuffed in our pockets, out of reach of our neighbors; we refuse to harmonize. We reserve our smiles and nod instead for greeting to each other, ju...

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“A Murder at Sorrowfor Manor” by Loki Wilson

Submitted to Contest #241

Black clouds cried tears of rain and the wind howled miserably on a dreary night in the depths of October. A few hours earlier, the brilliant silver moon had been looking down upon the world, but now she hid shamefully behind those black clouds as the wrath of the heavens unleashed itself. I couldn’t really blame her as I stared at the corpse before me. It lay in its vast armchair like a puppet with the strings cut with its limbs dangling at odd angles and a ghastly red smile in its throat. Blood had run down its arm and was dripping from th...

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Set your story at a tense event where everyone is unsure whose side they’re on.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 27 stories

“November Sixth” by Natalie Wood

“Boys will be Boys ” by Patrick Druid

“The Visitors” by GW LeCroy

“Mutiny” by Ayla Cummings

“Kynigi” by Justin R

“Stitch By Stitch” by Karla S. Bryant

“Perplexing Prison-break” by Chloe M

“Nathan's Equilibrium” by Mason Springer-Lipton

“We Do Not Make This Decision Lightly” by David Willett

“Heated Debate” by Olive Helm

“The Execution” by Shiloh Avery

“A Murder at Sorrowfor Manor” by Loki Wilson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who is convinced they’re going to be betrayed.

Write about someone who is stuck between two opposing sides and can’t decide which one to choose.

Start your story with an unexpected betrayal.

Write about a backstabbing (literal or metaphorical) gone wrong.

Contest #241

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

255

Contest entries

116

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: