Write a murder story where the murder weapon is the knife used to carve a pumpkin.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 21, 2022

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✍️ 49 stories

“Kitchen Cast & Crew” by Gavin Matthew

Submitted to Contest #169

“Henry. Grab the knife.” “Really?! And get my fingerprints on the thing? No way, baby. Nothing doing.” It had not been eight hours before someone decided they had had enough of their host Blanco Bo-Day. There he was on the kitchen floor prone with a knife protruding from his back, his husky from damp and paler than usual. He was dead. The frozen horror on his face and his awkward stillness were proof enough of that fact. “You might as well do it,” continued Kat, her sand-colored fingers fidgeting at the seam of her dress. “We’re all...

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“Aiden O'Flynn” by Blake S. Lee

Submitted to Contest #169

The cat’s black fur shimmered in the full moon’s light as it left a trail of bloody footprints. Like rose petals dipped in wax, scarlet stains scattered doom across the porch’s splintered boards and led to where the boy’s body lay illuminated by a toothy jack-o’-lantern.A throng of curious neighbors gathered around the caution tape wrapping the border of the white Victorian home—no one got in without police clearance. Beside one of the patrol cars, Henry’s mother, Lois, wept into her husband’s chest; Terry Murphy was doing his best to consol...

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“Harrowing Rondo” by Tyler Hanson

Submitted to Contest #169

Light enters my domain, forgotten to all, but not to her. She comes often, calling into the vacant halls filled with paintings and busts of the family that lives here. The woman who's always pushing her glasses back up, as if they were never meant to charm her face, acts as if she owns this place. But she is no relative of mine. "Hello!" she says with an excited expression, the same reflection in her voice as every time she visits. "I've brought a new gadget today! So, I hope you're finally ready to talk to me." She says, as if anything has ...

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“Shay” by Andrea Britton

Submitted to Contest #169

Shay sat on the window sill licking her paws, waiting for the neighborhood's children to come out. The wind outside was gusty and shook the tree limbs outside the windows, occasionally tapping on the glass, causing Shay to refocus her attention outside. A black cat walking across the road momentarily distracted Shay from her primping. She watched as it crossed the street and darted into several bushes lining the front porch of a neighboring house. Shay returned to cleaning her paws. Had it just been the one black cat, or had it not been Hal...

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“Last Halloween” by Andrea Doig

Submitted to Contest #169

I’m shivering again.Halloween has arrived unannounced this year, with only the constant cold as a sombre reminder of the long dark winter months that have passed by unnoticed. Thank heavens for summer’s hesitant appearance; her golden warmth slowly overshadowing the creeping chill that lingered through spring for me this year.But still, I am cold.The magnificence of the sunrise captures my gaze as anticipation warms my bones and I snuggle in deeper. Halloween has always been my favourite holiday with its ghosts and ghouls, witches and warloc...

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“The Lovers Cabin of Wicked Hallows” by Midnight B.

Submitted to Contest #169

Trigger Warning: The murder scene is discussed in very minor detail towards the end! If you wouldn't prefer to read that, you are free to scroll to the next story. This is an excerpt from a book that I am currently working on at the moment where I implemented Reedsy's prompt in for the sake of the contest. Please be kind as this is my first story on Reedsy. Be sure to leave your support if you enjoy it! The grandfather clock in my living room struck with the ring of a new hour. My entire body immediately jolted from my chair. How long had I ...

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“A Most Delicious Halloween Murder” by Julie Pruitt

Submitted to Contest #169

The three Simms children were littered across their home’s front porch like discarded rag dolls. Their two-story home was one of the 100-year-old buildings that was situated around the town square. In the middle of the square was the red brick courthouse which was the county’s most beautiful building and most expensive asset. The oldest child, Brett, was throwing a baseball up into the air and catching it as he lay on his back. He was 11 years old. Sandra, the second oldest, was swinging in the porch swing with her head propped on her ha...

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“DEADLY OBSESSION” by Del Gibson

Submitted to Contest #169

I am woken in the dead of the night to the telephone ringing beside the bed, it is 2 am. Disconcerted, I reach for it worried that something awful has happened. The ringing lifts me into consciousness, and without switching on the light, I answer it. “Hello…” “I am watching you!” Someone screams down the phone. I quickly hang up; this is the third night in a row this has happened. Sleep is now a long-ago distant thought. Shivering, I make my way to the kitchen. I’m sipping a hot chocolate to help calm my nerves, when a knock at the fro...

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“All Hallows Eve” by Renae Reints

Submitted to Contest #169

It was a crisp fall day. One of those where the air feels like glass, but the crunching of fallen leaves sounds like a lullaby. The sky was gray blue, the earth cold and solid. Jack felt strong. He’d lived his whole life on this plot of land. He knew his neighbors – sturdy, reliable folk for the most part. They tended to their property, grew life from roots in its soil. Made the world green and beautiful. Visitors would come through sometimes, kicking up their carefully settled spaces, grabbing whatever they’d like from the vine as i...

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“The Missing Bumble Bee” by Grace Olander

Submitted to Contest #169

The night was silent. Too silent, it seemed. Emma pulled her thick coat closer around her as she walked down the steps of her front porch. On any other cold night, she would be upstairs reading a novel. Likely a mystery. However, she and her friends, Katie and Leah, were meeting at the old abandoned church just down the road. It was Halloween night and they were going trick or-treating. Emma’s costume was based upon a classic detective. An old rimmed hat, beige duster coat, notebook, and an antique badge. Though in truth, she wasn’t acting. ...

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“A Childish Massacre, Pumpkin Flavored” by Gaby Roberts

Submitted to Contest #169

The knife in my hands is the shiniest object I've ever held in my life. Moonlight reflects from it, making it look as if the knife itself were a source of light. Every movement I make with it is graceful and calculated, slow but compelling. A smile emerges from my mouth, all of my teeth exposed, I can almost feel the cold of the dark breezy night swallow me whole. “Kane, come on, it's time to carve the pumpkin with your brother!” I hear my mom yell at me from another room, she probably doesn’t know I'm already sitting on the porch with...

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“Pumpkin Spice” by Angela Porter

Submitted to Contest #169

Warning: murder.I opened the door to the sweet scent of pumpkin, fresh and ripe. There he was again, pumpkins on the table, their innards piled on newspaper, his hand scooping another load of mushy, seedy mess out of, like the sixth one."You devil!" I shook my head. He just looked up and grinned. I hated that smile."Just making sure I get it right. That's important, you know.""All I know is I am sick and tired of smelling pumpkin," I took a sip of my latte."What flavor is that?"I lowered my cup and stared at him, "Pumpkin Spice," I hated whe...

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“DUO PURPOSE KNIFE” by Joseph Monachino

Submitted to Contest #169

Murray is watching the shopping channel. An exclusive collection of knives is being sold. It is called, “The Doug Smith Collection”. There are only 15,000 units being sold. Murray goes to his computer and goes through the procedure of ordering one to be delivered to his home. After one month, a package arrives in the mail. When he opens it, he finds the knife that he ordered in it. He carefully inspects it. He notices that there are digits on the handle. The digits read: “10,045”. He knows that ...

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“The Hollow Party” by Hannah O

Submitted to Contest #169

“How perfect, Krystal darling!” chirped Mrs. Marsh, as she opened the fiberglass door to a young boy on the doorstep. “You’ve invited over a Magic Mirror! The very thing we needed.” “Mother, this is Jack,” said a girl of about eight, coming up beside her mom to greet her guest. Her dark hair had been curled into charming ringlets secured with a red ribbon, and she was dressed in an expensive Snow White costume that had been gifted to her mother. “He’s not the Magic Mirror! He said he didn’t wanna be a character.” Then she hastened to give ...

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“Pumpkin Slicer” by Lee M

Submitted to Contest #169

The sticky guts made a wet plunk noise as Jasmine plopped them into a bowl. "It's too bad Molly had to work tonight." She reached her hand in for another scoop. "I know she would love this," Fay said as she plunged the knife in to cut out an eye. "I'm not talking about carving pumpkins, I mean since you two have gotten awfully cozy lately." Jasmine teased. Fay blushed. “We have been spending a lot of time together. I wish she could've been here tonight but tomorrow’s Halloween and I have special plans for us." ...

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Write a murder story where the murder weapon is the knife used to carve a pumpkin.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 49 stories

“Kitchen Cast & Crew” by Gavin Matthew

“Aiden O'Flynn” by Blake S. Lee

“Harrowing Rondo” by Tyler Hanson

“Shay” by Andrea Britton

“Last Halloween” by Andrea Doig

“The Lovers Cabin of Wicked Hallows” by Midnight B.

“A Most Delicious Halloween Murder” by Julie Pruitt

“DEADLY OBSESSION” by Del Gibson

“All Hallows Eve” by Renae Reints

“The Missing Bumble Bee” by Grace Olander

“A Childish Massacre, Pumpkin Flavored” by Gaby Roberts

“Pumpkin Spice” by Angela Porter

“DUO PURPOSE KNIFE” by Joseph Monachino

“The Hollow Party” by Hannah O

“Pumpkin Slicer” by Lee M

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character encountering a black cat.

Write a story where someone sees the shadow of someone standing behind them.

Start your story with a blast of lightning casting a graveyard in a flash of brief, white light.

Write about someone finding a monster under their bed.

Contest #169

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

253

Contest entries

109

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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