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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a near-future thriller where a piece of everyday technology has turned against your character — and only your character.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Jul 27, 2021

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 130 stories

“You Are Being Watched ” by Kaitlynn Flint

Submitted to Contest #82

2/26/21 Kaitlynn Flint You Are Being Watched “I still don’t understand why you deleted your account. Everyone misses you!”  I grunted, rolling my eyes. “They don’t miss me— they miss my stalking my feed,”  “Well, I miss you!” Judy cried through the phone. “Remember those silly selfies we used to send each other? Remember all of those funny filters?”  “Yeah,” I sighed. “Listen, Judy, just because I’m off social media doesn’t mean I’m not here for you. I am. So if you ever need someone to talk to,...

3 comments 3
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“Chance meetings” by Collins Jerry

Submitted to Contest #82

Somebody said that writers are slaves to conventions and standing their at the window he cannot but agree that the view has never changed.The shops rose to malls,the bodaboda shielded to taxis or were fixed with ambrellas but still he sees the old dusty town or does he see his memory,he is a writer anyway.There by the road he watches as a small boy chases his sister and their mother behind like a shepherd follows. The time approaches noon and the big clock ticks to remove him from his daydream at the window.As he turns his eyes spot the whit...

2 comments 2
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“Günter” by Daniela Fisk

Submitted to Contest #82

In today's world, you can't be too careful. They're everywhere. They creep through the streets and lay hold of anything they can obtain. They terrorize and take one's precious things...and the dejected thing is that "they" are one of us. Yes, humans. They can be poor or even rich, stupid or quick-witted, but then again, people can be who they want to be as long as they acknowledge their lives and agency, even if that means becoming a villain. On the news every morning, I spot a mug shot on the rectangular lit-up screen, along with a woman ad...

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“"Always keep Smiling"” by Tariq Saeed

Submitted to Contest #82

 “Rose” ,The computer, today not responding well.Who could be that humans ,talking about.Riccoo switched on his set to know about the different countries and their locations,but it was great confusion.He hid Rose in his chicken farm ,a small beautiful farm,accommodated two thousand chickens. He Used to sit for about half an hour after feeding chickens daily. Converse in strange language,but their voices were awful.What are they communicating? I would definitely solved this puzzle.He thought with himself and switched off the ma...

2 comments 2
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“Keep An Open Mind” by TheMavieneT -

Submitted to Contest #82

I've always been a busybody. Ever since I was a kid, my family told me that I was always thinking of the next thing. "Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses, Greg." All of my exes would say the same thing too. My last relationship broke my usual record of 6 months, we ended being together for a year and a half. Way longer than I'm used to, but I was alright with that. His name was Brian. He was very patient and down to earth the first few months. They just...got me. After a while though, he kept asking me where we were headed and if I ...

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“Toast” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #82

Toast She was so excited when she brought it home, Reba, the Smart Toaster. The appliance can be programmed to start toasting at any time you wanted and have the toast done by whatever time you needed. It also can be programmed with a smartphone. All that is needed is to load a loaf of bread into the compartment, record what time the toast should be done, and the machine does all the rest. It's perfect for helping make breakfast for the family in the morning. Marsha opened the box and looked at her new purchase. Reba was her favorite col...

3 comments 3
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“The Unexpected” by Jakin Files

Submitted to Contest #82

I had been instructed to come to work after nine that day, for which I was truly grateful. Although, the extra time was more than I knew what to do with. I ate my usual eggs and bacon breakfast along with a cup of black coffee. After breakfast, I got dressed for work. Combed back my hair and straightened my tie. After I was finished, I absentmindedly headed for the door, grabbing the car keys along the way. Stopping with a start I spun round and headed back to the living room. It was only eight-fifteen. Setting my briefcase on the carpeted f...

8 comments 8
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“The Smell of Java” by Peyton Hull

Submitted to Contest #82

I used to be afraid of the most childish of things. Things like the dark or the monster in my closet. Things most children fear because they are unknown. See, I wish I was still afraid of those things. Those were simple. They had a way to fix them. Turning on the light, for example, got rid of the dark. One peek under the bed and you can see that there was in fact, no monsters under the bed. However, since things that we typically see in our everyday life, we aren’t afraid of them as much. A car is responsible for most of the world’s deaths,...

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“A World Uninhibited” by Maeve G

Submitted to Contest #82

Parker turned around. The robot was staring at him. A couple of moments earlier he had noticed the thing positioned in the far corner of the room. The other party guests had not noticed it, but he had. Especially since the thing had been looking at him and had just started to inch towards him... Suddenly Parker was struck with fear and a burst of adrenaline. He threw down his punch glass and ran out the back door. It was dark outside, and the wind was fierce. In the distance, Parker could see a funnel coming in his direction, moving faster ...

2 comments 2
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“IoT and Crumpets” by Aimee Cardenas

Submitted to Contest #82

Iced IoTIcy gusts assaulted Snoqualmie, whipping the town with fury on this dark and merciless night. Between the lashes of sleet and hail, a frigid electricity poised in the atmosphere like a wide-eyed serpent hungry to bring calamity to the tranquil town.A swirling shimmer dove from the storm onto a roof and slithered down a gutter as if searching, hunting. It left a curious green glow as it wound around the downspout, along the siding, behind the pink rhododendrons swaying in the wind. It froze momentarily at the sight of a long skinny bl...

7 comments 7
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“When a House is Not a Home” by Nico 93

Submitted to Contest #82

I do not get nightmares because every waking second I’m filled with a cold tingle down my spine. The sanctuary of my home has turned into a dark, fear inducing black hole. My hand starts to shake as I turn the key. A drop of sweat trickles down my neck. The door creaks open. “Surprise!”Countless faces with gaping grins are staring at me. I muster a small smile as I’m led by arms and hands through a corridor so long that it begins to feel like an optical illusion. All of my senses feel attacked; my eyes attempt to adjust to flickering pa...

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“The Room” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #82

“Please go down to the end of the hall. The door will open automatically. Go to your left. Enter the second door on your right. It will be open. Please be seated and await instructions.” The voice ominous, cold, coming from a speaker that was not visible. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the monotone voice of an undertaker. I dutifully followed the instructions. The door as promised slid open as I approached, its green eye blinking unceremoniously as if I had disturbed it. I followed the cor...

1 comment 1
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“Driven to Distraction” by Jaime Faulkner

Submitted to Contest #82

With space becoming more and more scarce and the world's countries finally agreeing to do something about global pollution, personal transport was no longer an option. Instead, each apartment block - there were no individual houses any longer either - was allocated a specified number of self-driving cars, depending on how many adults lived in that building. I was in a small building that only had six families, so there were two vehicles. There were times when there wasn't one available, so you had to walk, something too many citizens h...

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“Battery Dead” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #82

Call her Charlene, call her Charlie, really anything but insane, because that's all her friends will call her these days. Ex-friends, because she is not insane. She is completely sane, and completely singled out by her phone. Yes, evil cell phones are a thing. She would know. She has one. She doesn't know if it's revenge for dropping it in the toilet (it was an accident, she swears) or maybe some sort of twenty first century kind of voodoo where her nemesis Charles, the OG Charlie, as he refers to himself, because at twelve days her senior, ...

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“The Suicide Status” by Kerrie Clements

Submitted to Contest #82

Laura stood up and stretched. She had been sat at her laptop all morning, writing a report for the local FoodHub magazine. She had been writing for them for quite a while now, alongside a few other companies. She was well known for her excellent reports in Lonsville. Which is where she lived on her own, in a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a small block.  Laura put the kettle on to boil and had a look outside. It was raining. The wind was howling too. It was only 2 p.m. but the sky was dark. Laura had seen on the news that t...

1 comment 1
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