Write a thriller about someone who witnesses a murder… except there’s no evidence that a murder took place.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Jul 23, 2021

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✍️ 218 stories

“Murder she Thought” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #67

Murder she Thought Jane had come to the Beach Cottage after being diagnosed by her Doctor, Donald Harris an old family friend, as being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “I think it advisable that you spend a week or two on the North Coast with my cousin Wendy. She runs a B and B and not only is she a qualified nurse but a very good hostess as well. She often has weeks set aside for people who need to recuperate from some kind of trauma.” “Oh, but I don’t have enough money to go away on a holiday. I will have to wait until I ha...

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“342” by Bren Christolear

Submitted to Contest #67

I’ll get second place today. I always get second place when she’s in the race. And these days, more often than not, she’s in the race. I let the familiar sense of Never Enough wash over me. The sounds of failure scream so loud in my head that I almost don’t hear the starting pistol. And just like that we’re off. Hundreds of Nikes, Reeboks, and New Balances are pounding the pavement in a comforting rhythm. By the time the surface under our feet morphs from steamy hot asphalt to crunchy gravel we’ve left the weekend warriors and fun runners b...

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“light” by Snjeguljica 33

Submitted to Contest #67

Of all the stupid things he had done in his life, this one seemed like the worst at the moment. Well, well, this time he didn't make it. He just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't his first time either, but this time the thing was stuck in his mind and he couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard he tried. Sometimes he would forget for a while, and then the whole stupid situation would fall on him again. He didn't even know why, so it wasn't like that was his problem. Still, he knew very well what was right and w...

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“Business Is Dead” by Gregory Kuper

Submitted to Contest #67

Although he was a bit oafy and completely lacked coordination, Thomas Thomas was overall a pretty good kid. His clumsiness was due to his abnormally large head and feet. His head was the size of a large melon and he wore a size 16 shoe. These features did not at all match his 5’ 6”, 200 pound body. The way Thomas looked, acted, and that weird name all worked against him growing up. The kids used to chant, “Thomas Thomas, name so nice his mama named him twice.” Thomas came home for the summer after his first year of college. ...

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“Innocent Eyes” by Renika Anand

Submitted to Contest #67

His lifeless body floated atop the water. His betrayed eyes called for revenge. His long, beautiful life had been ended so meaninglessly. So cruelly. I wanted to do something for him. I wanted to bring justice to his death. But alas! There was nothing I could do without evidence. I had watched his murder, unable to stop it, unable to react. The shock and horror had frozen me in place. It was Thomas. Thomas had killed my friend. I had always been suspicious of his increasingly constant visits to my home. But the detective had taken a liking t...

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“Like She Was Never There” by Margaret Jett

Submitted to Contest #67

I will never stop wondering why I saw what happened that night. Beth was pretty, she was popular, she was gone. There was speculation that she had run off to Hollywood to be an actress. Some say New York to model. Still others claimed she had run off to Canada to meet a lover she met on the internet. Everyone but me assumed she had run away. I knew better. I was sitting in my little sail boat. It was around sunset, my feet were propped up, I was drinking the beer I had bought with my fake i.d. at the little liquor store just outside of town....

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“Murder in the neighbourhood ” by Joan Opoyi

Submitted to Contest #67

Peeking through the window my surprise turned to horror; drops of blood sprinkled all over Mr Rodwells' window.The screaming all went to a silence; the environment was quite as he switched off the lights. An hour had gone by;Mr Rodwell opened his front door carrying a body wrapped in a back bag as he headed towards the dark woods with a shovel on his left hand. Mr Rodwell continued digging and digging and when he saw the pit was deep enough; he threw the body inside the pit and covered it. I trailed slowly behind him; hiding behind a tall o...

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“Mistake” by Brittany Leisy

Submitted to Contest #67

She knew it was a mistake. She watched as the detective chewed the end cap of his pen, brow furrowed in concentration at the file on the table. The detective lifted his piercing eyes towards hers for just a moment; her breath caught in her throat. A small sound escaped much like an inflated balloon when you pinch off the end. She fiddled with her locket. She shifted her focus towards the outside world. A distraction. She thought about her beautiful, talented, poised Stacy. She was an incredible performer. She could almost h...

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“Innocent Witness ” by Makenzie Bartlett

Submitted to Contest #67

It is the coldest night in October. The moonlight glazing on the ocean and the waves' sound echoed as they crashed into the rocks along the coastline. Some people find this sound calming, but I find the sound irritating as it is a continuous cycle of noise. I walked the shoreline with more disgusted as the sand deepen in between my toes. I felt the feeling of the cold water with each step. It was a quiet but eerie night as I walked alone on the beach. I looked up at the sky to see if I could see the stars, but the fog's thickness cover...

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“Late Night Drive” by Z Gore

Submitted to Contest #67

It was dark. It was half-past nine o’clock and Carolyn was dead to the world, there was no doubt about that. All she wanted was to get home and get into the comfort of her own bed. It felt like she was on autopilot, driving down the back roads in her rural town. The scenery passing by was nothing but a blur so how was the incident so clear? Her old 1998 Chevy Cavalier was roaming freely down the bumpy potholed road. She barely heard the screaming over the classic rock playing on the radio, but she heard it. The old car instantl...

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“Wicked Secret” by Courtney Cloud

Submitted to Contest #67

I woke up the next morning still visibly shaken. Surely, I was seeing things. This isn’t the murder of Kitty Genovese. If there was really a murder, the other people there would have reported it, or at the very least, reacted to it. However, life seemed to go on like normal. Yesterday, I watched as a man on the street horribly strangled a girl to death. Her screams were inaudible, but I’ll never forget the look on her face. It was the look of pure terror and disbelief. She could not believe that she was about to take her last breath. I was a...

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“The Violin’s Last Cord” by Maggie Hanes

Submitted to Contest #67

I rap my knuckles softly on Mrs. Cook’s door. I stand there for a moment, and check my watch. 5:00. Where is she? Usually, my violin teacher is waiting for me at the door, hands full with a plate of cookies for me. My stomach turns uneasily as I think something terrible. She is eighty... I knock on the door again, a little harder this time, and call out in a wavering voice, “Mrs. Cook?” No answer. I bite my lip and touch the cold metal door knob. If she’s okay, I’ll tell her I was only breaking and entering to make sure she was fine. The doo...

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“I swear...” by Simanga Kunene

Submitted to Contest #67

My wonderful city had fallen to the prey of hunters of the demons. I lived down the road from the countryside. My mayor was voted for by the majority of the city. Anyone who did not vote for her was a loser. She was born and raised in our town and we are better for it. Along the east side of the city is the tourist center with rows of offices showcasing many examples of products that are manufactured in our town. On the north side is just the river that winds up and down the street which is supported by bridges made out of steel. Homes are h...

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“Mental Games ” by Jennalee Love

Submitted to Contest #67

A knife may have been in my hand, but I did not kill her. Had I witnessed a murder? I couldn’t remember. How long had I been passed out on the side of the bridge? My blackouts were escalating.A bout of shivers overtook my body. A twig snapped as I tiptoed closer to the body to get a better look. My flashlight illuminating her face. The poor thing didn’t look a day over four years old. She had blonde hair with hints of strawberry. Eyes hollower than my father’s heart along with a bruised neck. I imagined her alive, throwing a ball into the ai...

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“The Witness” by Hannah Colby

Submitted to Contest #67

John’s palms were sweaty against the cold desk. Or was it sweat? He couldn’t tell. He was soaked through from the storm. It dripped down his temples; falling into his eyes. The officer finally turned to him, “What can I do for you?” he asked. John felt his heart race unnaturally, his skin prickling in anxious expectation. “I uh…” his voice shook. “I need to speak to somebody.” “Well, I can help you. Can you let me know what it’s about?” the officer asked. “I –” John’s voice caught in his throat. He looked around anxiously, panting;...

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Write a thriller about someone who witnesses a murder… except there’s no evidence that a murder took place.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 218 stories

“Murder she Thought” by Josephine Andersen

“342” by Bren Christolear

“light” by Snjeguljica 33

“Business Is Dead” by Gregory Kuper

“Innocent Eyes” by Renika Anand

“Like She Was Never There” by Margaret Jett

“Murder in the neighbourhood ” by Joan Opoyi

“Mistake” by Brittany Leisy

“Innocent Witness ” by Makenzie Bartlett

“Late Night Drive” by Z Gore

“Wicked Secret” by Courtney Cloud

“The Violin’s Last Cord” by Maggie Hanes

“I swear...” by Simanga Kunene

“Mental Games ” by Jennalee Love

“The Witness” by Hannah Colby

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a pirate captain obsessed with finding a mythical treasure.

Write a romance where the characters pretend to be dating each other in order to win a reality show.

Write a story where one character needs to betray the other, but isn’t sure if they can.

Write a space adventure story that features a visit to an alien marketplace.

Contest #67

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

725

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: