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Looking for a steady supply of adventure short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

8490+ Adventure Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From riding the high sea to climbing behemoth mountains, there isn’t any action that’s out of reach when it comes to adventure stories.

Adventure Short Stories – Page 11 of 567

The Åströms' Chronicles: An Arrowhead Stained With Blood

Submitted to Contest #293

The sun slowly dipped into the ocean as the day faded into dusk.The island prepared for a Friday evening—calm, cozy, with a slight scent of fried fish in the air, sweet mead on the tongue, and warm songs sung by families after dinner.Well, Ari Kron’s reality couldn’t have been further from that.“They’re behind the Siste Mjød diner,” a tense female voice chimed through Ari’s earpiece as he rushed through the narrow streets of Sommarøy.Damn, this tiny island felt like an entire continent now.He pulled the handle all the way back, causing a lou...

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Going Solo

Submitted to Contest #293

I only have 30 seconds before I smack the ground at the speed of an Audi on the German autobahn. It’s my first ever skydive and I’m petrified. With a static line exit, the canopy should have deployed automatically on leaving the aircraft. Mine, however, resembles a cannonball rather than the colorful silky plumage of a bird in flight. Freshly divorced at 34, after ten years in an abusive relationship, the skydive would prove I could survive on my own, a ritual to say goodbye to the powerless victim, that would accept every ‘I’m sorry, I love...

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The Phantom Hitchhiker

Submitted to Contest #293

The road stretched endlessly in front of them, two pale yellow lines dividing the dark asphalt under the hush of the moon and the midnight air The only sounds inside the car were the hum of the tires and the rhythmic slap of the windshield wipers against the glass of the window. The rain drizzled down in a misty haze, catching the glow of the headlights turning the night into a soft blur.  “You still awake?” Daniel asked, glancing at his daughter in the passenger's seat.  Nina blinked her eyes awake and lifted her head from where i...

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The Road North

Submitted to Contest #293

She was aboard. Paladins of the Blue Lotus Society had examined everyone who boarded in first and second class, and she had wondered if she'd be able to board undetected. But they had waved third class through. Their southern minds couldn't comprehend an aristocrat who would hide among commoners; or perhaps one of them was a sympathizer.There was plenty to sympathize with. A hundred years ago, just as the industrial revolution was beginning, the kingdom of Palanelé had been overrun by its old enemies, the Iraden nomads. Her great-grandparent...

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1932 Russia: I looked Out the Train Window at Ten

Submitted to Contest #293

The Russian Civil War's economic damage led to widespread famine and food shortages. Stalin's harsh actions followed a devastating 1921 drought that wiped out a fifth of Russia's crops.In 1930, Russia was the place. Stalin was in power. He pilfered grain from the peasantry, giving it to wealthy oligarchs and the higher ups in government. Because the Russians kept it a secret for so long, the people starved in silence, and cannibalism reappeared.Government actions resulted in winter food shortages. When I turned ten, my parents and I returned...

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Mile-High Beginning

Submitted to Contest #293

The doors of the train whooshed closed behind her and Mara rolled her large suitcase toward the rear of the car. The car was nearly full but she found a seat and braced her suitcase between her new, knee-high leather boot-clad feet. She felt they were a good going-away-from-Miami gift, and seeing how people rarely wore leather boots in that balmy city, they’d been on sale. They’d been such a deal that she’d bought a leather jacket to go with them. Mara looked outside and watched the airport grow smaller as the train picked up speed, heading...

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Inflight Meal

Submitted to Contest #293

Leo was not a fan of flying. Not like this. Sitting quietly with strangers in an enclosed space. Like he was back in the classroom. That was one of his ideas of hell. He had many ideas of hell and very few of heaven. He made sure her was one of the first passengers on the plane. He took his seat with no fuss and no nonsense and then did his best to weather the storm of humanity around him. He tried the breathing technique his therapist had taught him and he also tried zoning out. Neither worked. A voice in his head was screaming at him to le...

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Fourteen Hours to Tokyo

Submitted to Contest #293

 The high-pitched whine of the airport PA system sliced through the haze of my thoughts, a constant, irritating buzz that mirrored the static in my own mind. JFK was a mess of people—families hugging goodbye, suitcases screeching across the floors, the occasional garbled announcement calling for a missing passenger. It was the kind of chaos that made my ADHD brain fizz with nervous energy. I tried to ground myself in the details. The way my sneakers stuck to the grimy floor with each step. The flickering fluorescent lights overhead. Th...

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My Emergency Landing in the Sahara.

Submitted to Contest #293

After my meeting with the Deputy Health Minister of Mauritania, I was invited to enjoy traditional Berber food at his brother’s, Abdoulayeh, tent encampment, who maintained a traditional Berber lifestyle. He owned 800 camels and explained how his caravans still traveled 1,500 kilometers deep into the Sahara to trade salt with isolated communities. His main business, however, revolved around camel milk and cheese. The meal was a true feast: Harira soup, Thieboudienne (fish and spiced rice), Méchoui (whole roasted lamb), Mahfe (camel meat, okr...

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Wandering Souls

Submitted to Contest #293

Sunlight glints off the snowy peak of the daunting mountain before me. I dutifully adjust the straps of my backpack for this long, uphill journey. I’ve checked everything twice, making sure I have all the necessities. However, it feels as if I’ve forgotten something. The wind blows, ruffling my shirt like a tiny hand tugging me back, telling me not to go. But I swear I have everything I need. My backpack is stuffed full with things like snacks, water bottles, extra clothes, matches, and even a first aid kit.  Vibrant green grass tickles...

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Looking through the Window: An Adventure Awaits

Submitted to Contest #293

The engine hummed softly as Sarah gazed out the window. Raindrops splashed against the glass, creating a beautiful blur between the outside world and her cozy space inside. She always found peace in looking out of windows; it felt like time stopped, giving her a moment to reflect. This particular rainy day was special, reminding her of the exciting journey ahead. Sarah’s life had revolved around familiar routines, with each day blending seamlessly into the next. She had a steady job, a comfortable apartment, and a close-knit group of friends...

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NIGHT TRAIN

Submitted to Contest #293

“How did you find me?” It was the first time that the prisoner had spoken since his capture. Bosanquet, one of the two men seated opposite him, looked contemptuously at the questioner, letting out a deep sigh before answering as the slow moving train continued on its journey, rattling through the Belgian countryside, the bleakness of the wintry landscape gradually beginning to disappear from view in the twilight gloom of the evening. “Seriously? You can’t believe that we knew where to come looking? Are you so stupid?” Mercier,...

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The Carriage

Submitted to Contest #293

Life was looking up for Sirodati of Deitalas Taiké. He had lost his livelihood and his right leg in the wars that were still raging on, and there were rumors over the winter that war was coming to Teyoru Tusoreané. But an ancient painting, done from a photograph, had given him a lead on some un-scavenged ruins. And his new best friend, Dohaitas the Karanaiyi, had helped him plot the ruins on the map."Ridachiti and Sirodati" used to mean the common Chehiraini on the street. But now there was only one Ridachiti, Ridachiti of the Mountains of H...

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Holy guacamole!

Submitted to Contest #293

The first time I spoke to Rebecca I was switchin around discount labels in Marks and Spencer’s food hall. I’d only seen her once before and couldn’t get her out of my head. Somehow I managed to get her to go for a drink. When the day came for it I was sick with nerves. Jody says to me at karate: “only one thing for it, lad. A couple of lines of Charlie and you’ll be right as rain.” I was always a great man for a spliff. I’d be smokin that doobie like a cobra suckin an egg. But never had coke. One line of it and I felt as cool as a snowdrop o...

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This is the valley of Whispering Stones

Submitted to Contest #293

Please close your eyes for a moment. Truly, shut them tight, and let me guide you through a world you can’t see but can feel, hear, and perhaps even taste. This is the valley of Whispering Stones, and I want you to experience it as vividly as if the sun were warming your face.Imagine first the air. It's thick, not heavy, but laden with the scent of sun-baked earth and wild thyme. The wind carries a sweetness that clings to the back of your throat, a hint of wild berries ripening on thorny bushes. In the early mornings, a damp coolness rises ...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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