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

8580+ 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 136 of 573

Wolf Water

Submitted to Contest #215

Alaris' footsteps crunch against the snow. She tried to even out the weight of her body with every step she took, but the bow and arrows she carried made it hard to walk silently. The council had limited rations again, and her sisters were starving. First, they had limited the townsfolks' water supply, only turning it on every few days, and then they had taken their food.  She tries not to be bitter, but it was hard not to be when she heard council members throw lavish parties for their friends while people struggled to survive in the ...

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In the shadows

Submitted to Contest #215

It's a quiet Friday night, and we have just arrived at our cabin in the middle of the woods. The air is dry, and the sun has just started setting. Me and my boyfriend have decided to go on a little vacation, away from our stressful jobs back home in Los Angeles. I have been stressed over work and tired all week trying to meet deadlines, we haven't been able to hang out or have some alone time with one another, so this was a perfect getaway to relax. The drive wasn't too bad; we loaded our bags, grabbed snacks, and sang karaoke the whole way ...

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Of the Land, Sky and Waters

Submitted to Contest #215

Korlach Longnail finished the last of his worms and wiped dirt from his chin. “How do ya goblins eat that filthy mess?” said the stagecoach driver. Korlach struggled to answer. In his twenty-two years, no one ever asked him that. “It’s how we eat in Grengorock,” Korlach said. And what of it? These humans were so peculiar. All that work to eat: kill, and skin and cut and boil. If a goblin found food, he ate it, just like every other creature of the land, sky and waters. The driver twisted around in his seat. He wore a...

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The Slaying of a Monster

Submitted to Contest #215

THE SLAYING OF A MONSTER By Tony Smith My name is Parachatphonbamrum.Thai names are as long as freight trains so we are given nicknames, mine is Pizza shortened to Za. “I’ll arrange for a donation.” Father said loftily. “It is a sad human being who takes pride in becoming a doctor of philosophy as the result of a bribe.” “To build an extension to the university library is not a bribe.” “You know full well father, you can buy anything in Bangkok, a driving license, a degree, a judge - everything except honour.” So I studied for a Ph...

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The tower

Submitted to Contest #215

The tower had become so overgrown with heavy, creeping vines that its original shape had become so thoroughly obscured it was a wonder that it could be recognized as a tower at all anymore. Time had not been kind to it, nor the area of its surrounds. There were ghosts of what had once been much loved garden in the gnarled roots and overgrown rose bushes with their thorns that seemed eternally seeking to draw blood, the hedges that were once a menagerie of fine topiary now stood as wild beasts in the growing gloom of nightfall. Unseen eyes, v...

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The Curse of Elmaraen Woods

Submitted to Contest #215

Ebonvale sat like a shimmering pearl on the edge of the churning Sirgus Sea. It was the booming hub of trade and commerce for the Central Kingdoms. It overflowed with riches. Its Swift Crest Pillars, which welcomed wary seafarers, were cast from pure gold, and towered like twin flames over the great Mist Harbor, such was the wealth of this land. But its opulence and ostensible good fortune belied a dark secret, one that was spoken of in hushed tones, and lurked deep in its forests.August Miles looked out on Ebonvale's shores from the deck of...

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L'Invasion

Submitted to Contest #214

A night like this, even though I pretended it wasn’t, was my favorite part of family vacation. Mom and dad wanted an evening alone together, we were in a foreign country, so they didn’t know any baby-sitters, and even though mom told me not to watch scary movies, I did. Six hours alone to watch whatever I wanted, and to not have to watch them fawn over each other was golden. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy my parents love each other and stuff. But at a certain point it’s like, “Get a room.” I see my friends' parents and they’re not nearly as l...

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A Vacation to Die For

Submitted to Contest #214

A Vacation to Die For Ralph Emery Barhydt "Woo hooo," yelled Karen. "Vacation time! Where are we going this year?" Karen had walked in from school, the last day of the school year, thrown her books on the floor and broke into the biggest smile you ever saw. Stanley, her younger brother had been napping on the couch and jumped about a foot. Sean, her older brother walked in right behind her also carrying a huge smile.  "Yes," he exclaimed. "Barcelona!" Can you believe it. Barcelona, the east coast of Spain, probably some time in Gi...

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Sixteen In Paris

Submitted to Contest #214

The water lapped calmly onto shore as Henry looked out over the river. Paris rose in intimidating scale around him, but he was in his own safe, blissful world. He had a glass of wine, perfect weather, and Addie.  She looked over and smiled at him. "This never gets old," she said before sighing contentedly.  "I'm not sure what is more beautiful, this day or you," Henry replied. He felt stupid saying that, but it was accurate. Addie giggled and kissed him. Now he felt proud of saying it.  "I can't believe we found each oth...

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Family Trade

Submitted to Contest #214

Family Trade Vacationing in Italy is like a dream. Mark got to hike along scenic sloping vistas with his older brother and father. He and his grandfather got to gorge on the finest Italian delicacies in various holes in the walls all around Sicily. They’d sit on the cobblestone streets, basking in the sights and smells of another foreign land. The country seemed alive with an awe-inspiring beauty.  Mark and his family were settling into their hotel room, a lofty suite fit for a family of five. Mark was going for some wine. His elders al...

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Nouveau Negotiations with a Dia-Bowl-o-Cowl

Submitted to Contest #215

First, let's set the parameters. He came to me. I did not summon or scry or present any ritual of conjuring. The world was ending, was what the Main (defined listing in French, if ye seek to spell out the meaning of what apocalyptic scripture speaks of in reference to the prowler who oft dons a cowl) of d'veil said. He croaked as if thirsty for water from running, his lips cracked, but the message was so urgent he sought to deliver it before being delivered from his anguish instead. People have a lot to say about deals with the devil. I ne...

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Fimbulwinter's End

Submitted to Contest #214

To you, who is reading this, wherever you are, it saddens me to say this will be the last of my personal scribings, which you have presumably been perusing for some time, possibly out of curiosity for a civilisation lost, as I assume it must be, following the events of this eve. I am writing these words by candlelight, wrapped in my wolf hide cloak, attempting to fend off the cold and unbearable darkness that has descended on my mother’s Hall and lands, not to mention the world, following the death of the sun.Yes. That is what I wrote.&...

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"Galactic Protectors"

Submitted to Contest #214

Amelia Langton was supposed to be starting her senior year the following morning morning. She was not looking forward to it. Her friends were already excitedly talking about where they would be applying for college next year. Higher education was ok, Amelia supposed, for some anyways. But she had bigger dreams, plans that couldn’t be achieved through a bunch of boring old classes with some droning professor more interested in retirement than teaching. She yearned to travel, to see the world, to have adventures, to make a difference. At eight...

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Take Out Some Trash And Take In A Little Paradise-On-Earth

Submitted to Contest #214

I don't even know how to tell this story. ‘Cause when I’m done, you probably won't believe me. For a time, I couldn’t believe it myself. And I lived it. Looking back, I guess there were clues, hints about what was really going on, but, I don’t know, it’s hard to say. You really live in your own world when you’re a kid.  I guess I’ll start with that summer. The summer of my 16th birthday. I had just broken up with Julia (not my first love, but I was pretty crazy about her), so I was really looking ...

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Plain Janes

Submitted to Contest #214

If her cuticles didn’t grow up and lay nice by eighth grade, Tamrya was seriously gonna lose it. It didn’t matter that her acrylics extended far too long for normal typing. Text to speech apps handled her homework just fine. Typing is pretty much the way of the past anyway, more of a Millennial's thing. Where are they?Mils. Speaking of, would Mom ever get her nails done? She was an ok looking mom, but it was like she could care less about those fingertips. Did she just not get it? People judge that sort of thing. And by consequence, Tam...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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