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

8550+ 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 172 of 570

The Book of Fairies

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, What's the catch”? Arrietty asked in a shaky voice as she stared at her friend and master seemingly lifeless body. The man smiled as he walked towards her, his feet making no sound as he moved them on and off the floor. As if he was walking on air. “Catch”? He says as if the concept was utterly foreign to him. “No. No. Don’t think of it like that,” he said, “Think of it more-so like…like a gift”. “A gift”? Arrietty asked herself, her eyes following the man. His right hand ever so slightly grazes down her lower left arm before lifting u...

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Chrono Catastrophe

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” Jonas probed inquisitively with uncertainty. “There is no catch, regardless of the outcome of the experiment, eighty-five thousand dollars is all yours!” the man in a spectacle with a thick white frame answered with a confident and persuasive tone. He leaned forward slightly, making eye contact with the volunteers to emphasize the importance and worthiness of the project. Kate and Jonas exchanged glances, with their eyes meeting with a sense of doubt and confusion. “Both of you were brave enough to volunteer f...

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The Gap Year

Submitted to Contest #188

This story contains swearing. One day Wendy, the woman from the Human Resources department (whom I loathed), leaned over me while I worked through the hundreds of emails pinging into my Inbox, all demanding immediate answers.  ‘Have you heard the news? she asked. ‘No’, trying to keep the dislike and coldness off my face. ‘I’m going to Namibia to dig toilets’. Horror struck; I stopped typing and looked at her full in the face. ‘What d’ya mean? Going to dig toilets?’ ‘I’m taking a senior gap year.’ A year off to dig t...

19 likes 33 comments 33
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Patience is a virtue

Submitted to Contest #188

Have you ever wondered that while you are trying to be patient in all things the all things are really trying out your patience. The story I want to share begins with a man whose mother and wife loved him too much. One day the man's mother was hospitalized and the man was not worried at first. While in the hospital, his mother told him that she wants to go out of the hospital after four days. The man just thought this is because his mother just wanted to go home. On the fourth day at 12 midnight, the mother had a heart attack. The man was i...

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Secrets

Submitted to Contest #188

*Disclaimer: This is an excerpt from a longer story not yet published.* “So, what’s the catch?” I asked. His eyes twinkled in excitement, his fingers twirling my pen. My hand hung in the air, feeling empty and hopeless. Deep down, I knew I shouldn’t even be talking to Kage right now. He was a dangerous guy. I was a weak and fearful girl playing brave soldier for the first time in my life. He thought for a moment. “I need you to get your friend to stay away from me.” I snorted. “That’s impossible.” He tucked the pen in his pocket. “I wou...

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The Ferret and the Three Keys

M B

Submitted to Contest #188

“So what’s the catch?” the gray furred ferret asked, her arms folded over her leather-clad bosom. Her muzzle was turned up in a smirk as she challenged the male coyote. The ferret leaned against the wall of the cellar the impromptu meeting was being held in. A few lanterns hanging from the wall were all the illumination they were provided with.  The coyote’s ears twitched as he grinned a toothy grin. “The catch, my dear Farah, is quite simply the fact that the bank is only the second most secured facility in our kingdom. No one has ...

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Circus

Submitted to Contest #188

Circus “So what’s the catch, Kid? The show doesn’t start for a couple hours. You wanna buy a ticket early?” “No, I don’t want to buy a ticket. I want to join the circus.” “Ok Kid, I’ve heard that before. You want to join the circus. What do you think you want to do?” “I’m not sure. I like elephants. I’m pretty good at working. I could learn to do all kinds of things.” “Don’t tell me. You’re running away from home and you read the book Toby Tyler.” “How did you know that?” “Kid, this is kind of a daily occurrence for me.” “It is? So where ar...

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Forget Me Not

Submitted to Contest #188

I was out of breath, sweat was dripping in my eye, and I could feel a damp, squishing sensation in one of my cheap shoes from the puddle I stepped into trying to get here.The doors shut behind me, and I walked down the narrow bus isle to my seat. At least I made it, I guess that was a small accomplishment.Why couldn’t I keep things straight? Was it Wednesday, or Tuesday? When was that interview 9? Or 9:30? I could set timers and alarms on my phone as a reminder, but then I would forget to charge it. I could ask my mo...

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Maps

Submitted to Contest #188

"So, what's the catch?" I looked the old woman dead in the eye, refusing to blink first. I couldn't believe it. She looked older than I remembered. Older than she should be. My grip on reality shifted from firm to slipping to, "Ah, shit, I lost it," in seconds. I wanted to walk away. I wanted to get to Maury's Bakery and Breads to enjoy a chocolate croissant and coffee like I had planned. But it was starting to look like that particular self-indulgence may have to wait.I had taken my usual route to Maury's. There had been no reason not to. I...

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Holes In My Story

Submitted to Contest #188

Holes in My Story “So what's the catch?” “The catch is I can't get the clasp to catch. This is bad!” “Nah, that's good.” “Why is that good?” “I really didn't want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anyway. Makes no sense.” “Okay, that's good then.” “Nope, that's bad.” “Why is that bad.” “I'll never get my bucket list completed.” “Oh, that is bad.” “Nah, that's good.” “How is it good?” “There is a hole in my bucket any way. All my dreams and aspirations are slipping away.” “Well, can't you fix it.” “No, I left the flex-seal in my car.” ...

24 likes 43 comments 43
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Captain Billy: Ad Astra Per Aspera or Bust!

Submitted to Contest #188

Author's Note: Ahoy! Follow along in Contests #180, #184, & #185. A sea change occurs for the Good Tugboat Samson and crew! Thing's get more messed up than a soup sandwich!It was 0530 Monday morning on the Seattle waterfront. The Good Tugboat Samson was all fast and standing by Pier 17, their home dock. Captain Billy stepped out of his stateroom freshly showered, shaved and squared away. He was in a "Semper Paratus" mood for facing the challenges of this particular day. An earlier message from Seattle Dispatch said there would noontime v...

7 likes 5 comments 5
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The Divine Feline

Submitted to Contest #187

I’m not what you would call the adventurous sort. I have a very logical view of the world. The laws of nature can be described by calculable equations and repeatable experiments. However, I have learned that this way of thinking just doesn’t contain the full story. I was never very superstitious, but once I described the past few days, that’s the only logical conclusion. I could not deny the power of this divine beast.  It was just two days ago that I had seen her for the first time. Nudging around the alley trash ca...

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Nicks Adventure

Submitted to Contest #187

For years Nick had been afraid of cats. He tried to hide it, honestly his fear embarrassed him. Somehow, though, people always managed to find out. And it bothered others that Nick was afraid of cats, they found it pathetic or assumed he was a bad person so cats didn't like him. The truth was that Nick had a very good reason to be afraid of cats, starting in December of 2011. The Holidays are a fun time for creative gifters, especially for people with the love language of gift giving. Nick is one of these people, and he had to find the per...

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Soaked in Betrayal

Submitted to Contest #187

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”(William Blake)Click!Miles stirred and looked up as a guard tapped a little silver key across the bars. As much as he wished he’d been asleep, he hadn’t. He had another night of pacing in his cell until he became so weary that he collapsed onto the floor. He spent most of his time like that. Neither asleep nor awake, just drifting. Nothing to do, nothing to say.The others didn’t have that struggle. They yelped and screamed whenever someone walked by. When there was nobody else ...

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Mystery

Submitted to Contest #187

Hannah swore under her breath. "Every time! Every damn time there you are!" Today was the fourth day in a row she had seen the same cat. Almost all black except for pale yellow eyes. The cat was always in the same spot, outside her apartment building, underneath the rusted, abandoned car in the parking lot. The cat was never around in the morning when she left for work, but upon returning home that cat sat in the same spot, tail wagging, staring at her with those pale, pale eyes. Every time she approached the cat, it would turn around, da...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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