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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

8560+ 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 247 of 571

A Journey of a Single Miles

Submitted to Contest #124

Logbook Entry 06-001First off, to anyone who is reading this, I would just like to say that whoever came up with the phrase, “that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” can go screw himself.I almost just died. And I’m not any stronger than I was before.Also, I am NOT a morning person. Mornings are the worst. Especially this one.           Well, if it was morning at all. There was no alarm clock, no angry beeping, no workday for me to get up for. Where I woke up the concept of night...

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The Alaskan Olive Oil Hunt

Submitted to Contest #124

“Tracy….Tracy…. TRACY!!”  “Sweet Jesus, what do you want?!”  McKinley points to the map Tracy was holding.  Daniel was leaning on a pole smoking a cigarette.  Four young adults have been standing on a corner for about 5 minutes looking at a map some homeless bum just gave to them.  The reason being they were looking for some olive oil, but not just any olive oil, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil.  Only quality ingredients for these food connoisseurs.  What did the map have to do with all this?  Well, the bum tha...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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Roads Paved in Gold

Submitted to Contest #124

Look back to those years I awoke each morning, disoriented, cramped, and curled up against a wood-paneled wall, thin body upon a thinner mattress, grasping for a sense of time and place through sleep’s lifting veil. Dim sun peeked through plastic blinds, taunting me to tear them open in search of answer to that persistent, daily question: what place is this? But always strange desert sand and cactus answered, seen at 55 mph, and blurring together into an unfamiliar palette of khaki browns, greens, and grays; and, always, the great deserts st...

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Gone

Submitted to Contest #124

“Cross my palm with silver, young man and I shall tell you what I see in your future!” Gerald scratched his head and stared into the blue face. Was this a face he could trust? Should he be—as Brother Martin cautioned when he gave him the day off—cautious? “How do I know what you say is true?” The man straightened huffily and his blue skin seemed to glow. “You question the Blue Haruspex?” “Well . . . I . . .” “If I may interject.” Gerald’s friend, Frederick whispered loudly into Gerald’s ear, “You are right to question. I see not any entr...

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The Fight of the Century

Submitted to Contest #124

Words: 2463                                                     The Fight of the Century                               FDNY Lieutenant Mike Mose...

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In The Icy Hands of Time

Submitted to Contest #124

A gust of wind drove down the valley, grazing my feet. I stood firmly, inhaling a mix of icy wind with nostalgic memories. I felt lethargic and sounded like a panting dog. It was the first path I have ever taken in life that was bestrewed with rocks and not litter. I felt a sense of purity, and I could tell my mind would be cleared after our hike. I could tell I would be able to face whatever happened that day. It is not every day that you get to do things and cross them out your bucket list. All around me were the sweetest of voices whisp...

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Pashovsky Airport

Submitted to Contest #124

Pashovsky Airport July 27, 1996 ~ Pashovsky Airport, Krasnodar, Russia Lauren had booked a flight on a newer plane, a Russian YAK-40, instead of a train from Moscow to arrive in Krasnodar as fast as possible. Lauren waited in the gate area surrounded by sweaty passengers, tobacco smoke, and cheap perfume. The waiting passengers pushed against her and made her squeeze her satchel into her body and grip the lock on the front flap. It contained everything she needed, notarized, and apostilled dossier and certified documents, all held to...

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The Name

Submitted to Contest #124

“The knowledge you seek is at the center of a vast labyrinth in the Mountains of Ash. There are several twists, turns, and obstacles. This will not be an easy journey. However, you seem determined. I suspect you will succeed in your quest.” The oracle leans in, dropping her omniscient demeanor. “So, what are you looking for, kid?” I'm startled by this, but I know better than to lie to an oracle. I choose vagueness. “A name." “What, like, the name of your true love or something?” I didn’t expect the oracle to not know. Or to be quite such...

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Speed Dating at Liquid Pandemonium

Submitted to Contest #124

The underbelly of this city was frightening. I couldn’t shake the skin crawling itch of phantom insects as I stared out the passenger side window. It was as if the darkness was hungry, leaching away the streetlights feeble attempts at illumination, showing nothing but silhouettes in the shadows, and the glowing eyes of feral animals “Are you sure we are going to the right place, Lala?” I asked, reaching for her phone to check the GPS. It said we were on track and set to arrive at the abandoned building in less than ten minutes. Lala’s s...

20 likes 5 comments 5
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Not Since the 1890s

Submitted to Contest #124

Maybe it was the approaching darkness, a low flashlight battery, deafening thunder, or sheer terror that blurred my vision, but the park map was unreadable. Yes, it’s December, but mine is no Christmas story.Although I’d been on this trail many times, in my panicked state of mind, a fork in the path confused me. I was being stalked, preyed upon, and hoped I’d chosen the best way forward.Only a few hours earlier, I’d been happily setting up my campsite. My husband was away on one of his frequent fishing trips with his buddies; a no-girls...

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A Meeting of the Minds.

Submitted to Contest #124

*TW* LanguageIt was a dreary Saturday. Of course, everyday had become a bit dreary for me these days. Stuck in the mundane, a spectacular waste of braincells and potential. Wasted away and living the life of a settler. That's what I call them, the people who build their life on repetition and consistency. The kind who work at the same job for 50 years, thinking that their hard work and servitude ACTUALLY means something to the rich pricks who own the company. The kind of people that live their entire lives with the goal of getting married to...

16 likes 6 comments 6
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The Dream Job

Submitted to Contest #124

"I'm home!" Juan called to his wife, throwing his keys on the desk. Isabel came out of the hall. "Did you get it?" she asked, squinting her eyes in curiosity. "No." "They still won't promote you?" "Apparently not. I swear they like me where I'm at and as long as I'm there, they're not going to let me move forward. I'm sick of it!" After a short evening of silent brooding, Juan and Isabel went to bed. Suddenly, Juan woke up. He sat up and looked around. It was pitch black. He looked at his bedsheets only to find they weren't there. He w...

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The Forbidden Search

Submitted to Contest #124

Armin stood proud on the deck of Widow’s Hope, letting the cool spray fall on his face, wondering if her old Captain would believe where she was headed now. The drunken old fool enjoyed cards too much, that was a dangerous thing when Armin came to sit at his table. It hadn’t even taken him a full evening to unburden the man of his gold, his ship, and his dignity, leaving him a poor lonely wretch slumped in the corner of his favourite inn. Now Armin set her course for an unknown island located somewhere in the clear sea. Legend said it cont...

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The Secret of the Pocket Watch

Submitted to Contest #124

Before her unexpected death, she gave me a dead pocket watch for the girls to play with. She tried finding a watchmaker that could fix it, but eventually gave up. I forgot about the damn thing the moment I gave it to my girls. It wasn't until I decided to do another toy purge before Christmas nearly 2 years later, that I saw it again. It was thrown at the bottom of their toy bin, or rather on top and it slid through the open crevices, winding its way to the bottom. As I picked it up, the golden steel was alarmingly cold. My finge...

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As Children Do

Submitted to Contest #124

“Ninety-Seven, Ninety-Eight, Ninety-Nine, ONE HUNDRED. Ready or not! HERE I COME!” I spun out of the corner I had smushed my face into. The herringbone parquet flooring glows golden, reflecting the light from the hallway lamps. My Mary-Janes slap against it as I run towards the giant mahogany staircase. I reach the carpet covered stairway and start thundering up them with the abandon of youth and enthusiasm. As I run, the crystal tear drops of the chandelier tinkle as they vibrate and shake from the force of my passage. Mrs McIntosh, the hou...

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