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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

15120+ Fantasy Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Though fantasy is well known for its epically long sagas, fantasy short stories can deliver all the genre’s best attractions with one punch — or, shall we say, in one fiery dragon breath?

Fantasy Short Stories – Page 7 of 1008

For you, my love

Submitted to Contest #303

I stared at Julian, feeling like my chest had been caved in. My best friend, my world… He looked like he was sleeping. I knew better. I knew what my cousin was about to tell me, the moment I looked away and asked him what was next. My grip on Julian’s hand tightened, and I forced myself to breathe. Julian is alive. His body is broken, but he was wearing his helmet when he was smashed into the boards. He’ll be himself. Probably. That in mind, I finally looked at Derek. Sympathetic dark eyes met mine. I throttled the sob rising in my throat...

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Salt in Her Wake

Submitted to Contest #302

Amani exhaled, tucking her work badge into the glove compartment. The past three weeks had been a haze of emotion, dread, and sadness. She tried to bury it with work and the hustle and bustle of Miami life. But now she could feel the emotion spilling out of her as she opened her door and exited the car.She parked her car on a small hill next to the Greenwood Plaza Hotel. The hotel looked down on a sandy beach that poured into the Atlantic Ocean.Her muscles tightened and her stomach churned when in the distance she saw her grandmother, Mama L...

10 likes 9 comments 9
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The Forgotten Call

Submitted to Contest #302

Whistling cut through the cold night air, slipping between the tombstones and echoing off the weathered marble figures. The moon hung heavy in the sky, its reflection shimmering on the surface of a man-made pond, rippling with the chill of the autumn wind.Clyde Bowman staggered through the graveyard in his old military Battle Dress Uniform. His boots crunched on dead leaves, and the neck of his beer bottle clinked against the rusted chains of an old iron gate as he passed. He took a long pull, the bitter taste coating his throat, and broke i...

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The Testament

Submitted to Contest #303

The Testament The stars shone overhead as they always did in Palerow. Eternal night blanketed the land, and beneath its vast canopy, a small convoy of covered wagons—along with the weary horses that drew them—sat in a circle around a roaring fire.Such a thing was a luxury in the Wastes. Light drew attention from the strange creatures that roamed the land, and only the strong could wield it.So the Bonfire burned: either a bluff or a testament.Either way, life revolved around it.It revolved around the fire—and a young man with a guitar on hi...

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[THE WOMAN AND THE BOY]

Submitted to Contest #302

Barbara Ahmed was a 35-year-old black woman struggling to find a job in her field of psychology. “The right job will come,” she often says. Little did she know how right she was. You see! A job did come. But it wasn’t what she expected. At all!It was a lonely Monday morning at Barnes & Noble when a strange man with the strangest offer approached Barbara while she shopped for sex novels. “I want you to evaluate a rather peculiar patient at the Woodbourne Prison.” “The evaluation will last for 7 days. And it is highly confidential.”“This...

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Kingdom of things forgotten

Submitted to Contest #303

The kingdom of things forgottenSophie snatched the key to the portal, her jaw set. “Come on,” she urged her sisters, “you’re really going to let fear win?” They shook their heads, backing away like she’d just suggested jumping into a pit of snakes. “Suit yourselves,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.The portal wasn’t like the others, this one was a black spinning wheel etched with strange symbols, framed by twisted black branches. It pulsed with a cold, eerie light, like a mirror reflecting nothing but darkness. Without hesitation, Sophie step...

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The Amulet

Submitted to Contest #302

Birds of magnificent wingspan, figure-eighted gracefully---black pirouetters in the slate grey sky. The small boy in peasants’ grubby clothes kenned their presence like reading a map. He made his way down the hill to the bloody mesa, and the bodies were fresh. He wiped grime and sweat from his pale freckled face absentmindedly with his course-spun sleeve. It was a habit he’d done since he was a wee bairn when his parents had been alive; one developed nervous habits, when living in a war zone. *** Seven hours earlier… Rhys Hughes swung his...

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Come Say Your Goodbyes

Submitted to Contest #302

Two travelers set out West towards the lowering sun as they forged their journey to their homestead. Well, the homestead of one of them. Little Hollin Neason had started his journey back to his home town in Weston after receiving a letter from his mother the previous week. A raggedy piece of paper, undoubtedly affected by the unsettling weather that had visited the region, was delivered to him via courier as he lounged in his villa in Montog. A rugged man had knocked on his door alerting him out of his relaxation. As he peered out the window...

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In the Mischief of Misunderstanding: A Faeryland Adventure

Submitted to Contest #302

Faeryland’s Farm, a vibrant tapestry of laughter and life, bustled with its residents' daily antics. Overseen with love by Farmer Joe and his wife, Corabell, known as Ma to the animals, the sanctuary was a refuge for nearly 50 animals who formed an unusual yet harmonious family. Among these creatures was a buckling known simply as Nameless. His quiet demeanor set him apart from his boisterous companions: Perfect, Poison Ivy, and Holly Berry. One sunny afternoon, Nameless wandered a little farther than usual, following the flutter of butterfl...

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The Light in the Darkness: Tales from the Darkest Desert

Submitted to Contest #302

“Sometimes God sends angels down to earth to enact his will. They come disguised as regular folk like you and me, but they have been touched by His divine grace. These earth angels are meant to be our souls guiding light towards salvation while in this mortal coil. While mere strangers to us, earth angels wage a secret war between Heaven and Hell. Fer ya see, the Devil also sends his demons to tempt us. They come to us as false earth angles to make each of you stray from the Lord’s plan and give into sin. It is up to y’all to stand firm agai...

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Thorns for Her Crown

Submitted to Contest #303

Let them call me the villain. I’ll wear it like a title.They will sing about her, not me.She was the golden one. Born under a comet, kissed by prophecy, she had the people’s love before she could speak. I came three years earlier, during a storm. No songs. No prophecy. Just silence, and a nursemaid who flinched at my cry.There are no ballads for shadows.The court adored her. Elira. Even her name sounded delicate. She giggled, they clapped. She wept, they trembled. She made promises she didn’t know how to keep. I watched from the edge, where ...

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Paradise lost

Submitted to Contest #303

The windswept gently under her wings as she landed softly on the branch of a tree. The morning sun made her pure white feathery wings glitter like a chandelier and made her pale skin glow. The tree was in the middle of a park, surrounded by people who were walking and exercising. People usually can't see angels unless the angels were willing to reveal themselves to the mortals. Rachel was not planning to reveal herself to any of them because it was against the code, and she knew it very well. However, she was here for one man whom she had fa...

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The Wooden Tiara

Submitted to Contest #302

There was once a young girl named Rella. She lived in a small village amid the Scattered Wildwoods, and there was nothing more that she wanted in life than to be a princess. Now, of course, that would never happen. Rella was a human—a mortal—and only a demigoddess born of the royal family can be a princess. But Rella did not care about this fact. No matter how many times her parents told her that such a fantasy was impossible, Rella would claim that they were lying to her. Often, she would plug her ears with her fingertips and make faces at ...

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Death before Charity

Submitted to Contest #302

Crowley: I lazily lounge on the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of my next evil plan, hoping the hero will stay away long enough to have fun. The last projects I've done have been put down quickly by the hero, Crimson, like he's spying on me constantly. He even attacked me when I was going for coffee! The stupid jerk made me spill the damned drink all over me. I sigh as I roll onto my side, reaching for the remote. My fingers graze against the slick plastic, slowly moving it out of my reach. I groan louder this time when I he...

7 likes 4 comments 4
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Universal Highway

Submitted to Contest #302

The night sky is speckled with glittering light and the music is all my own. Big Red is handling the drive nicely, unusual for my elderly Honda Civic, but I’ll take it. The other cars wiz by me on the unlit highway. Typically, I’d be right alongside them, matching speed or passing, depending on how badly I want to get home from class. Living on the Cape means one of the closest commutes to a bachelor program is an hour away. I don’t mind the drive. It clears my head from the garbage that happens in the morning and everything in between, but ...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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