33650+ Fiction Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. If you’re looking for the best fiction short stories to read online, we’ve got you covered. Wide-ranging and ever-curious, these free short stories will meet your reading needs.

🏆 Winning stories

“Drone” by Mortimer Ridgewood

🏆 Winner of Contest #272

She first heard it while she was making coffee.The morning was already off to a rough start. Rachel had woken up, lazy and languid in the wake of her twice-snoozed alarm, and reached for her husband’s side of the bed. Much to her disgruntlement, the spot where he should have been was empty and cold. She glared at the empty space for a moment, then promptly snoozed her alarm again out of spite. One of the downsides of working from home was she missed out on good morning kisses as Mark got ready for his morning commute. The upside, however, wa...

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“The Bench” by Kate Simkins

🏆 Winner of Contest #271

The elderly lady shuffled the few remaining steps to the park bench and sat down, happy to catch her breath and rest for a moment. The autumn sunshine was warm, but the nip in the air made her glad of her warm coat. She placed her handbag neatly on her knee.“Good morning,” said the silver-haired gentleman at the other end of the bench. “Beautiful day.”Elsie smiled. “Yes, it is. Cold, but lovely.”The man folded his newspaper and returned the smile. “I’m George.”“Hello, George. I’m Elsie.” She re-arranged her scarf, her gnarled fingers struggl...

168 likes 180 comments 180

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“The Name of the End” by Gabriel Muers

🏆 Winner of Contest #269

(CW: Grief, depression) There is a bomb in my hometown, and no one speaks about it. The park that surrounds it acts like a nest, grown up naturally around the smooth, rounded metal body that lies half buried in the soil, the ground itself embracing it. Sensible people would put it out of their minds altogether, but ever since my classmates and I discovered it by sneaking past the barbed wire fence into its clearing, I was never able to. At first, I had been disappointed. This, a charcoal grey container, half hidden by moss and bracken, was ...

112 likes 75 comments 75

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⭐️ Recommended stories

“RE: The Heat Death of the Sun” by Katy Lindsey

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #274

Reality was having a Monday, with a capital M.Never mind that it was Thursday. Or that Monday always began with a capitalized M. Or that both Mondays and Thursdays only existed on Earth. That was all beside the point.Ron liked that about Earth, though: the calendars. Really, humans had something special going on with them. They were great with organizational skills, and he appreciated that, given his role as Manager of Accounts Payable. He was just one cog in the Existence machine, but lately Ron felt he might be the only one to really ...

24 likes 20 comments 20

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“Ghost Song” by Joseph Ellis

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #272

They came to hurt us again. Not just me. They bring a machine specifically for this purpose. They came to hurt The Doctor and little Lulubelle, and the transient ghosts who sometimes occupy the cells. The first time they turned the machine on, I didn’t hear the screams of the others, only my own. The second time I heard them all, but mixed together. The third time I could hear each one, discreetly, distinctly.This is the fourth time they’ve come. The first time it was just one man, carrying the machine like a child carrying a watermelon, set...

31 likes 21 comments 21

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“Gardeners' World” by Chris Miller

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #272

You’ve chosen a good time to pay me a visit. I’ve pulled up some pretty decent leeks this morning, got some lovely onions in the store and a rosemary bush that is totally oblivious to all the nonsense that seems to have befallen our world. My garden really has been my saviour, my little farm. I can grow what I need and get by very nicely on what my garden supplies.I do wish I’d had a better crop of carrots. I used the finest bone-meal fertiliser, but they were a total bust this year. My soil is a little too heavy for them, too much clay, but...

33 likes 35 comments 35

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✍️ All stories

“Rule of Law and Dating” by Lilith A. Heart

Submitted to Contest #276

He picked his teeth with a floss pick in the front visor mirror of his Prius. Satisfied that his teeth were good enough, he stuffed the floss pick into his denim jacket pocket and went on to checking inside his nose when he noticed his date walking into the coffee shop. He was pretty sure the front of her matched her profile picture but if the backside was that slammin’, not looking like her photo wouldn’t be a deal breaker. After she had entered the building, he watched from his vehicle as she placed an order and then sat down at a table fo...

1 like 0 comments 0

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“THE BLIND DATE” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #276

 THE BLIND DATE I applied the lipstick with care and precision. I wanted to look my best tonight. I hadn’t been on a date for a long time. It wasn't easy to start dating again after my divorce. I was feeling lost, raw, and vulnerable, and my trust in men was at an all-time low.  But my friends and co-workers encouraged me to get a babysitter for my nine-month-old son and two-year-old daughter, and actually have some adult time in my life. I spent my days working with children and my nights and weekends as the sole support and careg...

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“Onward and Homeward ” by Jennifer Dzielak

Submitted to Contest #276

Onward and HomewardBy Jennifer M. Dzielak Well, here she was, back in one of her favorite cities, Boston, or Beantown, as many affectionally call it, like her niece, Chelsea. Astra has always loved Boston and the vibe that the city carries; all of its history, culture, food, architecture, and people. She has also been very fascinated by the many educational institutions nearby like, Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, and others. Astra came here for a conference focused on women in business. She was excited that this year included m...

1 like 0 comments 0

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“How did it happen?” by David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #276

                                   How did it happen? It was one of those bright spring mornings. You could almost hear the resin rising in the trunks of the trees overhanging the streets. I was on my way to shop at the local market. I had just turned down a narrow street when I noticed a young woman standing in a doorway. She appeared to be waiting for a taxi. I did no...

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“Falling by Default” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #276

Sam had just received an email from Amy, the daughter of a recently deceased friend. Sam had never met the daughter and, frankly, was unlikely to. In the email, Amy, recently reaching her 50th year, wrote to tell Sam about rejoining the dating scene. After exchanging a dozen emails with Amy about the single life, she finally admitted that, at 70, finding romance wasn’t exactly on her agenda… or so she’d thought. Quite honestly, looking at the average 70-year-old male didn’t appeal. Not only was it unlikely that the experience ...

7 likes 2 comments 2

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“Javon and Kimberly” by James Barrett

Submitted to Contest #276

My name is Javon Jackson. I’m a twenty-nine-year-old black cop in a black high-crime precinct in Newark, New Jersey. Besides my service revolver, I carry a blackjack. Often, the blackjack comes in handy when I need to show some perp that I mean business without threatening or, God forbid, using deadly force. Like most cops, I keep a backup piece at home: a Glock 22 semi-auto. It's under lock and key in a gun safe. The combination is my daughter's birthday.New Jersey is heavily blue and controlled by Democrats. As is their wont, they spend ot...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Who's a Good Boy” by Keith Nicholls

Submitted to Contest #276

Daniel Dixon was a young, successful tech engineer. He was also a bachelor who had never had a serious relationship. When he turned 30, Dan came to believe that sufficient wild oats had been sown—he needed to settle down. As corny and clichéd as it might sound, Dan wanted to find a good woman, get married, and start a family. Needless to say, that can be a rather challenging undertaking these days. Fortunately for Dan, fate intervened in a most remarkable fashion. At least it appeared to be fate, aided perhaps by some mystical canine power.&...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Choice” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #276

The ChoicebyBurt Sage I want you to give me a very short oral biographical sketch of who you are,” Edith said to William. “How do you describe yourself?” Edith, a marriage counselor with three decades of experience, was meeting with William Randolph Pierce III and his wife, Susan, in her meeting room. Susan had requested the session, and William had reluctantly agreed. “My name is William Randolph Pierce, III, and I am a tenured Professor of Physics at Dartmouth University,” William began. “I am one of the youngest tenured professors at Dar...

3 likes 2 comments 2

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“What If The State Is Disequilibrium? (Novel excerpt)” by Linda Frothinger

Submitted to Contest #276

“When an object sits at rest or moves along a straight line with no change in momentum, it will continue in this undisturbed state” (Isaac Newton)The road stretches ahead straight—its path outlining terrain against an arc of color along the northern sky—for logging trucks used to build the lodge. I guess, because why else does it etch a line from here to there except to accommodate. An arrow. The night shows only a blanket of cloudless light shielding a three-quarter moon. Ahead shadow marks shallow pockets left by spring rains. Their predic...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Absalom! ” by Giulia Belgrado

Submitted to Contest #276

“Oh, I forgot to tell you". You pause, readjusting your tone. We were just talking about lighter things: my sister's drab new boyfriend, our Friday night date, the cinnamon tobacco breath of my history professor because he leans in real close to answer questions, your physics fellow making you work after hours. But then your voice drops. You're trying to be respectful, we're on the phone after all, and this sort of news deserves delicate delivery. It shouldn't be dropped in the middle of three other mundane anecdotes about our day. Ideally, ...

5 likes 1 comment 1

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“A Lifetime in Fifteen Minutes” by Teddy Kwan

Submitted to Contest #276

Lee looked at his watch before stepping into the airport's arrivals hall. It was midday exactly, and he noticed that the flight from Loas had just landed. Hence, the hall was full of travellers clearing passport control.‘Good,’ Lee said to himself, ‘time to check whether the officers on the morning shift and on duty were on the ball and processing the incoming tourists efficiently.Lee was scanning the hall full of incoming passengers and wondering if he needed to go into the staff room to get more of his people into arrivals to help with the...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Second life” by Sohaiba Nz

Submitted to Contest #276

In a world where the only sensation that cuts through the numbness is pain, I’ve become accustomed to the ache of an existence seemingly devoid of true feeling. Every day, I wake up with a lingering soreness, sometimes a dull throb in my joints, other times a sharp pang in my stomach or temples, as if something unseen is pressing on me. Pain has been a loyal companion, the only connection I have to my own body. Where others speak of joy, fear, and love, I feel only this dull, lingering discomfort.But lately, something has been unsettling my ...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“Letters on the Nature of the Mind” by Johan Wastring

Submitted to Contest #276

Geneva, the 8th of May, 1821 Most esteemed colleague, Doctor Jekyll, with the highest regard I address myself unto you. It was indeed a profound honour to make your acquaintance here in Geneva. It was a gathering most successful, where I was privileged to partake in the wisdom of several eminent physicians hailing from all corners of Europe. I was at once deeply fascinated by your ideas concerning the duality of the human mind. To encounter such a distinguished and keen-minded counterpart was most unlikely indeed.Personally, I have long spen...

3 likes 1 comment 1

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“The day after” by Allikin 75

Submitted to Contest #276

“What the fuck happened?” Her eyes are red and puffy, probably from crying herself to sleep last night. I lean back in the chair, taking my time. The truth is I don’t know and I don’t know if I care, but she deserves at least a half-baked answer. The room is empty, except from the two of us. The seven little round tables we eat lunch at are seemingly in a random and unusual order. There isn’t much on them; a couple of pens, a few coffee rings, a pack of smokes and a lighter. The light blue, comfy dining chairs are pulled out, as if everyone ...

4 likes 0 comments 0

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“CALL ME KAT” by Frances Goulart

Submitted to Contest #276

CALL ME KAT “Aaron, it’s almost dinner time. Where are you going?”“I don’t know. It’s the strangest thing… but did you see the black cat that showed up at the back door? ….This is the second morning I found her  sitting on the porch …almost like she’s waiting for me, waiting for me to join her. She didn’t even look at the sauce of milk I put out for her. Aren’t cats supposed to like milk? She just sat there and gave me that look. Looked me straight in the eye. Anyway it felt that way.”“What look? ““As though she wanted me to f...

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