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

36850+ 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.

Fiction Short Stories – Page 2388 of 2457

New Autumn

Submitted to Contest #63

CW: Mentions of suicide, anger management issues. By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I had only caught glimpses of the upcoming equinox during my six month stay at the Cedar Crest Residential Treatment Center: nurses shaking off wet umbrellas in the lobby, my psychiatrist meeting me with fallen green leaves stuck to his shoes. With no windows— that would be a hazard to us, after all— in the facility, these small clues of autumn were the only evidence of this literal change of scenery. My view, however, had not chan...

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A Drink of Clarity

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. So much for taking my break. “I knew it! I knew it!” exclaimed our boss who was the director of the preschool. She ran out, took time to yell at the tree and then ran back inside. I walked back into our classroom and called out to my co-teacher, “Ms. Blythe, there is something you should come and see.” “Should we all go?” she asked. “Oh yes, this is amazing,” I said and our twelve students, all four years old, followed me to the tree with Ms. Blythe. I took time to enjoy the spectacle w...

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Thirst for Nature

Submitted to Contest #63

“Subash! Subash!, Shall we go for a hill trip on Saturday ?” asked Suriya. “Yes! for sure” replied Subhash. They started their journey on Friday evening on 20th August. They have always enjoyed travelling. Long drive in two wheeler was always their dream since their childhood. They both have been very close friends from the days they remember. While they travelled through the hilly road, all of a sudden, a bird falls on the shoulder of Suriya. They stopped the bike and Suriya took the bird on his hand. Suriya was really shocked by the incide...

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Music to My Ears

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Literally. The long-awaited fall festivals had arrived, and the performers were making a great show of it. The crowds awed as the flames danced. I moved right past them and continued on. Elemental magic was common in Silkmere. I was surprised the tourists hadn’t gotten tired of it. I certainly had.  “Miss, if you’ll allow me, I sense great magic,” one of the vendors called as I passed. I barely gave them a second look, turning the other direction instead. Of all the vendors, that...

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The Murder of Mrs. Katie Hilliard

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire", I read aloud four times over before I closed my notebook. "I need a break, Chance", I told my Pit Bull pup. "Let's go for a walk." He jumped up from his bed and spun circles as I got up to grab his leash. Chance was very well trained already and sat down at the door while I hooked his leash to his collar. He stayed sitting until I told him to come on after I opened the door. Chance stayed by my side the whole walk to the park, stopping when I did, and never strayed too far away....

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Flashbacks

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I stopped at the short iron gate in front of my house and gazed up at the blazing trees wondering why autumn had decided to sneak up on us this year. I swear the leaves were still emerald a week ago, but then again, that’s how long I had exiled myself from the rest of the world. During that week of isolation, my mornings had been spent with coffee that contained only honey and oat milk and poetry books filled with other people’s miseries. I thought that maybe if I read someone else’s fe...

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Table for Four

Submitted to Contest #63

His pale, cold fingers were wrapped aimlessly around the steaming hot cup, despite the absurdity of the thought that it could warm his dead hands. The scarlet, viscous liquid frothed ferociously in the Styrofoam cup as steam poured out like noxious gas. Orville inhaled deeply, smelling the sweet scent of human blood. AB+, he thought to himself. Maybe AB-? He took another whiff. Definitely positive. He took a sip of the scalding liquid. As he lifted it to his lips, he could feel his gums stretch and move as a pair of perfectly white fangs for...

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Coffee Talk

Submitted to Contest #63

“Lemmi get uhhh...” “step aside Karter, there are people in line that actually know what they want,”  I cheekily said before picking out his usual, Cappuccino. “What if I want something new? Huh?” This made me look up at him surprised. “You’ve never asked for anything new since I knew you. What’s the special occasion?”  He thought for a second before flaring up his hands in the air and saying, “nevermind, I’ll have the usual.”  “Don’t get him that order!” My dad yelled while coming into the door. Sighing and rolling my eyes, t...

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A Crow

Submitted to Contest #63

We are as smart as a seven year old.  We find that insulting.  Why for only seven years?  Does one’s smarts cut off at a certain point? Why must ours cut off earlier?  We don’t sound seven, do we?  Look at us.  Look at our black wings.  Look at our beady eyes.  Look at our shimmering feathers.  Look at our shiny beak. We don’t look seven, do we?  Humans are peculiar. They have interesting sayings.  If it looks like a duck.  Sounds like a duck.  It must be a duck.  We d...

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All Good Things

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Eurus’s breath had blown my orange hair curling into the sky like tongues of hot flame and setting the trees swaying.“It’ll be fine,” Tye lies into my ear. “They haven’t been seen in months, we can go outside.” I brush him off.Lies, they were all lies. Outside wasn’t safe.  He’s telling lies I wanted to hear, but they’re lies nonetheless. I can feel it. The trees are ablaze with red-decked flames, embers shooting off and swirling, purple and orang...

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Coffee is Worth a Thousand Words

Submitted to Contest #63

The leadership, o Consorcio, of the city of Santiago de Compostela, had the grand idea of organizing a coffee competition. After all, theirs was a city of a hundred thousand residents and nearly as many students. Everybody went to a café daily, sometimes more than once. The leaders also thought in terms of tourism, even though the City of the Apostle had more than enough of them. Add to this the fact that the residents didn’t mind the entertainment such a competition would provide. They were willing to pretend for that week that they lived i...

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The Southerner

Submitted to Contest #63

Ah! It is my favorite time of the year again. I have so longed for the days to fly back to the south, back to my home. I love to feel the wind beneath my wings as I glide through the endless sky. Nothing can stop me. I can float or fly or freely fumble and frolic about the sky. Nothing can slow me down, and I am perfectly free. At least, that is how I feel in the fleeting moment, and who is to tell me otherwise? The exhilaration overcomes my fears, and I am the most glorious being alive. I am on a joyous journey to my favorite place. I am on...

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The Year After

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Scarlet, orange, and gold hues glowed with the sun’s rays, located in small piles scattered all over the old mossy sidewalk. The deep blue sky hosted a few swatches of wispy, stretched clouds, weak attempts of masking the secrets of the void beyond. A fresh, crisp autumn breeze whispered through the air, my first taste of non-stale air in three years. Strands of my dark, tangled hair floated against the sides of my face, brushing lightly against my cheek until I pulled the strays back b...

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Thankful for Life's Little Things

Submitted to Contest #63

I held the red construction paper in my hands. Ever so lightly I cut along the sharpie lines. My scissors gilded around the page. Finally creating a pile of hand made decorations. Once all that was left of my red paper was simple scraps, I grabbed the same in yellow and began again. Tracing and drawing different silhouettes on my paper. Grabbing my scissors, and cutting them out. Making a neat pile of my work. Then began the process again and again. I was determined to create as much as possible. I would use them and decorate my room in thei...

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Resurgence

Submitted to Contest #63

“The weather is a bit shitty today” I said, with my forehead gently pressed against the window, listening to each drop of rain as they’re falling. I turn my head to face my boyfriend, Ray, sitting in the driver’s seat, with a smug look on his face. I keep staring while biting my lip trying to think of ways to engage him. “What?” He notices me. “Sorry, I’m driving.” He says. “You text while driving and you’re telling me you’re too focused to have a little small talk?” Bullshit. He has something else on his mind. He has become pretty distant...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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