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

3260+ Historical fiction Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Whether you’re looking to step back into ancient civilizations, the 19th-century, or anywhere in between, our collection of historical fiction stories is here to keep you riveted.

Historical fiction Short Stories – Page 212 of 218

Wild At Heart

Submitted to Contest #36

Haworth, November 24th 1824Tomorrow I am to start a big adventure and join my sisters, Maria, Elizabeth and Charlotte at the big girls’ school at Cowan Bridge. I am a little fearful at this prospect – not because I think I will be regarded as stupid (I can read and write and do arithmetic, and I already know ‘être’ and ‘avoir’, thanks to my aunt’s tutelage) - but I am afraid of missing Branwell and Anne, my playfellows. I have asked Papa if I might not remain at home and share Branwell’s lessons, but he is resolute. I intend to keep a r...

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A Young Diary

Submitted to Contest #36

February 11th 2075 Dear Diary (I wanted to write dear Diarrhea but mom said no, Jimmy),  This is my first diary and I’d like to say that I hate it, and would like to throw up beef chunks on it. It’s not even why you would think I hate it though. I hate my new diary because it’s very ugly. I didn’t want a diary that said, Follow Your Dreams on it! I wanted the sequined one that had a fat old unicorn on it but like always, my mom said no, Jimmy.  That’s my name. Jimmy.  What did you think it would be? Sarsaparilla? NO. It’s...

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Reign of a Supervillain as Told by His Sister's Journal

Submitted to Contest #36

 June 6thYear 2090  Miss Piggy stands from her position on the throne, her bouncing blonde hair towering and spilling across the television screen. I glance around my living room and take a deep breath. My family and I are all waiting for the biggest announcement we’ve yet to hear. I sit by the chimney on a quilted blanket with my younger sister, Elmira, and our stuffed rabbit, Mr. Daisypants. I hold my breath now in anticipation. My mother clutches the side of the sofa. Father takes a large gulp from his bowl of chowder and my old...

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Marie and Fitzgerald

Submitted to Contest #35

Paris, 1924 I tossed my gaze to the ground and pulled my scarf tighter around my neck against the frigid wind. As I continued the walk to my studio in an inexpensive neighborhood, my eyes were met with something peeking out of an ebbing snow bank. Most days, I would have walked by without a second thought, but something made me stop and crouch down. With a shabbily gloved hand, I pulled free the little black book. On the inside of the front cover was scrawled the name “Fitzgerald.” It looked rather ordinary, but I slipped it into my handbag ...

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Blood in the Nile

Submitted to Contest #35

Amenhemet treaded down the palace steps leading into the cool, dim courtyard, his lungs thirstily drinking in the refreshing air. He shook his head as he slowly sat down on one of the cool, limestone benches, his eyes falling tightly closed while he remembered a year ago this same day.Pain was etched in all the lines of the young man’s face, agony exuding from his fine bronze skin. The courtyard down the steps and away from the commotion upstairs was cold and quiet, but his face was burning and perspiration coursed down his forehead and temp...

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Enemies No Longer

Submitted to Contest #35

The day had dawned with a vengeance, not to be forgotten by any of the blue-coated soldiers as they arose in the early morning.Corporal Elias W. Killough stretched the small of his back as he stood in line for the weak coffee that was being offered along with the paltry portions of what the cook called breakfast. Half-warmed watery porridge and some leathery strips of bacon, when what he craved was a steaming plateful of flapjacks and sausages, perhaps even with a side of a corn muffin or something of the sort.“Here you go, Corporal,” smiled...

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Game Day Rules

Submitted to Contest #34

Dan kicked his son Mark’s bed. Mark barely moved.“Come on Sluggo. Rise and shine. You know it’s four o’clock? I thought you were out.”Mark turned toward the wall and pulled his blanket over his head. “I can’t go out.”“Are you sick? Get up. The day’s wasting. Did you forget it’s game day?”Mark mumbled through the covers, “Oh boy! Video games!”“Actually, we’re going low tech tonight. Board games. Try it. You’ll like it. And clean up your room. I’ll be in my office.”A while later, Mark shuffled into the kitchen where his mother, Miriam bustled ...

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Just One More Smile

Submitted to Contest #34

“Joshua! It’s time for your meal!”I dart towards the kitchen. From my bed, through the corridor and under the legs of my table and sit down eagerly at my bowl. I wag my tail as Elijah pours some dog food out for me. I was hungry, I’m sure Elijah was too, but he barely ever ate nowadays. I don’t know why he did so.As I gobbled my bowl hungrily, Elijah caressed my left hind leg, the metal was still perfectly intact – ‘Fine German Engineering’ as they call it and it felt perfectly normal. I could have forgotten my leg was ever flesh and bone. O...

18 likes 11 comments 11
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Tales from Yújìn

Submitted to Contest #32

“The wicker basket, with the red stain, please.” Luò Wei handed the stall keeper ¥34, and dropped what he was carrying into its new home. “Xiè xie!” The young man nodded. “You’re very welcome.” Luò Wei replied, smiling. He was ashamed to think it had been a few years since he’d last visited his home village of Yújìn. It was a historic and quaint town, where everyone knew everyone. The cobble streets were decorated beautifully for the festival. Despite being on an island, the agriculture was booming, and the vendors in town had everything you...

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Lux Aeterna

Submitted to Contest #27

“Quick! Hide!”Mr Grey scrabbled free from the table in the middle of the train cabin and squeezed himself underneath the seat while Aurelia took a photo of the cards on the table then rearranged them into a game of solitaire.Footsteps outside the cabin door grew louder, and then a figure – distorted by the frosted glass – appeared on the other side.A knock, followed by: “Tickets, please.”Aurelia grabbed her bag and pulled out her ticket: a piece of paper reading ONE TICKET (CHILD): EXETER TO GLASGOW OVERNIGHT. It had several perfectly circul...

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Three o’clock Midnight

Submitted to Contest #26

If I cross through Lincoln and Square at three o’clock, and head East for three minutes, I can turn into Aimee’s, and wait there until the next ceasefire. If they shoot till six, I’ll have to risk it, if I plan to get to the venue before dark. It hasn’t snowed all winter, but the lack of it hasn’t stopped the sun from dying early.It’s thirty steps from here till Lincoln, and I’ll arrive to Lincoln by two fifty-four. That’s six minutes until the cease. Everyday at three o’clock, both sides lower their guns in honor of the children lost or gon...

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The Albatross

Submitted to Contest #26

“My lady the sea, so vast and grand.She beckons to me from beyond the land.I set sail with the Albatross, far and freeTill I reach my desti-” “QUIET!”  The lone singer was suddenly silenced by a booming voice, followed by a clattering of scrubbers and scrambling of boots as the men working upon the deck sprung to their feet at attention. A blue clad, white wigged admiral made his way through the sea of dusty servants until he reached the musical perpetrator, a young lad in disheveled garments, frozen under the superior’s sour gaze. “Per...

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And Then The Wars Broke Out

Submitted to Contest #26

I could hold a note when needed, learning to dance took much more effort. My bread and butter? What kept people believing I was the next big thing? I could tickle the ivories. I could play any Earth Standard, jump straight into Universal pop music, jazz and gospel. And I was acting in a good number of theater productions of the galaxy as well. I helped write some lyrics and music for the shows I participated in. I grew up on music. Nat King Cole, Stax “Saxophone” Jackson, Sam Cooke, Yedda Peal, and my great grandmother, Jinah Carter. My...

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The Silent Song

Submitted to Contest #26

Austria, 1944               The shouts continued to ring out as objects were thrown and broken, yet he remained completely still in his hiding place behind the wall. Jonas had originally built the secret space in the wall for his violin. The moment he found out musicians were being taken away like the others, he knew that he needed to hide his violin; to protect his precious violin from the destruction would surely befall the instrument. When he saw the large army veh...

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Silver Flute

Submitted to Contest #26

    I’m being chased.     The wind whips through my hair as I pound down streets and around corners. The sound of my feet thumping on the cobblestones repeats itself in my head.     Thump. Thwump. Thump. Thwump.     In my head it turns into a melody, and, before I know it, my footsteps are singing to me.    I dodge into the doorway of a building, opening and shutting the door quickly behind me. I pant fo...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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