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

8840+ Mystery Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. No need to go out hunting for clues — you’ve solved the puzzle of where to find the newest mystery short stories just by landing on this page.

Mystery Short Stories – Page 565 of 590

Angel Umbrellas

Submitted to Contest #27

I think about the Carters every day, but most of all on Saturdays. Those are the only days when the boy with giant glasses doesn’t careen past on his bike, laden with numerous copies of the Sherman County Journal and struggling to stay upright. Mr. Carter used to read that paper every weeknight while Mrs. Carter prepared dinner, and every Sunday morning while she scrambled eggs. Sometimes Mr. Carter would mutter about “that stupid goddamned war” or “that good-for-nothing Johnson,” but mostly he kept his opinions to himself. I think he just w...

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Heartbreak

Submitted to Contest #27

My husband, Ryan, would be furious if he knew I was here. I’d broken my promise not to see this young man again, but I had to see him one more time.  The choir shuffled noisily onto the stage – not quite the grand entrance their director of music would have wished for. A few younger men broke up the ranks of grey-haired chaps fumbling with their song sheets, but most of them were nearer my age, in their early forties. They were dressed in an assortment of rainbow colours, befitting a predominately gay choir.  It was to be an evenin...

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The Ongoing Battle

Submitted to Contest #27

The smell of blood wafted through the air, creeping steadily from the battlefield. Screams could be heard, far off in the distance, if you listened long enough. A solider covered in dirt and sweat crawled stealthily to the edge of the trees, hesitating for a moment, anticipating the massacre. How many of her fallen comrades would she see today? This place had become a permanent scar across their landscape. It stretched for miles, with no end in sight. This once peaceful place had become a graveyard for all those fighting for the cause. Invad...

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Mr. Brown's Retirement Plan

Submitted to Contest #27

Everyone, no matter how ordinary they might seem, has at least one extraordinary story to tell. Take the case of an ordinary man named Mr. Brown, a retired truck driver from a quiet New England town. Mr. Brown spent decades driving produce all over the country until his company took him to dinner at a moderately priced restaurant, handed him a gold-plated watch and showed him the door. Since then he’s spent his days watching golf on TV, feeding the ducks in the park, and plotting to kill his wife.     Mr. B...

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Freedom

Submitted to Contest #27

After twelve years of imprisonment, Kelvin is now free. Holding his bag, he went straight trait to a house. The house that gave him the most unfortunate memory of his life. The cold breeze gave Kelvin shivers, but the pain and anger make him more tremble. Mixed and unexplained emotions are what Kelvin felt as he walks inside their old abandoned house for almost twelve years, tears were falling through his eyes as he stands at the doorway.The whole house was covered with dust and putrid smell as Kelvin crouch and wipe the side ...

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The Ride

Submitted to Contest #27

    The train was dimly lit, but warm and welcoming when Jenny Green stepped on board and she was glad for it. Outside was blistery cold and the frozen wind was relentless. The kindly old conductor checked her ticket and helped her to her seat with a warm smile.    “If you need anything else just let me know miss.”     “Thank you.” He patted her shoulder and returned to his duties.     Jenny sank down onto the plush red seat and sighed. This was not a trip she wanted to ma...

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In a cloud of solids

Submitted to Contest #27

In A Cloud of Solids “A man once spoke of a story pertaining to the Wizard against the machine. He would sit up in his castle, making paintings that he supposedly, considers to be prophecies. Graphic images of a small pixel, a dot, remaining unmovable in a prodigious city as the humans around it began to get ripped apart by a storm so random that the apples that they were eating didn’t leave the air. I seen the pictures myself, I seen the deep reds of the blood, the dark grays of the night, and the speck of white that if you really don’t foc...

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Enigma

Submitted to Contest #27

Late November in Roscommon County can be deeply weighted in snow, but not this year. This year temperatures were in the high 50’s….no air conditioning, no heat, and all the windows and doors open. Perfect weather for the yearly Winter Charity Bazaar and Karl’s usual hunting trip. While Karl was away hunting his wife, Carol, would gather the treasures for the bazaar because Karl hated the disorganization of gathering what he called ‘junk’ collectibles. Though Carol enjoyed her role in the yearly bazaar, she had a problem with procrastination....

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MOTH IN FOUR CORNERS

Submitted to Contest #27

I had a dream that jolted me awake in consideration of it. Four silvery illuminated moths had entered her home, each claiming a corner of the squared structure. What did this mean?She was dead, and had been for awhile. This, utterly, surprised me when I found myself in a position of need. I seeked her out, but she was gone, almost a year after our last visit. I began a new path in life-moving along with the new year. This somehow had taken me away from her.Some would think poor of me knowing I didn't notice our separation. Life mov...

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THE WRONG SIDE OF NOWHERE

Submitted to Contest #27

THE WRONG SIDE OF NOWHERE            It was a lazy afternoon, one of those hot and humid days when people look for a cool place and a cold drink, and dogs seek out the shade to lie down and not move unless they have to.  Danny Weston pushed open the tavern door and scanned the premises as he headed to the end of the bar.  Not many people he observed.  He liked it that way…no witnesses.          &nbs...

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What Color is a Mirror?

Submitted to Contest #27

The clock tick-tocked on the beige wall. The Crown Court jury was silent. I had to be strong. I knew I hadn’t gone mad. The judge's penetrating stare tore right through me, impatiently waiting for a reply, but I didn’t have one to give. A Cheshire cat’s smile bobbed in the air above the windowsill. I lifted a hand to my eyepatch and gingerly touched the dark cover. My mind’s eye was leaping over everything that had happened in the past year, calculating and reshaping the possible outcomes. Every rabbit trail ended here. There wasn’t any othe...

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Decisions

Submitted to Contest #27

Yun Li watched at the door while her husband, Chao typed furiously away on the computer keyboard. If caught downloading these files, they would go to prison. Or worse.If not so important, Yun Li never would have involved Chao. Her brilliant husband worked a good job at an electronics company, yet he risked everything to help prove a theory. Unfortunately, she acted like a dog with a bone and could not stop obsessing once the idea came into her head.“How is it?” she asked anxiously, afraid the security guard they eluded would walk their way s...

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Our Last, Tonight

Submitted to Contest #27

It was the middle of the night. Maggie couldn't help but toss and turn as she forced herself to sleep. She was too emotional. She had just broken up with her boyfriend of three years and was taking it pretty hard. The tears continued to fall on her pillow as if rain to the ground. She felt broken. She couldn't put into words the pain she had felt and wanted them to end. Finally her eyes had closed. A deep sleep is what she was in. She was dreaming about her current state of mind. Dreaming about the fact that her heart was smashed into a thou...

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Open Market

Submitted to Contest #27

The goat man was staring at me from the open doorway. His eyes were a deep seeded red, burrowing deep into my soul.  Unable to move, I just stood there, terrified. My senses screamed at me to run, but I couldn’t seem to move. Something drew me to him. He motioned for me to follow and I did so without question. I was scared to go, but more scared not to. The narrow corridor was long and dimly lit. There were several small rooms filled with women just like me. Each room had a small sign attached to the open d...

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Maybe We Should Have Listened to Romans 12:10

Submitted to Contest #27

I only went to mass twice a year. Christmas and Easter. I admit, some years I’ve even skipped Christmas (how could you not, when there’s so much else to do?). Despite this, I wiped my hands on a towel to get all the french fry grease off them so I could prepare to pray without getting my pristine white dress dirty. I pushed aside the McDonald’s bag that I had made Christy go out and grab from down the street in the midst of my first mental breakdown, rested my hands on the table and kneeled down in front of it. It was only a matter of time u...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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