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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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 571 of 590

For Just A Moment

Submitted to Contest #27

For Just A Moment I was tired of all the fighting. I just left the office of the mediator, and once again, my soon to be ex-wife had decided not to show up with my kids. No one loved those kids more than I did, and it was killing me that I hadn't seen them in almost three months. What was she telling them about me? Knowing how mad she had been when she wrote the note, her she was probably painting me as the bad guy, the one that couldn't make time for his kids. I just needed to hold all three of them in my arms. It had been too long, three m...

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Fantôme Manner

Submitted to Contest #27

At some point every little kid has an imaginary friend, this is the story of how I found out my imaginary friends weren't so imaginary.Every corner I turned someone new appeared. Their shimmering form barely visible. Often when I spoke to them, they would disappear. It took a long time to gain their trust. The shimmering figures were never quite the same. Some were dressed just like I was, others were dressed similarly to the old paintings that hung all throughout the manner. The one thing that never changed was the lost look in their eyes. ...

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Fear the Siren

Submitted to Contest #27

Fear the Siren By Kendra Dantes    There was something so pleasant about a human’s scream.     The way their bodies reacted with an instinct so deep that they lost control. The way their eyes widened at the sight of the siren with claws for nails. The siren with teeth like needles who was more beautiful than the devil. That dark power that was so incredibly irresistible that people died at the sight of her.    Ivy frowned. It was so utterly inconvenient when the humans died before they c...

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The Dead Dog Saloon

Submitted to Contest #27

The whole mess began like a domino effect the moment Jolin spat in Gunner Keggin’s face. The Dead Dog Saloon was a bar notorious for outbursts and fights, and Keggin did have a talent for pissing people off, so Jolin’s mistake shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to everyone watching. (And believe me, everyone was watching). Only this wasn’t just any loser’s face. This was Gunner Keggin. You don’t mess with Keggin.  Jolin was new, see, and hadn’t yet grasped the unspoken rules of Blake Dunes. Rule number one, for instance, stated t...

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Dresses and Blades

Submitted to Contest #27

The phone rang early that morning. Sasha rolled to the other side of the bed, jarred from her sleep, and picked the call."Good morning, Sash. Just calling to tell you Tola and I are going to the park this afternoon. Is that okay with you?" Her aunt's voice drifted over the line, and Sasha smiled at the mention of her daughter."It's alright, thanks Aunt D. Send Tola my love. I really appreciate you doing this for me.""How is the case going? Have you found him?" She asked in true Aunt D fashion, brushing away thanks as easily as they were give...

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The Elements

Submitted to Contest #27

“This is one sacrifice I will not regret.” the witch dressed in blood-red spoke under her breath. The three others crackled, “Don’t be dramatic Hestia.” Yet they agreed. This child was the key to bring back their fallen sister. The only way to restore spirit to their circle. The sorceress in deep forest green silently asks the underbrush to make a path leading to the house they were looking for. The plants part- obeying. It reveals a small wooden cabin. Light could be seen all throughout the home. “You know what to do, Anemoi? Gaea asked the...

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Too Much for a New Job

Submitted to Contest #27

    I am woken up when the plane starts trembling, like someone’s hands before a speech they are nervous about giving. To me, it feels just like driving a car on a badly-built road, the small rocks and uneven cement on the ground causing the car to jump up and down. Except for that there is no badly-built road when you are on an airplane, so it is slightly unsettling to me when these two instances feel very similar.    It is just a turbulence, it happens, my rational side tells me. Yeah, that makes sense. It wil...

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An Encyclopedia of the City's Legendary Forgotten Histories

Submitted to Contest #27

If I could change one thing it would be... Well that would be telling, how about we go back to the start. I live in a quiet town in the middle of Scotland. Saying nothing ever happens would be a lie, we have a usual amount of crime and news stories but it’s not super interesting, nothing that I would even bother telling you about. One day that all seemed to change. That’s a bit melodramatic. What I mean is that one day my life changed, the town didn’t seem to change at all, just my perception of it. I found out a major secret that would...

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the Cabin

Submitted to Contest #27

The steam swirling up from the mug of fresh coffee in my hands slowly condensed on the tip of my nose as I held the rim of the cup just to my chin, not yet willing to risk a sip at the risk of burning my tongue. A burnt tongue was not a death sentence, but it would definitely mar the sweetness of Granny Clarice’s special holiday cookies. I’d have to wait for my much-needed caffeine hit, as I would wait for those notoriously decadent cookies. Good things come with time. Waking up at the crack of dawn, I spent the entire morning making what...

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There is No Need to Speed

Submitted to Contest #27

Lightning filled the sky with flashes of white fury, echoed by the rumbling thunder that could easily be heard for miles. Rain impaired the visions of all who had the unfortunate need to be on the road this evening. Mrs. Davis, in her old broken-down guzzler, was one of these unlucky people. Her tires struggled to gain traction on what felt like a river flowing beneath her car. The playing music was barely heard over the pouring rain, which seemed more intense than usual. Although nervous, Mrs. Davis refused to slow down her speeding car. La...

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The Ghost Tour

Submitted to Contest #27

The Ghost Tour Robert rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, gazing incredulously at the sight before him. The sun had been down for hours, but even in the darkness amongst the trees he could see his fellow ghost hunting team members scattered in the park. The team leader, Glory, was walking slowly, a cautionary beeline, with her eyes fixed on the….what was it called? Robert hadn’t been paying attention in the team huddle when Glory was explaining all her ghost buster equipment, so he just referred to it as the “ghost walkie talkie”. She was so...

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Mirada de Caballo

Submitted to Contest #27

The iron beams that span the land and jut beyond into infinity begin to quake. The tremble in the parallel rails intensifies and the engine is heard, faintly. The sound of heavy mechanical movement. There is no horn because no crossing exists. As the train approaches and passes, each set of wheels on the linked train cars make a slow and steady thump.Hhhwhum...hhhwhum…hhhwhum.The train moves beyond the pasture and the noise fades. On the edge of a field stands three horses in a semicircle, each a few yards from the next. The foremost horse h...

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The way we die.

Submitted to Contest #27

He walked into the bus station, hefting several bags over his shoulder, flipping a coin as he did so. He thought it seemed cool, at least had seen it amongst a few gangsters… gangster movies, of course. He paused for a moment, catching the coin deftly and sparing the intricate yet old pattern of the coin a glance. A piece of Aztec gold, thought to have been cursed by mages past. He chuckled to himself. The only curse in this coin is the man who seeks it, he thought, flipping it again as he kept going.Ansat Lifurce stood at an inconspicu...

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The Following Day

Submitted to Contest #27

Opening her eyes rather disorientated as to why she was lying on the floor, Laura groaned and slowly grabbing the side of the bedframe banging her arm in the process, she dragged herself up onto her knees. With her head resting on the mattress she stayed there for a good ten minutes before moving. Eventually, with a mighty heave, she managed to get to her feet and flop down onto her bed.       ‘Bloody hell that bloody well hurt,’ she yelled, rubbing her arm where she’d banged it.      ...

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An Incident In The Parking Lot.

Submitted to Contest #27

Now.Ayesha is sitting on the floor, in a parking lot near her car, her head resting on the door of the driver's seat. She looks numb, emotionless.~~~One hour before.The sound of a car approaching the parking lot can be heard, as Ayesha is sitting inside her car, her hands on the steering wheel. She is sweating profusely, while looking toward the entrance of the lot. Her hands are trembling.The car enters inside, and halts at a parking spot, a few feet away from Ayesha's car. Ayesha's gaze is fixed over the car that can be seen through the re...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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