6850+ Suspense Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From bizarre characters to creeping threats, this collection of suspense short stories gives you an exciting array of bone-chilling tales.

🏆 Winning stories

“The Party” by Kerriann Murray

🏆 Winner of Contest #244

My phone buzzed. I rolled over to look at the text my cousin Maya had just sent. Can you send photo you took of all the girls in costume last night? xoxo My head was throbbing. Hanging out with Maya was fun, but she was eight years younger than me and she and her friends loved to do shots. I needed to stick with beer only if I didn’t want the hangover. That’s what I'd do next time. I opened my photos app to find the picture Maya had requested. It was a group shot I had no memory of taking. It wasn’t everyone who’d been at the party - just th...

107 likes 84 comments 84

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“Lost and Found” by Jonathan Page

🏆 Winner of Contest #240

On my last shift as a lighthouse keeper, I climbed the seventy-six spiral iron stairs and two ladders to the watch room, the number of steps the same as my age. The thwomp and snare of each step laid an ominous background score. Something wasn’t right. At that very moment, Richie Tedesco was pointing a fire extinguisher at the burning electrical panel in the engine room of his boat a few miles offshore.The placard in the watch room read “Marge Mabrity, Lightkeeper—First lighted the depths on March 2nd, 1985, and hasn’t missed a night.” Alrea...

129 likes 119 comments 119

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“KILLER IN THE WILLOWS” by Kajsa Ohman

🏆 Winner of Contest #235

KILLER IN THE WILLOWSJust do it, so the T-shirts say. Just pick up the gun, pull the trigger—but maybe aim first, aim at the upper sternum and then pull the trigger, congratulating yourself that at last, in your long, passive life, you have shot somebody dead. So she did, and thus she became a murderer. She slipped through the night after that and disappeared into the willows to wash off any blood that spattered onto her clothing. The willows were thickl...

112 likes 75 comments 75

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⭐️ Recommended stories

“Safe and Sound Safe and Sound” by Katharine Widdows

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #244

Trigger warning - psychological abuse.7.15am - go downstairs. Phone fully charged, remove cable. Stare at phone wallpaper – not familiar – photo of huge oak in West Park at end of my street – where Rich proposed. Maybe took it yesterday – maybe not. Not sure. Stare more. Check for messages. Mum, Sarah, Rich. Rich? Not heard from him in ages. Is he ok? Oh, he’s replying to me. I didn’t message him. I must have, yes, look. Asked if he had a good weekend, sent 23.03 yesterday. Was in bed by 10. Must have got up - come downstairs - forgotten. Sl...

38 likes 28 comments 28

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“The Well and the Tower” by Deimantas Saladžius

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #243

As my tongue slid over my cracked lips, a gnawing saltiness invaded my mouth. Yet, my lips remained dry. I took a sip from the bottle. I held it against my lips, but kept my mouth shut. After withdrawing the bottle, I circled reachable areas with my tongue several times. What I managed to gather, I swallowed. It was probably the last few drops of water within several tens of kilometers, so without hesitation, I hid the bottle. The well offered some relief from the heat. I was grateful for that much. I checked the ground—crumbled into tiny gr...

25 likes 17 comments 17

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“Dancing to the Paintings” by Hannah Lynn

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

They were back. Clicking their hard nails on the wooden floor, panting as they grew closer. She assumed position covering herself with her coat and closed her eyes. She heard her mother’s voice as if in the darkened room with her. “Play dead, Shana.”  Did she remember to lock the door? Not that it mattered, a small flimsy lock wouldn’t keep them out. She heard their footsteps approaching, knew the vicious dogs were leading those men in black boots straight to her.  Angry German voices filtered into the...

40 likes 40 comments 40

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✍️ All stories

“Match Point” by D.J. Bogner

Submitted to Contest #246

It was set point. I lost the first one—I can’t lose this one, too. I laser-focused onto Alex across the net at the baseline, took a deep breath, went into my Zen-mode, and sent him into slow-motion. I could read his serve like it was a kid’s picture book. High ball toss about a foot out into the court, deep knee dip into a low crouch, body swiveled under it, trunk and shoulders coiled. He’s going for the slice—I leaped right and straddled the alley. Slo-mo ended—WHAM! No! He pronated the racket at the last second—blasted it down the T! He ac...

16 likes 6 comments 6

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“The House Always Wins” by Evan Anderson

Submitted to Contest #246

“Gentlemen, The Flop.” With a glint in his eye, The Dealer deftly flipped 3 cards upright before us. I glanced around the ornate poker table at my new friends to study their faces, but the bourbon had rendered their tells nigh unreadable. “Jorge, the bet is to you.” Jorge, the amiable thirty-something to my left, squinted at the cards face-up on the table: The nine of clubs, three of clubs, and queen of spades squinted back at him. “Check,” he said with a sheepish grin, “Gotta pace myself tonight with you cutthroats!” He looked to his left a...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Cliffs of Angels ” by Madison R

Submitted to Contest #246

Orla kicked open the front door of her small flat. Just managing to fit through the doorway, her arms were occupied by two large wicker baskets piled high with treats she’d picked out from the weekend market. With audible effort she set them on the floor in her cupboard sized kitchen, standing up to lean against the edge of the sink and find her breath. She was turning 38 this year and it had been a few years since she’d been able to explain the pains in her knees and the aches in her back as nothing more than random muscle soreness. The har...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Homecoming” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #246

It was the day before the Homecoming football game. All week long, momentum had been building towards the big day. In a small town like Cedar Grove, things like Homecoming held great sway. The whole town participated. Earlier in the week, perky high school students decorated the windows of the storefronts facing Main Street. They used a special kind of frosted paint to paint the glass in bright colors. We’re #1! Go team go! Beat the Raiders! The students fervently hoped their strident messages would bring about victory. Whatever the game’s o...

7 likes 2 comments 2

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“Red or Black” by Joshua Urrasio

Submitted to Contest #246

Note: This story contains physical violence. Noah let out an impressed whistle as he reached the door to his friend’s mansion. “This is the house that Mav got from his uncle?” Noah asked. He surveyed the large house from the outside. Currently, he stood in a large driveway with his friends, Stryker, Tallia, and Abdel. The driveway was made of cobblestone, like an ancient Roman road, with brilliant green shrubbery lining the edges of the driveway, leading to the exquisite, three story mansion. The house that they now stood before belonged to ...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Laughter” by Lyra Lee

Submitted to Contest #246

I never liked pranks. Everyone seems to think it’s because I grew up with three older brothers but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Aside from the occasional teasing and name-calling they were actually quite protective of me. In reality my hatred of mean jokes has its roots less at home and more in classrooms and on playgrounds. I never fit in as a kid. The coldness and strictness of my eastern European upbringing has always clashed with my more soft and warm nature, and my overall shyness didn’t make finding friends any easier....

5 likes 0 comments 0

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“The Girl On the Bridge” by Carissa Cherrington

Submitted to Contest #246

CW: Death of a teenager It was July, and the summer sun had beaten Silver Falls and all its inhabitants into a sticky, languid submission. The town was filled with the drone of fans and rattling old swamp coolers. Children lived perpetually in shorts and bathing suits, trying to eat popsicles before they could melt and darting through sprinklers to wash away the rainbow carnage on their faces and fingers when they weren't fast enough. The days crawled snail-like into weeks, even time seeming to have decided it wasn't worth the effort to br...

4 likes 0 comments 0

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“Hide-and-Seek” by Brian Rohrig

Submitted to Contest #246

“It’s hide-and-seek, not hide-and-go-seek.” Gillian clenched her little fists into balls. Braylen was about to see the receiving end of those fists. The little brat. He enjoyed being difficult. “It’s hide-and-go-seek, dipwad. Once you hide, everybody goes and seeks you. You can’t seek if you don’t go.” Gillian put her hands on her hips. “You’re the dipwad, dipwad. Going is implied. You don’t need to include it in the name. It’s soccer, not go-and-play-soccer.”  “Whatever, twattlebreath.” “Scumbucket.” “Barfbrain.” “Roachsucker.” The tra...

10 likes 1 comment 1

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“The Red” by Gabrielle Charles

Submitted to Contest #246

Misery. Disgust. Hopelessness. Those eyes have held nothing but contempt for me since the day we met. Those eyes have been nothing but cruel. But this? This is new. For the first time, your eyes show a different color. Desire.  I, the bearer of all your hatred and scorn have become your salvation. A tool. Oh, how I've ached to be looked at like this by someone again. Too long have I waited for you to realize my potential, to grasp the perfection of my vessel for such an exquisite act as this. When a person snaps, it only takes...

4 likes 2 comments 2

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“Eratz Perspicacity” by Dr. Stephen A Salaka

Submitted to Contest #246

A layer of fine dust coated the lodge, stirring a sneeze from Miley Krinplosi. The grand fireplace, flanked by mismatched armchairs, hinted at cozy gatherings forgotten by time. Antlers adorned the walls, some askew as if disturbed by unseen forces. The air crackled with a strange stillness, as though the lodge itself held its breath, awaiting their return. Miley tried to shake off the peculiar unease settling into her bones. The lodge seemed to hold its breath, a strange, lingering stillness in the air, as though it was anticipati...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Chickadee's Pain” by Katie Howard

Submitted to Contest #246

   The road was wet from the heavy rains that fell like sheets from the sky. The last two days have been nothing but rain. As the car pulled into the driveway, a puddle splashed up around the windows. Eileen felt that it was about time the rain stopped. Flood watches were in effect, and nothing appeared that it would stop. As she looked up to the dark house, she noticed a shadow moving across the lower windows. Something was off.    Eileen grabbed her phone, and quickly dialed her ICE contact, the in case o...

3 likes 0 comments 0

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“The monster within” by Edoardo Garavaglia

Submitted to Contest #246

“And you dare to call that a song? Come on!” shouted the huntsman, emphasizing the admonition by throwing a dagger to the battered man sitting on a chair, the sole survivor of the tavern furniture, which has been crushed or simply overturned here and there around the room.  The wretch target couldn’t help but gasping as the point of the blade stub the wooden wall behind his shoulder, joining a crowd of companions already violently settled down.  “That was close” thought the hostage, giving birth to a sigh of relief.  “Don’t ge...

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“The Most Dreadful Thing” by L.B. Goldman

Submitted to Contest #246

Esmerelda Lopez stares at the hand holding her own as it leads her onto the playground. Any onlookers would identify the look as one of amazement and elation.The day is a nice one, pleasantly warm with an occasional breeze that hints at the cool fall to come yet doesn’t warrant long-sleeves. The sky is a brilliant shade of blue mapped with puffy clouds. The sun is shining but not blazing like it was just yesterday; Virginia is experiencing its between-seasons-season where the weather can’t quite decide whether it wants to tan by the swimming...

6 likes 7 comments 7

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“Cards Against Camaraderie” by C. L. Spencer

Submitted to Contest #246

Author’s Note: This story contains mentions of sexual violence, themes of homophobia, misogyny, and themes of racism. Senior year’s near and college … isn’t how I imagined. No parties with piss-drunk fratboys, cocaine-addicted roommates, or hazing. Just books. Maybe that’s my fault. Honestly, it is! I’m not a party girl like Joi-Anna Nwosu. Joi defied every regulation, and was regulated to her dorm for two weeks, after complaining about her lost taste a couple days later. Nevertheless, she’s my best friend on campus. My laptop chimes. My eye...

2 likes 0 comments 0

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“Coulrophobia” by Holly Gilbert

Submitted to Contest #246

August 2016 “It’s all fun and games until you get punched in the face. You definitely deserved that!” Sera Canister berated her brother.  The small group was driving home from a party. Sera took a detour on a road through the roads. She didn’t feel like driving in traffic. Especially after the incident at the party. Javier was in the back seat, wearing a creepy clown costume. He held a bloodied washcloth to his nose.  “This whole clown frenzy has everyone on edge and you decide to use it to your advantage! And not only that, you ...

6 likes 4 comments 4

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