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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

8740+ 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.

Suspense Short Stories – Page 478 of 583

THE SUMMIT AT GANTYRRA

Submitted to Contest #80

 “Good morning, everyone.” “Welcome back, sir,” one journalist said. “Thank you, Ben.” His monotone voice resonated in the hall, his eyes sparkling from the bright lights burning his pale, wrinkled face as he prepared to give his address. “A few weeks ago, we sent an envoy to quell the uprising in the sub-Saharan state of Gantyrra. We are pleased to announce that our team has been successful in neutralizing the dissidents, and we even managed to hold the International Leader’s Summit there; a first for their continent, and a step in pro...

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FOR GOD AND FOR COUNTRY

Submitted to Contest #80

The bustling crowd that piled into Central Square was made up, majorly, of youths from Capital University and their allies from around the country. The state police had been defiant initially, confident that the threat of violence and death would be sufficient to keep the crowd in check. That quickly changed when the magnitude of the crowd became clear. They reluctantly backed away from the advancing crowd, all the while calling for backup, which proved insufficient when it came. The crowd was armed with placards and banners boldly display...

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Earth 980

Submitted to Contest #80

The day has arrived. World leaders have been planning on this for the past twenty years. As the only intelligent species on this planet, we could not save Earth. The human race failed and big time. We became our own worst enemy.    By 2040, the world population had reached a staggering ten billion. Population is out of control. To supply food to the entire planet has become difficult. We are seeing more and more of typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, whirlpools, earthquakes, extreme temperature fluctuations, the rise ...

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Children of War

Submitted to Contest #80

Every day as a result of conflict, thousands of civilians are killed or injured. More than half of these victims are children. The days when the captain of a sinking ship ordered women and children first onto lifeboats are just a fading notion. The Second World War was a watershed when the amount of civilian victims was as high as the amount of brave soldiers and combat leaders who had lost their lives as a result of fighting on the frontline. It was near the end of August 1939, and my family and I were on holiday near Swanage in Dorset. Wa...

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Once upon a time, everything changed (pt.13 of Mutants versus Witches)

Submitted to Contest #80

"Good afternoon. Today I come before you to discuss the realities of the newest threat faced by this country." Philia looked up when her mother sucked in a terrified breath, clutching her hand. It bothered her, mommy took her happy medicine, but she was still sad. "Mommy, what's going on?" Philia asked, clutching at her coat. She was thirsty and bored and hungry, and she wanted to go home. Her mother stared at her in a blind panic, almost seeming to forget who the eight-year-old before her was until her vision focused. "That man is the...

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A very peculiar affair

Submitted to Contest #80

A few years ago, one November morning, we had a very unforgettable experience. Even before we left school, my friends and I sensed there was something wrong. First, it was the call to school assembly midmorning when we were unexpectedly sent home early and told no idling on the way. When did we ever have lessons cancelled for no apparent reason? Then as we took a short cut through the market, my friend Molly and I knew something was up. There was an unusual eerie silence in the streets usually bustling with shoppers of fruit and vegetab...

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The Real Thing

Submitted to Contest #80

Victory can be addicting. It's like an insatiable hunger, only to be quenched when we rise from battle with sweat-drenched uniforms and bloody knuckles, the smell of the crisp autumn air mixed with dewy grass clippings, knowing you left every ounce of your being out there on the field. It's a rather masochistic outlook, but that's what coach has been preparing us for since the beginning of summer. We fought and suffered for moments like this, the thrill of victory. Our journey started back in July; two yellow school buses dropped the troop...

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Finkish Things

Submitted to Contest #80

A blank, black chasm. So deep and yawning, as if Light itself has relinquished its part in the fight against Darkness, regrouping to fight another day - forfeiting this particular patch to be consumed. A cold void waiting for illumination.  Suddenly, a burst of light, like a match to a tinderbox. A metallic click, as the image on the screen comes into focus and a steely robotic voice announces “Commencing Broadcast”. The television barks its intrusive brightness into the dimly lit room.  “Breaking news tonight, as repor...

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I Cross my Heart and Hope to die

Submitted to Contest #80

"Sleep. Go to sleep, my child.Nora? Sleep. Hold on to Masha the bear for a while. Daddy will be back and everything will be fine.""Wh...what about you?""I'll be here, right by your side. If you want anything, trust me, NoraI won't leave you.""Promise?""Yes.""Cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye?"She sighed."Nora, yes. I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.""Ok, momma, ok. I believe you.""Thank you, Nora.""Can you tell me a story?""Well, only if you promise to go to sleep after that.""Yes, I promise...

54 likes 25 comments 25
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Here's to Saving the Galaxy

Submitted to Contest #80

I had always thought a space walk would be an adventure, but now faced with that very task it only seemed terrifying. The computer had handled all of the leg work. It’s mechanical arms extended from the wall helping me click the helmet securely into place. I stared at the clunky metal airlock both unnerved and thankful that it could be my saving grace. “Computer, are you sure this suit will hold up?” I had been urging the computer to move faster as it helped me put everything on, but now I was wondering just how old the suit actually was. T...

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The Cable Guy

Submitted to Contest #80

“No one knows what the cause of this is,” the news reporter said, soon after Doug had fixed the cable and the news station was the first thing that came on. “Whatever it is in the air is causing everyone to drop dead immediately. But we have no reports of anyone dying that is indoors so if you are currently indoors, stay there. Make sure all of your windows are closed and you should be OK. We are working on a way to have food and water dropped off to people though we are not sure how you are going to be able to get it sin...

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The Man who Saved the World

Submitted to Contest #80

He awoke in a cold sweat. Each night seems to be broken into periods of sleep and contemplation. He thought age diminished memory; yet, night after night was riddled with the sirens. Friends, books, television all seemed to go with the turmoil of countless years full of hard labor, but that day will stay him until his final breath. This night, Vasili stubbornly thought he could just return to the hard pillow he called his home, but his mind had other intentions. He swam in the pool of recollection, constantly fighting the riptide of Octo...

6 likes 1 comment 1
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Bunny Reincarnate

Submitted to Contest #80

My mother pulled me aside, her eyes looking me up and down as soon as I had stepped inside the house. I went in for a hug, but she kept her hands firm on my shoulders, analyzing me. Then, after staring into my confused eyes for a little too long, she rolled my sleeves up and stared at them for a while too. Afterward, she looked at my cheeks, feeling along my jaw, but not the way she usually did. She was looking. Then she searched at my knees, the skin showing from beneath my jeans in a ripped hole.“What is this?” she asked.“I fell from the s...

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Bits and Pieces

Submitted to Contest #80

    I laid there, in that cold white room, on that stiff bed that made my back ache more than usual. I remember the uncomfortable silence, just the beeping of my heart rate monitor, and my own ragged breathing. The bright lights flickered like in a horror film. My suit and tie were hung up somewhere in the facility, but I didn’t know where. I was a slave to the revealing backless gown they had given me, the official uniform of vulnerability. Most men my age had no problem at all walking around a gym locker room on full display...

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Somethings not right.

Submitted to Contest #80

I don't know what's going on. Mama is scared, but she doesn't want to show it. But I can tell. Something isn't right about her laugh, and she's not smiling when she thinks I’m not looking. I hear her talking, at night. Always on the phone, talking in hushed tones. Sometimes, when she is getting even more nervous, her voice gets louder- almost to a shout. It scares me, when she gets like this. Because I know something is not right. And right now, something is not right.  Mama won't tell me anything, she says I’m too young to know, to...

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