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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.

8700+ 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 566 of 581

Fallen leaves

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire. A vast array of reds and oranges lined our streets stretching for a few blocks as far as the eye could see. This was a strange sight in our small town as it had never occurred before. I had doing my assignments when I noticed that the trees outside our house looked bare, which was odd because they weren't the type to shed especially at this time of the year. On a normal day I wouldn't be bothered about it because with all the climate change I thought things were bound to work differently...

12 likes 10 comments 10
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Apple Cider

Submitted to Contest #63

“This is lame,” Emily grumbled, trailing slightly behind Olivia as they walked. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her yellow sweatshirt. Olivia rolled her eyes. She was trying to be patient with her new step-sister, but she was pushing her buttons today. “Seriously lame.” “Okay, I get it. But homemade apple cider is part of our Halloween tradition.” “But why can’t you just get it at the store?” “Because, one, homemade tastes better, and two, it’s the experience of making it together. All of us.” “You guys have s...

10 likes 4 comments 4
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Proud of My Work.

Submitted to Contest #64

I know it's dangerous but I really like him. I just have to keep him out of the basement.Sure, you may say I just met him, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? His name is Ryan Wilson and he just moved here from Wisconsin about a month ago. He's one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and inviting him over is the least I could do for him. He surprisingly doesn’t have many friends but I think the girls gawking at him in the hallways at school probably make up for that. My heart is already pounded by the time he rings the doorb...

22 likes 1 comment 1
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The Fire and the Flames

Submitted to Contest #63

The Fire and the Flames By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I was looking at. As the gray smoke filled the air off in the distance was a cloud so giant it put fear into my heart. I told myself that I knew this day would come but I didn’t know it would be so soon. The cloud was in the shape of a mushroom then all the sudden this giant gust of wind had hit me.  As I looked around everything flew away or disintegrated in thin air. I knew that it was a nuke but I didn’t understand h...

5 likes 0 comments 0
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The Return Of The Prodigal Son (The Chadwick Saga - Part 1)

Submitted to Contest #64

Sarah ran from room to room, frantically, searching for her child, with tears streaming down her face. Her long auburn hair, soaking wet, hung loose about her shoulders. Her pale skin glistening in the candlelight she was holding. Her long blue satin dress dripping with water, clung to her slender form. The sound of her son crying had woken her up in the middle of the night. When she went to check on him, she found, to her horror, an empty crib.The storm was still raging outside. The rain coming down in torrents. The wind howling like an inv...

116 likes 60 comments 60
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It Took A Fire To Realize My Love for You

Submitted to Contest #64

Lana woke with a start. "What was that strange smell?" She sniffed the air again; Smoke! Lana jumped from bed and ran to the door of her apartment. She unlocked the door and opened it; she looked at the blazing inferno in front of her and felt the heat radiating from it. Closing the door, Lana knew she was trapped. There was no way out of her room unless she wanted to fall from three stories, and the stair case was completely engulfed in flames. Seeing no other choice, Lana picked up her phone and dialed 9-1-1. "9-1-1 what's your emergency?"...

24 likes 39 comments 39
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A Replica of Goodbye

Submitted to Contest #63

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” He swallowed hard, the taste of smoke still in his mouth. “You have no idea what we went through, no idea what that psychopath did to us. I watched my friends die one by one while you assholes did nothing to help!” Myles looked at the officer across from him and scoffed at the impartial look on her face. “I know you think I did this because I’m the only left, the only one that escaped that freak’s death trap. He’s still out there though and he’s going to kill again or come for me next...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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In the House

Submitted to Contest #64

‘It’s evil. I can feel it. Feel it in every stone - evil it is.’ ‘What rubbish. A house, or any other building, cannot be evil. Men who transgress the laws of our good Lord are evil. Whether any such men, or indeed women, have ever resided in this house we shall not know but if so their wickedness cannot seep into its structure. You are a foolish child to believe it could be so.’ Mother I turn away from my sullen daughter. Why she thinks such things I cannot imagine. She scowls at me. In a fit of temper she wrests the cap from her hea...

13 likes 4 comments 4
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Wild Fire

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. They were a burnt mix of brown and bright yellow. The life was slowly fading away from them. Smoke billowed throughout the trees around my home. Honestly, I was a bit surprised it spread so quickly. The tv blared in the living room. Some reporter going on about a local wildfire. I’d like to see that reporter get this close to it. I want them to taste the burning tree sap. Nobody would be crazy enough to make their way up here now. There’s far too much smoke for that. If they could only ...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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FIRE DANCE

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I’d gotten too close to her too soon, and I’d noticed the books before I could control it. Mrs. Simpson discarded the burning books as quickly as she could and jumped a few steps back to put as much distance as possible between her and the flames. She hissed, and then scoffed, and then contented herself with a scowl. That wasn’t the first run-in I’d had with Mrs. Simpson. We’d had many run-ins in the past, some as early as a few days before the encounter on the front porch that morning....

8 likes 2 comments 2
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Mists In The Campus

Submitted to Contest #64

 Prof. Sadashiva Rao was tired. It was past 9.00 pm, and he was still in the library browsing books on paranormal sciences. Additionally, he was browsing the internet for authentic treatizes on the subject, which in reality evoked very little interest in him.   He was invited to attend a seminar on paranormal activities, and he wanted to update himself on the latest studies. As a man of science, he demanded scientific proof. Science, of course, counsels scepticism towards the idea of spirits, ghouls, and, in general, spooks...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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short story 001

Submitted to Contest #64

The woman is a mound of dirt and rags pushing a squeaky shopping cart; a lump that moves steadily, slowly forward, as if dragged by an invisible tide. Her long, greasy hair hides her face but Ramon feels her staring at him. He looks ahead. The best thing to do with the homeless mob littering Vancouver is to ignore it. Give them a buck and the beggars cling to you like barnacles. “Have you seen my children?” the woman asks. Her voice, sandpaper against his ears, makes him shiver. His heart jolts as though someone has pricked it with a needle....

11 likes 3 comments 3
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Autumn Spice

Submitted to Contest #63

"Welcome to Top Coffee!" A woman and a smaller man greet Immane from behind the counter with warm smiles as if they were wrapping her in a huge hug. She looked at both corners of the coffee shop, seeing only a young couple on one side, and a lonesome man on the other side, glancing up at her. Immane froze in place for a moment, remembering what had happened. He looked up at her the same way he had just a few moments ago. They continued to stare at each other, both seeming lost in thought, until the coffee shop bell rang, snapping Immane back...

6 likes 7 comments 7
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Apple Picking with a twist

Submitted to Contest #63

Fall has finally arrived. The trees are starting to turn beautiful colors. Oranges, yellows and reds taking over for the green landscapes. The sky even seems to glow brighter. Then there is a refreshing crisp air taking away the heat of summer. Time to bring out the hoodies and light jackets. Turn off the A/C and let nature cool down the house for you with the windows open. The leaves crunch under your feet as you stroll along the sidewalk. Children raking the leaves together, getting the piles big enough to jump in. Its such a wonderfu...

9 likes 0 comments 0
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The Coffee Shop

Submitted to Contest #63

     It was a cool autumn morning. Halloween only a couple weeks away. I went to the coffee shop around the corner from my apartment to go through my usual routine. I saw on the menu they had added halloween themed drinks. My favorite time of the year. I had just ordered a monster fudge sludge coffee, this shop's idea of a creative halloween themed drink when in reality they had probably just spiced up the mocha coffee they typically have but you didn’t hear me complaining. My friends like to say I'm the chocolate fi...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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