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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.

8690+ 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 568 of 580

The day the sun fell

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.I woke up, smoke filling my lungs, the hot air around me making my hair stick to my sweat covered forehead. My eyes filled with tears as my throat burned, the stinging like swallowing a rose covered in thorns. This wasn't the first time I have woken up like this, and it wouldn't be the last.I coughed harshly, knowing no one would hear, my feet hit the floor and I stumbled out of my bed, through the doorway, and down the stairs.The day had come, and soon, we would all go up in flames.I kn...

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Apple Picking

Submitted to Contest #63

“So what are we doing today?” I asked Eugenie. “Apple picking,” she replied. She said it like it was obvious, like we had spoken about a thousand times before. In fact, this was our first interaction on the subject. “What is that?” She gave me a wry look. “Exactly what it sounds like.” “Literally picking apples? That’s a thing you do?” “Yes, silly. It’s a thing we do. Now do you want to waste time talking about it or do you want to go pick some fucking apples?” I nodded and followed her into her car. This was my second week in Ne...

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Burning Leaves

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I don’t just mean with the colors of oranges, yellows and reds or the way they cover the ground and light up the area around them. I mean each leaf falling towards the ground, lighting up in a bright glowing flame of fire. They look like candles floating slowly down to the cold ground. As they land on top of ashes, they themselves would burn up and fall apart into soot. It covers the decaying grass as winter begins to come upon us.  This happens every year. Always when the leaves ...

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Coffee Cravings

Submitted to Contest #63

I used to be a veritable coffee addict, but it wasn’t just the caffeine I craved. Each time I brought a fresh cup of java near my face, my nose needed the rich roasted aroma, my tongue treasured the bitter tang, and my throat thanked the soothing warmth when I swallowed. Regrettably, let me tell you what caused me to change my mind and quit coffee cold. I had a mid-morning interview for a job downtown, so being a punctual person I arrived over an hour early. Instead of waiting in the lobby, I took a seat in a local coffee shop down the str...

16 likes 10 comments 10
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Fallen leaves

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire with the death of Avinash. The blood was still sprinkling from his neck. He was under that old cherry tree. Winter leaves were falling from the tree. People were already gathered around him in the early morning. I never thought it would end like this. He was a neighbour of mine, a very dear one. It started with his longing for money. He had been too greedy. He never thought where he was heading. A vicious circle of friends had acquired him by preaching the overnight rich method but ...

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I Knew Armand

Submitted to Contest #63

I Knew Armand By Heather Ann Martinez By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I had forgotten what they looked like this time of year in the United States. It had been a year since Armand’s unexpected death. It had been a year since I went into hiding. I have spent the majority of the last six months editing vlogs for friends who have been biking across Colorado. As much as the federal agents said I shouldn’t, I’ve been hiding in plain sight. No one out here is looking for Vesna Lombardi, wife of a now deceased Ita...

11 likes 370 comments 370
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It all happened because Carson rammed into a tree

Submitted to Contest #63

(This is a collaborative story with my friend NabilaTheGreat InTheCorner, it’s the same story told from two different perspectives.) Today was a lovely day, and so it was! Because today I was going to pick apples with Carson. I got up in the morning and did the usual, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and put on a grey shirt with overalls. I prepared a water bottle, and I was ready to go. Well, ready to wait for Carson that was. We had set a time of nine o’clock but the guy came at two past nine! After a quick chastising, I hopped in ...

13 likes 9 comments 9
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A Date To Remember

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Their bright yellows and oranges glinting in the sun as I crunched through them, completely oblivious to their light-hearted warnings of impending danger that would come to play out in the next six hours. I stomped through the leaves, my scarf snuggly wrapped around my shoulders, flapping in the chill autumn wind. I smiled as I heard a familiar ring tone chime out of my pocket. Slipping it out, I smiled; this was the fourth time Remi had called me this morning to make sure we were sti...

14 likes 0 comments 0
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Uncertain Anticipation

Submitted to Contest #62

Uncertain Anticipation The world awaits destruction which your son is to create. In the days of happiness like a dark cloud, it will appear. The future in his hands won’t be the future he will get. “What are you talking about? There are no such things we did a mistake coming to you. Honey, let’s go.” “It was you who wanted to come here I told you not to trust those soothsays.” After they left the assistant asks, “Why did you lie? Isn’t he supposed to be the savior of the world?” With a peculiar smile, he says, “Now let’s see where it will en...

6 likes 3 comments 3
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A Walk In The Park

Submitted to Contest #62

“I see it every time I close my eyes: a gun in my hands and his body lying in a pool of blood - then suddenly: nothing.” Alana fiddles her thumbs against each other and bites her lower lips. She did this often when her memories began to slip. “Nothing?” One of the men says, scribbling notes on a legal pad.  “Nothing! Just empty space filling all the corners of my mind. I can’t — “ she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as if to catch the vision — “I know it doesn’t make any sense.” One of the men paces back and forth ...

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The World Bringer

Submitted to Contest #62

"Move out the way!" A short man with a stubby beard and tattered clothing ran through the halls of the palace. "Where is Advisor Luke?" The stumbling man called, "Get me Advisor Luke!"  "What is the meaning of all this ruckus, commoner?" A well-dressed man stood in the doorway of his chambers. The day had only just begun, and he already had his fur robes on.   "The Queen, she is having her baby!"   "Dear Gods, why didn't you just say that!" The man exclaimed as he rushed past the commoner.  "I have to find Advis...

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Wingbeat

Submitted to Contest #62

You don’t know where you are or how you got here, only that there’s a mangled body at your feet and a trophy the size of a bowling pin in your fist. You’re not sure which one tips you off that this is your handiwork: the splash of crimson stark against the gold of the trophy, or the fact that your gag reflex responds by adding more bodily fluids to the crime scene. Evidently, you’re fond of chili dogs.Like your composure, the trophy slides out of your grasp. THUMP. Going fetal sounds like a pretty good idea, but glass shards litter the floor...

47 likes 93 comments 93
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That Night

Submitted to Contest #62

The door slammed against the wall as she threw it open. There wasn’t much time and she knew it. Her feet pounded against the ground as she ran onto the nearly abandoned rain-soaked dirt road. It was frigid and dark. She was panting as she tried to stay steady on the slippery path. The footsteps behind her increased their speed. Her vision blurred from the bright headlights of a passing car. It was just enough to distract her from a hole in the road and her stomach lurched as she tripped. He caught up to her just as her head slammed into a ro...

150 likes 95 comments 95
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Silence

Submitted to Contest #62

The sun lazily climbed above the trees, stretching her rays after a long night's sleep as the leaves welcomed her warmth. The cold winds migrating to the northern hemisphere had stripped most vegetation from its lush green hue, however life continued to flourish. Small critters rustled in the fallen leaves, flowers stubbornly showed off their petals to bitterly cold raindrops, and any person sparing a moment to glance out their window couldn't help but grin at the gorgeous sight. For many, this season brought peaceful tranquility. "Tommy?"...

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Bring Back the Memories

Submitted to Contest #62

It’s true what they say on TV: waking up in a hospital surrounded by strangers is terrifying. Granted, I managed to play it cool like a comedian once said. It’s rude to just accuse people willy-nilly. It’s rude to just shout, “Who are you?”, in a hospital. It’s really not very nice, so I tried really hard not to do that. Instead, I pretended. I pretended and lied through my teeth.  “Oh, Celeste, we’re so glad you’re awake,” someone gushed. I had a vague memory of him with a slash on his cheek, but there wasn’t a mark at the moment. Wh...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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