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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

6300+ Thriller Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and holding your breath? Don’t skip our collection of thriller short stories.

Thriller Short Stories – Page 346 of 420

The Election

Submitted to Contest #60

I really thought they cared about us. I thought above all else life was thee most essential factor. From my point of view, it was and still is. I guess that’s where I went wrong. Right before the whole world turned upside down, I responded to a letter from a friend. She was trying to understand how the other side got it so wrong. She said, “I am tired of trying to figure out these idiots. I’m joining the movement. John’s dead. There is no reason to stay here.” It was weird reading this because out of all my friends, she was the most levelhea...

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The River South- Excerpt from the Kara Mason Story

Submitted to Contest #60

I can’t get enough air into my lungs. I’ve never been good at running uphill. I look back over my shoulder to see if the creature is still following us. It’s on its knees, mud smeared across a bloody and distorted face. Its gnarled maw hangs open too wide and I can see teeth through the nearly transparent flesh. I hold my breath, waiting to see if it will get back up again. My lungs scream for air to fuel my body’s upward plight. I suck in air at the same time as I collide with Hank’s pack, forcing me to look where I’m going. The creature le...

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Backpack

Submitted to Contest #60

“I think they saw us!” Faith whispers shakily to Ryan who has an axe gripped tightly in his hand, his breathing labored from running. The two crouch down tensely behind a pile of hay inside the wooden barn, littered with half eaten animal carcasses. Faith snaps angrily “We should never have volunteered for this!” “Shut up!” Ryan whispers harshly at Faith as the sound of footfalls break the silence and next came the all too familiar rasping noises that makes Faith cower in fear. “Oh no! “Faith groans as Ryan readjusts his backpack and steals ...

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All dead, all dead

Submitted to Contest #60

A loud scraping.A deep woosh.We looked at each other, bewildered. It’s not that we didn’t recognise the sound, we did. The door had made the same sounds when it closed. It’s just that the door isn’t supposed to open for another four months.Pete took the initiative, of course, he’s our leader. He was tall with long legs, so it only took him three steps to reach the radio.‘This is team bunker, calling for team science.’Team bunker is what we called ourselves, team science is the team of ‘scientists’ that lead this operation. Stupid names we ca...

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Light

Submitted to Contest #60

When Jake opened his eyes after a long dark night he finally saw the light after a verry hard time he had yesterday , the first thing he did is to check the clock on his phone but instead he saw a picture of his girlfriend which brings back memories from last night , she destroyed his life in less than an hour when she left him on the theatre in front of everyone the thing that coast him his job after he worked really hard to got , he went to the bathroom to prepare a shower but he there is no water so he decided to make breakfast fastly bef...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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Monster Husband

Submitted to Contest #60

I was staying at a male and female shelter in NYC and this man approached. He tried to hit on me, but of course I did not give him my attention. Don't ask me why, but later on, I decided to call him to me and planned a kiss on him that he'll never forget. Next thing you know we clicked quickly and it was love at first sight. Well, my case manager reminded me of their no fratenizing rule but we and other couples in that shelter did not give a crap. That's what happens when your alone in the midst of those kinds of situations. I must admit, I...

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The Empty-Full Wild

Submitted to Contest #60

Some people said it was the best thing to ever happen to mankind. Others called it The Catastrophe. How mnemonic. I found it kind of humorous that the people who believed that The Catastrophe will have the best impact on our planet, were the same people whose lives had been insured long before it even happened, living in air-conditioned metal shacks, eating processed food while others, like us, can starve and die of heat stroke. Why? Because we were unlucky. We were unlucky prior to The Catastrophe, so we shall remain unlucky forever. I ...

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The One-Man Army

Submitted to Contest #60

( N.B: Levi Ackerman is a character from the famous manga 'Attack on Titan' written and illustrated by Ishyyama. It's just a fanfiction I thought up. It doesn't have any connections with the real storyline. I don't own the characters used in this story)"Hey.", Levi said with his ever dark tone.It wasn't dusk yet but still, the room was dark. Candles were illuminating the room. Supreme Zachary with all the commander was sitting before the table. But Levi couldn't care less."Hey, four-eyes!""Oh Levi, you're already here!", Responded Hanje, com...

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The Blood-Seed Killers

Submitted to Contest #60

“ Hi my lovely followers, how’s your day going?” screeched a young woman looking into the camera attached to a selfie stick. “ Our day is fabulous. So the ‘ Jungle Geniuses’, that is us, are in Assam which is the home to the thickest rain forest in India”. She then covered her face with her palm and said, “ Do you guys see that shiny little thing on my finger? I am engaged to this philocalistic weirdo”. Sid added mockingly, “ Well only weirdos could love weirdos”. Aarya Nudged him with her elbow and grinned. He continued, “ We are here in se...

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SADAKO SASAKI

Submitted to Contest #60

This is historical nonfiction, about the valour and courage of a two-year-old Japanese girl who, not minding her tender age fought with Leukemia which had killed thousands of people around Japan. She was one of the people who lost her life on a hospital bed while praying for peace around the world and harmony among mankind. She was sick on a bed for 10 years but never lost optimism. People around the world did not forget her courage and in her memoir, a peace park at Hiroshima was built with her statue.There are thousands of books and n...

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A father's plight

Submitted to Contest #60

They always thought they were the lucky ones... after the blast nothing normal was left, everything they ever knew was destroyed or mutated to creatures of nightmares. Terry was never really the fittest or strongest father but his parental drive to save his little dark haired girl from abomination turned him superhuman. Sprinting barefoot across the tarmac carrying his scared little girl while being chased but bellowing sirens warning them of the incoming disaster. His pulse quickens, his shirt drenched in sweat, his muscles tightening bef...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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Rise of the Garnets

Submitted to Contest #60

November 13th, 2020 It had only started out as a small sneeze in the eastern countries in late march. What could one expect when it was allergy season? People’s eyes started itching and their sneezes soon turned into coughs, then coughs turned into wheezing. Not only was it a constant lack of airflow to the lungs, there soon was a rise in fevers. What could be worse; feeling like you're burning up in a cold sleep, or not being able to breathe? On April 4th, scientists released information that the name of the virus was MAV-19 as it was disc...

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The Last of Them

Submitted to Contest #60

The year nobody voted. Senator George Adrew Quincy had been chosen by Congress and the Electoral colleges. Then, once he'd been sworn into office and promised a new and better Amrica, he signed the Executive Order eliminating all other branches of the government. Senator Quincy, now President, set to work on his "Better America". First he turned the states into districts. Claiming total unification of America was the best way to make a prosperous and safe nation. Not too bad so far. It was durring the fourth Great Ressecsion that th...

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Good Girl

Submitted to Contest #60

The inside of my eyelids glow orange, pulling me out of a vague dream. I crack my eyes open to see a beam of sunlight streaming in through the gap in the boarded window. I turn my head away from the beam, blinking to adjust my vision. My pack is still asleep, curled up underneath their faded and ripped blankets. I stand up with a big yawn, stretching the stiffness out of my legs. My master hasn’t noticed my movement, so I walk up the blanket to his head poking out. A small breeze from behind catches my attention, but looking back, I realiz...

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Dominion of the Others

Submitted to Contest #60

At night I can hear them, loud thunderous footsteps in the nearby town of Eyrie—or what remain of it I suppose. Sometimes one of them lets out a shriek, and I surmised that this is their form of communication because once one did it, a whole chorus joined in. It is a bone chilling noise that I will never, ever forget. They stay until just before sunrise some nights, others for just a few hours. They’re only ever active at night, which is good I suppose because that means we can forage and move about during the light of day. But that also mea...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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