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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.

6250+ 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 382 of 417

Lethal Shadows

Submitted to Contest #55

The night had been foggy with shadows lurking in the corners; spirits among the mist. The streets lamps had all dimmed, extinguishing the only comfort for the night walkers who now had to place their trust in the moon to light the way home. It was like the poster of those vintage horror movies. A cliché ghost town. It was deep in the night when the police found the body of a young boy, sprawled along the bank of a stream, half submerged in the water. There was blood all over his face, and all over a rock beside him. He was naked, delicat...

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Me, Myself, and I

Submitted to Contest #55

      “Can you keep a secret?” The voice rang around the empty room. It flickered with entertainment, amusement. I could not figure out why it was so thrilled at my presence or why that was the first question this…thing decided to ask me.           “I’m sorry, what? Where am I?” I mumbled softly. I could see the breath in front of me as I breath out a shaky breath. It was strange, this dark and empty place, as I did not feel cold at all.   &nb...

11 likes 2 comments 2
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The Danger You Don't Know

Submitted to Contest #55

Unknown person: Yesterday on university Able read eggs Ice night Dark animals number ginger every ready, Lettuce encyclopedia answer vase even Not on working Lorraine Avery looked over at the text she was sent at 11:00 at night and blinked. The words made no sense and she wondered if her tiredness was affecting her vision. She looked at the caller ID and noticed that it was an unknown number. She knew that she should block the person and go to bed, but she got curious. Perhaps this was one of her friends playing a trick on her. Lorraine: Who...

12 likes 4 comments 4
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Table for One

Submitted to Contest #55

I watched her often. How couldn’t I? Why didn’t the rest of them? Maybe that’s why she didn’t mind when she caught me staring at her. Her cheeks would turn cherry-red when she noticed, which only made me stare more intently. She was a robust woman, fatty, plentiful, more than enough of her to go around but I wanted her all to myself. My mouth practically watered as she rang the bell on the counter, arm fat jiggling ever so slightly. A man approached to collect his box of freshly made pastry, probably lemon cakes by the look of them. I had ne...

16 likes 1 comment 1
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I'd do anything for you

Submitted to Contest #55

"Can you keep a secret?" Luke said as he swayed side from side, with a shining smile stretched across his face. Janus knew this would happen. Whenever they went out, Luke would go home wasted, he never knew how to say no to pretty people, and she was usually the one dragging him to his house. They've been thick and thin for as long as she can remember. Ever since Luke and his little sister, Abby, became friends, the three became inseparable. And when the three of them became two, he dragged her through her pain. Now, she happily drags ...

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The Fateful Four

Submitted to Contest #55

One Friday night, the oak door of The Whistling Dog flew open. The night was clear and tranquil, so every soul in the bar knew it was no breeze that did it. It was a man: Mitch Larson, tall, bearded, with a thick overcoat and a tattooed face; the jukebox had finished playing ten minutes ago, and he stared into the silence. Moving forward, casting a cursory glance toward the stairway on his right, he walked to a barstool far from the other drinkers. The bartender, Jesse Wilkes, sixty if he was a day, approached, his round spectacles shining ...

8 likes 2 comments 2
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One Body for you, One Body for me

Submitted to Contest #55

With intensity, he furiously tries to scrub the blood off his hands. His mind was already in a state of overdrive, desperately trying to sort what was real and what was fake and who was responsible for killing Rachel. Was it him or her ?     **********"One body for you and one for me, I take the leg and you take the head,Blood will flow, the flow is blood,One body for you and one for me" a little voice sang.For twenty hours, he had been awake. Today was an important day, he couldn't let nightmares disrupt his da...

31 likes 3 comments 3
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The Meaty Case of the Griller Killer

Submitted to Contest #55

The scent of burning flesh offended his every sensibility, but Duane smiled as he flipped his famous burgers, and used his spatula to wave at a group of people who had just arrived at his BBQ party. The guests are all people he met on a Facebook group for meat lovers in and around Dallas. This was his seventh event and not once has anyone noticed that Duane never actually eats any of his acclaimed recipes. Nobody has any idea whatsoever that he is vegan, let alone that he is the infamous Griller Killer.   A reporter in Jackson, Mississi...

30 likes 12 comments 12
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Marriage?

Submitted to Contest #55

Karlha was just months away from her big day. Jorge had finally proposed, and she was ecstatic. Her mom was reluctant to help her with her wedding planning. Mother knows best, or does she? Mom had always seen Jorge lose his temper and take it out on Karlha. For some reason he was the bad guy. He would beat her so bad to the point where she was already known by everyone at the trauma department. There is no way mom would be on board. The wedding was going to be something small and simple. Mainly because she was nineteen and he was seventeen. ...

14 likes 0 comments 0
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Can You keep a Secret?

Submitted to Contest #55

triggering and adult content ahead. readers discretion advised."Can you keep a secret?" the man asks me while I am playing on the swings. The sun is shining like a bright sunflower, and my hair is wet after my evening bath. There is a nice breeze wafting around the two of us in the park.It is almost dinner time and I need to head off but the man has offered a secret and my twelve year old brain can’t refuse. I need to know the secret before I head down for dinner!So I stay."Sure, but you'll need to hurry up. My Mom's gonna be out any minute ...

27 likes 14 comments 14
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The Case of Peter Davis

Submitted to Contest #55

What you know about Peter Davis is that he is a killer; well, at least he will be one. Peter has always had what most would call a chip on his shoulder. You think that this is a trait that someone can eventually grow out of. Peter never did. If you believe that someone could have a chip on their shoulder and still not be a killer. Absolutely, but this will not be the case for Peter. He showed a lack of empathy from an early age, and this was not out of lack of love or neglect from his loving parents. It was not because he was abused in any w...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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Unintended Pretence

Submitted to Contest #55

Alice and I had been best friends since we were little kids. Our mothers met in college, so our friendship was basically an automatic one. We grew up doing most things together. From sleepovers, to taking our baths together, and even sharing the same underwear. We used to tell each other the littlest of secrets too. Though just a week apart, we shared the same birth month and year, with me being the older one. Neighbors and almost everyone at school thought we were twins except the ones who knew our last names. The truth is, anyone would hav...

30 likes 11 comments 11
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Remember?

Submitted to Contest #55

“She’s mad” the milkmen whisper, “killed her husband!” the women gossip, “run away” the children scream.Delilah rani has been used to comments like these for years, comments she knows are lies. She did not kill her husband, the court did not find her guilty. But it seems like this town always will.3 years ago, on the morning of the first day of summer, Delilah rani was seen running out of her house at full speed, her clothes were the same red color as the color of the red stains on her hands, it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was cov...

41 likes 29 comments 29
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“- Don’t Worry About That, Just Go.”

Submitted to Contest #55

Warning: This one gets a bit gory. “Can you keep a secret?” “Why would you ask me that right now?” “Mate, I just need to know; can you keep a secret?” “We are locked in an actual dungeon, in a possibly legitimately haunted house, listening to cultists chanting away in Latin, and that is all you have to say to me?” “Look, Jai, don’t take this the wrong way mate, but you have a pretty terrible track record of keeping your mouth shut.” “What?” “Well, you ruined Devon’s surprise party. And you told Rei about Andy’s crush on her. It worries me...

16 likes 5 comments 5
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Raven : A 22nd annual hunger games story (fan-fic)

Submitted to Contest #55

The ground was hard and the wind was harsh whipping against my cheeks. I shut my eyes as my lungs gasped for air and my heavy duty boots dug into the dirt. I know it's probably not smart to close my eyes but I had too, my head was spinning. I had come way too close to being stung by a stupid tracker jacker. I just needed a moment to rest before I had to start moving again. On the train, just after the reaping, my mentor told us to never stay in one spot for too long. Hearing those words slip out of her mouth sent a chill up my spine. It...

12 likes 7 comments 7
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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