Welcome to our bone-chilling Halloween 50 Word Horror Story Contest! We’re offering a terrifying $100 prize for the most spine-tingling tale. Craft a complete horror story in just 50 words and submit it in the comments below by midnight on September 29th, 2024. Enter as many times as you dare!
The rules:
- It must be a horror story
- It must be 50 words or less
- It must be a complete story
- Entries must be submitted by midnight on September 29th, 2024
- Enter as many stories as you like!
- Post your story in the comments below
- The scariest story wins
The prize:
- $100 prize for the most spine-tingling tale selected by our judges
- The winning story will be featured in our print and digital Halloween issue
- The author of the winning story will be featured on our site with links to their work
- The winner can promote their writing-related book or website on our platform
- Money will be paid through PayPal
We’re desperately seeking hair-raising tales that leave us shivering with fear. Put on your master of macabre hat and unleash your most terrifying 50-word story. Make us tremble with terror in less space than a tweet. Our judges are prepared to reward the tiny tale that sends the most chills down their spines.
What nightmarish stories does your twisted mind conceal? Polish your most petrifying micro-tale and leave your horrifying submissions in the comments below. We can hardly wait to witness the spine-chilling horrors your imagination can create when restricted to a mere 50 words. Hold nothing back – let your horror take life in this compact space. Enter as many times as you wish to maximize your chances of winning the $100 prize and being featured in our Halloween issue. Make us shriek with fright!
Leave your story below. Enter as many times as you desire!
Johnna DeMoss says
An aunt headed to her niece’s bedroom to tell a bedtime story. She entered the bedroom and saw her niece snuggled into bed. The aunt asked, “So what story do you wish to hear?” The girl replied, “Tell me a story about the shadow man that is always following you.”
Jason V says
She nestled close, savoring his familiar scent. His skin felt cool, comforting. In the darkness, she traced her fingers along his face, then recoiled in horror as decaying flesh sloughed off beneath her touch. A guttural moan escaped his lips. Too late, she realized death had joined her bed.
Sarah R. says
The old mirror hung in the attic, forgotten. One day, a curious girl looked into it, seeing her reflection smile back. Delighted, she visited daily, until the reflection spoke. “Let’s trade places,” it whispered. The girl agreed. Now, trapped behind the glass, she watches helplessly as the reflection lives her life.
Sarah R says
She found the old book in the library, its pages yellowed and crumbling. As she read the ancient words aloud, the candles flickered, and shadows danced on the walls. A cold wind whipped through the room, and she heard a sinister laugh. The book fell from her hands, bursting into flames.
Angelyn Gumbs says
A full moon night, and driving five times over the speed limit . As my friends are in for the ride. Jamming to the car stereo; we are laughing. All of a sudden something appears in the middle of road . The car goes flying and bodies are laid on the ground.
Robert says
The old mirror was a bargain. As I hung it, a face flashed in the reflection, but the room was empty. Days passed, glimpses of the face grew longer. One night, it spoke: “I’ve waited so long.” I turned to run, but bony hands gripped my shoulders from behind.
Angelyn Gumbss says
It was just after midnight, when I walked pass my daughter’s bedroom.
And heard a moaning sound ..It was that sexualy type of
sound.
This was no way possible; cause she is only ten as I opened up her bedroom door
I saw a Sokonyah on top of my daughter.
Johnna DeMoss says
One night as I fell asleep I heard whispering so I sat up and looked around the room. A shadow caught my eye in the corner. Its back was turned towards me and I froze in place. It whispered, ” I come to tell you that he is ready for you.”
J. J. Hillard says
An old book in her attic showed Advena how to grow the biggest pumpkin to win the cash prize in her town’s Halloween contest. She gave her squash water, fertilizer, plenty of sunshine, but those alone wouldn’t be enough. That’s when the neighborhood cats began to disappear, then the kids.
Sugga Vanish says
She brought in a cake this time, neat, cursive cream over candles congratulating the hundredth draw I’ve given. She promised exoneration once they grew resistant for my blood. I willed my forearm, bracing for the prickle, but she just smiled, thumbed the icing and smeared my cheeks, “How eager!”
E. Vardon says
Jane lay unsleeping in the dark basement room. Her brother had told her about the creature, but she had not believed him. Now, though, staring through the black, she saw two red dots advancing slowly. Her breath caught. They were eyes.
Only her brother heard her scream. Nobody believed him.
Greg Schwartz says
The priest shut his bible with a sweaty, shaking hand. “She’ll be fine now,” he whispered. He glanced toward the bed and shuddered.
Her father rose. “You won’t,” he said in a deep brimstone voice.
norman thomson says
Apprentice
Emma works her knife over the jack-o’-lantern’s flesh, tapers the leering, accusatory mouth, widens empty eyes. Her stepmother’s features, just so.
Draws the gleaming blade between unhearing ears.
A centred candle bursts into flame.
“Proof of the destructive power,” Master Carver has forewarned.
Soon her father will be hers alone.
Angelyn Gumbs says
How could I ever forget when I refused to take my dead husband’s body . He wasn’t a good husband to me and to our kids . Refusing to take his body later that night.
My husband’s bitter spirit stopped by . And just as evil he was alive, his spirit was too.
Sugga Vanish says
Blood flooded the funfair, yet the children feigned despair. Insurance made abandoning the rides easier. Spring bloomed, the now metal skeleton spilled guts of vine. Pioneers divvied up; cowards oversaw. Decapitated carousel horses made armies; rusted spaceships lowered gravity. Ticket machines spewed moldy stubs daily, awaiting to be fed again.
Sugga Vanish says
He licked his paw, dipping again, breaking ripples and batting soap islands. I dunked his tail, shivers tingling his spine, frantic meows crescendoing tranquil waters. He returned in fury, stalking the tub’s edge. A hiss then into the jugular, shoulders bunched, muzzle dripping crimson slurry, for my toes floated next.
Sugga Vanish says
The Underworld God stirred, smile splitting open before his eyelids could. The fortnight offerings promised taste of sweet rot on Hades’ tongue. Yet, the affection mortals displayed sacrificing maidens outside his windows hasn’t sate his yearning since Persephone’s release. “Time I interfered,” he vaulted the ledge, vanishing into the village.
Sugga Vanish says
Hotdog nestled in my palm had moistened from his sweat. No worries, salt enhances the flavor. But the chilly breeze leeching its heat? Hotdog but cold. “Colddog”. Sounds appetizing, or maybe I’m a glutton with lowering standards. I peeked down the cliff. With him gone, his lunch was now mine.
Sugga Vanish says
“Hairs from the same hare, both of ya,” gran-gran says when I remind her of ma. Lately, she’s pairing those with the scrunch I saw on ma’s face before she disappeared. If signs align, the furless hand reaches around gran-gran’s ears tonight, leaving me and a hutch of brothers behind.
Sugga Vanish says
Mom woke me to thread a needle. The narrow eyelet proved her eyes worsened with time. I fed the fiber through, knotted loops and placed it in her shaky hands.
“Stitching this late, mama?”
She merely waved lazily.
I tucked in, drifting into sleep, drowning the man’s pleading next door.
Sugga Vanish says
Twill bounded the moleskin covers. Hidden in shelves, hoping folklore cursed beyond rooms. Nightly, her stories reeled. A child’s goldfish. She ran at sixteen once matchmakers busied. Odd jobs picked; ends barely sated. Yet, blotchy entries persisted as tether. Glued photographs hardened following pages, of lined cages and sore wrists.
Sugga Vanish says
The recipe called for groceries, but the exotics were meant for occasions. In remembrance to him seemed appropriate, yet frog legs were a mighty ask, Grandpa! Vegetarian us found it hard stomaching the vision, but the yak milk, apple core and cauldron surely be an afterlife prank, right?
Sugga Vanish says
“I leave my secret,” it said.
Pretended not to care, but the will I inherited mapped late Grandma’s fortune.
As the shovel clanged, I brushed soil off the sunken surface.
Inside, I found adoption papers, kerosene and keys to the family manor.
“Do what you must,” her final letter penned.
Sugga Vanish says
Postage alone drained his life savings, so I wondered why was I worth that much to him? My personality akin to white cement, looks above average only when I’m bathe. Oh! The subpar fangs. Surely, I could’ve come discounted. All this to stay immortal? Romantic fool clinging to bygone times.
Franko Stephens says
In his mailbox:
We have your brother. Ruth Road Gas Station. Fifty large. No cops.
On the abandoned gas station door:
Go to restroom. No cash, no brother. No cops.
On restroom mirror, in blood:
You should’ve called the cops.
Behind the gas station:
Two brothers, reunited.
Pratiksha says
A cursed village vanishes at midnight. meher investigates, finding an ancient book. Reading it, shadows come alive, whispering her name. She feels icy hands on her neck, breath chilling. The ground splits, revealing writhing spirits. She’s pulled into the abyss, screams echoing. The book reappears, awaiting its next reader
Pratiksha says
In an eerie village, a hidden demon reveals its eye, then face, with a ghastly grin. Panic spreads as half its body emerges, leading to mysterious deaths. Bloodthirsty, the demon infiltrates homes through tiny openings. Only those sealing every crevice survive its nocturnal terror. The village’s nightmare intensifies.
Divine says
The scalpel gleamed in the dim light. Jake awoke strapped to the table, every limb numb. A figure in blood-soaked scrubs whispered, “Time to begin.” Pain exploded as skin peeled away, revealing bone. Jake’s screams. we’re muffled by his own severed tongue. The figure laughed, “Welcome to my collection.”
Grace says
The walls oozed with black ichor. Sarah’s flashlight flickered, revealing a figure stitched from countless corpses. It moved, eyes glistening with malice. Hands reached out, cold and relentless. As they tore her apart, her screams echoed through the cavern, joining the chorus of souls trapped within the monstrous abomination.
Darío Sebastián Benítez says
That day, the nurse forgot to give him his medicine. His body was paralyzed. A few hours later, monochrome children with no eyes began appearing in his room, singing songs about eating flesh. He wanted to scream, but his mouth would only drool. Then, the worms began to crawl out.
Bethany says
The doll’s eyes followed her every move. At midnight, its voice whispered, “I’m coming for you.” She bolted upright, heart pounding. Footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door creaked open. The doll stood there, grinning. “It’s your turn now,” it hissed. Darkness swallowed her scream.
Liam Womack says
Edgar looked up.
Jackie, with her newborn, did not.
Elmer, James, and the memory of Larry are on the patio
The trio looked up.
Spencer,
Realized he had the ability to be happy.
The hopeful boy,
looked up.
They said it was a meteor shower,
That’s when the bombs dropped.
E. W.Farnsworth says
The winch hauled the body back onto the bridge. Proud emergency divers were unaware of the feelings of the dark, brooding spirit of the span, how its dissatisfaction distributed malevolent fortunes to all who defied what they should have deified. The young driver might live, but the spirit would prevail.
Jeffrey Slocum says
Liza shivered from fear, coldness, spiders. Her breath is visible. She ponders. “Where are these maggots coming from? Oh yeah, my eye. Dead eye. Big whoop. Perspective is everything. My eye!”, she giggled. Click. “He’s back. Time to get freaky”. She closes her hand tightly around her shiv. “Come on”.
Jeffrey Slocum says
Whisper knew it was real and not some demented delusion. She gawked at it in horror as it gnawed off its connection to the dead mother’s belly. Immersed in Wharton s Jelly, it slithered towards her, slowly but purposeful. The boy sat in the corner, grinning savagely. “Umby’s hungry.”
Angelyn Gumbs says
Three nights after watching a horror movie about demon possession. It now looks like my town people might be possessed. Just like those same demons in that movie. Has art came to imitate life ? As a very religious person, I’m never leaving home without my crucifix in my left hand .