Romance Short Stories

Birthday Wishes

Margot - 31 days agoWelcome to the best team ever!To: JaneHello Jane, I just wanted to reach out and give a warm welcome! I’ve worked at Royal Red Publishing for…[...]

This story contains language and concepts that some readers may find to be disturbing and/or insensitive. 2/17/25, 8:48 PMHey, Danny, it’s me, Earl. Wassup? 2/17/25, 8:51 PMEarl? Earl who? 2/17/25,…[...]

Doubting You

Doubting You–S.G.Julen-3/17/2026 “Dubita della mia morte. Prendi un treno,” a woman's soft voice whispered into the darkness of my mind. My mother’s voice. Those were the last words she spoke…[...]

Writer’s Roadblock

Plunk, plunk…Used to be clack, clack. Or scritch scratch. The more things change…I wrote the short story, ‘On the Edge.’ You’ve heard of it. Maybe not. Been a while.That story…[...]

The Pekingese in 301

Love at first sight. I’m sure that’s what Tim thought. Barely spent three days in Mumbai and he was already lusting after a gal. He always did this. Dude could…[...]

The One You Missed

The first lie I ever believed wasn’t loud.It didn’t demand attention. It didn’t arrive with warning signs or red flags or the kind of chaos people write stories about.It was…[...]

Go West … Keep Going

"Man! This is going to be great ... when I get there!" Foster cannot hold back his excitement as he drives down the road to The West's West. It's a…[...]

The Resonance

It didn’t happen with a sudden, cinematic snap. Minds like Elias Vance’s don’t shatter like dropped glass; they erode. They wash away in microscopic increments, stripped by the elements of…[...]

Prompt

To shake off the day's fatigue, she was going to browse through the stories on Reedsy prompts, as she always did. She grabbed her coffee, settled into her armchair, and…[...]

The Three Street Detectives

“I have proof there’s murderers in the forest,” Ashley announced suddenly. Two sets of eyes slowly ratcheted toward her, as if the girls’ heads were poorly programmed animatronics. Ashley chuckled…[...]

Inside

INSIDEThis story is inspired by what I saw during the 10-years I was held hostage by a drug addict. The walls of Room 14 were the color of a bruised…[...]

Where She Buried Him

Flowers grew over the ground where she buried him.She groaned, rolling over in her mass of blankets, alarm-clocked awake by the shrill beeping. She slapped wildly at the damn off…[...]

The Frozen Manor

On a cold day, during a snowstorm, a bus drove down a lonely road towards a weathered sign, and before the road changed from asphalt to coarse gravel, the bus…[...]

The Drunk Fish

The Drunk Fish was no different from other Yorkshire pubs in the late nineties. Divided into two rooms – or ‘bars’ – they were separated by doors, but shared the…[...]

Gaslight Café

Garret was restless. Sometimes he would drive for hours to clear his head. He liked his car. It was dependable.Hunger nagged at him. Though he’d seen the sign before, he’d…[...]

ILL-CONSIDERED

She wondered how she ever got to this point, having these thoughts. This is not who she is, but who she’s become. It’s pure madness, but she doesn’t see any…[...]

The Secret that Everyone Knows

You will know today. I tear the note to shreds, sprinkling the bits into a glass of water on my nightstand. Noticing the note’s envelope is still intact, I take…[...]

The Devil Keeps Score – Snippet from Chapters 22 & 23

Content Warning: hints and mentions of suicide, self-harm, & death, but none visualized. Strong language. She checks the letter once more. The street signs on the corner matches the ones…[...]

Protocol Drift

His jaw broke away from the skull when I rolled him over. Face buried in the ash, arm tucked beneath his chest as if he was dragging his body but…[...]

The Forgotten Frequency

The house on Maple Lane had been empty for eleven months when Anna Reilly pushed open the front door. The hinges groaned like an old man waking from a nap.…[...]

Athena’s Story

The weather app on her phone had lied again; it was in fact starting to rain as Athena stepped outside her office building for the first time that day. She…[...]

Who is Masson?

Everyone in this town knows the story of the O’bryan family. In the remote town of Whillertown, a tragedy occurred Twenty five years ago. Whillertown was a small place, the…[...]

Among the wild reindeer moss

Trigger warnings:mental healthdeath, graphic words describing someone dying Chapter 1 As I’m sitting on my squeaky bed, the wind knocks om my wooden door; inviting me to go outside. The…[...]

Your protagonist discovers they’ve been wrong about the most important thing in their life

Word count: 2970This story includes topics of mental health and suicide. Pulling the Thread By Alyssa Harrison Remember 91. Sadie gazed at the text message, her hands curled around a…[...]

Illumination and Regret

We have met the ferryman before, so I wasn´t surprised to find him like this again, playing Death´s violin in the centre of his thirteen marble pillars of decay. Today…[...]

You’ve Got The Plot

YOU’VE GOT THE PLOT I was sitting at my desk, mostly filling out paperwork, but also wondering what I would have for dinner in approximately two hours. In other words,…[...]

Haunt of Dawn

Click, click, click. The sound doesn’t come anywhere but inside my head. It almost feels like a clock ticking, mixed with a weird rifle load, telling me the hunt will…[...]

Death at One O’Clock

A commotion increasing in intensity caught my attention from where I was standing impatiently on the railway platform. The one o’clock train, that I had disembarked from twenty minutes ago,…[...]

The Communication Tactics of the Universe

I never said I liked children. They’re noisy, industrious little fools bent on having their own way or nothing at all. Like little versions of their parents, or heroes, stuffed…[...]

Water Under the Bridge

This was it. This was Aria’s chance. If she could just nail that murdering scum, not only would she be the cop arresting the Bridge Killer, she’d be the natural…[...]

He loves me. He loves me not.

“And does the happy couple of heroes have anything to say? Some romantic details, maybe?” The interviewer asked the two people sitting on the couch. That beautiful woman laughed, her…[...]

The Little Pearlmaid

I haven't seen her for days. The sudden thought startled me, and my next thought was that I thought wrong. I tried to place when last we met or even…[...]

Evidence

Quick Note. I'm not sure if this fits the prompt, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Marcus pulls up to the apartment building. Checking the paper…[...]

The Forgotten Character

"Do you hear that says Rick to Ryan?""What the author snoring said Ryan?""We're used to the author snoring said Rick the character it's coming from the back of the author…[...]

THUMP-THUMP

[violence-gunfire-death] THUMP-THUMP. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP. “What is that thumping?” Andy said to himself. Wherever he was, it was dark. He tried to move, but it felt like his arms, legs, and…[...]

Committed

The first punch doesn't hurt. There's too much adrenaline. Shock. It rushes through your body devouring you.It's not the first punch that hurts.It is the following punches that add up.…[...]

Who’s face is that?

On days like today, I like to sit in my favorite coffee shop and watch the park across the street. Since I retired, I have little to occupy my day,…[...]

The Reflection Looking Forward

The Reflection Looking Forward By Bonnie Gerstenlauer The reflection in my bathroom mirror is someone else. She looks like me, but I know she isn't me. Her movements don't mimic…[...]

The Space Between Heartbeats

Ba-bum.....Ba-bum.There’s supposed to be a space between heartbeats. A pause. A reset. Something small and necessary. Mine has always felt longer than it should be. Not enough for anyone to…[...]

The Familiar Stranger

“Who are you?” I asked the woman standing in front of me. She looked familiar, but in the way someone does when you’ve seen them as an extra in a…[...]

Beyond The Door

He coughed, shaking his head slightly at the dust that rose up from the rusted, heavy wrought iron handle of the door as he explored the mechanism. There was no…[...]

where the fires burns

DESTINED ENCOUNTER Michelle's glasses were steamed up from her coffee cup, which she had carelessly placed too close to her face. The cozy café buzzed with the soft chatter of…[...]

The Teacup Lady

I could hear my heart beating so loudly It sounded like it would jump out of my chest. I felt paralyzed like I was frozen in place laying in my…[...]

It Was Waiting

The first message came from my own number. I stared at my phone, the screen illuminated in the dim light of my cramped apartment. The message blinked at me. "You’re…[...]

Dial Tone

Asher breathed out heavy and slow. Only two more hours. Two more soul-crushing hours…“Hello, thank you for calling Cadence. How may I assist you today?” An automated greeting left his…[...]

Stray

A faint wind had begun to blow. My bones ached. I was tired, and I had to find a place to lie down. In this cruel and terrifying world, I…[...]

Her Birth

Three days have passed now since I first woke up with that cursed pain in my back. It was sharp, like I was being stabbed constantly but under my skin.…[...]

What We Carry

Out the window, you would see kids playing soccer or chatting with friends. They were happy, gossiping away in the breeze.But there was always someone only a few people knew.…[...]

Today Is April 31st

“Today is April 31.” That’s what the note on my refrigerator said, written in my own handwriting, which was concerning for several reasons. First, because April does not have 31…[...]

Twin Mines

I always knew something was wrong with the people in this town. Always watching you as you drove down Main Street or walked to grab a drink in town. Grandma…[...]

What makes us alive

Listen to how your heart beats. Tuk, Tuk, Tuk. Such a muffled, barely perceptible sound. When you are calm, rested and nothing disturbs you at that time. We almost don't…[...]

Anabelle

Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump was the only sound she could hear as she sat straight up in bed. "Breathe slow" she told herself, trying to remember what woke her up. As…[...]

Mothers and Babies

Lisa’s stomach churned as the car swerved and lurched.“Can I take this blindfold off now? I’m going to be sick.”“In just a moment.”Her seatbelt jerked tight as the car stopped…[...]

The Soldier

The first thing he recalls is the silence. It's not the silence after gunfire, with smoke lingering and ears ringing from cannon blasts. Nor is it the quiet of a…[...]

April 31st

APRIL 31 The words were carved into the wall above the body.Not written. Carved.Deep enough that black plaster had split away, exposing pale stone beneath.TODAY IS APRIL 31Officer-Inspector Veyra Sorn…[...]

Ash and the Bird

The stew tasted like dust and success, but mostly like dust. Mom had traded two jars of her pickled beets, the last of last summer’s crop, for a scrawny rabbit…[...]

SHADOW SYNDICATE NO KING ALLOWED

This is the story of the Shadow Syndicate, a group of elite thieves living in the neon crime city of Nebulon Noir—a place where even shadows don’t trust each other.…[...]

Natures Resurrection

Sometimes, I find myself wondering if we’ve gained as much as we’ve lost. It’s been twenty years since they vanished, twenty years of silent footsteps, a voice that withered away…[...]

A Path Through Nothing and Memory

Is heat the absence of cold, or something else entirely? I think of fire. Heat.I recall the feeling of sunlight flickering across my closed eyelids as I would lean against…[...]

Witness

The still air clung to the lone branch in the yard. For a moment, nothing moved.The branch had outlived the tree it once belonged to. A few leaves remained—thin, but…[...]

Mommy Loves You

CW: violence, child abduction, human trafficking Today is April 31st...again. I stared blankly at my phone screen. My mind flickered back to that dream I had a while back. A…[...]

The Heartbeat That Remembered Me

The Heartbeat That Remembered Me By: Daniela Ostrowski I always know when someone is about to notice me. It starts as a flicker in their pulse—an instinct older than language,…[...]

Dead Men’s Clothes

Dead Men’s Clothes Well, it’s a pay day. Not much of one, but a pay day, nonetheless. The subject was in a home in Brooklyn, and that meant an hour’s…[...]

Another chance

Today is April 31.At least that’s what the calendar says. Mila is counting the days until her next period. In her PMS/“just woke up“ haze, Mila is counting „…28th, 29th,…[...]

The Last Plesiosaurus

My midday slumber, floating on the ocean surface, was interrupted by an orange streak in the sky that zoomed overhead. It eventually disappeared in the distance. I honestly thought it…[...]

The Patron Saint of Devils

Humans have their legends and their myths. Beautiful and blessed, these legends tell of heroes who endure epic quests and slay evil monsters. But what about these monsters and why…[...]

Left Behind By Ghosts

Oh, dang it! Again? I glare down the two narrow paths ahead, trees branching overhead, as I try to figure out which path my family took. Folding my arms and…[...]

Minor Inconvenience

Today is April 31st...That's what the title of the news article that popped up on my phone said. I shrugged and swiped it away. What was the big deal? It…[...]

Tears of a Rose

Tears of a Rose Salty tears rolled down her soft cheeks and fell onto the silken petals of the white rose she was holding. As the teardrops gathered a bead…[...]

The case of the tiny things

Albert was mad. Someone was disrupting his morning routine, and he did not find it amusing. In fact, he was becoming rather furious. It is also worth mentioning that someone…[...]

The Thief

We’ve all misplaced things. We’ve all stood at the front door patting ourselves down looking for our keys, our wallets, or our cell phones. We turn the house upside down,…[...]

Mary’s Guest

MARY’S GUEST “Oh, do come in won’t you.” Mary turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the doorway of her small flat. “You must be the gentleman from the…[...]

Anna

ANNA Anna sat quite still in her black, straight-backed chair, the picture of timeless dignity, strength and purity.Anna was an enigma. She was excruciatingly old, so old that her skin…[...]

The Adventures of Gavin Pepperdeck

Part 1: The First TacoApril 4th, 1995 The sky sharted on my head as I exited the cab, but when I looked up, I saw that it was just the…[...]

If these walls could speak

If these walls could speak Susan Cochrane Drawing up at the vantage point overlooking the valley Lisa stepped out of her car and scanned the spread of vineyards descending towards…[...]

Ghosts Like Hot Dogs?!

Welcome readers!As I am sure all of you know a mysterious string of food stall robberies has occurred in our otherwise uneventful town. It has been all over the news…[...]

Two Mischievous Hearts, One Shared Goal

Two Mischievous Hearts, One Shared Goal Elena Sanchez did not rush. She never did on nights like these. In the bathroom mirror, she saw a version of herself that the…[...]

Letter Nº 14

So, do you really think what happened to me in 1860 deserves a place in a book? Fine, go ahead, but on one condition: you must not publish anything before…[...]

Murder On Phillips Road

On a cool Thursday afternoon in late November the worst of crimes occurred. Cold-blooded murder. Lucy was lying dead in the yard, legs thrust skyward, covered in mud. Her eyes…[...]

My Time

My TimeNina SwansonContent Warning: Contains death, psychological distress She is running because it is the only way out of this mess. Her breathing is heavy. She simply can not stop…[...]

È Stato Creato

It’s so…dark. Where am I? What am I? Do I actually exist? Am I alive? Could I be dead? I guess if I was dead, that proves I existed. What…[...]

The Librarian of Doors

People think they come to me for answers.They don’t.They come because they already know the moment that broke them. The library never announces itself. It appears only when someone can…[...]

The Call Within

My therapist suggested that I keep a journal. For a long time, I couldn’t gather my thoughts. But finally, I forced myself to take a pen and a notebook and…[...]

Fragments of Yesterday

To Alex, memory was simple. Reliable. Things happened. He remembered them. Even the details that didn’t seem important at the time stayed with him. Which is why the feeling that…[...]

Be Careful What You Wish For

Sensitive Content: Traffic accident/Substance abuse/Violence My Gran had died and left me a collection of memories in an old case. She had spent her last few years in The Poppy…[...]

The Glass Man

The sky is escaping to the ocean.Pouring itself back to its most comfortable form in sheets. The ocean rages, reflecting the sky in even darker blues and greys. The sky…[...]

This Young and Hopeless World

The sphinx hadn't spoken since the first stone was laid by man a thousand years ago. But now it watched with intensity toward the horizon. The sun was low over…[...]

A Soul for a Soul

The green splintered door has called out to me day after day as I pass it on my way downstairs. Today, the call is stronger. It echoes through my bones…[...]

Do You Ever Think Of Death?

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of grief, mentions of the loss of a child, and existential discussions about death. POWERING ON... SYSTEM REBOOTING… My camera turns on, and it…[...]

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN CLOSING TIME AND MORNING

‘’See you tomorrow, Angie", she said, waving goodbye to her as she left the café exhausted. Hazel's shift had ended; it was 11pm. Her feet and back hurt because she…[...]

Memories at the table

It was some time ago when I was here. When was it? Six, seven, eight years ago, I think.This is a familiar table with a familiar empty vase on it.Where…[...]

Father’s Daughter

It was a month ago when I first heard the screams. I should say ‘scream’ because that first night it was just the one, prolonged sound that pierced the night…[...]

Broken

Blake lay in bed, his eyes open. He couldn’t believe, couldn’t bear the fact she had left him. His room was the same, too small to be called home, small…[...]

The Frozen Time

Ring ring...my mobile phone goes off and stops. And, again, it rings, stops, rings, stops, and finally gives in, and the immediate silence takes over. It must have been my…[...]

The Taste Of Colour

Laura had always known that colours weren’t just something you saw—they were something you felt. Most people looked at a painting and talked about shades and tones. Laura talked about…[...]

The Color Black

I wake to the sound of church bells. They fill the air with their chimes and dings, signaling the eighth hour of the day. There are voices outside, shouting something…[...]

Color of truth

“Mind the shadow. What do you think that means, Anton?”“How should I know? I think this guy was paranoid. The outside team found this yesterday with the corpse. He wasn’t…[...]

M. Vert

M. VERT....by Russell Dupont “Monsieur Vert. Thank you coming.” He was wearing one of those heavy artichoke-colored winter coats, the ones with the toggle buttons and pinned a few inches…[...]

The Pale District

Color had not simply faded from the world — it had evaporated, as though some unseen mouth had drawn every hue into a single, soundless inhale. People still argued about…[...]

UNRAVELED

Cheryl White sits on the floor in her missing son’s bedroom eating Hershey's Kisses and drinking black coffee, searching through his things again—the same things she searched through the night…[...]