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a writing contest for those who dare
 youth fear Ohio, United States Horror content warning: Gore/Graphic Violence The doorbell rang loudly as Miriam rushed to the door. Her socks slid across the smooth hardwood floors as she reached the foyer. She quickly fluffed up her bushy, black hair and hurriedly glanced at her reflection in the bronze mirror. The doorbell rang a second time as Miriam opened the door to...
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youth fear California, United States Horror Jackson laid on his bed the night before Halloween, in the year 2022. Cole was coming over to watch some scary movies, and maybe do a bit more. It’d be an hour before Cole got there so Jackson decided to start the night off with a horror story, of all things. Jackson unlike the rest of his friends...
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 adult fearless Washington, United States General Merse is sitting down in a chair across from his friend Pate who is stretched along a bench on the outdoor patio. There lights a small blue flame across Pate's new centerpiece to provide some warmth in the season's changing crisp night air. “Let me tell you I was such an overachiever in school...
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adult fear Michigan, United States General “I need to take this.” she says, looking down to see who’s calling. “Back in a sec.” She navigates the tables with a gentle sway, the phone against her ear.—Meeting Kate was like a dream. I’d walked down to the brewery to hear a local band play. They had already started by the time I...
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teens fear Florida, United States Horror Look at Me, Dear Friend I can feel it. Every day. Every night. I know you can too. Maybe you just don’t know what it is. That feeling you get when you’re alone. Like someone is there. Like someone is watching you. But when you turn back, there is nothing there. Of course...
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teens fear California, United States Horror At exactly 2:13 am, I awoke with a start– or was I still dreaming? – to the sudden realization that someone–no, something was at the door. The grandfather clock in my living room had chimed 13 minutes prior and it was several hours before it occurred to me that it hadn’t chimed since. I didn’t let...
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 youth fear New York, United States Horror content warning: Child Abuse My body was bare, exposed. My eyes had a bitter sting as my dead stare was broken and blurred by a watery cloud. My fragile heart felt deprived of its strength, yet its overwhelming thud was difficult to contain. My breathing was restricted as my airway tightened. My hand trembled uncontrollably...
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teens fear Saskatchewan, Canada Horror content warning: Gore/Graphic Violence Fear is a funny little thing. It grasps you tight and stabs you like a knife. It twists and pulls at your gut leaving you shaking and breathless. It’s a fantastic feeling, and I treasure the rush. I treasure it, but I loathe it. I run from the wolves, I jump from trees going higher and higher...
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adult fear California, United States Horror The sun streams through the stained-glass window, vibrant with sunset hued zinnias. It’s one of my favorite things in my favorite room in the whole house, the place where I experience dawn and dusk, where I look out when the leaves change color and the place where I paint and create art.I have been...
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 youth fear Maryland, United States Mystery I still remember it like it was yesterday. *** People were scared and bewildered. They ached for a drop, one measly drop, of good news. They had been drunk with the same messages everyday; all the radios spilling out information of what they called “The Shadow Thief...
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adult fear Ontario, Canada Horror The crunch of leaves beneath my feet become the soundtrack to my escape.When I first stepped into the forest, that Taylor Swift song came to mind. Something about autumn leaves falling into place and on some level, I think that’s what this is. Me, walking away, is exactly the last piece falling...
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adult fear Kentucky, United States Horror I'm running through an emerald green forest. My heart is pounding so loud I can hear it in my ears as I try to escape this hell. I cry tears of joy and breathe a sigh of relief as I see and feel myself grow closer to the exit but just as I am able to touch the exit my feet are pulled out from under...
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 youth fear Illinois, United States Fantasy Once upon a time a long long time ago rumors were going around about a sorceress living on top of the hill, one day these two kids decided they were going to go to the top of the hill to see if the rumors were true, the kids were Kai and Luna, Kai was the oldest of twelve years old and...
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teens fear Louisiana, United States Horror content warning: Graphic Physical Violence The human mind is truly the scariest thing of all things ancient and new. Stuck in an endless loop of unquenchable desires can drive one mad. Scratching at dead flaky skin that forms a pile of snow on the sheets. Snapping your fingers like carrots, one by one until your fingers can lead you to...
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teens fear British Columbia, Canada Horror DripDripDrip.The faucet is on. I do not want to turn it off.I do not want to force my bones to grind together, my muscles to pulsate and squirm.DripDripDripThe noise bores a whole through my skull, scooping out the grey matter and leaving it upon my chest, cool and writhing. I need to turn off...
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teens fear Connecticut, United States Horror Everyone has heard of The Scarlet Specter. It had been a legend for almost twenty years, whispered about in hallways and told at parties to spook the freshmen. The former principal, Mr. Kingsley's vengeful spirit, came back from the dead to get revenge on the students who killed it. Of course, Mr....
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youth fear Georgia, United States Horror “Found anything yet?”“Nope, not a thing.” Ryan sighed. His head ached from how much thinking he’d been doing recently. He and his buddy Kai were in a secluded room in front of a huge detective board with a dim light bulb as the only source of light. At the very center of the board were several...
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adult fear Oregon, United States Horror Even wearing noise-cancelling headphones, the child’s shrill, singsong voice assaulted my eardrums.“The wheels on the bus go round and round! Round and round! Round and round!” he shriek-sang.The passengers on the bus were getting migraines, myself included. I could bear it no longer. I stood up—...
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