Spooky/Suspenseful Flash Fiction

I'm one of those weird people who loves Halloween, but hates anything that's actually horror-related.  I don't like scary movies, haunted houses, reading horror books.  It's just not my thing.  But, I do like trying to write suspense-filled stories.  (Is it weird that I don't like horror stuff, but the majority of the stories I write are about vampires???)

I also think Flash Fiction is a fun way to kind of dip your toes into writing suspenseful or even spooky stories.  If you don't know too much about Flash Fiction, the idea is basically just to write really short stories.  Like a couple hundred words or less.

I haven't written too many Flash Fiction pieces before, but I did do one suspenseful story during a creative writing class.  I think the goal of that piece was to be kind of spooky as it was near Halloween when I got the assignment, and it had to be less than 250 words.  It was a few years ago, and it's not one of my best stories, so forgive me if I don't remember everything!

But, anyway, here's the Flash Fiction spooky/suspenseful story I wrote!


The thunderous footsteps started closing in behind me, echoing on the empty street. 

Most people had evacuated the city when news of an approaching hurricane came to light.  I stupidly believed I would be fine.  Inwardly chastising myself, I continued my fast pace down the blackened street, wishing at least one streetlight would come back on.  The rain fell harder, the wind slashing at my bones.

The footsteps behind me picked up speed, clomping my direction.  Perhaps I was worried for nothing.  It was probably just someone else who hadn’t evacuated, trying to find shelter before the storm landed.

But I had to know.

With my heart nearly jumping out of my chest, I glanced back, trying to see the source of the noise.  I could only see a dark outline of a man, but the moonlight reflected off something shiny.  Raindrops plinked on a silver object. 

Knife.  It was a knife.               

I ran.

I darted in and out of streets, alleys, and through a park.  But the footsteps simply grew louder.  Knowing I couldn’t keep running, I ran inside the first place I could find: an abandoned deli.

With the overwhelming darkness and pelting raindrops, the man would be lucky to see two feet ahead of him.  As long as he passed my shelter by, I would be fine.  I would be fine.

His dark shadow appeared outside the deli, the menacing knife still glittering. 

Please, don’t find me, please, don’t find me, I silently chanted. 


So, there you go.  Flash Fiction.  Let me know what you think about these kind of pieces!  And, of course, write on!

Amy