Horror writing prompt
The Talisman That Speaks
Describe the chilling occurrences when an amateur archaeologist unearths an ancient talisman that whispers secrets about the past, and summoning something that should have been left undisturbed.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
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Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- 1Give the reader one moment of relief, then take it away.
- 2Never fully show the thing. Describe what it leaves behind.
- 3Make the hero's worst fear about themselves come true, not just the monster.
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- The Mirror at the Estate SaleAfter purchasing an old, ornate mirror from an estate sale, a couple notices that their reflections begin to display actions and emotions that they haven't expressed. As days pass, these reflections seem to become more sinister.
- Voices in the Old ForestA group of friends goes on a hiking trip in a remote forest where no human has stepped for decades. As night falls, they realize that something in the forest is hunting them, mimicking their voices and separating them one by one.
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