The curses have lifted, and the winners have been revealed. For Dictionary.com’s fifth annual Haunting Hooks contest, we dared writers to craft a terrifying 50-word opening inspired by cursed objects. Hundreds of entries poured in, and guest judge Kalynn Bayron has chosen the hook that sent the biggest shiver down her spine.
The Winner 🥇
The mirror arrived wrapped in colorless newspaper, the date smudged but the headline clear: “Family of Five Vanished.” I smiled when fingerprints formed on the glass, pale and pressing from the other side. I used to joke that I had no family. Now, the mirror had found one for me.
— Taylor Mims
Congratulations to Taylor! They’ll receive a $100 Amazon gift card, Dictionary.com swag, and a signed copy of Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron, plus a special-edition bookmark.
Fans’ Choice 🏆
We narrowed down the list to six finalists and left the rest up to the fans. After an intense round of voting, this haunting hook was crowned the winner of our Fans’ Choice!
Through porcelain eyes, I watch the body, which used to be mine, walk away and dislimn. My dread echoes frantically inside this ancient figurine—my new oubliette. It threatened me. It wanted a body. I didn’t listen.
— Tim Aney
Congratulations to Tim! They’ll receive a $50 Amazon gift card and Dictionary.com swag.
Honorable Mentions
These story openers lingered long after the lights went out, earning an honorable mention from our trembling panel of judges.
The pawnshop never kept receipts. Customers didn’t want proof they’d touched the things inside—mirrors that whispered, rings that tightened, dolls that blinked when no one was looking. Tonight, something new arrived in a wooden crate, still damp with seawater. The shopkeeper wished he hadn’t opened it.
— Shaina Tranquilino
The whispering woke Sylivia up. It was coming from the box of toys her mother picked up at a yard sale earlier that day. Even in the dimly lit room, Sylvia could see the one-eyed doll’s head peeking out of the box. “Help me,” it whispered again.
— Liz Kellam
Failure. Too weak to live, too broken to matter. That’s what they said. Rude. She had rage, ambition, and a smirking doll with excellent posture. One pinkie-touch later, she was muslin-bound and murder-ready. No more weak flesh. Just vengeance and surprisingly good hair. Perfect. She would make them regret everything.
— Pamela Ernest
Seated in my grandmother’s dusty attic, I heft the old box onto my lap. Pressing my thumb on the latch, the fatigued metal gives way. The smell of old decay hits me sickeningly. Unmistakable. The gold incisor, the missing teeth. My grandfather’s head. And from behind me, a soft click.
— Michael Pemberton
The estate sale tag read $3. Marion bought the music box anyway, charmed by its tarnished silver birds. She didn’t notice the lock of hair coiled beneath the velvet lining, or that the birds’ beaks had been filed into something sharper. She would, though. By morning, she’d notice everything.
— Oluwanifemi Bakare
“Our seventh course, blood orange tart,” Chef purred, sliding him a bone china plate. Its edges gleamed deepest copper, matching the ornate flatware. His stomach rumbled with surprising hunger. As fork met tongue, the sharp tang of iron flooded his mouth. With each bite, he was more ravenous, desperate, insatiable.
— Ashlee Vieregger
Honorable mentions will receive Dictionary.com swag.
If you’re still curious about how the contest works, you can also review the official contest rules. Stay tuned for more contests from Dictionary.com!
