Horror, Dark Fiction, Speculative Fiction Online Magazine

ales from the Moonlit Path was originally published from 2005-2010. Much blood, sweat, and tears went into each and every issue, and a whole lot of wonderfully terrifying fiction and poetry was packed in there, as well. After 8 years, we have decided to resurrect Tales to give talented speculative fiction and horror writers another venue for their creativity. We will be publishing issues every 3 months (or so) and will always be open to submissions. O

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Tales from the Moonlit Path

General call

Something in the Water Contest
 


Water holds memories.
Rivers carry them. Lakes bury them. Oceans swallow them whole.
But, there are times when the surface breaks and something that should have stayed hidden starts to rise.
For this summer’s Tales from the Moonlit Path contest, we invite you to explore the unsettling possibilities of Something in the Water. Beneath calm surfaces and quiet reflections something ancient, patient, and long forgotten, is waiting.
Your story might unfold beside a lonely lake at dusk, along a fog-covered shoreline, or in a town built around a reservoir that holds more than rainwater. But water doesn’t only exist in rivers and oceans. It collects in surprising places.
 

Perhaps something moves beneath the surface of a backyard swimming pool. Maybe something is whispering from the depths of a well that no one uses anymore. Perhaps a cracked aquarium begins behaving strangely after dark or rainwater gathered in a rusted barrel reflects something that isn’t standing there.
For this contest, we invite writers to dive into the strange, the mysterious, and the quietly terrifying. Your story may explore folklore, supernatural encounters, psychological dread, cosmic horror, or something entirely unexpected, but at its heart must lie one simple truth:
There is something in the water.
We’re excited to see where your imagination leads.
 
Deadline: June 25, 2026
Length: No more than 2,000 words
Prizes: Grand Prize – $50 and publication.
Honorable mentions will also be published.

So, dear readers, sharpen your pens, polish your prose, and send us your best. After all, the path is lit by moonlight, and the shadows are listening. 

👉 Submit here: contest@talesmoonlitpath.com
 
Submission must be in the body of the email, no attachments please.
Clearly label your submission “SUMMER CONTEST: Last Name: Story Title”.
Just one contest submission per customer, please!
Please, no reprints!
Your contest entry must not be submitted elsewhere.
Any contest submission is your pre-approval of publication.
One Grand Prize Winner receives $50 via PayPal.

Something in the Water Contest  

Tales from the Moonlit Path publishes dark, eerie, speculative stories. Horror is not a necessary element, although fiction should contain some aspect of the weak, frail, changeable human condition.<div>Gore and explicit sex for the sake of visceral shock will not find a home here, though we are not opposed to it in general, if it belongs in the story.</div><div>We are interested in character-driven stories more so than plot-driven, and we prefer dark fiction that makes us think, makes us feel, wraps us in its well-spun dream.</div>

Tales from the Moonlit Path

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