Write a post-apocalyptic story triggered by climate change.

Posted in Adults on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 134 stories

“Blooms From the Ashes” by Lori Koenig

Submitted to Contest #60

It was the rare sighting of a poppy that caught Harper’s eye and held her transfixed for a moment. The vibrant orange struck her as incongruous with all of the ashen browns and grays of her daily tableau. At once, she had been transported to the trip she had taken, some ten years prior, in tow to her older sister and parents, down to see the Antelope Valley poppy preserve in full bloom during their spring break. The sheer number of blossoms had been dizzying and left her utterly speechless in wonder, though she was known fo...

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“Just Trying to Survive” by Paige Winters

Submitted to Contest #60

I don’t know how much longer I can keep running before I collapse. It’s especially hard with this fan blade strapped to my back. I would ditch it but the whole reason I went outside today was to get it. I was searching for hours and finally found one in the old junkyard before these wild dogs caught sight of me. It's too hot for this. I ran around a corner, skidding on the blacktop as I rushed onto Main Street. I don’t need to look back to know that the dogs are hot on my tail, I can hear it from their rabid barking and the skittering of th...

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“Dead World ” by Meli Mangos

Submitted to Contest #60

Alana had her hand against her forehead to shadow the sun from her eyes as she scanned the landscape before her. A scarf was secured across her mouth and nose and perspiration showed on the long-sleeved shirt on her back. Clouds of dust were beginning to lift and swirl above the cracked earth. “Alana, we need to hurry.” Lillette called from behind her, near the tunnel door. She kept scanning the landscape. Mounds of trash in the distance looked like mountains and cast shadows just as large. “Alana, a storm is coming. Don...

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“We Flew too Close to the Sun” by Kieri Zink

Submitted to Contest #60

To avoid the consequences of his actions, Daedalus escaped to the island of Crete. It was here he began working for King Minos. The king had a secret and Daedalus was tasked with helping contain it. Daedalus’s success brought him imprisonment. The King could not take the risk of this man and his family revealing his secret to the outside world, so Daedalus and his son Icarus became prisoners. Longing to escape, Daedalus devised a plan. He created two pairs of wings made of feathers and wax. One pair ...

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“The Last Day of School” by Megan Snyder

Submitted to Contest #60

*Barrring* The bell rang right as my last student walked in the door. “Yay!” I exclaimed. “Everyone’s here today!” A couple students were still unpacking while the majority of my 18 students were playing with their Slow Start toys. Janika was noticeably sad, which was unusual for her. “Janika, what’s wrong?” I asked. “My mom heard of a sudden hurricane heading our way on the news this morning,” Janika answered. “She said we might have to leave school early.” “That is sad, Janika. I always hate whenever any of my students leave early.” ...

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“Gimmer” by Emily W.

Submitted to Contest #60

Their boat drifted unsteadily, cutting a wobbly line through the sea of plastic. The floating mass of bottles, cans, and wrappers seemed so solid Reese wouldn’t be surprised if Meg could walk on top of it. His little sister was at the curious, energetic age of two, and her tiny body seemed so light and fragile from the lack of proper nutrition that he was tempted to set her down on top of the plastic island to test it out. Him and his mom had tried their best to give her the majority of the food they’d scrounge up, but now that his mother wa...

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“Bleak Uncertainty” by Alex Rami

Submitted to Contest #60

I picked at the nasty slob of feces I had stepped on. I gagged. Holly laughed. “What’s so funny?” I said, gritting my teeth. My nerves were frayed. I threw the stick to the floor. “The way you gagged. It’s just funny.” She said. “Well if this piece of-" “Language.” Said Aaron. He was the leader of our small three person group. He found each of us in worn down buildings. He tossed me a wet cloth. It reeked of alcohol. “Use that to wipe off the-“ “Shh. Did you hear that?” Said Holly. We all stopped. Silence ensued. “No.” I said. “Wa...

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“Not Us” by Grace Kelley

Submitted to Contest #60

We remember. It started with the news broadcasts, the front page of the papers. We ignored it. We never thought it could happen to us. Scaremongering, we called it. We carried on. We sipped our coffees from our takeaway cups. We bought our plastic-wrapped, exotic fruits and vegetables. We cozied up to our coal fires and oil heaters on cold nights. We took long hot showers and scrubbed ourselves with colorful scented gels until we glowed. The oceans are so big, we won’t cause that much damage, we told ourselves. The problem is thousands of ...

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“Beneath the streets, darkness” by Georgiana Vlahos

Submitted to Contest #60

To my father That evening, we went under ground to pierce the wall. Barbara was carrying the heavy duty equipment, while Andrew and I were following behind with the lights, some bags for the rubble, and the rest of our material. Fifty steps down the stairs, the second floor of the basement seemed to be on a much lower level than the rest of the neighbouring ones. Its vaulted ceiling was irregular, and the stone of the walls strangely resembled that of the buildings above. ‘Remember that everything you see above ground matche...

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“Chasing Storms” by Nadia S

Submitted to Contest #60

The End of the world, as Kala would like to call it, wasn’t really a set day in time. It wasn’t a set hour or a set minute. It had been the result of a pan cooking on a stove for years and years, heating up until it burst into flame. When you hold a pan full of messied and flammable ingredients above a hot stovetop, it’s only a matter of time until it bursts into flame -- so why wasn’t it stopped before the flames reached the ceiling and overtook the kitchen? Why couldn’t the pan have been emptied in the sink, the meal restarted, the stove’s...

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“Operation Correction” by Ashley Mallory

Submitted to Contest #60

“Can we do something about the ridiculous screams, it’s barbaric and is disrupting my work.” “Right away Dr. Ellory” A loud zap is heard throughout the office. Followed by silence. Dr. Ellory opens the file she had been carrying, hidden in the false back of her purse. She calls her superior. “The proposal looks good.” She takes a sip of her coffee. She prepares to say it. The thing they have all been waiting for. “We are ready for operation correction. At 13:00 a small lab-created asteroid will be shot from the la...

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“Between The Bars” by Robert Tyler

Submitted to Contest #60

I learned to crawl alongside a dead baby. The poor thing got its ankle leash caught on the base of the drinking fountain. Squealed for days, then became a stain right here in the middle of the hall, stinking and sinking into the cement while I scooted around collecting up all the new stuff for my parents. I’d clutch on, they’d reel me back. I was a fishing hook. I could collect these things for my parents only because Dead Baby hadn’t lived long enough to collect them for hers. She was sent through the bars before me. Too soon. Too y...

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“SIRIUS” by Maya Gaylor

Submitted to Contest #60

There was only bright red above the horizon, as far as any eyes could see. Looking up at the sky, I knew this was our present and our future, though I suppose we won’t have much of the latter. In the back of my mind I could still hear the futile protests of those advocating for our environment. Voices now decades old, their owners perished. On these morning walks I often think of them, the Scientists, we called them: prophets that urged our ancestors to take action against the impending fate of their children. Prophets, I thought, that creat...

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“Time Telepathy” by SHIPRA JHA

Submitted to Contest #60

Time Telepathy Definition- Climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular, a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. Climate change is a topic that has been discussed in every judiciary and has been debated to be directly proportionate with development. Although discussed but not looked after at an intensity it was supposed to be, the development has been told to be constant with a hu...

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“Blithe” by Lyss V.

Submitted to Contest #60

"Cornelius Walker, no wonder you've been classified as TOP PRIORITY." The andriod speaks with her cold voice. Still flat as a mechanical however sound taut since just now.She was trapped within a triggered cell during the hunt. On strength, she was confidential to win. Everyone who disobeys would die under her Vibrogun immediately. But Cornelius was a cunning one, the fact is he designed an escape route earlier. The Ranger never expect there was a secret passage under this tiny lodge, ends up chasing her tail within tangled routes. Her ...

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Write a post-apocalyptic story triggered by climate change.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 134 stories

“Blooms From the Ashes” by Lori Koenig

“Just Trying to Survive” by Paige Winters

“Dead World ” by Meli Mangos

“We Flew too Close to the Sun” by Kieri Zink

“The Last Day of School” by Megan Snyder

“Gimmer” by Emily W.

“Bleak Uncertainty” by Alex Rami

“Not Us” by Grace Kelley

“Beneath the streets, darkness” by Georgiana Vlahos

“Chasing Storms” by Nadia S

“Operation Correction” by Ashley Mallory

“Between The Bars” by Robert Tyler

“SIRIUS” by Maya Gaylor

“Time Telepathy” by SHIPRA JHA

“Blithe” by Lyss V.

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a funny post-apocalyptic story.

Write a post-apocalyptic story that features zombies.

Write a post-apocalyptic thriller.

Write a post-apocalyptic romance.

Contest #60

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

762

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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