Write a story about someone looking for a sign in a dark sky.

Posted in Angst on Jan 5, 2024

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✍️ 56 stories

“Cosmic Joke (But I'm Not Laughing)” by Hannah Kolbinger

Submitted to Contest #232

Miles has never believed in miracles. He does not search for meaning in tea leaves or surround himself with crystals or polished rocks–he doesn’t believe that rose quartz will bring him love or in the healing energy of amber. He doesn’t believe that a hack in robes can read his fate, his future, or his past simply by tracing a clammy finger across the lines in his palm. He stopped believing, at the tender age of six, that a jolly fat man in a red suit made his way to every single one of the world’s countless children on Christmas night–that ...

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“What We Find in the Dark” by Stephanie Ziders

Submitted to Contest #232

Chapter 1 “Hey, Collin, I’m back,” Fiona said, shutting the hotel door behind her. Her fingers clutched the tall hurricane glass in her hand, careful not to spill. Fiona turned. Her sandal wedges squeaked on the polished wood floor as she turned toward a shuffling noise behind her. Fiona’s blue eyes widened, watching the scene before her as if it were a movie in slow motion. “What the —,” Fiona’s words were cut off in her tightening throat. The crashing of glass shattering off the floor rang throughout the bungalow-themed hotel room. Col...

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“Towards the Light” by Kayla Pater

Submitted to Contest #232

The wooden oars rubbed against his palms roughly, making him wonder if he would walk away from this expedition with a few splinters in his hand. His fishing gear sat behind him, swaying as the row boat moved forward, every stroke through the water bringing him closer to what was his goal. Well, what he hoped would be his goal. The direction that was his destination was purely guesswork based on tides and currents in this wide ocean. He was a captain of a fishing boat in his prime years, catching fish with great nets, braving storms t...

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“Diary Entry of a Troubled Young Man” by Derrick Lancero

Submitted to Contest #232

Consistency, a fleeting fragment of a component in character that many search so one knows that they took control of their life. I ask, can peace and freedom be found in consistency? How much easier would it be to follow along with those who crave adventure and find their meaning in new skies. New skies are where you can find the new you. Or those who find it all in the moment. A moment where you love yourself because there's nothing but that one moment to go off of. I'm not in any of these categories and I lament for myself and others who s...

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“Scraps of Light” by Barbara Nosek

Submitted to Contest #232

Suggestions of swear wordsI’ve never had to grapple with a problem of this magnitude in all my 64 years. And I see no way out. Nothing in my experience has prepared me for solving anything like this.Friends, siblings, children, have about as much chance of getting me out of this as does my beautiful Himalayan cat Dulcy. I know they would try if I told them what was threatening to tear my life apart. But I haven’t. The truth is I’m more than a little ashamed of letting myself even get into this awful mess.It’s noon now and the bright sunshine...

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“Questions in the Night” by Elise Gilmore

Submitted to Contest #232

Taylor wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck as she moved forward on the walking trail. Her thoughts were flying around in her head, making it a challenge just to put one foot in front of the other. But she kept trudging on, her eyes peeled on the night sky, a vast darkness looming above her. This was her third lap and she still hadn’t seen exactly what she was looking for. “Please give me a glimmer of hope.” she pleaded with the night. She shook her head to herself, glad no one was around to hear her asking the sky for a favor. How si...

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“My Day with Jesus. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #232

"I heard you!" Young Andrew was speaking too loudly, being a bit rude to his parents. "I know it's a school day. I don't want to be there. I hate Grade Six, I hate teachers, the kids are mean! I'm staying in bed." Andrew was called Young because his name was his father's name. His dad was now known as Old Andrew. His father looked worried, he had been trying to get counselling for Young Andrew's school refusal. But all the appointments were taken for months. Young Andrew's mother said, "Look, you only went to school for one week. Some kid...

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“The Thaw” by C.E Chase

Submitted to Contest #232

The cartilage in my nose and ears beg and ache for warmth. I tremble as I shake the lick of shivers down my spine. And the tips of my fingers turn a pale scarlet I’ve never seen before. Snow milked the floor of the Taiga, replacing the moss for white fur. My boots grind into the snow, feeling like thick salt beneath my feet. Everything was blue, dipped and glazed in a myriad of dark. Rosetta’s hair is too red. It’s too red like the red in my fingertips and cartilage. It’s so red in almost black as it bounces in soft longing curls down her ba...

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“War's Ember” by Rose Winters

Submitted to Contest #232

War's EmberGibad clung to his fuzzy bamabat toy—what was left of it. Just a black jeweled eye hanging by sinew and a fearsome claw extended from a paw where there used to be eight. Stuffing and filth. But most importantly, a dull red patch of intact plush fur that Gibad kept pressed tightly against one ear, his other little tangerine-colored hand held against his other ear. He didn’t want to hear the bad sounds, so he’d hidden in his tiny cave.Gibad was afraid of many things. He’d been afraid that morning when Daddy and Uncle Roft had holler...

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“Rilestone's Reach” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #232

Author's Note: This is another excerpt from the Rilestone stories, one that is a "Part 2" of the "Rilestone: Fullfillment" short story. It has been over a week since the vision came unto Rilestone, one that raised more questions than answers even from those that were older and wiser than him. His parents could not answer for this alleged prophecy, nor his uncles or aunts, nor his cousins or friends. Even the people working at S.U.I.T (Super Uniform Individual Tactician) could only speculate; his friend, Jist, had an idea that it had to...

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“Two little blue lines.” by Laura Haffenden

Submitted to Contest #232

sensitive topic - baby loss The first sign came to her in the clouds. She laid in the hospital bed bereft with grief as she recovered from her miscarriage. She stared out the window rather than look back into the rest of the hospital ward at the other mothers with the same grief stricken faces, and there in the clouds was a baby, the outline of a baby like you would see in an ultrasound scan picture. The moment she saw it a wave of peace came across her, she knew her baby was safe somewhere beyond here. She was filled with hope that a lo...

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“Eight Ball” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #232

Marta ventures tentatively out into the oppressive darkness of the permanent deep grey of a deathly night. She is swaddled in layers of clothing over which she has wrapped and tied strips of blanket. Despite these precautions, she shivers with the cold, leans into it and hugs herself for comfort against the ever present elemental force of the unnatural Winter. She does not move far from her sanctuary. There is no point, and she cannot afford to waste anything, including her energy. She pauses as though considering her next action, th...

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“The Star Gazer” by A.J. Williams

Submitted to Contest #232

Spring of 2047 (35 A.E.) Near Denver, Free Republic of Colorado Thomas Newbury peered through the pre-Event telescope, his gaze fixed on the celestial canvas above. His routine pursuit involved scouring the heavens for a new comet, not merely for the thrill of discovery but as a means to eke out a meager living in this post-apocalyptic world. The solar flare storm that ravaged Earth's communications and electricity on December 21st, 2012, had plunged humanity into a stark and unforgiving reality. Yet, in the midst of desolation, Thomas f...

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“Show me who you are” by Maybri Boyle

Submitted to Contest #232

Is there such a thing as a god? If there is, I would like to see him in the flesh. I would ask him why he claims to have died for our sins when sinners still roam without constraints, why he promised to heal all sickness when sickness takes rest inside us, and why we have to die to reach heaven and not be placed there with great comfort and gentleness. I believe this god to be cruel and resentful, jealous of the lives we live, as he sits on his high horse, wishing he were immortal. Hell is where we now reside.I snap out of my contemplations,...

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“Trapped Among The Stars” by Kaythi Oo

Submitted to Contest #232

6pm:Tonight is a lunar eclipse. I gaze up at the moon for a few seconds. The first of the year. The last one was half a year ago.Felt more like an eternity.I swipe my keys from the table and clamber into my black Jeep, turn the ignition on, and back out of the driveway. I know Mum isn't going to come. She's on a date.Turning up The Best Day by Taylor Swift, I drive along the lonely road as rain begins to fall."Danger: severe weather warning up ahead," chirps my car system in an unfittingly happy voice. "Please seek shelter immediately!"I nar...

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Write a story about someone looking for a sign in a dark sky.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 56 stories

“Cosmic Joke (But I'm Not Laughing)” by Hannah Kolbinger

“What We Find in the Dark” by Stephanie Ziders

“Towards the Light” by Kayla Pater

“Diary Entry of a Troubled Young Man” by Derrick Lancero

“Scraps of Light” by Barbara Nosek

“Questions in the Night” by Elise Gilmore

“My Day with Jesus. ” by Julie Grenness

“The Thaw” by C.E Chase

“War's Ember” by Rose Winters

“Rilestone's Reach” by Steffen Lettau

“Two little blue lines.” by Laura Haffenden

“Eight Ball” by Jed Cope

“The Star Gazer” by A.J. Williams

“Show me who you are” by Maybri Boyle

“Trapped Among The Stars” by Kaythi Oo

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story during polar night.

Write a story set in a world with a dying sun, or where light is a scarce resource.

Write a story about someone witnessing — or trying to witness — a celestial phenomenon.

Write a story about someone who has been tasked to keep a flame burning, surrounded by total darkness.

Contest #232

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

280

Contest entries

106

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: