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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#108: Elemental

Water, air, fire, earth, and void: together, these five elements make up one of the earliest systems used to understand our world. Ancient cultures in Greece, Persia, India, and elsewhere all believed that everything they saw could be broken down into these five core categories. While the system doesn’t hold much water scientifically, we still hear echoes of these ancient classifications today — from the groups of astrological signs, to the magical systems of fantasy worlds.

For this week’s prompts, I’m going back to basics, and exploring each of the five core elements in turn. I’m excited to see what you build out of the building blocks of — well, everything!

This week's prompts

Write a story about a voyage on a boat.

Adventure – 42 stories

Write about a person or object vanishing into thin air.

Thriller and Suspense – 44 stories

Write a story about a team tunneling down into the centre of a planet.

Science Fiction – 6 stories

Start or end your story with a house going up in flames.

Dark – 55 stories

Write a story about a character who’s trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically.

Angst – 55 stories

Stories

“Closure” by Sway Dodson

Submitted to Contest #108

CONTENT WARNING: DEPICTIONS OF R@PE AND TR@UMA --- You never think it can happen to you until it does. And when it does, you think it can never change you. But you’re wrong. You’re so wrong. --- I met Gavin while I was working at a coffee shop. I wrote my number on his latte and he called me after my shift. We dated for a few months, and got really close. He was kind, and funny, and genuine. His eyes were a mossy green, the color of leaves in August. His were the kind of eyes that you look into and f...

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“Reflection hugs” by Jahson Clarke

Submitted to Contest #108

"What did I do to deserve this pain", she cried. Tears now zig zagging down her once dry pale face; each stream running through her pin needle sized freckles. The therapist hands her a pink rectangle tissue box. "You have to stop blaming others", he said. She obnoxiously filled the tissue with sorrow tears and warranted mucus. "A-are we fucking done here," she uttered. She furiously rose from her chair, patting her eyes softly again and withdrawing the snot at the entry of her nose. She gulped the mucus in the back of her throat and move...

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“The Golden Hour” by Marama Campbell

Submitted to Contest #108

Charlie took a draw from his cigarette as he watched the night start to creep in. The wind howled through the trees in high pitched wails and an icy breeze nipped at his skin. He breathed in deeply, tasting the comforting spice of the smoke. His cheeks appeared hollow as he sucked in the last remaining warmth of the day. Crickets chirped their songs in chorus and little pockets of light flickered from the windows of the houses in the distance. The small town appeared like a glowing orange oasis. Charlie's head bowed towards his sunken c...

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“Amanda Filling a Void ” by Amy Bradoc

Submitted to Contest #108

Amanda decided to divorce her spouse. It just was not working no matter what they did. This began taking a toll on her in every facet of her life. Nothing seemed to make her happy when she began this new lane in life. She then began to do things differently than when she was in her marriage. Amanda knew she had to change almost everything. She changed routines to shake up her once monotonous life. She changed where she grabbed her morning coffee. She changed her route to her job. She changed where she shopped for groceries. She changed ...

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“No Atlantis” by Life Of V

Submitted to Contest #108

“Dr. Chase, come look at the satellite,” Captain McHonell says to me, waving me to come over. “What is that?” I ask the Captain. “I don’t know, there must be interference coming from the clouds over Point Nemo, but the satellite should have been able to get thermal imaging through the storm. Maybe it’s ash spewing into the sky, but the report from NOAA says there is no volcanic activity.” As we look out the helms window and back to the satellite imaging, I think back to the briefing at Randolph Air Force base. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have ...

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“My Journey to Viens” by Kevin Vang

Submitted to Contest #108

- "A sir nameth Hathanias, a guardsman who is't is quite quaint from the outside, his feelings beginneth to roteth. That gent sees Yeshua and hath felt guilt. Yeshua calleth unto that gent, "follow me. " Hathanias did drop his sw'rd, armeth'r, and buckler and hath followed that Gent." - Zachonias 1, verse 3 My name is Clyde Calawis. I have lived so lon...

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“THE BLACK RAINCOAT” by Spondon Ganguli

Submitted to Contest #108

It was quarter to twelve soon, it would be midnight. It had been raining heavily outside since morning and I could not comprehend what to do. Mine was a small house in the hilly region of Darjeeling. It was on the outskirts of the main town towards the north and was a little elevated from the main road that goes straight to the famous mall. The house was probably the last one on the northern side of Darjeeling. From here, the dense forests spread across a few kilometers to another higher range in the valley. From here, the road wen...

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“My daughter is gone” by Michelle Garcia

Submitted to Contest #108

My daughter is goneI woke up this morning and my daughter is gone. I got up from bed, and walked slowly to her room, shaking the sleep from my limbs. When I opened her door I found her room empty. The bed was made, which is bizarre considering that I tucked her in last night, and she never makes her bed in the mornings. I scold her about it all the time. And now she's gone.I try not to panic as I make my way down the stairs. She couldn't have gone far, she's only 13. Maybe she had early football practice this morning. Although....hadn't she ...

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“The End Of The World” by Far Hanaa

Submitted to Contest #108

I was left in disbelief as her body I held so preciously into my arms crashed into a million of pieces- I lost Kyara. I couldn’t believe she died because of me. After letting out a huge sigh, Aki demanded that we get over with this fight. With little effort, I swung my sword at Aki which only allowed him to send my Dark Excalibur flying and stab me with his own sword. I watched as my health points was closing to zero. I was on the edge of giving up but then I remember Kyara’s words of encouragement, “I believe in you, Kovu. Do...

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“Now I See You, Now I Don't” by Haydn Radford

Submitted to Contest #108

Now I See You, Now I Don’t I place the tray with two hot coffees and four chocolate chip muffins on the small side-table in Bill's room. He looks deep in thought. Once again, he has obviously dressed himself, as he is wearing his favourite faded check shirt and his old blue cardigan, which is buttoned-up lopsided. He doesn't like the carers telling him what to wear and dressing him. Bill agrees they mean well and want him to look tidy, but he insists on wearing what he likes, when he likes, even if it does look the worse for wear. He refus...

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“Queen of the Forest” by Veronica Therrien

Submitted to Contest #108

Dozens of green soldiers were the few friends I had since I was born. Their armies welcomed me every time I climbed onto my roof. “Hey guys, I’m back.” A breeze flew over them, their waves fluttered. Though it’s not the same, at least they’re technically alive. They’re better than my family. Shouts, screams, the loud bangs that became a disturbing tune was constantly on repe...

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“Son” by Evan Jackson

Submitted to Contest #108

There were a million stars out tonight. The air was sweet and warm. Insects sang to each other from the forest. Lillian, stargazing with her fiance Harold. Stares blissfully into the night sky; savoring a feeling of love and security. When a flash blazes across the sky. A shooting star? She didn’t have time to find out. Lillian was going into labor. Harold scrambles to get her up and into the car. They grab the bags they prepacked for the hospital. Thankfully the roads aren’t too busy at this hour. They arrive at Bellmonte Creek Hospital and...

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“Into Thin Air” by Victoria Rimasse

Submitted to Contest #108

Adonis Deluca was dangerously handsome the moment he was born. He was so remarkably attractive, even as an infant, that the doctor who delivered him said, “He’s an Adonis!” Upon hearing that and seeing her son for the first time, his mother discarded the name she and his father had originally picked out for him. “I know we should name him after my father,” Mrs. Deluca, a Greek American said, “Tradition be damned! He is an Adonis.” His Italian-born father agreed, mostly because he lived and breathed by the adage “happy life, hap...

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“Without a Space” by U.R. Smart

Submitted to Contest #108

The elementals are at work everywhere. Bringing and taking life as we know it, refashioning matter as nature sees fit. The ingredients of Prithvi (Earth), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala (Water), and Akasha (Space) are powerful forces. Deemed liable that night for causing the earth shattering collision which lit the fiery spark, changing my primordial composition. Weather, lack of visibility; an act of nature. Traveling through an intersection on a straightforward path through an innocuous green light, meager snowflakes danced in the air,...

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“THE FOULARD FLUTTERING IN THE AIR” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #108

THE FOULARD FLUTTERING IN THE AIR Alexia was coming back home. She walked with firm (decisive) step, quickly. Her gymnastic teacher, in middle school, used to urge their girls not to have the pace of those who walk on eggs. She was right, Alexia said to herself still now. It’s nice to feel the ground under your feet, even when under your feet there is the sidewalk, or the asphalt of the street, or the floor of a room. In the sky the glow of the sunset had just turned off. It was almost evening . The air was mild, there was a ...

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$250

Prize money

202

Contest entries

207

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 27, 2021 EST

Won by Rachel Kenley Fry 🏆

Title: I Leave the Six Blank

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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