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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#214: The Fall of Summer

For both kids and adults, summer is a time for dreams, freedom, and a break from routine. The scorching summer months offer new beginnings, new experiences, vacations in exotic places (real or backyard imaginings), new friendships, and perhaps even new romance. It’s when memories are created, and when ‘growing up’ happens.

Except there’s never enough time. The days fly by, the memories stack up, and pretty soon Fall’s got a stranglehold. To celebrate the last throes of the season, this week’s prompts encourage you to delve into your memories of the summer we’ve just had, and of summers long past.

This week's prompts

Set your story on the eve of the first day back at school.

Kids – 34 stories

What was meant to be a great bonding vacation turns sour when an uninvited guest tags along.

Summer – 43 stories

Now, as an adult, your character looks back on this summer as the summer when they grew up.

Character – 40 stories

Each year, your character's family goes on the most exotic vacations. Finally they discover why — their family are assassins.

Funny – 36 stories

It’s the last evening of your vacation and you’re watching the sunset with your friends/partner/family, wishing summer would never end. But just as the sun dips below the horizon, you notice it returning in reverse.

Science Fiction – 49 stories

Stories

“Falling in Retrograde” by Arpad Nagy

Submitted to Contest #214

Autumn lay nuzzled beneath his arm, running her slender fingers through his thick brown hair, "Coper," she said, looking at his strong jawline and super-kissable lips and felt the heavy thump-thump, thump-thump of his heart beating against the naked skin of her rib cage. She inhaled deeply. It reminded her of stepping out of a camp tent on a summer morning; he smelled like the forest mingled with a sweet wisp of cologne and a tinkling of sweat that tickled her nose pleasantly. To her, Coper Fields smelled like love. "I...

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“The Twilight Time Travel Zone - The Sunset Spell ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #214

Eerie music sounds. Like a drumbeat, a deep, slow voice speaks rhythmically. “Ladies and Gentlemen, fans of the hidden dimensions and unseen energies of the universe, where the physics of time, space and power intersect. I give to you a story of life in the Twilight Time Travel Zone called The Sunset Spell.”“Before us you see a group of friends celebrating the end of summer on a beach. They are wishing they could relive their summer. That it would never end. But they need to be careful with these wishes. The orbits a...

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“Scarlet Noah” by Jermaine Packer

Submitted to Contest #214

A bead of sweat weaved through the thinning forest on my head as the reason for my personal eclipse waned away. “Wow,” was all I could utter as my breath took its time to rebound. But as it returned, the eclipse did also. “Wow indeed,” the eclipse said as they sought to resuscitate my lungs with mouth to mouth. It failed to bring my breath back rapidly, but the residue on my lips gave me life. As I attempted to seek recycled air for my lungs, my head turned to view the sky turning orange. “We have to see the sunset,” I told my partner...

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“Returning” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #214

RETURNINGIt’s been a magnificent day. I’m not sad it’s over, though.Coming down from our lovemaking, my body glows from tip to toe. As we lie side by side in the meadow, our warmth is maintained by a sun that’s low in the sky but still strong.In this light, Sophie’s skin is almost incandescent. I reach out to check that she’s real. For a change, we’re in concert, my hand meeting hers. We link our little fingers. We’ve never done that before; it feels just right.“Mmm,” she purrs.I have to agree but I don’t voice it. I’m content just to lie ba...

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“SLIPPING INTO THE DARKNESS” by Ruth Ford

Submitted to Contest #214

Tuesday, February 1stLocation: Home - Los AngelesDear Diary,A long time ago, I don't remember when I found you my beautiful diary at a flea market in downtown Los Angeles. I put you in my desk drawer to use one day. Today is that day. I am leaving on a trip this morning, and I will take you with me; it will be our little secret. Please allow me to share my thoughts. I will be honest and fair.Most days, I can only recall the past in flashes of colorful, striking images that appear and consume me in their voracity for only moments and quickly ...

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“Tatenda” by Blessed Chileka

Submitted to Contest #214

The sun is slowly flitting away. Tatenda is exuberant and is enjoying the noise around her. This is the last time they will be assembling to play ball on a weekday, until the next holiday. The ball charges in her direction. It whizzes past her ear as she ducks. Her team members cheer, “Maflawu-wu-wu!!. Maflawu-wu!!” There is no place like playing ball on a dusty road without parents hollering at them. It is like their own world, run by them for them. "Tatenda, is that your mom?" She stops abruptly midday and is half-dazed when the ball strik...

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“"Galactic Protectors"” by Holly Lindamood

Submitted to Contest #214

Amelia Langton was supposed to be starting her senior year the following morning morning. She was not looking forward to it. Her friends were already excitedly talking about where they would be applying for college next year. Higher education was ok, Amelia supposed, for some anyways. But she had bigger dreams, plans that couldn’t be achieved through a bunch of boring old classes with some droning professor more interested in retirement than teaching. She yearned to travel, to see the world, to have adventures, to make a difference. At eight...

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“Night Before Kindergarten ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #214

Millie pushed her comforter down to her ankles and sat up. Mom had just tucked her in, but she wasn’t ready to sleep yet. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and slid to the floor, slowly, so her feet wouldn’t thump. Then she tiptoed over to her window and peek through the blinds. It was still light out, and Millie could see the neighbor boys playing basketball in their driveway. If it had been any other night this summer, she would have been out there riding her scooter up and down the sidewalk cheering them on. Millie was forced ...

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“The First Last Day ” by Kiyana Marie

Submitted to Contest #214

My anxiety was starting to get worse than it had been for the last week. The last day of summer vacation has arrived. Every summer I was filled with hope that the next year of school would be better than the last, I would finally show up to school and shock everyone with my two-month transformation, and maybe next year I would have gained the confidence to talk to my peers, lose weight, get a boyfriend, be popular, next school will be the year I am noticed, I will finally be someone. The truth of the matter was, that was never going to ha...

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“Premature Puberty” by Tyler Leavitt

Submitted to Contest #214

Hector contorted his face as he pulled his nose to the side, flattening out his nostril. He carefully studied the line that ran along the base of his nose, connecting it to the rest of his face. With surgical steady hands, he dragged a cotton swab, soaked in rubbing alcohol, along the smooth valley, gathering up even the most infinitesimal speak of dirt and oil. Exchanging the cotton swab into his right hand he pulled his nose once again, this time to the right, and ...

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“Pirate School” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #214

Matilda watched the boys in the yard as they practiced their chosen skill. Usually, it was one passed down from their fathers and in the academy, they would hone that skill as well as learn the others and the history of their ancestors. Billy Blackbeard clashed swords with Randolf the Ripper. Wee Willy (he would later change the moniker to Big Bill) Watkins was waterboarding Eli the Eel, who himself was attempting to escape his ropey bonds at the same time. Razorblade Bob threw razorsharp knives with lightning speed at a series of straw dumm...

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“Painted Grey Part 2” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #214

Author's note: I am utilizing the word "vacation" as more of a metaphor in this story, albeit one that involves bonds. "An automaton, Tholan! Imagine, an actual walking artifact of the last war of the world!" "Yes, Merchen, it's all amazing, but automatons are walking weapons! We need to assess this anomaly, and we either subdue or destroy it." "Destroy-ah!" Merchen caught himself before he heavily joined the dirt with a root that nearly tripped him. "Destroy an artifact? One that had soldiers quake with fear? We should report...

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“Cabin Trip” by Patrick Davey

Submitted to Contest #214

“I’m so glad you survived,” she says, her voice fluctuating through the open car window. I guess that the unusual pitches are her attempts at concealing her emotions. She hops in.“Same.” I still can’t make the words come. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her and she won’t forgive me anyways, her promise notwithstanding. I drive away from her house.“You haven’t changed. You just got older.”“Yeah.”“I’ve changed. I’ve grown. I lived an entire life.” The bite of her words stung both of us. I pause at the stop sign, probably to the consternation...

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“The Tutelage of Speedball Horton” by Thomas Ciccarone

Submitted to Contest #214

The Tutelage of Speedball Horton T A Ciccarone The sleigh bells, which were attached to the door, jingled as I entered Mollie's Attic. "You have to go with Wiley today." It was early. Mollie looked up from where she stood at the glass case, making notes in her sales ledger. I usually worked the shop with her on Saturday mornings if I had nothing better to do. This announcement wasn't good news. I had better things to do. What 13-year-old boy wouldn't? It was already shaping up to be one of those blisteringly hot d...

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“Realm Of Reality” by M. K.

Submitted to Contest #214

I sat on the porch and stared out into the sea. It looked calm and chaotic, as if there was both nothing and everything in it. I walked down towards the dark blue array and stepped on a broken shell, causing a cut on my foot. An echo from the back of my mind shouted, "Hey, are you okay?" I turned around to see a guy with a concerned look on his face. "Yes, thanks. I just have a little cut," I said. "You should go back and wash it," he suggested. I smiled and when I was about to walk away, he asked, "Where are you staying? Do you need help wi...

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$250

Prize money

202

Contest entries

94

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 08, 2023 EST

Won by Emily Holding 🏆

Title: Departed, Return

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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