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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#232: Polar Night & Northern Lights

Winter solstice has come and gone here in the northern hemisphere and we’re slowly heading towards brighter days. Above the arctic circle, however, inhabitants will have to wait a bit longer to see the sun. There, polar night — where the sun doesn’t rise for months — still keeps its grip. Inhospitable as this may seem, entire communities have adapted to the long night, and the northern lights playing across the sky provide a reminder that light will eventually return.

This week's prompts are inspired by polar nights, human resilience, and, most of all, the glimmers of hope that make it all worthwhile.

This week's prompts

Set your story during polar night.

Winter – 37 stories

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

Science Fiction – 65 stories

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

Adventure – 38 stories

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

Character – 84 stories

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

Angst – 56 stories

Stories

“The Sunrise Run” by Alexandria Lucius

Submitted to Contest #232

Amelia has just been told about the job of keeping the flame going, to add light to the dark. It allows others to know where to go to reach the finish line, a guiding light. It seemed simple, just keep watch, lit the candle and keep the flame lit. She felt this job would be a good for her as she read the job posting. She went up to the building for the interview. Taking a deep breath, she walked in. The inside was modern with white everywhere. The receptionist's desk was the center of the room. She walked up to the desk a...

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“In His Footsteps” by S.E. Tomlinson

Submitted to Contest #232

[Contains strong language, violence, and substance abuse] A month before my eleventh birthday was when daddy would go to war for the first time. I understood why he was doing it, to a degree. But I didn’t understand why it had to be my dad, of all the dads out there—the man who had taught me to piss standing up, to shoot a bee-bee gun at a trash can, to shift gears in a manual transmission truck. Daddy and I had made a tradition of going to Andy’s Burger Spot in Briar. He would get me a banana milkshake and a box full of fries smothered ...

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“LOOKING FOR THE MOON” by Kathleen Mack

Submitted to Contest #232

This story contains references to alcohol, sex and violence. LOOKING FOR THE MOON The sky was midnight black even though it was just past eight. She sat staring blankly toward where the moon should be. Her hands wrapped firmly around her second beer. It was hot as usual. No wind stirred. The black sky hinted of rain, but it was only a hint. Despite the heat, she felt cold. She was dressed in her usual cutoff jeans and t-shirt. Her faded blond hair was just belo...

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“21 Degrees” by Cassie Escujuri

Submitted to Contest #232

September, 2023 - Hawaii, USAWhile washing the dishes, Grant looked out the back window at the warm Autumn night to see his teenage son, Isaac, staring up at the night sky, wearing shorts and sandals, having long changed out of his uniform. Frowning, Grant scrubbed at a glass. “Don’t schools hand out homework anymore?” From her place on the couch, Kalea looks up from her book to glance outside at Isaac. “He’s waiting for the northern lights.”Grant turned away from the window, giving his wife an incredulous scoff. “You believed him?”&nbs...

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“Cold Coats” by Jeffery Young

Submitted to Contest #232

It is cold and there is no avoiding that. No longer a chance of denying it. I cover myself in layer upon layer of clothing, donning thick jackets and sweatshirts, pants with thermal lining and tight-fitting boxers with the same. Mom taught me to leave no room for wind or air or breathing or any stray snowflake to enter into my little mobile cocoon. I wouldn’t be out of place in one of those Arctic Research stations. Smiling to myself, I wondered if I looked like the Michelin Man or perhaps a resurrected mummy. I hoped that Brendan Fras...

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“The Sky Inside” by Eric E

Submitted to Contest #232

Ella’s hand held the water pump’s handle; its metal was cool against her calloused palms. She started to work the metal up and down with a practised efficiency until water slowly dribbled into the bucket. It was the last one of the night - just enough to wash and make her mother some tea that she wouldn’t drink. As she continued pumping, her eyes looked upwards to the fading sky. There, in the back of her mind, was the thought that what existed in her dreams might become a reality. That recurring dream with a world of darkness and echoing he...

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“Moving Onward” by Sophie Parmaby

Submitted to Contest #232

“I wouldn’t miss you. Nobody would.” Ella signed as this same phrase repeated over and over again in her mind like a broken record, continuing to shatter whatever remained of her broken heart. Luke had moved out several hours ago, but his final words never left Ella’s mind. Even while she sat outside with the cool breeze brushing her cheeks and the grass prickling her legs, she wasn’t able to forget the flush on his face, the venom in his tone, or the anger in his eyes as he stormed out with a packed suitcase. They had been together for one ...

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“Me Epiphany” by Ralph Emery Barhydt

Submitted to Contest #232

It’s been a long time since I was born and I have been thinking a lot about that life I have lived.There are some issues. I received an invitation to attend a self-reflective seminar all the way up in Alaska, Denali Lodge in fact. Sounded like a great idea. Denali, snow, isolation and focus. Maybe I would learn something. I’m going. I was late. My plane had been delayed at the Seattle International Airport for several hours and we arrived in Anchorage around 7:30—dead of winter. I rushed to the rental car counter and picked up a really nice...

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“Cage” by N Martin

Submitted to Contest #232

In the lavish penthouse of the Luminara Dynamics Tower, Marcus Voss, the CEO, leaned against the panoramic window. The dying sun cast a feeble glow across his opulent office. "Our Dysonsphere," he mused, "is the salvation of humanity. We control the light, the energy, and therefore, the fate of this dying world."A man of impeccable taste and insatiable ambition, his journey to the top of the corporate ladder began in the slums, where scarcity was the mother of invention. With a keen intellect and a ruthless determination, Marcus seized oppor...

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“The Bright Rally” by Ajay B

Submitted to Contest #232

We accepted that this death would happen in five billion years. We believed it would not be a problem for us as we would be eternally resting with our ancestors. But billions got slashed and truncated down to years that drained into months. Now, we’re just days away from the sun’s death. Scientists who studied the universe for much of their lives had few explanations. Heartbroken astronomers bore the brunt of our anger. Their brightness dimmed over the dire turn of events. There was nothing left but to try to prepare the rest of the ...

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“Prepared for the Future” by A.M. Douglas

Submitted to Contest #232

Maggie bounced on her toes as she waited by the door, surprised she was ready first. It felt like a celebration, a celebration Maggie had been planning for years. She knew it was a funeral, but still... They had all been planning for this. They knew this day would come, plans were made and carried out, calculations were quadruple checked. They were ready. Yes, it was time to say goodbye; but it was also time to be proud of all that they had accomplished. Up in the bathroom, Joshua yanked at his tie knot. Damn thing wasn’t right…again. Gripp...

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“Earth -2.0” by Alexandra Callewaert

Submitted to Contest #232

I have taken up residence in the corner of this room. The only windows are my eyes and the walls are the steadily built bricks of my calves and thighs on either side of this chair. My throne. This is not simply a residence, it is a kingdom. My kingdom. An impenetrable one made not of steel and iron, but of eyes and ears and bones and skin. No one can harm me here, no one can pick me apart and tell me lies and break me into unrecognizable little pieces. I make the laws here. I police the streets. I am the judge, the jury, and the exec...

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“Flames of you” by Lascu Bogdan

Submitted to Contest #232

When betrayed by everyone you cared about, when enchained by the same nature that created you, when maimed by what have once been your very feelings, there is nothing else to do but count. He counted the times he went to sleep since he kept the fire burning. He counted the times he woke up since he had seen any light, other than his own flames. He counted the times he thought about how happy he could have been if he had a normal life. He counted so much that numbers no longer had any meaning, but were the only thing that kept him sane. He co...

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“The Witch, the Chemist, the Shepherd, and the Stars” by Lucy Braginski

Submitted to Contest #232

Raffaelo shouldn’t have trusted the caravan atop the hill. He had only heard stories of curses coming from its depths, the woman inside rumored to be a witch some days, a demon on others. But Raffaelo was a desperate man, having chased his love, Julietta, from afar for much too long. A night after too many drinks led to a stupid, friendly bet of Mario’s doing, who was a jester at best and a fool at his worst. Mario said he was sick of seeing Raffaelo swoon over Julietta’s soft peachy skin, her delicate lips, the soft waves of her hone...

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“All We Are Trying To Do” by Alison Reed

Submitted to Contest #232

The old pick up truck sparkles with midnight frost as it passes under the few street lights dotting the desolate farmland road. Marty, in the passenger seat, feels like a popcorn kernel, bouncing on the pleather bench seat. The washboarded road combined with the lack of shocks makes for an unpleasant ride, no matter how slow his grandpa drives. But even if this ride were in a smooth toasty limousine, it would still be unpleasant. Grandpa Jack, his cheeks whiskery with the day’s stubble, guides the truck away from the dirt road and in...

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$250

Prize money

280

Contest entries

106

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 12, 2024 EST

Won by Jonathan Page 🏆

Title: The Lantern of Kaamos

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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