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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

“Blurry” by AP Legal

Submitted to Contest #232

She awoke to silence, complete silence. Usually there was a cry of a baby, a scrape of a kettle, or a stomp of a boot. But today, she awoke to complete silence. Her vision had been getting worse and worse, and even being a child, she knew nothing good would come from her depleting vision. Still, she stayed positive and helpful around the house. She searched the best she could for signs of life, for a sign that she was not alone. Sometimes her parents would stay out searching for food, grazing the fields for materials, but today felt differen...

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“Growing Dark” by A T

Submitted to Contest #232

The back of the old man’s neck was going numb from the snow as he watched another star go out. Another loss of the war raging in the celestial sky as unyielding darkness continued to spread towards the snow covered hills.It won’t be too bad, he decided, witnessing the end of the world here in the Arctic. The snow banks surrounding him kept out most of the polar winds and he had only just stopped shivering. Here he would lie until the end of times.“What are you doing over here, little frog?”A warm hand took his own gloved fingers an...

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“Falling Sparks” by Jennifer Johnson

Submitted to Contest #232

A small child sat quietly in a seat with his knees drawn up to his chin. No one sat beside him as the bus steadily lumbered down the uneven pavement. It swayed gently side to side as it traveled mile after mile. In his hands, a photo could be seen. Many creases were visible showing it was held often. Absently, lovingly, he ran his thumb across the picture as his eyes gazed out the window. Impassively, the young boy watched as small towns and neighborhoods gradually changed over to rolling hills and pasture land.. .The small child looked up a...

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“Dying Sun ” by Renee Yancey

Submitted to Contest #232

It hasn't always been this way. The old ones talk about a time where the sun shone bright, warning the earth so it was hot a quarter of the year. They speak of a time where the grass was green and the plants grew outside. All this is unimaginable now. As long as anyone except the oldest among us, can remember, the plants have been grown in growing pods, lit by growing lamps. Natural light is rare. All are encouraged to be in it at least a half hour a day. Announcements are broadcast reminders of the importance of Vitamin D. Stepping out ...

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“Anything For You” by Ian McKenna

Submitted to Contest #232

“Will you stay with me?” “I’ll be right here.” “Will you?” “Yes.” A silvery shadow fell from the sky. A chain, as wide as the moon and the length from it to the Earth, lumbered down into the western horizon. A billion rockets, burning til they exploded, slowed its descent. Vincent, a tall and slender man, would have faced quite the wind if not. The rockets worked fine, though. In a moment, the chain will slip into its bolt with the force of a feather. Seeing the rockets, unaccountable sparkles surrounding a metal megalith, he sighed at ...

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“The Candle” by Daniel James

Submitted to Contest #232

The Candle “Why are you here?” A lone light flickered before me, the flame atop the candle that continued to burn in the darkness of the world. I was alone, except for it, whatever it was. Its voice slithered and hovered around me, coming and going as it pleased, feasting on my doubts, on my longing, on my despair I tried desperately not to listen to. I huddled around the small flame, protecting...

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“Keep Your Hand on the Stove” by Sue Hunter

Submitted to Contest #232

CW: This story contains themes of suicide and suicidal ideation. Read only if you are in a good place. The suicide hotline is 988.The room was filled with the smell of metal and the rushing torrents of blood swirling around infinitesimal tubes. There was a pounding in every space, a rhythmic thump that was both harsh and soft, beautiful and overwhelming. Mucus, bile, and fluid invaded every millimeter of the void. Everything was covered in warm liquid. Electricity danced across the tubes and wires and muscles, carrying information across the...

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“Uneaten” by Angela M

Submitted to Contest #232

It’s difficult to forget what human flesh tastes like once you’ve had a bite. It’s not the uniqueness of the flavor or the texture that made the meal remarkable but the forbidden act of chewing and swallowing a chunk of someone’s forearm. The smell, the similarity to beef, the way it felt when it traveled down his stomach would be seared into Mr. Chen’s mind for eternity. Ever since he lost his vision, Mr. Chen’s memories had become even more vivid than before. In his hospital room, he’d spend every waking hour mumbling to himself, l...

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“Me, the Darkness, and the Light” by Caroline Austen

Submitted to Contest #232

It was always just the ten of us for as long as I could remember. Just us, the darkness, and the light. It never dampened our spirits, the darkness surrounding us. We’d dance, and sing, and talk, and laugh to fill the dark and empty void as we walked, my father leading us all with the glowing orb of light mounted on the carved staff of white oak.But this year was the first year I had to do it alone. It was just me, the darkness, the light, and the memories. Everyone was gone, it was just a simple mistake. The light had dimmed just enough to ...

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“Flames of Hope” by Brian Haddad

Submitted to Contest #232

Ashley let the flames hypnotize her, watching the scrawny river of heat and light flow up from a small pile of sticks and brush, foolishly carving out a tiny bubble of warmth amidst the powerful darkness that pressed in on them from all angles. It was horrifyingly wimpy compared to the raging fires she normally thought of when flames came to mind. She nervously glanced over her shoulder and quickly returned her gaze to the dying fire, her heart thumping loudly in the deafening silence. The darkness was absolute, a gruesome, thick absence o...

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“Na Fir-chlis” by Amanda Zambrano

Submitted to Contest #232

Flora Somerville, God love her soul, had worked her way into my life and heart and had managed, beyond my stubborn resistance, to become a friend. It started when I began taking Wee Rabb to the library for children’s books. It was Flora who introduced me to Burns for children (who doesn’t want to read Burns for Bairns?) and an absolutely darling book in Scots about a wee dug named Shug. I enjoyed learning Scots along with Wee Rabb and only wished I was brave enough to attempt Gaelic. That, I supposed, would have to be left to Rabbie. But ou...

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“The Flame of Chinon” by Ray Britton

Submitted to Contest #232

My father often recounted tales of a mystical flame, a legacy deeply ingrained in our family's history, stretching back centuries. It was more than just a mere fire; it was the heart and soul of France, a symbol of our nation's enduring strength and resilience. Passed down through generations, we were entrusted with a sacred duty to keep this flame alive. As a child, I listened to these stories with a sense of wonder, yet the true magnitude of this responsibility eluded me – until the fateful day the English laid siege to our land. "Héloïs...

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“One Night Stand (script)” by McKenna Johnson

Submitted to Contest #232

LOGLINE: "Ahead of the inescapable heat death of the universe, a quiet observer attempts to accept her fiery end with the accompaniment of a poorly-timed hookup." --- OVER BLACK. SUPERIMPOSE: PROLOGUE. We hear bodies pushed against walls. INDECIPHERABLE BANTER, LAUGHTER. RAGE MUSIC in the distance. Then, the JOSTLING OF KEYS. FADE TO: INT. DORM ROOM - NIGHT MALLORY, a shaggy-haired 20-something, stumbles in. Drunk as ever. Nearly drops her KEYS. AYDEN slides in. Attempts to be cool and catch her keys, but almost trips. Recovers. Make...

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“Byrd Station” by Alexandra Keenan

Submitted to Contest #232

May 11, 1964, Byrd Station, Antarctica, first day of the polar night.The harsh wind bit into every exposed inch of Thomas Mitchell’s skin as he stood on the edge of the station platform, looking out at the vast expanse of snow and ice in the dark. The station’s creaky metal flag, adorned with the American stars and stripes, flapped vigorously in the icy gusts, producing a rhythmic clicking sound.“Headed to the drilling site, Tom?” Called out Dr. Eleanor Martinez, the station’s chief geologist, as she made her way towards him. She was a stout...

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“Not a Lick of Sense” by Mary Lynne Schuster

Submitted to Contest #232

The radioactive factories put out enough energy to power things. I’ve read about how it was before – the world was too cold at the poles, too hot at the equator. Most people shuffled around in the in-between zones, the temperate zones, managing their clothes and buildings to deal with the hot or cold. Even people changed – I’ve seen pictures of Eskimos and Aborigines, hardly looking like the same species because they changed to meet their environment. It's like that. You live closer to the factories and hulking remains ...

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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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