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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#245: Heavenly Bodies

On Monday, a total solar eclipse will pass directly over North America. Dubbed a "Great American Eclipse", huge areas of the continent will be plunged into darkness for four minutes. Miss it, and you'll have to wait another 20 years to see the next one.

Just like the millions of people who will watch on Monday, we've been looking up at the sky and asking questions about what we see since time immemorial. We've explained the movements of celestial bodies through myth, science, and ritual, and shaped our lives around them. This contest's prompts are inspired by this week's astronomical event, and the way objects trillions of miles away can impact us here on Earth.

This week's prompts

Set your story during a total eclipse — either natural, or man-made.

Fiction – 72 stories

Write a story in which a character navigates using the stars.

Adventure – 24 stories

Imagine an origin myth that somebody might use to explain an eclipse, or some other celestial event.

Fantasy – 48 stories

People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.

Mystery – 43 stories

Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants.

Fantasy – 36 stories

Stories

“Battle Blue” by Laura Thompson

Submitted to Contest #245

Laura Thompson Approx. 1,050 words237 Ogden CynOgden, UT 84401(801) 690-5837laurakthompson1300@gmail.com BATTLE BLUEbyLaura Thompson The ship pulled slightly to the right as a gentle wind caught her sails and nudged the Ulfich closer to the shoreline. The wolf’s head on her bow bobbed with the waves, its open mouth appearing to howl with the wind. Thorsten shouted over the sound of the sloshing waves, “Men, ready the ship for landing!” This prompted a flurry of activity as sailors ran to the bow and the ...

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“The Colour of Stars” by Noel Morrison

Submitted to Contest #245

The night sky unfolded above the calm waters, a canvas dotted with twinkling stars. Among the crew of the merchant vessel Seapearl, flowed an air of ease as they sailed, their destination the bustling ports of the southern continent. Amidst the chatter and laughter of the sailors, one figure sat quietly on the deck, his gaze fixated upon the celestial display above.The man of curly mess for hair, took out a wooden box, and just like the ship smoothly glided over the ocean, so had his hands gracefully flipped this box open, revealing a set of...

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“Creation Moon” by Kat Davis

Submitted to Contest #245

What happens the moment before Creation? The Book of Genesis begins with the following: B'reshit bara Elohim et Hashamayim v'et ha'aretz: In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. But the Greeks envisioned a moment before Creation which was a backdrop, a reason for Creation. It was called CHAOS. ChaosBeyond the deep,lost, spinning, mad--the children of Atomin infinite cladColliding, gliding,by splendor surrounded--black masses gather,form darkness unbounded.No fingers to grasp,No true hands to hold,Still quick spirits gras...

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“The Perfect Time, The Perfect Dance” by Writey Pen

Submitted to Contest #245

Once upon a time, there was a strong, young, and powerful king. He ruled over the kingdom, bringing light and life to everyone in his sight. Places thrived from his touch, creating peaceful, enjoyable days. The king had everything well, almost everything. He ruled the whole universe but he ruled it alone. People loved him and planets respected him, but he was missing a piece of his heart. His heart was so big, full of love, but was missing that love in return. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl. She lived on the outskirts of...

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“April Hums” by Alannah Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #245

April hums to herself, a tune without much pattern or rhythm to dull out the nagging voices of the other months. She looks down at the thick glass globe, which has discoloured greatly over the last few centuries and wiggles her long fingers some more. A light shower of rain trickles down onto the leaves, the seas and the people on earth. ‘Too much rain,’ declares the ever-knowledgeable September in monotone. He strokes his long moustache and raises his eyebrows, causing rows of wrinkles to fall like dominos up his large forehead. April...

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“The Darkness Eclipse” by Noted Moments

Submitted to Contest #245

It was said that in the quaint village of Elipsia, there, nestled between thick forests and sleeping mountains, the night sky became a canvas of cosmic beauty. Stars twinkled like diamonds, and the moon glowed with a serene light. But every few decades, the villagers would whisper of an ancient legend, a time when the world around them would completely darken for only a moment, and the stars would hide. They called it The Darkest Eclipse.The ancestors said that during this eclipse, an entity, as old as time itself, would descend upon the ear...

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“The Unending Battle” by Regina Khao

Submitted to Contest #245

At first, there was only darkness in the world. It covered the face of the entire planet and was unbroken. During this time, the Great Dragon alone inhabited the eternal night. But eventually, the Dragon grew lonely and decided to create herself a family. First, she gathered mud and leaves and sticks. She molded shapes out of them, imagining different kinds of strange animals, and gave them the spark of life. But the animals alone were not enough to keep her company, and so she thought of creating a special kind of animal, one that wou...

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“Lunar Calling” by Bethany Walters

Submitted to Contest #245

Nellwynn Thatcher was drawing water from the well when the sky went dark. She screamed and dropped the bucket. With a clanging splash it landed back into the well. Using its sides, she slowly slid to the ground. What was happening? Was the world ending? She didn’t dare lift her head to look at the sky afraid of what she might see or not see. Nellwynn began rocking back and forth, humming a lullaby her mother would sing to her when Nellwynn was a little girl. What about her mother? Was she okay? She was out tending to the garden, ...

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“Space Storage Capsule #103,567142” by Deanna Salser

Submitted to Contest #245

By the time the eclipse was over, I was a lot less innocent. But when it started, I was a regular twelve-year-old girl with skinned knees, anticipating the last summer of my childhood. To be fair, at the end of that day, I was also plunged into a lifestyle no one saw coming. A lifestyle dictated by a continuing rain of debris that lasted far longer than anyone predicted, and by the drastic change in tides and weather when the moon’s orbit was altered. That summer I started my period and I took it seriously, packing my dolls, stuffed toys, an...

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“Echoes of Infinity” by Ziwei Fu

Submitted to Contest #245

In the heart of Illinois, within the rolling plains, lay the town of Cedar Hollow. It was a place where time seemed to move at its own pace, unaffected by the buzz of modern life. Among its residents was a young African-American woman named Emily Stardust, born and raised under the vast Midwestern skies. Emily had always felt a deep connection to the heavens above. Growing up in Cedar Hollow, she had gazed at the stars on clear nights, dreaming of distant worlds and mysteries of outer space. The impending total solar eclipse, with its path c...

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“Festival of Stars” by Felicity Fender

Submitted to Contest #245

“Altair, go get ready. And make sure you wear your proper clothes,” His mom calls to him from the kitchen where she feeds his little brother, Comet. “Okay, Mom,” Altair complies. He has never been one to linger or disobey. With a skip in his step, he heads up the stairs of their colorful, lively home. Altair’s mother adores plants, everything about them. He has to weave around them on his way to his room as pots full of brilliant green plants with flowers in bloom line the hallway. Altair loves his home and everything about it, unlike other ...

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“Frank, And the Big Day” by Samuel Jackson

Submitted to Contest #245

*Warning: The following story contains profane language. An aging man wedges his way through the dense crowd of spectators. His eyes demean the sea of skinny jeans and global warming tee’s that fill the streets, interspersed among a smattering of business suits and casual wear from those who didn’t have to work today. It appears as if the entire city has come out of its hole to watch this event. Businesses have closed, schools have emptied, even Wall Street has been temporarily abandoned. Every news crew and amateur journalist scrambles to...

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“Eclipse Fare” by Art Bee

Submitted to Contest #245

The water was wonderfully clear and calm for an early Spring morning. The traffic on the lake was up four-fold for that time of the year, but the impending total solar eclipse had brought people in droves to Southern Indiana. Everyone was traversing the lake looking for an ideal spot to set up or anchor to watch the celestial event. The water would have looked like a smooth mirror, if not for the boat traffic. Brad Powell steered his Nautic Star across the lake with a bottle of Yuengling dark lager in bottle cosey. He had a disinterested loo...

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“The Bluge” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #245

The Lone Order went all out for their Conversion Day Celebration. Five couples were married at an outdoor hall built for the occasion covered in flowers, which featured Abalone, Almas caviar, and a 10-foot-tall cake. The settlement’s leader, Juan Maria Mendoza, known as “El Condor,” served as the preacher. The Lone Wolves, the settlement’s band, played songs with the word happy in them: “Happy Together,” “Oh How Happy,” “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You,” and “Love (Can Make You Happy)” among a dozen others. The settlement’s brewery compan...

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“Last Supper in Atlanta” by Brody Petree

Submitted to Contest #245

I turn the news on my little television box in the kitchen every morning while I brew my coffee, not to pay attention to the world revolving around me, I just need something to break the silence. I am finishing my last few sips when my inner thought is interrupted by the breaking news musical intro and the headline “ Asteroid Aphosis Changes Direction For Atlanta ''. The newscaster gives a brief description of how scientists initially had a 3% chance it would collide with Earth, however just yesterday the ISS captured film of Asphosis ...

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$250

Prize money

223

Contest entries

89

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 12, 2024 EST

Won by Olivier Breuleux 🏆

Title: Everything is Connected

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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