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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 – 42 stories

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

Fantasy – 35 stories

Stories

“Melvin's Full Moon” by Chelsea Cammarata

Submitted to Contest #245

Jay texted me a little after midnight asking if I still needed a j-o-b. I couldn't afford to be picky. The hour of the request left me questioning the legality of the work though and I wondered what my parole officer would think of this late night appeal. My stomach grumbled and as if on cue, Jay texts “I’ll get you McDonalds, bro,” and that settles it. “Where at?” A few minutes later, I'm in Grandma’s monkey-shit brown 1991 Chrysler New Yorker, her Homer Simpson keychain knocking my knee as the potholes on Dequindre test the shocks. I...

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“Hezna and the Darkening” by Jeff Macloud

Submitted to Contest #245

Kane’ Hezna shivered in the open doorway and sipped the strong, steaming zoombi. Her wrinkled, spotted hands held the warm drinking bowl close to her chest. Not even the oldest farmer in the Golden Marshes could remember such frigid sunrises this early in the harvest season. The change in weather concerned Hezna so much that she had taken to staying up late with her young daughter, Zenzi, teaching her to read the wisdom scrolls that were under Hezna’s care. She hoped that, perhaps, together, they could discover what might be happening.&...

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“Zodiac City” by Nina Rose

Submitted to Contest #245

My name is a foreign stranger to my ears, a song from a far away memory whose melody has long been forgotten. Each syllable carves like a knife to my chest, pressing deeper until crimson blood beads at the place scarred flesh meets the harsh coolness of the blade. “Rowan Wilder.”Chancellor Cage repeats himself into the microphone and this time my feet step forward like a soldier to an order, body moving before my mind can beg to stop it. Around me, the Ecliptic Hall billows with the pellucid stained glasses of colour glinting in honeyed...

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“The Reset” by Bernadette Beauchamp

Submitted to Contest #245

The streets of our tiny kingdom were soaked in sunshine as people got ready for today. It was as if even the Sun got excited for what was happening next.The Reset was about to begin. Every thirty years, the world was drenched in darkness as the Sun decided who would lead our people for the next third of the century.Being only twenty-four years old, this would be my first time witnessing the Reset.I have heard that the Leader was a surprise to our kingdom time and time again at the beginning.But now, there has been talk that wise men could pr...

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“Icknield Way” by Katharine Auger

Submitted to Contest #245

Out and up into the hills, each footfall an affirmation. For the first five-odd miles the path cut a careful white line over the grassy slopes. Already the buzz of his thoughts quieted, and he started to lose himself in the swing and tramp of his feet on the chalky ground.Around mile six the path met a crossing of ways. The left turn ran down the hill to join a stream, which stumbled down the rocks into a river, the inrush of whose waters gathered pace in the lowlands below and poured itself distantly into the sea. He'd usually take the left...

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“Power Play” by John Markestad

Submitted to Contest #245

this story contains the vulgar word "fuck" Power Playby John Markestad “I’ve set the day,” Pharaoh says. “How long do I have?” she asks. From the darkened alcove where she sits with her legs drawn up to her chin. Her arms are wrapped around them and her voice is barely above a whisper. She’s wearing only a few layers of fine silk, emerald green and blue the color of the winter sky, for this spring has been a warm...

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“She’s Right” by Jonathan Baldie

Submitted to Contest #245

“So what?” Vijay said. “It’s an eclipse. It gets dark. What’s the big deal?” Robin took a sip from her drink, trying to look anywhere but at Vijay. The taste of strawberries from her daiquiri was a welcome reprieve from this loser. “People like it,” Robin said as politely as she could. “It brings people together, don’t you think?” Vijay shoved another handful of peanuts into his mouth. Robin watched him munch on them. She imagined kissing that salty mouth, and winced. “I guess,” Vijay said with a shrug. “So how many of these thin...

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“Once in a Lifetime” by Tom Whyte

Submitted to Contest #245

“This is just another of your fads, Jamie.” Alice wasn't happy. “Just like the rest. And expensive too. Two hundred for a telescope you never use. I’d hoped that was it, but now this. Five hundred miles for five minutes of darkness.” “Four. Totality takes four minutes.” Jamie corrected. “Call me a liar for a minute. You are so damn pernickety!” It was important to get facts correct, but he reckoned you can’t argue about everything. Even when you know you are right. ‘The story of my life,’ he thought. “You’ll enjoy it, Alice.” “Hmph...

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“Sunrise has Gone” by Russ Fitzgeorge

Submitted to Contest #245

I am Alos the Diarist, one of the Elders of the tribe. A tribe that will, this morning, experience our celestial Moon God moving through the sky to perfectly align with our Sun God. I am tasked with recording this.Much of the tribe are worried, they pose many questions as to what will happen, what it all means, if there is danger. It is our role as Elders to soothe them. We have spoken at length to them of this occurrence; I myself was present on the pedestal by the golden Temple, when old Ubiaran and fair huntress Zukida made their speeches...

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“Project Selene” by Cheyenne Raley

Submitted to Contest #245

“I have no intention of this being used as a weapon.” Dr. Campos’ body curled protectively over the machine. “I know that, Campos,” I said, rubbing a hand across my jaw. The feel of rough stubble reminded me it had been days since I’d shaved, and nearly as long since I’d slept. “But we have precious few options, and time is running out.” Soon, the asteroid would be too far from Earth for even the Unified Scientific Division’s technology to influence its path. Campos stared at me, his tightly knit brows darkening his expression. “Then I will ...

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“Sunkiller” by Tyler Cerka

Submitted to Contest #245

Tendrils writhing from fresh corpses slowly spread from the temple ground. The eyes of the victims seemingly ripped out by either His hand or by their own. Horrors of unimaginable terror must have assailed their minds as the vines burst through every wound. He appeared when the Moon eclipsed the Sun. Uncomfortably tall, the ghoulish apparition wielded blackened daggers as long as swords, almost scraping the ground as he drifted amongst abandoned streets. A hauntingly tall spirit from the dark recess of a nocturnal sky, he moved in absolute s...

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“The helmsman and the astrologer” by Edoardo Garavaglia

Submitted to Contest #245

The gentle crackling of the sand was the only audible sound keeping company to the helmsman after all the crewmembers went searching for shelter in the lower deck.Only a lone dwarf, hand on the helm and mind lost somewhere on the horizon, would have been held responsible for any issue arisen over the night, apart from a man and a woman whispering pleasant words to the dice in a pathetic attempt of stealing the salary of the others.Their muffled voices were nothing but a mutter for the stoic veteran, fully absorbed by the act of handle the bo...

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“You are going the wrong way” by George Wallace

Submitted to Contest #245

The ship is sailing in the North Atlantic, it is getting close to Greenland on its way across the Atlantic to Canada to go into the Great Lakes. Our captain is an old sea dog, Marshall Blake, who has been around for donkey’s years, and thinks he knows everything. But this is not always the case, some of these up-and-coming young pups as he likes to call them know more that he does already. But he will never admit it. Who am I? I am the ship’s head cook; I have served under Captain Blake for fourteen years. Even although he has made very...

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“Aditi’s Eclipse: The Story Behind The Wonder” by Shreeya I

Submitted to Contest #245

I’d always grown up with a strong sense of religion in my household. Whenever I needed guidance or I needed a sense of peace, anyone in my household would say that praying is the solution to your problems. As a strong Hindu believer, we believe (much like Christians), that there is a story behind everything that happened to create the world. Take the creation of life, for example. Only, instead of Adam and Eve, Brahma formed from a lotus and split himself in two to create a male and a female, which then created all other female and mal...

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“Iris' Lament” by PJ Miller

Submitted to Contest #245

As the dusk fades out and the moon rises higher in the sky, Iris, goddess of the night, watches over the forest and all of its creatures, from the tiniest spider crawling in its web, to the largest panther stalking its prey. With muddy hands, she touches every closed flower and weed, her flowing cape caressing the dirt behind her. Suddenly, screams and cries break the silence of the night, and she makes her way towards the noise, finding the edge of a cliff and a young group of campers down below, cornered to the rock face by a panther. She ...

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$250

Prize money

221

Contest entries

88

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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