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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

“TWILIGHT'S EMBRACE: A LUMINA ECLIPSE TALE” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #245

In a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of its inhabitants, exists a planet bathed in eternal sunlight. Lumina, devoid of night, revolves around its radiant sun, the source of life and energy for its inhabitants.But as the inhabitants of Lumina discovered, their dependence on the sun was not merely symbolic—it was a matter of survival. Without the sun's life-giving warmth, the planet's delicate ecosystem would wither and die, plunging Lumina into darkness and despair.Faced with the impending t...

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“Sister Song of the Solar Eclipse” by Keelan LaForge

Submitted to Contest #245

Serena was the female god of the sun. “Goddess” somehow sounds diminutive, so for the purpose of the story, we will call her a god. She had powers that reached beyond any that preceded or followed her. She’d carried the responsibility of giving light since before her birth. Her father had been a lowly peasant, but her mother was a fire goddess, and her light and heat were passed onto her daughter and multiplied a thousand-fold. Serena was born with a halo of light surrounding her. She was hot to the touch. Her parents had to move her onto a ...

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“Eclipse. The, Sun, the Moon , Humans and Beasts” by Crystal Wexel

Submitted to Contest #245

Saturday, April 6th 2024“I came here to hide myself away. I have a new outlook on life… if that's what I can call this little world I have created for myself. I moved to Luna Pier Michigan fifteen years ago. With hopes to just … exist… without pressure to perform, or to exceed anyone’s expectations. To learn how to forgive myself, if there is such a thing, and to rediscover my innocence, if any remains. I hope to find mercy, both to give and receive. My life in New York City was fun and exciting at first, tantalizing eve...

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“The Story of the Waterer” by Tamarin Butcher

Submitted to Contest #245

AZYX 963 stretched his arms. They creaked with the sound of rusting metal rubbing against exposed wires. He leaned back, the orange light from the fire contrasting with the flickering blue glow in his remaining eye socket. "Let me tell you The Story," he began. His voice stuttered and blipped, as though it were being transmitted from a great distance across an unreliable connection. Nevertheless, there was a note of confidence in his tone, the promise of a good tale to follow. "In the beginning, there were humans. Millions of them. Billions ...

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“Emerald Nightfall ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #245

You can tell when it's coming. Sunset brings on a strange vibration even that the sylvan creatures feel. The birds change the mood of their twilight songs to a more somber melody. We hillfolk know all the signs of this rare phenomenon that is coming at night fall when the clouds float like ancient spirits and a wave of rich emerald bathes the rocky landscape. It is the night of their return and woe to those who do not heed the coming of the Emerald Nightfall. Some of the creatures start to howl or screech ...

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“In Your Comfortable Bed” by Naya's A Writer

Submitted to Contest #245

The stars filled up the sky as the blazing sun went down. My eyes scanned the heavens for any sort of air attack that might take away my life. So far, none has appeared. The ground was moist and soft, the soil watered with cloud tears. The air around me was damp, like a just-unloaded washing machine. The sound of crickets was heavy in the air, making up a natural choir. The weight of my make-shift bag was ponderous against my back, my legs aching so much it felt like lead. Even so, I forced a step after the other, trying to balance my breath...

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“The Night of the Red Falling” by Anna Vyush

Submitted to Contest #245

Blood Falls are a natural phenomenon that normally occurs in very cold places such as Antarctica. But there is one Blood Fall on a mountain in Central Europe that starts flowing only once a century, when the amount of salt in water is increased by a factor of one hundred so that the melting point of ice is lower which allows water to flow even when it’s below 0 °C. People know the scientific story behind the Blood Fall and that it is iron that gives it its signature colour. What they cannot explain, however, is how it comes to that sali...

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“Madame, the Mystic.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #245

Jade stood gazing at her reflection. Beautiful bride, white satin, a veil of lace, stylish shoes, her face aglow. Then she paused, it as still her fantasy. Jade had bought her wedding gown years ago, as a teenager. She had chosen her veil and shoes, designed and stocked all the wedding invitations, imagined her bouquet, her hair style. It was her quite reasonable expectation that she would have been married in that frock, as soon as the handsome suitor proposed. She could visualize him on bended knee, offering his mother's pearl and diamond ...

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“La Luna - A Grand Night Out” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #245

My name is Lynley, and I am eleven. I am interested in all things biological and scientific.My mother calls me her difficult child. The one who quickly gets distracted or left behind, examining ants on a trail, a spider forming a web, or some other exciting phenomenon. The world around us contains an abundance of interesting plants, insects, and creatures. I like checking them out.I am sitting in a tree, watching a tiny caterpillar measure the leaf he travels over. “Inch worm, inch worm . . .” Stretching out his front legs, creeping his stic...

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“Ethereal Lights” by Kara S.

Submitted to Contest #245

As a group of onlookers gathered around a roaring bonfire that resembled a scene from Dante's Inferno, I twirled my crimped hair around my finger, annoyed by their mindless chatter. My insides shook like an earthquake, not only because of the chilly winter air, but the foreboding feeling that washed over me. I started wondering why I came, except my friend, Stephen, said I’d regret missing the show. Letting out a huff, I bent down to adjust my pink leg-warmers, then grabbed a wine cooler.The surrounding dense, fog-laden woods seemed swallowe...

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“I Met My Nemesis In Retrograde” by C.B. Chribby

Submitted to Contest #245

I’m not crazy about fortune telling but you know better than to argue with science, right? I mean, experts think they’ve finally found the means to change things up a bit and allow us to drink a few potions so that things won't be so bad in our opposite seasons, but honestly, it just hasn't been working out for me. Take koff, that lovable drink we often take when we get up in the morning and we’re feeling down about ourselves. It gives us energy and when the moon is in retrograde, we need all the energy we can get. Well, right now...

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“False Gods” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #245

The ship’s log would state that Captain John Tanner was the first to set foot on the newly discovered lands. This was not the case. Tanner was a shrewd and sometimes cunning man. He prioritised survival over the flim-flam of bravery, chivalry and honour. He had a head on him and he used it. His crew, those who were lucky enough to live through the depravations of numerous long and treacherous voyages, would have likely referred to him as dependable. The word would be qualified, but not expanded upon. Not that anyone would have aske...

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“La Bonne Étoile (The Lucky Star)” by Natalie Portera-Sickler

Submitted to Contest #245

The portal malfunctioned again. Fortunately, it dropped him close enough to shore that he could swim the rest of the way – better than being dropped in quicksand, like last time. Slightly annoyed, Professor Gregory Reyvannes scrambled out of the azure waters onto the soft, supple sands of the shore. “I know you’re here somewhere.” he mumbled to himself, shaking the water from his coat.The professor blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings; white sands reflected the sun in a way where the little island looked like it was glowing. Not a...

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“The Great Hunter” by Christine Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #245

The great hunter, Orion rose in the Southern sky as night fell; Winter was coming. The mountain peaks tipped with snow earlier than usual; wind-chilled nights chased away the warmth of the day in camp. Falling amber leaves drifted to the ground and the berry crop had ended. It was time to move to the Great Plains in the warmer South away from the winter shadows cast by the mountains.As night fell the tribe gathered around the roaring fire to prepare for the migration ahead. The last of the food had been dried ...

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“The Erie Crickets” by Nina H

Submitted to Contest #245

“Crickets!” Martin yelled, as he suddenly burst through the door. “Crickets?” Sheila asked, as she suddenly dropped her tea. “Yes! NASA needs scientists to listen for crickets during the eclipse on Monday! And I’m just the scientist to do it!” Martin exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. “Martin, you’re an accountant, not a scientist. And what in the name of the sun, moon, and stars are you even talking about? What do crickets have to do with a solar eclipse?” Shelia asked, cleaning up her spilled tea. “NASA has been ...

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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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