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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

“Eyes in the Dark” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #245

The old, grated elevator was broken, so he took the stairs. He'd slept in too late and that left him making the three story ascent alone, listening to the way the bottoms of his sneakers clacked against the grey, concrete steps. Listening to how the sound bounced off the walls, which themselves were draped in shadows cast by the old, fluorescent lights, stained orange and growing duller as time passed. He wasn't inclined to waste his time in the stairwell, however, that's why he was hustling up, only refraining from doing two steps at a time...

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“All of Them” by Ester Segal

Submitted to Contest #245

“You AT LEAST have to admit that it would make you get out of bed. Even if it was just for the 8 ½ minutes.”“Oh take a hike Charlie. You act like it matters anyways-” He paused to exhale a loud, empty breath, “whether or not I get out of bed.”“For Christ’s sake, Seth, I don’t even like you and I think it matters.” Charlie plopped himself down on the bed and went on, “You’ve been keeping yourself hostage in this room- which smells like absolute horseshit by the way- for the past goddamn MONTH. Because of what? Because of all that student...

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“Lux” by Skye Morgan

Submitted to Contest #245

[Colony #A4829: LOG] The first thing you need to know about me is that I was born for this. It doesn’t look like much now, I’ll give you that. But it’s mine. I’ve fixed every glitch in every computer on this dusty heap of rock. I've trekked halfway across this asteroid and back every day to sweep the solar panels. I clean the pipes; I patch the airlocks- I nursed the biosphere back to health on my hands and knees when a fungal disease slipped through quarantine. I was made for this world. So I’m not bailing now. I’m not.&nbsp...

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“The Astrocracy” by A. L. Cranston

Submitted to Contest #245

“Dismantle the Astrocracy!” scrawled out on a half-hung sign flaps in the rotten breeze of the sewage tunnel. The stench of excrement wafts through the odiferous maze beneath Nova City as Eris races back to the rebel Clayborn hideout. Adrenaline surges as she darts past rusted pipes and slime-covered walls, ducking into side passages and doubling back on her pursuers with practiced precision. But the Celestial Constabulary are relentless, their shouts and clattering footsteps reverberate imminent danger in the shadows behind her.In the spraw...

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“At Least There's No HOA” by Pat Royson

Submitted to Contest #245

The Edge always gave Rick the heebie-jeebies. He deactivated the till setting on his new Spyder Deluxe, silencing the low thrumming noise of jagged claws that had been working the ground below, then killed the engine. The machine’s legs stretched and the body lifted, raising Rick’s vantage and giving the impression that the Edge was creeping inward, encroaching on his land like weeds to wheat. In a few minutes, his neighbor’s property, now only a slow-moving speck hardly visible against the spackled backdrop of deep space, would swing close ...

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“They Danced in the Long Eclipse” by Dr. Stephen A Salaka

Submitted to Contest #245

Chapter 1: Dust and Omens Shadows clung to the empire of Ant-opolis, a labyrinth of tunnels worming beneath a forgotten cookie. Here, amidst the stolen sweetness and the ceaseless hum of a thousand tiny legs, Nostrantdamus toiled. Others hurried on paths of purpose; he lurked, drawn to whispers echoing from the world beyond. The granules of sugar he gathered weren't mere sustenance, but omens etched in crystalline code by unknowable forces. His nest, a grotesque shrine of singed maps and cryptic symbols, crackled with a disquieting energy. F...

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“The Darkness of IT” by Hannah Broering

Submitted to Contest #245

The sky became filled with the dark shadows of the moon, covering the happiness that once sat throughout this small town. Everyone tried to warn them, but they wouldn't listen. Now we have to suffer the consequences of their actions. We have to live through this nightmare, while they watch in astonishment. The blasting sound of everyone's screams filled my ears as I ran along with the crowd. I need to find her. My legs filled with achiness as I ran faster than I ever had. The sky seemed to lean over us, mocking our horror. The scientists did...

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“Darkness to Light” by Skye Adkins

Submitted to Contest #245

Stanley grimaced as the Whiskey burned down his throat in an agonizing but pleasant way. Shouldn’t he be used to the sensation by now? He couldn’t remember how many drinks he already had. The barman was quick in taking away his empty glasses and replacing them with full ones. If only life would work that way too, he thought bitterly. Replacing everything that’s gone with something new. He had lost everything. First his wife, his kid, and now his job. And no replacement in sight. The empty glass clanked on the sticky counter. He caught t...

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“A Fear of the Dark ” by Julia Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #245

Why are we afraid of the dark? Is it the inky blackness? The swirling shadows closing in on us? The way the light is squeezed out of every inch of our sight? Or is it the unknown that really scares us? Is it the feeling of not know what is behind you and what is to come? The feeling of being left in the dark. I have seen a lot of darkness in my life. Dark people, dark times, dark deeds. I should know that there is no black and white - there are only a million shades of grey in between. I should know that everyone has a shadow, no matter how ...

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“Living Lightning” by UMESH THUNDERER

Submitted to Contest #245

I am Viktor. King of Yarathvi. Husband of Azarel. Son of no one. Savior of Yarathaans.I ride on a horse, amid a forest that is deadly silent. I ride beside my wife, amid our wisest ministers and strongest soldiers. We ride on, for a peace treaty with a king, rumored to be a god. Rumors that have led to our hearty laughs in the past couple of months.I woke up to the sound of a screaming laughter today. A laughter I sought, in the middle of the night, only to find an old stranger. He asked me a question. Do I live for myself or others? Does my...

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“Two Choices” by JQ Miller

Submitted to Contest #245

“You are coming with me, and we’re going to forget all about our life problems for a while.” I let my best friend grab my hand and hoist me out of my chair. I drag my feet trying to deter her, but I should know better by now that Lilly is not easily deterred. “I don’t care. There will be another eclipse 20 years from now. I’ll look at it then,” I whine. Lilly pulls harder on my hand. “There are no guarantees. You could be dead by then. Live for the moment. Now come on.” I let her drag me out of the classroom and out into the hallway when she...

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“Miss Purdy Sees” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #245

Though her coat was black, Miss Purdy was predominantly Siamese. When she stretched in the patch of early morning sun, her body was a long, sleek, torpedo, her glossy fur shone like rich satin. Miss Purdy was taking it a bit easy, catering to the needs of eight three-week-old kittens was exhausting.The kittens were safely sheltered in a box tucked into a closet. The closet was in an office high on one of the top floors of a building. Miss Purdy did not know exactly how tall the building was, but from the woman’s desk she could see nothing bu...

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“Eclipse Beginnings” by Victoria Wolfe

Submitted to Contest #245

**trigger warning: vulgar language, mention of death of family members by drunk driver** I adjusted the box of solar eclipse glasses one more time, switching it with the display of individually wrapped biscotti. The impending solar eclipse was taking our city by storm for the past four days since we were located on the path of totality, with a 100% solar eclipse late this afternoon. “Callie, didn’t you already switch those twice already?” Monroe asked. Mo had been with me the longest. She was the first person I hired when I decided to...

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“A Day at the Dog Park” by Stacey Cooper

Submitted to Contest #245

A woman spends the day at a dog park with her dog. It’s a large dog park with a number of different trails. There are leashed and unleashed areas. It is located outside the city and is a popular destination for people to visit with their dogs. At the bottom of the park, there are trails that circle around the dog areas for small dogs and trails that circle around the dog areas for larger dogs. The park also has more rugged trails that span into the depths of the park providing a great place for pet owners and their ...

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“Starstrider” by Daniel Kleba

Submitted to Contest #245

-Transmission Incoming- Log: 2598 A.D. Skipper: Iris Lenox Coordinates: Orion System Blue I’m not sure where to begin. This is pretty huge. We’ve kept this stuff secret for years it feels weird to just broadcast it now. I’ll start with my story, I guess? They say it ‘humanizes’ me. Which is a very robotic way to put it, ironically enough. I don’t want to stare at a screen the whole time so I’m going to talk to Winston here. He’s my snake. Yes, we get to have pets. The onboard life support is top-notch, the military's best. Although the toile...

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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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