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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#247: The Great Unknown

Few pursuits ignite the imagination and spirit quite like exploration. From sailors discovering new countries and their inhabitants, to astronauts uncovering ancient civilisations on far away planets, we are as hungry to hear stories about exploration as we are to explore ourselves. We often feel the need to venture beyond the familiar confines of our lives, whether that’s simply exploring a new corner of your hometown, or embarking on a mission through forgotten tombs.

This week's prompts delve into the essence of exploration, inviting you to embark on a journey of discovery and adventure. So, ready your maps, steel your resolve, grab your pen, and prepare to explore the unknown...

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of diary entries, written by an explorer as they make their way through what they thought was an untouched location.

Adventure – 66 stories

Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.

Science Fiction – 32 stories

Center your story around a character’s personal exploration, whether it's trying a new hobby, visiting an unfamiliar place, or learning something completely new.

Character – 88 stories

Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity.

Dystopian – 59 stories

Write a narrative about a group of scientists exploring the deepest parts of the ocean.

Adventure – 13 stories

Stories

“exploration” by Noa Tako

Submitted to Contest #247

This story is an exploration. It is an exploration into fear, and doubt, and hope. Into heartbreak and healing, and heartbreak again, and healing again, over and over until you can’t take it anymore and you’re screaming because you just want to live your life again without having to try so hard. Because you are trying so hard, all the time, to pretend that you are not trying so hard. No one tells you how exhausting heartbreak is. They warn you of the shock and the denial and the pain and the anger, yes, and those are all felt too. But when t...

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“Away from home” by Clare Horwood

Submitted to Contest #247

As she pulled the faded blue curtains back from her bedroom window looking out at the familiar garden with its roses, hydrangeas and too many weeds for her mother's liking, she felt an unfamiliar type of sickness rise up in her stomach. It was September Thursday 17th , 1962 ,the day she was to start boarding school. Her brother had gone the year before at the age of seven which had made her very jealous. Now it was her turn .Charlotte was ten years old, a shy girl with short straight hair, reasonably bright, but not sporty at all. What she r...

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“Everyone Has a Story” by Glenys Yaffe

Submitted to Contest #247

EVERYONE HAS A STORY Carly wishes she could stop her hands trembling as she opens the brochure and reads the title of the workshop: “Everyone Has a Story”. She’d never have chosen to do something like this; there’s a knot in her stomach at the thought of taking part in a workshop of any kind, with a bunch of strangers. After all, what is there about her life that’s even remotely interesting? Why would there be anything about her that others would want to hear? Now, stari...

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“Story of an Author” by Sophie Parmaby

Submitted to Contest #247

Dear Julia, When you were younger, you asked me why I became an author. I’m not sure you remember this, as you were still so young, but the question took me aback. At the time, I gave you a half-assed answer, enough to satisfy your curiosity but not enough to satisfy mine. It has been years since I’ve seen you for reasons I won’t explain presently, but I wanted to write you this letter to finally and properly answer your question before my time has come. For many, thirteen is an age plagued with inner turmoil. Many young teenagers expe...

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“Souvenirs of Space” by Zoë Page

Submitted to Contest #247

It’s been so long without really any contact, without any sight of her face, that my heart could’ve been aching for a lover staying on the moon, and not one beneath the same stars I look up to. I only really feel that Caroline is back when she enters the familiar orbit of my arms, and her head fits comfortably in the crook of my neck, the final piece to my puzzle. She feels the same, but her hair smells foreign – a new conditioner, most likely, bought somewhere that she went, but I entertain myself with thoughts of souvenirs of space brought...

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“That Look” by Emily Grace

Submitted to Contest #247

That Look. You know exactly what you’re doing to me. Giving me that look. I’m starting to know it all too well now. What gives you the right? I am powerless. I despise this. More than I’ve ever despised anything. And there hasn’t been a real shortage of things that I’ve despised in my life. But you. This. Tops them all. You look at me like that and I have nothing. No leaping to new sarcasm heights in a single bound. No inner comedian doing a pop-up show. No poetic burst of coffee shop brilliance. Zilch. Nada. Brought to stat...

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“Pole Therapy” by Tera Clow

Submitted to Contest #247

If you had told me three months ago that I would be spending four plus nights a week pole dancing, I wouldn’t have believed you. But if you had told me, back then, that my life was about to implode, I wouldn’t have believed that either. Per usual, I came to the studio straight from work. After peeling off my scrubs, I toss them into my designated locker, replacing them with one of my favorite ensembles. Some of the girls like the lacier stuff. Complete with sparkles, ribbons, maybe even some garters. But me? I prefer all black. T...

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“Mapping the Future” by Bernie Thel

Submitted to Contest #247

Fila sat on the wide wooden steps of the large white-washed farmhouse, a worn map of the Southern United States resting in her lap. She watched as day broke over fields of dry bark and lint, all that remained of the Alabama cotton crop planted six months ago and harvested just last week. It had been a decent crop, but not enough to convince Fila’s mother to stay and keep working the farm alone. The fields, desolate in the half light of early morning, mirrored Fila’s own mood of bleak acceptance. The land was no longer theirs, having been sol...

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“Step One” by Lukundo Choonga

Submitted to Contest #247

Rea hoped for the silence to be killed by chirping, or croaking, or any indication that there was another breathing being out there. But save for the sound of soil crunching under her feet, there was nothing. She could still see the entrance; she could just leave. She could sell her family a story about how enlightening her trip was, and how it changed her. Her dad would definitely buy it.***In a last-ditch effort to show her family that she was trying, Rea had booked a slot on an anger management retreat. The idea of a few days in a seclude...

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“Movement of Milan” by Nagaella Province

Submitted to Contest #247

THE MOVEMENT OF MILAN Nagaella Province WARNING- mention of divorce “Milan Acosta?” Professor Campbell called out. “Here.” I responded. “Come to my desk please.” I’m screwed. I got up out of my desk and walked to Professor Cambell, already aware of what she was going to lecture me about. “Ms. Acosta,” She handed me last week’s exam that had a big red F on the right corner, “This is your 3rd F in a row.” “I see that.” I honestly didn’t k...

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“A flow of water and sound ” by Diego Pineda

Submitted to Contest #247

The diagnosis was definitive: Glioblastoma multiforme. Of course, setting aside the headaches, Chris had suspected that things wouldn't turn out as expected ever since that afternoon when he first heard the buzzing in the shower. It hadn't been a normal buzz, that was clear, and he wasn't even sure if he could classify it as a buzz proper, just as he couldn't say if it was a good or bad buzz. Either way, the sound was a warning, and ever since then, he wondered if what he felt was right. In fact, he often found himself wondering if, after th...

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“Welcome to the Jungle, Small Town Girl” by Nicole Tichon

Submitted to Contest #247

Welcome to the Jungle, Small Town Girl On my first night in Tigman Village I barked like a wild dog. Delirious from 36 hours of travel, and desperate for a drink of drinkable water, I stumbled into streets that were poorly marked, if at all. The volunteer headquarters had shut down hours ago. I skipped dinner because I wasn’t ready for people at that hour. Truthfully, I hadn’t been ready for people for 18 months. I wouldn’t be for another 24. And anyway it was just another thing on a long list of things I couldn’t find. All the little carts...

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“Forbidden Expedition - a Covert Exploration” by Elysa Casselman

Submitted to Contest #247

Forbidden Expedition – a Covert Exploration The air is dense with silence. My energy is focussed on resisting the soothing draw of mesmerisation, a natural by-product of rhythmic breathing: breathe in, hold for three, pause, breathe out, repeat. When my focus fades and my thoughts slip into the pre-sleep relaxed unconscious state, I pinch the tender skin on my stomach, jolting me back to consciousness. Mindful of the night vision camers, I keep my eyes closed tight, ignoring the tiny electric green glint that flashes in the top corner,...

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“Home body ” by Sahara Carter

Submitted to Contest #247

I made my home, next to a liquor store, in a wooden house as cold and unappealing as I was.The "open" sign provided a glowing metaphor in March:there is light in the dark.A kitschy sign hangs in my living room too, above a stack of firewood, acquired from a nearby yard sale that says, "Home is your sanctuary."I discovered that it is easy to preserve the sanctuary - just don’t leave.And don't we all know how easy it is to just not leave. Those sweet weekends of pure dilapidation, the unruly lacking, the euphoria of di...

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“Beneath The Plateau” by Paker Fine

Submitted to Contest #247

The fog marked the edge of the world. It marked inexplicable pain, suffering, and certain death. But I’ve touched it now. Why was I still alive?I was back again, bag packed, standing at the edge. Nobody would notice, nobody would think to notice. I wouldn’t have. Why would anyone think to willingly step into a raging fire or lay face down in the hot spring?The fog swirled just below my feet. The first time was an accident, maybe I got lucky. The scrape on my leg from the fall still ached.I was going to touch it again.It was colder than I rem...

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$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

101

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 26, 2024 EST

Won by Madeline McCourt 🏆

Title: DANGER: UNSTABLE GROUND

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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