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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

“Knot for us” by Claire Trbovic

Submitted to Contest #247

I look down at the Truckers Hitch in front of me and think what have I gotten myself into? It's a Thursday night, and I'm sitting in a village hall in some arid place on the Essex coast (the least romantic of all the British coastlines), trying to placate you.For most of my adult life, it is you that has been the constant. In that time, we've grown into something; a thing that needs nurturing through Japanese cooking classes, wine tasting, and Friday night family meetings.I suppose that's what happens when you meet young and marry because th...

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“The Magic of Mushrooms ” by E.L. Lallak

Submitted to Contest #247

**SUICIDAL IDEATIONS, MAGIC MUSHROOMS**On the precipice of the rusted copper arch of the Sienna Bridge in Solstead, Virginia, Vanessa Landon's lithe legs dangled over the brink of her fate. Delicate gusts of warm air flirted with the golden-brown wisps of hair around her sallow face. She sat on the rugged wooden planks beneath her, stabilizing her vulnerability. Her slim, tanned piano fingers grasped tight, the tension palpable in the stark contrast of her pale knuckles against her olive skin. Above her, the sun cast a remarkable dulcet glow...

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“A Heroes Journey” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #247

The dark forces of the barbarous East were growing in strength, and the Free Villages of Elden needed to dispatch a hero to defeat its tyrannical ruler, Grothian, before his power grew too strong. That was the official line, anyway.On the outskirts of Skoevën, the smallest and least free of the Free Villages, Frandolf of Mistybrook spent the week interviewing a parade of candidates. It was not a simple task to fill the shoes of a hero. A line of hopeful peasants stood before Wyvern Tower again this morn. A hero would need to climb ...

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“Extrospect” by Lucas Marrow

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #247

Transcription - 4:30pm May 8th, 2318It feels odd. Narrating things like this, not speaking, just thinking. Is it even…yeah, it’s working. Um…so, they said this would be a way to fix things, explore all the things I thought I knew. See things from a different perspective and all that. When I was accepted to the Ruminate pioneer program, I was really happy. Jace and Clara begged me not to go, but I told them I needed this. It was only four months, after all. At the very least, I could be a pioneer, you know? It’ll take a few days to prepare bu...

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“The Lost White Tribe” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #247

May 1909, New York CityWe visited Peary’s surviving Eskimo in the basement of the Museum of Natural History, where they are locked up. It is warm, well-lit, and they live in a plaster diorama that mimics the mean hovels from which they were rescued. They are Kanusha’s next of kin, but they cannot be made to understand the laws or the need for a death certificate, so, Superintendent Wallace, acting for them, is desirous that Kanusha’s skeleton be preserved and displayed, but he is opposed by the Commissioner, who wants the corpse removed for ...

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“The Endless Horizon” by Julia Zhipa Philippova

Submitted to Contest #247

- Luna, we need to go. Do you hear me? Luna?A small girl stood at the big round window, looking into the distance. The sun was going down slowly, making the red sand bright and lighting it with golden sparks. She was amazed at how the wind was swirling the sand grains, whooshing them up and down. She put her palm on the window and moved closer. Her nose almost touched the glass, which became wet from her breath. She was staring at how the wind became stronger and stronger as the sun went down. It was almost dark when somebody placed their ha...

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“Pomposity” by LeeAnn Hively

Submitted to Contest #247

I used to be held in high regard by humans in the past. They possessed the knowledge to stay away from fairy circles and clearly understood that mysterious entities dwelled in the shadows. Their transformation into these ignorant brutes, who live without dread of the supernatural and with contentment for existence, is beyond my understanding. They are much sturdier now and don’t fall over dead from a simple cold; they have vast amounts of entertainment, and they eat every single day. People made things even more dreadful with their inte...

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“The Way Home” by Beverly Goldberg

Submitted to Contest #247

She kept looking at street signs as she drove along, trying to find names that were familiar, but she often had trouble reading the signs in the rapidly descending dusk. She uttered a curse at daylight savings time, which brought the dark so early. She’d made a wrong turn somewhere and now didn’t know where she was or what to do. Frustrated, she pulled to the side of the road and stopped. She shook her head, knowing she had to focus on her current situation, not just sit on the side of the road, lost in an area she didn’t know and failing to...

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“Outside the Fence” by Brian Haddad

Submitted to Contest #247

"Need I remind you of the severe penalties we face if we're caught outside the fence?" Rignon was barking at Caprin through a clenched jaw. She looked over at him and smiled. A glistening sheen of sweat streamed down his forehead and temples. "If you're nervous, just go home. I can manage on my own." She gazed out at the fields beyond the fence, savoring the beating of her own heart, soaking in the still morning air. She'd spent the better part of the last year finding every opportunity she could to stand at the fence and gaze out at the lan...

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“The Bittersweet Holiday of a Lifetime” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #247

Tears rolled down Lara’s face as she approached her mother in the dining room. Her mother, Liz, sat on the sofa near the air conditioner outlet, her favorite place. The air conditioner kept the place warm in winter and cool in summer. The evenings had chilled down lately, making this a comfortable place to sit and do mending after dinner. “Mum, are you going to Fiji again?” Lara had overheard her parents talking about taking another trip.They seemed to do this every second year and always took Marie, the youngest, with them. This would ...

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“Baking Bad” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #247

The timer – a pink plastic pig you had to twist around until its eyes faced the same direction as its butt – went off.Beverley Reade jumped. The sound was rare in her tiny kitchen – a shrill, metallic, mechanical noise. The smell of something baking was also rare. But if she hoped to be Whitney’s well-remembered grandmother once she passed, Bev had better get used to it. And she better get better, too. Grandmothers are good at baking. It was a universal law. ‘Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Oh, and once a woman has a grandchild,...

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“The House at the Edge of Shadows” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #247

The House at the Edge of Shadows“YouTube videos make it look easy. Trust me; you can’t refurbish an old house with DIY videos.” Priscilla said.The house had been on the market for well over a year. Built-in the 1600s, it stood like a forgotten sentinel, its time-worn facade weathered by storms and secrets. Nobody wanted to touch it. Not after the haunted rumors spread through the town.They said the house had an eerie atmosphere as if it was inhabited by unseen spirits. It carried memories too heavy for mortal minds to comprehend within its d...

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“The Mermaid ” by Emerald Lace

Submitted to Contest #247

The water splashed and sloshed over the side of the research ship as they huddled around the screen and watched the eerily empty ocean bottom slowly move in front of them. They'd been tediously searching the deepest part of the ocean for months and although they'd seen some amazing creatures and a couple of shipwrecks, they'd yet to find the prize. A Mermaid. Dr. Silas Fitz had been looking for a mermaid ever since he'd been saved by one. He’d been the only survivor in a tragic shipwreck that had taken the life of his entire family among o...

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“The Known Unknown” by Therese Bambe

Submitted to Contest #247

The sun timidly peeked through the curtains as Mira prepared for another day at the office. While sipping from her favorite coffee mug, she glanced at her computer screen, checking for new emails from her manager. After closing her mail application, when she was about to shut down her laptop and head to her car, an unusual file appeared on her computer's screen with the name "open if you dare." Noticing this, Mira started to shiver, indecisive about whether to open the file or leave it be. A few minutes later, curiosity had got the best of M...

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“The Elusive Impossible Dream” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #247

The Elusive Impossible DreamWalmart Break Room“You don’t look too happy today, Henry. Anything wrong?”The uncomfortable silence suggested that all was not well in Henry's world at the start of this work day.“What’s wrong?”“I’m not sure, Kate. Coming into work this morning, it hit me. I guess I want to do more with my life than stocking shelves at Walmart. I feel like a real loser.”“That’s what I do, Henry.”“Oh, sorry, Kate. I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant I might be happier doing something else.”“We make our own happiness, Henry.”Wit...

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$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

102

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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