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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

“Bon voyage” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #247

The photo showed my mom and dad along with their best friends standing in the basket of an air balloon, smiling and looking excitedly towards takeoff for what was sure to be a grand adventure. Looking at that picture, I couldn’t help but smile. I am sure that picture brought back many fond memories for my mother. Could anything be better than sharing such an experience with her beloved husband and their lifelong friends? It was one of the many trips they had taken together over the years. This photo had been featured in a montage of rev...

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“Me, Myself, and Mexico” by Samuel Jackson

Submitted to Contest #247

The wings of the plane obscured the view of the mountains below, only feint blotches of white peeking through the corner of the window. The seat beside me was empty, providing a comfort that most of the passengers onboard wished they'd had, though, it also served as a reminder that I was on my own… yet again. Here I was, flying into a place which nearly chewed me up the first time, and which offered no amnesty or sign that it would be any less relenting the second time around. There was a lady across the aisle, her faded brunette hair crease...

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“This is Going to be an Adventure.” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #247

This is Going to Be an AdventureDiary Entry #1 – The Project I haven’t written a diary since I was 12 years old and experiencing new things at a friend’s cottage. This one will have a double purpose – to remind me of that experience, and, with a little good fortune, to tell others, students and colleagues, of what I have discovered with this project. I don’t know what I will find, or whether I will find anything. It is going to be an adventure at the very least. My studies as an archaeologist have been limited to analyzing other pe...

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“Descent Into Vengeance: A Mother's Reckoning” by Ashley Doyle Pooser

Submitted to Contest #247

***Trigger Warning for sensitive content including bullying, suicide, child loss.***I don’t kill because I enjoy it. No. Everyone would misunderstand if they knew me. But they don’t know anything, because I’m invisible. They don’t even see me anymore. For all they see, I’m just hands slinging sloppy joes day in and day out. But they’re not invisible. Not at all. I see every single cruelty the bullies dish out. And it may be the last thing they ever see, but eventually I’m not invisible anymore.Not that I mind living my life unseen. I wear my...

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“Art for Beginners” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #247

Room 19, level three. It would have been a lot easier for Jessica to find if the architect of the campus hadn’t seemingly been channelling M. C. Escher tripping on mind-warping hallucinogens. Or if the interior designers had been more direct with their signage, instead of littering the place with vague arrows. Was that one pointing to the stairwell, or around to the left? She’d finally given up when she’d found herself in the dusty basement, where a sour-faced janitor snapped out a route for her. “At least I’ve achieved my aim of speaking t...

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“A Life Beyond” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #247

Warning… You are approaching the barrier, do not proceed… Warning… A hundred miles from his city centre dwelling, and several hundred yards from where he’d abandoned his one-person laser travelling pod, Enz entered the ‘no-go’ zone, setting off the alarm. The sun was already blackening, soon it would be eclipsed, and the lights which flashed and beamed before him, blue and amber from various levels on the high mirrored walls, would turn everything around him such a sickly shade of intense it would bring the city to a halt. Circuits frozen, p...

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“The Empyrean” by Melanie Yorke

Submitted to Contest #247

*contains consensual sexual content* March 20th,Dear Diary,Today I will take my first steps on Empyrean Island. A place from which, I have been assured by everyone, I will not return. It is most curious that all the stories can be wildly differing accounts: everything from demons and wild animals to portals to other realms. The only consistency, beside the inherent fear in each story, is that “no one EVER returns”.At first these warnings intrigued me. Rather than deter me these tales made me more eager than ever to explore the Island’s secr...

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“CONFIDENTIAL AUDIO LOGS OF SUBJECT #06 - DO NOT DISCLOSE” by Natalie Portera-Sickler

Submitted to Contest #247

CONFIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF UNITED GALACTIC MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY – NONDISCLOSURE ORDER IN EFFECT, LEVEL 2A; PERMANENT SEAL BY JUDICIAL ORDER OF UGMIDISCLOSURE OF FOLLOWING RECORDS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL OFFENSE CHARGE; FELONY OFFENSE LEVEL = DEATH PENALTYCERTAIN INFORMATION HAS BEEN REDACTED FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS IN INTEREST OF PUBLIC INTERSTELLAR SAFETY.REYVANNES, G. AUDIO LOG #01718 [TRANSMISSION DATE: 29-04-3120, 00:12]« Captain’s Log – day one thousand four hundred eighty…three? Huh, amazing its been that lo...

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“Maternity Leave Goals - Learning Something New” by Carrie Simmons

Submitted to Contest #247

Sabrina stretches her spine tall in her desk chair and nervously feathers her unkempt bangs with her left hand. She hasn’t showered in three days and she feels bad about it. She feels greasy even with the dry shampoo she loaded into her hair.Her dominant hand grasps a freshly sharpened pencil and she taps it nervously on the crisp notepad she bought from the store yesterday. She felt proud for making it out of the house.Her chair teeters and totters on the uneven parquet floors in her makeshift office that is really just a corner in her emba...

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“Align” by Sherri Moorer

Submitted to Contest #247

Personal Log: May 1, 2198 (Martian Day 15) No eye has seen what I have seen. Robots have, but real, human eyes have not taken in this planet. No ears have heard. Nobody has touched this surface, until now. The Martian year runs longer than an Earth year. We discussed developing a Martian calendar when we came out of stasis, but everything was based on Earth time. It didn’t seem right to base Terran's time on a new world. We decided to see how time passes on Mars before undertaking that. Perhaps scientists and engineers aren’t the best ones ...

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“Marathon Runner” by Heather Eldridge

Submitted to Contest #247

Just put one foot in front of the other. How could it be so difficult, to do something so simple? It had sounded so doable the night before, lying awake in bed at 2 AM, unable to fall asleep, yet again. Ellie really needed to stop drinking coffee so late in the day. That was the problem. She plodded along, trying to concentrate on the soreness in her legs rather than the sloshing cramp in her stomach that she knew would really be her limiting factor. Half a mile down, one and a half to go. Why did she ever think this was a good idea? She wa...

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“The Loudest Silence” by Katelynn Snyder

Submitted to Contest #247

Sometimes I feel like I’ll wake up in Hell, completely unawares until Satan asks me what I’m making for breakfast.This morning I thought I was in Hell. At least, that’s how I imagine it’s like: dark, suffocating, swarming with unknown creatures that watch you float by in your metal bubble. Only it was just my bottom bunk in the galley of a submarine. Until, of course, I heard the captain calling for all hands on deck. Then this place really did become like Hell. It’s now pure chaos. Bodies clash in the darkness, flashlights die, tearing down...

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“Abandoned Places” by Emily Howe

Submitted to Contest #247

Nola and I stayed in the shed for three nights. On our second night, I cut and dyed her hair. We burned her homemade clothes in the park shelter's outdoor fireplace. We watched YouTube videos to learn how hikers pack for the Appalachian Trail to minimize the amount of stuff we'd need to carry from place to place. We decided if anyone asked, Granola and Rags wouldn't cut it for names. So, in honor of our first meeting, Granola became Nola Parks, and I decided on Sarah Ragsdale. We embarked on a risky adventure on our third and final nig...

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“War with Mighty Waters” by Kaoli Chona

Submitted to Contest #247

The phone jolted me from my lazy Sunday afternoon slumber, beep beep and I groggily answered, expecting the usual mundane inquiries about church events or maybe even a wrong number. It was Reverend Jane on the line, her voice vibrated with energy and excitement. "Kaoli, my dear, we're going with you on an adventure to the Victoria Falls with Julius!" she exclaimed as if I had already agreed to go.The legendary Victoria Falls I heard was a marvel of nature so grand, it seemed like Mother Nature herself decided to show off her waters. I google...

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“Silver Linings” by Sydney McKown

Submitted to Contest #247

June 12, 1961We flew out from Florida today and landed in South America, then sailed for what felt like hours to get to this island. I’ve been told that it’s been discovered so recently they don’t even have a name for it yet! Therefore, as the leader of our team of four, it’s my duty to find something suitable. Maybe South America Jr? Li’l Southy? I’ll keep workshopping names today and see what the others think. Robbie will get a kick out of it, I’m sure, but Big John and Carson will only glare at me. That’s all they’ve done so far on this e...

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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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