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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#262: Turn Up the Heat

What’s not to love about summer? There's something so wonderful about spending lazy afternoons taking a stroll in the sunshine or cooling off with an ice-cold drink by a pool. I can still remember how excited I would feel on the last day of school, just hours away from barbecues, beach days, and family picnics.

With summer in full swing for many of us, let’s write some stories that center around long, sweltering days. Will your tale take place at a fancy resort or a crowded park? How about a county fair or an island getaway? No matter what you choose, make sure to bring on the heat!

This week's prompts

Write about a summer vacation gone wrong.

Summer – 66 stories

Start or end your story with a heatwave announcement.

Summer – 34 stories

Write about a character who is allergic to heat.

Summer – 26 stories

Center your story around an unexpected summer fling.

Summer – 53 stories

Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

Summer – 88 stories

Stories

“Hot Ones” by Mary Mercer

Submitted to Contest #262

“Going to be another hot one folks. Temperatures over one hundred degrees again today. No showers predicted for the next ten days.Prepare for extreme heat and rolling power outages. Take extra precautions if your area is under a red flag warning. Be mindful of the…”Kyle flicked off the radio. Great, another sweltering day. In the West, forest fires blazed leaving the air tainted with smoke for hundreds of miles. What had been three separate fires along the front range of Colorado recently merged into one gi...

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“HEAT WAVE!” by Zachary Roybal

Submitted to Contest #262

Freidman was not known for being the fastest man in his school, in his neighborhood, even in his own home his cat could outrun him on a lazy day. Knowing though that money was just beyond the finish line roughly a soccer field in front of him made him feel a surge of confidence behind him. Sweat drips down the back of his neck as he bends down to prepare himself to run, jump, and climb over whatever obstacle is in his way. The jumpsuit given to all competitors has fabric that was sewn to cling tighter to specific parts of his body, mos...

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“Parched” by Daniel P

Submitted to Contest #262

Mason turned, showing off a dopey wide grin. He shouted over: ‘Goddamn nothing! Don’t worry Til! You just know one of these dumps is hiding a few bottles.’ His arm swung outwards, fingers stabbing through the blistering air at the next house over. ‘Pull yourself together Mason!’ Tilly replied. ‘You heard the guards: “Record heatwave”, as in the worst of the century…were you even listening?’In this moment he seemed more puppet than human, and the sun pulled all the strings now, leaving him to flail around with unpredictable rhythm. Tilly...

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“The Sun” by Julia Kim

Submitted to Contest #262

July 19, 4324It had been a while now; no one in our town had seen the sun's warm light overcome the clouds, or the sky a shade of blue. The sky has been forever gray, the air forever cold, and the sun was hiding, retired it seemed, for a long time. As the days went by with each snow and each hail that fell from the sky like tears of the sun, many, too, shed tears for warmth; tired of the cold and longing for something different. Miles away from civilization, the endless abyss of white became our unchanging view. It seemed impossible to get b...

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“Turn Up the Heat” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #262

Turn Up the Heat “Turn up the heat,” Phantom said. Phantom was a small thin man, 25 years old, who fiddled with his hands as though he would perform a magic trick. “We can’t afford it, not until we sell those jewels,” said Jigsaw, a big man with a small moustache and a large paunch. “Put on a coat. You’ll warm up.” He went back to his soap opera. “It’s snowing outside. We have icicles on the eaves,” Phantom pleaded. They had rented a two-story house 10 miles outside the town. The tap water, if it ran, came out brown. The place had no storm ...

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“The Last Heatwave” by B. C. Dombrosky

Submitted to Contest #262

“Shut the fridge,” he mumbled. He couldn’t be bothered to muster enough energy to speak clearly, but she knew what he was saying. “Fix the a/c,” she responded. She waved the door back and forth letting the cool air from the refrigerator waft over her sticky and sweaty body. He let out a chuckle that was more of a high-pitched “teehee” which Elle recognized as him being sarcastic. “We got a/c,” he motioned to the old rattling box hanging from the window. Mississippi was a cruel mistress in the summer. She hosted dense forest from ...

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“Heatwave Heartache in the City That Never Sleeps ” by Debra Douglas

Submitted to Contest #262

Dropping my grocery bags on the floor, I head straight for the bathroom, turn the shower to cold, and climb into the tub fully clothed, letting the freezing water wash over me. It’s early June at 10:30 am, and I had just walked from my New York City apartment on East 55th Street to Grace’s Market on East 68th Street and back, which is just under a mile. I had time to cool off while I browsed in the air-conditioned market, but the return walk back in 100+ degrees amid an air quality alert was a step too far. We’d just been released from COVID...

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“Blue Star” by Gabby Castillo

Submitted to Contest #262

Summer vacations in small towns are always memorable and fun. You get to spend all the time you want with friends, stay up late or run around all over. This summer was different our mood felt different, our laughter diminished it felt like we stared out to nothing. The sky looked a grayish yellow tone; it even felt hard to breathe at times from the heat with cloudy days that only add to the humidity. Days out playing turned into days inside watching for the sun to go down. All I remember is this was the summer ...

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“Fishing” by Adam Sifre

Submitted to Contest #262

WKTU promised the two-week heatwave was winding down. The overly optimistic DJ promised a break in the heat as early as this evening. Too little, too late.George wiped his brow with an old dishtowel and pushed his sunglasses back up upon his nose. Everything ached. Overused muscles throbbing over arthritic knees and hands.The sun was climbing over the hills in the east and the world wasn't boiling quite yet, but the night had been one for the books and the ceiling fan didn't cut it. Everything was in a sort of suspension. Like a staged ...

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“Mr. Darcy” by Eva Esne

Submitted to Contest #262

Every summer, sometimes spring and fall as well, I open Pinterest and search for outfit inspirations. Thousands of beautifully combined pieces of all colors and shapes appear. But I scroll, and scroll some more, looking for something specific. So specific, I might as well start a trend of my own. The one that anyone with cholinergic urticaria can look at and go: “Finally!”. Choli-what, Danielle? My apologies for the confusion. Allow me to introduce the bane of my existence, the “hot girl summer” killer, the one thing nobody will take away fr...

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“Fried Eggs and Bacon” by Sarah Jo

Submitted to Contest #262

My life wasn't always this way—holed up in my house, a recluse during the nicest days of the year. I remember when I was still a child. Just a boy who spent his days going to the beach with his friends, whistling at girls twice our age in their skimpy bathing suits, and catching sunnies with our fishing rods off the dock. They fluttered up out of the murky seaweed to investigate the bait, scales shimmering in the scattered sunlight. Every one of them took it, too. Catching sunfish almost wasn't fair, they made it so easy. My dad would fry t...

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“A vacation to remember” by Shannon Edeburn

Submitted to Contest #262

Sandra looked wistfully at the cute short set that she had packed, fingering it briefly before pulling the ankle-length light blue skirt and a matching top out of her suitcase. It was thirty-two degrees outside, and she’d love to take a dip in the cold pool before dinner. Her room was on the shady side of the villa and a faint breeze fluttered the curtains in the open windows, but without air conditioning it was only slightly cooler than outside. Even though it seemed deserted now, she knew the pool could quickly become busy. Sighing, she dr...

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“Fire and Ice” by Lindsay Nicole

Submitted to Contest #262

Grandwood wasn’t a place one would find on any map. Tucked away in a secluded valley and embraced by tall, protective trees, it resembled a sanctuary—a haven for someone like Ava Taylor, who had a unique condition. Ava’s allergy to heat was an ailment that had shaped her entire life. Over the years, she learned how to manage the aspects of her daily routine, from the clothes she wore to the meals she could eat, but most importantly, her sun exposure. The slightest touch of warmth could result in serious consequences, so it was safe to say th...

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“Vampire Girl's Hot Girl Summer” by Julia Seitz

Submitted to Contest #262

Years of schooling and student debt have planted her right in the middle of the Arctic. She shuffled in place, feeling the snow crunch through her thick boots. Her hands opened and closed like the gills of a fish breathing underwater. Blood flowed from her heart towards the ends of her extremities, keeping her warm at the extreme end of the world. The heat crystallizing from her breath is the most she can take. “She’s come knocking on your doors,” Vampire Girl whispered. “The vampire girl is here.”She laughed and watched her shadow move belo...

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“A Sixties Tale” by James Barrett

Submitted to Contest #262

PROLOGUE The events I’m about to describe took place during 1967 and 1968. No one involved besides me knows the whole truth about what happened, and I want to keep it that way for reasons that will become obvious. Some of the names and places used in this story are fictitious. The events are real. Why am I telling this tale to you, a stranger? Because the prospect of taking this story untold to my grave is unbearable. Some of you may understand that what I did, I did out of love. Others may feel I should rot in hell for my actions. Each read...

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$250

Prize money

267

Contest entries

91

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 09, 2024 EST

Won by Tess Ross-Callahan 🏆

Title: Hair-Dryer Day

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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