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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

“Campfire gossip” by Georgia Stawarz

Submitted to Contest #262

An unexpected summer fling Based on recent events (!) I wouldn't say romance films were ever my go to, but this didn't stop me from watching the screen eagerly, watching and waiting on the edge of my seat for the couple to finally admit their feelings for one another. I would grab my sister's arm in relief when the conflict was resolved and they could finally be together, with one last kiss right before the credits. I would say though that I do believe in love at first sight. I couldn't imagine anything more amazing then catching eyes with s...

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“The Man from Cabin A” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #262

Hannah hauled her suitcase up the last step and took in the sights. It surely was a beautiful place, just as Edmund, her Airbnb host, had promised. Trees surrounded the area and, although she could see a few other cabins nearby, it felt secluded. Hannah considered having some company during the summer to prevent loneliness. She hoped Edmund might be nearby, but when he sent the code to the cabin instead of a face to face key handover, her hopes had dwindled. She had gained a bit of a crush on her host, send...

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“Getting into the Holiday Spirit ” by Dom Murph

Submitted to Contest #262

Inspired by true events 2003 Mum's high-pitched scream rips through the floorboards into my dusty, teenage boy-smelling bedroom. “Boys! Come down a minute.” I pause my Xbox and follow my brother Damien down the staircase lined with family photos. Relatives call him the baby of the family, but to me he’s the Little Shit. Yet, if I'm being honest, this is largely down to the fact he’s six years younger yet still kicks my arse on whatever video game we choose to battle on. As we step into the living room, Mum and Dad stand waiting. ...

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“The Last Pint” by Jada Murray

Submitted to Contest #262

I rushed down the aisle brushing my arm up and down to warm up the nearly frozen limb. Despite the cold in here, it was still blazing outside. I scanned the blue pints of ice cream behind the frosted glass searching for the one with my favorite movie producer on it, but came up empty. This was not happening. Not today. I dug in the freezer, a cold rush blasting me as I pushed aside the pint after pint. There had to be another one. A small chuckle came from next to me and I looked around, spotting the tall, tattooed man....

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“Summer Pieces of Hope” by Larissa Antonioni

Submitted to Contest #262

"You cannot put the frog in your lunch box." Aurora glanced up at me from where she crouched on the ground, a croaking amphibian clutched in her hands with bulging eyes that screamed, "save me." "But Liz, I want to take it home," she whined. &nbsp...

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“A Summer to Remember: Heatwave and Heartstrings” by Lucia Salvatore Kujjo Lako

Submitted to Contest #262

A Summer to Remember: Heatwave and Heartstrings Finding Unexpected Love in the Hottest Days of the Year "Today marks the hottest day of the year," the radio announcer declared, his voice crackling with static. "With temperatures soaring above 40°C, we're officially in a heatwave. Stay indoors, stay hydrated, and avoid any strenuous activities."Poni groaned as she turned off the radio. A heatwave was the last thing she needed. She was allergic to heat—literally. Her condition, known as heat Urticarial, caused her skin to break out in hiv...

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“The Assassin ” by Tove Sama

Submitted to Contest #262

The AssassinLocated in the Louisiana bayou, The Diner has served customers for decades. Since I came to this godforsaken place the heat has turned hellish, and as I start my shift, I feel dizzy. I hate working here, in my humble opinion everybody should stick to what they know, and waiting tables is not my strong suit. But when the option to this meaningless existence is a shallow grave, I don’t complain to much or to loud. Still, it is better to be in the Diner working than be at my temporary home. I frequently have com...

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“Peaches” by Marie Harrison

Submitted to Contest #262

Daisy did not know much about oceanic sciences, but if asked, she would describe her mind as something like a coral reef and her thoughts like sea urchins. She often found herself wading through waters she could not hurry through, softly scaring the urchins away with her quiet movements. The older she got, the harder it was for those thoughts to stay present long enough to get a good look. The question popped into her mind so quickly it startled her in the grocery store: What is it called when something matters so much that everything ceases...

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“Crossing paths” by Mercy Easley

Submitted to Contest #262

Crossing PathsXiù Wáng is seated at her desk, which is piled high with textbooks and notebooks. Her marketing textbook is open in front of her, and it is brimming with ideas that will only serve to stoke her desire to launch a content creation company. Her phone started buzzing loudly, interrupting her thoughts. Xiù looked down to see that her mother was calling. Realizing that she had never heard from her parents after telling them a few years ago that she intended to study in the United States, she could feel her heart racing.She answers h...

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“HOT PLANET HOT PROPEERTY” by Frances Goulart

Submitted to Contest #262

Frances.goulart@gmail.com HOT PLANET, HOT PROPERTY “Hey, come on in, pal! You look soggy.” “No surprise. This is the hottest day of the summer of this year, or last year or the year before. Check your thermometer! “ “It’s maybe the hottest summer day ever, I’m hearing. But not in here.” “I know every August is steamy but this one is different. I swear, I’ve been sweating from my armpits and eyebrows for two days now. “It's climate change... That’s gotta be it. “ “Yeah maybe, maybe not. But whatever it is out there.&...

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“One hot summer” by Daniel Ward

Submitted to Contest #262

So every year my family has the same vacation.Dad loads the car up with all the fishing stuff, including enough rods and landing nets to supply a couple more people if we wanted to. But we don’t ask anyone else to come. His focus is on fish, not friendship.Mom brings a stack of Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen magazines. Mikey has his toy Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with their horses. I call them his cowboy dolls, but Mom and Dad say boys don’t play with dolls, so they can’t be dolls.Once Dad fills the trunk of that ’63 Galaxie with fishing s...

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“Perfect Day for Ice Cream” by Anna Tolly

Submitted to Contest #262

“Did you know ice cream sales go up with murder rates?” He says between panting breaths. “What are you even talking about?” I ask, trying to hide my annoyance. I step over a large boulder and stumble but catch myself. An injury this far up would not be good. Sweat pours down my forehead and stings my eyes. “Oh, I read that once. It was talking about correlation. The ice cream doesn’t really cause the murders of course, but the both go up with heat.” Alex says before taking a long drink from his water bottle. “You know when it’s hot peo...

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“The Hunderds” by Rawge Jones

Submitted to Contest #262

I like the word hundred. I like it even more when I change the end to erd. It just sounds cool. A hunderd bucks. A hunderd pounds. A hunderd miles. I remember a day that came up all hunderds. About 35 years ago, I was in college and working for a senator that had a little gentleman's farm. A gentleman's farm is almost like a regular farm, except it exists mostly to let rich people tell their friends that they have a farm. I didn't care. It was a good gig. I could show up anytime I didn't have class. I always had something that ne...

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“The Iron Skulls” by Michael Robinson

Submitted to Contest #262

Midsummer, hottest day of the year. Inferno’s twin suns were low in the sky, their heat threatening to overwhelm my groundcar’s cooling systems. The weather forecast predicted a high of thirty-five. Given how warm it was already, I placed my bets on forty. I nodded at a couple of sanctioners coming off night duty as I walked into the squad room of Bastion-V, the cool air a welcome relief. I sat down at my desk. I was about to pull up the night shift...

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“The Day That Got Away From Her” by Kendra Calhoun

Submitted to Contest #262

Sweat droplets drip down the small of my back like a leaking faucet. Drip, drop, drip, drop. The sweat isn’t confined to my back, it covers every inch of my body. The heat is stifling. I sigh and check my watch, the band sticking to my wrist. 3:45pm, the air conditioning technician is late. What was taking him so long? The customer service representative told me that even with the heat index as high as it is they were relatively slow this summer, apparently, I was one of the few with a faulting unit. She said she could get a technician out w...

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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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