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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

“Killer Heat” by Book Lover

Submitted to Contest #262

Warning: Autistic Meltdown (Including restraint and self-harming behaviors) Leah fiddled with the volume button on the dash, turning the pop music up so loud it shook the car. Q covered her ears with her hands, wincing as the sound hit her eardrum. She glanced at Tytus, who was sitting in the back of the van with her. He said something Q couldn’t hear, and the car stopped shaking as Leah turned the music back down. “Sorry about that, Q-tip,” Leah said from the front. “That’s not my name,” Q responded, looking out the window at the blur of t...

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“It'll Only Get Better” by Aaron Bartmess

Submitted to Contest #262

Finally, I thought to myself, vacation. The word itself seemed almost sublime, both because I needed the break so badly, and because the trip had just fallen into place, details and all, like a dream. “Aaron, we would like to offer you our cabin the Ozarks for the week. There’s a big pond next to it and you can fish. We’ll let you borrow our Jeep for the week, too. We think y’all could use the chance to get away.” As a full-time seminarian working two part time jobs to try to support my family of four, I was overwhelmed and grateful for the ...

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“Accidental Staycation” by Kimberley Connor

Submitted to Contest #262

It was my first ever paid vacation. Day one started with a list of my grandparents’ house plants, garden tasks, and poodle related chores. Sparkle snuffled her encouragement as my grandmother highlighted the items she deemed most important. Care of their home and Sparkle would be punctuated by short day trips to local parks and hiking trails. Unbeknownst to me, my plans for the remainder of the week would be derailed in a few short hours. After wishing my grandparents a safe trip, I reminded myself that my vacations woul...

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“Uninvited” by Faiba Mohamed

Submitted to Contest #262

“‘Choose well!’ said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe”…Camellia thought to herself when she rode the open-top double-decker bus on a scorching afternoon in August in London.She squirmed in her seat unable to adjust to the sudden change in weather, unlike her little sister Petunia. It is like her parents named them knowing how they will turn out to be.From clothes to sandals to mini yellow satchels, Petunia nailed it. She looked kawaii in her Hawaiian style whereas Camellia who claims to be the know-it-all underestimated the heatwaves in the UK wit...

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“Our Worst/Best Vacation Ever” by WRL Battle

Submitted to Contest #262

The Summer of 2010 was by far the worst summer I ever had. While my friends were going to theme parks and other countries on the other side of the globe, I was stuck in a scorching hot, brown Dotson. The car was sputtering all the way from our home in Montana to Nevada. It was a miracle the car got us as far as it did. The air conditioning was shot, so we had to drive with the windows rolled down. The radio didn’t work, and neither did the CD player. My mom tried to get us to sing some songs acapella style, but she gave up after fifteen...

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“The Hottest Day of Summer” by Lizzie Beaver

Submitted to Contest #262

July 21st, the hottest day of the summer of 2012. The weatherman had predicted a high of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and had recommended everyone stay indoors with the AC blasting away. Most people in our little suburban town would have taken his advice; they would have stayed inside drinking fancy iced teas and lounging on the couch trying not to melt. Not us though. No, on that day we were on a mission. In the middle of our town is a small forest. Among the bramble and poison ivy there is a single trail that cuts through the brush, an ...

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“Thrown Out” by Connor Lindsay

Submitted to Contest #262

I shoved the bag into the provided locker after I slipped my phone and earbuds in. “Jackie I’m done I’ll meet you by the water wheel,” I yelled. Once an okay came from the other end of the changing room I made my way out. I half expect to hear a cacophony on children and teenagers but instead I gazed out to the emptiness of Splash Land. An adult free water park right next to an adult only spa, winery and scenic resort. And by adult they meant those over twenty-one. I rankled at being treated to some kiddie park. I was 19 for god's sake...

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“Vacation Unexpected” by Teresa Wing

Submitted to Contest #262

The DepartureThe Davis family, consisting of mom Rachel, dad Steve, and their two kids, Amy and Tyler, had been yearning for a well-deserved summer retreat. Their destination was a secluded lakeside cottage named “Serenity Shore,” nestled in the heart of nature's untouched splendor. It promised a retreat devoid of Wi-Fi and cell signals—a real getaway from the hustle and bustle of modernity. They packed their bags, filled the car trunk with supplies, and embarked on the winding road that led to anticipated utopia. However, a sense of unease...

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“Just Two Wishes” by Sharon Kendi

Submitted to Contest #262

My kitten heels struck the polished floors, echoing on the familiar marble-clad corridors. The rhythmic clacking of keyboards would briefly stop to rehearsed ‘Bonjours’, excited ‘comment s’est passé tes vacances…’ and exchanged bisous before the symphony of keys took over again. The hum of the air conditioning welcomed me to my fluorescent-lit office as I plopped on my seat and booted up my computer. The nearby cathedral bell tower chimed, tram T4 rumbled past, the honk of a car filled the air; reminders that I had returned to my normal rout...

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“Soaring” by Branson Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #262

This story was inspired by a song titled "Infrared" by Emil Rottmayer.-----------------------------------------------------------------"..And lovely citizens of Barceny, be aware. This is a heat advisory. After double checking the readings of the planetary weather monitoring system, the Orbital Security Council has confirmed that we are going to witness an unprecedented amount of heat in the coming days. Temperatures could exceed the historical record of 58.6 degrees Celsius.." The weather reporter on the holographic screen states.This is al...

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“Her” by Karen Chimarusti

Submitted to Contest #262

Her By Karen Taschner &nbsp...

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“Lost in the City” by Neeru Singh

Submitted to Contest #262

Vivaan landed with a thud just as the radio announcer was warning about the impending heatwave the town was supposed to experience that day. He tried to tune it out wondering if the heatwave here would be as serious as the one going on in his timeline. It was all his parents ever talked about other than the time machine, of course. It was his mother’s biggest invention, just a tiny band on your wrist and it could take you around the world, anywhere, anytime. They discussed its inner working in such complicated words that even after looking t...

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“A Timed Tale” by Patricia Gordon

Submitted to Contest #262

Dr. Brandt had overslept. Evanhour Brandt had not heard the alarm clock despite sleeping in a room the size of a walk-in closet. With all the variations of alarm devices he’d slept beside, this had never happened. Whether Evanhour should thank his grandfather’s Westclox, a rare WW2 commodity, the chronograph Omega Mother and Father splurged on for graduation, or the indefatigable Timex secured on sturdy, metal nubs on the night table, Evanhour had never been late for anything. Not lectures, dates with his then-girlfriend, or appointments wi...

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“Death Valley Danger” by Josiah Authier

Submitted to Contest #262

The brutal desert sun beat down on the sleek black Jeep Wrangler. It headed south along the 190 through the barren landscape of Death Valley leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Tom drove leisurely, his tanned hands baking in the sun atop the leather-wrapped steering wheel. He moved his hands out of the sun and glanced at the dashboard display to read the temperature: 118°F and climbing. “Damn! That desert sun sure is hot! Feel the back of my hand, Tee!” He put the back of his hand against his sister's cheek who was riding shotgun. Tor...

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“The Kid Who Sneezed The Sun” by Audrey Neumann

Submitted to Contest #262

Sam was a six-year-old boy who, just like any child, loved to play. One day, Sam was playing outside with his jump rope. He spent the whole day playing with his jump rope until his mother called him for lunch. “Lunch is ready, Sam,” his mother called softly. Sam went inside to the kitchen. “Coming, Mom—” Suddenly, Sam stopped. “ACHOOOOOO!” Suddenly Sam sneezed and everything in the kitchen became covered in green, slimy snot. “OH SAM”, yelled Sam's mom angrily. Sam turned red in shock at what had just occurred. Sam’s mom headed upstair...

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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.

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