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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#288: A Perfect Storm

Whenever I look out my window these days, it always seems like the weather won’t get any better. Blustery winds, heavy rain, thick fog, the occasional snowfall… When the temperature has dropped this low, the last thing I want to do is step into the freezing outdoors. But during the moments when I can stay home and wrap myself up in a warm, thick blanket, there’s nothing better than reading a book or working on a story as the sound of rain keeps me company…

This week’s prompts are inspired by chilly weather. Whether it’s the haunting stillness of a snowy evening, the whisper of wind through ancient willows, or the gentle pitter-patter of perpetual rainfall, let the cold seep into your writing, and see where it takes you.

This week's prompts

Start or end your story with a breeze brushing against someone’s skin.

Short Story – 70 stories

Set your story during — or just before — a storm.

Dramatic – 144 stories

Write a story where the weather mirrors a character’s emotions.

Dramatic – 61 stories

Start or end your story with someone standing in the rain.

Dramatic – 93 stories

Set your story in a place where the weather never changes.

Short Story – 48 stories

Stories

“The Forecast” by Cheryl Bynum

Submitted to Contest #288

THE FORECASTAs well as the impact of climate change, it has become increasingly apparent globally. We are facing devastating consequences of extreme weather events, reported the weatherman. The peculiar thing was, that all over the world, has reported the same weather forecast 66.6C, and the gust of wind was over 500mph that started from one corner of the earth to the other side of the world, and the wind was progressively rising-fast. In California 66.6C, Montana 66.6C, Louisiana 66.6C, Alaska 66.6C, China 66.6C, London 66.6C, ubi...

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“The Call” by Donald R.

Submitted to Contest #288

I missed the first three calls. When the fourth chorus of that gentle melody suffused through the dark, finally waking me, I didn’t have to check who was calling. I knew it would be him. My brother messaged me the day before. A casual, nonchalant text bore substantial weight, saying something like, “Hey, yeah I’d have my ringer on tonight if I were you.” He always beats around the bush, incapable of saying he was worried outright. “Good morning…hello. What’s going on? You okay?” I stammered. “Jesus,” I thought, feeling foolish for my sleepy ...

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“Squall's A Comin'-- It's Gonna Be Alright” by Sandra Bonk

Submitted to Contest #288

Set your story during—or just before—a storm. Squall’s A Comin’— It’s Gonna Be OKWhammo—bang! After that incredible noise after that bright flash—I’m scared. Oh my god. Simultaneous lightning and thunder right over my house—on top of my bedroom. My bed! It was a dark 5 AM. I was so confused about what’s happening so suddenly, knocking me out of a dream. Should I hide somewhere?? I figured I should check the windows, so during a pause in the action I jumped out of bed and ran around the apartment shutting them against blowing wind. Oh no! Ano...

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“Calm within the storm” by Vivian Powers

Submitted to Contest #288

The breeze picks up in bursts of power rustling the branches, their movements staccato hissing in the air. Low rumbles ebb and flow across the distance and resonate in my chest. Dark gray blue clouds gather and roll gently but continually through the sky. The air smells of pending dampness; that earthy, musky scent that promises rain. A beam of light breaks through to reflect glittering gold on the swells of the lake surface even as lightning splits the sky into long streaks and bursts of brilliance. It is always exciting to see lightning as...

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“The revolution of a storm” by Jonathan Braziller

Submitted to Contest #288

As a young boy, Jonah found comfort in rain and storms. He had glow in the dark stars glued to his ceiling and his mom had painted clouds for them to peek out from. He remembered every moment he spent in that childhood bedroom, hours and hours just lying on the floor, staring up at them. Some of his favorite memories were days when he could just lie there and daydream, the ambience of the showers pouring outside padding his thoughts like a warm and cozy comforter.He found that there was something poetic about the revolution of it all. The ra...

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“A Picture Worth a Thousand Miles” by Yeti Frobisher

Submitted to Contest #288

The icy wind mercilessly hurled the snowflakes against every centimeter of his exposed skin. Through the narrow slit between his toque and scarf, Gustavo squinted at the face of his compass. It wasn’t moving. The damn thing was frozen solid, its arrow fixed north-eastward as Gustavo turned pointlessly in circles. The polar landscape stretched out interminably in every direction. The flat expanse of snow and ice beneath his feet seemed to merge with the sky of unbroken white cloud, giving the impression that he was trapped at the centre of a ...

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“The Unyielding Skies” by S.M. Knight

Submitted to Contest #288

Tempestas had received prayers for fair weather and been ridiculed for causing storms since the dawn of civilization. One day she stopped caring and sat on a ledge of Mount Olympus. With closed eyes and an empty mind, the only sound she made was steady rhythmic breathing. She had practiced her meditation with out a break for two years now. Her peaceful mind resulted in calm, sunny weather for the mortals below. It had been months since anyone had seen a cloud, heard thunder, or even felt a cool breeze on their face. Instead, they were cursed...

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“The Storm Within” by Dean Nichols

Submitted to Contest #288

Drizzling raindrops fell gently upon the ancient Cobblestone Streets of Rusre Point, a quaint village that seemed to exist in a time all its own. The morning mist clung to the air, wrapping the town in a gray shroud that matched the somber mood of one of its residents, Marco Thompson.Marco, an ordinary man, who after the loss of his childhood love who mysteriously passed early morning on their wedding day, still living alone in the same house both had prepared to spend their life together surrounded by the memories of his beloved Evelin.He s...

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“The Target” by Bo Hyde

Submitted to Contest #288

Detective Micah Thompson smoked a cigarette under the cover of an aging black oak while he studied his target. The grey February sky had finally broken open and rain burst out in thick, swollen drops. His target sat at a small round table beneath the awning of a cafe across the street. Micah watched as the man rose, tucked some cash beneath the salt shaker, and headed toward town. Micah tossed his cigarette and flipped his coat collar up. He buried his hands deep into the pockets and followed. Hunched forward, Micah stepped with purpos...

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“Echoes In The Rain ” by Azy Jensen

Submitted to Contest #288

CW: Contains themes of loss and griefCharlotte stood in front of her childhood home for the last time, her heart heavy with an overwhelming sense of loss. The rain poured relentlessly, soaking her to the bone, mingling with the tears that streamed down her face. Her parents were gone, old age having swept them away like leaves in the wind, leaving her alone in the world. No family, no siblings—just her. Grief and confusion wrapped around her like a snake, suffocating her and stealing every breath, each gasp a painful reminder of all she had ...

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“Loss” by Michael Robinson

Submitted to Contest #288

The rain came down in sheets, drenching passersby and creating a gloom the gaslights struggled to penetrate. Kel Wayfarer was miserable. Today was not her best day. Her negotiations with the Sallust Magician's College had gone sour, their chancellors balking at the price increase for hellebore that her company wanted to impose; her steam car had broken down on the way to town, costing her time and money to repair; and to top it all off, the rainstorm that suddenly erupted as she left the college. She had spent the last half an hour unsuccess...

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“The Last Light” by Sharon Nations Toler

Submitted to Contest #288

Dressed in cotton shorts and a white sleeveless shirt, Sara stood before her easel, painting the apocalyptic scene outside her apartment window. As she turned to peer out the glass window, the sun cut through, causing Sara to shield her eyes as she witnessed the sight before her. The sun shone like a giant orb covering the sky, overshadowing the tall, gaunt buildings and vacant streets. The trees lining the roads were only skeletal remains of once lush trees. There were no more seasons, only summer; there wasn't any more night, only day. The...

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“Reality in its Denim Jeans” by Carina Caccia

Submitted to Contest #288

Nobody wants to read the story of a cynic, or so I’ve heard. Not that I am one – I’m too old to be cynical (at least today, who knows what I’ll say tomorrow?). I’m too old to don cynicism like a beret, a scarf, to paint my nails black with it, to smoke it like a cigarette and complain the world is rotting, anyway. What’s another pair of black lungs when the sky’s been smoking chimneys? when factories are stuffed like pipes? Fair point, but I think I prefer my lungs pink. And yet I’m equally too old for hopeless romanticism – at least today, ...

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“the outcasts of granny flats” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #288

The Outcasts of Granny Flats An Original Story &nbs...

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“The Trees” by Ashlee E. B.

Submitted to Contest #288

Content warning for mental illness and allusions to domestic violence.. The trees were harassing my mother again. I edged toward her room when I heard her cry out. “What’s wrong, momma?” Rain pattered in through the open window and swirled her chestnut-brown hair with chilly gusts of wind. Hovering in the doorway, I shivered in my favorite nightgown, the one gramma made for me. My fingers clutched the pastel-colored butterflies she embroidered on it, each one fashioned from her light and warmth. Tears poured down momma’s fac...

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$250

Prize money

416

Contest entries

164

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 07, 2025 EST

Won by Christina Marie 🏆

Title: Motherhood

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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