#39: Earth to Writers

This was a big week for celebrations. Wednesday was World Earth Day and yesterday was World Book Day.

But to us voracious readers, doesn't every day feel like Book Day? So for this week's prompts, we're giving a big shout-out to the little blue dot in space we all call home.

(And if you'd like to combine your World and Book Day celebrations, here's a sci-fi reading list that's out of this world.)

This week's prompts

One day, the sun rose in the west and set in the east.

Fantasy – 72 stories

Write about a person experiencing the 'overview effect' (a feeling astronauts report having when they first view Earth from outer space).

Science Fiction – 48 stories

Write a story about a Google Street View driver.

Adventure – 39 stories

Write a story that begins and ends with someone looking up at the stars.

Teens – 388 stories

Two people who thought they were the last people left on Earth end up meeting by chance.

Science Fiction – 147 stories

Stories

“The Moonkeeper” by Carmen Friesen

Submitted to Contest #39

The sun had just gone down, and Simon was on the beach, making a sandcastle. A salty breeze came in from the water, and he could hear seagulls in the distance. The sandcastle was in the shape of a circle, and had lots of windows he’d poked in with this finger. There was no moat, but in the middle there was a space in which he’d dug a lake and filled it with water. He was trying to model the castle after one he’d seen in a dream, but it was hard to remember the details. The quiet of the evening was nice. He could listen to the sound of the wa...

6 comments 6

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“In the Stars” by ♡ Tana ♡

Submitted to Contest #39

She was watching the stars again. She believed that they held secrets in them, perhaps even words spelled out across the dusky canvas of the sky, waiting for someone with the patience to read them. When the world didn’t make any sense, and she felt like no one understood her, she would go onto the roof at night and watch the stars. Sometimes she would almost believe that she could see the messages, but she could never fully understand them, which she blamed on the wine she would always be drinking during those stargazing sessions. On that ni...

4 comments 4

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“Starry Silence- By Anou Swami” by Anou S

Submitted to Contest #39

I glared up at the glimmering stars in the sky. "Stupid things!" I muttered, kicking at a pebble in my backyard. "Stupid stars, stupid stargazing party, stupid dad, stupid mom, stupid sister! Ugh!""Are-are you okay, Teri?" My best friend Paris India Rockefeller(her parents love to travel) tapped me gently on the shoulder."I'm fine!" I whirled around to face her, pushing her hand away harshly. "What do you want?!" I quickly regretted it when my sensitive friend burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Pary. I just- you know-" I paused, thinking of th...

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“The City lights” by Guille Escalona

Submitted to Contest #39

The stars in the sky remind me of city lights, I wonder if I will see my city again. For a second, I can escape and wonder what is out there, hiding behind those city lights. For a second, I forget that I have not eaten in more than ten days. People can survive more than a month without food, I do not know if that brings me comfort or grief. I crawl back into my makeshift shelter and I go to sleep.I wake up feeling well. I remember that I will die soon and my perpetual headache returns. I guess I’ll look for food. I begin to write my story. ...

6 comments 6

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“Escaping” by Britt Michielsen

Submitted to Contest #39

You look up at the stars, thinking about what you walked away from, what you ran away from, what you desperately needed to get away from.What would you have done otherwise? It’s not like you had a choice. You didn’t want to do it anymore. You just couldn’t. People using you and exploiting you, you just had enough. You needed to get out, even if that meant risking your own life in the process. But if you didn’t escape, they would have killed you anyway. Think about it, this was the only way to safe your life.You grew up in that horrible place...

2 comments 2

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“THE LAST TIME I SAW THE STARS” by Duong Duy Khang

Submitted to Contest #39

THE LAST TIME I SAW THE STARSMargaret, Alex’s girlfriend, she had just died a week ago. He and her mom were cleaning Margaret’s room together when he went by Margaret’s diary. He opened and read the last lines she had written:“When I was a child, my father would tell me a story every night. I still remembered every story ended with dad telli...

4 comments 4

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“Begin Again” by P. Jean

Submitted to Contest #39

It was a normal day, just like any other in my life. People were always telling me that I have skill and talent, that I needed to do something serious with my ability. But I was in no hurry to settle down or have a family or anything like a real job. I liked just fooling around with the things that I found pleasing to my eye. Stones and shells, wood carved into rustic shapes, that kind of thing. I had been raised by my grandparents here in the Pacific Northwest and they lived off the land, loved each o...

3 comments 3

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“Touch the stars” by ✰ Jessica ✰

Submitted to Contest #39

The magnificent telescope creaked as Gianna moved it a bit to the right. The stars were so bright and fiery, especially up close. The magnification of the telescope blew her mind. The fact that someone could invent something that made the stars, planets and space junk look close enough to touch boggled her mind. If only she could touch them. Oh, how she wanted to touch them. Gianna imagined the planets and stars as tiny balls rolling around in her hand. What would they feel like? Some hot, maybe. There would of course be some freezing ones. ...

14 comments 14

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“Last 2” by Emili Silvi

Submitted to Contest #39

My skin felt like it was being charbroiled. Red and blistered, it baked under the morning sun despite the countless layers of cloth I'd draped over myself to protect myself. I'd looked a few miles back and reminded myself of a lobster. I continued hiking over the ravaged planet, the naked trees and the dry, cracked ground were constant reminders to keep going. I had to find shelter before I died out here. Stumbling, I cursed myself for not resting back at that cave I found about three hours ago. But I'd convinced myself I'd get farther if ...

7 comments 7

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“Fate” by Rikui Louis

Submitted to Contest #39

Fate, defined in the dictionary as, "the development of events beyond a person's control".It plays a part in a person's life whether they truly like it or not it's an unseen force that controls us.Blake didn't like the word fate or anything related to the word. He preferred to be in charge at all times of what he was to do with his life. However the chances of him being the last one on earth was 1 out of 7.594 billion people. It didn't make any sense to him, out of all the people in the world why would an unseen force leave him alive.Blake l...

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“Where It All Started ” by Oluwaseun Wende

Submitted to Contest #39

Marilyn Burke pushed the trolley with no cares in the world. She bopped her head in tune with the music blasting through the headset on her head. As she perused the aisle with all the chocolates she’d ever known, she couldn’t help but remember a scene that looked just like that one... “Mummy please let it be bounty.” Dani Looked up at her with the best puppy eyes the five year old girl could muster. Marilyn shook her head and kept rummaging in her bag for the food stamps they were supposed to use for dinner that night. She earned e...

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“Finding Meaning” by Sarah Levine

Submitted to Contest #39

Ash swirled from her footprints, her head hung low, as shards of a past life, a story, came into view. Shreds of plastic bottles, toy trucks, and broken chairs. Her home was a void. She was the only person on Earth. Quick thinking, Carol began to make some plans and get to work. What else was she to do, but repair the Earth by herself? It is determined that as the last alive, she must live up to all humans would want of her as the last human to live. She sets up camp in the dusty remains of her city. She takes what she needs from s...

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“Starry Starry Night ” by AL Paradiso

Submitted to Contest #39

The night sky is always so enchanting, mysterious and full of wonder even to a scientist like me. “Lying on this blanket with you, on this mountain, and watching the sun drop behind the clouds, beyond the horizon below us is a resplendent high. Witnessing the sky turn brilliant oranges, and reds with grey shadows, and streaks of gold is always mesmerizing. When that moment passes and the gloaming sky turns into a velvety, diamond-studded, serene mantle, dreams and dreamers change. Yet, it is still romantic. Isn’t it Dawn?” “Yes, Al. It seem...

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“Two Strangers Two Survivors” by Genevieve B

Submitted to Contest #39

The dirt and debris from old buildings and who knows what else littered the ground. Fifteen-year-old Saxon Cooke looked around seeing if he could find anything salvageable in the abandoned but there was nothing. It was just like the other places he’d stumbled across. No food or clothing then again he would have been happy with just a tattered blanket but nothing. He tightened his grip on the straps of his navy blue backpack and continued to walk. He hadn’t even seen another human in days. Or maybe it was weeks? He couldn’t keep track of time...

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“Racing the Stars” by Margaret Kopke

Submitted to Contest #39

Sonnanqua was tethered to a tree, and as he waited, whittling away at the thong around his neck, he gazed up at the stars to distance himself from the horror of what was happening on the earth, to the screams and bloodthirsty shouts coming from the San village. The sky that night was devoid of any moon and there was only the faint light of the stars. He prayed to the great hunter father to help him. Three stars of the great one’s arrow pointed towards the east. Sonnanqua’s own people had been slaughtered only a week before and he...

3 comments 3

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$50

Prize money

694

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 01, 2020 EST

Won by Masha Kurbatova 🏆

Title: sole mate

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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#39: Earth to Writers

This week's prompts

One day, the sun rose in the west and set in the east.

Write about a person experiencing the 'overview effect' (a feeling astronauts report having when they first view Earth from outer space).

Write a story about a Google Street View driver.

Write a story that begins and ends with someone looking up at the stars.

Two people who thought they were the last people left on Earth end up meeting by chance.