#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 Rebellion” by Randi W

Submitted to Contest #39

Steam rose from the white porcelain teacup as her eyes scanned the horizon; the sweet herbal tea slid down her throat soothing her frayed nerves. The wind blew the dust in little delicate swirls, Fenn couldn’t remember the last time she had seen grass growing on her farm; ‘What I wouldn’t give to see grass again…’ mused eighteen year old Fenn, ‘I wonder if the rest of the world looks like this desert I call home?’. Her father took her from the city when she was four years old, telling her that the world had become dangerous and that if they ...

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“The stars, they smile.” by Bias Tate

Submitted to Contest #39

He looks so beautiful in this dim, dim lighting. My thoughts wander. Sharing the night air with the flickering lighting bugs as they perform their meteoric dance. We are sitting in the grass, surrounded by the tall, thin green blades and how the breeze lazily pushes them against the skin of my bare arms. How they tickle the tiny hairs on my pale, freckled flesh. It's a warm breeze, coddled by the summer evening. And it's at that moment I decide while watching him gaze up at the sky, that I think I might actually love him. There's this conten...

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“The Kite” by Valerie Chamberlain

Submitted to Contest #39

The Kite"You can't just make up your own constellation!""Why not?" Talia asked, hands on her hips, her form barely visible to Kale in the gathering darkness of the backyard. "I'm going to lay out here in the grass until I find one of my very own!" Kale laughed at that and shivered at the thought of the damp grass against his bare arms. He went back inside to grab a blanket. When he returned Talia was already on her back in the grass gazing intently up at the summer sky. "Get up, you wingnut! At least lay on the blanket," he chided, ligh...

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“Survivor” by Magnet Marsdaughter

Submitted to Contest #39

Lila Vernalth strode through the barren white landscape, long golden hair blowing in the freezing artic wind. The tall, willowy woman crested a hill, deep blue eyes scanning the horizon for landmarks or life forms. Or anything. Anything to break up the monotony, the violet tinted light, the deadly silence pervading the wasted land. Earth was nearly destroyed, and mankind…mankind had been exterminated. Only she survived. She, the only human to ever have defeated a skarslythe alone. A warrior of the order of Defenders, sworn to protect from th...

4 comments 4

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“Twice born” by Ananya Roy 🥳🌸

Submitted to Contest #39

I feel so light, like a feather. As if I am floating above the land. No scratch that. It doesn't seem like there's any land anywhere about me. My eyes felt drowsy while at the same time there's this bright light coming from somewhere, I've no idea of. This light simply won't let me open my eyes. My body doesn't feel weak and battered like it did some time back, well that's strange. Then I felt it. A push like never ever felt before. It literally threw me off my balance as I felt the same vacuum again. But this time I couldn't feel the pain a...

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“Just find North” by Imogen Bird

Submitted to Contest #39

In the end, what use is North when no matter what direction you go, there is no salvation to be reached? Flo stared up at the vast array of mocking lights, a map she could not read. Vaguely she recalled The North Star was the brightest in the sky, but was that true? Out here in the unpolluted desert every star seemed like the brightest, layered atop each other. The longer she fixed on a single point, the more stars revealed themselves, crammed in the gaps between others. A never ending tessellation that she dizzily fell into as her knee...

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“The photographs in the car” by Leila Adams

Submitted to Contest #39

It was a dark night that night, and unusually for the city, the sky was clear, affording a very visible view of the stars. The man noted this as he sat in his car atop of the hill overlooking his hometown. The temperature outside was cold, but not bitterly so, nether-less he’d left his coat on whilst he drove, which was not typical for him. On the passenger seat next to him was a photograph album, snaps falling out of the battered pages. The man slotted a cassette tape into the car stereo, and as the familiar sounds washed over hi...

2 comments 2

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“Here and Now” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #39

Did you ever notice how reality just… is? Like, it’s there, for its own sake, perfect and complete just the way it is. Nothing needs to load, there’s no glitches, no lag, no error 404 signs. Reality never calls in sick, it never decides to just ‘not be there’ and stay in bed the whole day, leaving us to wing it on our own. I mean, what would it look like if reality stopped existing? Anyway, these are just some of the questions I keep asking myself as I observe cars, buildings and people passing by through the bus window. I’m not listeni...

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“Fifth Times the Charm ... or Maybe Not” by Katrina Wiech

Submitted to Contest #39

“It’s the first day on the job Abby, don’t mess this one up like all of your other jobs.” my mom says as I put on my jacket. “Okay, mom I’ll try,” I say grabbing my keys. Outside the sun is shining. Perfect for pictures. My car is sitting there ready to go. “Okay Bert, let’s go,” I say to my yellow Volkswagen Beatle. Now just to be clear being a google viewfinder driver wasn’t my first choice. It’s only going to be temporary, or at least that is what I keep telling myself. I didn’t have much choice though I needed a job. My...

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“Our Anniversary with Google Drive ” by Sabinah Adewole

Submitted to Contest #39

Google street View DriveGoogle street view driver is like having a Car driving from space, it’s like when aeroplanes fly in the sky and they still find a path and we arrive at our destination.It’s like driving in space When we had the A-Z drivers were still able to navigate by reading a map from paper and had to learn how to read a map I thought tat was amazing until such time google amen on board Google is not just a map in the air for drivers and finding your location it’s amazing and has become a life saver for many.Until one da...

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“A Tale of A Trillion Years and One Night ” by Haruko Otonashi

Submitted to Contest #39

I’ll tell you a story of a trillion years and one night.When you climbed up those perilous hills and gazed up at the star-spangled skies—not now, of course, because you’re probably gazing, with your narrow-sided view, upon that hazy screen of yours—but a few years from now. Or maybe a good couple of decades. Who knows? My memory fails me more than it serves.But regardless of the time, you will.Lugging that heavy, black bags of yours, stuffed to the brim with telescopic equipment. You’d be with a companion or two, people insignificant to me, ...

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“Finding My Light” by Wency Villaseñor

Submitted to Contest #39

Waking up in a coma is hard for Mariya- a 23 years old woman who has a fair skin, she has mesmerizing forest eyes that everyone liked, a pointed nose, thin lips, and her hair dyes with this description are perfect for gray coverage. Has yellow and blue pigments to cover gray.She is now in a park watching the children play, and waiting for her best friend Vera. They're planning to bond- watch movie, play in arcade, go to her favorite fast food, and lastly picnic- she and Vera loved to go on picnic."BEST FRIEND!!!" the lady shout. When s...

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“In the forest with Mr. In-between ” by Matthew Wright

Submitted to Contest #39

Mr. In-between, standing underneath the tall birch trees of the forest, picked up his head and looked up towards the stars. It was a moonless night, where a blanket of void covered the sky above completely and the thousands upon thousands of distant silverfish chewed holes through in the fabric to let some of the always-light in. The night was finally here, so Mr. In-between’s shameful task could begin. He dropped the last of the last of her belongings onto the clearing of grass with a thud. Before him were a pile of cabinets and d...

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“It Ended Under the Stars” by Carla Maggio De Leo

Submitted to Contest #39

Carrey stared out the window in the backseat of the well loved sedan her dad had bought twenty years prior. She’d never liked the car- the leg space was too cramped since she’d shot up to her Dad’s height almost overnight, it seemed. Like a bean sprout, her aunty loved to remind her. The air conditioner sputtered and was temperamental and there was the lingering smell of burnt popcorn and the windows rattled when she wound them down. Not that Carrey would ever admit it to her hardworking parents, but it was an embarrassing old bomb compared ...

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“‘Till the Stars Fall” by Raven Car

Submitted to Contest #39

Lavinia Montoya stared longingly out the Plaza Cafe window.A million stars twinkling like jewels from the heavens, framed against the purplish-black of the Mexican night sky. The light from the stars that light up the dessert‘s sand dunes and cactuses. And not a cloud in sight...“Lavinia!” someone shouted, making the young Spanish beauty jump.“What?” she yelped.“You were doing it again.” growled her boss, Senior Torino, making her flinch slightly. Senior Torino was an ugly man. Not physically; physically he was what one might call handsome. ...

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.