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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#53: Dog Days of Summer

"The dog days of summer" conjure images of dogs laying around, panting from the sweltering heat of mid to late summer.

But the saying itself stems from the ancient Romans who associated these hot and humid days with Sirius, the brightest star in the Canis Major constellation (or 'Large Dog' constellation). Sirius is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it contributed additional heat to the Sun, causing July and August temperatures to soar.

As we are currently in the midst of them, it only felt fitting for this week's prompts are inspired by the dog days summer (or diēs caniculārēs in Latin)!

p.s. — On August 12th, bestselling novelists Caroline Leavitt and Gina Sorell are hosting a free webinar on creating believable characters. RSVP here!

This week's prompts

Write about a few people spending a long-overdue weekend away at a cottage.

Summer – 124 stories

Write a story that begins with someone's popsicle melting.

Summer – 259 stories

Write a story about a teenager spending their final days at home before going away to college.

High School – 118 stories

Write a story about summer love — the quarantine edition.

Romance – 131 stories

Write a story about another day in a heatwave.

Summer – 178 stories

Stories

“A Friendly Reminder” by Bibisha Shakya

Submitted to Contest #53

I think it will relent soon. It has been going strong for a good ten minutes now.It? She? I don’t even know what to call it.Her whole body is swaying back and forth as if her ankles are tied to a spot that my eyes cannot meet. Her face looks more malicious every time she leans towards me: her eyes are widening, her mouth is taut by opening so wide, and her long fingers are reaching out, ready to throttle someone. People have mentioned that I have a pleasant voice more than once: maybe she will heed my request to stop screaming. I need the sc...

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“Unknown” by Priyanka Boopathy

Submitted to Contest #53

Windy day,Streets were silent like every normal days but the chattering and laughter of four friends Reggie, Syiren, Raven, Toison was all over the streets.They all had their own differences in their lifestyle but something was common in them "Poverty" where they worked hard to earn money, All decided to do any kind of stuff to earn money like to steal stuff but they had their own talents like drawing, singing, dancing and studying which seemed impossible for them to achieve their success path as they all couldn't afford money."Money means e...

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“Where the Rain Falls Red” by Elliot Thomas

Submitted to Contest #53

On the planet Catharsis, summer was not a joyous affair. In fact, it was quite the opposite. During the hotter months, it rained constantly. It fell in torrents and sheets, leaving everything drenched. As if that weren't bad enough, it was no ordinary rain. It was a toxic rain, stained red from the radioactive particles floating in the upper atmosphere. If caught in a storm, 90% of the population would fall gravely ill and die painfully soon after exposure. The only people who lived on Catharsis were those who were not filthy rich enough to ...

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“An icy layer of popsicle” by Syeda Fatima

Submitted to Contest #53

I glance at the sight of my rainbow Popsicle, melting… just like my life. Slowly and gradually, the colors mixing in an individual, greyish galaxy of their own. Lightly revealing the dullness underneath, crawling away… slipping off quietly. The picture right next to me seems to laugh at the look of me struggling not to let the liquid drip on my fawn-colored, flawless blouse, that’s my husband. A loving and caring one. A dashing personality perfectly carved on the enduring smile. But he never was my husband, and I don’t dare to tell my ...

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“The House of Cards” by Gopika Ashokan

Submitted to Contest #53

The city, once privy to the ongoings of my world, now seemed marred by contempt for the world. The star gazing ritual from my rooftop now felt so disdainful; the armchair which used to flawlessly fit my corpulent body now pricked me and reminded me of the unwanted bulkiness; the modestly built teapoy which I adored now appeared tastelessly fashionable.I looked above; the firmament was a blanket of stars. Stars always made me believe that illusions can be magical. But there was nothing magical about today.I could have saved Ruth. He saw me, h...

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“Afra and Gervassi Off Road” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #53

Afra stepped off the bus and sighed, her backpack heavy with laundry and memories of the last few days; of her wonderful fireside chats with the elusive Gervassi. She smiled and turned back around to wave at him from the ground. He already had his headphones back on but he waved at her anyway. Good, she thought, that way no one else will talk to him. Speaking of talking, Afra’s heart thumped wildly in a different way when she thought of facing her parents when she got home. Had they been looking for her? Were there police cars parked in the ...

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“Afra and Gervassi Sleep in Boxes” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #53

“So,” Gervassi started, like he had gotten accustomed to doing every morning, “How did you sleep?” “Like a shot duck.” Afra was just waking up. She still hadn’t gotten used to the early mornings school required. Luckily, her morning usually started with a call from Gervassi, and that was always a delightful way to wake up. It was almost better than the sunset. “And you?” She wished they were in the same room again. She wished that with all her sleep trodden heart. “How did you sleep?” “Um, well, my roommate had a m...

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“An Eternity of Sorrows” by Laurentz Baker

Submitted to Contest #53

A blazing yellow sun spies us from between a bank of clouds high in the sky. The road’s lights stretched out along the desert floor, flickering, fearing to sleep, anticipating this moment. The dust devils dance among the heat waves rising from the sand. “It’s been how long, brother? Twelve years? The last time we witnessed one another was Rome. You were pointing your gun at me, running down a flight of stairs of abandoned buildings, behind back alleys of fish markets. I would have killed you if I caught you. But you got away? Disappe...

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“School's Out” by Charles Stucker

Submitted to Contest #53

"Dang it Pa, I don't want to go off to college and all." I got to stand firm on account of my Pa is Mike Carson. The man who chased down the Lane Gang by himself. Ranger, town marshal, legend. And ma expects me to live up to it by studying books, of all things. Don't get me wrong. I like Ivanhoe and never met a yarn by Mark Twain as couldn't hold my eyes a spell. But college ain't like that."Two weeks," Pa says. "Then you git on the train and take it to college station"I'm set to tell him no when Ma chimes in. "Cecil, if you agree to g...

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“The Spectacle(s)” by Jonathan Blaauw

Submitted to Contest #53

The weather can have a curious effect on human behavior. Motorists, for example, frequently lose all driving ability when it rains, and when the Summer heat descends, sanity often departs the scene. There is a well-documented correlation between temperature records and crime rates, after all, and even the most skeptical observer would be hard-pressed to attribute this to mere coincidence. For some unknowable reason, people do strange things when the mercury rises. That was probably the reason Ms. Moore decided on the G...

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“Summer (Wolf) Love” by BRoOkE HAs A COwBoY HAt

Submitted to Contest #53

Luna slept soundly in her cave. The cold rock under her was satisfying. A ray of late-night moonlight covered half of her face from the hole in the roof. Luna rolled over onto her other side and her legs kicked; undoubtedly the result of a dream. For the rest of the night, Luna stays still in a deep sleep. The morning comes too early for Luna, but soon enough she is up and eating a juicy rabbit that she caught the night before for breakfast. Once her stomach is full, Luna is pushing the big gray rock (the door to her cave) out of her way so...

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“Two to Three” by Lynn Penny

Submitted to Contest #53

NightCrawlers: Victims of a Parasite that turned into Nocturnal Cannibalistic Hunters whose only instincts are to kill and eat.Having found a literal paradise in this drug store, with protection and supplies galore, Onyx and Dr. Doggy waited for the other shoe to drop. It took a couple of days to get everything all set up for optimal survival, but oh boy, it was all worth it. Onyx felt like a real survival pro, having set up her own rainwater filter using vases and cheesecloth, a contained fire pit with a wire rack and a giant wok. The fire...

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“Answers on a Teacup ” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #53

What happened on the second Tuesday of July was a simple thing, and it started like so.The boy wore a large velvet blazer and was swallowed by his ancient copy of Jane Eyre; the copy that smelled like his grandmother’s perfume and felt like butterfly wings between his calloused fingers. He sat alone on a park bench that day, much like the other days, and he waited for something to happen. Not in his book, he already knew how that ended after having read it seventeen times, but in the park there were several things that could happen. The smal...

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“The Mind Diamond” by Sarah Freeman

Submitted to Contest #53

Dr. Zonk stared at the giant red monstrosity. MEEEEEEEELT, he thought desperately. YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!!Dr. Zonk was a scientist that was mad in multiple ways. The first is that “mad” is a synonym for “insane”, a synonym known to be used to describe crazy scientists with a big frizzy ball of shockingly blue hair. The second is that he was very, very, extremely, ferociously, absolutely terror-inducingly angry at a popsicle. Yes, you read that right. A popsicle.This popsicle was a child’s dream. It was a delectable sweet cherry flavor, jui...

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“The Order of the Blood Moon” by Elle Clark

Submitted to Contest #53

The last five members of The Order of the Blood Moon stood outside the building, dressed in loud Hawaiian shirts, wearing oversized sunglasses and holding a frozen treat each. It was an hour past sunset and the only light came from the flickering street lights - not that any of them needed it. Ashath’aman the Cruel watched as an obnoxiously bright drip of melted blue syrup slid down his hand and glooped onto the floor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Beside him stood Belisha, Flayer of Men. She sniffed the multicoloured monstrosity tha...

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Ended on 23:59 - Aug 07, 2020 EST

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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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