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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#60: Face Your Fears

This week is a special edition of the Reedsy Prompts contest because our friends at IndieReader are taking it over with their own theme, prompts, and bonus prize! We'll let them take it from here...

Hi! Amy from IndieReader here. If you’re not familiar with IR, we’re one of the original (paid) review services for self, hybrid and independently published authors, providing professional book reviews since 2009, in addition to unique marketing and distribution solutions.

We know that 2020 has been a memorable (aka stressful) year for many. According to experts, one of the recommended ways to manage stress and anxiety is by thinking about what scares you most and then writing about it. So fittingly, this week’s theme is post-apocalyptic stories.

Don’t worry if that doesn’t sound like your genre, as we’ve written 5 prompts below that work whether you’re into that kind of thing or not. So pour a glass of wine, take a few deep breaths, and start typing. And we wouldn’t be surprised if, after you’re done, the world around you doesn’t look so bleak. At least there aren’t any zombies!

(As a bonus prize, the winner of this week's contest will receive a discount code for 20% off an IR Pro Review.)

This week's prompts

Write a funny post-apocalyptic story.

Funny – 110 stories

Write a post-apocalyptic story that features zombies.

Science Fiction – 178 stories

Write a post-apocalyptic story triggered by climate change.

Adults – 134 stories

Write a post-apocalyptic thriller.

Thriller and Suspense – 144 stories

Write a post-apocalyptic romance.

Dystopian – 196 stories

Stories

“Bren's plague” by Agbesanwa Ayomide

Submitted to Contest #60

The epidemic came to the attention of the media on December 5, 2015 and by then it was too late. They called it the Bren’s plague. It was not shocking the way the news spread throughout the nation but it was horrifying the way the plague spread. It was said to have been caused by bacterial infected fleas. We were in the heat of summer and so fleas were in abundance everywhere which increased the risks of contracting this plague. The symptoms were fever, headache, vomiting, weakness and swellings in the areas closer to where the bacteria occu...

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“Chess Enthusiasts at the End of The World ” by Grace Stowe-Evans

Submitted to Contest #60

He sacrificed too many pieces, and so she always won. They played outside, on the table covered in bird crap. They would spend half an hour trying to wipe it off, and then give up. She would curse the name of the bird god and sit down to play with a pout. Winning restored her mood. He buzzed his lips and tapped his fingers against the metal. He’d tease at least four moves before making up his mind. Sometimes he’d stare at her with puppy eyes and she’d just giggle. Perhaps it was because of the birds screeching, or the heat of the sun ...

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“My Kingdom Fallen” by Ryan Dupont

Submitted to Contest #60

I was trapped. Alone in the throne room, I paced, as I’d been doing for nearly two days now. The main doors before me were barred, but the force continually pushing against them was immense and the snarling roar from the other side was deafening. The masses in the corridor outside were getting close to breaching. The sturdy portal of oak and iron heaved in and out giving the appearance of breathing; a false hope of life. There was only death waiting behind those doors.Anxiety escalated and my heart raced, feeling as if it would burst from my...

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“Scared till death” by Rachaita Chakraborty

Submitted to Contest #60

The main door screamed in pain due to the constant pushing and scratching, but Erik knew if he kept the silence, they would go. They didn't have brains to think, they were just hungry. He waited inside the new unknown house, his chest rising and falling rapidly, he stared at the closed door, listening to the growls and the scratches. Not fans, just hunters. Waiting. The long blood dripping axe rested at the strong grip of his hand. Wait. Wait till they break in through the groaning door. His skin sunk in deep with every heavy breath, his...

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“Nuclear Family” by Courtney Haynes

Submitted to Contest #60

Fine, you big-headed little runt. You bothered me long enough. I’ll tell you the damned story.So, this was just a little bit after the nuclear holocaust. And I was at the Graveyard Comedy Club doin' my regular set. So I start with my openin' schtick.“Yeah, this is usually the part where I say. ‘My name as Garrett Barnes and I’m so happy to be here, but after bein' stuck here for three damned years, we know that ain’t true.”I get a little burst of laughter from the crowd. My confidence is up, so I go on.“I could have gotten stuck in a nice pl...

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“I am Sharp” by Kate Bibb

Submitted to Contest #60

A distant wolf mournfully howls its sorrows, and I am suddenly aware of just how dark the horizon has grown while I walked. Some old and forgotten habit begs me to pull my hood over my head in response to the eerie baying, but I know that would only impair my range of hearing. So I let the hood of my sweatshirt flop against my backpack, but I don't quite pull my fingers away from the thick fabric. I bask in the sensation of remembrance, no matter how distant and vague, but I do not press the feeling for exact memories. I know from experienc...

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“L'amour Est Altruist ” by Prachi Kumbhare

Submitted to Contest #60

People say when you die, all you see are the glimpses of your misdeeds. But what if everyone dies, but you. It sounds horrific, right? Here I am today, all alone, stuck in the future. I have no clue what year or day it is. Last I remember, it was November 21, 2020. There is no sign of living here, except me. I’ve lost my power, and I have no idea how am I going to survive. Oh god! What have I done? Was all of this just because of me? Am I the reason for this awful plight? I NEED ANSWERS!!! Ugg. I need to search for some water else I am going...

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“SADAKO SASAKI” by Khadija A. Kasuri

Submitted to Contest #60

This is historical nonfiction, about the valour and courage of a two-year-old Japanese girl who, not minding her tender age fought with Leukemia which had killed thousands of people around Japan. She was one of the people who lost her life on a hospital bed while praying for peace around the world and harmony among mankind. She was sick on a bed for 10 years but never lost optimism. People around the world did not forget her courage and in her memoir, a peace park at Hiroshima was built with her statue.There are thousands of books and n...

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“Post-Apocalyptic Zombies” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #60

They say if you live long enough, you'll experience everything. This short story will give credence that if you live long enough, anything is possible. If you live long enough, lots of nice things happen. If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat. We know that life teaches us how to live it if you live long enough. Life. We all do it. We embrace it, we love it, we hate it sometimes, yet no matter what happens in life, we strive to cling on to it for as long as possible. When it comes near its end, we lo...

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“AC-DC” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #60

A lot of post-apocalyptic stories feature zombies. Often, however, the spread of zombie-ism isn’t selective; it can be transmitted to any human who is bitten or mauled by the infected ones. That is definitely scary, and we fear becoming one of those filthy undead at any moment. However, there are different situations that are post-apocalyptic and you are about to read about one of them right now. In this post-apocalypse, it is the politicians in Washington, D.C. who are zombies, nobody else. These individuals spend their careers devouring ...

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“If it takes the end of the world” by Kaylynn Lee

Submitted to Contest #60

When the world goes dark, no one thinks about anything except survival. I had always been the type of girl to be found lost in fantasy worlds. Books, movies, games, and even dabbling in some writing. It all filled my head with all sorts of unreal happenings, and left no room for reality. I didn’t mind. In fact, I preferred it that way. Reality is messy. Without ever really knowing what someone wants from you, or how they expect you to interact with them. Every situation is filled with choices that could potentially destroy your lif...

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“The Isle of Bones ” by Aisa M

Submitted to Contest #60

It all started a few years ago, one morning as the sun was about to shine on this lush island when the early risers found tons of fish on the shore. Some dying. Some desperately trying to live. They all lied on the shore covered with blood and greenish-black slime. The Island Chief came and saw the blood bath. He touched the slime and smelled it. He looked at all the blood-shot eyes of all the dead fish lying on the shore that is enough to feed the islanders for months. He gathered all the islanders. There were just about thr...

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“Don't Die” by Lee Doe

Submitted to Contest #60

This is it. Roars filled the air confirming it. My eyes shifted to focus on the people standing next to me. They were all from different crowds, they had different hair colors, different eyes, their skin tones were all over the spectrum. The determination that shined in their eyes was the only thing that they all had in common. And their thirst for blood. A different loss showed in their form, a different person, ripped from them. A girl's eyes were wide with loathing, her teeth bared like a cat. She l...

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“Waste land Rambler” by Maurice Mullen

Submitted to Contest #60

Hank rode slowly through the vast sea of emptiness that stretched out endlessly before him underneath a blistering sun set high in a cloudless sky. As Hank rode, he thought about the last time he had seen a cloud. Had to be before the war he thought. Everything had changed after the war. The water had all but disappeared, food was scarce, society had fallen apart to be replace with bandit warlords who ran everything, and worst of all the world was overrun with fierce undead creatures that were the unfortunate by product of the war. Ever sinc...

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“What's dead should stay dead” by Zainab Shahid

Submitted to Contest #60

Azel felt a jolt. And his reality changed again. He was in his chair doing his homework, and now he was in the grocery store. He was so scared and confused about what has had been happening for the past two months. Coming back from the grocery store sitting in the car, he felt another jolt this time, he found himself in college attending his class. At that very moment, Azel figured out that from time to time, jolts have no impact on his position but influences his surroundings. Indulged in his thoughts, Azel saw the word "Accident" in his no...

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$50

Prize money

762

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 25, 2020 EST

Won by Ruth Midgley 🏆

Title: Unpaving Paradise

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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