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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

“Salty Tales From Seaview Terrace” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #60

On the first floor landing, Sammy and G.G. pull on the hoist ropes while Pops pushes the canoe up the stairs from below. A paraffin lamp in the stairwell casts flickering shadows of three figures on the flyblown plaster walls. The rising waters have compromised the coastal flood defence across the road. A furious storm and high tides have caused a surge of water during the late afternoon. It’s a perfect storm or, as Pops would say, “an imperfect storm” depending on which way you look at it. In the morning, Pops had told Sammy that they wer...

2 comments 2
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“The Undead” by Thistle Arellano

Submitted to Contest #60

The knock on the door makes me jump. My hand instantly travels to the knife on the moth-eaten couch beside me, gripping the cold handle. I stand up, ready to see one of the horrid undead falling apart. But as I peer through the ripped screen door, I see a familiar shape moving toward me.  “You scared me,” I gasp, clutching my chest.   “Did I?” Ryan pokes his head in, his brown hair a complete mess and sticking up straight on the side. “Sorry.” “Is the van ready?” I ask. He nods. “I think I got it working. We ready to move?”...

2 comments 2
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“The Sky Offsprings Darkness ” by Mihret Adal Gidi

Submitted to Contest #60

“Is this right?” the old women in the super market keep asking everyone that stands beside her. She is scared, I am scared... everyone is scared of what is happening out there.It rained, really terribly; We had to see cars washed away, some with their owners. It would have been okay if we were warned but this happened in the middle of summer and sudden; too hot, it was quite unusually sultry that we almost drown in our own sweat. Hell, I thought we were melting. It was hell and it rained as if someone from up there, so madly, decided to simp...

4 comments 4
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“Repercussions” by Aria Barnes

Submitted to Contest #60

As I ran for my life, the air leaving my lungs, my weak legs thrashing forwards and backwards as the polluted wind smacked my sweating face, I had to accept the fact that I might not make it out alive. The flaming buildings continued to burn beside me, bringing a great amount of heat and gas into the already polluted atmosphere. The melted cars planted on sidewalks and random parts of the cracked road. Debris had fallen all over the ground from the perishing buildings above, raining down like ash. The sky was glowing orange, smoke covering t...

7 comments 7
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“The Blood-Seed Killers” by AISHWARYA MURALIDHAR

Submitted to Contest #60

“ Hi my lovely followers, how’s your day going?” screeched a young woman looking into the camera attached to a selfie stick. “ Our day is fabulous. So the ‘ Jungle Geniuses’, that is us, are in Assam which is the home to the thickest rain forest in India”. She then covered her face with her palm and said, “ Do you guys see that shiny little thing on my finger? I am engaged to this philocalistic weirdo”. Sid added mockingly, “ Well only weirdos could love weirdos”. Aarya Nudged him with her elbow and grinned. He continued, “ We are here in se...

7 comments 7
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“Uncovering the true self” by Habiba Adel

Submitted to Contest #60

Cassandra was abruptly broken out of her trance when her brush went over the pencil outlines, blending the colours together and ruining hours of hard-work exerted over the past few weeks. Although the drawing was now unrepairable, Cassandra did not feel taken by the accident; she inhaled a deep breath apathetically and deliberated the uselessness in her regular, dreary painting routine, or as some would call it—exquisite talent. But she never saw her talent extraordinary, or anything peculiar, due to the treatment she gives herself based on ...

6 comments 6
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“Finding it Funny” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #60

There were many (and for a while I was one of them) who thought we would never, ever, get a TV network running again after the Bad Business. Radio was back relatively quickly – it never really went away – but TV was another matter. It was hardly seen as a priority when people were scavenging, and cities lay in ruins, and fields were laid barren. And just the practical side of it seemed impossible. But in the tenth year after the Bad Business, we went on air. Yes, I was part of the team. So Yah Boo Sucks to anyon...

9 comments 9
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“Because I Care About Art More Than You Do” by Joshua Scott Hotchkin Wordpress.dungherder.com

Submitted to Contest #60

“Alright, quiet on the set.”“Rolling.”“Background.”“Action.”The cast and crew stand motionless, except for the director, who is pantomiming direction to the background actors, despite the fact that they are incapable of movement.“Reset. Still rolling. Action.”The scene is being filmed on location at an amusement park, which is where most of the film will conveniently take place. The ones who were outside when the Pause occurred have remained uncorrupt. Alive but inanimate, without bodily function or the need for nourishment. Everyone who had...

8 comments 8
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“Looking for a new life” by S. P. Franco

Submitted to Contest #60

I had just moved to the peaceful town of FairyLand two days ago and there was still so much to unpack. The boxes remained piled on top of each other, the shelves covered with dust and the furniture covered with white sheets, except for my new bed upstairs on the right. My eight-month-old baby Lisa was sitting on the floor on a huge round rug, white as snow. It was one of the few things I've had unpacked. The baby was entertained with her rag dolls, although she took most of them to her mouth to nibble, experimenting with the teeth that ...

2 comments 2
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“Strangers” by Muhammad Hamza Suleman

Submitted to Contest #60

Blood. All around, blood pooled beneath piles of corpses. Movement stirred, causing disturbance in the light of day as it shifted with the shadows on the red ground. Utter shock shackled his legs, gripping tighter and tighter as he stared at his trembling hands. The warm liquid dripped between his fingers but the blood was not his own. He knew because murderers never bled. He slowly looked around, watching with horror as the corpses stood up, groaning in unfelt agony. It was not long before they noticed a warm body; fresh meat for their unen...

5 comments 5
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“DYI Zombie Killer!” by P. Jean

Submitted to Contest #60

(Write a post-apocalyptic story that features zombies.)Today the headline read, “Social Media is full of unsubstantiated reports of Zombie sightings! The news has gone viral and soft focus blurry videos have flooded all platforms!”Wowser! Do I need to worry?Today I discovered that I am unique among my modern generation in that I have no idea what a “Zombie” really is. I had a vague thought that any mindless creature might be a zombie but then I went to do some research.Wow, what an eye opener when I googled zombies! I had...

14 comments 14
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“Behind the Walls” by ℤ ℍ☮️

Submitted to Contest #60

The building is a tall candied strawberry, it glints in a powerful way. In a colour that can never fade, an exuberant scarlet. Next to it, is a bright slicker yellow one, it’s edges are curved and each window is circular and gleaming. Through the windows, one grey desk sits in bright white light. On the desk is a complex yet simple spotlight that towers over a thick stack of fresh paper. As I look right, I notice that every room is the same. With the same thickness of paper and the exact brightness of the light. The street is lined with buil...

12 comments 12
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“Rosy Blushes, Rose Gold Tails, and the End of the World” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #60

Soooo… the world has pretty much gone to hell. If that wasn’t already obvious by the fact that I’m using a trash can as a bout, it was now.Sweat built up my noodle-estic arms as I paddled with a stop sign. My eyes kept a close watch on the ocean's surface, waiting for the mermaids to find me and try to drown me like they did with any humans brazen enough to island hop.My destination? Zillowburg’s main headquarters. Er… rather the top of Zillowburg’s main headquarters. After the ice caps melted thanks to, drrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuum roll, please? Ba...

4 comments 4
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“Burn the F*cking House Down” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #60

This story is inspired by the wildfires burning through my state of residence and the west coast of my country. The fires were in large part initiated by humans, as well as lightning strikes, and they have killed thousands upon thousands of animals, destroyed countless acres of land, and demolished peoples’ homes. My aim for a funny story is to try to provide a sense of light and humor in the midst of all the chaos.///“Paul. Hey. You know what time it is?”“I do, Wizz. I really, really do.”“It’s time for…”“…Burn the F*cking House Down!”“That ...

14 comments 14
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“Diabolical” by Grace Reardon

Submitted to Contest #60

  “Ring-ding-triing-triing!” The bells chimed as a new customer entered the shop. I tightened the ribbon in my hair, and took a step forward.      “Hello there, welcome to Analia’s café!” I’m Karen, how may I help you?”      “Yeah, yeah, yeah, chill out,” the man said. I could almost taste the alcohol on his breath, “I think this is yours.”      He handed me a small handbag, covered in bright blue dots.      “Thank you sir, oh thank ...

5 comments 5
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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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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