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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#80: Living History

It's an important truth that those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, sometimes we find ourselves living through historical moments whether we’ve prepared for them or not.

This week, we’re going to examine all the ways that people live through — and shape — history. Whether that’s an important activist organizer, a daring political leader, or just someone trying to educate people on the past so they can avoid previous mistakes, history is made up the actions of each and every one of us. How will your characters change the course of their world?

This week's prompts

Write about someone who never planned to make history but is now about to deliver a speech in front of millions.

Teens – 104 stories

Write about a child witnessing a major historical event.

Dramatic – 237 stories

Start your story with someone entering a museum, and end it with them settling down to join a sit-in.

High School – 41 stories

Write about an elderly character who was part of a historic movement years ago.

Historical Fiction – 134 stories

Start your story with a major news event breaking — one that will change the world forever.

Dystopian – 156 stories

Stories

“Old Hollywood Glamour ” by Jillian Oakes

Submitted to Contest #80

I felt the tie hanging from my neck tighten like a noose. It was nothing but a cruel trick in my head, but it was enough for me to reconsider my plan entirely. I paced the floor, back and forth, back and forth, constantly tugging at my tie until I ultimately yanked it off. I have to come clean. I can’t keep living like this. Literally, the huge target on my back is becoming a bit too much. They got Bella first. I don’t want to be next. “Ramsey.” A call from one of the backstage managers brought me back to reality. “You’re on in 5....

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“There Is No Heaven Behind the Moon” by A.R. Eakle

Submitted to Contest #80

It was back in ‘69. My dad had me down at a bar and I was only five or six at that time. It was common back then, for kids to be in bars. The bar culture was different back then. It was just a place for people to get together, drink, shoot some pool, throw some darts, and watch sports. It wasn’t what it is today. There was a lot of cigarette smoke. It was back when you could still smoke indoors, so everybody had a smoke in their hand or their in between their lips. My dad had me in the stool in front of him pointing up to the television, b...

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“Philadelphia 1918” by Amanda Fox

Submitted to Contest #80

Saturday, September 28, 1918 Today, we went to the big parade! I got to sit on Father’s shoulders for a while to wave at men with instruments and dancing ladies. Father put me down after a few minutes and told me I’m too big to sit on his shoulders anymore. My brother tried to climb up a lamp post to see the parade over all the other people, but Mother made him climb down. When the soldiers walked by, everyone gave them a salute. When the big tanks rolled by, my little sister tried to run out into the street after the...

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“Here I Stand” by 𝙰𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎

Submitted to Contest #80

I never thought I could change the world; never thought I could even impact it.And I mean can you really blame me?Blame me for having dreams so big, that I figured they would never come true?This world is filled with billions of people, and I am just one of them, how could I make a difference?If you looked in a sky of billions upon billions of fireflies, and one of them was different, one of them glowed brighter, acted differently. Would you notice?Notice that single Firefly?You wouldn’t, and that’s ok, I wouldn’t either. After all, there ar...

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“The Brick” by Yolanda Hlongwa

Submitted to Contest #80

Thingo woke up to the sound of coughing. It sounded to her like a really serious cough, even though it was muffled, as if the owner was trying to hide her illness from the world. She rolled herself out of bed and headed to gogo’s room. The bed was immaculately made and the room was neat, but no gogo in sight. She checked the bathroom and the lounge room, both of which were obviously already cleaned but her grandmother was in neither. Finally she ventured into their tiny kitchen and found her gogo, not in the kitchen itself but outside, sitti...

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“IUSTITIA COLLOCUTIO” by Michael Boquet

Submitted to Contest #80

TIM: Hello loyal listeners! It's Thursday April 11th, 1996. You're listening to Tim and Maura in the morning.MAURA: On today's show, we're celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Unveiling Day.TIM: All week we've been teasing a big surprise.MAURA: The time has come to reveal how we plan to comm...

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“Time Trouble” by Kirrtanaa Thanesh

Submitted to Contest #80

It was New Year’s Eve. Barry Jackson was sweeping the wrappers of candy bars and lollipops. He had a New Year party in his house and all of his friends were dancing and eating. When they were gone, he threw the rubbish in the bin and started cleaning the dishes. After he had done that, he changed into his pajamas and went up to his room. Barry set his alarm clock to 8 a.m. and tried to get some sleep. The bangs and booms of the fireworks made it impossible to sleep. Somehow he still managed to get into a deep sleep within five min...

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“Spirit Of The Rose” by Kylie Wallis

Submitted to Contest #80

Madison Saunders loved and admired her Grandmother Agatha for many things. At eighty nine, she remained active and healthy. She worked within her own lifestyle village, helping out the less fortunate whenever she was able to. Yes, she used a cane, but it was mostly for balance.Her posture was straight and she walked with confident strides. No bent backs or shuffling footsteps around here. Madison never tired of listening to her grandmother tell stories from her past. She was learning something new all the time...####During the 1980s, when th...

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“Just a Feeling” by Arwen Dove

Submitted to Contest #80

I race through the tumble down village in hope that I’ll be able to find some scrapes on the side of the road, or in the trash. There’s not much hope in my errand; any scrapes are usually already gone by the time I get there. Everyone’s living the same way. I often like to dream of what the future will be like. Most of the time, It’s hard to imagine anything but the here and now. Mama is always disappointed when I come home empty handed, though she never says anything. She knows it’s not my fault. On...

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“Spat From the Mouth of a Stone” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #80

It happened by accident.Man sat at the edge of the cave, the dense canopy of trees beneath. The greenery swayed in the breeze, and the rustle of their leaves whispered like rain. Some strange beast cried out into the evening. Its screech reverberated in his belly. The sun burned the sky a diluted blood-red, streaks of orange and pink stretched off into the distance.To his side, Boy and Woman lay. Woman slept — Boy could hear her gentle snores — and no doubt Man thought he was asleep too. Man would not sleep. Not tonight, at least. It wouldn’...

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“The man on the phone ” by Ruth Porritt

Submitted to Contest #80

I was home by myself, babysitting my annoying sister, Susie. At the time, I hated her because she was everything I wasn’t—cute, (with her blond pig tails and perfect, porcelain doll smile) gregarious, and pint-sized.Again, at the time, (the summer of 1969) I had shot up like my mother’s prize-winning sunflowers, and I remember feeling tall, unattractive, and unwanted. In reality, looking at Kodak shots of myself from this period, I see a 14 year-old girl with long, wavy blonde hair and legs that made me look like Kate Moss. (Heroin-chic, any...

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“Dandy Lions” by Cyndy Reads

Submitted to Contest #80

“I’ll see you soon, Arnie, okay?”Arnie looked up at her, her face shadowed by the halo of the sun around her hair. She leaned forward and he felt her hair wisp over his cheeks as she kissed his forehead. He heard a series of clicks and the air flashed around them. Mom had said there’d be men with cameras. He was happy he didn’t have to look at them through her hair.Her hands came to his cheeks and he reached up with his own hand to hold hers. Arnie didn’t like it when Mom left. But this time she’d promised him it’d be just a minute. A real-l...

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“Grandpa Must Have Smelt It.” by Mango Chutney

Submitted to Contest #80

Hidden behind the cart, Adam watched the door of the meeting hall. He wouldn’t dare enter, for he would be thrown out for being too young. Even worst; grandpa would see he was there. He could see the bar lights every time the door opened to let someone in. In the quiet of the night, he could hear the muffled voices of the people inside. The chill December Boston air would make anyone regret being outside at this hour. But Adam was determined to find out what grandpa was up to.Usually, Grandpa was an open book. He told stories of his voyages ...

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“Something in the Air” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #80

It would be fair to say that the Museum of Coastal Heritage was not exactly state of the art. There were still rows of locked glass display cabinets and a profusion of not terribly good pictures on the walls of famous locals whom not many people had heard of. Uncomfortable looking horse-hair stuffed couches had ropes across them and signs saying “Please do not sit here”, and faded photographs of fishermen hung alongside the nets they had used. Interactive displays and virtual reality headsets had not yet penetrated the heavy oak doors of the...

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“No More Children Allowed” by 💖♎ℂℍℝ𝕀𝕊𝕋𝕐 ℍ𝕆𝔽𝔽𝕄𝔸ℕℕ♎💖

Submitted to Contest #80

The year was 2518 and I was just a teenager. My name is Molly and im 14 years old. My dad just got home from jail, well… prison. Prison here doesn't work like it did in the past. Today when someone goes to prison, it's on a small Mars colony. They use the prisoners to terraform the Mars soil. Which seems to be working and it is free labor.I was only five years old when my dad went to prison, so I only remember what my mom has told me. That makes me angry because my dad going to prison put us running and hiding indefinitely. If we d...

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Ended on 23:59 - Feb 12, 2021 EST

A winner will be announced soon.

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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