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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

“My Nightmare” by Naduni De Silva

Submitted to Contest #80

First of all, I just need to say that this is a work of fiction and I’m just referring to the holocaust in general and everything situation is just my imagination and not what really took place.My mother used to say that I was born with the sounds of gun shots drumming through my ears that she named me Hope in order to make my life better. I didn’t get what she meant until I started going to school. I loved history. It was quite uncommon for children at that time to love history moreover to be obsessed with the subject. Ever since I was lit...

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“The Speech Disaster” by Niveeidha Palani

Submitted to Contest #80

The sun shone from a silver-paneled window, bathing the room in light. I squinted, and then slammed the patterned curtains, rolling my eyes. I was bored. I was hot. I was exhausted.Abruptly, my phone vibrated, humming familiar tunes of The Longest Road by Morgan Page.I purred along with the tune and glanced at the caller. My boss, the chief doctor. I sat up straight, cleared my throat, and answered the call frantically, balancing a box of glazed doughnuts and putting the phone to my ear."Hello?""Um, yes, good afternoon, Dr. Stall."Dr. ...

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“Misfortunates Have Friends Too” by Arya ...

Submitted to Contest #80

"GET OUT OF YOUR SMELLY ROOMS! BLOODY MEAT-EATERS!," the aggressive yell near his window woke up Mr. Rai who had been dreaming of his deceased wife. Snug in his comforters he tried to hold on to her face in his dreams, concentrating on her wrinkled cheeks, her gentle dark eyes and the mole just above her lips. "COME OUT! OR I'LL CALL THE POLICE." This loud yell finally shattered his fantasy making Mrs. Rai stuck her tongue at Mr. Rai and disappear with a wink. He left his bed and went out to his balcony, to his no surprise the...

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“The Obscurity of a Rose” by Caroline Ryder

Submitted to Contest #80

A single 8’8 painting encompasses the lifetime of an artist. Every color, shape, figure, and design is a story in itself. That story really is something so beautiful. The unfortunate thing is that it’s constantly being misrepresented in the eyes of the beholder. It’s a shame that someone can simply walk by someone’s lifeline tied to a canvas and think “that reminds me of my pet dog”. It’s all obscure and vague. We tell ourselves that art is subjective and it can mean a million things to a million different people. That’s a silly excuse. Ther...

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“Our Vampire Heroes” by 💖♎ℂℍℝ𝕀𝕊𝕋𝕐 ℍ𝕆𝔽𝔽𝕄𝔸ℕℕ♎💖

Submitted to Contest #80

The world was in chaos. Covid was rampant with several strains running throughout the world. Social distancing was mandatory in most countries. Mask mandates were placed in most states and the vaccines seemed to be running short. It didn't matter who you were if you believed the covid virus was real or not, anyone could fall ill with the virus. These were different times. In 2021, Some people protested at the White House for Trump to be reinstated, that the votes were faked, some were protesting the vaccine and some were tryin...

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“An Emulative and Aplomb Corruption-Annihilator Revolutionary” by Santosh Kumar Singh

Submitted to Contest #80

Kisan Baburao Hazare known as Anna Hazare (born 15 June 1937) is an Indian social activist. He is known for developing a village called Ralegaon Siddhi in India. He played a large part in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement. He has served in the Indian Army. He won the third highest award in India, the Padma Bhushan.In April 2011, he started an indefinite hunger strike to pressurize the Indian Government to accept his demands on corruption. The Government ac...

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“Home for Breakfast” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #80

Seven months ago, I’d rushed back from school to watch the Mars Explorer rocket on its launch pad. The giant steel gantry supporting my father’s star ship was shrouded in steam and illuminated by dazzling arc lights. It was a perfect evening for his mission; the air was still and no adverse weather expected. My mother joined me on the swing chair in the garden to witness the countdown. She hauled a duvet around the both of us and offered popcorn from a large mixing bowl. “If we’re going to be out here,” she smiled, “we might as well be...

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“A bloody memorial ” by Kaysie Davis

Submitted to Contest #80

I slowly counted down, giving Ronnie the signal. At zero, she sent a bright smile towards the waiting camera. “Good afternoon. I am Ronnie McKay and this is WNEZ. In today’s special memorial, we will go over the tragic events on the east coast that occurred five years ago. Those horrifying events, caused by a yet undetermined virus, nicknamed the Mad Death, both directly and indirectly caused the death of tens of thousands before stopping just as suddenly as it began. “ I gestured towards a different camera, and Ronnie swapped her gaze w...

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“The City of Ciu-Marina” by Pika Okoye

Submitted to Contest #80

"Mom, Where are you? Can you even believe what I just saw, while I was cycling out with Joe………Mom……." - Finn shouted and searched for his mom all around the house. "What’s that Finn, you know the time." - Beatrice came down the stairs, asking her son to make less noise. "No…….no…...I don't know but where were you? You know what's happening here, in New York ? "Finn, speak low, I've just put Cleo into sleep, you'll wake her up" "I'm sorry, I forgot that it's her sleeping time……..or maybe not my fault because she sleeps the whole...

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“A Silent Extinction” by Nico 93

Submitted to Contest #80

The death of the last bumblebee feels like it should be stopping everyone in their tracks. I shut down my phone after reading the breaking news. It feels like radio listeners in their cars should be shocked to the point where accidents are skyrocketing. Like a couple of screams should be audible from apartment windows. My surroundings remains static as ever as the impersonal voice in my headphones repeatedly recount the story of how environmentalist scientists tried their best this last decade to keep the last remaining bees alive in secure ...

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“Burning” by Harper Harris

Submitted to Contest #80

Morning. The sun peeks its head over the horizon. I tiptoe out of bed, not wanting to wake Mama, and enter the kitchen to pour myself a bowl of Cheerios. Dry, of course. I hate milk. The beads of cereal ping against the bowl as I tilt the box forward, forward, and—oops. Too far. The bowl fills up too fast, Cheerios skittering across the counter. And it’s at that moment that Lua decides to hop up onto the counter, tail waving straight in the air. “No, Lua!” I whisper. She ignores me, of course, sniffing the bowl and then stuff...

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“Words Wrapped In A Song” by Julie Ward

Submitted to Contest #80

Wren was lying on her bed reading when she heard her mother scream. Barkley, who was tucked in the crook of her legs, popped his head up, ears alert. He uncurled himself, hopped to the floor and clicked down the hall. Wren followed him, her heart beating fast. The house still smelled like dinner, warm and comforting. Water was running in the kitchen. In the den, the TV set was on. The soft, familiar murmur of the evening news filled the room with urgent words. Wren’s mother stood stock still, her hands over her mouth, ...

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“Princess Elvis” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #80

Let me tell you how my nickname came about. My sister gave it to me. It doesn’t make any sense, as you’ll see. But it stuck. I was only a girl. So, forgive my not having all the times and dates. You can look it up. You may dispute some details but I’ll never forget that day. I was there. Daddy brought us, Mama, me and my sister, Charlotte, to the city to see the Reverend, Dr. King. It was a big deal. You’d have thought the circus came to town for all the people. It took forever to find parking. Daddy kept mumbling under his breath and sayin...

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“Kodak 35” by Nina Chyll

Submitted to Contest #80

Somebody yells quick, snap the bloody picture already, but she can’t understand anything apart from the word Foto, a word which scares her. She’s brave, she keeps still, her lips pursed, huddled together, her eyes staring into the black abyss of the lens. That’s how her mother told her to be — a statue. She’s only four. Her father’s night-time stories have grown darker lately, he’s been saying the camera steals a chunk of a person’s soul every time the shutter clicks, and she shudders, expecting to hear it any moment now. The man who holds h...

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“Lucy Wins? (Excerpt from The End)” by Stephanie Albright

Submitted to Contest #80

Kevin's POV The press was there from all around the world and as she walked out onto the front porch, followed by the rest of us, they scrambled to get ready. When it seemed that they had sorted themselves out, Lucy stepped down onto the top step and said, “Hello.” A few of them returned her greeting and laughed, not at her, with her. “I have never had a press conference before, so I have no idea what to do,” she said simply. One of them handed her a microphone and shouted that h...

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Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 12, 2021 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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