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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#83: Tropical Getaway

Sometimes we all need a break from our current circumstances. When the world feels gray and lifeless, thoughts of warm beaches and sunny skies can sound more appealing than ever.

Travel has been hard to come by for a while now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make an escape through our imaginations. So this week, let’s slather on the sunscreen, steal what daylight we can, and take our characters to the crystal beaches most of us can only imagine.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who goes to extreme lengths to get themselves to a tropical island.

Adventure – 91 stories

Start your story with someone emerging from the sea, and end it with them looking up at the stars.

Fantasy – 277 stories

Write about someone who’s lived on a tropical island their whole life and is leaving it for the very first time.

Dystopian – 83 stories

Write about someone who books a bargain vacation, only to be told when they arrive that they need to share a hotel suite with a stranger.

Dramatic – 148 stories

Write a fantasy story about water gods or spirits.

Fantasy – 227 stories

Stories

“My Sister, My Brother” by Wreeboo Varrenn

Submitted to Contest #83

She steps carefully out of the water like the sun emerging from behind a cloud--the water is the cloud, and she is the sun. For she is just as radiant as the sun itself. Her eyes sparkle with hidden mischief. Her dress swirls like liquid. And her name? Her name...is Vremali. She shakes her cascading, watery hair with glee, and water flies. The ground itself seems to reach up to grab the droplets let loose--they provide life and sustenance to all. The ocean behind her rises up once again, and a man steps out gracefully. “My sister...

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“She” by Charlotte Bedford

Submitted to Contest #83

The seaweed, a leathery strap of skin, swayed softly against the vibrations of the charcoal water and the lapping waves cloaked each other as if to hide the truth. The moon’s light did not reflect off the surface of the body of water which surrounded the Siren Code Cove. The cove protruded 20 meters above the rolling waves and arched over like a shark beached on the shore. The jagged stalactites and stalagmites rimmed the edges of the great rock like the teeth of this ferocious beast which accompanied the roaring waves. The cove encircled th...

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“Anna Fluvanna Tropical Island Scheme ” by Jeannette B. Taylor

Submitted to Contest #83

Anna Fluvanna was my childhood friend. Since the age of 8 years ago, Anna has fantasized about gojng on a tropical island adventure. It all began when we use to watch Gilligan's Island 🏝. We loved Gilligan and the trouble he use to get in. Lol 😆 Anna was crazy about Ginger and Mrs Howell. She would play dress 👗 up every time we watched Gilligan's Island 🏝 at her house. Every year for her that TY hey were birthday, Anna's parents would try to come up with tropical island themes. It was fun, and sometimes even hilarious. You could tell they ...

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“My crazy vacation(Erica's Tale)” by Grace Sam Awa

Submitted to Contest #83

Going on a vacation has been my fantasy for as long as I remember, I wanted to get an escape even if it was just one day in a month from the craziness that constantly surrounded me and was eating me up, from Monday to Friday, I was a mess, always doing paper work and running errands and I didn't want to make any mistakes that would bring my contract job to an end, it was all I had, at least for now. You might ask me if I don't take the weekends off, well during the weekends I go to stay with mum and help her sell in the market, weekends are ...

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“The Tropical Die-land” by Lucy Nowland

Submitted to Contest #83

The sky was washed in fog, the street lights peeked through contemptuously. The sound of sirens and screeching tires created an ear-splitting symphony. A symphony they performed almost every day. Rain started to pour down on the dirty streets and I pulled my hood up over my hair. I sighed angrily before stopping in front of the overbearing and dooming building of my place of work. It looked much like a prison in the dim light of early morning. It was surrounded by other prison-like buildings on every side. I clenched my fists before stomping...

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“Preparations” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #83

Health workers were running helter skelter, pulling stretcher here and there. The Ambulances were flashing their red lights and blaring their sirens nonstop and dead bodies and the wounded were being loaded into them and taking to the hospitals. There was commotion everywhere. Some stretchers were bumping into each, voices raised here and there by the tiring workers. Volunteers were not left out of the actions; they were contributing their quota in clearing the dead and wounded. The officers with their black and white stripe cars flashin...

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“CRUSO'S TREASURE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #83

This story is set on planet Gaia2 – earth’s twin which is still evolving about eight centuries behind. The state of Colada on the shore of the Serelia sea was normally prosperous, but it was now hit by Nature’s calamity and the king was desperate for money. He had created a lottery with a big sum as reward. Agricultural baron Talifer said he would make a significant contribution provided he was given Island 55. The king conferred with his chief minister. The CM said “Island 55 is mainly mountainous and, who knows, it could face volcanic acti...

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“Finally!” by Andrea Itt

Submitted to Contest #83

Liam was wrapped in several layers of heavy coats, pants and scarves on his way home. He was so cold. Liam had been transferred from his cozy job in Texas to an “upgrade” in North Dakota. There was a small party with cake. He remembered an off hand comment where someone told him it wasn’t that cold. Liam really wished he knew who it was so he could punch them. Liam’s shaky hand reached for his key in an attempt to unlock the front door. Once the door was unlocked he had to shift his full body weight just to open the door that was held i...

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“Last adventure” by Bui Buiii

Submitted to Contest #83

LAST ADVENTURE It was one dawn in autumn of 1978 India, the door of the second youngest male of the Khu household creaked open and his disturbingly lanky and dark figure emerged, with a small backpack tightly clutched to his chest. The streak of dawn painted the sky, the sun was itching to rise from behind the hills and the stark white temple of the Khu household looked exquisitely beautiful against the hilly background with its marbled floors. The young lad tiptoed across the long corridor, hiding behind the huge round pillars at the drop o...

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“Somehow Dreaming ” by Sheri Lane

Submitted to Contest #83

In the noisy classroom it was hard for me to think. I tried to do my best on the last day of school, but I couldn't stop wondering about summer. My teacher, Mrs. Brooks, thinks I have a hard time paying attention, but really I am just excited. Our class was learning about climate change, so nothing too fun. “Maddie, I need your eyes up here.” said Mrs. Brooks to me. It’s hard to believe that she thought I wasn’t paying attention, when the biggest distraction in the world was sitting right behind me, Harriet Williams (totally the teache...

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“I will be a god” by Amanda Stuntz

Submitted to Contest #83

Lana looked out over the clear blue water and smiled. Today was the day she had been training for since she was five years old. Soon that cool refreshing water would be her home, and the people of her village wouldn’t suffer at the hands of a god who cared nothing for them. If she had it her way, she would send the waters rippling through the valley and into the surrounding villages so they wouldn’t have to travel as far to collect their water. Songs about her fierce battle, bravery, and unending stamina would be sung through the halls of ...

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“Signalling the Stars” by Aym Less

Submitted to Contest #83

The waves toss and churn, spewing sprays of mist. I break the surface, managing one panicked gasp before water crashes down on my face. My vision is blurry, the salt stinging my eyes shut. My limbs flail wildly as I strain upwards but with every movement, the sea drags me back. Stay, it whispers. I gag on my own breath. Not yet. Displeased, the water chills, a current snaking around my limbs. Desperation is the only emotion my half-starved brain can muster and in a last-ditch effort, I go limp. The sea eagerly rips th...

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“Swimming With a Ghost” by Bray L

Submitted to Contest #83

I could feel the ghost of him next to me. He was swimming and yelling and laughing and splashing the rushing salt water up into my face. When I closed my eyes, avoiding the droplets of the salty sea, it was easy to feel his warm presence contrasting the chilling water. Though he wasn’t swimming with me. He wasn’t yelling and laughing by my side, despite how I ached for him to be. Knowing that his ghost was here, in the spot where we met, was not enough to lighten the heaviness of the urn under my left arm. It was not enough to prevent...

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“An Unexpected Long-lasting Love” by Brandy Swor

Submitted to Contest #83

Nights like these are what I live for now. Ever since I got out of the mercenary business I have been seeking reprieve. Here I found it, in the sounds of the sea. The smell of the saltwater is a dream and the sound of the ocean winds are a calming blanket to my tired ears. I sit here on occasion to escape the thoughts of yesterday. "Whoa, what is that?" I exclaim to myself. I'm usually here alone at this time of night. My vision was blurred and foggy, the moon the only light upon the horizon. I had to walk closer to the figure I saw em...

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“A Little Bit of Light” by Nuala Roberts

Submitted to Contest #83

1931, Calypso River, Greece The sun shines through the water. Bubbles move along with the current, and I cast my eyes up to the sky. "Calypso," a voice whispers. There are places still untouched by time. Places of naiads and nymphs, places of fairy magic. My mother said the Greeks had it all right, but my sister said they had it all wrong. Still, I knew both to be true. They didn't know about my wings. When Amity Gardner was fifteen years old, she met Calypso. Calypso, or Cal, was sweetly evil, which was the only thing Amity was sure of....

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$50

Prize money

826

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 05, 2021 EST

Won by Madalyn Meyers 🏆

Title: Burn Damage

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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