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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#90: Down to Earth

On April 22nd 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated in the US. More than 50 years later, this annual event unites millions across the globe, as we turn our attention towards climate action and building a safer home for ourselves and all life on Earth.

Earth Day provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on our relationship with the planet — and what better way to do that than by writing about it? Whether you follow in the footsteps of the Romantics, who believed in the rehabilitating powers of nature, or the SFF giants whose dystopian novels have long forewarned the demise of Earth Prime, let’s join in the spirit of Earth Day and get closer to nature with this week’s prompts!

This week's prompts

Write a story that weaves together multiple lives through their connection to a particular tree.

Spring – 246 stories

Write a story in which an endangered species (of plant or animal) plays a central role.

Middle School – 94 stories

Set your story in a world living with the consequences of a climate apocalypse.

Science Fiction – 133 stories

Write about a community that worships Mother Nature.

Summer – 82 stories

Start your story with someone sitting on a crowded train and end it with them looking out over beautiful natural scenery.

Spring – 258 stories

Stories

“The night of justice” by Parth Tyagi

Submitted to Contest #90

10th of October, 2020 Washing 10th Street, “I don’t know if there’s something wrong with me,” said Sambhav looking the Jasmine sitting next to him puzzled, “Whatever I have been eating seems bitter, and I have been weird dreams all night.” “Did you check with the doctor,” asked Jasmin. “Yes! It’s the first time something like this happened to me I had to check with the doc, but he says all the reports are fine it might be anxiety or gastric issues.” Sambhav’s phone starts to ring, he picks up goes outside, and comes back after five minutes....

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“Jed's Things to Avoid in Life” by Ell Peck

Submitted to Contest #90

Jed didn’t do relationships. That was just one of his rules. Actually, it had become such an important rule to him that he added it to his very official, highly scientific List of Things to Avoid in Life. They were too complicated, and the touchy-feely stuff usually left him feeling inadequate about his ability to be there for someone. He also just didn’t have the time, with his fifty-hour work week and all that. So not wasting his time trying to care for another person, especially considering that they’d probably notice pretty quickly how l...

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“The Tree” by Luna Wood

Submitted to Contest #90

-Shara POV- I walk through the field with the grass brushing against my knees. I'm going to the tree. To others, this tree might not mean anything but to me it's everything. Deer prance through the grass near my feet. Cece is atop one. -Cece POV- I fly through the grass on the deer. I see Shara as I dart by. Her short white hair flowing in the wind with her knee-high brown dress. She pushes her circle glasses up on her nose. She is holding bundles of ferns. They must be the result of her magic. We get our magic from the tree we are...

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“The Mazumba Village- A land of nature and culture” by Ephraim Okoye

Submitted to Contest #90

In the Plains of West Africa was a the primitive kingdom of the Mazuban people. A land that shares boundaries with the pacific oceans endowed with mountains,the blue skies, hills with water falls and green and flowery forests filled with all kinds of animals. In the Mazuban land animals which are also totems are regraded with different levels of honor. The lion is regarded to a royal, kingly entity, the tiger a good wrestler, the tortoise as crafty, the leopard as a honorable hunter and lots of them. Indeed Mazuba was a place every tourist w...

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“ENDANGERED SPECIES” by Opher 51 2022 REYES

Submitted to Contest #90

Lemurs are making themselves at home in Madagascar's cacao and vanilla manors, another examination finds. New exploration supported by Conservation International (CI) demonstrates that deliberately arranged and very much oversaw conceal developed cacao and vanilla ranches could fill in as reasonable environments for lemurs and other untamed life — a good omen for a country where 70% of the populace resides in neediness, 90% of unique vegetation has been lost and one notorious lemur animal varieties' populace has plunged 95% since 200...

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“Listen Up!” by Zuki Bean

Submitted to Contest #90

If you take a right off of Newberry Street, just past 7th, there's a tiny dirt path you can get to if you squint your eyes at the bushes. You can park your car there and continue down by bike or by walking, if that’s your style. Anyways - and make sure to write this down - take a right after the old barn, and continue until you see a worn down diamond sign that I think used to be yellow. What… scared it might have said something important? Life’s too short to worry about things that have passed their time of relevance...

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“2021 ” by Link Arneson

Submitted to Contest #90

A year ago, I might have been shoulder to shoulder with people, a backpack in my face or hot breath on my neck, stretching my arm up to grab the strap on the rail for stability. Now, I wear my mask and sit in my own seat, four or five feet away from other passengers. This is rush hour; the train is only half full, and it still feels like too many people. Someone gets on the train and sits in the seat directly behind me. Shots shots shots, I tell myself as my world starts spinning. You have all your shots. You’re fully vaccinated. My...

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“Sacrifice” by AddieD ❤️❤️

Submitted to Contest #90

Two months ago. . .“Scientists have discovered that in two weeks, the existence of humanity could be threatened. What they call a ‘climate apocalypse’ will happen. This means that because of rising levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, our atmosphere will eventually collapse, shuttling all of our precious oxygen into space,” the reporter said. I turned down the volume on the TV. “Do you think what he says is true?” I asked Dad, who was scrolling through football game clips. Dad looked up. “The government put a restriction...

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“23rd March, 3005” by UJAAN DAS

Submitted to Contest #90

It was 23rd March, 3005. Murtagh opened his eyes. The morning sun was unsparing. He got out of bed and brushed his teeth with a twig from a medicinal tree he had collected few days ago. He thought of breakfast and opened his zero-energy cool chamber. Murtagh takes pride in his invention which helps him store his food. There was no one in the world to provide electricity to run a proper fridge. It was a very large box like structure made of two layers of bricks with sand in between. A constant supply of water was to be provided to the sand ...

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“The Shade Beneath The Maple Tree” by Zion Hintay

Submitted to Contest #90

"Eleanor suppers ready, come down from there."Her mothers voice rang across the field as resounding as the ringing of a supper bell in the afternoon.The young girl sitting beneath her favorite maple tree, packed up her books and woolen blanket she had been sitting on."Come darling, it'll be getting cold for sure if you don't eat now." Her mother waved her in. As she did so she looked out at the tree with solemn eyes before closing the door.***Another door opens, and out springs a man thrown to the streets."Uhh.." He moans as he makes to rise...

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“Magna Mater ” by Matthew Gorrell

Submitted to Contest #90

I hear the muffled roar of a junker being pushed past its limits just behind me. This cacophony is not alone as I am. Instead it is a fervent combination of tires fighting what I can only believe to be rugged back roads with gargled metal music that sounds more like the shrill of a boisterous demon. Hidden beneath all this disarray are the muted whisperings and sparse laughter of men stranger than the roads we speed down. The chaotic atmosphere reminds me of my family’s drunken gatherings comprised of howling matches and blaring m...

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“ A misplaced stroke of white paint ” by Kiki Shanae

Submitted to Contest #90

Cynthia let out a grunt as her trembling hands ruined her painting of an ash tree. Her once perfectly painted ash tree now had a misplaced stroke of white paint in the trunk of the ash tree. She examined her painting once again, contemplating on whether to continue or to disregard it. A tall Ash tree stood in the middle, with its ever so green leaves covering its branches. Cynthia then remembers how Ash trees looked like this during the summer. The Ash tree had only one straight trunk and a misplaced stroke of white paint."why did ...

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“Daniel” by Alex Auclair

Submitted to Contest #90

Daniel was a student that gave teacher’s a hard time. I would be lying if I said Daniel didn’t give me a hard time every now and then in my biology class. He was the kind of kid who would stand up in the middle of a lesson, stretch, and yawn loudly just to get a laugh from the other students. Daniel made me laugh too, but as the adult in the room, it was my responsibility to remind him to stay on task and do his work. I’ll never forget the day Daniel had his head down on the desk, eyes closed. “Daniel are you sleeping?” I asked. “Nah...

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“The Cheerful Slug” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #90

The Cheerful Slug is so named because the slug is so vastly unappealing. It was discovered in the 1890’s by Marvin J. Freddermeier, an explorer who is known for mapping out large swatches of the South American rainforest and for being stabbed by all three of his ex-wives during their various divorce proceedings. Freddermeier was searching for a fabled red anteater that was rumored to live in the densest parts of the terrain, but after months of failed expedition, Freddermeier found himself in his tent one night when he heard what he thought ...

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“Inconceivable ” by Jeremy Johnson

Submitted to Contest #90

Everyone knew we would eventually kill the planet; we just didn’t think it would happen like this or this quick. Industrialization in all its glory, allowed for easier living for all of humankind. Machinery lifted the burden from the individual to complete daily tasks which allowed for more idle time. We invested our efforts into that idle time to come up with more ways to make life easier yet. It was no secret the industrial machine would eventually consume all resources, or the wars we fought over those resources would ...

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$50

Prize money

813

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 23, 2021 EST

Won by Nina Chyll 🏆

Title: The Tree Surgeon's Dictionary

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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