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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 Cherry 🍒 Tree” by Rose Quartz

Submitted to Contest #90

It was a fact, everyone at my school loved the cherry tree. It was tradition for the students to take a leaf, and write anything they wanted on it. They were then instructed to tape that leaf back on the tree, and see who would last all four seasons. The winners would be announced to the class, and wanted mine to be the one to last. The significance of this was that whatever it was you wrote, it would only stay if you wrote it from The heart. I found this to be true because all the former student’s notes were heartwarming. This is not to say...

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“Winter's Child” by Phoebe DeNeve

Submitted to Contest #90

It was the year 2134; people were without a care, sitting in their homes and apartments in New York City. There were warnings of war, blood, and death all over the news, but no one listened to them, and prepared for what was coming next. At 11:00am that morning, conflict started; The sun was blocked out by something, and those who had their TV's on experienced static. Moments after the sun was blocked, there was the sound of howling, that was followed by silence, and then was followed by the roaring of an ear-piercing explosion. The war has ...

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“The Lost and Found Office” by Santina Forlenza-Pihuličova

Submitted to Contest #90

Since Michael Angelini landed in New York, his parents did not stop reminding him that yes, he was not in Italy anymore, but he still was Leonardo Da Vinci’s descendant. He did not have to come up with a new Mona Lisa, they said, but with something acceptable at least.Michael was enrolled at the NY School of Art, and painting was his passion. He never painted anything good; his landscapes were fine ‘from the technical point of view,’ Professor Cracking said, however none of his canvas was selected for the yearly award.Besides painting Michae...

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“Corporate Punishment” by J.J. Warby

Submitted to Contest #90

An itchy grey suit, a sentimental watch, and a pistol tucked into his belt. This was all the old man had left to lose on this tour. The train sat idle, large and bright like the lush valley housing its tracks. For Clint Rogers, the juxtaposition between the machinery and the greenery was too painful to ignore. He stood among fat cats with skyward noses and fox skin scarves. They blabbered, excited to board. He overheard them swapping obnoxious tales of their financial exploits, future construction plans, and designer drugs. Wafts of unnecess...

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“The Tree” by Michael James

Submitted to Contest #90

Here. Listen. If you ever find yourself on Digby Street, keep walking to where the road ends at a wide-open field. In the center of that field is a tree. You'll know it when you see it. It sticks out because it’s the only thing in the field, and it's offensively large. The grass is well maintained, although no lawnmower has ever touched a blade. They bend and point inward. There's a physical pull, and the ground slopes downward, almost as if the weight of the tree is a burden. To be clear, the weight of the tree is a burden. Inasmuch a...

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“Escaping from the Wrath of Water” by LM Konkel-Dixon

Submitted to Contest #90

The world was once like paradise, but everyone knows that paradises fall. As humanity rose in progress with industrialization and technological advances, so did the progression in pollution, climate change, and the destruction of the planet. Then the day came that the world hit its last chance and the generation of humanity alive at the time were the ones to pay the price. Oceans rose, and glaciers melted, creating increased water levels that wiped out islands and everything along the coasts. Areas usually hot such as deserts and tropical is...

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“Seasons” by Francis Daisy

Submitted to Contest #90

Seriously, the largest trees we have ever seen are the Redwoods. Hundreds of feet tall; the tallest 380 feet tall. And, these trees are so big around, our family of five couldn’t even come close to reaching all the way around them even if we held hands and stretched our arms as wide as we could. We would only make it about a third of the way. We could park our car inside one of these trees. When we returned to New York after this trip, our trees looked like toothpicks compared to those trees we had seen in California. There is no sight like ...

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“I'm Almost Home” by Zahra Naazir

Submitted to Contest #90

Lucy rushed in through the closing doors and knew she had made it. A train would transport her far away. Far away from the flat that had wasted many years of her life. She looked around and was suddenly overwhelmed by the bobbing heads of strangers. The panic was real. She couldn't breathe. She huddled up in her seat and realized why the many eyes rested on her. Her bare feet, the shaggy clothes and the overgrown, unmanaged hair. Her blankey tried to enveloped her torso, but barely. She had over grown it. She looked like a female versio...

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“The Tree of Lives” by Ava NDaw

Submitted to Contest #90

A white oak tree sat in Phelps Grove Park In Springfield, Missouri. White oaks grow best in Missouri, but this particular tree would grow best to play an important role in many individual’s lives. Liam was 12 when his father broke his pinky promise. Every day after school Liam would rush to the park to climb his favorite tree. He would sit on the highest branch to see all the other beautiful trees, flowers, and animals in the park. Liam dreamt of having his own treehouse built right into his tree and live there until he is to...

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“Alessia Grows” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #90

Alessia Alighieri had not looked forward to learning piantakinesis. It was customary for all students at her school to learn the mastery of plant magic from followers at the temple of Cernunnos, the Horned God. Followers of Cernunnos were considered odd by the wider magi community. They wore their uniform as it had been for millennia, since they were misnamed druids back on Origin, first planet of humanity. They wore the antlered helms, with a torc hanging from each. Some painted their skin with woad. Always bare chested, and almost always...

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“Breathe Easy” by Link Arneson

Submitted to Contest #90

Waterproof mascara, because my eyes would certainly tear up the moment I stepped outdoors. Orangeish foundation around my five o’clock shadow, until I saved up enough money to have it lasered off. Contour some cheekbones, soften my jawline. Pluck and pencil my eyebrows.I painted the lip color on my lips, exaggerating the pout, and counted to twenty, watching the seconds tick by on the secondhand smart mirror. Then I applied the gloss and the setting spray. Count to twenty again, then put on my N95 to test it. None of the makeup came off agai...

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“A Fluttery Feeling” by Ed .

Submitted to Contest #90

GeorgeWhen I was eight years old, I used to have an enormous tree in my backyard. It somehow snaked its way up to the sky and clings to the clouds. It can be seen miles beyond miles away from the street I was in. I called it Mabel. Now that I am 11 and a half, I call it “The Tree'' or “You know what” or anything you may refer to “Thing” because “Mabel” is a name for your dog or your cat or maybe your guinea pig and fish even though I do not think fish would be happy with the name. Me and my friend Tim like to climb it but we never reach the ...

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“The Will Of Daniel Hughes” by SpaceHuman 🌌

Submitted to Contest #90

SpaceHuman's Note: "I'm just going to start this off by letting out a deep breath. YAY MY STORIES FINALLY MADE IT TO THE DIRECTORY. I is happy. Also shanks a lot for 20 followers, it means a lot. This story is basically someone's will if you are ever confused. Well idk if it's a will, but it's the note the person writes that is to be read when they are dead. Heh I can rhyme. Now, on with thy story :)" The only sound to be heard at the moment is the calling of the birds, or the splashes of the playing alligator that isn't too far from where w...

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“Curiosity ” by Madeleine Fromgei

Submitted to Contest #90

A crumpled paper slips through the rusting mail slot.Out of habit, my hand reaches for it. The paper is yellowed and the edges are wrinkled, folding over on themselves like dirty sheets ready to be washed. I don’t open it. I never do. I pick it up and place it in a bag with other crumpled letters, some stained with tears, some with ink, and others with blood.I hesitate before reaching out to the letter again. My fingers trace its corner, just waiting to be read, just waiting to be seen and known and loved.I put it back.I don’t read the lette...

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“There was only this” by Sam Stevenson

Submitted to Contest #90

I am perched on a sturdy branch high up in a Douglas Fir atop Pine Mountain. The sun is touching my face, and I am in a trance staring into the water that has formed a Bay in the valley below. I watch the circling hawks and turkey vultures, floating gracefully, spiraling with the wind currents. There! That one is Foose. “Foose!” Foose has a bigger body and wider wingspan than the other hawks. His coloring is a light brown. From my perch, I watch Foose hunt a fledgling. He easily catches it with his talons and comes over to my tree, choosin...

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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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