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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#99: Summer Solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st is the ‘summer solstice’ — the longest day of the calendar year and, in astronomical terms, the beginning of summer. In my part of the world, this season evokes a plethora of scenes: sunbathing on river banks, al fresco dining with friends, and trips to the seaside, all punctuated by the heady scents of summertime — potent florals, sunscreen and food sizzling on the grill.

The solstice celebration has its roots in ancient Paganism — where people would gather at sites like Stonehenge and wear protective garlands of herbs and flowers to ward off the evil spirits who, according to Pagan folklore, walk the earth more freely at this time. From a spiritual standpoint, the solstice is all about embracing the sun and its awesome power. Whether you love basking in the sun or prefer to stay inside with the curtains drawn, I thought this week's prompts could be a way for us Reedsians to mark the advent of summer too. Happy writing!

🥇 Winner

“The Men and the Lake ” by Tom Vandel

🏆 Winner of Contest #99

The Men And The Lake We could talk about the storm. We could talk about the wind and waves. We could talk about the boat. We could talk about the life jackets. We could talk about the men and the lake. We could talk about why they went so far out from shore. We could talk about the beer and whisky. We could talk about how they ended up in the water. We cou...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Wet Sheets” by Shea West

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #99

TW: postpartum depression 2 am used to be the time of day that you and your friends drunkenly stumbled from the bars, propelled forward by the joy of drinking too many flights of IPA’s with eyes squinted tight from laughing too much. Surrounded by friends who had the same level of despondency as you did, the ales brightened your dispositions and gave you hope that 6 am wouldn’t feel too brutal. But now, you wake with a startle because you feel the presence of an angered spirit or your toddler, you can’t seem to tell anymore, they are one and...

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“Dracula in the Morning” by Story Time

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #99

My doctor told me that a lot of the whole “I burn up in the sun” fear that I have is, you know, just that. It’s a fear. A fear that’s rooted in trauma, because, you know, when the villagers would come, they would come with torches, and so now, I associate fire or fire-like things with destruction and harm. And, you know, if I only lived a natural life, then I would only see that fear grow to include, um, you know, obviously, fire, and, like, maybe matches? But when you’ve been around as long as I have it expands--the fear--it expands, ...

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“The Tale of Hingrek and Nobble” by Blue Green

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #99

Nature held its breath before the sunrise, and the expectation of magic and possibilities hung heavy in the cool morning air. A light mist lay over the long grass covering the hill. The sky was lightening to the east; it promised to be a warm midsummers day. A rabbit hopped cautiously out of its burrow and sniffed the air, ears erect and twitching left and right for the sound of possible enemies – a fox perhaps, or an owl returning from its nightly hunting. But it was absolutely still this morning; even the birds sensed this moment was speci...

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This week's prompts

Begin your story with somebody watching the sunrise, or sunset.

Fluff – 275 stories

Write about the longest day of the year, or a day that never seems to end.

Summer – 99 stories

End your story with somebody stepping out into the sunshine.

Summer – 211 stories

Write a story about somebody reminiscing on an event that happened many summers ago.

Summer – 217 stories

Write a story about characters going on a summer road trip.

Summer – 104 stories

Stories

“The Men and the Lake ” by Tom Vandel

🏆 Winner of Contest #99

The Men And The Lake We could talk about the storm. We could talk about the wind and waves. We could talk about the boat. We could talk about the life jackets. We could talk about the men and the lake. We could talk about why they went so far out from shore. We could talk about the beer and whisky. We could talk about how they ended up in the water. We cou...

Read story

“The Same God” by Kanika G

Submitted to Contest #99

As I unrolled my blue beach mat—too large for one person—on a “safe” part of the beach, my mind stumbled over all the seemingly unimportant but critical details it usually stumbled over while I meticulously set things up. Of prime importance was the time because if I missed the 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. window when the sun was still in a pleasantly warm avatar and not yet a fire-spitting demon, I would not able to see anything because my mind would be preoccupied with avoiding death by dehydration while my exposed skin would turn into a red, itchy ...

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“Death by Wasabi” by Stevie B

Submitted to Contest #99

The sun had yet to set, but the friendly early evening crowd was beginning to trickle into the outdoor eatery area of The Court Street Bar and Restaurant. It was, after all, a little past seven on a Saturday night in Hobohemia, and after a full work week, most people just want to get out and have a little fun. Carlton Tucker had chosen this place because in his mind it would be the perfect place for a perfect first date. He’d had his eye on Annemarie Chellini for quite some time now, so after months of trying to muster up the courage to ask ...

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“It’s Not Life or Death” by PJ Aitken

Submitted to Contest #99

Jenny was dead. Even though she was only 11 she had hoped to go out with a bit more style than just in her sleep. She’d spent a long time getting a reputation amongst her friends as someone who could look after herself and also defend them if they were being bullied. “Big Bad Jen” they called her – no bully too big for her despite being slim and petite. Her dad didn’t like this as would always lead to him having to come into school to have difficult conversations about her behaviour and how it could impact her future prospects bla...

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“Wet Sheets” by Shea West

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #99

TW: postpartum depression 2 am used to be the time of day that you and your friends drunkenly stumbled from the bars, propelled forward by the joy of drinking too many flights of IPA’s with eyes squinted tight from laughing too much. Surrounded by friends who had the same level of despondency as you did, the ales brightened your dispositions and gave you hope that 6 am wouldn’t feel too brutal. But now, you wake with a startle because you feel the presence of an angered spirit or your toddler, you can’t seem to tell anymore, they are one and...

Read story

“tiny piscine heart” by Rayhan Hidayat

Submitted to Contest #99

Talia watches the sun set over a field of corpses.It’s a red sunset, rich and shimmering like the blood forming rivulets between the soot-stained uniforms at her feet. A bleeding sun casting its forlorn gaze over bleeding bodies.Bodies that Talia had danced with to the tune of swordplay not an hour ago, steel kissing steel, until hers had tasted flesh and relished it. She searches for any semblance of triumph in the colorless eyes staring back from her blade, only to find a crimson tear scurrying down its length to stain her fingers. As if h...

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“Afterglow” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #99

Slivers of sunlight radiated through Mary’s window casting a warm glow throughout her entire bedroom. The sultry smell of freshly cut grass blew in and tickled her nose. She woke up with a thundering sneeze and subconsciously cursed the neighbors for mowing their lawns so early in the morning. Letting her eyes adjust to the light, Mary yawned like a ferocious lion ready to devour the day. Stretching her arms high above her head, she was ready to get up. Off and running, Mary took a quick shower with warm vanilla sugar body wa...

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“A Fun/ Crazy Road Trip” by Caroline Fonteno

Submitted to Contest #99

Twins Campbell and Sarah were upstairs in their room packing the final things for their summer road trip. Campbell was finishing up her backpack packing. She shoved her book, ipad, airpods, and sweatshirt into the bag and then zipped it up. Sarah was finishing up packing her backpack as well. She put her book, chewing gum, make-up pouch, and her airpods into her back before zipping it up. “Campbell, Sarah come on, it's time to go.” Their mom called. “Coming!” Campbell called back. Both girls grabbed their backpacks and their c...

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“hope you don't mind” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

Submitted to Contest #99

It is very early in the morning when Bush comes to wake me up."Get up quickly," he says, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes dart restlessly like he's afraid of the lemon-colored light filtering through the windows. "We've got a body."I sit up straight. Bush knows things but for the first time, I see fear and pain in his eyes. "Another foreigner?" I ask setting my feet on the floor. The ground is cold. My feet are wet. It's hardly comforting to think about. But still, the question drags in the silence. Is it a foreigner or not? A week ...

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“Dracula in the Morning” by Story Time

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #99

My doctor told me that a lot of the whole “I burn up in the sun” fear that I have is, you know, just that. It’s a fear. A fear that’s rooted in trauma, because, you know, when the villagers would come, they would come with torches, and so now, I associate fire or fire-like things with destruction and harm. And, you know, if I only lived a natural life, then I would only see that fear grow to include, um, you know, obviously, fire, and, like, maybe matches? But when you’ve been around as long as I have it expands--the fear--it expands, ...

Read story

“Ethan's Moments in the Sun” by Gip Roberts

Submitted to Contest #99

In all the years I've been around Ethan, I've never seen him like this before. Whether pacing back and forth in a restaurant parking lot, yelling indecipherable words into the beam of a cop's flashlight, doing some crazy dance while strolling down a sidewalk, or swatting at the air inside this liquor store, the one constant about him has always been unpredictability. So now that I think about it, I really shouldn't be too surprised that he's acting perfectly normal this morning. After all, he is unpredictable. When I say "perfectly n...

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“The Dream Again” by Phoebe Barr

Submitted to Contest #99

Feb 10. I had the dream again last night. It went the same way it always did when I was in junior high - it would start out about something else, and then through some shadowed door or opening which hadn’t been there before, the knight would step out into the open. Ancient One, he’d say, and his voice would have that unfamiliar lilt to it, the lilt that had told me long ago he belonged to another world. The kingdom needs you again. I can’t really control what I do, in the dreams. Something leads me that’s not my common sense. So t...

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“Tomorrow is Another Day” by Lynn Penny

Submitted to Contest #99

NightCrawlers: Victims of a Parasite that turned into Nocturnal Cannibalistic Hunters whose only instincts are to kill and eat.“Is it even worth it as this point? The constant fight to live, for what? Just so we can contine to struggle the next day?” Tybalt mumbled as he wrapped a bandage around Rowan’s bloodied forearm, his face flashing a somber look under the glow of the fire. Rowan huffed and turned away to gaze at Oliva, the young girl that had just joined the small pack. Their large black mutt—Lucifer— curled up next to Oliva, protect...

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“Turbulence” by A.Dot Ram

Submitted to Contest #99

It could have been romantic, flying west together into an eternal sunset. If only they were speaking to each other.Katrina gazed out the small portal window, silently absorbing the orange-drenched clouds from the confines of seat 37E, arms folded over her chest. If she let her eyes slip out of focus, her view could be a tranquil ocean, or a silent desert.“What?” Scott broke their silence from 37F, squaring his shoulder away from her and tilting his phone screen out of view.“What, what?” she asked back, doing nothing to soften the thorns in h...

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“Roadside Attractions” by H L McQuaid

Submitted to Contest #99

In the rearview mirror the one called Astrid, a freckled strawberry slip of a woman, lifts the lid off a bronze funeral urn and squeezes a small hand through its narrow neck. She roots around inside for a moment, before retracting her hand and popping something into her mouth. I’m about to ask what she’s eating when Bobby, the young black man in the passenger seat, says, “Deer.”About thirty feet ahead, a doe stands on the road, so close I can see its velvet ears twitching. It’s too late to stop. I got less than a second to decide--stay on co...

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$50

Prize money

909

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 25, 2021 EST

Won by Tom Vandel 🏆

Title: The Men and the Lake

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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