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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!

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

“Foxes and Jasmine” by Madhuparna Goswami

Submitted to Contest #99

Leaning against the windowsill, Tithi watched the glowing red orb rising ever so slowly over the horizon. The vermilion rays bathed the vast land of grey concrete and the gentle breeze whispered against her skin, caressing her long, messy braid. The haunting coos of Koyels and starlings far away surrounded the land while black kites flew across the land, the dark wings spread against a scarlet sky. A memory flashed in front of her eyes - “Baba, why is the sun red in the morning?”, a small heavy girl with pigtails looked up to the beautiful...

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“Summer's Soulless” by Alex Santana

Submitted to Contest #99

“It’s not enough time, it’s not enough time!” I drop to my knees and beg of the sun to stop rising, the earth to stop spinning, my heart to stop racing. The ground beneath me starts to shimmer with the familiar gold lighting that encapsulates my demise. My fingertips are on fire. Buck kneels next to me, hesitant to touch my skin as he witnesses the clothes on my body start to burn. “Hey, hey,” he coaxes my vision from my worry and to his eyes, “look at me.” I do as he says, and he smiles gently. “I’m not going anywhere, and if I have any sa...

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“Dream of sunlight ” by وداد أكرم

Submitted to Contest #99

It is the year 6070, after the destruction of the planet due to nuclear wars, it is completely dark and prevailed over it because of the layer formed under the ozone layer by the smoke from nuclear explosions, although scientists have tried to find the right compound to break up this layer for the return of the sun, but all their attempts have failed . But life outside these stores is impossible when they have been deprived of the natural air, the sun and other natural things, when a group of scientists decided to research and research in ...

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“Rina” by Marie McLaughlin

Submitted to Contest #99

It was a muggy summer evening, a few purple clouds dotted the orange-red sky. A girl stood at the edge of a lake, taking in the reflection of the setting sun on the surface of the water. She walked towards the far end of the lake and sat on a rock. She was at the border of her home province, so she decided to take one last look at her native land before she proceeded to a foreign province towards freedom. The day before... The girl sat down on a fence post when she saw a horse drawn carriage drive by. The homely nobleman inside the caravan...

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“Why?” by Peculiar Ibhawoh

Submitted to Contest #99

Hues of red and gold flames danced across the sky, stretching far and wide to welcome the night. They were fresh colors, graffitied by whatever impeccable artist had created the sky to use as their canvass. It resembled the shade of orange in the tangerines I had just before my morning class- so bold and radiant, announcing the end of the day. The sunset was beautiful and i watched it everyday. “What is the most important question in the world?”, he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I glanced at him. His ...

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“HERE WITHOUT YOU” by Kim Dachung

Submitted to Contest #99

I caress my guitar in my arms as I watch the golden sun slowly set on the horizon, kissing this part of the earth goodnight. The beauty of this scenery reminds me of nothing but the awesomeness and beauty of Nada. I wonder how I let a little fame get the best of me which led to her leaving me. I can still remember the day we had the fight. She claimed that I changed, obviously she was right, but I felt she didn’t understand me, I was blinded by pride. After I released an Afro pop song and got media attention in the city of Jos, the way fr...

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“The Pinks” by Hoor Amin

Submitted to Contest #99

Everything’s the same. Almost. The ground is the same. The sea in front of him is the same. The sky is the same. One of the things that is not the same, is the others' presence. His soulmate is not here. His other half is not here. They used to come here a lot, and watch the sunrise together. Sometimes they would talk about random things, or sometimes they would not talk at all. It was just with each other, they would find peace. But now, Elijah is here alone. He first sees a line of a slightly white color. Then very light pink hues start to...

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“Generosity” by Gayathri Pavanasri

Submitted to Contest #99

WHAT WE LEARN FROM OUR INSPIRATION “Generosity” The red color spread all the sky, the candy is so small while compare to the clouds in the sky the natural cool breeze from the surroundings and the pleasant mu...

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“Liam's hill” by Holly Farnan

Submitted to Contest #99

This is how it’s meant to be, how the world’s supposed to look. The golden hues turn a rose and lilac blend with the bat of an eye, the birds sing their lullabies in the trees behind and the fireflies set alight. Liam has never looked more beautiful than at this moment. The sun’s rays bending around his jawline, the reflection of the young moon illuminating his turquoise eyes, the ripples of his personal ocean gracefully complementing his worn out, blood orange jumper, which is far too small for him to still be squeezing on every day. ...

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“A Half-Full Bottle of Rum” by John Oakes

Submitted to Contest #99

The wet red footprints did little to distract from the fiery beauty of the Wednesday sun, which had started to duck below the curved tips of the mountains. It was a magnificent sight, one that filled the heart with a lust to explore wherever the source of the burning light came from, and to Eddie that seemed like a viable quest. At that moment Eddie felt like he could do anything. At that moment Eddie felt the most alive he had ever been. But, at that moment, Eddie also felt the most dead. It had been roughly twelve hours earlier that...

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“To Reminisce of a Love” by Rafael S

Submitted to Contest #99

- So whenever our eyes meet, I can’t help but feel butterflies on my stomach. – The maid said. – Tell me Izanami-san, have you ever felt like this? - Just once Aimi-chan. – Said Izanami. The two women were watching the sunset at the land of the dead, the Yomi. A rare occurrence, that happened every once a couple of months, that symbolized the begi...

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“My First Sunrise” by Ana Pudleiner

Submitted to Contest #99

There was something familiar about sitting on the silky grass, hand in his, waiting for the sun to set, waiting for the colors to bleed out rainbow, into the cold night sky. The late night breeze felt like a biting kiss against my cheek as temperature started to drop, but it was worth it. I like to think that I am an official sunset watcher. This is because one: that's totally a thing and two: I love to watch sunsets. Every night I take a picture and I have an ongoing book of the sunsets that we have seen together, started the day Daniel and...

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“The Best Day of his Life” by Kayley Dickins

Submitted to Contest #99

So sorry for your loss, but look on the bright side ma’am, this corridor is duck egg blue. Whoever had decided that hospitals were to be grey, he decided, had better not have made any other decisions that would play a part in his life. People were here having the best days and the worst days of their lives, the scariest and the most underwhelming, and all the while the walls were trying to disappear. Trying so hard to not be noticeable that they had the opposite effect, and one spent a large section of the best day or the worst day of their ...

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“Loneliness” by Puja Patel

Submitted to Contest #99

He doesn't particularly fit in. Not in school, not at home, perhaps not even in this world. He identifies with loneliness, with the darkness. He sits alone on a hill, basking in the upcoming darkness of twilight. The sun has set; the light diminishing just as darkness begins to hit. The two are independent forces, collapsing and embracing around the boy. Such is the nature of twilight. It's an interesting time, twilight. The in-between of light and dark. He fits in here; a place where nothing fits in. Whether it's a time or a place.....

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“A Plunge Into Darkness” by Harry Kearns

Submitted to Contest #99

Darkness fled and light took hold as the summer sun parted with the expansive lake. The rays sprung from the deep blue of the waters had begun to bring out the shine and luster in the steel of Jupiter’s enchanted armor as he leaned back against the rough yet oddly comforting bark of the tree. To admire the rising beauty before him with a snack of bread in his hand was a treat so great that it alone could purge whatever sleep remained in his eyes. The darkness of the night had been bested yet again and it relieved him. He was already washed a...

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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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