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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

“The Speaking Bee” by Zachery Anderson

Submitted to Contest #99

I realized that it was the summer solstice, and the day did feel longer than usual. The line inched forward. I looked at the scribbled paper in my hand. I still hadn’t decided which word I was going to say. A man ahead of me stepped up to the microphone. The crowd was quiet. He lifted his carbon filter and said, “wife”. There was a murmur in the audience, and he exited the stage. The line moved forward, and as I stepped I could feel the vial in my back pocket. I had lived in New Toronto for 10 years. I came voluntarily which was not how mo...

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“June 20th” by Mandy McCool

Submitted to Contest #99

Have you ever lived a day that stretched on past the usual twenty-four hours? I'm not talking about one of those days at work that seem to last forever. No. I'm talking about a day that goes on for weeks, months, and even a full rotation around the sun. Oh, it's impossible? Obviously you must not remember June 20th. At least, not the June 20th that I just lived through. It began innocently enough. It was a Sunday this year, and also fell on Father's Day... not that that detail matters too terribly for the sake of this story, just a pointle...

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“Tyrants of time” by Anderson Lemus - Del Cid

Submitted to Contest #99

Betrayed by the compliance to my conformity, as if by doing so I’d be contented. Rather, I do not know what “wonder” they speak of, or “joy”. Insidiously listening to those congregated at the water cooler, drenching their unsatisfiable mouths, contaminating the atmosphere with their vague minds. Complying to subside with this awfulness, it has begun to prove impossible. My every day involves a routine of hot air sweeping to mix with the dead, dry, cold air prevalent in here to brew the tornado of thoughts that I have about myself and those i...

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“The Sun After A Storm” by Emily Armstrong

Submitted to Contest #99

She knew with every part of herself that it had been storming for years. She watched a lifetime pass before her eyes, all while the storm raged on. She could hear the volume of the others in the room slowly getting higher and higher, and unfortunately, there is not a mute button on arguments. She shut her eyes and dug her fingernails into her palms as an all too familiar feeling swelled up in her belly, “shut up...shut up...shut up!” she thought. She could hear the insults and accusations flying at her like debris in the wind, but the only r...

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“Take It As It Comes” by Lavender Blue

Submitted to Contest #99

TAKE IT AS IT COMES I've always loved the rain. It was in a sudden shower that I first met Lance. He offered me half of his umbrella and we laughed as we ran through the rain. I've always loved the moon. It was by the light of the moon that Lance proposed and presented me with a beautiful solitaire diamond to wear on my left hand and proudly flash to the entire world. I've always loved the wind. It was windy on our wedding day as we stood on the steps of the church getting our pictures taken and my veil blew over my face as we laughed. But...

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“Scorching sun” by Shrutika Tiwari

Submitted to Contest #99

I can see his bones. The metal chains have torn apart the cluster of cells layered to protect his femur and the sight is too painful to stare at more than a minute. He doesn't scream anymore and that's not surprising because I've seen him try; he can't scream anymore. The dark used to be my ally. I would hide away from the world with music pounding alongside the regular beats of my heart, around me. Those moments used to be a blessing in my usual wreck of a life. But now I would trade my whole life just to have one day in light, un...

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“The Journey ” by Stephen Taylor

Submitted to Contest #99

It seemed like an eternity ago, as the sunset over the marshland darkness stealthy descended, tightening its grip upon the land as the creatures of the deep along with the other demons of darkness stirred crawling from their cavernous dens in hunt of unsuspecting prey. The night’s air grew cold and damp as the moon slowly shed its silver rays over the land breaking the darkness only on the higher levels while the brumes gathered swirling like serpents sneaking into the voids and hollows between the rocks and bracken. The news had come to u...

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“Eternal love” by Sven Ronny Bugtene

Submitted to Contest #99

Isabel was breathing heavily, resting her head in his lap and holding on to his hand. She would never forget the evening they met. She was young and innocent, protected against life’s atrocities by her parents. She had just turned 18, and there she was, staring into the most mysterious dark eyes she had ever seen. His mouth formed a smile, showing off bright white teeth. She thought it was the most wonderful creature, yeah, that was the word… Creature, not man. Even though he stood there in front of her, on his own two legs, but his smile, h...

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“The Bunker” by Adrian Stolecki

Submitted to Contest #99

In the year 2042, the world was annihilated in a storm of nuclear fire. Humanity, the dominant species of a dying planet, chose its own destruction over cooperation. My great-great-grandparents were two of the lucky thousand chosen at random to survive extinction. When the bombs fell, they and their peers were taken to The Bunker, a massive underground city built to sustain human life indefinitely in the event of nuclear war. The holocaust came and went and all communications from the surface world ceased. That was it. The end of the human r...

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“A Sacrifice for the Sun” by Hend Nasser

Submitted to Contest #99

this is my first submission so be kindjk, I know it's good. ENJOY!“Three days already and there’s no improvement.”“Yes, the weather is very gloomy still.”My eyes darted to where he was seated on the window seat, his eyes fixed on the stained glass patterns with all the carelessness in the world, but I noticed the slight movement of his fingers scratching his hand in perfect circles.“I’m talking about aunt’s health”“I cannot believe it’s been a week. I was so sure that... that,” He trails off and I watch him as he straightens his back and tur...

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“The Revenant” by Alexander Suminski

Submitted to Contest #99

First came the drowsy thoughts. I felt like my grandfather on the rare occasions where he'd stop watching Jeopardy and would help me with my math homework. That is to say, I was beyond bewildered, eager to hit someone and quite ready to go to sleep, no matter what the time was. What was the time anyway? And, again, like my old papa, every part of my body felt like it had been run over by a monster truck. I tried to stretch, then bumped my head and cursed. What kind of uncomfortable bed was I in, anyway? It felt like I was sleeping on ...

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“Feathered ashes.” by Leonides Calderon

Submitted to Contest #99

There once was a book store in the south that not many people outside the realm knew or cared about. There was nothing particularly enchanting of the place that would set it aside from other book stores around the world. Just like any other book store, there were rows and rows of books. Books stacked along the wall, books creating inconspicuous piles on random patches of floor, books creating shelves to house more books. The low lighting and leather-bound chairs gave off a sense that this was more than just a bookstore, but in fact a home. W...

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“A Dreamy Departure” by Haylie Parkison

Submitted to Contest #99

Staring intensely at her laptop screen, Maya fingers were tapping continuously at her laptop screen as her back was hunched on her seat, with both her legs crossed. The view outside her window was dark, with only the new moon in the sky. But she doesn't mind the darkness, for she finds it serene and quiet for her to focus on her current task. Typing her report that was due the next day, Maya felt her eyelids heavy as she began to yawn, but resisted her thoughts to lay down on her bed. When she took a sip of her black coffee f...

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“Out of the Shadows” by Abbie Moulin

Submitted to Contest #99

What had begun as any other patrol turned out to be a wicked, unforgiving night for Deputy Rennie Nyles. As she braced herself on her kitchen sink, she reviewed the events of the previous hours. She and her partner, Deputy Ski Thatcher, had been making their usual beat around their assigned Dallas area. He had munched and sipped casually on beef jerky and a stale styrofoam cup of coffee. He was fiddling with the window of the patrol vehicle when he asked, “You got a hubby?” She shook her head.&nbsp...

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“Vita Aeterna” by M. Sawan

Submitted to Contest #99

Julius examined the lawyer’s check, front and back. It said what it said: $300,000, the address of some bank downtown, and Julius’ name. He pinned the check to his fridge with a magnet and pulled up a chair. He stared at the different fonts, suspicious that they were a sign of inauthenticity. He took the check down and signed it. Julius went to work the next day out of habit. He was a pharmacy-technician at a drugstore, a lazy man for whom laundry day came once a month. The check cleared. He quit without telling anyone and went for a walk. ...

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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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