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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

“Fafnir's Island” by Rick Van Cleave

Submitted to Contest #99

“Who’s arrow is this?” Calder asked angrily. For the first time, that night, real fear struck their eyes next to the reflected full moon. “I really don’t know?” Eirik admitted. “Ssorry buddy, it’s so dark—except for the moon and all.” Calder laughed as he pulled the arrow from his thigh. “Just don’t let it happen again.” “I will get Gram,” Geir said as he carefully started to walk toward the large rock. “Not so fast,” Sigurd warned. “First let us make sure there aren’t any more surprises behind it or….” “…What?” “It seems too e...

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“Beyond the Riverbend” by Megan Oliver

Submitted to Contest #99

‘Isn’t this simply delightful?’ Wren remarked. For it truly was idyllic summer weather. Most summer days are thinly veiled promises, but this was pulled from a childhood dream and stretched out across the sky. The warmth was draped gently over her skin, and filled her heart as a soothing embrace should. It wasn’t a dry summer either. The grass was still lush and green, and the roses on the bushes were in full bloom. The trees around the garden shrugged a gentle breeze through ...

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“Damien” by Marie McLaughlin

Submitted to Contest #99

It was a melancholy, partly cloudy summer day, at ten minutes until noon on the boardwalk. Birds sang in the trees, and the sun shined brightly. A young african american man with small dreadlocks stood at the boardwalk fence, facing the ocean, watching half aware, half absentmindedly as the waves rolled in periodically, lapping over one another. He rested his face on his hand and sighed. The young man's father stood beside him, facing the opposite direction. Behind the young man was a boardwalk carnival event. The carnival featured 2 ro...

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“Two Weeks” by Ann Layne

Submitted to Contest #99

It was summer time hot and humid. I was very young about 12 or 13 years old. I lived in the city. I spent most of my days at the park or at the pool. But, I longed to be away from traffic, and hot pavement, and so many people. These are only some of the problems of growing up in the city. Is it any wonder I could not wait for camp to arrive. I always enjoyed those two weeks in the country, up north to leave the metropolis behind. I think it’s important for kids to have an outlet in th...

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“BLOOD ON THE GRASS” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #99

BLOOD ON THE GRASS “ Here, Johnny gave it to me…Oh , he is still a fierce hunter, with him these beasts have no escape. It is wild, but Johnny assured me that it is very good to eat, especially if cooked stew. Of course, it needs to be skinned” Peter said, laying the dead rabbit , that he held by its hind legs, upside down, long stretched out on the table. “ Ah, don’t ask me to skin it” Sharon said, who, already at the only seeing the poor beast killed , had felt invaded by a dull malaise. She went to the window , w...

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“Wait right here...” by Chub Chub

Submitted to Contest #99

Rain poured down hard over the small dirt path. The downpour now turning it into mud. A large steel toe boot splashed against the mud as the man angrily made his way to the treeline. There, a man was facing away from the construction worker. Taking off his hard hat, he waved angrily at the sitting man from behind. Yelling he pointed at the forest and back at the bulldozer that had stopped just before hitting him. The light from the bulldozer's lights illuminated them both. As the worker calmed down, he raised an eyebrow as he made out the m...

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“Nordale Park” by Elizabeth Maxson

Submitted to Contest #99

“No Samuel,” I said as I caught his arm, “There’s too much glass in there. You might get hurt.” Samuel looked at me and then looked at the empty blue wading pool with numerous shattered bottles. The collection of glass would have been a beautiful semblance if the individual pieces hadn’t been so sharp and jagged. Samuel sighed his six-year-old disgust and then hurried off to the swing set. I was his age when we played on this park’s wooden merry-go-round, metal twisty slides, and metal monkey bars. Samuel r...

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“Homecoming” by Madhuparna Goswami

Submitted to Contest #99

It all started with Mr. Banerjee. All Enakshi saw was the gaze – his gaze directed at Mrs. Nirupama Thakkar who was cradling her six-month-old in her arm, her head thrown back in laughter at something her husband said. All it took was a look and Enakshi saw the naked truth. The pain and the longing, mingled with joy, was evident on Mr. Banerjee’s face. He remained silent, his eyes bright with unsaid emotions and sipped his lemonade. But for Enakshi, her farewell party was ruined. Oddly, the idea of a party on the beautiful roof garden of t...

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“Summer of 1989” by Rajesh Patel

Submitted to Contest #99

I was twelve years old and I just had finished my elementary school. It was Friday, June 23rd, 1989. I can say that I was a little downhearted to leave this institution. I had completed all my school years from kindergarten till grade six in this wonderful school filled with great classmates, staff and great teachers. I was about to start high school in about ten weeks. It was time to say goodbye. I looked at my digital Casio watch. It read 12:23 PM. I took a last glance at this great building from the schoolyard. I was waiting for my s...

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“The King of Summers” by Jen Stam

Submitted to Contest #99

Willow wasn’t my first choice of name for the chestnut Thoroughbred that came to our farm in the summer of 1993, but my mother was insistent. In her eyes, it was an attempt to honor her late mother - my grandmother Willow - and in some small way, fulfill Grammy’s lifelong wish of owning a horse. My young, pretween brain wasn’t capable of articulating the pain I felt at the mere mention of Grammy’s name though and, since we weren’t the kind of family that talked about feelings or emotions (unless we were swooning gleefully over the am...

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“The Summer of '02” by Abbey Long

Submitted to Contest #99

I watch from my rocking chair as the sun disappears behind the towering mountain, ready for a night of fitful sleep. The skies turn from their bright, perky colours, to a dismal grey colour, only lit up by the little specks of stars in the sky. Watching the clouds part, and the wind dissipate, it’s enough to create a peaceful atmosphere. The tranquillity is palpable. Apart from the consistent squeak from a leg of my rocking chair, there is no sound: only silence. I bask in the sensation, until a scream sha...

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“Summer Jazz Nirvana” by Virtual Chesse Emporium

Submitted to Contest #99

The golden sun rays tangled themselves in my wife's pink hair. I'd always loved that hair, so lustrous and exotic. It bounces when she dances, lays placidly over her face when she lays on my chest, and feels like silk when I run my fingers through it. Right now, that hair was bouncing as my love made breakfast in the kitchen. Smooth jazz was playing from her phone as she spun and swayed over a pan of sizzling vegetables and eggs. A beautiful smile was spread across her face as the jazzy trumpet carried her feet around the kitchen floor. The ...

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“Heat Lightning” by Allen Wilkinson

Submitted to Contest #99

I’d sat on the porch with the old man for nearly an hour now. He had smoked his pipe and taken large gulps of iced tea out of a jar next to his chair the entire time while I took smaller swallows from the jar he’d given me and waited patiently for him to speak. His wife came out from time to time to refill the jars and immediately returned to the house, leaving us in our shared and sweaty silence. It was the wife who had contacted me some three weeks earlier. She had a friend, she told me, who worked in the courthouse...

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“Double Dutch: The Sanctuary of My Yesterday” by Misha J

Submitted to Contest #99

Double Dutch is a game requiring two long jump ropes turned in opposite directions by two individuals while one or more players are jumping simultaneously. Oftentimes there is a sing-song chant that the players repeat to keep track of the jumping duration before a jumper stops jumping. One up, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine… Summertime was spent around the corner at Aunt Trina and Uncle Troy’s house, my cousin Zanna’s parents. We stayed outside all day. The hot sun stung our bare arms and legs as we played, ran a...

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“last road trip” by Sepehr Cheraghi

Submitted to Contest #99

The Last road trip Jonathan picked up a few bottles of beer and put it on ice Coleman, carefully placing it in the trunk of his car. Meanwhile, Jack was playing with Ricky the family dog with a listless and depressed face. He was sad that his brother was going to leave them again for an indefinite period of time because of his duties as a soldier. Jack was 19 years old and his brother was seven years older. Jonathan reached the backyard and said energetically, "come on J...

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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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