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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

“I Wish to Pick Blueberries With you.” by Carmie Rocco

Submitted to Contest #99

Content Warning: Death of a loved one, Cancer. I regret not taking him blueberry picking. We drive on different hemispheres, now. This man who stood beside me all those days, years, summers. This man who picked gallon after gallon of blueberries. So strong. So beautiful. He was an angel before he ever received his own wings. His halo formed in the sun and shade of towering bushes. The sweet aroma of crushed blueberries on our boots. The smiles carved of the heavens and handful after handful we never paid for. One gallon turned to four, we ...

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“Mother and Mum” by Uma Coffey

Submitted to Contest #99

The walls shake as the thundering screams erupt from the living room. The cat ran outside ages ago, it’s like she senses the storm before we others do. Days like this often happen when she hasn’t slept well. From the bright and early sunrise you can tell she has a cold sort of stare in her eyes. But someway, somehow she always seems to surprise us, time upon time we fail to avoid it, and time upon time I witness mum fight for me. Most of the time I manage by hiding under my bed, and it’s almost like she doesn...

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“Alive” by J.L. Anderson

Submitted to Contest #99

How long have I been in this room? I can't be sure, and it doesn't matter, anyway. There are no clocks, no windows, no means to mark the passage of time. A lamp in one corner provides soft light, revealing grey walls, grey carpet, a grey ceiling, and the grey bed I lie in listlessly. There's nothing to do, and I'm strangely okay with that. It's peaceful here, alone in this sea of greys. The bed is soft and deep, pulling me in, inviting me to sink deeper, to stay here forever. Somewhere outside the room there are voices, calling to one anothe...

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“The Sun Always Rises in the East ” by Marisol Auli

Submitted to Contest #99

She sat in the general room, in her favorite spot, the bench seat in front of the window. It was a cold damp rain pelting the window today, matching her mood. Since checking in to Sun Valley Rehabilitation Center for at risk youths, Jessie's mood was erractic. One minute she would be on top of the world, the next she would be dark and depressed. The clinicians told her it was part of the process of getting clean and sober. After the physical withdrawals from kicking a hundred dollar a day heroin habit had passed, she still struggled with the...

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“Postnatal Pyre” by Riley Vanderpol

Submitted to Contest #99

Postnatal Pyre In 2018 Andre and his wife Tina welcomed their 3rd child into the world. They named her Rachel, Tina suggested it. The two of them had trouble choosing the perfect name for her until they held her in their arms for the first time. The way their daughter looked up at them, wide eyed and innocent, without a care in the world, gave them hope for the future. Tina googled “names that mean innocent” and chose carefully a name that she’d be stuck with forever. On the way home from the hospital Rachel cooed and giggled as Tina tickle...

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“Black Coffee” by Ross Thompson

Submitted to Contest #99

I glanced at my watch, just on 7pm. I was at a loose end. The choice was Television or a stroll and have coffee at one of the street cafes. I chose the latter. Pocketing my door key I took the elevator down and walked through the hotel foyer, making a detour to the concierge’s desk to say I would be out for an hour or so. I was at ease with the world, content. I wandered around for a bit, with an easy unhurried walk, nodding in greeting to anybody who met my eye. finally I took a table at one of the busier cafés A waiter material...

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“Come Forth” by Emily Waldner

Submitted to Contest #99

Bethany was a small village. There lived people that were quite close to Jesus: Mary, her sister Martha, along with their brother Lazurus. Their brother spent all day working the fields, even on extremely hot days. He pushed himself every day for the sake of his sisters because, even with all of them working all day, they still could hardly keep food on the table. One day, as Lazurus was coming back from work, he suddenly felt a wave of chills come over him. He slowed down a bit as his friends hurried along down the path home to their fami...

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“At the Pavement End” by Makayla Boline

Submitted to Contest #99

I stepped out into the bright sun~~ ~~~~~~~~ ”Come on, help me,” my sister whined as I threw my bag into the front seat of the car. I looked over to her, throwing a smirk in her direction as I watched her struggle. ”Seems like your managing just fine.” I worked to hold back a laugh, she would surely be mad at me then. But I didn’t want her to be mad, I was in a way to good mood for that. We we’re headed to a secret place, a remote place. A literal island. It was my favorite camping trip of the year. It was the only time of year that my...

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“A new chapter” by Fayha Tahir

Submitted to Contest #99

She suddenly woke up that morning or it is more appropriate to say that she never slept last night. It had been going on like this since last month. How could she keep her mind to rest when there was so much going on around and inside her. Her life had been turned upside down in just one night and now she was left all alone in this cruel world. Her father her only family in this wide world had died in a fatal accident. She was in a shock after she heard of the unfortunate incident. The smell of the hospital made her feel nauseated as sh...

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“Clowns” by Vincent Guillemin

Submitted to Contest #99

[Follows " Microcosm", "Hebrews 13: 1-2 ", " The son never shines on closed doors" , "July 4th", "The Getaway" and "Orpheus' path"]Ernie is depressed. The square of light invading into the darkness of his living-room from the edge of the drawn blinds looks threatening. He is angry with himself for falling asleep. As his stomach heaved up and down, the quart balanced on his flat belly careened and flopped down silently on the carpeting. The gulps of the emptying bottle failed to wake him up and there is now yet another stain on the creamy, tu...

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“A Present For Her Thirteenth.” by Roopa De Choudhury

Submitted to Contest #99

It's the fifth day of the fifth month of the fifth year. The world outside is still mostly dark. Something miraculous will happen today. I can feel it. It was bound to happen one day, the way we were destroying the environment. Things started falling apart. The waves came, the rain was acid, the flights got grounded, the bombs fell, the people ran everywhere, wherever it was safe and just like that the world changed forever. The borders dissolved, not in a god way either, gangs were everywhere. We ran too, miles and days and months of ...

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“White Goals” by Dahl Ritchie Primrose

Submitted to Contest #99

Happy wouldn't be what Matthew would call himself, but he was content. Distracted perhaps, with his work as a head chef that allowed him to take his mind away from the on-goings of the outside world.The best Chefs tend to be the first to arrive into their kitchen and the last to leave. This is what Matthew was taught and he still lived by this principal, he spent most days stowed away in his cramped kitchen downtown.The kitchen was his world, his universe. Sixteen hours a day working over blazing stoves would dictate that.Although Matthew wa...

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“The Long Night ” by Sarah Shams

Submitted to Contest #99

The hideously brown colored moth flew directly towards and lamp. The feeble light inside the room flickered every time the moth flapped its pellucid wings. The thin, flimsy white curtain danced up and down just the way the cool breeze guided it, showing off the moon at the exact center of the starry heaven. The orb of night had decided to wear the most wonderful shade of light pink that night. The weather outside the room was way too pleasing to belong to summer. Too pleasing to belong to any of the seasons. It was one of those nights whe...

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“Golden ” by Heleny Chantre

Submitted to Contest #99

I don't know how long it's been, years, decades, centuries? My mind is a little foggy at this point, I have been here for so long. My stomach aches with hunger pains and my mouth is dry like sand. My muscles ached in pain. I try to wiggle my toes but to no avail. I am stuck in place like a prisoner, like a statue. As much as I would like to leave this place, I am tethered here. As the days go by monotonously, nothing changes. I have nothing except the power of my mind. I am taunted by the dull color of this grey stone. Being stuck in place c...

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“Their Worlds” by Tyler Miclean

Submitted to Contest #99

THEIR WORLDS By the tiniest but truest desire, any someone can walk a mile as though it were a step. All he must do is not seriously doubt that he wishes to move so quickly. Beyond life, desire is purified in an instant, and there no one needs doubt their desire, which accounts for the various speeds and rapid movements of the dead, rarely ever is somebody totally still. The newly dead doubt themselves at first, but not for long, even without help. Geo, a little boy who was slain by his own mad mother, stopped and started as ...

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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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