Set your story during a month of drought — whether literal, or metaphorical.

Posted in Dramatic on Jan 12, 2024

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✍️ 38 stories

“Drought ” by Shawna Burge

Submitted to Contest #233

DROUGHT © 2024Andy Pearson Droughts don’t end in a light rain that quells the dust and conditions the soil to retake water. The end of all droughts is a downpour. The vegetation barely clinging to earth with roots staying near the surface trying to collect morning dew. These shallow roots allow plants to be washed away at the first rain. My drought started after my divorce. A divorce I didn’t see coming. One day I’m a married man living in a picket fence neighborhood and thinking about a someday family. The next da...

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“The Bullet” by Adam El Nabli

Submitted to Contest #233

I killed someone today. I cannot recall ever shooting someone with intention to kill. It must have been the last war, but my memory of those days has been blurry. I am certain of having fired quite a few shots since; some bullets, such as those of my neighbor’s wedding, carried a joy that flew up into the clouds alongside a swarm of accompanying bullets, elevated evermore by the force of our dances, chants, and drummed melodies. Other bullets were pushed forward by my fear, but with the intention to instill that same fear in the enemy. Not t...

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“The Drought” by Dillon Bess

Submitted to Contest #233

This is a prequel to my submission here: https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/fk2533/ It just so happened that I mentioned a drought in that submission, so I thought I would continue building on that universe. Enjoy! -------------------------------------- Drayven stood at his post on one side of the large polished archway, the peak barely made it halfway up the painted vaulted ceilings of the Watersleeper Royal Quarters, located deep within the ocean sized lake of Rivilius. As Watersleeper culture had evolved over the millennia, they had begu...

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“1000 Days” by Zavier M. Ames

Submitted to Contest #233

The demonic sun bursts forth with greater solar flares than ever in human history, its vicious fiery tails whipping closer and closer to the atmosphere, melting and drying every living thing on its exposed surface, once a jungle bursting forth with greenery as far as the eye could see, and now even deserts pale in comparison…1000 days of no rain. Jameson, an old man who worked massive oil patches, is now seeking for the oil that will bring forth life and plen...

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“The World As It Is” by Ryan Carrion

Submitted to Contest #233

Funny, I remember a world where these places sold a variety of food. People complained about inflation, but they never knew where that argument was heading. After that short period of time, everything went downhill. Cars were just about obsolete for us ordinaries; they were hollowed out and stationed in major hubs, or as we used to call them cities. These stationary homes that used to be cars are now used by entire family units at a time to live in and get through the ferocious overly heated nights. Apartments were over the tenant occupancy....

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“Drought” by Zachary Thomas

Submitted to Contest #233

The Earth was visibly barren, its skin cracked and burnt by the unyielding sun. The vast inland river, that brought life and prosperity to the valley, was powdery and crumbling. It’s throat was parched, its banks collapsing without the grass to hold it tight. A rustle and occasional scurried sound betrayed the assumption that the land was dead, but Her womb had certainly run dry. In the distance, a broken figure, bowed not just by the years but also by despair. A memory glints in his eye when viewing the river bank, a memory of yestermonth f...

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“Dry As a Bone” by Marly Bellard

Submitted to Contest #233

The sun beats down on my bare shoulders, causing the sunburn I already have to ache and burn. I pump harder on my bike, wanting nothing but to reach home and hide from the sun and dryness of the area. This year, the summer weather has been ferocious, killing plants and drying up water. We've had to conserve water because it's so scarce nowadays. We haven't had rain in a long time, and all our crops are dying. Some people are dying because of the intense heat and contaminated water that brought sickness and health issues. The rain stopped...

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“The Weight” by Oscar Lozano

Submitted to Contest #233

For three days, I wanted nothing more than to get out of bed, but I couldn’t. It was a long weekend off from college because of MLK Day. I hadn’t brushed my teeth, eaten, showered, and had only had a sip of water from my bedstand. A dull, hollow lethargy immobilized me, trapping me in my body. It had been weeks since I had written anything, and I called myself a writer. I didn’t sleep much, either. Mostly, I just stared at the ceiling, my brain coursing through every mistake I’ve made, bathing in misery, picking me apart, coming up with exam...

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Set your story during a month of drought — whether literal, or metaphorical.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“Drought ” by Shawna Burge

“The Bullet” by Adam El Nabli

“The Drought” by Dillon Bess

“1000 Days” by Zavier M. Ames

“The World As It Is” by Ryan Carrion

“Drought” by Zachary Thomas

“Dry As a Bone” by Marly Bellard

“The Weight” by Oscar Lozano

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a character participating in Dry January.

Your character, having abstained from their worst vice (big or small), finds new clarity.

Write a story in the form of diary entries, written by someone who has set themselves a month-long challenge.

Set your story in a bar that doesn’t serve alcohol.

Contest #233

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

231

Contest entries

78

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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