Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

Posted in Summer on Aug 2, 2024

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✍️ 87 stories

“Hair-Dryer Day” by Tess Ross-Callahan

🏆 Winner of Contest #262

I didn’t know there could be a day too hot for planes to fly but I guess I should’ve, because lord knows it’s entirely too hot for anything else to happen. I figured I should still take the dog out but honestly as soon as I opened the door, he looked at me with these doleful eyes like, Are you kidding me? Makes sense. I was ready to crawl out of my underwear and just walk around with a creatively placed fig leaf or something, so you gotta figure it’s even worse for a furry guy. When we went back in, I dug an old t-shirt out of the ...

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“Summertime” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #262

“Lawd almighty.” Aunt Velma lifts the hem of her cotton housedress and lets the fan blow air under the fabric. I look away, could have done without that picture. Fishing a washcloth from the bucket with the last of the ice water, I wring it out and hand it to her, get another one to rub over my face, neck and wrists.“What’s keeping Junior?” She grumbles. “He’s taking his good ole time. Bet he’s hanging around Arnold’s, soaking up the cool air.”“I guess.” It’s too hot to talk. It’s too hot to think. I press the cold washcloth behind my k...

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“Hot Like Grease” by Christine Foy Jackson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #262

I'm standing there, concentrating hard on not tipping the cast iron pan because it's filled almost to the top with grease, even though I shouldn't worry too much. It's on the far burner. When I lay the chicken legs in, the grease rises a little higher. I slowly lay another drumstick in the bubbling pool while my two-year-old clutches my leg. My life is a series of tasks, small ones that follow each other relentlessly. Most of them I associate with a sensation, an awareness of sound or touch, maybe. Not many are pleasant in themselves. ...

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“Red Hot” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #262

“Come on, buddy, let’s get you to a shelter.” They peered into my box, shining a beam of light into my eyes. “Fuck off,” I wanted to say, but I knew better. Best not to antagonize the public, especially the cops. They would haul you out and shove you into their car quicker than you can shake your ass at them. I held my tongue and said nothing, waiting for them to move along.The sweat was collecting on my forehead, dripping sideways down my face, stinging my eyes. I felt sick, nauseous, and disgusted. ...

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“Necessity” by Hannah Rose

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #262

Where I live, people always talk about how the summer heat feels. It feels sweltering, blazing, blistering, searing, oppressive, miserable. Some describe it in degrees: hot one today—heat index of 120 degrees—can you believe it? Some people explain it with physiology: it’s so hot out there, your sweat could water the desert. Or: it’s so hot, just looking out the window will give you a sunburn. But when I think of the heat, my native language is frequencies. Days like today sound like cicadas hissing so loudly, your eardrums still ring with i...

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“Degrees of Parenting” by Elizabeth Hoban

Submitted to Contest #262

That last day of July was so hot, even How hot was it? jokes had long since worn out their welcome. When Jack’s wife, Jess, begged for a much-needed weekend respite from their 5-year-old twin boys, with plenty of notice, Jack wholeheartedly agreed. A summer weekend of quality time alone with his sons would be a memorable bonding experience.“C’mon, Jess, how hard can it be?” Jack had said.“This, coming from a man who believes shoving quarters up his nose constitutes entertainment. Good luck.” Jess had laughed and before he knew it, ...

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“Rio the Monkey Rescues the Ship Destiny's Dreams ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #262

No wind. Hot weather like a furnace. The ship running out of drinking water. The steam engine used as a backup in calm seas not working.Even Captain Alfonse of the ship Destiny’s Dreams looked like a wilted plant. Foresta the colorful parrot slouched where he sat on the captain's shoulder and Rio the rescued monkey clung to his back.He reached over and stroked the parrot's head, saying something softly. Jealously, Rio the monkey wiggled around to Alfonse's chest, chittering, then jumped to the ship's deck and scampered around, pic...

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“Needs Must When The Devil Drives” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #262

My cheap shades are no match for the low afternoon sun glaring off the lake. I still have to squint through my tears if I look across to the opposite bank. Sweat beads gather below my ponytail and run down my spine as if I’m exerting myself, but the physical work is done. I’m resting now, for as long as I dare. Bruised arms aching, hot breath catching. Cool beer soothes my croaky throat under the shelter of a weeping willow. I could not have done this sober.My broken nails snag as I fan myself with the dishevelled ordnance survey map. Best n...

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“Curtis and the Caliente Conundrum” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #262

July 21 took the grand prize for hottest day in the recorded history of Earth, whooping July 2023. July 2025 was a frontrunner for the title next summer, so doings in the Gaza and Trump’s attempted comeback tour and Simone Biles pretty much took the steam out of the story.And while Curtis was normally a net-balance sort of guy, the local July 29 numbers were what really counted. Beyond an afternoon upswing in fender benders at the intersections where the Walgreen’s displayed the high two-digit temp, the usual domestic and street shit extreme...

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“Fat Man” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #262

The fat cat, arm around the pretty girl’s waist, pressed the unlock button on his car fob, which had a famous logo.Phil Hopskins glared. Whilst some poor sods – such as him – had to get up and go to work, others basked in a life of glorious luxury. It wasn’t fair, damn it. Especially on this day, the hottest of the year, or so the weatherman proclaimed. Lovely. It was only 7:30, and already sweat was trickling down his back, making his work shirt stick to his skin. And Phil was sure that when he got to work and took his blazer off, there wou...

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“A Hot Drive” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #262

As Stephanie stepped out of her Gulfstream G300, the hot pavement beneath her feet felt like a frying pan through her flats. She squinted against the sun, and that’s when she saw him–the man standing in front of her, who had a youthful masculinity that made her heart race. He was smoking hot.When you are ultra-wealth category, you need to keep a distance. It’s too easy to be scammed by people who see you as a dollar sign. She pretended not to notice him as she approached.“I will drive you anyplace you want to go,” he said, his voice was...

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“A Day at Armier Bay” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #262

“He is such an idiot”, said Dennis, my brother. It was the summer holidays, so he was living with us again. I preferred it when he was staying in London with Nan and Grandad.“Mind your language,” said Dad. I could tell that he wasn’t totally in control anymore. Dennis was almost as tall as Dad now.“But he can’t bring the stupid Airfix kit with him to the beach. He’s going to make a mess of things, he’ll lose pieces and get paint on everything,” said Dennis, “and it’s too bloody hot to mess around with plastics and gl...

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“Tortoise Shell Summer” by Julian Siminski

Submitted to Contest #262

Tortoise Shell SummerBy J.G. Simiński Gerald walked out from the cool of the rented cottage onto the shaded porch and down to the small patch of lawn. The blinding hot of the late afternoon sun made his eyelids narrow, almost shut, so that he could see the lilting glisten of the waves as they traveled from the ocean toward the shore. It was hot, damned hot, but it was summer, and there’s nothing that compares to the mixture of sea, salt and sand on skin that’s been baked brown, and the way the mixture makes the crease at the elbow stick to...

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“The Hottest Day” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #262

During the hottest summer on record, I was in a terrible slump. I could find only part-time work, so I volunteered as much as possible. “Please,” I begged, “that batch of incoming mail for the city councilor simply must be processed.” I was appointed summer relief, in charge of sending personalized responses to the councilor’s snowbank of letters and cards, chiefly well-wishers, due to recent news of her lymphoma. I replied, rephrased, and, whenever possible, redirected the concern to different departments of the city. Yes, it was a mentally...

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“Sweltering” by Chris Pye

Submitted to Contest #262

He had to raise his voice. 'Look, it's great here. We should definitely stay.' Ice-creams melting, they surveyed the heaving beach. A deep mass of colourful umbrellas and sun-tents crowded the hot sand. A confusing delusion of semi-naked bodies lay prostrate in little encampments, or wandered about lugging chairs and paraphernalia. They blew up shiny beachballs and inflatable loungers, ate from paper bags or drank out of plastic bottles. They sweated and chatted and shouted under a midday sun that beat down from a blisteringly ...

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Ended on 23:59 - Aug 09, 2024 EST

Won by Tess Ross-Callahan 🏆

Title: Hair-Dryer Day

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Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 87 stories

“Hair-Dryer Day” by Tess Ross-Callahan

“Summertime” by Trudy Jas

“Hot Like Grease” by Christine Foy Jackson

“Red Hot” by Hannah Lynn

“Necessity” by Hannah Rose

“Degrees of Parenting” by Elizabeth Hoban

“Rio the Monkey Rescues the Ship Destiny's Dreams ” by Kristi Gott

“Needs Must When The Devil Drives” by Katharine Widdows

“Curtis and the Caliente Conundrum” by Martin Ross

“Fat Man” by Joshua G. J. Insole

“A Hot Drive” by Scott Christenson

“A Day at Armier Bay” by Luca King Greek

“Tortoise Shell Summer” by Julian Siminski

“The Hottest Day” by VJ Hamilton

“Sweltering” by Chris Pye

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a summer vacation gone wrong.

Start or end your story with a heatwave announcement.

Write about a character who is allergic to heat.

Center your story around an unexpected summer fling.

Contest #262

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

266

Contest entries

91

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: