Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

Posted in Summer on Aug 2, 2024

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✍️ 87 stories

“The Iron Skulls” by Michael Robinson

Submitted to Contest #262

Midsummer, hottest day of the year. Inferno’s twin suns were low in the sky, their heat threatening to overwhelm my groundcar’s cooling systems. The weather forecast predicted a high of thirty-five. Given how warm it was already, I placed my bets on forty. I nodded at a couple of sanctioners coming off night duty as I walked into the squad room of Bastion-V, the cool air a welcome relief. I sat down at my desk. I was about to pull up the night shift...

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“The Day That Got Away From Her” by Kendra Calhoun

Submitted to Contest #262

Sweat droplets drip down the small of my back like a leaking faucet. Drip, drop, drip, drop. The sweat isn’t confined to my back, it covers every inch of my body. The heat is stifling. I sigh and check my watch, the band sticking to my wrist. 3:45pm, the air conditioning technician is late. What was taking him so long? The customer service representative told me that even with the heat index as high as it is they were relatively slow this summer, apparently, I was one of the few with a faulting unit. She said she could get a technician out w...

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“Don't Feed the Birds” by D.C. Wright

Submitted to Contest #262

A sane man would have flinched. Hot saliva dripped down his face, the hateful "gift" spat by a stranger. The man had not noticed the insult for he was lost in his own torments -- to his own demons. He stared unblinking and blind to the world around him. He was a part of this world, but separate. Still a man but not. An old woman with arthritic ...

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“The Traditional Summer Crime” by Caylen Kampen

Submitted to Contest #262

August 22nd, 2019 “I don’t want to do this.” “Oh, shut up,” Melanie responded. “We’ll be fine. It’s tradition to go on the hottest day of the year every summer; no one’s been caught.” Summer shook her head, her brown eyes wide, looking up at the thin trees covering the forest. The short barbed wire fence had toppled over at the edge, a thick wood post the bridge between the parking lot and the Forbidden Forest. Beyond that, a field of corn waited to be harvested. At least, once October swung around. “I hate doing this, guys,” Summer whined, ...

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“"Girl of the Dark Baths in the Sun"” by Stephvon Dames

Submitted to Contest #262

Today is June 21, the first and longest day of the year. There is a bright sun and a blue sky. Enjoying the warmth of the sun and the feeling of freedom, she bathes in the warm light. In Sharpton (in Florida), the summer sun beats down like an evil entity. On this day, she celebrates summer while lamenting other people's suffering.As a young girl called "Ruby Rune," her eyes fluttered open, her pupils adjusting to the faint luminescence that filtered through the rocky walls of the cave. She lay on a soft, velvety moss bed, her Cavian skin gl...

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“The Hottest Day” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #262

Ossie (a short form for his actual name) asks a question of his brother Mac (also a short form for his name): “Did you hear the weather report last night on the television? The weather woman declared that on Friday we will be experiencing a record breaking heatwave.”Mac replies. “Yes, I did. You could say that it will truly be a Frying Day. She declared that the high temperature would be 50 degrees Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit. Nobody in our community has ever experienced such a high temperature before. And what ar...

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“The Popsicle Pals' Frozen Endeavor” by Derek Macleod

Submitted to Contest #262

Chapter 1: The Challenge Sam’s stomach lurched as a silence fell over the crowd outside Frosty's Delight. It was the hottest day of the year and most of the small town of Maplewood seemed to be lined up at Frosty's Delight Ice Cream Shop. The once vibrant ice cream shop looked like it had been hit by a scoop of disappointment. Mr. Frosty, the heart and soul of the place, stood at the front steps, his shoulders slumped.“Bad news, popsicle lovers,” he began, his voice as low as the freezer temperature. "The shop will be closing for good soon. ...

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“How to Bear the Heat” by Cristina Ochoa

Submitted to Contest #262

Christine was sitting on her front lawn waiting for the ice cream truck. She had been waiting in the sweltering heat for over twenty minutes. Thirty minutes earlier, Christine had been inside with her mother and little brother Thomas reading her most recent library acquisition—The Giver. She had just realized that Jonas, the main character, could still see color when she heard the ice cream truck’s signature song. She sat for a few minutes in her favorite chair to gauge how far away it still was. She calculated close to two miles, but with t...

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“I Saw The Light” by Misha Tuesday

Submitted to Contest #262

The japanese beetle fell into the jar of soapy water and began to struggle. I watched it struggle passionlessly, though not sadistically. It had been, after all, attempting to destroy our roses. The roses I hate. I don’t like the scent, I don’t like the thorns, and I wish I could just remove the bush and not be bothered. But my wife doesn’t agree. She doesn’t particularly care for roses either, but she subscribes to the common delusion that just because something is hard to take care of, it is worth taking care of. And so this beetle slowly ...

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“The hottest day of the year” by Arun Livingston

Submitted to Contest #262

On the first day of my summer holiday, I woke up sweating and said to myself, this must be the hottest day in history. Concerned and soaked, I went into the bathroom and threw powder all over my body. I thought my vacation in India would be relaxing; I had imagined doing my holiday homework and eating delicious food. Confused and worried, I ran and turned on the TV to hear the announcer echo my thought: “Good morning and welcome to today’s weather broadcast. This morning, we have recorded temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. Today is ...

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“A Summer to Remember: Heatwave and Heartstrings” by Lucia Salvatore Kujjo Lako

Submitted to Contest #262

A Summer to Remember: Heatwave and Heartstrings Finding Unexpected Love in the Hottest Days of the Year "Today marks the hottest day of the year," the radio announcer declared, his voice crackling with static. "With temperatures soaring above 40°C, we're officially in a heatwave. Stay indoors, stay hydrated, and avoid any strenuous activities."Poni groaned as she turned off the radio. A heatwave was the last thing she needed. She was allergic to heat—literally. Her condition, known as heat Urticarial, caused her skin to break out in hiv...

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“Pickleball Heat” by Lorra Spitzer

Submitted to Contest #262

The sun glared down on Lexi with a mischievous grin. “You think you can outlast me?” he chuckled. “I am relentless and fierce.” He elevated his chest, intensifying his rays. “Feel that, Ms. Lexi,” he sneered. How long will you survive now?” Observing his work, he tilted back, smugly waiting to witness the outcome. Sweat beads trickled down Lexi's forehead as her moist palms tightened around her Lear Lox Pickleball paddle… “Dink.” The crowds were silent as she and her longtime ...

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“The Assassin ” by Tove Sama

Submitted to Contest #262

The AssassinLocated in the Louisiana bayou, The Diner has served customers for decades. Since I came to this godforsaken place the heat has turned hellish, and as I start my shift, I feel dizzy. I hate working here, in my humble opinion everybody should stick to what they know, and waiting tables is not my strong suit. But when the option to this meaningless existence is a shallow grave, I don’t complain to much or to loud. Still, it is better to be in the Diner working than be at my temporary home. I frequently have com...

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“Peaches” by Marie Harrison

Submitted to Contest #262

Daisy did not know much about oceanic sciences, but if asked, she would describe her mind as something like a coral reef and her thoughts like sea urchins. She often found herself wading through waters she could not hurry through, softly scaring the urchins away with her quiet movements. The older she got, the harder it was for those thoughts to stay present long enough to get a good look. The question popped into her mind so quickly it startled her in the grocery store: What is it called when something matters so much that everything ceases...

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“Psycho Heat” by William Siebold

Submitted to Contest #262

Becoming nobody. Standing alone, isolated, no longer heard or seen. "I'm still here," I said. No answer. Powerful feelings. Looking out across the rolling sage foothills just west of the mountains, at the base of the massive volcanic plug that dominated the western skyline, I felt the sun’s early promise of another blasting, battering day of heat on my face. The scent of moist soil and decomposed plants gave way to pungent herbal sage. The volcanic rock smelled minty metallic as the sun rose. I abandoned the prearranged landing zone two d...

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Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 87 stories

“The Iron Skulls” by Michael Robinson

“The Day That Got Away From Her” by Kendra Calhoun

“Don't Feed the Birds” by D.C. Wright

“The Traditional Summer Crime” by Caylen Kampen

“"Girl of the Dark Baths in the Sun"” by Stephvon Dames

“The Hottest Day” by John Steckley

“The Popsicle Pals' Frozen Endeavor” by Derek Macleod

“How to Bear the Heat” by Cristina Ochoa

“I Saw The Light” by Misha Tuesday

“The hottest day of the year” by Arun Livingston

“A Summer to Remember: Heatwave and Heartstrings” by Lucia Salvatore Kujjo Lako

“Pickleball Heat” by Lorra Spitzer

“The Assassin ” by Tove Sama

“Peaches” by Marie Harrison

“Psycho Heat” by William Siebold

🌟 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 🏆

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