Start or end your story with a heatwave announcement.

Posted in Summer on Aug 2, 2024

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✍️ 34 stories

“The End of the World, Together” by Seth Conner

Submitted to Contest #262

“You’ve heard it right folks, we have an even larger heatwave coming to hit the south this weekend, once again breaking the previous heat record. While we’ve had temperatures in the high 100’s this week, we’re gonna get up into the teens of the hundreds reaching at least 115 today.” “Man again? Texas is getting a little too hot for me,” said Melanie, my wife. We were just recently married three months ago but have been together for a little over three years. And she was right, it was getting way too hot. “We might have to move to Alaska or s...

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“The Goddess, the Guardian, and the Sun” by Mindy Reed

Submitted to Contest #262

The Goddess was a painter—the cosmos her canvas. There were no laws—only imagination. Birds with endless wingspans flew across skies painted with the colors of her dreams. The sky mingled with the ocean; birds dove into the blue, green, gray waters and emerged with legs and then strolled across various plains. After a time, the Goddess grew bored. She longed for a new canvas that might stretch her imagination. Her mother was not concerned with her daughters restlessness, which she was told was the artist’s way. The Go...

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“The Day The Music Died” by Nicole N

Submitted to Contest #262

**This story may contain offensive language or material, not suitable for most people, please proceed with caution** “Today hundreds more are under a heat alert, as a blanket of hot air settles in for the fourth day in the row, and it’s only going to get hotter….” RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG“CAN’T BE ANY WORSE THAN HELL!” Bret yells over the blaring fire alarm as he shuts off the TV and suits up. “Boys, we got a 2 alarm apartment fire downtown, possibly victims inside, we need 2 trucks and probably an ambulance” says the Captain. “I’ll give you t...

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“Hot Ones” by Mary Mercer

Submitted to Contest #262

“Going to be another hot one folks. Temperatures over one hundred degrees again today. No showers predicted for the next ten days.Prepare for extreme heat and rolling power outages. Take extra precautions if your area is under a red flag warning. Be mindful of the…”Kyle flicked off the radio. Great, another sweltering day. In the West, forest fires blazed leaving the air tainted with smoke for hundreds of miles. What had been three separate fires along the front range of Colorado recently merged into one gi...

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“HEAT WAVE!” by Zachary Roybal

Submitted to Contest #262

Freidman was not known for being the fastest man in his school, in his neighborhood, even in his own home his cat could outrun him on a lazy day. Knowing though that money was just beyond the finish line roughly a soccer field in front of him made him feel a surge of confidence behind him. Sweat drips down the back of his neck as he bends down to prepare himself to run, jump, and climb over whatever obstacle is in his way. The jumpsuit given to all competitors has fabric that was sewn to cling tighter to specific parts of his body, mos...

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“Turn Up the Heat” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #262

Turn Up the Heat “Turn up the heat,” Phantom said. Phantom was a small thin man, 25 years old, who fiddled with his hands as though he would perform a magic trick. “We can’t afford it, not until we sell those jewels,” said Jigsaw, a big man with a small moustache and a large paunch. “Put on a coat. You’ll warm up.” He went back to his soap opera. “It’s snowing outside. We have icicles on the eaves,” Phantom pleaded. They had rented a two-story house 10 miles outside the town. The tap water, if it ran, came out brown. The place had no storm ...

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“The Last Heatwave” by B. C. Dombrosky

Submitted to Contest #262

“Shut the fridge,” he mumbled. He couldn’t be bothered to muster enough energy to speak clearly, but she knew what he was saying. “Fix the a/c,” she responded. She waved the door back and forth letting the cool air from the refrigerator waft over her sticky and sweaty body. He let out a chuckle that was more of a high-pitched “teehee” which Elle recognized as him being sarcastic. “We got a/c,” he motioned to the old rattling box hanging from the window. Mississippi was a cruel mistress in the summer. She hosted dense forest from ...

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“Heatwave Heartache in the City That Never Sleeps ” by Debra Douglas

Submitted to Contest #262

Dropping my grocery bags on the floor, I head straight for the bathroom, turn the shower to cold, and climb into the tub fully clothed, letting the freezing water wash over me. It’s early June at 10:30 am, and I had just walked from my New York City apartment on East 55th Street to Grace’s Market on East 68th Street and back, which is just under a mile. I had time to cool off while I browsed in the air-conditioned market, but the return walk back in 100+ degrees amid an air quality alert was a step too far. We’d just been released from COVID...

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“Borknumpelstein” by Dobby Fisher

Submitted to Contest #262

There was an ice-man who lived in an igloo. The ice-people, as you're surely aware, absolutely love the heat. They’re obsessed with it, always decorating their igloos with umbrellas, pretending they live on beaches. Truthfully, they don’t actually wear all those furry clothes because they are cold—they’ve accumulated so much brown-fat by now, they can practically swim naked in the ice water without concern—In fact, here is a secret you ought to know: these ice-people only wear those furry clothes because they want to bask in thoughts of heat...

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“Fishing” by Adam Sifre

Submitted to Contest #262

WKTU promised the two-week heatwave was winding down. The overly optimistic DJ promised a break in the heat as early as this evening. Too little, too late.George wiped his brow with an old dishtowel and pushed his sunglasses back up upon his nose. Everything ached. Overused muscles throbbing over arthritic knees and hands.The sun was climbing over the hills in the east and the world wasn't boiling quite yet, but the night had been one for the books and the ceiling fan didn't cut it. Everything was in a sort of suspension. Like a staged ...

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“The News” by Ashley Huls

Submitted to Contest #262

“Sitting and talking about my childhood was the worst part of my week. Once a week I went to therapy. Dr. Amara was wonderful… But she always made me talk through my childhood. But if it gets me out of here sooner then I'm happy. And she recommended that I write out what I remember. She told me that I mention one thing whenever I talk to her. The news. Always played in the background as Mom made dinner. I think I was playing a game with my brothers, Jacob and Manny. They always liked to play card games. I never could remember what the ...

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“Hollywood Heat Wave” by Leah Dewey

Submitted to Contest #262

She turned up the dial radio and listened closely as the weather girl reported the weekly update. There was slight static but with a brief adjustment, the woman's voice came in clearer. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like things are going to cool down here in Los Angeles. We’ve got a heat wave coming in from Long Beach to Pasadena. Those of you in the heart of Tinsletown better watch out. It looks like temperatures are going to reach up to the 120s. This is going to be the hottest week Los Angeles has experienced in over a decade,” th...

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“Vacation Unexpected” by Teresa Wing

Submitted to Contest #262

The DepartureThe Davis family, consisting of mom Rachel, dad Steve, and their two kids, Amy and Tyler, had been yearning for a well-deserved summer retreat. Their destination was a secluded lakeside cottage named “Serenity Shore,” nestled in the heart of nature's untouched splendor. It promised a retreat devoid of Wi-Fi and cell signals—a real getaway from the hustle and bustle of modernity. They packed their bags, filled the car trunk with supplies, and embarked on the winding road that led to anticipated utopia. However, a sense of unease...

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“A Timed Tale” by Patricia Gordon

Submitted to Contest #262

Dr. Brandt had overslept. Evanhour Brandt had not heard the alarm clock despite sleeping in a room the size of a walk-in closet. With all the variations of alarm devices he’d slept beside, this had never happened. Whether Evanhour should thank his grandfather’s Westclox, a rare WW2 commodity, the chronograph Omega Mother and Father splurged on for graduation, or the indefatigable Timex secured on sturdy, metal nubs on the night table, Evanhour had never been late for anything. Not lectures, dates with his then-girlfriend, or appointments wi...

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“Death Valley Danger” by Josiah Authier

Submitted to Contest #262

The brutal desert sun beat down on the sleek black Jeep Wrangler. It headed south along the 190 through the barren landscape of Death Valley leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Tom drove leisurely, his tanned hands baking in the sun atop the leather-wrapped steering wheel. He moved his hands out of the sun and glanced at the dashboard display to read the temperature: 118°F and climbing. “Damn! That desert sun sure is hot! Feel the back of my hand, Tee!” He put the back of his hand against his sister's cheek who was riding shotgun. Tor...

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Start or end your story with a heatwave announcement.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 34 stories

“The End of the World, Together” by Seth Conner

“The Goddess, the Guardian, and the Sun” by Mindy Reed

“The Day The Music Died” by Nicole N

“Hot Ones” by Mary Mercer

“HEAT WAVE!” by Zachary Roybal

“Turn Up the Heat” by Day Williams

“The Last Heatwave” by B. C. Dombrosky

“Heatwave Heartache in the City That Never Sleeps ” by Debra Douglas

“Borknumpelstein” by Dobby Fisher

“Fishing” by Adam Sifre

“The News” by Ashley Huls

“Hollywood Heat Wave” by Leah Dewey

“Vacation Unexpected” by Teresa Wing

“A Timed Tale” by Patricia Gordon

“Death Valley Danger” by Josiah Authier

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a summer vacation gone wrong.

Write about a character who is allergic to heat.

Center your story around an unexpected summer fling.

Set your story during the hottest day of the year.

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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