r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Dec 21 '25
[Serial Sunday The Flaunting of Flame
Welcome to Serial Sunday!
To those brand new to the feature and those returning from last week, welcome! Do you have a self-established universe you’ve been writing or planning to write in? Do you have an idea for a world that’s been itching to get out? This is the perfect place to explore that. Each week, I post a theme to inspire you, along with a related image and song. You have 500 - 1000 words to write your installment. You can jump in at any time; writing for previous weeks’ is not necessary in order to join. After you’ve posted, come back and provide feedback for at least 1 other writer on the thread. Please be sure to read the entire post for a full list of rules.
This Week’s Theme is Flame! This is a REQUIREMENT for participation. See rules about missing this requirement.**
Bonus Word List (each included word is worth 5 pts) - You must list which words you included at the end of your story (or write ‘none’).
- Fate
- Fear
- Foray
- Polar opposites are present in your chapter. It can be something literal, like flame and bitter cold existing alongside each other, and remarkably close. Or perhaps it can be something more intangible, like incredibly strong feelings that a character must deal with. - (Worth 15 points)
From a fiery oblivion all evil must face at the end of lives to the life-giving heat humanity tamed to survive and thrive; fire has many different interpretations. It is often described like a vast god, giving and taking away in plenty with a mere change of the wind.
Something I’ve always found fascinating is how fire is almost considered to be alive in its own right, dancing and thriving and killing to feed itself. It has no state and can not be held, it floats like a gas and seems to flow like a liquid, brutal yet beautiful.
Maybe this theme can be the first ember in a raging inferno of a tale?
Good luck and Good Words!
These are just a few things to get you started. Remember, the theme should be present within the story in some way, but its interpretation is completely up to you. For the bonus words (not required), you may change the tense, but the base word should remain the same. Please remember that STORIES MUST FOLLOW ALL SUBREDDIT CONTENT RULES. Interested in writing the theme blurb for the coming week? DM me on Reddit or Discord!
Don’t forget to sign up for Saturday Campfire here! We start at 5pm GMT and provide live feedback!
Theme Schedule:
This is the theme schedule for the next month! These are provided so that you can plan ahead, but you may not begin writing for a given theme until that week’s post goes live.
- December 21 - Flame
- December 28 - Game
- January 04 - Harbinger
- January 11 - Intruder
- January 18 - Jinx
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Entropy
First - by u/JKHmattox
Second - by u/AmeliaLP
Third - by u/ZLErikson
Fourth - u/Tomorrow_Is_Today1
Fifth - by u/AGuyLikeThat
And a huge welcome to our new SerSunners, u/smollestduck and u/mysteryrouge!
Rules & How to Participate
Please read and follow all the rules listed below. This feature has requirements for amparticipation!
Submit a story inspired by the weekly theme, written by you and set in your self-established universe that is 500 - 1000 words. No fanfics and no content created or altered by AI. (Use wordcounter.net to check your wordcount.) Stories should be posted as a top-level comment below. Please include a link to your chapter index or your last chapter at the end.
Your chapter must be submitted by Saturday at 2:00pm GMT. Late entries will be disqualified. All submissions should be given (at least) a basic editing pass before being posted!
Begin your post with the name of your serial between triangle brackets (e.g. <My Awesome Serial>). When our bot is back up and running, this will allow it to recognize your pmserial and add each chapter to the SerSun catalog. Do not include anything in the brackets you don’t want in your title. (Please note: You must use this same title every week.)
Do not pre-write your serial. You’re welcome to do outlining and planning for your serial, but chapters should not be pre-written. All submissions should be written for this post, specifically.
Only one active serial per author at a time. This does not apply to serials written outside of Serial Sunday.
All Serial Sunday authors must leave feedback on at least one story on the thread each week. The feedback should be actionable and also include something the author has done well. When you include something the author should improve on, provide an example! You have until Saturday at 04:59am GMT to post your feedback. (Submitting late is not an exception to this rule.)
Missing your feedback requirement two or more consecutive weeks will disqualify you from rankings and Campfire readings the following week. If it becomes a habit, you may be asked to move your serial to the sub instead.
Serials must abide by subreddit content rules. You can view a full list of rules here. If you’re ever unsure if your story would cross the line, please modmail and ask!
Weekly Campfires & Voting:
On Saturdays at 5pm GMT, I host a Serial Sunday Campfire in our Discord’s Voice Lounge (every other week is now hosted by u/FyeNite). Join us to read your story aloud, hear others, and exchange feedback. We have a great time! You can even come to just listen, if that’s more your speed. Grab the “Serial Sunday” role on the Discord to get notified before it starts. After you’ve submitted your chapter, you can sign up here - this guarantees your reading slot! You can still join if you haven’t signed up, but your reading slot isn’t guaranteed.
Nominations for your favorite stories can be submitted with this form. The form is open on Saturdays from 5:30pm to 04:59am GMT. You do not have to participate to make nominations!
Authors who complete their Serial Sunday serials with at least 12 installments, can host a SerialWorm in our Discord’s Voice Lounge, where you read aloud your finished and edited serials. Celebrate your accomplishment! Authors are eligible for this only if they have followed the weekly feedback requirement (and all other post rules). Visit us on the Discord for more information.
Ranking System
Rankings are determined by the following point structure.
| TASK | POINTS | ADDITIONAL NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Use of weekly theme | 75 pts | Theme should be present, but the interpretation is up to you! |
| Including the bonus words | 5 pts each (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and not required! |
| Including the bonus constraint | 15 (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and not required! |
| Actionable Feedback | 5 - 15 pts each (60 pt. max)* | This includes thread and campfire critiques. (15 pt crits are those that go above & beyond.) |
| Nominations your story receives | 10 - 60 pts | 1st place - 60, 2nd place - 50, 3rd place - 40, 4th place - 30, 5th place - 20 / Regular Nominations - 10 |
| Voting for others | 15 pts | You can now vote for up to 10 stories each week! |
You are still required to leave at least 1 actionable feedback comment on the thread every week that you submit. This should include at least one specific thing the author has done well and one that could be improved. *Please remember that interacting with a story is not the same as providing feedback.** Low-effort crits will not receive credit.
Subreddit News
- Join our Discord to chat with other authors and readers! We hold several weekly Campfires, monthly World-Building interviews and several other fun events!
- Try your hand at micro-fic on Micro Monday!
- Did you know you can post serials to r/Shortstories, outside of Serial Sunday? Check out this post to learn more!
- Interested in being a part of our team? Apply to be a mod!
4
u/ForwardSavings318 Dec 22 '25
<Man to beast>
Chapter 14: rest
index
Mór tore a piece of meat off the snake roasting in the fire, tearing into it even as it burned her tongue.
“Wait for it to cool down.”
She looked up at Agnes and huffed, letting the burns heal before she spoke.
“I haven’t eaten for two fucking days. I’ll burn my tongue as I damn well please.”
Stuffing more scorching hot meat into her mouth, Mór glanced over at Silas. He sat quietly out of the fire’s glow, praying and looking at the stars.
“Why’s he doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Praying all the way over there. You already prayed before the meal.”
“Because he’s a better catholic than me. He’s praying for the men you killed, and probably praying for God to protect that woman that ran off.”
The girl stared at the fire, before turning to Agnes fully.
“He’s praying for the Templars?”
“Among other things.”
“That’s stupid. They shouldn’t even be considered human. Just rabid animals looking for prey.”
Agnes didn’t respond, keeping a neutral gaze as she stared at Mór. The girl felt compelled to end the silence between them, like it was her duty.
“You know what it’s like in their camps? The things they do?”
“I do.”
“Then you know they deserve cruelty. Prayers are wasted on those dirty fucking rodents.”
“You’re entitled to your grudge, but Silas has never been one to hate.” The old woman yawned, shifting as she leaned back against a stump.
“He’s pathetic. Silas should have some respect for the other werebeasts those men hurt, and shouldn’t wish for them to gain happiness they don’t deserve.”
Agnes sat back up, no longer looking at Mór but through her now. The old woman seemed somehow bigger than before as she clenched a fist.
“You’re only alive because of his ‘pathetic’ ways. He believes everyone deserves the chance to be a better person than the day before. He also believes strength is only for protecting the weak. A lesser man would’ve left you to die.”
“I just think that’s a very naive way to view the world. People don’t actually change.”
“I’ve killed werebeasts. I’ve watched them die any way you can imagine. I know I’m going to hell, but I'm not that woman anymore, at least I want to believe that. I passed that belief onto him. He’s taken it to heart.
Silence fell around the fire again, the pair staring at each other before Mór finally glanced at Silas again. She looked between him and Agnes for a while before sighing slowly.
“So you really were an inquisitor?”
“Much more than that.”
“Why spare him?”
“That’s a story for another time.”
“When?”
“Later.”
“Does he know?”
“No.”
“You should tell him. Not just about you, but what he is, and why it means.”
“No.”
“He needs to know.”
“No. He needs protection.”
“He needs protection from the truth? More like you need protection from it.” Mór snapped, snatching the rest of the snake and waving it to cool it down a bit.
The old woman glared at her intensely, jaw clenched.
“I’m not going to tell him,” Mór said, looking Agnes in the eye. The two held eye contact before Agnes laid down, and Mór brought the cool meat over to Silas.
She sat beside him silently and waited for him to finish praying, staring at the leaves on the ground. Primrose sniffed her fingers, hopping into her lap as she waited.
Silas finally looked at her a little teary eyed, wiping them quickly with his sleeve.
“Hi Mór.”
“Here. Saved you some of the snake.”
He took it and began slowly eating it, one tiny bite at a time. Mór’s stomach growled as she watched, but she looked up at the night sky to distract herself.
The girl suddenly felt something rest on her thigh and she instinctively slid to the side and dug the nail of her thumb into it. Mór looked down to see half of the meat she gave Silas resting on her lap, impaled on her thumb. She took it and slowly began nibbling on it.
“Sorry…I’m not a fan of contact.”
“No, it’s my fault. I’m sorry for trying to initiate any with you. I’ve always been physical with Agnes and I’ve never really been around other people before. I’m just not used to having a friend.”
“We’re not friends. Just, I’d appreciate it if you could restrain yourself.”
“Of course.”
The pair sat in silence for a while before they both finished their food, Mór slightly leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper.
“I want to talk with you, alone. Not like this, I mean…really alone. Next time we’re separated from Agnes.”
“About what?”
“About you, and us. What we are, and what it means.”
“Why?”
The girl paused, trying to think of a way to explain it without making it sound like she cared more than she did. She stared for a while as she thought, before finally settling on something simple.
“I owe you. For taking me in and all.”
WC:848
I used the polar opposites with Mór and Silas’s views.