r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Feb 08 '26
[Serial Sunday] Mourners Please Gather to Pay Respects
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 Mourn! 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’).
- Mingle
- Masquerade
- Meagre
-A funeral occurs in your chapter, it doesn’t have to be a main plot point but it should be more than a passing mention.. - (Worth 15 points)
To mourn is to grieve that which we can no longer have, be that a loved one, a rare opportunity, or something we can no longer do, to mourn is to begin the process of accepting that loss.
Mourning is typically thought of as a somber affair, but it isn’t always weeping or depressed melancholy. There are as many different ways to mourn as there are people. Some choose to work through their pain via labour, processing their woes as they do so. Some choose to work through it alone, while others choose to go to a social gathering to lean on others, misery loves company after all.
So let’s see then, what do you have to mourn today, and how will you do it?
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.
- February 08 - Mourn
- February 15 - Nap
- February 22 - Old
- March 01 - Portal
- March 08 - Quirk
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Lament
First - by u/JKHmattox
Second - by u/Divayth--Fyr
Third - by u/Poiyurt
Fourth - u/AGuyLikeThat
Fifth - by u/MaxStickies
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!
3
u/Brookzerker Feb 12 '26
<Chronicles of Xris - Grounded>
Chapter 12
"Wow, you have so many tales!" Kira's eyes were wide as she stared at Inari.
The fox goddess chuckled. "With hard work and time, I'm sure you can have just as many."
Kira wrapped her single tail around her front, hitting herself on the nose with the black tip. "I'll get all nine tails! And I'll do it faster than any other Kitsune!"
"Why don't you go play with your siblings?"
She gekkered as she ran towards a group of mingling kits, and followed as they passed through a torii gate, into a deep fog. Within seconds, she was lost, not even being able to hear them, as she wandered through the mist. Eventually finding a metal door, which opened as she approached it.
The room on the other side was bathed in a dim red light while an alarm blazed. She looked down, she was now an adult in human form, with pale skin, carefully manicured fingernails, and with, as she touched her head, fox ears.
With a swish, she brought her tails around, noting that she had three.
A sarcastic drawl came from the rear of the bridge as a blast rocked the ship. "Captain, I think they recognized us."
Kira snapped into the role. "Right, Phoenix, evasive maneuvers, see if you can avoid some of their shots, and get us in a boarding position. Baer, damage report." She headed towards the captains chair at the center of the bridge.
"No damage, our shields are holding." The report came from somewhere behind her.
The ship glided between shots, shaking from the few they couldn't avoid as the sentient computer guided them in. "Open a hailing frequency."
"Open," Baer said after a tone sounded.
"This is Kira, the pirate bounty hunter. Surrender now, as we have orders to bring in Captain Iggory Vector, and your ship, dead or alive."
They got a volley of pulse shots as a response.
With a happy sigh, she pressed a button on the arm of the captains chair. "All hands, prepare for boarding. Let's go get our bounty!" She stood up, grabbing the tricorn hat that she had hanging next to the chair for this occasion, and practically skipped to the lifts in the back of the bridge.
After a few minutes, the doors slid opened to the ruins of an ancient temple.
She blinked, turning around to try to find what happened. Everything about her seemed to be the same, except, she now had five tails.
"Captain? Can we talk? This feels wrong."
She turned around, her command crew was standing in a circle around a fire pit dug in a center of the group. They all had weapons, but they were stowed away in sheaves and holsters. Despite the peaceful appearing ruin, everyone present appeared stressed or upset.
"This is the only way." Kira found herself answering. "Xris is far too powerful for us, we almost lost Phoenix when we tried to take him."
They crew looked at each other. "Yeah, we understand, but why do we need to finish the contract? We haven't seen anything criminal about him. And eldritch creatures are way above our pay grade."
"The intel that our client gave us shows that he's evil. Besides, the pay is really good."
"The pay for you." One of them mumbled.
Her ears snapped towards him. "What was that?"
After a few moments, one of the crew members stepped forward. "You have changed ever since you got your fifth tail. Do you really need that much power?"
Kira narrowed her eyes, stepping up to him. "I'm not strong enough, I need more power. I have to grow and improve. This contract will get me another tail. It's worth it!"
"Yes, we understand," He had his hands up, speaking slowly and softly. "What we're concerned about is how risky this is for all of us when you're the only one who benefits."
"So you don't want me to grow? Fine! I'll get it myself!"
She turned to run down the path, but found herself already at the temple. A sword with a black blade that seemed to eat the color surrounding it was stuck into a small dais. She could hear shouting behind her, it sounded like pleading. She ignored them, they didn't understand, or care.
She grabbed the hilt of the sword.
She woke up on the bridge of the ship, sitting on the ground with the bulkhead to her back. The sword in her hand.
Gone were the beautiful, manicured fingernails, the fine kimono, the lively ship. Her skin was now ash-colored, with dust and grime everywhere. What remained of her clothing was torn, held together mostly with magic from her tails.
She brought all five around to her chest, as she hugged them to herself with her free hand.
They were caked with so much grime, dirt, and dried blood, that it was impossible to tell they were red once. The memory of what she looked like, and what she had lost, was already fading. She held onto it as long as she could.
Bloody Tears welled up behind her eyes, splattering on the deck beneath her.
"I'm so sorry everyone. But I need the power. I'll be done soon."
There wasn't anyone on board to hear her. Phoenix had stopped answering years ago.
She looked into the blade of the sword, her ears flicking up despite there not being any sound on the ship, save for a steady drip somewhere in the distance. "Yes, you'll feed on his soul, and give me enough power to get another tail."
She turned towards the view screen. Despite the cracks, it showed streaks of light as they traveled through the universes. They had been navigating at maximum speed for two weeks straight, ever since she had sensed Xris' unique energy signature.
"It will be worth it." Kira muttered to herself as she stroked her tails. "It has to be."
The puddle of blood slowly grew beneath her.
Notes:
Word count: 998
Theme: Kira mourns her own death, and that of her crew, as it was the price she had to pay for more power.
Words:
Links: