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Tanya Humphreys

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (99)
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84 Followers
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99 Stories

1900 karma pts

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The Christmas Hat

Submitted to Contest #122

Miss Smithereen, as excited as her class, stood in front of the chalkboard. The short, spiney quills down her back poked through the soft red wool of her most Christmassy dress. She stamped her tiny hedgehog feet, shod in sensible black penny loafers, and clapped her tiny hedgehog paws together for attention.She pushed her eyeglasses up her pointy black nose and said, “Now class, we still have an hour before the bell…”The class of woodland animals groaned in unison. Eddie, an outspoken raccoon child, looked around at his classmates...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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Gunther, Son of Krampus

Submitted to Contest #121

Gunther smiled at the pretty she-elf and offered her his ginger snap cookie. Her clear blue eyes grew round as ping pong balls, the silver bells on her pointed red hat tinkled as she trembled, and her pouty rosebud lips quivered. At last, she let out a scream so high pitched and supersonic, it caused a small avalanche a mile away.Her breath was peppermint and vanilla cake. She swatted the cookie into the snow and ran towards her friends that had stopped their birdlike chattering to stare at Gunther in horror.He looked sadly do...

12 likes 2 comments 2
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Grampa Owl and Grandfather Mouse

Shortlisted for Contest #120 ⭐️

“My father told me of the great massacre of Summer, 2020.” Randolf’s grandfather began.  Randolf looked over at his twelve siblings, they were all spitting images of Randolf- wee ash grey mice squatting comfortably like furry little pom-poms. All twenty-four of their shiny black bead eyes were wide with raptness, Randolf joined them in their gaze towards the elderly, somewhat scruffy mouse with one torn ear and a kink in his tail. Grandfather mouse continued when he had all thirteen children’s attention in full, he savored the dr...

58 likes 12 comments 12
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Spiders Creep

Submitted to Contest #119

The girl on the deck in the floppy sun hat was afraid to open her eyes. She’d been awakened by a sound. One that had followed her from her nightmare. The noise was a clicking, skuttling sound, not unlike tap-dancing feet, but far more sinister. Breathe held, Weechoo Soo opened her eyes slowly while peaking from her splayed fingers…the enormous spiders were still there, only three feet closer than when she’d first seen them.  They surrounded her on three sides, at her back was the glass patio door. ‘Oh, fuck me.’ Sh...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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A Halloween Cat-astrophe

Submitted to Contest #117

As I lounged on the tree branch, I observed the witches below me, engaged in their spooky yet hypnotic dance. I imagined I was a powerful panther, my silky coat of black making me one with the inky shadows. ‘Invisible.’ I froze perfectly still to not give away my watchful perch. Well, almost perfectly still. The tip of my tail twitched, giving away my anxiety concerning the scene below me. They were not real witches of course, but young hopefuls in costume. The thirteen young women gyrated and swayed around the bonfir...

18 likes 3 comments 3
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The Covid Gremlin

Submitted to Contest #116

Phoebe came through the back door into the kitchen. The small figure at the table looked up at her with all the sadness in the world reflected in his hazel eyes, and the weight of a ten-ton boulder on his back. His small face was wet, a rivulet of snot glistened over his lips like clear, sticky, slug slime. Phoebe rushed to her brother’s side and took the little boy in her arms, wishing she could shield his trembling body like an umbrella protects from a downpour. “Is he doing it again?” She asked softly. Trevor dampl...

17 likes 1 comment 1
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Somebody's Watching Me

Submitted to Contest #115

As Fiona stepped out of the Forever 21 and into the airy brightness of the mall, the chorus of ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ sounded from behind her. She spun around; her long auburn hair swirled like a satin sheet. No one there.‘Ah, my phone.’ She thought, though she still sported a furrowed brow over a frowning mouth. She wiggled it out of her jeggings back pocket and looked at the screen.Penny came out of the store, carrying a humongous yellow shopping bag. She said, “What is that?”Fiona glanced up at her cherub-like blond ...

16 likes 3 comments 3
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Pitbully

Submitted to Contest #114

The pure breeds dominated the side of the schoolyard the bleachers were on. On the top of the stack of six long benches, a large Pitbull terrier sat with his buddies. Fat Freddy, a Bassett hound, said to the pit, “Hey Conan, get a loada the new pup? He’s so mutt I’m gonna call him Heinz…hiyuck hiyuck!”  Frenchie La Pooch, a black French Bulldog, elbowed Fat Freddy in his jiggling girth and said, “That’s such an old one dude! Give it up.”  They looked over at Conan because he remained silent, which was so...

11 likes 2 comments 2
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Waterson Wakes

Submitted to Contest #113

‘This is my worst nightmare.’ Thought captain Roscoe Waterson. He was willing to go down with the ship but losing the lives of his crew had always been his greatest fear. And now, it seemed like that was about to happen. Another blast shook the 60-foot spacecraft. Through the curvature of his windshield, he saw another two dozen scraps of metal explode off the left side in a puff of silver and yellow glitter.  Before looking forward again, his eyes lingered on his co-pilot, slumped in the seat next to him. Hi...

16 likes 1 comment 1
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Prey for Rain

Submitted to Contest #112

The drizzly air was the opening act for the season’s first rainstorm. In the dense shrub layer, the colossal fern fronds shivered as the rubber-tree leaves parted, revealing shadow so impenetrable, light was sucked into it. A pair of eyes opened suddenly like dramatic stage lights. They were golden, striated with honey and amber, and entirely malevolent. The black elliptical pupils narrowed to thin slits as the brow furrowed. It smelled white meat. There were two distinct scents, the pungent acidic male musk, and th...

8 likes 2 comments 2
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The Harpischord Man

Submitted to Contest #111

Bart leaned to his left and swayed slightly, acting inebriated. His shoulder length dark curls obscured one eye. This alehouse was far beneath his father’s standards, and that was the whole point. He had dirtied his face a bit, neglected a shave, and wore his oldest britches, the ones he hunted in when escaping without his entourage. He wore no wig and it felt wonderful! He hated wigs. They were silly things, and itchy.His steed was tethered with his valet’s across the street, three blocks down, in front of The ...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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Madness Makes Strangers

Submitted to Contest #100

Brison’s long, nimble fingers gently strummed the sensually curved mandolin in his lap. For the first time, he sat at the head of the long table, proud to be hosting this year’s summer solstice celebration. His tribe of Rhesus monkey and their closest neighbors, the dainty pale-faced Capuchins, relished any and all excuse for celebration. Brison was the now the head of his family. Until the month before, that honor had belonged to his father. He missed his father and his tune saddened as he gazed towards the river at...

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Night Sun

Submitted to Contest #99

Andy rolled over, pulling the light quilt along with him, then yanking it over his head like a monk’s cowl. The room was filled with dazzling lemony sunlight though it was only seven or so in the morning. And Saturday!  ‘Darn, not again,’ Andy thought, ‘I know I closed those curtains before getting into bed last night.’ He peeked an eye out from his blankey-cave and turned curiously back towards the window. As usual, the cheery cacophony of bird voices wafted in through the east facing window. He recognized just...

9 likes 1 comment 1
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Winding River

Submitted to Contest #98

The man in the faded orange John Deere cap pointed at yet another hill they had to climb. The sun glinted off a small enameled American flag his wife had pinned to the back of his cap. She had felt it gave him more of a good-ole-boy look, some conformity.His partner, who’d started wheezing six or seven hills ago, stopped, doubled over, and cursed. Padre the Bull was amused at how Jerry’s utterances were so unlike his usual rumbling bass voice. He’d have jived his pal, but he himself was pretty winded as well, he needed to...

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Through a Shattered Window

Submitted to Contest #97

Hermy walked out his front door early one hopeful morning. He stretched his tiny paws towards the sun and sighed with the simple kind of happiness that only the fresh, crisp air of early spring could bring.He lived with his mouse family in a Lilliputian burrow in the gnarled roots of a grand magnolia tree. The fragrant waxy blooms were just starting to drop their pink-tinged petals. Last year, he and his siblings had played hide and seek around the base of the tree, the petals were like overturned boats on a beach- perfect hid...

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