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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#176: Magic in the Air

Do you feel that? That almost imperceptible shift you can’t quite place?

Maybe it’s magic. Forces at work right under our noses. Powers we just don’t have the senses to detect — outside what scientists call our “umwelt,” or the slice of the world we’re able to see, hear, and feel.

This week, let your stories be guided by this question: what if, alongside things like electrical fields and infrared waves, there are magical forces in the world that we just can’t perceive?

This week's prompts

Write a story involving a magical potion — which may or may not work.

Fantasy – 58 stories

Start your story with someone witnessing magic from a hiding place.

Fantasy – 52 stories

Cast a magician (a real one, or a party entertainer) as your story’s protagonist.

Adventure – 26 stories

Write a story told from the point of view of an animal.

Kids – 49 stories

Set your story in a magical bookshop.

Fluff – 46 stories

Stories

“To Be or Not To Be” by Goddess V

Submitted to Contest #176

The room smelled of berries, dyes, acid, and moss. The wooden table that sat in the center of the room was covered from corner to corner. She spun around in a giddy circle. Flute of champagne in one hand, a glass flask filled with purple liquid in the other. Sitting on the table across from her was her small stuffed unicorn, Auni. Conveniently pronounced “a uni”. She abruptly stopped and faced Auni. Her face scrunched up. The potion almost flying out of her hand. “Don’t look at me like that!” She yelled and pointed with the flute h...

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“Extra Innings” by Jim O'Shea

Submitted to Contest #176

EXTRA INNINGS If my life was a baseball game, the story I’m about to tell you would begin somewhere in the third inning. It was the summer of 1977 to be more precise, and near the end of a challenging decade for my home team—the St. Louis Cardinals. The dismal times were hard on most fans of the team, but not me, because that mediocre stretch of baseball was how I met my friend Willy. William James Jonas was an elderly gentleman back in 1977, and would’ve been easy to pick out of a crowd thanks to the bright white shock of hair exploding...

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“The twisted verses” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #176

The adhan had just ended when Azad went into hiding. From the roof he could see everything going on tens of meters below him. He loved heights, and he was good at reaching them. They were yet again after him but by his own fault. He stole in order to pay off his debt. He used immoral means to pay back his immoral mistakes. It was an addicting circle of bad behavior. To him, being a manual laborer did not seem worth the work, or the time. But, he was not consistent with his classes at the university either. Therefore the third opt...

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“The Summoning Ceremony” by Josh Pederson

Submitted to Contest #176

"Something just brushed up against my leg, Tish, I think it was a spider.""I swear Jak, if The Elders hear us, a spider is going to be the least of your problems.""I can't see anything, there's too many leaves and bushes in the way."With a swift hack of her machete, Tish cleared a line of sight from the dense overgrowth. "Thanks.""You can thank me by shutting your trap. Look, the ceremony is starting."A drum beat began to pound in the clearing and a collective hum could be heard buzzing in the air."First comes the song to gain her atten...

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“Hide and seek Magic Equals love ” by Leanne Drain

Submitted to Contest #176

"Quick look over there, a shooting star, "shouts Alfie. The four of us look around and see grandad in the sky. It is grandad, they all say, the children of the night as our story begins. Magic is all around the house, flaming lights, tinsel golden with puddings being fed to the leading man, Santa. As the children look on, they wait from heaven for a sign that their grandad is with them and he is guiding them to Santa's heavy lake. Where all dreams come true, the lake is brilliant. There are dancing elves, kings, queens of Christmas, and fair...

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“Cora and Harley” by Jango MyHeart

Submitted to Contest #176

Cora peers into the narrow alleyway, spotting the tabby cat in a rough and tumble with a sphynx cat, as they bite into each other, growling. The sphynx cat then successfully pins down the tabby cat and lets out a long hiss before forcing its right paw on the cat’s head . A bright white light along with stardusts soon erupts from the focal point of their contact, blinding the alleyway into oblivion. The white light and stardust begin to dissipate. Cora squints her eyes, trying to make out what’s happening. She sees the tabby cat’s lifeless bo...

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“The True Meaning of Magic” by Nikko DeGoya

Submitted to Contest #176

As the wind whipped through the dark and crowded streets of London, Castro sat on the balcony of an abandoned clock tower, overlooking one of the busiest streets in the club district in London. The particular avenue he had been keeping watch over was filled with dazzling casinos, clubs and bars, and each had their own sets of glittering lights to woo the common passerby. Lines for the various clubs and bars stretched down each side of the street for what seemed like blocks on end. The night was so full of energy and vigor, it was revitalizin...

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“Circle of Cedars: A Neighborhood Tale” by Anne Perry

Submitted to Contest #176

Cedar trees that grow close together become joined at the top, Max heard. That is why when some get cut down, others around them become vulnerable to high winds. When his people had first come from California, the trees were dense in his yard. But his family had cleared the land and filled in the landscape. High winds followed, uprooting more of the trees and leaving a sad, scraggly terrain—open and ugly, not richly textured as it once had been. At least in the center of the circle that all the homes on the cul-de-sac...

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“The Girl and the Mouse, a Love Story” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #176

The mouse did not like the little box where it made its home. The box smelled of dust and tobacco and dirty, meaty hands, sweaty from their wanting. Wanting more money, more food, more cigarettes. The box did not smell like the honey and lemon box the girl put the mouse in before she was taken away. The girl had golden hair, like a perfect sunset, and big brown eyes. Chocolate eyes, just like the chocolates the girl would steal from the headmistress's room when she was out doing whatever the headmistress did when she was not pestering...

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“The Thug” by Becky Solomon

Submitted to Contest #176

The Thug By Rebecca Solomon Neighborhood cats have lives that no one suspects, especially humans who "own" them. The truth is, no one owns a cat. They allow humans to take care of them and pet them. It seems to make the humans happy, and after all, it's easier than chasing mice. This story is about some cats who have it made. But even with the cushy lives they lead, they can still have some problems. Personalities can clash with cats, just like with humans. Let's take a peek into the daily lives of some of our friends. “Here he comes again,”...

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“Lily” by Laurel Palmer

Submitted to Contest #176

“Hey, Lily.” Smiling up at Eric, my loving best friend, he touched the back of my head gently like he always had and then began to pour himself a cup of tea. The steam of the tea cup rose as the scent of black tea hit my nostrils. Mornings like this were my favorite time of the day, as the warmth of his comfort was always a welcoming to the rest of the day. He chuckled, “Do you want something to drink, too?” I twitched my nose in response and Eric gave me a smile back and poured milk into a teacup and passed it my way. Eric...

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“Not Man's Bestfriend” by Phineas Andrews

Submitted to Contest #176

** TW: Physical violence, gore or abuse. Their insolence is insufferable. If I had it my way Sebastian would surely be put to death. Caitlin on the other hand treads a fine line, but there is hope for her yet. Her grooming was a long and testing process, and after years of coercion, her utter obedience drew close until, HE came along. It seems years of ignorance has rendered them both blind to my glory. They’re respect for me still remains a mere spec in comparison to what it should be. But my patience is wearing thin. &...

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“The Hand” by JOHN FERRIGNO

Submitted to Contest #176

Maxwell hopped around the Field, enjoying the feel of the sun warming his fur. His nose twitched as he followed the scent towards his meal. The Field always had plentiful food and Maxwell was in the mood for lettuce. He was a simple rabbit, enjoying simple pleasures. As Maxwell approached the lettuce, his cotton tail twitched in excitement. The lettuce was especially crisp and saturated today. The sky was the perfect shade of blue. Birds were singing a happy tune. Their song was seemingly just for him. Maxwell did not need anything more than...

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“Neighborhood Security Dog” by DEBORAH CLARK

Submitted to Contest #176

It is seven in the morning and I am ready for my daily neighborhood perimeter check. I live in a cul-de-sac with six buildings, each with four apartments and some have a small yard in front or back. It is my job to keep the neighborhood safe and I am all business when it comes to my job. My name, Sir Maximus Winston the First, is longer than I am, so most humans who know me call me, Max. My human, Sheila, tags along with me on my daily walks, once in the morning and again in the evening. The morning walk is quicker than the evening one becau...

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“Theodore’s Books” by Julie Shetler

Submitted to Contest #176

Whenever my humble shop door opens, it’s time for my scintillating performance. A homely bell welcomes my guest. It chimes on its own accord, untouched by the door. Snow waltzes in the open entryway, for just a moment, before a short girl emerges. She’s breathless from the cold. I crouch back into the shadows. Behind a looming bookcase I surrender to licking back a few strands of frizzy hair on my paws. There’s no need to alarm my visitor straight away. Let her browse. A ruby scarf is tangled around her face. She unwraps it, ...

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$250

Prize money

231

Contest entries

111

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 16, 2022 EST

Won by Kylah Adams 🏆

Title: I Knew Better

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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