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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

“Living and Dying” by William Richards

Submitted to Contest #176

“Let me get this straight. You want me to wait here with you, in this chair, on this porch, and not go anywhere for the next twenty-four hours, or I’m going to die?” asked Martin. Fred nodded vigorously. “Yes, that’s right. We have to try and do something different this time. Please believe me. I can’t watch you die again.” “Die again? Are you mad?” Fred took a gulp like he was trying to swallow something unpleasant. “I’ve seen you die about fifty times and this is the first time I’ve levelled with you. You must believe me.” Ma...

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“Love potion number nine” by Dao Huy Kien

Submitted to Contest #176

When in high school, I was secretly in love with a classmate named Evelyn, who had beautiful round eyes, pinkish white skin and smooth black hair. She had a face of angel so that a lot of guys like her, even the guys from upper class and colleges. Meanwhile, I was neither a handsome boy nor an outstanding student. I was not a rich kid or an excellent basketball guy either, just an average teenager so that I thought there was no chance for me to be her boyfriend. I enjoyed watching her secretly, especially when she tied her hair up or took he...

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“Crushes, Books, and Magic” by S N

Submitted to Contest #176

This is the place to be and no one else knows it. I hide behind isles of jars. Macon can see me if he dares to look up. His eyes are fixed on a set of century old chess pieces, greened by age. “I know you’re there.” My breath stalls as I straighten to creep into the light. “You’re busy. I didn’t think you’d notice.” ...

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“Scared books smell of sulphur” by Alexander Valdem

Submitted to Contest #176

The books fluttered when he arrived. They always fluttered when a new customer arrived in the store. They could feel the newness of the customer. What was this customer looking for? The books had to know whether they were the one to please the new customer. Were the new customer looking for a romance so strong that they were literally swept of their feet? Maybe a crime novel so full of blood and hideous acts that the book had to hide from his mother when she visited? A horror so dark that it did not tolerate the sun? A fantasy so thick and p...

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“Tales” by Cora Weaver

Submitted to Contest #176

The pile of books lands on my desk with a thud. “You see, Imogen, this is an excellent deal. Twelve exquisite books, all written by elves and laced with magic.” says a man who introduced himself as Oskar and politely demanded to sell me books. I pick one up with a white-gloved hand. “I don’t see any magic.” “It’s there,” Oskar assures me. I flip through the pages. The title reads Literally Everything Anyone Would Ever Need to Know About Plants in a flourishing script. Diagrams fill the pages, along with small handwriting that is only som...

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“The Winter Bird” by Kashika S.

Submitted to Contest #176

It is the middle of December, and almost everything here is covered in white sheets. Every tree I perch on makes my feathers rise. Getting stuck in this situation is what happens when you don't migrate. All the birds left, including my human friend, Jennie. She used to live in the cheese-shaped house around the corner. Most of the time we play Find the Peanut, Hide and Seek, or the Silent Game. She is out of town for a few days. I believe she had said that she would come back when she was ninety-nine years old to see me. Un...

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“An Impossible Escape” by Karin Cavanagh

Submitted to Contest #176

She flapped her arms as if they were wings on a giant bird, slowly but with great power. Feeling her feet rising off the ground, she used all her will to ascend, each flap much stronger on the downward stroke. The elation coursing through her veins, she forced her mind to focus on rising into the air, later there’d be time for celebration. Upwards she rose, each stroke filled with determination and fear. She couldn’t afford to be caught again; the penalty would be severe. Higher and higher she ascended, now able to see beyond the towering wa...

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“Antichrist” by Vanessa McGonigle

Submitted to Contest #176

Thump, thump thump! The wooden door bellowed through the suburban split level with ease. Jenna startled and, like any millennial, would never dream of opening her door without first knowing who was knocking and why they were here. She knew that her warm, incandescent light was spilling out of her living room window onto the front lawn, and that her car parked in the driveway was a dead giveaway if nothing else. She thought of how she might answer and began the ritual of running through endless scenarios of social anxiety. What if she said th...

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“Tsk Tsk: An Allegory” by Gloria Preston

Submitted to Contest #176

Tsk, Tsk An Allegory For centuries, the venerable Cobblestone streets had seen hordes of invaders, gatherings of soldiers, and raucous celebrations of victory. And in their peaceful present times, they heard the throes and misery of death songs, the winks and squeals of living, and the pangs and joys of childbirth. The crowded passageways touched the tender skin of infant feet, the hastening feet of children, and the callused feet of the aged. &nb...

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“A Match Made in Heaven ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #176

For my 10th birthday party, I jumped on a moon bounce, ate chocolate cake, pinned the tail on the donkey, and spoke with my grandfather, who has been dead since I was two.I told the story for years, to my parents, to my friends, to anyone who would listen really. Everyone swept it under the rug like a stray toenail that flew away from the clippers searching for the sweet freedom of the wide world.I hadn’t thought about it in years, it wasn’t until I was home for Christmas watching old home videos that the memory crept back in like a cold chi...

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“Max's Furry Little Problem” by Emily Giammalvo

Submitted to Contest #176

Max Hayes sat in the closet of the headmaster's study peeking out of the keyhole. After hearing rumors about a secret room in the headmaster's closet, Max had taken it upon herself to find out if the rumors were true. The mission took weeks of planning. After countless nights creeping around the boarding school after curfew, writing down and memorizing the headmaster’s schedule, tonight was the night. Max knew that this evening, like all Thursday evenings, the headmaster would be leaving school grounds at precisely 5:15 pm to go to a l...

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“Two birds in the hand” by David Drake

Submitted to Contest #176

Two Birds in the Hand. “Presto!” Magnificent Marconi’s gloved hand produced yet another dove, this time a black one. The odd-colored birds’ obsidian feathers reflected the sunlight of this clear day. Another birthday party, another payday. More birds to buy, Magnificent Marconi knew as he released the black and the white one as well to the clear skies, frightening them enough to make them flap their wings hard, putting on an extra show for the cheering kiddies and even the bored parents. He afforded a glance at those bored parents, worki...

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“A Discovery of a Lifetime” by Kiryn Bell

Submitted to Contest #176

Crystal didn’t know exactly how she ended up in this situation. She had been born a regular girl with an average family, but that all ended 6 years ago. Her parents had left for their Friday date night and never returned. Another driver had had a sudden stroke while driving and ended up crossing the line directly in front of my parents. The head-on collision killed the 3 people instantly. The next day Crystal was forced to pack up her things and was sent to a home for children. She was 10 years old and silent, probably still in shock from...

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“Letters to Santa” by Willie Tee

Submitted to Contest #176

To: The editor The Washington Post I am writing on behalf of the entire community of the North Pole to clear up a few misconceptions as well as answer some of the most common questions that I’ve come across in letters to Santa Claus. My name is Vixon. In case you don’t recognize my name, I’m reindeer number four. I’m often mistakenly known as reindeer number five because of the Rudolph misunderstanding - he is not reindeer number one; he’s number nine. We worked as ...

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“The Last Tenant” by Donna X

Submitted to Contest #176

One warm September afternoon, I gathered the courage to introduce myself. I scurried down the tall Oak, out of the woods, into your big backyard. I stood on my hind legs in the middle of the lawn and looked up at you. You stood alone on the deck, admiring the late summer scenery and said, “Hi, sweetheart! I’m Julie, the new tenant.”I thought you were pretty but wondered why your belly was so round. If you were forty, I’d wonder if you were having a boy or a girl. But at fifty, I wondered if you were having too much chocolate cheesecake. Afte...

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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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