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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

“Tinkering” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #176

1957Danzer felt a frisson of humility as he strode through the cavernous dining hall. It was an unpleasant sensation for the American wunderkind.The Augustiner Keller was a dazzling paradox -- raw masonry arched over elegant banquettes and the finest white linens. The last of Vienna's ancient monastery cellars, the grand “basement” had survived der Fuhrer and his Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the communists, and a quadripartite postwar occupation that had ended only last year with the Austrian State Treaty.Danzer spotted th...

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“The Great Brandino!!” by Angela Taylor

Submitted to Contest #176

The magic show was in a hole in the wall bar that probably should have been condemned years ago. I had found the ad scrolling through Facebook as one does when boredom overtakes you. As I walked through the door, the smell of alcohol and dirt overwhelmed my senses. Other than the two gentlemen at the bar, the place was empty and the faint noise coming from the jukebox did little to add life to the place. I decided to sit in the corner as to not draw attention to myself should I leave. A small older lady ...

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“The First Female Graduate of Merlin's School of Wizardry” by Merinda Forwood

Submitted to Contest #176

I stood outside the tent, shaking, willing myself to go in. I was beginning to hate the smell of chocolate cake. I smoothed the skirt of my robe, then clenched my fists by my side. It was so unfair. I was better than this. My assistant, Keira, nudged me. “Go on, they’re waiting. You don’t want a riot, do you?” I groaned and tossed my hair back before taking a deep breath and deliberately relaxing my hands. I picked up my wizard hat and stared at it. I’d lived through one of those riots before, when a twelve-year-old had thought I didn’t liv...

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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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“Will Work for Peanuts” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #176

Will Work for Peanuts“Go!”At the familiar command, I skitter out the doorway of the carrier. I pause, sniffing in the crepuscular gloom. Low light doesn’t faze me; my singular sense of smell will be my guide.There’s the sharp, cold smell of crushed concrete; the tanginess of metal; the sweet, slightly musty fragrance of splintered wood.I need to block out most of what my nose is perceiving. What I’m searching for is life. Warmth, sweat, maybe blood.“Over there – go on!” You point with your flashlight and give me a helpful nudge. There’s...

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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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“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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“Between the Lines” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #176

“Welcome to Between the Lines. I’ll be right with you,” Rina Roche called from the back of the bookstore. “It’s just me, Babe.” Jack Roche let the stack of boxes he was juggling drop to the stock room floor. He pulled off the tie that held back his dark hair and sighed. His soulful brown eyes met hers. Rina put down the box she was unpacking and went to him. “You look lost, Sweetheart.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and he kissed the top of her head, nuzzling into her chestnut curls before he pulled a lavender envelope out of his ...

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“Love Potion No. 9” by Steve Walters

Submitted to Contest #176

Love Potion No.9. She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign She said, "What you need is Love Potion No. 9.” (Lieber and Stoller 1959) Internet dating. You probably haven’t tried it, but you probably have a good idea of what’s involved and you probably also have a bit of a prejudiced view of it. I know that as soon as I tell you I have tried it, no matter how hip you consider yourself to be, the thought that I am a bit of a sad loser will creep into that supposedly open mind of yours. Well, we all have our prej...

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“The Potion” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #176

Charlotte Brubaker, a thirty-five-year-old runway model, was receiving less and less calls lately for modeling jobs. According to her agent, the clothing designers were seeking younger models. Since the age of fourteen, Charlotte had dreamed of being a model. She collected issues of fashion magazines and practiced the poses and facial expressions of her idols like Claudia Schiffer, Kathy Ireland, and Cindy Crawf...

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“Magical Unicorn Potion” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #176

Rachel found it near Marahoon’s cabin labeled “Magical Unicorn Potion.” She put the vial into her hoodie pocket, got on her bicycle and raced home. She was barely able to speak when she got to my house to show me the vial. It was no secret Marahoon was a sorcerer, an evil one at that. “Do you really think this is a magic potion?” She asked me. Rachel Narrack had been my neighbor for as long as I could remember. She was as level headed as anyone I had ever known, but this was anything we had ever encount...

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“Mia” by Emily Perkovich

Submitted to Contest #176

Love potions. Such a waste of time. Mr. Heartsick sitting in front of me is starting to ramble. I can’t concentrate. I let him drone on about her freckles and hair and how her giggle makes his chest constrict. When he’s done I’ll give him my speech about how love potions cause a temporary infatuation that slowly fades out, and he won’t listen to a word. He’ll give me almost as much of his attention as I’m giving him my own now. The truth is, his only thoughts will be of basking in her infatuation and not a thing about what he needs to do to ...

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“The Power of Possibilities” by Dan Rimada

Submitted to Contest #176

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who was desperate for a change in life. She had been feeling stuck in a rut for months and was growing increasingly frustrated with her situation. One day, while walking home from work, she stumbled upon an old apothecary tucked away in a small alley in her neighborhood. Intrigued, she decided to take a closer look at the shop. Inside, she found all sorts of strange and wonderful things. She noticed a dusty old bottle filled with a mysterious blue liquid. The shopkeeper, an old man with a twinkle i...

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“The Not-So Immortal Life Of Jack Stewart” by Dhruva Yeddanapalli

Submitted to Contest #176

Year: 1500, England: Winchester They say you can not live forever. Or can you? In medieval England inside an old stone building, was a gray-haired man who was desperately trying to set the one who killed his wife in jail. But not everything would go as he had planned. This is his frightful story: "Ah, yes" murmerd Jack, he was anxiously waiting for this moment since he started. "The potion is almost ready". Cautiously the old man grabbed the glass vial full of black liquid on the glowing-hot coals. He then set it on the table which w...

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“Love Potion” by Lonnie Larson

Submitted to Contest #176

Sam was leaning over the back of the couch staring out the window at Becky across the street. When his mother said something. “Sam… Sam… SAMUEL!” she yelled. “Huh? … What?” he replied with a start. “What are you looking at?” she asked as she peered out the window to see. “You might just as well forget about Becky. You're not her type.” “Mom… Sheesh,” he said. “Is that all you wanted was to tease me?” “No!” she answered. “Tom and Tina are going out for their wedding anniversary tonight and Wendy is coming over for the night....

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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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