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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#211: Cozy Corner

You’ve probably noticed that cozy fiction has been on the rise for several years, and even more so post-pandemic. Cozy mysteries about grandparent sleuths, pets, food, bookshops, and villages have flourished, allowing people to dabble in suspense while still maintaining a sense of warmth, familiarity, and comfort. The same is beginning to happen in the fantasy genre (think of Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes, about an orc opening a coffee shop), so it’s clear that the appeal of wholesome, comforting fiction exceeds the mystery genre.

With that in mind, let’s get comfy — as much as summertime allows! Put on your imaginary cardigans and let’s see what this week’s homely prompts will yield.

This week's prompts

Write a story starring an octogenarian who’s more than meets the eye.

Fiction – 67 stories

Begin your story with a librarian searching for something.

Fiction – 70 stories

Write a story involving a friendship with an adorable animal.

Fluff – 50 stories

Set or begin your story in a room lit by the flickering flames of the fireplace.

Fiction – 70 stories

End your story with two characters reconciling.

Adults – 47 stories

Stories

“Emajanation Street” by Kevin Kenealy

Submitted to Contest #211

Dorothy Einsberg, aged eighty nine, acted as if the world never left the 1950s. She was proud that she could still drive and rolled around in a candy apple red 1955 Chevy she bought with her retirement money. She couldn’t stand all of today’s SUVs, calling them “new monster trucks that all looked the same.” She got a few looks from male car enthusiasts, but whenever they complimented her on the car, she shook her head and called them “perverts.” The only places she frequented were the few left in Harrisburg still standing from her era - the ...

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“The Cuckoo Clock ” by Sarah Hinkes

Submitted to Contest #211

The Cuckoo Clock The phone rang at exactly 8:05am in the morning. Greg rolled over on his side fearful of who would be on the other line. He had been through this time and time again. There was in fact so much one could do before it was time to cut the cord. He laid on his back, eyes wide awake listening to the sound of the ringer play a lyric from his now least favorite song. “This is now, the beginning, and now together, this is the end”. As the ringer slowed to a muted fate, Greg looked about his room and took i...

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“The Missing Peace” by David Williams

Submitted to Contest #211

Every day was the same for Bryan, walking to and from work through the sea of people that make up the bustling city. Bryan is a tall and slender man in his mid-thirties with shaggy dirty blonde hair, his soft sleepy blue eyes make him somewhat unconventionally attractive. Bryan is too focused on his career to even attempt to find someone to share his time with, his days filled with long hours at the office, and even though he is not particularly happy with his job, it does pay well enough to enjoy a decent apartment with a dreamy view of the...

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“The Red Book” by Asmi B

Submitted to Contest #211

She ran a thin finger along the worn spines of the books stacked high. Her heavy breath was the only sound that pierced through the shroud of silence covering her humble abode for books: Willow. The name had emerged on a Sunday afternoon while swimming laps in the town’s run-down YMCA. Evelyn nurtured the leather-bound worlds in her home, allowing the occasional visitor to trail through the vanilla-smelling library and take home a book to cherish. Now, on a dark Saturday evening, Evelyn felt her small world crushed even further. The waning ...

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“Cold Witch Coffee Brew” by Donovan Santiago

Submitted to Contest #211

Darkness, rain, and the whistle of the trees. The lighting shows a brief flash of a gothic-style castle. It’s resembling an old, twisted set of pipes. Inside large halls filled to the brim with books. A middle-aged woman in a golden top and bottom walks around. Looking at each shelf. She has flowing black hair. This is the librarian. Her name was lost to time. Even she is okay with not remembering it. She manifests an iced coffee in a purple cup. It has a red and gold-colored straw. She sips on the coffee. "Now where is that old thing...

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“A Beginning Conspiracy” by Joseph Peck

Submitted to Contest #211

“Where is it, where is it?” The panicked cry was sounded right before the two pinewood doors were thrust wide open. Sweeping through the entrance on swift legs came two robed figures, once clad in viridian and the other in scarlet. The green robed figure was a towering male, bearded face crinkled in worry and movements hurried. His companion wore her almond hair in a simple bun, her face stern. Her eyebrows were furrowed in thought. “Have you checked the Forbidden Section Director Grunwald?” Her query earned her a huff in response.&nbs...

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“Rare and Exquisite” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #211

Edmund was not his real name.The young man was a librarian by trade, although one wouldn’t know it by looking at him. He wore a double-breasted gray suit, his neck swathed in a long black scarf. In his hand he held an elaborate pocket watch, which he was studying closely. He was standing outside a wrought-iron gate in a slum of Paris in the middle of the night.He watched as two drunkards across the street stumbled out of what was casually known as a “night cafe.” He eyed them nervously, gripping his walking stick tightly as they walked away....

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“The Poetry Book” by William Vickers

Submitted to Contest #211

“I’ll pay it for you this time Ethan,” I said with a smile, reaching for my purse, and tried to sound stern when I told him that I wouldn’t pay his fines again. “What did you think of the book?” His grubby face lit up when he realized he didn’t have to pay the £6 fine. “I didn’t like it, it made me feel… bad. I don’t think I’ll read poetry again. Do you have any more adventure books?” After I had found some other books more suited to his taste and pointed him in the right direction, I wrote his name and today’s date into the poetry boo...

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“Whispers of the Oak: A Tale of Unlikely Friendship and Mysterious Guardianship” by Pat Uche Nwachukwu

Submitted to Contest #211

Amidst the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant laughter of children playing, a sense of tranquility settled over the small village of Willowbrook. Nestled at the edge of a lush forest, the village was a haven of serenity, where time seemed to slow down, and the worries of the world faded away in the embrace of nature's beauty. But amidst this idyllic scene, a quiet mystery was about to unfold, one that would cement an unbreakable bond between two unlikely companions. There comes Emily Hartley, a young woman with an infectious smile a...

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“An Unlikely Companion ” by Taylor Petska

Submitted to Contest #211

It was dark. Darker than she would have ever imagined it to be. Remembering her map, she pulled it out of her backpack and unrolled it. To her great dismay, she could not read a single thing. The forest was far too dark, and what was even more frustrating was the fact that it was early afternoon. At a time of the day where the earth should be the brightest, it was the darkest she had ever experienced. What was she supposed to do now? Added to the darkness was the violent wind. It whipped her hair back and forth constantly—entangling it into ...

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“The Adventures of Stripey the Fish ” by Sarah Hinkes

Submitted to Contest #211

The Adventures of Stripey the Fish! Stripey was a fish that spent his days playing with the other fish in Lewis’s fish tank. More than anything, he loved playing water tag with all of his friends. One day, however, Stripey began to notice how different he looked from the other fish. This made him feel sad and alone, even though none of the other fish ever made him feel any different. After a game of water tag, Stripey swam off by himself to think. He found a spot ...

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“The Inside Job” by Chanel Terese

Submitted to Contest #211

'You can sit with him here.' She appeared beside me motioning to the empty seat, as I remained unmoving by the door. The name tag, pinned rather clumsily on the front of her pale blue scrubs read Beatrice. She looked like a Beatrice actually, her hair was so void of colour it appeared almost an ivory white, so fragile I felt even the slightest breeze would leave her completely bare. She was petite too, I thought there was almost not enough space on her body to hold all the features any human should. ‘How old are you?’ My head ...

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“Nim's Dream” by Vivacity Rex

Submitted to Contest #211

I sit, hidden, in the tall wild grasses and flowers, a place no one would think to look for me. In my lap is Nim, the cat that stalks the outskirts of my village. He sits up straight and prim looking me in the eyes. I ruffle up his fluffy black fur with a rough playful rub. His reaction, bending away from my hand and - I swear - glaring back at me, makes me giggle aloud. I lay back, folded my arms under my head, and sighed longingly toward the vast empty sky. Not a single cloud in the light blue space. I feel the pressure from tiny p...

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“The Boy and the Beast.” by Christopher B.

Submitted to Contest #211

The Boy and the Beast.The beetle at the edge of the road was huge. When it skittered into the woods, the boy skittered after. Through shrubs and ferns, around young trees and old, over boulders and across little creeks. It was lively for a beetle, the boy thought as he carefully placed his feet on the little log that acted as a bridge over a trickling stream. He wasn’t sure, he had to admit, if the beetle was leading him on an adventure or doing its best to run away. It surely couldn’t hide, this hulking thing. A leaf would sit on its back l...

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“Fires of Shame and Deceit” by Julianne Munich

Submitted to Contest #211

Despite the fire flickering in the gilded hearth, my hands went clammy and cold. I ran them over the soft ruffles of the petticoat over my lap, self-soothing as minutes went by. I stood and paced near the tea table, wishing the kettle contained actual tea and not just hot water. Sharp knocks on the door made me jump. “Yes?” I said in a tight voice. The door burst open and Théo entered, all six-foot-two of him, dressed in dark blue. His eyebrows raised as he flashed me a smile. “So glad to see you healthy again.” He took two strides to...

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$250

Prize money

304

Contest entries

107

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 18, 2023 EST

Won by Kenz Ross 🏆

Title: Do Flamethrowers Belong In The Library?

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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