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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 – 68 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 – 71 stories

End your story with two characters reconciling.

Adults – 49 stories

Stories

“The Golden Hair” by Allison Cho

Submitted to Contest #211

The room is full of a thick burning odor that gently tightens my throat. The rippling flames of the fireplace endlessly repeat to climb up the air and sit down again. Devastated, they gather around Howard's golden strand of hair. They put their hands on him like in the baptism and their warmth is delivered to a part of him. The golden hair illuminates like a little flash, and it becomes dust that I breathe. As the ashes fly into the room, I start to talk in a low voice as if I was reading to myself. Howard looked like a white soap...

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“Victorian Murder” by Emma Lee

Submitted to Contest #211

I walked over to the fire where Jerry, my wonderful but shivering husband of 25 years was sitting. Both of us in our 50s now, I felt he had only gotten better with age, and our love had only grown. "Here's some tea, Honey. A little dash of milk and a spoonful of sugar just how you like it." The fire licked warmly and gently in the fireplace of our classic 3 story Victorian house. I had convinced Jerry on this home back when we were...

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“The Final Night” by Emma Katharine

Submitted to Contest #211

Sitting huddled together opposite of the fireplace, my sister and I hear the cracking sound of burning wood, almost sounding as if the fire was laughing with us. Though it is night, we both indulge in coffee from similar, handmade clay-mugs and bask in its warmth against our hands and throat. Faced with a dreary winter day, we kept within close contact of the heat-source, admiring the contrast of its bright, blazing hues against our pale, vacant walls. With painfully-solid, wooden floors, we both recognized our mutual discomfort of sitting o...

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“Soul Mates” by JP Aquino

Submitted to Contest #211

Soul Mates “Are you sure?” He nodded. “Yes.” And like that, Devon Pol lost his virginity to Rina Lam, his best friend of three years, on her couch on a midwinter’s night, with the fire burning ten feet in front of them. And he was sure that he wanted it, though he did not know why. The thought had never crossed his mind until then. It did not “just seem to happen,” like most people say it does. They had dedicated the night to studying organic chemistry, and, as he would come to understand it later on, things “just seemed to happen.” They h...

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“A Royal Problem” by Eugene Tan

Submitted to Contest #211

The scene in the royal courtyard was almost symphonic. The clopping of hooves. The chains going taut against loose earth. The neighs of steeds whipped into motion. And the cries of pain in tempo with the sickening tearing of flesh. The gaunt man in satin robes observed this disinterestedly- he had no taste for such showy executions,. Regardless, it was decorum a man of his station presides over the end of a noble family. Silat would much rather be at his desk sending letters of importance and refining policies in privacy. Perhaps I can s...

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“Putting Your Foot In It” by Kate Kilbee

Submitted to Contest #211

There's a new kid on the block and I think he's dangerous. The way he wears his hair, long and greasy and falling over his face, unnerves me. It's like a long black curtain concealing his expression and his intent. It's completely at odds with the way he walks, bouncing along, his hips swinging as if dancing to an imaginary boombox. His clothes are head to foot black but he's not a Goth. He doesn't seem to hang with a gang either so that's not why I find him disturbing.Even with the hair and sometimes a hoodie over it, occasionally there's a...

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“Dance of a Paintbrush” by Allison Cho

Submitted to Contest #211

Jay Beckerman is an eccentric yet boring man. He drinks peptic as a beverage, and from some point in his life, it became the only liquid he drank besides water. Boxes of green little bottles are piled up at the side of the room like an old accolade. Above the boxes, there is a picture of a woman sitting on a stair with gloomy eyes like the green glistening on the glass bottles, yet she is smiling. There is another picture of her on the back side of a tiny postcard on the table. Same smile, but she has red eyes this time. All of th...

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“Morris's Code” by Veronica Madell

Submitted to Contest #211

“I need to learn Morris’s code,” demands a voice that sounds far too young to be demanding things.Sheila looks up from her desk, surprised to see an eight-year-old face barely reaching over the library counter. The boy has the worst case of bedhead she has ever seen and he is still in his pajamas. Forty years at Bridgeview library has lulled Sheila into its patterns. Saturday morning means a few people her age quietly shuffling through the shelves and some morning joggers returning books. Young boys without their parents on missions to learn...

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“Dearest Father. Stories and Other Writings” by Caroline Jenner

Submitted to Contest #211

Glancing at the book in her hand Maisie sighed and considered the merits of reading the section ‘Letter to his Father’ from Franz Kafka’s 'Dearest Father, and other stories'. She opened a random page: “Sometimes I imagine the map of the world spread out and you stretched diagonally across it.” What did that even mean? Through the tiny window above her head Maisie could see the darkening sky where shimmering raindrops fragmented the glow from the streetlamps. Settling back against the bookcase she wondered if anyone in the library had notic...

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“At Whit's End” by Lindy Guidry

Submitted to Contest #211

“George, the new book donations are piling up in the back storeroom. I just haven’t had the time or the inclination to catalogue them. No matter how hard I look for it, I can’t find enough time for anything.” I nodded, never looking up from the tedious task she had assigned me earlier in the day. “The president of the Library Board of Trustees is coming by in the morning. Can you give me a hand? George? Give me some attention, George! I’m at ...

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“Miss Claireborns book” by Mille Lo

Submitted to Contest #211

His gloved finger ran over the spines of book after book, nearing the end of yet another row in yet another bookcase. “No, no, no…” Assuming the fake identity of Mr. Caldwell, literature major and library scientist, had been the easy part. Getting the job at the library in the town of Maple Hills was slightly more difficult, but a doctored transcript from Oxford and some fake glowing references made sure he stood out from the limited competition. It wasn’t like Maple Hills attracted the biggest and brightest anyway. Far away from the excit...

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“The Old Man's Tale ” by Amelia Sek

Submitted to Contest #211

It was way past midnight and unquestionably way past Mr Belleville’s bedtime. But the old man, however, had always been iron-willed and did not plan to leave until he found what he was looking for, so he paid no heed to the dull ache in his knees and the heaviness of his eyelids. He was sure that his wife was going to be disgruntled and say something about his tendency of acting half his age or searching for adventures that weren’t meant for a man with a sore back and grey hair. He couldn’t help it! The old man spent day after ...

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“"Dear William"….. A Letter from The Best Librarian, But Also A Father Doomed To Be The Best Storyteller….”” by Andy Mac

Submitted to Contest #211

“Dear William….. A Letter from The Best Librarian, But Also A Father Doomed To Be The Best Storyteller….” Dear William (on your wedding day), I hope this letter finds you well. I hope that you have became the man I knew you would always be, even if I was not there to celebrate it with you! I wish I could’ve met your bride. I have no doubt that she has a beauty not only around her, but also emanating inside of her as well! I wish I could’ve been there on this special day, but fate had other plans. It must’ve been hard to lose your mot...

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“Jessica the Librarian” by Ralph Emery Barhydt

Submitted to Contest #211

Jessica the Librarian By Ralph Barhydt Jessica was such a beautiful, warm, well-meaning young woman. If I had been a lot younger and if she weren’t engaged, I might have asked her out. What I did ask her to do is find this ancient text of witchcraft that focused on spells. I had solid evidence that it was resting in this particular library. Of course, with a book like this there is always talk that “oh, ooh, ah, the book is alive.” Right. Makes it a lot more interesting. “Jessica, I am looking for an old book, maybe ancient actually, ...

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“In the Simpleton Library” by Aurora Martin

Submitted to Contest #211

“Oh, where is it this time…” Harris the librarian muttered as he started rooting around his desk. “Not here… perhaps on a shelf again? It does like to wander…” Harris was an older fellow, but a good hand to have around the library. Most didn’t even visit unless they knew he’d be there. Harris was always good for a story or two, and knew where just about every book in the library belonged, and all the people who visited the library, including their preferences. He spoke in three languages, and signed in quite a few languages as well. If Harri...

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$250

Prize money

308

Contest entries

108

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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