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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#41: Fuzzy Friends (or Foes?)

Hey, writers! I'm Tracy Gold, an editor, writer, and mom to a toddler, horse, and dog. And this week, I'm taking over Reedsy Prompts!

As an editor, I've enjoyed working on young adult fiction (like Amanda Searcy's Watch You Burn), non-fiction (like Gary Vikan's The Holy Shroud), and sci-fi/fantasy (like Nikki Richard's Demon in the Whitelands). Visit my Reedsy profile to learn more about me and my work!

My theme for this week is "fuzzy friends." From Hedwig in the Harry Potter series to Enzo in the The Art of Racing in the Rain, nothing captures hearts like a beloved animal. Animals can be powerful antagonists, too: just look at Jurassic Park! Perhaps what I love most about books featuring fuzzy friends (or foes) is that they mine the depths of the human heart by exploring how we interact with animals. I hope these prompts help you sniff out a good story!

This week's prompts

Write about an animal who changes a person's life (for better or worse).

Kids – 232 stories

Write about an animal species that doesn't exist in real life — an alien, new discovery, imaginary creature — it's up to your interpretation!

Middle School – 145 stories

Write about an animal who goes on a journey.

Kids – 69 stories

Write a story featuring an animal who subverts expectations (like a snuggly tiger, or something more magical, like a literal fish out of water).

Kids – 69 stories

Write about an animal who causes a huge problem.

Middle School – 99 stories

Stories

“Over the Years” by Kat Boram

Submitted to Contest #41

“It’ll be alright,” she whispered. “Everything will be okay.” Her fur, Celestina realized, once sleek and soft, was now dull and patchy. Her fingers got tangled up in the mess but she swallowed the lump in her throat and continued to stroke her dog’s frail body. Artemis was shivering, even though her coat was still thick and the warm summer breeze blew in from the open window. Celestina kissed the top of her head and looked deep into her blue-and-green eyes, trying to find a glint of playfulness.She only saw exhaustion.Guilt pierced through ...

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“The Smell of Brown” by Emma Kelleher

Submitted to Contest #41

I wake up in the comfort of my bed, soft silky sheets against my skin and the smell of a fresh morning fill my senses. I listen to the birds chirping outside my home without trouble and taste the cold air on my tongue. I sit up and rest my upper half against the bed frame, rubbing my eyes groggily. I feel the sensation of opening my eyelids, only to return to the normal dark void of vision.I reach my hand out to the side table, searching for my walking stick and grabbing it frantically when it sways near the edge. I adjust its length to its ...

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“Space Geographer ” by Morgan Hannah

Submitted to Contest #41

I’m okay. My hands shakily survey each part of me. Nothing is broken. Not even my spacesuit. But I can’t say the same for my ship. The observatory window is smashed in, shards of glass like teeth haphazardly sitting in rotting gums are what’s left in place. Outside, the atmosphere is a deep shade of vermillion, it looks like light orange clouds are floating in the sky. With a grunt, I sit up and take in my immediate surroundings, I’ve got to assess the damage. Cabinets and compartments are opened, all sorts of instruments, knobs, and documen...

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“Unidentified ” by Germany WhiteRose

Submitted to Contest #41

Baylis was a girl who wanted to see the world. Her mother didn’t agree. She wanted Baylis to stay and take care of the farm. One day, Baylis had enough of her mother’s rambling. she packed her suitcase and went to bed. She would leave the next morning for New York City: Her first destination. Her sleep was troubling. Baylis tossed and turned all night long. She barely got a wink of sleep. As usual she was awoken by her mother’s yells. Telling her to go feed the horses. She got dressed in the nicest outfit she had, for it was her first day aw...

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“MISSIONARY ENCOUNTER WITH SNAKES ON A MISSION TRIP ” by Ebube Chukwunyere

Submitted to Contest #41

He was a young boy sent on a missionary work somewhere in West Africa. On getting to the village where he was supposed to start his mission work as a missionary, he met a man who told him with an angry tone, "Do you not know missionaries are killed here? How could you not ask questions? You are too young to die. "The one who sent me said, I am with you even in the ends of the earth and will never leave me or forsake me," He responded."He happily started his mission work, walking through bushes and forest visiting homes and people at farm. He...

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“The Australia” by Smudge Himmel

Submitted to Contest #41

I, the great explorer Benjamin Weird, have discovered a new species! (Or I believe I have. I am not all that learned in biology. They did give me a manual of all discovered flora and fauna, but even on this long voyage I have been to lazy to do more than skim. The book is nearly too heavy to lift anyway.) Let me begin to describe this species. The first quality of interest is that this species seems to have no bones, much like an octopus. When we first pulled it out of the sea I thought we had run into a bad patch of seaweed, it was so entan...

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“The hidden depths of the sea” by Rachel Jennings

Submitted to Contest #41

The day Lance found a creature in his own backyard turned his once normal life upside down. It was a spring morning, the Daffodils in the garden were in bloom. His mother Joan liked to bake early in the day which released a sweet aroma throughout the house. The smell would wake Lance early on the weekends. On weekdays his mother would place tarts on the kitchen table before school, and often placed treats in his lunch box. Sometimes he shared them with his friends.His mother liked to encourage him to share with his friends especially the one...

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“Friendship & Love Eternal” by Marianne Wieland

Submitted to Contest #41

Friendship & Love Eternal Silently he sat. On the side of the bed. Watching the clock. Minute by minute. Waiting for the alarm to go off. Sleep had evaded him often the last few nights and he wondered if that might not be a good thing. He jumped as the music of John Lennon came over the clock radio. With resolve, he slowly stood up, ran his hands through his hair, and moved forward into his day. &n...

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“True Freedom” by Rawn A Lynn

Submitted to Contest #41

Eli woke from his restless sleep. He quickly grabbed his things for school and made for his window. He throws one end of his rope out of his window. After affirmation that he had everything for the day he took the rope into one hand. He puts his backpack on properly and proceeds to climb down the rope. When he gets to the bottom he hides the rope with the vines growing on the side of the house. He looks back at his window, then takes off for his safe haven.Eli never needed to use his window as an escape when he was younger. It was the best k...

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“Nony” by Lia Divani

Submitted to Contest #41

My uncle was a mad scientist and I was almost always his Beta Tester. I don't know why my parents trust this guy to use me for his experiments. I'm pretty sure a fourteen-year old shouldn't be subjected to unauthorized experiments from an unstable thirty six-year old man. I mean, it would be okay if these experiments only involved chemistry with dishwashing soap and bubbles. You know...science things that are actually kid-friendly and safe! Unfortunately, my uncle's everyday mission was to defy every aspect of safety. One time he had me...

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“A Little Drop of Starlight” by Erika Naylor

Submitted to Contest #41

Alicia woke up with a start. She sat up in bed, looking around her dark bedroom, trying to figure out what had startled her awake. Suddenly, the white sheer curtains hanging down over the inside of her window lit up; there was a bright flash of light outside her house. Glancing at the clock, the red numbers glowed 2:27am. Alicia frowned, confused. What on earth would cause such a bright light so early in the morning? Scooting towards the edge of her orange queen-sized bed, she hung her legs over the edge and placed her bare feet on the hardw...

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“The Rokkusai” by Gabriella Briseno

Submitted to Contest #41

*I did bring this creature from another story I am writing on. Just thought it should be known in case I needed to make one from scratch. It has not been flushed out in great detail however.*In the rainforest, among where there are many boulders and rocks of varying sizes, a small rock pup waddles through the brush, mostly composed of large leaves. His spherical body with four stumpy legs, two in front and two in the back, slowly but surely makes the trudge through the forest. A short stubby tail protruding from his rear waves excitedly and ...

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“Trans-cephalopod ” by Ariadne Isoton

Submitted to Contest #41

My grandmother used to say that this world came out of the chaos of the destruction of a previous world, and the octopus was the lone survivor that slipped through. I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently. Initial experiments with octopuses were promising. An octopus placed in a wheel-mounted tank could be trained to navigate a maze on land. They were intelligent, trainable, and laid thousands of eggs. The perplexing phenomena of female octopuses self-destructing after reproduction was solved when scientists traced the behavior to ...

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“Shelter Animals Race For A Home [Livestream]” by Renji Mao

Submitted to Contest #41

DAMIAN: Welcome to the championship finals of the first ever Furry Friends Olympics! Streaming live from our backyard, our lineup has arrived at the starting line for the event that will decide the match once and for all: a race! The rules are simple: run a lap around our backyard. The first to do so wins the grand prize!TAYLOR: Seems simple enough, but I know for sure it’s gonna be super intense! Would you mind reminding our dear viewers what the grand prize is, Leah?LEAH: Not at all, Taylor. So, the whole reason for the Furry Friends Olymp...

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“Escape - Auntie's tall tales” by Nicole Leah

Submitted to Contest #41

“It was on the hunt, and it wasted no time to let us know, with a roar that digs into the depths of your soul and threatens to rip your heart out with claws the length of your body. Uncle Ben’s head flicked towards mine. I have never seen so much fear and so much hope written on the same face at one time. Run; that was the plan. Poorly executed. If we had only been quiet, that heavy breath, the stench of rotting wood, blood and humidified sweat, may not have reached ever closer to our nostrils - the scent prowled on the air.” &nbs...

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$50

Prize money

614

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 15, 2020 EST

Won by Jack Basson 🏆

Title: A Cat of Ganymede

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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