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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

“Split Ends ” by Seamus Ennis

Submitted to Contest #41

A muffled groan escaped from Harry’s mouth as he rolled out of bed. His long gown of fur now tangled in knots creating a ragged and unkempt appearance. “what harm” he thought as he caught a glimpse of his face in a window pane. The sun beamed through a stained-glass window of the town house he resided in, warming his back with a rainbow of light he lapped up his breakfast out of a rusty bowl. Harry stayed in this spot for awhile soaking up the heat like a sponge, all the other windows were covered with black out blinds but this one was allow...

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“About A Dream” by Maria Juliana Jiménez Marín

Submitted to Contest #41

It’s Christmas morning and I don’t think anyone underestimates holiday excitement. Milo certainly doesn’t. My beloved eight-year-old best friend loves Christmas for the reasons all kids do, it’s magical. There are presents, and food, and snow, and the list goes on forever. On the other hand, my reasons are a little unpopular. They include individual entertainment and evolution. See, holiday season is glow up season for me, and I’m always up for a makeover. It entertains me because it’s also time for Milo’s parents creativity and conviction t...

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“Me and Ernie the Wallaroo” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #41

I met Ernie the Wallaroo while visiting Dharug National Park located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. I was looking through my binoculars at gang-gang cockatoos, satin bowerbirds and green catbirds on the mountain slopes. I heard someone or something saying mate! Hey mate it shouted in an Australian accent. Help an Australian brother Roo out! I stopped looking at the wonderful sight to see who was calling me. All I seen was a moderately large macropod, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wa...

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“The Primal Journey” by Nick Kokales

Submitted to Contest #41

Spring in an old-growth forest, the backdrop for this story, is innately beautiful and teeming with life. Spring is a time of renewal, of birth and re-birth. The flora and fauna collectively hail its arrival. Welcoming Spring is an all-encompassing celebration, a fever, an epidemic. Our traveler not only encounters this Spring fever epidemic but participates in it as well. Here is her story. The primal journey continued. Dead brown leaves of oak, maple, ash, birch and other deciduous trees covered the forest floor. Mold upon...

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“Rex's Trek” by Mark Munroe

Submitted to Contest #41

Rex journeyed up the side of the roadway, keeping well to the grass. Ears perked and nose ready for even the strangest of scents, the brown colored mixed breed dog walked at a steady peace. He stopped. A lush cool breeze embraced him and he closed his eyes, letting the rush bath through his thick fur, and he wagged his tail. It was good to be alive. Rex then took in the scenery. The field stretched far towards the distance, where the forest spread out without end. A few butterflies danced above the grass and blue...

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“Berry Bunny's Adventure” by D J

Submitted to Contest #41

Berry Bunny woke up in her room, in the tall maple tree. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at her brothers and sisters, who were still sleeping soundly.Quietly, she arose from bed and stepped over their furry heads. She opened the small door and slipped out of the room.Berry hopped downstairs to the kitchen, where Mama Bunny was sitting at the long table.“Good morning Mama,” Berry said happily.“Good morning Berry!” Mama said smiling. “You’re awake early.”Berry smiled. “Today is the day Mama!” she said excitedly. “Today is the day I visit...

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“Hopie's Long Day” by David Taylor

Submitted to Contest #41

Hopie sat waiting. She just knew that they would be back. After all, it had only been a day since they had left. They would be back. They had never left her before. But something seemed different.She looked around the house and saw that the couch she loved to sleep on was gone. Her dog leash was gone. Her food dish, water bowl, all gone. In fact, everything in the house seemed to be gone. Where had her owners gone?Hopie had the most amazing owners, Charles and Nicole. They had adopted her when she was just a few months old. They did everythi...

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“Bear’s Big Journey” by Audrey Ku

Submitted to Contest #41

Bear woke suddenly. He shuffled in his small confining cage. The burrow he had built during the night was starting to cave in. He squeezed his eyes shut and popped his head out of the hole. The bright light of the pet store met him as he rose, and he winced. Nearby a small girl of about four was headed towards him and the other hamsters. She started squealing excitedly and Bear hissed. Hamsters are nocturnal and she was waking up all of them. He hoped she wouldn’t be the one to put him in a small cardboard...

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“A Buddy In Europe” by Francisco Velazquez

Submitted to Contest #41

Currently, I am on a flight to the Deep South of the United States of America. It is a flight coming out of London. I'm just glad that my wild ride through Europe is finally over. When I was looking out the window of the plane. I just stared into the night sky. About an hour later...We landed in Atlanta, Georgia. My owner Francisco told me that it was going to be a while until our flight. So, in the time between flights as Francisco was getting his energy out. I was talking to a group of tsum tsums that were around me. They were exchanging s...

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“"In Search of Home"” by IM SALAZAR

Submitted to Contest #41

Desmond is loyal, patient, kind. Desmond listens, he holds you, he wipes away the tears. Desmond is everything you could wish to have in a best friend. Desmond is a good boy, middle-aged- seven years old in human years. Desmond is also a black Golden Retriever. His buddy is Arney- a white human male, single. They live in a house that is small, but perfect for the two of them. Desmond grew up with Arney- he’s known him since he was a little pup, the runt of the family. But Desmond hasn’t seen Arney in two days, and this confuses him. They hav...

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“Jodi's Day At The Zoo” by Kamela Becker

Submitted to Contest #41

The sun was warm when Jodi woke up that fine summer day. She stretched and yawned her sharp teeth sparkling in the sunshine. Outside her enclosure she could hear the keepers preparing the zoo for a new day of visitors. Their voices were distant, happy, opening shops and preparing food. Jodi stretched again, her long spotted tail flicking gently as she gazed about. The sun was just topping the horizon. The new day cast gentle light throughout her enclosure while Jodi sat atop her favorite sleeping branch appreciating the beautiful view. She c...

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“The Melodious Hornets of the Great Northwest” by Micah Lewter

Submitted to Contest #41

Justin Jay and Armande Benoit rose early that morning, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. “The sun surely rises early up here this far north,” a sleepy Justin said as he stretched.Armande looked at his watch, and he yawned.“Three o’clock in the morning, eh?” he said in a French-Canadian accent.At that time of day, the air was still chilly in the valleys of northern British Columbia, even in June. The two outdoorsmen were exploring the northwestern province, hoping to get some fishing done as well as see some of the legendary wildlife....

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“Veggiesaurus Rex” by Robyn Jipp

Submitted to Contest #41

Rory the Tyrannosaurus was excited. It was his birthday and his mother had promised him that she would take him out for his very first hunt.For weeks he had been practicing the lunge-and-snap technique his mother had taught him and working on his fearsome roar. After all that practice his lunge had gotten faster and he could now snap his jaws together with impressive force. His roar was still not quite as terrifying as the sound the adult Tyrannosaurs were capable of emitting, but he was sure he'd get better at it with more practice.He was u...

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“Dragon ” by Sandra Claros

Submitted to Contest #41

That was a ten tons , red winged and jumping dragon living in a hidden cave among some bushes in the middle of the icy mountains There were no human neighbors all over the place.Only him.- This solitude is killing me – the dragon said , jumping.( as a matter of fact, he used to jump all the time, even tired - or should I say , the whole time? Well, anyway, that was a big red jumping dragon living in a hidden cave ( no ! All over again? Wholly sh..! ) .On talking about him, he used to spend his days in a lake nea...

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“A new wolf partner” by Jason Heiser

Submitted to Contest #41

Hello my name is Birch I am a brown wolf and with the help of my mother I have been running a successful cake decorating business for two years. Now that my business has become so popular I need some help with my bakery. People literally line up before I officially open the doors to get a sweet treat before work and a cup of coffee. We have become so popular as a cake shop that now I had to pay my dad to place a help wanted advertisement in the paper. The problem is when you advertise a job like working in a bakery you get all sorts of canin...

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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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