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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

“For better or For Worse” by Ella F

Submitted to Contest #41

“Beep… beep… beep…” it continued. Not only the sound of the beeping but being back in a hospital. Five years ago today I beat my cancer, one year ago I found Finn, or at least Finn found me. That’s the one thing that stayed the same. He laid on the bed next to me, he seemed less playful than usual. Ever since he showed up on the porch he had been happy, always wagging his tail.  The doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, and pain in her eyes.  “I’m sorry,” she looked down “The tests came back positive.” I closed my eyes and sunk int...

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“Akuchi ” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #41

I’m not going to sit here and try to tell you that I was raised in the Congo Jungle by a troop of chimpanzees like Tarzan.  I’m a psychology professor at Grambling State University. Grambling State is a public university located in Grambling, Louisiana. As a historically black college, GSU has a strong history of and commitment to the education of black Americans. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 3,734 undergraduate students. The Grambling State acceptance rate is 95%.My name is Wilbur Trumbul Asenberger and I study cogni...

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“Betta Off Without You” by Magnet Marsdaughter

Submitted to Contest #41

Gary the betta fish sat and gaped through the glass of his tank at the dingy living room. A shark swam past and smacked him in the head with a ping pong ball.Wait, what? What does that have to do with anything?Let’s restart.Gary the betta fish sat and gaped through the glass of his tank at the dingy living room. Sara sat on the drab couch and stared back at him. She was torn. Her career or Gary? Move to Paris to become a fashion designer or stay in Buffalo working at McDonald’s so she could be with her fish?She should have listened to her fa...

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“A boys best friend ” by Leila Adams

Submitted to Contest #41

The door to the office was partially closed, and the voices were muted inside, but the nurse behind the desk could still plainly hear the doctors words, delivered in a soothing tone, and the sobs of the mother as she tried to accept the diagnosis.  The small boy sitting alone on the chair in front of her gave no sign as to whether he heard or even understood what was being said about him , discussing his future without his immediate presence.The nurse carefully studied the silent figure.  She knew his name and his age, of...

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“the baboon and the rabbit” by Mishaella Githunguri

Submitted to Contest #41

Far away in a hot country, where the forests are very thick and dark, and the rivers very swift and strong, there once lived a strange pair of friends. Now one of the friends was a big white rabbit named Isuro, and the other was a tall baboon called Gudu, and so fond were they of each other that they were seldom seen apart.One day, when the sun was hotter even than usual, the rabbit awoke from his midday sleep, and saw Gudu the baboon standing beside him.'Get up,' said Gudu; 'I am going courting, and you must come with me. So put some food i...

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“Runt Of The Litter ” by Juan Ruiz

Submitted to Contest #41

He remembered seeing him. The runt of the litter, and somehow before even petting him, he already had a name picked out. “He was a cute one that little guy”, Jay thought to himself. Those marshy eyes and wobbly stance, standing behind eleven other puppies awaiting his turn.  It’s a funny feeling isn’t it, picking out a pet that is. You have so many options yet somehow you just know which one is right for you. As if by some magical reason you were meant to be together. He couldn’t explain why, but something about the way he patiently wai...

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“Ruby - No 6” by Sabinah Adewole

Submitted to Contest #41

She was an adorable dog and followed my neighbour Joan on her daily walks. They lived opposite me for eighteen years now. The first few years I noticed Joan and John went on vacation they were an older couple in their seventies and we had received Xmas cards saying Joan, John and Ruby.Few years down the line I realised I had not seen much of John not realising he had fallen ill and later was moved to care home in the Horn church area. So that would mean for the following years Joan and ruby lived at home at No 6.When ever we received Xmas ca...

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“Thank You” by Yashaa Bajracharya

Submitted to Contest #41

It was a cold November day. Daniel Stark was walking home as another normal day ended in Greenwood High. He checked his watch and knew he had a shift in the local department store in fifteen minutes. He hurried up his pace, pulling the brown scarf tighter around his neck. As he walked, someone ran past him pushing at his arm. Daniel stumbled a little as a girl’s voice said, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” “Watch it,” Daniel stated, annoyed. He looked at the girl standing in front of him, her auburn hair tied up in a ponytail and she looked anxious a...

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“ROSCOE” by Arthur Sheridan

Submitted to Contest #41

           ROSCOE  She looked like a teddy bear. All golden fur. There was an instant attraction.  She bit Johnner and I didn’t like Johnner all that much. He clattered her and threw her on the ground. Next she bit Easer. He kicked her. They all started kicking her. I picked her up, patted her on the head. She bit me. I slapped her head. She licked my hand. We were smitten. I brought her home hoping my family would let me keep her. Ma  didn’t like puppies but this one was a...

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“SPECIAL CAT ALYSSA” by VANESA S. STOSIC

Submitted to Contest #41

Once there was a girl who lived alone in a big city. She had parents who lived in the same city, only in their house.This girl was very busy, she worked in one school as a teacher.One night, she heard crying. It was like a baby crying, yet different. It came from the street. The girl went outside and found a little kitten in a box.  It had just been born, very small, with its eyes still closed. Somebody had left it there, separated it from its mother, some naughty person who did not want to keep it.The girl took the kitten home. It coul...

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“Jason's Life” by Pooja Gupta

Submitted to Contest #41

           Ten years ago, there was a man named Jason. He was 26 years old. He worked in a very small company. He was a very kind man. But the problem was that he had only a few friends. (Actually, not many people wanted to be his friend for a reason that I never really understood). Anyway, he wasn’t even married yet. His parents had passed out a few years ago. His parents had left him some of their possessions. That was basically everything he had. He was tired of living this life....

2 comments 2
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“Jasper's Secret” by Eve Moley

Submitted to Contest #41

It was a warm, sunshine-filled June day for Jasper as he hopped on his bicycle and rode around his friendly neighborhood. He enjoyed the sunshine and wondered if his friend Harry would want to ride bikes with him. Suddenly, he noticed something tiny slowly crawling across the road. Curious, he screeched on the breaks and ran over to see it. Immediately, he was gleeful upon his discovery. It was a yellow-striped turtle that was about the size of his fist. It had short, stubby legs and a long, stretched neck that immediately shrunk into its sh...

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“Alone together ” by Bonnie McD

Submitted to Contest #41

The police were at my door again. There weren’t any voices, only an incessant banging. But no one else would knock at 1am on a Wednesday morning. I heaved myself from the couch where I had fallen asleep and crossed the living room. My neck ached, and I moved on autopilot, navigating my way around the objects that made up my everyday life. I sighed as I reached the door, wishing for the thousandth time that I had a peephole. Instead, I made sure the chain was firmly in place and cracked the door to see what they wanted this time.&nb...

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“The rescue” by Emily Perrins

Submitted to Contest #41

“Syd? SY-YD!” Matthew’s voice echoed through the woods. “SYD!”Syd sighed inwardly. His human was certainly impatient; he’d only been gone a minute! And now he was in a most inconvenient position so Matthew was going to have to wait until he was done, he thought to himself.A few moments later, Syd kicked some loose dirt behind him to cover his evidence and ran out of the woods in the direction of Matthew’s voice. Bounding up to him—Syd knew to slow his speed before he got too close—Syd skilfully came to a smooth stop, resting back onto his ba...

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“How to Fight The Monsters Under Your Bed (In 100 Simple Steps)” by Faith Chrayon

Submitted to Contest #41

"You are chosen to battle the monsters under your bed. At the end of this adventure, you will have defeated the creatures under your bed, and you will awaken in one piece in the actual world.Should you accept this challenge, you must follow all the instructions this letter will show you. Failure to follow any of the directions will cause immediate failure.Should you decline this challenge, return this letter to where you found it. Close your eyes. You will awaken once again in the actual world. But the monsters under this bed will ...

2 comments 2
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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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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