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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

“The Pigeon” by Rebecca Hodge

Submitted to Contest #41

The pigeon was back.The nursing staff of Downtown Pediatric Urgent Care peeked over the receptionist’s desk. They whispered quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of their stalker. They attempted to piece together an exit strategy, but it was nearing midnight. They had worked two double shifts, back-to-back, and their minds were hazy from the exhaustion.The nurses had just finished cleaning all but one exam room. The last patient of the night, an adorable asthmatic named Teagan, was nearing the end of his breathing tr...

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“Dexter” by Marie-Josee Higgins

Submitted to Contest #41

Dexter is an extremely cute Yorkshire terrier and poodle mix, a “Yorkiepoo”. The first time we met was at a Christmas party at a friend’s house and he must have been about a year and half at the time. He was not fully grown, his fur was a nice caramel colour with darker highlights around the eyes, the ears and the lower parts of the hind legs, and oh, so soft. He was very friendly with people and other pets and had magnificent big brown eyes just begging for affection. I was immediately under his spell. And that is saying a lot since I have ...

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“The Kid in the Orange Fur Suit” by Tina Wagner Mattern

Submitted to Contest #41

When our cat, Brodie, was born, his mother, Ginger, developed a breast infection, so he and his siblings had to be nurtured and hand-fed by their human grandmother, my good friend Ellen. She tended them devotedly; hers was the first face the kittens saw in the morning and the last one at night. In their minds, Ellen was their mother, and since she was human, they must be too. Consequently, Brodie had no idea he was a cat—as far as he was concerned, he was a vertically challenged kid in an orange fur suit. &n...

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“Counting Paces” by Isis Isismoonvortigern@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #41

I heard once that animals pace when they are stressed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was a fact- humans pace when they're stressed, why shouldn't animals? My morning started off as usual. I woke up around 9am, because that's a nice time to wake up on a sunny Saturday. I ate a waffle from our new waffle maker, and brushed my teeth afterwards because Mom made me. Finally, I changed from my pajamas into an oversized T-shirt and gymnastics shorts. Afterwards, I kicked a soccer ball around in the front yard until Mom came out ...

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“Together” by Elle Mineo

Submitted to Contest #41

I sat bolt upright in bed, my chest heaving up and down heavily as I gasped for air. I clutched the sheets with clammy hands until I realized where I was. Safe, in my bedroom. It had been another nightmare. I laid back down on my pillow, which was slightly damp with sweat. I reached over to my bedside table, accidentally knocking a few things over as I reached for my pill bottle. I winced, hoping the noise hadn’t woken my parents in the next room. I shook out a pill into my palm, swallowing it dry. I laid back down and watched as the ceiling...

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“Something Domestic” by Sheryl J

Submitted to Contest #41

Something DomesticThe night couldn’t be any darker. The moonless sky was marked by thunderous clouds and the occasional lightning. The hoot of the owl filled the ominous silence of the night as humans and animals alike were relieved to be inside their homes and not in this shroud of darkness. Everything stood still in its place as though frozen by some unknown force. A sudden shrill cry broke through the blanket of the night.“LET ME GO!” “STOP! YOU FREAK. GET BACK HERE.”“NO!” A door opened and was soon slammed closed as a small dark fig...

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“April” by Judy Goldwyn

Submitted to Contest #41

APRIL1,625 wordsThe terrifying visions were particularly vivid at night. I didn’t even remember the nightmares the next morning; someone conjectured that my brain was protecting me from reliving the pain and I accepted the explanation. I wanted to obliterate the memories of that morning. But the aching was there even during the day. Truthfully, traces still linger all these years later. Now it reassures me that he was real, he lived his life, and he died at peace with the world.The days before my son died are a blur of robot-like activities,...

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“ANDY” by George Davis

Submitted to Contest #41

“Did you adopt him from an animal shelter?” She asks. “No, we got together purely by accident. I was driving from an acquaintance’s house one night. I was going along this not so well lighted street when I heard a thump. I stopped thinking that I hit something, someone, hoping that it wasn’t a kid. I stepped out of my car to look around. At first, I thought it was a racoon. I looked closer and saw a puppy,” he says. “Oh, I see,” she says. “Before I could do anything this cop pulled up wanting to know if I had car trouble. I told him that I h...

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“She Named Him Hank” by Maggie Marton

Submitted to Contest #41

Alice folded the newspaper in thirds so the crossword faced up. From her bedside table, she selected a mechanical pencil and tapped the top to draw the lead. Henry hated when she did the crossword in ink. She used to do it anyway. “To get your goat,” she’d tease. Now she only uses pencil. She sipped her coffee and placed the mug on a square of laminated coaster made by her grandson. He sent a set of four to her for Christmas last year. Each had a printed letter colored by his small hand: love, it spelled. For the next hour, she pen...

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“Come on Duke” by Ethan West

Submitted to Contest #41

“Come on Duke, let’s head inside.” Mike said as he picked up the slobbery wet ball Duke had just dropped at his feet. Duke looked up at his owner with sadness in his eyes. Mike looked down at Duke with the same expression. Sadness. Mike didn’t want to go inside either. Everything inside the tiny ranch house reminded him of Annie. The old furniture, the cleanliness, even the smell. After all this time the house still smelled like lavender. Maybe it was just his imagination. She had been gone for a year now. Taken from him too soon...

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“Toby ” by Saanvi Shetty

Submitted to Contest #41

Emma Johnson always made her parents proud, her test scores were above 90 percent no matter what. She was athletic, disciplined, focused, and obeyed each and every wish of her parents. Emma was an only child, and since her parents were always busy with work, she was a bit lonely at home. After she finished her homework she would simply read a book or just watch any shows on TV. Emma's tenth birthday was approaching and her parents wanted to get her something special she would always remember. Finally, the day came when her parents presented ...

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“The Raccoon” by Casey Bouwman

Submitted to Contest #41

Jenny was homeless. She lived under a bridge in Nashville, where dirt and spider webs welcomed her. Filth constantly streaked her face, and her worn out clothes were ripped and torn. Her live would have been horrible, just horrible, if it weren't for the young, dirty animal that saved her life.It all started the day Jenny was kicked out of her home. She didn't pay for her rent, so the owners of her home threw her head first through the door with a single, grudging, look on there ugly, ugly faces. They sneered at her for living the way she di...

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“Familiar ” by Hernando Trevino

Submitted to Contest #41

“Apus. It’s where I used to live. Seemingly on the edge of civilization and almost in the middle of nowhere. An unassuming town by all accounts with a population nearing one thousand. It was the kind of place that was just there. Nothing special or exciting ever happened. Except of course for the earthquake lights that the town was named after. When the town was founded, a small series or earthquakes occurred. The last of these produced several lights in ...

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“In Other Words, I Love You” by P K

Submitted to Contest #41

“What are you doing when you get back Sarge?” the words came from James Baker, a kid from Harlem who rested on his pack staring up at the stars. An old record player sang in the dark as they spoke, it played the same song through the night, the only record from his request that had reached the camp. “I’ll probably take a hot shower first, in my own bathroom. And then there’s this bakery in my neighbourhood, in a train station, they make the damn best cwassants.” He said the words slow as if he were tasting the words in his mouth. ...

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“Keep Quinn Calm” by Ann Bryant

Submitted to Contest #41

KEEP QUINN CALMErica was at the pet store with her daughter, Quinn, when the problem began. After being a single mother for 12 years, Erica was emotionally drained and desperately struggling to find some sense of inner peace. Trying to keep Quinn calm was an endless battle. Erica was so tired of explaining to people why they can’t stand to close to Quinn. She made certain to always have Quinn’s noise reduction headphones on hand. Erica had to plan out the days carefully, trying to predict any possible trigger. Would it be noise? Would ...

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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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