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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

“Eclipse” by Alexis Klein

Submitted to Contest #41

A luna moth flitted around Dr. Theoden’s head. “Yes, Eclipse. It is coming. We must work faster to get Ecenta ready. Will you bring me the wrench?” Eclipse chirped, flitted over to a large red toolbox, and pulled open the drawer with her powerful green wings. Then, she pulled out a large silver wrench. “Thank you, Eclipse. Are you ready to go meet Elizabet?” Eclipse chirped again, flying in a loopty loop. “Alright. Let’s go.” *** Elizibet rolled over in her gray comforter. Her sleep was becoming more restless every night. Tonight...

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“Lost Dog (don't bother looking)” by Jessica Cushman

Submitted to Contest #41

“Mrs. Black?”“Yes. Mr. Doe, I presume?”“That’s me.”“Thank you for meeting with me.”“I can’t say no to a beautiful woman.”“Well that’s kind of awkward.”“So . . . you have a problem that needs to be solved?”“Correct.”“Husband?”“What? No! No, no, no.”“Just a guess. Most often it’s the spouse. Who is it then?”“My husband’s dog.”“A dog?”“Yes. And keep your voice down. We’re not the only ones in this park.”“You want me to take care of a dog?”“Shhh. People are watching us.”“No they’re not, you’re nervous. First time you’ve had someone taken care of...

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“Lady Girl” by Mary Swearingen

Submitted to Contest #41

LADY GIRLIt was 1965 when she came into our lives on a bone-chilling cold and windy Missouri winter morning, and ten years later, she would leave us on a day just as cold and windy. But between the beginning and the end were years of pure joy, laughter, friendship, and companionship. Years filled with unforgettable memories that my brother, sister, and I, along with my parents, experienced with a little dog named Lady Girl. She was born in one of those old, somewhat dilapidated, yet functional midwestern barns. Surrounded by the smell o...

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“The Missing Lynx” by T.R. Newhouser

Submitted to Contest #41

Tony was a lonely boy, living far outside of town and not getting along with the other kids at his school attributed to that. He grew up chucking hay and working the land with his father which had turned him into a rather strong boy. Because of this, the other kids in school did not pick on him, which was good. However, they seemed to fear him, so they avoided Tony. His father, Arthur, worked all day, every day, and into most evenings, so other than bre...

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“Life-Saving Dog” by Alex Affonso

Submitted to Contest #41

Jannet stomped into the living room, fuming through her nose. Her daughter, May, sat cross-legged on the couch, and the dog, Billy, laid sideways beside her, his head resting on her thigh. On the TV, Elsa was telling the world to “Let it go!” once again. “Get out of there!” Jannet said. “You sack of shit, get out!” The Golden Retriever leapt down immediately, lowering his head and tucking his tail between his legs; May paused the movie and jumped to the rescue. “Leave Billy alone, he wasn’t doing nothing!” She held his neck under a...

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“The Scorpion Queen” by Dextyr Adams

Submitted to Contest #41

“Another one?” Tyra looked up from her laptop - where the messy sketches of a story she thought was a good idea when waking up in a cold sweat early one Saturday morning resided. Her roommate - Airi - had her lip curled in disgust. Her pale skin caught the glow of the fluorescent light, turning it the same shade as cream. It provided a nice contrast against the coffee black hair that glided down her back. By her feet, buried in the white carpet of her rug was a scorpion. It moved carelessly, freely, oblivious to the giant disgusted at its me...

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“ABBY MEANS JOY by Jerry Watson.” by Gerard Watson

Submitted to Contest #41

My sister and I press our selves into the kitchen corner. We sit staring down the dark corridor. We hear a low growl, but we can't see Abby."Jerry, I'm scared.""Luci, we'll be alright."I lie. "Were Mommie, Jerry?""She's upstairs—safe in her and Daddy's bedroom. "In a slither of moonlight, I see my Mom lying motionless with the phone near her hand. I dip my shoulder, blocking Luci's view. She digs her nails into my shoulder. I lean away. "Stop it, Luci. That hurts!"I forget for the moment why we are shaking. I forget ...

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“Thresholds” by Anikah Gordon

Submitted to Contest #41

“I haven’t even looked at the food I packed yet,” I laugh. I open the bag, taking out at least 5 candy bars for both Shiloh and August, tossing little bundles to them.“Obviously you have,” August retorts as he catches his, placing them into his bag. “And trust you to bring candy, Zephyr.”“I can take them right back, mister,” I give him a dangerous look. Shiloh puts theirs into a blue backpack they’d been carrying. The one that August brought is green and mine is black, so I guess that will be easy to tell. Midday sunlight filters...

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“ENDING TO THE STORY” by Shreyonti Chakraborty

Submitted to Contest #41

We didn’t know where Manu had come from. Two Australian trekkers had found him in the Himalayas, deep in the terai, where they probably had no business being but who would question them now that Manu had our attention? “He was just standing there, sucking his thumb, in the middle of a clearing!” said one of the Australians.“Clearing?” the police asked. “There are no clearings in this area. It is all wilderness.”“Exactly!” said the other Australian. The police had reason to be skeptical. Travelers liked to believe their own fantastic tales. H...

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“Just Me” by Jacqueline Han

Submitted to Contest #41

Sitting by the ever-changing water, I let my feet slip in. The cool pull of the river tugs on the fine fur that enveloped my three feet. My glowing eyes tinted in purple find their matching pair in the water as I glared at my reflection. Long pointed ears that stick up beyond the fur on my head. The strangely splotched patterns that covered my skin. The three antler-like horns that grew from within. The baby pink nose that is hugged by the many strands of navy and violet whiskers. My eyes trail lower in the reflection until it falls on my ta...

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“Gashi and the Runt” by Adam Weinstein

Submitted to Contest #41

“Welcome to Zoo Earth. The only zoo for you. That will be fifty Zlatkos.” the employee mutters in a tone that seems to say “I’d rather cut off seven of my arms than speak to you.”I transmit the money while the little runt who dragged me to the hick country of the universe zooms past me to look at the outdated holograms of the Zoo’s main animals.“Wow! Do they really look like that! Hey, Gashi, why do they only have two arms? Do they really walk like that? What’s that weird stuff on their face?”“They only have two arms because whatever God the...

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“The village that never woke up” by Saloni D

Submitted to Contest #41

Roohi was playing on the beach when the lightning struck into the sea. She thought it was strange for a single bolt of lightning to strike in the middle of summer, when the sky is cloudless and as blue as the new rug that Ma has recently splurged on. Roohi thought it was stranger that there was no sound of thunder which usually followed behind the lightening, a phenomenon that her fourth grade science textbook had taught her this week. But what she found strangest was when she saw something floating in the water at the exact spot where the l...

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“RoadKill” by Thomas Wilson

Submitted to Contest #41

It is late at night on U.S. Route 79, the south-north highway that starts from central Texas and ends in southwest Kentucky. A massive storm just past making the roads slick and glistening like the skin on a frog. A mist is forming, crawling it's way out of the woodline and onto the highway.A rig and its wagon barrel forward, hitting triple digits on the highway. The driver is a heavy-set man in his early forties sporting a long salt and pepper beard, wearing a faded green and white cap with a duck logo on it. The cab has trinkets and o...

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“By the Light of Two Moons” by Mikayla Ruvalcaba

Submitted to Contest #41

Breakfast was different that morning. No dehydrated protein cereal today. Instead, they feasted on real potatoes and ham from a can. It was the last breakfast Nathan’s father would get at the Jamestown colony base camp before the expedition, and as such, it was a special one.“Where are you going this time, honey” Laura asked, blowing on her instant coffee.“They’re sending the five of us up to Olympus. Which, let me tell you, a volcano will be a welcome expedition site after the last one at the pole.” Nathan’s dad, Luke, chuckled, but shivere...

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“Dream” by Tanisha Gopal

Submitted to Contest #41

It was all a blur, our sight hazy from the tornadoes whizzing around us. Our hope of possibly going home completely shattered, we were trying our level best to at least stay alive, but with our team slowly being killed by these.....things, one-by-one, even that seems to be impossible.“Max!” I whipped my head around, hearing my name, followed by a strangled gasp, seeing blood spurting out of Malcolm’s mouth as a rigid thorn-like tentacle pierced through him from the back, his eyes wholly red. I screamed, tears streaming down my face, only to ...

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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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