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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

“Ghost Horse” by Nina Novella

Submitted to Contest #41

"Honey, breakfast is ready!" my mom yelled from the kitchen. I put on a jacket and quickly ran down the stairs. I was so hungry that you could probably hear my tummy growling a mile away. I came to the kitchen table and started to eat. As soon as I was done, I went back upstairs to change. My friends and I are going horseback riding. We are practising for a competition that we want to join. An hour later, we were ready to ride. We climbed on the back of our horses and rode them on the route through the...

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“The H'Cenalot Beast” by Julie DiDomenico

Submitted to Contest #41

The sight of mangled corpses used to deter him. No longer did the sight bother him. He adjusted the white fabric on the last body and stood back. He stared at four pyres, a body atop each, bound in white wrappings. He would have to perform the ceremony to send the soul on its way for each. Luckily they had plenty of wine. He knelt in front of the pyre he’d just adjusted the fabric. Two men stood at the closer corners of the wooden structure, each holding a lit torch. The flames flickered in the dim light, the sun rising, but had yet to crest...

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“Kind, Sweet, Forrest” by Emily Ku

Submitted to Contest #41

I, Natasha (Tasha) Williams, look through the electron microscope and see the mysterious, unknown thing. An alien, perhaps. Let me start from the beginning. I got a call from the director of NASA, saying that they found a special kind of rocky object that was unknown to us. Not a color of rock you find on Earth, but one that you find in space on a planet far from here. NASA thought it might be approximately 700 light-years away from the edge of this solar system. They found the rock from the famous space explorer, Leonardo Fitz. As I jot dow...

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“Sacred Serpent” by Corey Herrera

Submitted to Contest #41

”You have been freely given, so you also freely give. Don’t be greedy with your knowledge. Share it.” These are the words that crossed her mind and guided her daily. Her name was Raquel. She was a member of the cryptozoologist society and made it her life goal to find mythological creatures that were spoken about in folklore and ominous creation tales. Raquel came from a small tribe located in the Southwest. She had heard tales from her grandparents about creatures that had been observed over the years. Tales and origin stories that fue...

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“Loving Minnie ” by Magnolia Brooks

Submitted to Contest #41

~from the perspective of a dog~ I loved Minnie. To me, she was perfect in every way. Minnie was kind and loyal, and she was the prettiest girl I ever saw. Her skin was smooth and clear, and her dark hair was long and wavy. I adored her more than anyone else in the world. I wanted Minnie to be mine and only mine, and I wanted to be Minnie's. I heard the sound of Minnie´s boots just outside the door. She's here! She's here! She's here! She's finally back! I knew she would be back! I just knew it! Oh, she's here! Minnie's here! I inched closer ...

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“Bodhi's My Best Friend!” by Ted Daly

Submitted to Contest #41

BODHI’S MY BEST FRIEND! I bet every kid in the world, at some time I’m sure, has wanted a pet. I know I did. I kept asking my mom, and asking, “Mom, please can we get a puppy, please, please, please.” I figure, however, that everyone has endured the pains of disappointment, truly upset because some expectation, some hoping for, was not gratified. When we have our heart set on something, hearing ‘no’ is crushing. That’s why I’m happy to say, I got a new p...

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“You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks” by Kayla Saddington

Submitted to Contest #41

Dog has lain next to Man for three days, no longer feeling the warmth that once radiated from his body. Someone scooters down the street and another dog barks. Dog raises an eyebrow, not expecting to hear footsteps approaching or for anybody to come in. Nobody has called. The postman hasn’t come by. Without any family and few friends, who would visit?Dog’s tummy rumbles for the hundredth time today. He’s already cleared out the scraps from the rubbish bin and licked the crumbs up from under the dining table. But Man continues to lie on the f...

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“Stray Love” by Kathryn P

Submitted to Contest #41

Although it was the kind of day that it should have been, it was not snowing, only cold winds blew and the air seemed frosty. I shivered and tried to find a place to stay. Not that there were many in a town like this. I was a stray, no one wanted me, I wanted no one. I was the kind of cat that would attract attention from the loyal dogs. I was chased by them often, and I knew every strategy that a cat could know to get away from them, but teased them and made them think that they had the upper hand in the process. Although my coat was matted...

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“Mole's journey” by Melissa Holewa

Submitted to Contest #41

Once upon a time there was a mole that lived on the edge of the forest not to far from a village, one day one of the villagers was smoking his pipe and needed to dispose of the ashes so his old lady wouldn’t catch him. So, he went far from his home near the forest, but not to far from home. He found a near by hole and not thinking twice as he dumped his ashes, not knowing that the only one watching him was a little bird. Down underground the mole was comfortable in his bed asleep, then as he drew breath he awoke to the smell of fire. He rush...

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“Cleopurrtra” by Abby Thayananthan

Submitted to Contest #41

Her name was Cleopatra because she dominated the house like a queen and embodied all the qualities of Antony’s scandalous lover- she flirted, she was playful, she was fierce, she was devious, and she thought herself beyond earthly beauty. You could tell this by the way she would stroll boldly into the family living room with her head held high and her hips swaying from side to side. She would glide into the centre of the room and sit there nonchalantly, as though to soak up the exclamations of awe and wonder from the family and their guests....

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“Mr. Shy Coyote” by Seth Fuller

Submitted to Contest #41

It’s never good when you see a trickster like a coyote. Because by the time you’ve seen them, they’ve been there for some time, waiting, watching, planning, using that wily mind to figure you out, before you even know they exist. I had been walking down some slow empty highway for a couple of hours, somewhere north of Albuquerque, where exactly I’m not sure, when I first saw the coyote. He was a big one, probably over 50 pounds, missing half his left ear, and with a tail that looked like it had lost some length as well. The sun was just...

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“A Cat Who Subverts Expectations” by Mark Fischer

Submitted to Contest #41

There was an old man named “Grandpa” who owns a bar near Aon Center in California. His life was pretty boring, serving drinks all day, cleaning the floors, etc. Until one day when he was sitting in a chair at the counter’s table, he encountered a black cat that entered in his bar and sat at one of the chairs near the counter’s table. He didn’t really care, but then the cat said“One shot of whisky pleases”Grandpa was in shock, but he just gave the cat its order because he thought he was just drunk“Cheers!” The cat saidGrandpa and the cat talk...

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“Galumpasores, and Why You Shouldn't Keep Them” by A.G Lesley

Submitted to Contest #41

It’s not really my fault, if I’m being honest. The blame totally and completely lies with that wizard I met on the subway. I mean, seriously, who gives a Galumpasore to a twelve year old? Everyone knows that every one in six twelve year olds are completely irresponsible. Also, how was I supposed to know he was a wizard? He looked like a completely respectable man in a suit with a green and red tie. Everyone knows that wizards are crazy and only wear clashing patterns or weird 80’s shirts. ‘Course, he did say something about a curse when he g...

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“The Cold Polar Bear” by Jane Flourist

Submitted to Contest #41

As we entered the museum, I could already tell I was going to hate it. It looked like it was about to fall apart if someone sneezed too hard. What kind of mother drags along their 13-year-old son to a museum for "bonding time"? I see and talk to her all the time but since summer vacation started I have been too distant, her words not mine. As soon as we enter, the smell of elders and an extensive amount of perfume ran up my nose. My mom even made me wear this weird Safari hat and wouldn't let me take it off. Great now I feel AND look stupid....

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“Bricks and Branches” by Wemory Charnel

Submitted to Contest #41

Jillian stumbles haphazardly through the ghost white birch trees. Their shadows casting prison bars across the leaf-strewn forest floor, with only beams of moonlight to pierce the veil of darkness. She winces as crisp leaves and twigs crunch and snap under her feet. The breeze blowing just hard enough to elicit a shiver as it makes branches send more leaves spiraling down into her hair. She shivers again feeling eyes on her back, sensing she is being watched. She can hear quiet, sinister words among the whisper of the swaying trees. Freezing...

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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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