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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 Beast of Valnoir” by Nathan Grandmont

Submitted to Contest #41

The journey from the capital to Valnoir took two days. The road was difficult towards the end of winter. Twice I felt my horse would fall down a slippery escarpment concealed by the snow, breaking both our necks. The fact I was forced to travel alone did not make the journey easier: both nights, as I was thawing my fingers by a campfire, I scared myself into thinking I was being watched, by some brigand or devil lurking in the darkness beyond my warm circle of light. But, it had to be so. The Emperor was busy fighting his war, and he was not...

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“Wayward Wolf in Wisconsin” by Tom Thrun

Submitted to Contest #41

Spring was just starting to come to the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin, the part of the Badger State untouched by the receding glaciers. And so, too, had the lone two-year-old female wolf. She, of course, had no concept of it being March. And having found none of her own kind in these wooded ridges and ravines, she might have turned back. But she was driven now by something else deep in her wolf being. Her instincts and her enlarging belly signaled the need to search out a specific spot, someplace hidden that ...

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“Toffee's Big Secret” by Celeste Kuun

Submitted to Contest #41

Toffee had a big secret. Even though he looked like a simple brown and white dog you might find in any pet shop, Toffee was not simple. He was special. He could talk.All animals can talk in their own special way, but Toffee could speak like a human. It was a secret he never shared with anyone, not even his best friend, Ash. He thought that if humans knew he could talk, they’d be very upset.Toffee was adopted from an animal shelter by Ash when he was just a puppy. He was sad to leave behind his mom and brothers, but he was happy that he had f...

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“The Journey Home” by Megan Lanphere

Submitted to Contest #41

My whiskers twitched as I walked through the tall grass. I had to move quickly so I could avoid the large spotted creatures. They mostly ate grass, but they never paid attention when they sat down and I wanted to avoid being crushed. I made my way under the zapping wire and continued on towards the large structure that was filled with the dry grass. I’ve lived here for as long as I can remember. There are four of us in total that live in the dry grass, but they travel farther than I do and sometimes they are gone for days. The furthest I’ve ...

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“A Tiny Flame” by Megan Meyerson

Submitted to Contest #41

Kathryn swished the skirts of her favorite lilac dress, Sonny firmly perched on her shoulder, his small, scaly wings outstretched to keep him balanced, his front claws clutching his single gold coin protectively. She paused briefly next to the dark marble wall to admire her reflection. “I’m telling you, he tried to kill me!” Squeaked the tiny dragon from her shoulder. “Oh, rubbish,” Kathryn replied. “Why would he ...

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“Mr. Duck” by Judith Pratt

Submitted to Contest #41

MR. DUCK The duck followed me home. I heard him before I saw him, a cheerful “pwuk wuk wuk?” behind me on the country road. I’d begun to take a walk every evening after work. Otherwise I’d sit and brood about my job and eat too many cookies. “Where did you come from?” I asked the duck, who had paddled up to me, tilted its head, and was considering me out of a bright little eye. There’s a farm up the road from me, but I’d never seen ducks there, just fat black cows and a bunch of idiotic fluffy chickens. The only other house on my stree...

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“The Musing Mastiff” by OB Jato

Submitted to Contest #41

The door did not open like it usually did. There was no hesitation in its movement. The latch opened on the first attempt too. I lived in a house which I could barely call one, let alone call it a home. The roof could fall to the floor at any moment. The landlord disagreed. But he also said the water and the electricity would be available round the clock. I fumbled around my pocket, which bore too much weight ever since I had lost my wallet. Its misplacement might have meant I would need to carry around less weight, but the loose change...

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“Bark Twain” by Cain Rose

Submitted to Contest #41

Running my hands through his shallow banks of fur, the smooth glide of my hand is interrupted by the rough patches of corruption. Bark Twain's coat is light grey with Rorschach patterns of white. Now his flesh is bare, cracked, and bleeding on patches of bacteria infested skin. As I gently caress his head, he whimpers a soft whine. "I'm sorry Twain. Not too much longer buddy. I promise it'll get better." My best friend, a 10 year old pit bull. My ex-husband and I got him when he was a puppy. He was such a wild pup. Only ever taking a break f...

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“The Amazing Mr. Butterball” by Kathleen Whalen

Submitted to Contest #41

“Come on, Mr. Butterball. It’s time now. It’s moving day.”First off, I despised the name Mr. Butterball. I was a cat and not a turkey.Alice came up with the name because the family adopted me around Thanksgiving. Alice was five at the time. The rest of the family thought it was cute.“Alice, please stop calling me that. Why couldn’t you have picked a cool name like Thor or Batman?”“Hush, Mr. Butterball. If Mom hears me talking to you she’ll think I clearly lost my mind.”I was lying on Alice’s bed at the edge of her cozy pink comforter. I wish...

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“Not Really Cats, Your Highness” by Leanne Huang

Submitted to Contest #41

The herald blew his trumpet.“Your Royal Highness, may I present the Crown Prince Wonwoo of the Eastern Lands and...and...”You looked up impatiently from the book you were reading. "Yes?" you pressed the herald."...his...twelve cats, Your Highness.” The herald cleared his throat and bowed apologetically. "Forgive me for the delay. I was...quite astonished at his, er, furry entourage. And I was counting to make sure I got the, er, number right.""Let him in," you said excitedly, suddenly forgetting the book you were reading. You got up from you...

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“GOING TO THE DOGS - by Rod Carley” by Rod Carley

Submitted to Contest #41

GOING TO THE DOGS My younger sister wanted to give birth to a dog, but had two children instead -- Jenny and Jerome. My sister, JoJo, has a thing for the letter J. As a kid, she put Jam on everything, from toast to watermelon to potatoes. Jello and Jiffy Pop were big hits too. Our mother took creole cooking classes so she could learn how to make Jambalaya. When my sister was eight she spent twelve hours in Emergency after a Jawbreaker got stuck in her throat. As a result, my parents missed their flight for a winter getaway they had booked a...

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“Cleo and Fudge” by Brooklyn Madsen

Submitted to Contest #41

"Good night Cleo," whispered His mother, Becky. "I will see you in the morning," Cleo looked at her with tired eyes, grasping his white, red ribboned teddy bear, Fudge tightly to him. " Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked in a fatigued voice. He gestured towards Fudge. "Oh, yes, and good night to you too, Fudge," She said understanding what he meant. Cleo smiled at her. "Good, night mom," and with that, he fell to his pillow, and didn't remember the rest of the night. He dreamed that him and Fudge were on an important mission to save ...

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“There’s more than nothing ” by Mia Russell

Submitted to Contest #41

Darkness that’s all there is nothing more nothing less it feels as though i’m trapped into my brain and no matter what I just can’t get out. The air tonight was so thick I felt as if it was pushing me back into the cold rough ridges of the brick building at least I think that’s what i’ve been trying to keep my back stable on. I felt sickly as the shiver took over my almost bare body the most sensation I have gotten so far to remind me that my senses are still one to call my own and I haven't gone completely insane from no...

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“Of Freedom and Fishes” by Liana J. Douglas

Submitted to Contest #41

PearlSo this is what death feels like. Somehow, I expected it to be… wetter, I suppose. But then, we don’t have much of a choice in how we are to die. It just… happens. Then again, maybe we do have a choice. I could have prevented this if I had known what it would mean for everyone. But perhaps I should stop this melodramatic rambling and get on with the story. His name was Finn. It’s not a terrible name, I guess, if one likes to be named after one’s own appendages. He was the sort of chap that just falls into your life whether you...

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“Sophie Seager's Day Off” by Katherine Seager

Submitted to Contest #41

Sophie Seager was a full blooded, hard core Jack Russell Terrier. She prided herself on this fact, and therefore turned her nose up at all the other dogs in the park. She was more intelligent, could trick a squirrel into falling out of a tree simply by circling the tree and making it dizzy, and she only pooped in one corner, not all over the backyard like other lazy and disgusting common dogs. Being a Jack Russell, Sophie was naturally very mischievous. It was the ways of her breed, but she thought she was one of the sneakier and smarte...

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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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