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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

“Barnyarn” by Matt Strempel

Submitted to Contest #41

The crowd erupts with whistles and gasps as the live band punches out a feverish, stabbing brass sting. The host strides to the centre of the stage, waving as the crowd claps to the beat.While the band continues, the unseen voiceover man announces, ‘Live from London to the world, it’s Barnyarn! The show where we can walk with the animals, talk to the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals. And here’s your host, Bob ‘Doolittle’ Daniels!’‘Thank you, everyone. Thank you,’ says Doolittle Daniels, his voice as bright as his signatu...

3 comments 3
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“Beauty.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #41

“Can we please, please Dad? I`m begging you, I promise I will be good for the rest of my life”. Sophie started up at her dad, her big blue eyes blinking, long dark lashes accentuating and framing her wide eyed innocence.“How can I say no to that?” Martin looked at his wife. She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. Eight year old princess Sophie always got what she wanted.Martin had been absentmindedly telling his wife Ann about his dog breeder friend recently having a litter of French bulldogs for sale, forgetting his eight year old daugh...

2 comments 2
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“Help Is On the Way” by Karin Morley

Submitted to Contest #41

I can’t feed myself in the manner to which I had become accustomed. I know that sounds petty and bourgeois but it is the reality of my life. I had grown used to the dairy-free lifestyle that included butter on hot garlic knots, those fresh little ringlets of home cooking, so comforting as they helped eased the soul, worried about the future. I liked my tempeh browned, almost crispy and my thin, green spears of asparagus organic, of course. I liked berry kombucha, whichever was on sale, boring pretzels when I had to snack and maybe an apple t...

4 comments 4
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“I Spot Trouble” by Ivy Moonlit

Submitted to Contest #41

Jenny was a fresh graduate from college, still looking for her full time dream job as a vet. She had a steady part time job as a pet store clerk, which she thought was enough for her to find herself a place to live. While house hunting, she realized she spent way to much on entertainment, and the only place she could really get was a basement. A rich snobbish middle aged couple lived there, and they had a son who was hardly home because he was working in the military. They were strict, and didn’t seem very nice, but they seemed to keep to th...

3 comments 3
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“Unicorn Eggs” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #41

“Have you ordered my unicorn yet, Mummy?” Pixie planted both hands firmly on her hips and regarded her mother with all the sternness her six – soon to be seven – year old self could muster. Julia Jenkins regarded her daughter warily. She knew for a fact that unicorns were in short supply of at the moment: after a recent Instagram snap of Kim Kardashian’s children with a whole string of rainbow horned creatures, the world had decided that nothing else would do as the ‘must have’ present. “I’m going to look on Amazon later today,” she lied. “M...

7 comments 7
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“Butterfly Defect” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #41

“It is not the way we were made, adorned by nature’s garment at birth, that determines our core worth. It is the way we come to see that garment that does so.”This is Arthur. He is a Monarch, but not that of men, although he was named by one of them. He is a Monarch butterfly and this is a story of how he came to accept, and even appreciate, his own garment.Arthur started life like so many millions of others. Innocent, fresh, beautifull. He hatched from the egg that his mother laid in pure love, and began his journey as a caterpillar. H...

11 comments 11
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“The Rat Who Caught A Cat” by Kelsey Mathias

Submitted to Contest #41

Farley was always hungry. He just loved to eat. This was a big problem for Augie, since he was a small tan and white rat, and Farley was a big orange and everything cat. Both animals belonged to a kind lady with hair the color of broken Oreos. Even though she made sure Farley was well-fed, he taunted Augie by calling him “rat-snack”. He quivered with fear in his cage. He could feel the patter of Farley’s big paws and hear the sound of his hissing “I’m gonna get you, Augie” all over the house. But he had no way to tell the lady about Farley. ...

11 comments 11
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“What is She? What is She doing that is so Strange?” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #41

What is She? What is She doing that is so Strange? Her problems all started one morning when she was young and completely by herself. She did not know why she made the decision that she did. There was no one older around to indicate that what she was doing was seriously wrong for one of her species.  She did it initially just on a whim, something she just wanted to try. She was curious about what it would be like to experience the sensations it involved.  She enjoyed it more than she thought she would. So it was not...

8 comments 8
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“Fishing Allure” by Jesper Jee

Submitted to Contest #41

“No mother, I haven’t heard from dad! Why would he call me? And why do you care?”Louise could feel her voice growing louder but was yet unaware of the stares she got as she hurried across the street from East 72st street and into Central Park.She usually hated the people on their phones in the middle of the day, especially in the park. On most occasions before getting ready to shoot she wouldn’t even pick up the phone. Especially when her mother was the caller. But she had moved too quickly. An regretted it too late.“Listen, you are bot...

10 comments 10
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“Unconditional Love” by Felicity Edwards

Submitted to Contest #41

 “Nurse, he’s conscious, he opened his eyes for a moment. Do you think he’s in pain?”The nurse shook her head, “No, I don’t think so.”He heard their murmured conversation and wanted to say, “Of course I’m in pain, it hurts to breathe. Please, let me sleep again.” His eyes closed. The light in the room was too bright. “Please, just let me sleep.”  The nurse opened the drip running into a vein. Soon he was back in a drug-induced torpor, temporarily released from the pain but able to dream, to relive old memories.It was...

10 comments 10
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“No Prince” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #41

No PrinceBy Barbara EustaceI try to stay out the way, because she does nag so.  Nag, nag, nag.  Take just now for example. “Where have you been lately?”, she shouts at me. The truth is, I’ve been plotting. You see, I have a problem. Let me explain.One day, there I was minding my own business when this broad came down to the pond that I thought of as home. Refined little piece, if you like that sort of thing. Pink, rounded in all the right places and well dressed. I’d had a heavy lunch – too many f...

3 comments 3
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“I shall call you Flame” by Tim Law

Submitted to Contest #41

“Spawn!” yelled my father. “Go tend the fire!”It is hard to respect someone, even your father if you do not get respect in return. I learnt that early on in my seven years of life and it has bugged my dad and my older brothers so much that someone so young looks upon them with such contempt.I’m Pawn, Pawn O’Dell. My dad is Patrick, a foreman at the local slaughter house. My mum is Michelle, the Principal at my school. Mum is the one who named us all, dad was away at the factory. A lover of all things chess and chess related me ma named us al...

3 comments 3
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“"GUARDIAN ANGEL IN DISGUISE"” by Vickie Culbertson

Submitted to Contest #41

Silence rested over the entire house as Mollie placed the reciever back on the landline phone. With trembling hands, she reached out to the gentle embrace of her older sister Jaclyn. Trying to find the words to convey the life altering attack stilled her voice for a few moments. Jaclyn guided her into the kitchen, saw that she was as comfortable as possible while putting on a teakettle of peppermint tea. Tears flowing freely, Mollie related that Ed her husband had been transported to the local hospital by their neighbor. Apparently, their c...

7 comments 7
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“ The usual knight in shining armour story” by Sarah Kerr

Submitted to Contest #41

The chainmail suit was starting to itch. Badly. The long trudge had started at dawn and now here I was, sweating buckets as the sun blazed over my head. I pondered my dilemma. In one hand I carried a giant wooden shield, in the other my sword. I inspected the glinting sword carefully. Sharpened steel seemed like the perfect back scratcher. Sighing, I decided against it. The soft grass under my feet gave way to hard stone. It finally pulled me out of my thoughts. The mountain before me was small compared to most and was a deep ...

3 comments 3
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“Lesson Learned” by Sue M

Submitted to Contest #41

 I was going stir crazy! Day after day, confined in a small space. Whenever I had the chance, I peeked outside to see if it was sunny or rainy, to watch the leaves fall or listen to the crickets. I didn’t understand why I had to stay in, and after what felt like weeks, decided to run away. So, one night, I packed everything I could carry on my back, and when I was sure everyone was asleep, I quietly, and ever so slowly, inched along so I wouldn’t get caught. I did my best to avoid leaving a trail, but I was more concerned about bei...

6 comments 6
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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 | Many Hands | 2024-09

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