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#87: Fool Me Once

From trickster gods to office pranks, humans have long been fascinated by mischief and mayhem. There’s just something about breaking free of the rules of polite society and causing a bit of chaos that appeals deeply to our psyche.

 

This week, let’s embrace that playful spirit. Whether it’s someone being pranked or doing the pranking, there’s plenty of opportunity to dive deep into your characters’ motives and reactions. No joke — it’s time to break out the (metaphorical) cream pies and throw some anarchy at your protagonists.

🥇 Winner

“Samill the Trickster” by Catherine Hill

I’m not sure how long it was before I realized that the shuttle train never stopped, probably about the time it dawned on me that the people who had gotten on with me were gone. The train is supposed to run from Grand Central to Times Square, one stop, five minutes at the absolute most. But it had been… how long had it been? I don’t know, I was reading my book. I can space out pretty bad sometimes. Family lore has it that I slept right through a freak tornado that ripped off our roof. But the bluish fluorescent lights on the train flicker...

127 comments 127 WINNER 🏆
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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Regarding the Meat” by Kevin Broccoli

To All Our Loyal Sizzle Me This Customers, Sizzle Me This would like to apologize for any confusion we may have caused yesterday as we made what we thought was a light-hearted joke about a “new burger” we’d be trying out that would be made up of orphan meat. Sizzle Me This would never use orphans to make meat. We would never--nor have we ever--used any kind of human meat ...

26 comments 26 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“Meek Maverick ” by Rambling Beth

“Did you hear? Maverick is in charge of the pranks for tomorrow.”“Meek Maverick? You can’t be serious.”Maverick frowned as his fellow trickster gods walked past, relieved they couldn’t see him. His body was well hidden under the office table. The office was a state, as always. Stacks of paper towered to the patchwork ceiling, and there were pens everywhere, completely hiding him. Maverick had never been more grateful he worked in the department of chaos, even if his fellow tricksters viewed him as nothi...

22 comments 22 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“Lottie for Mayor” by Amanda Fox

“And without further ado, I’d like to get straight to the heart of today’s press conference.  Lottie the Fainting Goat is throwing her name into the ring for Jasper City Mayor in this year’s elections!” That was my cue.  I stiffened my limbs inside the heavy goat costume and flopped onto my side to the gathered crowd’s thunderous applause. Tucker French, the CEO of Thrill Burger, smiled do...

36 comments 36 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“A Guac to Remember” by Pieter Kreyns

“So,” Thomas smiled as the waiter left. “Introductions are done, what’s next?” Kasey contemplated her answer. Thomas was a decent-looking guy; early 30s, fashionable hair, clothes that were just this side of pretentious. He hadn’t tried too hard to make her laugh yet but he had energy when he talked. And he had flirted just enough with the waitress to ensure good service but not put a damper on the date. She fig...

5 comments 5 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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This week's prompts

Write about a mischievous pixie or trickster god.

Kids – 212 stories

Write about someone who’s spent a whole year planning a big prank, and now they’re finally ready to pull it off.

Middle School – 76 stories

Write about someone who hates pranks and spends April Fools’ Day doing good deeds instead.

Holiday – 71 stories

Start your story with a big company pulling an April Fools’ prank that ends up going horribly wrong.

Holiday – 83 stories

Write about someone who goes to great lengths to avoid being pranked on April 1st, only to realize they had the date wrong and it’s already April 2nd.

Holiday – 63 stories

Stories

“Samill the Trickster” by Catherine Hill

I’m not sure how long it was before I realized that the shuttle train never stopped, probably about the time it dawned on me that the people who had gotten on with me were gone. The train is supposed to run from Grand Central to Times Square, one stop, five minutes at the absolute most. But it had been… how long had it been? I don’t know, I was reading my book. I can space out pretty bad sometimes. Family lore has it that I slept right through a freak tornado that ripped off our roof. But the bluish fluorescent lights on the train flicker...

127 comments 127 WINNER 🏆
Read story

“The Beat of Bongos” by Ashlyn Marie

Ba da, bum ba. Ba da, bum ba. Ba da, bum ba. Sea lions poke their heads out of reverberating ocean waves, a glint of amusement in their rounded eyes. Grand, chestnut males and elegant, tan females dart through the sea from all directions, and some swim in swirls that seamlessly flow with the water. They scramble to shore, their barks like halting trains frightening nearby life.Tabora chortles, the bongos limp in her arms, and Fonzi beams with a faraway look. He tends to do that, particularly when enjoying the view of L...

22 comments 22
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“Goddess of Chaos” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

What better way to beat the endless boredom of immortality than watching women fight over who is the most beautiful? Eris had always found ways to amuse herself, usually sending her minions to antagonize the sons of men, but watching Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera go at it was exceptionally wicked fun. Each one of those primadonnas had egos bigger than Mount Olympus itself, and hearing them vie for Eris’ prize was sheer megalomania on parade! Their bickering over beauty was as unseemly as a pack of satyrs bragging about their vir...

37 comments 37
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“Foolish god” by Corey Melin

“This is going to be fun,” the young god said with glee as he looked at everything around him. Particularly the planet that held life. Life that was relatively intelligent, “As intelligent as the boarnogs on the other plant,” he joked with a mighty chuckle. The young god who liked to call himself, Dupatamper, practically danced to the point to shake the heavens upon seeing creation all around him. He knew life was...

29 comments 29
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“Befuddled ” by Aarshia Ray

The usually reserved twins, Samantha and Sharon Frost, were having an unusually loquacious breakfast. They couldn’t stop discussing how their picnic was going to be, as their blue-framed glasses slipped off their noses.The glasses had always been too big for them. But life had taught them that it was better to wear huge glasses than to repair them. After all, these spectacles were the reason why today they were dead. They were driving to the shop, when… they don’t remember what exactly happened. They have vague memories of the truc...

30 comments 30
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“You Have Been Pranked” by Writer Maniac

Everything has been set up perfectly. I double-checked the ropes and rigs a few minutes back and am currently squished in a bathroom stall with Serena, my only friend in this godforsaken company.I still do fancy her a bit but telling her would probably gain me a slap on the face and a piece of heel lodged up my butt. So, I think it would be safer for me if I just kept my blabbering mouth shut.Today is the best day of the year, April Fools. The day when people damage each other physically and emotionally...

55 comments 55
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“The Wrath of Aphrodite ” by Alejandra Medina

Mother doesn’t like it when you say, “Only fools fall in love.” She thinks it’s a challenge. From our home up on Mount Olympus, she keeps track of you hopeless romantics, the heartbroken pessimists, the in-between cynics terrified of finding that “special someone”—whatever that means. If there was ever an era in which Aphrodite reigned supreme, this is it right here. Every book, every film, every song is made for her and she revels in it. Sometimes, I’m mentioned too, by my Roman name: Cupid. You blame me for shooting my arrow...

36 comments 36
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“Forgotten” by Amany Sayed

You blow out the candles on your cake and blink away the smoke from your beautiful eyes. Everyone smiles. Pats you on the back. I wander closer from where I hide, somewhere besides the window. Still too far, but I can’t come any closer. It’s too dangerous. You watch the smoke curl into nonexistent shapes and they eventually disappear. The cake is vanilla. I know because it’s your favorite. Plain old vanilla. You stare at the words written in crimson frosting on the pl...

29 comments 29
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“Regarding the Meat” by Kevin Broccoli

To All Our Loyal Sizzle Me This Customers, Sizzle Me This would like to apologize for any confusion we may have caused yesterday as we made what we thought was a light-hearted joke about a “new burger” we’d be trying out that would be made up of orphan meat. Sizzle Me This would never use orphans to make meat. We would never--nor have we ever--used any kind of human meat ...

26 comments 26 SHORTLIST ⭐️
Read story

“Now Reap What I sow” by Moon Lion

Under the cover of darkness, discord approached the lively, bustling wedding, swooping into the palace. The grand golden doors leading to the wedding hall slammed open, and Eris, goddess of Discord entered, her mouth arranged in a sinister smile.The room fell silent, hushed guests turning to stare at the masked intruder.Ares smirked over his goblet, satisfied at being proven right. Poseidon grumbled, pushing gold coins into Ares' outstretched hand. To be honest, Ares pitied the couple,...

14 comments 14
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“The Winged Gate” by Nainika Gupta

*Nainika’s Note* This is NOT a series-Oh, who am I kidding. This is basically a series, isn’t it? All but in name. GhA. Enjoy :) EDIT: I'll change the middle portion...felt a bit rushed to me...idk if you feel the same There was only one day in the year when demons have an edge over us angels. And it’s not even something that the Almighty had planned. It was purely human ingenuity. That I do suspect Asmodeus had a hand in pushing. Because that is just his scene. But this dreaded day wasn’t something that I could just for...

8 comments 8
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“Fools” by Ari Berri

“Do I sit here? Oh, here, alright. Yeah, I’m ready. I just answer your questions? Okay, what-Live? Oh!” The lady gave a strained smile at the god, before turning to the camera and giving a grin. Her black hair was up in a fantastic updo that swirled on top of her head. Her makeup was perfect, and she was wearing a neat white blouse and blue skirt. “Hello, and welcome back to Talking to the Forgotten! I’m yo...

89 comments 89
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“Meek Maverick ” by Rambling Beth

“Did you hear? Maverick is in charge of the pranks for tomorrow.”“Meek Maverick? You can’t be serious.”Maverick frowned as his fellow trickster gods walked past, relieved they couldn’t see him. His body was well hidden under the office table. The office was a state, as always. Stacks of paper towered to the patchwork ceiling, and there were pens everywhere, completely hiding him. Maverick had never been more grateful he worked in the department of chaos, even if his fellow tricksters viewed him as nothi...

22 comments 22 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“The World's Greatest Prankster” by Kanika G

Tanya waved her employee ID in front of the attendance device that recorded her in and out timings in the office with a beep each day. As she waited for the elevator to reach the eleventh floor, Tanya peered at the clear blue sky and the sprawling, lush-green campus of her company, an IT organization, through the tinted glass window, and grinned in anticipation of the day ahead. Today was no ordinary day. <...

12 comments 12
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“Lottie for Mayor” by Amanda Fox

“And without further ado, I’d like to get straight to the heart of today’s press conference.  Lottie the Fainting Goat is throwing her name into the ring for Jasper City Mayor in this year’s elections!” That was my cue.  I stiffened my limbs inside the heavy goat costume and flopped onto my side to the gathered crowd’s thunderous applause. Tucker French, the CEO of Thrill Burger, smiled do...

36 comments 36 SHORTLIST ⭐️
Read story

$50

Prize money

505

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 02, 2021 EST

Won by Catherine Hill 🏆

Title: Samill the Trickster

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.

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