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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#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.

This week's prompts

Write about a mischievous pixie or trickster god.

Kids – 205 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 – 75 stories

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

Holiday – 69 stories

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

Holiday – 82 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 – 60 stories

Stories

“Never Try to Fool Me” by Thohira Mohamed

Submitted to Contest #87

Never Try to Fool Me "Did your boss gave you another big project or something?" I said to my husband while coming out from my room after waking up. "Yea Leeshan..it's really not that easy to work as a manager in a big company with people who changes their mind like weather this days" Laak replied. He got up and came near me to give a hug and kiss by saying that he loves me while I was making coffee for him. I was so happy that I had to say that I love him so much and offered the tasty coffee I made for him. In which he took a sip and...

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“A Step Too Far?” by Alison Clayton

Submitted to Contest #87

10am April 2nd 1950 ‘Bill! We’ve had 560 inquiries and 36 orders so far and it’s only 10 o’clock,’ Sam said, turning to his over-large companion at the rickety wooden desk behind him. Piles of papers littered the surface, marked with coffee cup stains and an ash tray spilling over with cigarette butts and gum wrappers. A calendar from the previous year still hung on the corrugated metal walls, it’s pages left unturned after the January page which featured a pretty pin-up girl draped over the hood of a rather drab looking truck. Janua...

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“What could go wrong?” by Danish Shaikh

Submitted to Contest #87

It was the toughest summer for everybody due to the condition facing the whole world. Companies were losing their sales due to no way to deliver the products to customers. But after the situation got settled and the services were back on, the market started to heal as income started to flow in people's homes. After the delivery services started to work, some companies started with their sales and offered to motivate people. And ' DS parks ' was one of the companies who decided to make the biggest sale of their l...

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“Fool's Gold” by Sean Salzman

Submitted to Contest #87

Fool’s Gold By Sean Salzman Rays of golden sunshine crept onto budding azalea bushes and yellow ticked flowers that surrounded the one-story house. The wild verdure swayed gently in the morning breeze which turned the long, Floridian flatlands into a fragrant ocean. Mike poured himself a cup of yesterday’s coffee, let it warm up in the microwave, and stirred in his powdered creamer. Eyelids half-open, he gazed out the kitchen window. Friends had offered him plenty of unwarranted advice for rooting out the tickseed that dominated his ac...

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“April's Backstabbing” by Luna Smith

Submitted to Contest #87

It was two days before the biggest holiday at the infamous company. The team at the Allis Company came all together to meet up at the sixth floor to discuss what they should do this year. Everyone was there, except Mr. Sams. He was the owner of the company, but he was far too strict. He loathed April Fools’ more than anyone. That didn't stop the huge company from creating the biggest prank of the year that will soon be on every social media platform. Little did the company know things will go down fall from there. "Let's burn this place for ...

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“John's April 1st Avoidance Dilemma” by Emee 🌸

Submitted to Contest #87

It was a beautiful spring afternoon in April. Air was still fresh from the yesterday's rain, but the sky was bright blue, without a single cloud in sight. Sun was shining bright, birds were singing, Mother Nature was in a good mood apparently, unlike yesterday.It was a perfect day for taking a stroll around a local park and enjoying a nice cup of coffee in peace while reading a book or newspaper, right? A lot of people used this kind of day to just relax and enjoy the nice weather. Well, almost everyone. For one individual it was completely ...

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“Being surprised” by Elda Du Toit

Submitted to Contest #87

I hate surprises. I hate it when people scare me. I hate it when I get pranked. So, I guess it makes sense that I really, really hate April Fool’s Day. My dad loved pulling pranks on people. And I was always first in the firing line. His pranks were not in any way harmful. To be honest, it was quite endearing. One year my dad phoned me to tell me I should go outside to see all the hundreds of lovely colorful hot air balloons floating over the city. I ran out, just to see a clear blue sky with no hot air balloon in sight. As I say, a harmle...

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“This is Medicine, not the Circus” by Ms Trabanino

Submitted to Contest #87

Doorways. Offices. Chairs. The internet. A prank can happen at any place, any time. Humiliation can happen at any place, at any time. Which is why I was determined not to get pranked on Tuesday April the 1st; the first day at my internship. Now, I know a hospital is an unlikely place for pranks to happen, but who knows? I can’t risk humiliation on the first day of work… It’s just not ideal for my crippling social anxiety, let alone for my reputation. I woke up, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, got into my scrubs and began my half an...

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“No Foolin'” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #87

The sun peeked through Faith’s bedroom curtains and woke her up from a not so deep sleep. She yawned, covered her eyes with her hands and rolled to the side of the bed and carefully searched for her slippers with her feet. She grabbed her robe from the end of the bed and carefully looked for any signs that her family was playing April Fool’s jokes on her as they always did in the past. She looked for any fake ink on the floor, artificial spiders in the doorways and windows, plastic snakes dangling from the closet, rubber rats in the hallway ...

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“Good old sayings” by Ionel Rusanu

Submitted to Contest #87

Bill Haines hated those pranksters in his office. Why? Because he was their preferred target. His religious parents’ upbringing had left unavoidable marks on his personality, and to be fair, his personality was a bit stiff.It was unexplainable for Bill why his colleagues, Herb and Marvin, could not share his passion for a job well done and the good old sayings. They express life in its pure form. But they don’t see it that way. Always were making fun of him and his wise words.For example, when they had the monthly report due, he was just say...

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“Fool Me Twice” by H. C. Black

Submitted to Contest #87

“Hey, good morning, Rich. TGIF, am I right?”“Can it, Marjorie,” he barked. The receptionist balked and tapped her pen on the keyboard.He backtracked but maintained his dour expression. “Sorry, it’s just that I had the worst day yesterday and I do not, under any circumstances, want a repeat.”Before stalking off, Richard Robinson glanced furtively around the room. Seeing no one except a deflated Marjorie, he hurried to his desk, careful to stay well within the worn track in the center of the greige-carpeted hallway. He slowed as he approached ...

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“April fooled!” by P. Portomaso

Submitted to Contest #87

Ugh. Thought Mr. Willsby as he pushed through his front door and took a step into the day. The fresh air hit him full on and the heavy breeze took a hit on his posture. Frowning heavily, he stood by his doorway, only one thought on his mind. April fools, the most horrible day of the year. He looked around to his neighbours, and saw their two kids fiddling with a fishing line to trip people up on the sidewalk, and his frown sank even more. This was going to be a long day. He sighed and trudged up to his yellowing garden fence, his boots s...

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“The unfortunate prank-proof day” by Ella Malek

Submitted to Contest #87

Today is March thirty first, and I must prepare. It is the day before April Fools' day, and my wife and our two boys are quite the tricksters. Every year they spend the entire night before, prepping several annoying and tedious pranks that I always can predict. It's a nuisance, and I don't like surprises. They scare me. So instead, I decided that every year, I will send them away on a short trip so the entire day before I can prepare myself and make the house prank proof. I hop out of my bed with almost a happy state of panic, and rush to sh...

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“Damon Sinjin Heywood” by Grammar Naz1

Submitted to Contest #87

The story you will be reading is about a fairy. Damon Sinjin Heywood with the powers to make or break any prank. On April fools day, he gets spotted by a 15-year-old boy named Alister, and soon enough, they become close friends. I post all of the stories I write to a website named commaful if you would like to read more of my work, please don't hesitate to look me up. My username is @grammarnazi. Every day, Damon brought joy or disappointment to many a human. He would float around waiting for someone to pull a prank, and he got to decide w...

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“Melquart” by Soha Awad

Submitted to Contest #87

I, Melquart, god of the unknown, welcome you into my story, my realm, my tangled web of fiction, my sea of interpretations and fantasies. Welcome stranger, welcome friend, welcome victim, welcome misfit, welcome everyone. Before we begin, can I interest you with a glass of wine, straight from our generous vineyard, kissed by the sun, squeezed under the feet of our maidens, can I tempt you with festive alcoholic juices of nature? Drink now, drink till you’re full, till you can’t lift a finger, nor open your beautiful eyes, stories are bes...

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$50

Prize money

491

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.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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