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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

“Mischief Maker ” by Rebecca Hackney

Submitted to Contest #87

Lexi snickered from behind the bushes, waiting for the human to fall into her trap. Much like her father, Lexi loved playing pranks however the other gods didn’t appreciate the antics. So Lexi took her mischief to the human world to get her fun in, without her father knowing of course. Just then the human, a man talking on a phone, stepped onto the banana peel and slide down the slanted walkway. Lexi burst into laughter and skipped away looking for her next victim. That night at home the gods were having a meeting, April 1st was coming up ...

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“Pixie Pandemonium” by Lyn Carstone

Submitted to Contest #87

Zef giggled while Effie sighed. The two were perched on tree branch awaiting a victim for their current illusionary prank. It was standard fare. A bog had moved into the area and they had spelled the surface of his home to appear like it was still a grassy field and not the swampy marsh thing it had become. Zef, her best friend since they were pixlings, giggled again. Mere months ago, she would have been in the same laughing, high-spirited mood. But lately…lately, the normal zing of excitement from a prank about to be pulled or a heist ...

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“Raek in the park” by Nicolas Faucher

Submitted to Contest #87

‘AAhhhhhhh!! Gross!!! I don’t believe it! I was sure I was side-stepping this pile of dog crap! Ugh, this smell hopefully won’t follow me to work!’ Said the man walking at the dog park. His shoe had unfortunately met a pile of dog waste on the dirt path. However, he was in fact correct when he chose to shift his right foot 5 cm to the left of the pile of dog poo. He, unfortunately, was not aware that there was someone else nearby that, by other means unbeknownst to this human, had moved that pile of dog feces 5 cm to the left as well. T...

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“About Henry” by Robert Vucsko

Submitted to Contest #87

The new house was big and old, and right now it was full of packed boxes, disorganized furniture, and several unshaven moving men. Henry went off to find his bedroom. “Follow the stairs to the top,” his mother told him, kissing him on the cheek, a practice he allowed only when they were alone. It was funny, the house didn’t look this tall from the outside. Reaching the top and finding a tall set of windows, he looked out over an expanse of thickly wooded hills. “Wow,” Henry said softly. When his dad was around, they some...

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“Too much love” by Catherine Earle

Submitted to Contest #87

Bill grabbed his older brother, Neil, by the elbow and pulled him out of the busy kitchen, onto the driveway outside. “I have to talk to you, man,” Bill said. “What’s up?” Neil asked. “Why do we have to go outside? Will this take long?” “I’m sorry to tell you this, bro,” Bill began. He swallowed hard and looked down at the ground. “I can’t find Carla’s ring.” “What? What did you say?” Before Bill could answer, the brothers had to pause their talk. A gaggle of bridesmaids arrived by car and emerged, holding their long lavender dres...

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“The Master Plan” by Olivia Mahlmeister

Submitted to Contest #87

4/1/2018 It was a Wednesday morning, I had woken up to the sound of birds chirping on my front porch-, I'm kidding, who do you think I am cinderella? Now let's really start my day shall we? I woke up to the smell of smoke from cars and factories, and the same blaring alarm I hear every morning, 'Another day in the Big Apple' I thought to myself as I rolled in bed. So as per usual, I hadn't gotten out of bed until after ten minutes of the annoying beeping in my ear had gotten to my head. I wish I could stay in bed longer, but especially...

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“365 Days” by Sylvia Luna

Submitted to Contest #87

April Fool’s Day 2019, the year before the pandemic was when it all began. Most of the people at The Examiner, a small, local newspaper, loved a good joke. Mark never had a problem with any of his co-workers, but one particular co-worker, Joel, made it his mission to make sure the whole office enjoyed his pranks above all. The morning began with vegetable tasting donuts, throughout the day there were whoopie cushions on a few seats and even fake, plastic ants scattered in the refrigerator. There were lots of chuckles, but one prank, for Mark...

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“Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread” by George Davis

Submitted to Contest #87

Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread—George Davis Frank Moses sat pondering his next prank, April first. He started last April plotting his mischievous act. It was so diabolic in nature it even scared Frank. He was thrilled at his new plan even though he'd have to wait a year to see it through. I wonder what the guys at work will think of it. I bet they won’t get a good night’s sleep for months. It has been one whole year in the planning. It should go off without a hitch. Phoebe McCall is one of my c...

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“The Child Support Blues” by Drew Winston

Submitted to Contest #87

It was the day of Tiffany’s seventeenth birthday party. That was when Janelle decided how she would trick Robert one year later to the day. She was going to lie and tell him that his daughter had been in a bad car accident. The doctors were not sure if she would recover, she would say. That would teach him for being such a stingy, selfish bastard. Ever since the divorce, Robert had been a jerk. But it was his behavior at the birthday party that he put Janelle over the edge. He surprised Janelle and Tiffany by coming at all, since he live...

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“doe on the road” by Jenna :)

Submitted to Contest #87

Finally, hours after the sun had slipped quietly past the horizon, she opened her window. The sky was ink black and felt reachable, the city’s light pollution clouding the majority of the stars. She huffed at the chilly breeze, clumsily shoving her long limbs out of the small opening and landing hard on the other side.The night was beating faintly, fluttering around the edges like a baby bluebird’s pulse. She trudged up the uneven path, the fronts of her shins aching with each lengthy step. Growing pains, her mother had explained to her so l...

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“Good Deed's Day” by Mariana Del Rosal

Submitted to Contest #87

As long as we are discussing special dates, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving: I enjoy preparing a huge meal and having people over to watch football (although personally, I prefer the parade, as it reminds me of my long-lost childhood days). Christmas is also all right. We celebrate the birth of Our Lord, children expect the arrival of Santa, and everyone gathers around the Holliday Tree. I also like candles, beautifully ornamented neighborhoods, and wrapping up gifts for my beloved nephews and nieces. New Year is not bad either. Ok, so I...

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“Prank No More” by Kayla Martin

Submitted to Contest #87

I Sussy, Have always hated April Fools Day! This time of the year my brother always came up with some way to ruin my day. His tricks year after year got to me until I broke, I hit him in the face! After that day I realized I needed to collect myself and create boundaries. I needed to tell him when enough is enough, and that I hated being pranked. All this misery created by my brother and my hatred of pranks inspired me to do good deeds on this day I dread most, April Fools Day. My sister friend just had as much as a rambuctious brother. Apri...

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“Mr. Frank” by Joshua Lara

Submitted to Contest #87

Growing up I was never bullied, and that's because I was the bully, I was always in some kind of trouble. That was until 7th grade, It was hard to find a school that would take me because of how many times I was suspended in elementary. After a few weeks of looking for schools my mother finally found one, "Hawks Alternative Jr high". The school was only 30 minutes away from my house which sucked. Starting a new school was always hard having to make new friends was the worst part about new schools. Soon it would be August and school would be ...

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“DAWN OF THE DEPRANKINATORS” by Ernst Muller

Submitted to Contest #87

“Sir, sir… if you can spare a minute… I have a petition here… OK. I understand…” “Madam, may I ask your attention for just a moment? …of course, good bye.” “Hello, I have an important petition here… if I could have your attention….” If there had been an organisation called ‘Prankster Anonymous’, I would have been an honorary member, regularly seen at local meetings. I can just imagine the familiar scene: “Hello, my name is Henry and I am a prankster.” “Hello, Henry!” (times twelve or more). “I have been prank-free for five years no...

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“No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” by Jennifer Bettelyoun

Submitted to Contest #87

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Jennifer Bettelyoun “Jenny, it’s time to wake up” I heard my mother shout from the bottom of the stairs. I pulled the blanket up over my head to shield my eyes from the rays of sun beaming into my room through my bedroom window. “Yeah, yeah” I mumbled in response to my mothers’ annoying cheery disposition. I closed my eyes to listen for the typical sounds that filled my house every morning; my father humming “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, my little sister bounding the stairs, and my two b...

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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.

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