Write about someone who is given a bird for the holidays but doesn’t know how to take care of it.

Posted in Holiday on Jul 27, 2021

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✍️ 200 stories

“Hark, the Harold” by Julie Ward

Submitted to Contest #73

Dear Friends and Family,I’m a little late with the annual Holiday letter, but I think we can all agree that this has been a very interesting year, and that nothing has gone as planned. When the virus that-shall-not-be named grounded us for life, we did what any other family would do. We laid around in our PJs and ate bread. As it turns out, Jim is a pretty good baker. I think he missed his calling, although my waistline likes him better as an accountant.Jim is still with Skillerod, Actins and Croy, and I’m your neighborhood broker;...

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“The Assignment” by Bianka Nova

Submitted to Contest #73

(Warning: some strong language.)It was the third day before Christmas and my true love send to me… a grumpy guy making a delivery.Actually, my true love didn’t send me anything. I just thought it made for a nice rhyme. Who am I kidding? It was a shitty rhyme! Also, I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t have anyone. To be fair, that’s what happens when you’re a contract killer. Not a lot of people lining outside your door to apply for the best friend position.And, well, the delivery part was actually true. The guy made such a sour face while dro...

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“The Devil's Punishment” by Akshaya Rajan Babu

Submitted to Contest #73

“I can’t believe he really did that. Seriously, what was he thinking? How could he…” I paused mid-sentence, because I just realized that I had been talking out loud, in the middle of a street, with people gawking at me as though I’m crazy. Before you too come to the same conclusion, let me assure you that I’m, in fact, NOT crazy and I have valid reasons for my above mentioned behavior. First, let me introduce myself. I’m *insert drum-roll here* Lucifer Morningstar, Prince of Darkness, Son of Satan, The Devil himself! I can st...

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“Don’t Panic if I Catch Fire” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #73

Gregory frowned at the note attached to the bird’s cage. He shook his head and screwed his eyes shut. He opened them again.The note remained the same.Gregory looked around, even though he was the only person in the shop. He hoped — a fool’s hope — that Barbara hadn’t left at the end of her shift three-quarters of an hour ago. But, of course, she had.The man who’d dropped it off — it, that was the word he used, not he or she — had been rather strange. But, hey, who was he to judge? He was a 43-year-old man who co-ran a bird daycare shop with ...

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“Mimi the Mynah Bird” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #73

“Mr Nugent’s eaten Mimi!” cries Rachel.Celine Heatherington bit her lip as her daughter charged into the sitting room.“I’m sure I closed the apartment door,” she says, catching her breath. “Slow down, Rachel.” “He must’ve skulked up the staircase behind me.”“You let Mimi out of the cage and…”“… Yes, just like you told me to,” she says. “I changed the water and…” “… It’s fine, take your time, poppet.”“I was on top of the wobbly stool fetching the pellet mix from the top shelf.”“Right, so you were in the kitchen?”“I heard a squa...

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“The Avocado Enemy” by Niveeidha Palani

Submitted to Contest #73

The house swarmed of turbulent chattering and elevated guests. Men raised their glasses with shimmering red wine, and women gossiped eagerly in the parlour. Mrs Hopp, a middle-aged woman, stood with the guests hesitantly, thanking everyone expectantly and clasping about a dozen gifts. "A very happy birthday to you, Kiera." a hoarse voice echoed into the vibrant blaring of the chattering of guests.Mrs Hopp looked up, astonished. She deposited the gleamingly wrapped presents near the Christmas tree. "Mia. It's been so long." she smiled wistful...

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“The Silver Swan” by Doug LeBlanc

Submitted to Contest #73

THE SILVER SWAN Timmy was handicapped. He hated the term, but knew it applied to him. He had a wheelchair, and needed it. He was being schooled by a tutor, Jenson. He allowed Timmy to call him that, although everyone else had to call him Mr. Jarlson. To Timmy, he seemed cold and standoffish, and never open with the boy. The seasons were changing, and Timmy hated it. He hated the cold of winter, and...

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“Nature's Christmas” by Ruby 💫

Submitted to Contest #73

It was a rainy night. I could hear the raindrops hit the top of the house. Knowing that it’s almost Christmas .I’m hoping that this year is going to be the best one .I say that every year, but I got a feeling for this year. “Hayley”! My mom yelled. “Yeah”! I yelled back. “I got something to tell you,” She said. I rushed over to her, to say what’s up. “This year we are going to spend Christmas at your cousins house”! I looked at her confused, "but don’t all our cousins live in NYC”? “Yeah”! Mom said. We’re going there”. Then my confused face ...

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“The Pandemonium ” by H L McQuaid

Submitted to Contest #73

My fingers stumbled to find the mute button as Boris’s blue-streak of obscenities filled my small flat. Gazing intently at my clients on Zoom, I tried to discern whether they’d heard anything. Was that a repressed smirk on Cressida’s perfectly-lined lips?Despite Alex repeatedly assuring me that Boris could be subdued with a blanket over his cage, I could hear him screeching through the bedroom door. I walked in and yanked the blanket off, hoping to surprise him into silence. He stared at me sideways, one black beady eye boring into me. He cl...

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“And a Parrot in a Peach Tree” by Natalie Strawbridge

Submitted to Contest #73

It was, allegedly, the most wonderful time of the year. Halloween had been quietly escorted out, Thanksgiving had barely been given a chance, and whether you celebrated it or not, everywhere screamed Christmas: the big department stores with empty cardboard boxes wrapped in silvery paper, the little cafes with preciously named cinnamon spiced drinks, the quaint towns with wire snowflakes glittering on the street lamps. People scurried about all of these places, pretending to admire them, but really, they were all buying last-minute gifts or ...

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“The Crow of Spirit and Longing” by Zahra Daya

Submitted to Contest #73

I force the laugh out of my lips, clinging to the hope of it changing everything. It sounds harsh. Cold. Simply wrong. But no. It has to be right. I don’t allow the thought of it being incorrect to reach my brain. Because if it reaches, it will never leave. Like lice amongst hair. I will have to comb through it and even then I may have to cut it all off. No, it's too dangerous. I can’t risk it. I can’t I unwillingly force my head up and out of the hollow of my neck. My eyes meet my own in the mirror. They pierce back at me, black, cold....

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“The Bird and Me” by David G.

Submitted to Contest #73

Across my five-hundred-ten square foot apartment on the twenty-third floor of an early-1980s utilitarian building at the southern end of the Bronx come a few staccato chirps and whistles of the American goldfinch that now resides with me. His name is Charlie.I open my eyes. I'm in bed. On the ceiling above me there is a faint crack in the plaster. It starts about an inch from the wall straight above my right shoulder and then winds its way in a jagged pattern toward the center of the room, where it disappears briefly behind the light fixture...

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“Egg Race” by ℤ ℍ☮️

Submitted to Contest #73

In eighth grade, we used to have these egg races. Each week, Mr. Michel would give us an egg. On Friday, we would come up with a contraption that would keep the egg from breaking if it fell. Then we would sprint while holding the egg in one hand. The lesson was supposed to be on ethics. Balance. Care.I never had any of them. Every single time, the bright yolk would sink onto the blades of grass. Every time, I would bend over, under the hot Utah sun and swear under my breath. My hands would be clammy and my eyes would feel close to crying as ...

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“Blue Jay🐦” by Jade Orien🍀

Submitted to Contest #73

When I was 10 years old my grandmother flew from London to California to give me a gift.She had told me just a few weeks before Christmas how much I would love this gift she has for me.when she arrived at our home she stood in our living room near the Christmas tree with an oval looking object that was in her hand. covered with a white sheet.I immediately begin to jump up & down. Excited about what the present may be.My mom's face begins to turn red due to excitement.My father on the other hand, well he fell asleep."What is it!!" I say p...

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“D 1 Night ” by Atenaga Monday

Submitted to Contest #73

Living is everyone imagination of life, from how we eat, bath, walk, laugh and even sleep matter so much to us that we forget to appreciate the one thing we should find fascinating and that’s the Moon, the Sun, the Stars the Oceans and the beautiful animals, yes I know we have been told by different religion and scientific reasons of how we got to meet all this things but believe me after a horrible heart break all what Mike got to think was how to leave this earth go to somewhere else, he wanted to stop living well you will never know what ...

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Write about someone who is given a bird for the holidays but doesn’t know how to take care of it.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 200 stories

“Hark, the Harold” by Julie Ward

“The Assignment” by Bianka Nova

“The Devil's Punishment” by Akshaya Rajan Babu

“Don’t Panic if I Catch Fire” by Joshua G. J. Insole

“Mimi the Mynah Bird” by Howard Halsall

“The Avocado Enemy” by Niveeidha Palani

“The Silver Swan” by Doug LeBlanc

“Nature's Christmas” by Ruby 💫

“The Pandemonium ” by H L McQuaid

“And a Parrot in a Peach Tree” by Natalie Strawbridge

“The Crow of Spirit and Longing” by Zahra Daya

“The Bird and Me” by David G.

“Egg Race” by ℤ ℍ☮️

“Blue Jay🐦” by Jade Orien🍀

“D 1 Night ” by Atenaga Monday

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who gets proposed to five times on Christmas Eve.

Write about a drummer going to a Halloween party for musicians.

Write about a young nobleman whose greatest wish is to become an Olympic long jumper.

Write about a backup dancer who’s on tour and just wants some peace and quiet for the holidays.

Contest #73

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

498

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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