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Your character comes across a stray (dog, cat, human — any kind of animal!). What happens next?

Posted in Short Story on Feb 14, 2025

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✍️ 58 stories

Invisible

Submitted to Contest #290

InvisibleBy Doris Booth The woman’s voice on the phone was soft, almost apologetic. “Yes, I have only one left. All her siblings have found homes, but…well, I just don’t think she is the right fit for everyone. You might not want her.” “Why?” I asked, my voice filling with apprehension. “She is terribly shy. Terrified, really. She needs a quiet home, no children, certainly no other dogs,” the lady said. “I have neither.” The words fell flat, a stark admission of my solitude. I didn’t offer details - not the estrangement of my son these ...

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When The Toad Sings (And Other Stories of Love)

Submitted to Contest #290

When The Toad Sings(And Other Stories of Love)byV.E. Kimberlin The robust aroma furled up from her cup of just served cappuccino. The steamed milk floated on top, the murky cloud of the cinnamon swirling into designs with the artistry of a spider spinning its web. No, not a web, she thought, a golden Fibonacci spiral. And suddenly that’s what made her remember where she was. Her mind had wandered once again into reverie. She wondered if anyone around her had noticed the nameless woman sitting alone, now and then talking to herself at a dark...

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Salt and Pepper

Submitted to Contest #290

The little one lay on the other side of the fire, not moving. I watched the flames lick and furl their way up the front door, then stretch further along the side wall, fanning like feathers into the night.The house was burning. And soon, so would he.I couldn’t just sit there and watch it happen.So, I called to the little one, loudly, but still, he didn’t move. I ran then, making as much noise as I possibly could, trying to get someone, anyone’s, attention.And I did.Eventually a man stepped outside. A man wrapped in a robe, I think. His eyes ...

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Eyes You Could Drown In

Submitted to Contest #290

Lizzie’s father, Josiah, unties his neckerchief and wipes the sweat from his forehead. She knows he’s trying to ignore the perspiration dripping down his back as he winds the rack and pinion to lift the paddle which will allow water to drain from the lock, bringing them downhill. It should be her brother, Daniel, doing this and Joss should be leading the horse, but Dan has a sore head from a surfeit of ale last night and her da doesn’t trust him to do the job properly. He could ask Lizzie, but she’s as slender as Dan is stocky – although rec...

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Finding Frannie

Submitted to Contest #290

Finding FrannieThe little grey tabby cat showed up on June 26, 2023, on what would have been my mother’s 99th birthday. My husband named the kitty Frannie and started feeding her. Although feral, Frannie finally allowed petting at feeding time. She was just one of the neighborhood cats that would come by for food. I would always laugh and say, "Cats happen."Our indoor cat family included our 15-year-old Molly Ann and our 8-year-old Checkmate. Molly and her sister, Sophie, were adopted as babies shortly after we built our house. (Sophie died ...

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Caramel Colored Lenses

Submitted to Contest #290

Aubree surrendered to the warmth of the setting sun with heavy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Geese flew overhead against wind that danced with the cattail reeds and willow tree leaves. It was quiet. It was still. The world continued to move forward despite Aubree’s reluctance to believe it. It had nearly been a week since Westley moved out. Nearly a week since Aubree had stepped foot outside. It was the deafening quiet and stale air of the apartment that pushed Aubree to give in to the idea that fresh air might do her som...

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Dragon Traits

Submitted to Contest #290

I never thought my life would take a turn like this. A few years ago, I was just a first-grade teacher with a passion for baking and a stubborn will to keep life simple. Now, I'm Marilyn: half-human, half-dragon, and somehow still trying to teach a school full of hyperactive youngsters. At first, my wings were so heavy that I could barely lift them, and the tail was constantly in the way. In my head, I thought my students would be terrified if they saw me. I visualized my career ending right as it was starting. Thankfully nothing else...

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The Taste of Honey

Submitted to Contest #290

The Taste of HoneyI was walking through the local park, my preferred way to escape the emptiness of living with my unadventurous and generally boring parents, and of not having a girl friend, and finishing my first year of university. As I sat on the flat round remains of an oak stump, I heard a voice calling to me. It had to be calling me, as there was no one else nearby. I could not even see the one that was calling to me, even though I stood up and I turned around twice in a complete circle. No one had ever called out ...

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The Stray Hatchling

Submitted to Contest #290

“There’s nothing left—nothing!” Tears obscured her vision. Angeline gripped the tattered remains of a cloak. The cloak he—no! She couldn’t bear it. Sputtering flames rose, illuminating the charred ruins of her small cottage. She stumbled. Embers glowed, smoldering in what was once the kitchen. Knees hit splintered wood. A cry escaped her lips. She wanted to close her eyes and believe this was just a nightmare. The dragons came out of nowhere. Flaming, clawing, and destroying everything within reach. Following their path of destruction lay...

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The Cherub's Hamburger

Submitted to Contest #290

The Cherub's Hamburger The smell of household perfume sneaks up my nose and chewing gum pops in my ear. Out of nowhere a waitress stands over me. “Ready to order, young man?” She takes my order and verbally applauds my choices. They say deep breathing cures anxiety, so I do it while eyeballing customers around me. Meanwhile, the food arrives with a lipstick smile and a smoker’s cough. The elderly waitress lays heaps of it in front of me then walks away. “Enjoy honey!” I push aside the tap water and replace it with orange soda, then devo...

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Heart-shaped Smudge

Submitted to Contest #290

‘Filthy,’ muttered a voice, within a wisp of Elvira’s hearing. Bristling on the inside Elvira stood a little taller, preparing to do battle. Turning sharply on her heel before she lost her nerve, she looked the man straight in the eyes. So many people who came to Windy Ridge didn’t like it. Despite the name giving away its nature they complained about the cold, muttered what a desolate place it was, wondering why they’d visited. Elvira wondered the same. Why come to this place she loved and find fault with it. Mundane city types arrived...

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Sammie

Submitted to Contest #290

coyotes and pets There is that cat, again, hiding behind the bushes. I don't want a pet. I don't need a pet. Cleaning out a litter box every day is not my idea of fun. And litter boxes have to be cleaned out at least twice a day. If not, bad. The smell, awful. My friend's home has that smell. And better yet, an uncleaned litter box will have the feline using the whole house as their private privy. Not in my home. Why is that cat here? In my back yard. I have no cat food to give it. Any I hear from my cat owner friends, do not feed a c...

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What the Cat Dragged In…

Submitted to Contest #290

WARNING! CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING: Sexual violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, gore, cannibalism, bondage, torture. “What have you dragged in on this dreary night dear Winifred?” Says the elegantly dressed man dripping with demented fascination. He holds a drink in his hand. Winnie, tall blond with radiant skin performing spectacularly to conceal her age, goes over to this man, and they embrace and affectionately kiss. They detach but stand arm-in-arm.  “This is Angie, she was on the train with me that got stuck in the storm.&nbs...

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Time To Love Again

Submitted to Contest #290

Cara pulls her hood up over her head just as the rain drops begin to fall. The sky is shedding the tears she has felt tickling her eyes all day. She’s so tired of grief and just wants to be cozy in her house, snuggled under the blanket her mom knitted her years ago, before the illness. She just needs to escape reality with funny movies and pizza. Picking up the pace, she finds herself running down the street. Her house is right around the corner and all she has to do is make it to her porch before the sky completely opens up. Unfortunately, ...

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Ms. Jingles and Peanut

J J

Submitted to Contest #290

Ms. Jingles came into her life first - unprompted and unplanned.Amanda slammed her car door shut and huddled next to the blasting heater. She wiped away the condensation on her windshield and peered outside. Snow was falling at a steady rate. The parking lot was full of slush and puddles. She couldn’t wait to get home and have a strong cup of hot apple cider.Twisting the key in the ignition, she set the car in reverse. Her foot was hovering over the gas pedal when something caught her eye. It was a square of brown in a sea of white - a cardb...

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