CS Writing Competition - June Contest UPCOMING

[kyrol24]

November 2022

Link to pet:

Adopt virtual pets at Chicken Smoothie!

Entry:
It had been a long, long summer. Yet somehow this felt like his shortest stretch of sun yet. They seemed to grow shorter with every passing year. A dog his age grows accustomed to a seasonal routine and he knew that when the days grew hot and long, the kids stayed around to play from sun-up to sundown. He would chase them down to the beach and loudly warn them not to swim out too deep as he hated water, but would still have to jump in after them if they looked to be in any danger. Afterward, he would pant in the shade with them until they'd all grown so bone-tired and salted that drying out beside a bonfire while the last sliver of light drowned beneath the waves was all they could manage before knocking out cold.

They would wake up the next day without a crick in their necks and try to sneak softly back into the house before their parents (usually Mama) stopped them in their tracks and demanded to know where they'd been all night. Always pretending to be furious, but the dog could smell that she was only a bundle of fear. The kids would use the dog as an excuse: "He was guarding us, Mama - we weren't in any danger–", but Mama would still send them skulking up to their bedrooms with her hands on her hips.

Once they were out of sight, though, she'd rub the soft spots behind his ears and tell the dog he'd done good alright and What A Good Boy You Are. He would try to act surprised when there was bacon in his bowl at supper, but she'd burst out laughing when he couldn't help drooling before she'd even placed his bowl on the ground.

He licked his chops now at the memory. More gums than teeth nowadays. And of course there was the white fur on his muzzle that had started off as gray, but slowly turned until it matched the color of his breath tonight in the cool autumn air. Though he now dreaded the creak in his hips when it came time to lay down or stand, his mind still felt like it belonged to that springy pup barking at the waves.

This would likely be his last winter.

Yet as the leaves fell to the ground and the world prepared to sleep, he found that he was almost ready to do the same. The kids had long since grown. The neighborhood saw no more gangly legs tripping over the leash of a springy pup and heard no more shrill barks and laughter from a springy pup defending the gangly legs from a squirrel.

As he listened to the night with the clear scent of winter's first snow whispering around his snout, all he heard was silence. He was deep in slumber when the first flakes landed on his tail and he brushed them away with small thumps as his tail wagged through a simple dream of a long, long summer.

[Poserpanda]

November 2022
Link to Pet:
Entry:
"It's time to put away the Halloween decorations." Cardstock calmly states to his barn mates, who are enjoying the soft patches of snow on the ground by rolling, stomping, and kicking at it. Although his re-growing cards are covered in a tough hide so that they do not get wet or tear easily, he still does not want to play before he finishes his work. He grabs un-touched, still wrapped candied apples, and drops them into the cooler that PoserPanda, the owner, uses to store them until Christmas. Pumpkins are smashed for fertilizer, eaten, or given to the owner to be dried and stored for a later snack. Once the other horses and hooved creatures joined in, all of the previous month's decorations were cleared and put away. Some creatures still wore their costumes, but a feeling of thankfulness and warmth replaced the previous month's creepy aura. Cardstock knew that his cards would come in handy during the months when a strong blizzard of hail would keep even the most stubborn horses from frolicking outside. He could shed the cards and drop a collection of any card game, so long as he could focus on the game's rules for more than an hour. Now that he was ready to rest after working, Cardstock decided the first game that he would concentrate on, would be...rummy. It felt good to shed a game that felt familiar to the previous month, while still being challenging enough to last the longer winter nights. He was a new addition to the barn, but he still felt as if he could be helpful to the other creatures that might have trouble adjusting to being bored and inside. Being born during the night's chill, with a hardy body that felt neither warmth nor cold, made him resilient to the weather change. so he spent more time outside to clear the paths than some of the other creatures. The hoofed ones who knew the land better than him, were able to show him the problem spots on the acreage, before they went inside. Cardstock thanked them, making sure to spread dirt and grass seeds in the holes that had been worn in the ground. The dirt hadn't become completely frozen from the snow, as it had only snowed a few inches for the last couple of nights. He knew that he wasn't the only card-shedding creature on the limitless acres of Taftin. There were a few more deer, and a cat who would also take on the job of entertainment for the family groups. He hoped to be able to have enough time left in today to be able to attend the activity family meeting. All the creatures who were born capable of creating or becoming an activity; television heads, card shedders, hide-and-seek shelters, and others, would be gathering in the massive tree-dome near the barn. There those of the "activity" species would get extra care and could share ideas for new activities to do with the more normal or natural species group, that each creature lived with. There was also specialized sleeping arrangements for creatures that wanted to take a mini-vacation from entertainment. Cardstock was especially interested in that perk today, so he put his energy into seeking the necessary help to finish the yard work. With a few dogs, he was able to call the work suitably done and left for the tree-dome. He knew that his job for the day had taken up a good portion of the meeting, but there would still be time to hang out and relax. Hurrah for missing out on chatting!

[faedemon]

November 2022
Link to Pet:

Entry: [365 words]

The air turns bitter, and the ice coalesces.

Iceswallow emerges again into full being and takes stock: it is night, and the moon is on its way to fullness. The lake has frozen over. Iceswallow’s body, as he looks himself over, is as it always is: lithe and feline and shot through with the beautiful fissures that characterize lake ice. Each year the pattern differs slightly. Each year, Iceswallow gets the chance to know himself anew.

Winter has come a tad late this year, he observes. Although the majority of the year is so warm that Iceswallow is fluid, and his thoughts similarly hard to grasp and the world difficult to focus on, he has not been entirely ignorant. The world is changing. The seasons are shrinking and stretching, the weather edging closer to extremes. Iceswallow’s lake is quivering on the edge of change—but for now, winter has come as promised, and Iceswallow is frozen whole again. His thoughts are free and clear.

Above him, only a quick shadow against the night sky, an owl hunts prey. Rats and foxes take their chances across the lake’s frozen surface. Iceswallow lets them pass—it’s a unique thrill of the season, for his lake to be home not only to fish. A long way away, a wolf howls, and its family joins it in song. In a fallen log that juts out of the water, a spider spins a glittering web. The air is still and bitingly cold. On the same log, a caterpillar inches just out of the spider’s reach. The forest glows: moonlight on ice.

Iceswallow takes it all in. Winter is a gift: annually, when the air is sharp and cold enough, he may take on a physical form, may reach out to the world and touch it without losing shape. He may not leave the confines of his lake, true—but that’s just fine. A lake’s frozen surface just begs to be walked across and skated on. Iceswallow has never spent the cold season alone, and every year brings something new, something beautiful and exciting for him to touch and know and remember.

He looks forward to what this winter will bring.

[Furven]

November 2022
Link to Pet:

Pet's name: Ellie 💕
Entry:
[490 words]

Ellie pranced through the leaves, each footstep making a loud crunch beneath her paws. The wind blew through her fur sending a shiver down her spine. She’d never experienced anything like this before. She had heard the humans say “It’s your first fall Ellie!” but this meant nothing to her. She didn’t quite understand the concept of seasons yet.
One thing Ellie knew she liked was seeing the birds fluttering here and there. She’d watched them silently from inside her refuge. Now that she was outside, the birds were no where to be found. Ellie sniffed the ground hoping to find some sign of where the birds had gone. She took in the scent of many different things: leaves dried out by the sun, a bunny that had been there many hours ago, worms digging beneath the soil, and birds who had hopped around looking for something.
What if I were a bird? Ellie thought to herself. She imagined flying through the sky. It seemed scary to only be supported by two small wings. She looked up into the bright blue sky. White puffy clouds dotted all around like cotton ready to be harvested. Trees rose up from the ground and seemed to touch the sky.
Ellie looked at one tree in particular and spotted a squirrel running on one of the branches. She ran up to the tree and stared at where she had seen the squirrel. She reached her legs up and began scratching at the tree. She seemed to be saying “Come down and play squirrel!” The squirrel didn’t understand and only ran further up the tree.
Ellie continued along, trotting through the crunchy leaves. Now, the sun shone on her back, warming her black fur quickly. She lay down to bathe in the warmth of the sun. Suddenly a crow swooped down from the sky and landed only a few feet away from her. Ellie crouched even farther down and started to sneak forward. The crow saw her, became scared, and flew away.
Ellie was disappointed. It seemed as though no creature in the world wanted to be her friend, except for the humans of course. But the humans were always too busy for Ellie. They had things they must do and they could spend every minute with her. She hoped someday she would find someone to be her friend. Then she would play with them and have so much fun.
Maybe the next season will bring me a friend. Ellie thought hopefully. Then she realized. That’s what seasons are about! They are different periods of your life where different things happen. Like how she used to be a little kitten dependent on her mother. But then she grew older and no longer depended on her mother. Seasons being change. Ellie decided then that whether the seasons of the future brought good change or bad change, she would keep her head held high and push on.

[horsesrule76]

November 2022
Link to Pet:
Pet's name: Hanami
Entry (404 words):

Hanami woke to a sharp chill. He wriggled under his warm blanket, lifted his head lazily, and peeked over at the window - oh! He had left it open last night, and there had been a freeze! He weighed the cost of breaking the cozy seal of his blanket and shutting the window to eliminate the incoming draft. Sighing, he got up and slammed the window shut, then decided to head to the kitchen to make a mug of cocoa. He was already up; might as well warm up with his favorite seasonal drink.

There was a lot to be thankful for this year: just last year, Hanami had been in the Pound, waiting with thousands of other pets for a loving home. As he prepared the cocoa mix packet and warmed up the milk, Hanami reflected on how far he'd come and the life he left behind. After being adopted, Hanami made an effort to stay in contact with his Pound friends and celebrate every time someone else found a new home. He'd make an effort to buy cute stamps and accessories at the post office to send along with letters to his Pound friends, hoping to brighten their day. Hanami knew that support from friends was one of the main ways he kept his head up while in the Pound, so he tried to pay it forward now that he was on the other side.

The milk was ready. Hanami mixed in the brown powder, finding the blending of the colors satisfying. He found joy in small moments like these. He grabbed a bag of mini marshmallows from a shelf overhead and plopped a few in the steaming liquid - why not pamper himself on the first cold day of the year?

Sitting at the small kitchen table with mug in paw, Hanami closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, his nose adjusting to the lower temperature. He was ready for the changes winter would bring: barren trees, a bustling downtown with last-minute gift buying and coffee runs, and respites from the busyness of daily life in the form of holiday breaks. He was looking forward to slowing down and enjoying the pace of life, but even in the stillness of cold weather, he missed the warm camaraderie of the Pound. He missed his friends who hadn't yet found new homes.

Just like the hot cocoa packet designated, oncoming winter was bittersweet.

[Ziggy Zag]

November 2022


Link to pet: viewpet.php?id=240118138
Pet’s Name: Glaedr
Entry (575 words):

Glaedr barked. He was running at top speed, pursuing a butterfly that fluttered through the garden. With a leap, he launched himself up with his mouth open wide, but instead of his jaws snapping over his catch, they snapped over thin air. Confused, he opened his eyes and realized it was all just a dream. Disappointed, Glaedr uncurled, stretching his jaws open in a yawn and sticking out his front legs in a stretch. In his dream, the sun had been shining above him, warming his thick black and white coat; now, with a glance out the window, he could see dark clouds covering the sun, threatening to pour freezing drops of rain down on the neighborhood. No sunlight filtered into his room like it usually would on a fall morning. Only the chilly breeze through the window, which was cracked open a smidge. Glaedr frowned and shut it. The days of chasing butterflies in summer were gone now. So were the days of jumping into piles of crunchy leaves. Gone, they were. Winter was here.

Winter reminded Glaedr of the pound. He remembered when he was just a puppy, sitting in that cold cage as howls of other pets surrounded him. Where he was before the pound was fuzzy: he was too young to remember. He grew older and older in the pound, until eventually, he lost hope. He thought he’d be there forever. One day, as he was lying, curled up on the concrete floor near the bars, he heard a voice. Looking up, he saw a hand. He shied away, thinking it was a worker, but the hand reached farther through the bars. It laid right between his ears and stroked him softly. Glaedr leaned in. The voice called him a good boy. Said it was going to be alright. Then the hand stopped, and the voices moved farther away. Glaedr was shocked. He thought that this was the person who would finally be there. Who would care for him. He thought this was the person…who would, after all this time…adopt him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. They fell down his face, cutting into his cheeks. It felt like something had loved him, gave him a warm embrace, and then stabbed through his back with a dagger, all the way through his heart. He curled up in the far, shadowed corner of his cage, little whimpers escaping him. His tail curled over his nose.

Then, his ears pricked up again. The voices came back. He turned his head. A silhouette of a girl stood there. She held something in her hands. Glaedr crept closer slowly. He sniffed her, and immediately recognized the girl from before.

He was finally getting a home.

The cold and clouds of the winter months reminded him of the icy concrete floors of the pound, the thick, freezing metal bars of his cage…and his bitter, frigid tears when the thought no one loved him. Sniffing the air, he scented his owner downstairs. Walking through the hallway and down them, he curled up on her lap. She stroked him softly, from his head to his tail, curled up with a glass of hot cocoa. She pulled up a blanket over them and turned on the TV. As he lay there on the couch, he had a feeling this winter wouldn’t be too bad. He was happy that he finally had a place, and he was loved.

[SugarKats]

November 2022
Link to Pet:
Pet's name: Winterfrost
Entry:
As the ground began freezing over with permafrost and snow, the cold seeped into Winterfrost's body, prompting a reversal of his natural mechanisms. Instead of keeping busy by digging down deep to find the warmth of soil, or curling up in a warm cave, as most of the animals around him were doing, the young ice dragon opened his dark blue eyes with a start, slowly untucking his legs from beneath his frozen body, and took his first steps outside the den in months.

Feeling the blood return to his limbs, he craned his neck in the air, flicking out his long, serpentine tongue. Crisp, cold, fresh, he smiled for he knew, winter had come!

He trotted around the entrance, delighting in leaving claw prints deep in the thick snow, right next to smaller prints made by bunnies and deer. He looked around at the calm winterscape, and although most would feel sadness at the decaying trees, he felt a brimming sense of glee. He bounded over to a now naked-branched maple tree, kicking its trunk and giggling as the snow fell on him. He unfurled his powerful wings to shake it off, spooking a young deer who stood nearby. Spooked rightfully so, as Winterfrost's empty stomach growled loudly in the early morning silence. Hibernating for such a large creature was no easy task, and he was more than ready for a filling meal!

His wings sliced through the air behind him, generating a strong gush as he easily matched the pace of the scampering fawn. Massive claws grasped the deer as he chomped down. The lone dragon carried his prize back to his burrow, settling down as he enjoyed the taste of fresh meat on his tongue, gulping it down ravenously. Within minutes, the only sign that deer had ever existed was its empty skeleton, white as the snow, and of course, the red-stained ground beneath it.

Winterfrost though, was content as could be, utterly unbothered by the necessities of his nature. His stomach now full, he laid back down in his den and let out a long, satisfied sigh. Soon, he found his eyes drooping as his tired body prompted him into temporary slumber, knowing more winter bliss awaits him.

[Fooxie]

November 2022
Link to Pet:

Pet's name: < arrietta >
(also featuring Tomb as the old lady! :D)
Entry: (717 words)

Living in the subtropics, Arrietta had never truly experienced what winter was like. Save for the one, singular day where the temperature dropped below 10 degrees celsius, and they actually had to use the heater for once, winter was basically just a time of the year where it rained less often. That was it.

Most people would think this was sad. Not experiencing seasons? That’s horrible! But, in reality, Arrietta quite enjoyed the familiarity. Sure, the Septembers were over thirty degrees celsius, and fall has practically become just an extension of summer, but not experiencing winter came with its own benefits.

The forests were green all year round, and the lack of snow meant that Arrietta wouldn’t need to worry about hail, frozen sidewalks or the cold. The closest thing to snowy weather was the occasional chilly breeze the light rain would bring with them.

Because of the fact the seasons don’t vary that much, instead of differentiating the seasons by the weather, they’d tell them apart via the holidays that took place in each of them.

After Halloween ended, the stalls in the city immediately began putting up Christmas decorations in their place, marking the start of the dry season (or, in other words, winter). Malls prepared their Christmas displays, and stores started selling sweaters and jackets for the upcoming twenty celsius degree weather.

Trotting through the busy streets, Arrietta noticed a bunch of wolf pups, celebrating the end of their first term exams. She chuckled as she passed by, watching the young children brag about how much they studied.

Eventually, Arrietta made it to her destination: the wet market. The market was loud and noisy, it was difficult to hear anything. Hundreds of opportunistic stall owners shouted loudly, attempting to get customer’s attention.

“FRESH FISH JUST CAUGHT! DELICIOUS SALMON! BUY IT FOR THE CHEAPEST PRICE HERE!”

“DON’T GET IT FROM THEM! IT ISN’T FRESH! THE FISH WERE HERE SINCE LAST NIGHT! GET IT FROM US! WE HAVE CRABS! ONLY THIRTY EACH!”

“WANT AN EGG WAFFLE? SALE FOR ONLY TEN! GET IT NOW!”

Arrietta ignored the salesmen, continuing to travel through the maze-like market. The floor was damp and dirty, littered with dropped fruits and vegetables. She was used to this- in fact, the market was considerably clean compared to usual, a good sign.

Eventually, Arrietta made it to the store she was looking for. Stepping into the tiny room in the corner of the market, she was greeted by an elderly rat.

“Helloo dear, have you got a girlfriend yet? You grown so much since I last saw you!”

“It’s been two days-“ Arrietta muttered to herself, “Hi porpor, no, no girlfriend yet- I’m looking to buy some ornaments for the Christmas tree we’re gonna set up, do you have any keychains that might work? The ones in the supermarkets are extremely expensive…”

“Christmas tree? It’s only November ah, why buy it now? Still have a month.” The rat rolled her eyes. “We have a couple of decorations in the back if you need. We were planning to put them out on Christmas, but you can get them now if you want.”

“Thank you.” Arrietta dipped her head, trotting over to the back of the store. She looked through a couple of boxes of unpacked stuff, until she found some ornaments.

Looking into the box, she noticed the majority of items inside were knock-off keychains of popular cartoon characters dressed up in Christmas outfits. She giggled to herself, pulling out a couple of really, really goofy looking decorations.

One was a bright orange “Thunder Rat” with red cheeks and rabbit ears, another was a reindeer that looked more like a baby’s first drawing personified, and one was a funky Edmontosaurus with googly eyes.

“How much for these?” Arrietta asked, putting her selected items on the counter.

“Ten, I think I had these in my store for five years now…”

After paying, Arrietta placed the decorations in her pouch and began returning home. The weather was warm, and the sun continued beaming brightly, as if it was still summer.

Walking through the streets, Arrietta never felt more at home. Maybe she’ll never get to experience what a true winter was like, and that’s okay. She is happy here, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

[FleaTea]

November 2022
Link to Pet:
Entry:

The Sun was a merciless god who roamed the skies at day, scorching the barren surface of the land in summer, and hid away in winter to let the animals freeze. The Sun was feared my all, except one brave hare.

As summer started approaching, a long, icy winter later, Hasie decided he had had enough. He was angry at the Sun. The Sun who dehydrated and starved his friends and family.
"Sun! The hares beg of you to stop this endless cycle," Hasie called at the Sun one blistering afternoon.
The Sun slowly, slowly turned to Hasie. "Oh? And how do you plan on making me stop?" He chuckled a cruel laugh. Before Hasie could even answer, the powerful god cursed him with pain, so unbarable, that his fellow hares had to step in. "From now, the pain is shared," they said, hopelessly.
As the pain got divided between all the hares they miserably walked back to the nearly empty watering hole. Even though the curse was now shared between the hundred hares, it was still very painful for all of them.

From their tears, the Moon was born, a beautiful godess, soft as a lily. When she saw their suffering, she wanted to help.
The Sun was clearly flattered by this new godess. He let her have half a day, which she called Night. At night, she cooled the creatures' paws and sang them a soothing melody, letting them know everything would be okay. She let fresh, green plants sprout while the Sun was sleeping.

The hares could have more children now that there was enough green to eat. The more they populated, the more the curse was divided between them, and so the hares became happier.

The plants became too many for the Sun to kill during his part of the day, and they absorbed his deadly rays to produce energy.

All of a sudden it seemed that the animals were to be, and life started flourishing. The Sun, seeing how happy this made the Moon, decided not to harm them too much.

All the creatures were thankful for Hasie, who took the first step in making a change, and the Moon, for healing the broken land and soothing their blisters.

[ferretjuice]

November 2022
Link to Pet:

Starburst and Starlie
Entry:
Starburst’s Summer! ft Starlie

With the weather changing from a wet, sticky humid spring into a warm, sunny Australian summer, Starburst is excited to no longer deal with the itchy eyes and runny nose from hayfever!
-
Starburst looks out the kitchen window, seeing the huge sun over the beach in front of their house “Wow! Look at that sun Starlie, Looks like we can go tan our sunny backs today, they’ve been fading!”
Starlie looks up to Starburst, nodding in agreement
Starburst runs out the front door, with starlie closely behind, leaping down the street filled with pets out enjoying the glimmering sunshine, He noticed a ice cream truck, across the road from the beach
“Let’s get an ice cream first, hey? What do you want Starlie?”
The truck had a menu with pictures of many ice creams, plain vanilla, vanilla with nuts, chocolate and strawberry!
Starlie looks up at starburst, then moves his eyes to the vanilla with nuts picture
“Great choice, I’ll get the same”

With their ice creams they run to the sandy beach, and lay out their towels on the warm soft sand.
“I could lay here all day Starlie!
And they did, soaking up the sun rays feeling the warmth on their sunny backs until it faded away and they headed home
Starburst looks in the mirror and gasps “Look at our backs! They’re so sunny! A day of sun well spent”