Menu

More apps built by Reedsy

Assemble a team of professionals

The writing app for authors

Writing courses, events and memberships

Get your book reviewed

Weekly writing prompts and contests

Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Tanya Humphreys

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories
Comments
Library
110 Followers
4 Following

117 Stories

2301 karma pts

?

Peyton Runs

Weekly Contest #127

Peyton blamed herself for the predicament she was in. Had she trusted her gut feeling, she would not be now running for her life. She sensed someone running alongside of her, that someone called to her, “Peyton!”Intuition screamed ‘Keep running you fool!’ She would never doubt her intuition again if she got out of this alive. She recognized the voice of Cerci, the only other black female of the twenty people running for their lives. Individually, they were called ‘Runners’, collectively, ‘Running Game’. Mostly t...

8 likes 0 comments 0
Read story

The Hungry Christmas Tree

Weekly Contest #124

The twenty-foot tree was magnificent! All forty-nine wee elves skipped around its base with strings of colored lights, silver tinsel, and finely crafted wooden ornaments. Its fresh, piney green scent was intoxicating, the elves buried their faces in the soft needley boughs.The elves giggled like squirrels, chattered like monkeys, and laughed like loons. As the last of the lights were lit, and the last of the ornaments hung, the elves discussed the finale…the decoration for the very tip-top. The angel was white, with tinsel hai...

12 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

The Nativity Goat

Weekly Contest #123

The small black goat looked out into the immense auditorium and sighed. The cavernous space was devoid of an audience, each of the 600 upholstered maroon seats stared back at him with taunting flat faces. “Jaxon Jesse Simpson!” Screeched the teacher. Literally. She was a puffy, square-shaped screech owl with chestnut tufts for ears, and round golden eyes the size of saucers behind her wire framed glasses. Jaxon jumped and glowered at her. His scruffy eyebrows pulled into hoods over his eyes. The three kittens playi...

10 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

The Christmas Hat

Weekly Contest #122

Miss Smithereen, as excited as her class, stood in front of the chalkboard. The short, spiney quills down her back poked through the soft red wool of her most Christmassy dress. She stamped her tiny hedgehog feet, shod in sensible black penny loafers, and clapped her tiny hedgehog paws together for attention.She pushed her eyeglasses up her pointy black nose and said, “Now class, we still have an hour before the bell…”The class of woodland animals groaned in unison. Eddie, an outspoken raccoon child, looked around at his classmates...

11 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

Gunther, Son of Krampus

Weekly Contest #121

Gunther smiled at the pretty she-elf and offered her his ginger snap cookie. Her clear blue eyes grew round as ping pong balls, the silver bells on her pointed red hat tinkled as she trembled, and her pouty rosebud lips quivered. At last, she let out a scream so high pitched and supersonic, it caused a small avalanche a mile away.Her breath was peppermint and vanilla cake. She swatted the cookie into the snow and ran towards her friends that had stopped their birdlike chattering to stare at Gunther in horror.He looked sadly do...

12 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

Grampa Owl and Grandfather Mouse

Shortlisted for Contest #120 ⭐️

“My father told me of the great massacre of Summer, 2020.” Randolf’s grandfather began.  Randolf looked over at his twelve siblings, they were all spitting images of Randolf- wee ash grey mice squatting comfortably like furry little pom-poms. All twenty-four of their shiny black bead eyes were wide with raptness, Randolf joined them in their gaze towards the elderly, somewhat scruffy mouse with one torn ear and a kink in his tail. Grandfather mouse continued when he had all thirteen children’s attention in full, he savored the dr...

58 likes 12 comments 12
Read story

Spiders Creep

Weekly Contest #119

The girl on the deck in the floppy sun hat was afraid to open her eyes. She’d been awakened by a sound. One that had followed her from her nightmare. The noise was a clicking, skuttling sound, not unlike tap-dancing feet, but far more sinister. Breathe held, Weechoo Soo opened her eyes slowly while peaking from her splayed fingers…the enormous spiders were still there, only three feet closer than when she’d first seen them.  They surrounded her on three sides, at her back was the glass patio door. ‘Oh, fuck me.’ Sh...

10 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

A Halloween Cat-astrophe

Weekly Contest #117

As I lounged on the tree branch, I observed the witches below me, engaged in their spooky yet hypnotic dance. I imagined I was a powerful panther, my silky coat of black making me one with the inky shadows. ‘Invisible.’ I froze perfectly still to not give away my watchful perch. Well, almost perfectly still. The tip of my tail twitched, giving away my anxiety concerning the scene below me. They were not real witches of course, but young hopefuls in costume. The thirteen young women gyrated and swayed around the bonfir...

18 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

The Covid Gremlin

Weekly Contest #116

Phoebe came through the back door into the kitchen. The small figure at the table looked up at her with all the sadness in the world reflected in his hazel eyes, and the weight of a ten-ton boulder on his back. His small face was wet, a rivulet of snot glistened over his lips like clear, sticky, slug slime. Phoebe rushed to her brother’s side and took the little boy in her arms, wishing she could shield his trembling body like an umbrella protects from a downpour. “Is he doing it again?” She asked softly. Trevor dampl...

17 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

Somebody's Watching Me

Weekly Contest #115

As Fiona stepped out of the Forever 21 and into the airy brightness of the mall, the chorus of ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ sounded from behind her. She spun around; her long auburn hair swirled like a satin sheet. No one there.‘Ah, my phone.’ She thought, though she still sported a furrowed brow over a frowning mouth. She wiggled it out of her jeggings back pocket and looked at the screen.Penny came out of the store, carrying a humongous yellow shopping bag. She said, “What is that?”Fiona glanced up at her cherub-like blond ...

16 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

Pitbully

Weekly Contest #114

The pure breeds dominated the side of the schoolyard the bleachers were on. On the top of the stack of six long benches, a large Pitbull terrier sat with his buddies. Fat Freddy, a Bassett hound, said to the pit, “Hey Conan, get a loada the new pup? He’s so mutt I’m gonna call him Heinz…hiyuck hiyuck!”  Frenchie La Pooch, a black French Bulldog, elbowed Fat Freddy in his jiggling girth and said, “That’s such an old one dude! Give it up.”  They looked over at Conan because he remained silent, which was so...

11 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

Waterson Wakes

Weekly Contest #113

‘This is my worst nightmare.’ Thought captain Roscoe Waterson. He was willing to go down with the ship but losing the lives of his crew had always been his greatest fear. And now, it seemed like that was about to happen. Another blast shook the 60-foot spacecraft. Through the curvature of his windshield, he saw another two dozen scraps of metal explode off the left side in a puff of silver and yellow glitter.  Before looking forward again, his eyes lingered on his co-pilot, slumped in the seat next to him. Hi...

16 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

Prey for Rain

Weekly Contest #112

The drizzly air was the opening act for the season’s first rainstorm. In the dense shrub layer, the colossal fern fronds shivered as the rubber-tree leaves parted, revealing shadow so impenetrable, light was sucked into it. A pair of eyes opened suddenly like dramatic stage lights. They were golden, striated with honey and amber, and entirely malevolent. The black elliptical pupils narrowed to thin slits as the brow furrowed. It smelled white meat. There were two distinct scents, the pungent acidic male musk, and th...

8 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

The Harpischord Man

Weekly Contest #111

Bart leaned to his left and swayed slightly, acting inebriated. His shoulder length dark curls obscured one eye. This alehouse was far beneath his father’s standards, and that was the whole point. He had dirtied his face a bit, neglected a shave, and wore his oldest britches, the ones he hunted in when escaping without his entourage. He wore no wig and it felt wonderful! He hated wigs. They were silly things, and itchy.His steed was tethered with his valet’s across the street, three blocks down, in front of The ...

10 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

Madness Makes Strangers

Weekly Contest #100

Brison’s long, nimble fingers gently strummed the sensually curved mandolin in his lap. For the first time, he sat at the head of the long table, proud to be hosting this year’s summer solstice celebration. His tribe of Rhesus monkey and their closest neighbors, the dainty pale-faced Capuchins, relished any and all excuse for celebration. Brison was the now the head of his family. Until the month before, that honor had belonged to his father. He missed his father and his tune saddened as he gazed towards the river at...

12 likes 0 comments 0
Read story