TBT's Winter Short Story Contest

[Equity]

Spoiler: The Winter Moth

The Winter Moth
On a mild winter night, dozens of adult winter moths hatched from their cocoons. Slowly tearing her way out of her protective capsule, one female winter moth also emerged alongside her comrades. Contrary to her wood brown male counterparts, she was wingless. Her small body wrapped around a thin layer of light grey fur was sprinkled with dim grey blemishes. She had been one of the few lucky survivors of her colony. Observing her surroundings, she witnessed how less than a third of her siblings emerged alongside her. This was nothing strange, as her remaining siblings had been infected by a parasitic fly – they had unknowingly ingested the parasites during their larval stage. Once it was time for the winter moth caterpillars to spin their cocoons, the opportunistic parasite began to grow inside their host, killing them in the process. But this would be another story for another time.

Alas, she had blossomed into a refined young adult and it was now her duty to bear children. As she hastily climbed her way up the young red oak tree alongside her female comrades, she emitted a sweet scent in hopes to attract her fated one. After several minutes, numerous males began to swarm around the group of females. Among the various males, she spotted one moth which stood out from the crowd. His coating was that a burnt umber shade, thus making him appear more reddish than his peers. Upon meeting his gaze, she noticed him swiftly heading towards her direction. One look was all it took for them to realize they were destined partners. And just like that, they began copulating. Once they had finished, the early hours had turned into dawn.

Suddenly, a little passerine bird swooped down on a lone female moth which was still looking for a mate. The small bird had a cobalt blue crown and a light grey forehead. Its entire breast region was painted in bright yellow and some white plumage could be seen on its lower abdomen area. A light moss green mantle with yellow and blue grey undertones gracefully covered its back, and its wings were coated with steel blue feathers. On its soft ivory face, a midnight blue line extended from its nape all the way to its jet black eyes until it met its beak. It was a blue ***. One blow from this avian predator would inflict a fatal wound from which she would never recover.

Although the blue *** was targeting her siblings, she knew she would soon be next. Her eyes darted around frantically as she searched for a refuge. Upon spotting a fissure in the tree trunk, she swiftly rushed towards it. In matters of seconds, she managed to sneak into the crack in time, but it was a narrow escape. Unable to reach into her shelter, the predator quickly gave up and moved onto easier preys. Just as she was finally able to take a breather, she felt a sharp pain stinging her lower body. She did not realize she had lost one of her back legs in the incident. However, her motherly instincts kept her from abandoning the journey.

* * *​

Several hours had passed and sensing that the danger was no more, she painfully dragged her body out of her hiding place. Looking back and forth, she noticed that many of her peers remained nearby and had begun climbing further up the oak tree. She quickly followed along, but an incoming storm had now produced strong gusts that were sweeping across the area. If it were for her children, she would brave a storm for them. As the storm grew stronger, they regrouped to shield themselves from the winds and continued climbing up the tree together. She had managed to sneak in the center of the swarm. But a strong gust blew across the right side of their group and swept away half of the group.

The remaining ones proceeded with their journey. However, as they continued upward, the tree trunk abruptly changed colour to ivory white. They paid little attention to this change and continued forward. Once they stepped on this part of the trunk, something strange began to occur. Underneath their legs, the trunk felt sticky. No matter how hard they tried to free themselves from this gluey texture, they were unable to do so. They were stuck. And so they had no choice but to lay their eggs there.

Who would have thought that this white sticky part was actually a man-made band that had been purposefully wrapped around the trunk to trap them? The band would be disposed of once the mating season was over.

* * *​

She was among the ones who got swept away. She twirled and twirled in various directions as the winds grew more powerful. Confused by this turn of event, she wriggled her legs back and forth trying to hold on to any solid object, but she was unable to do so. Just as she was about to resign to her fate, she landed on a bush: it was a wild lowbush blueberry shrub. Low on energy, she slowly inspected the blueberry plant. Although this plant differed from her usual diet, she decided to settle with this bush, as she had little time left. She laid her eggs one by one and after several hours, she was finished.

As she drew her last breath, she whispered to her dear ones, “Sleep well, my children.” Her eyelids grew heavier as she gradually closed her eyes, never to be awoken again. Drained from all energy and having performed her duty, her body plummeted down the bush and dropped onto the cold and compacted soil. Her lifeless body remained motionless as the storm grew stronger.
Such was the life of the winter moth.

Spoiler: Background to the story

It took inspiration from a moth active during wintertime (November to January): the winter moth (Operophtera brumata). It's considered an invasive species (a pest) in North America, and I wanted to write a story from the perspective of the moth (a tale of survival).

 

[xSuperMario64x]

here's mine!

It’s Christmas Eve, and Daniel had finally finished preparing tomorrow’s festivities and wrapping gifts for his friends. As the mayor of Boston he had a great responsibility, though he always seemed to find pride and joy in his work. Though he preferred to work alone, during the holidays he sought the help of his friends Cole, Willow, Leopold and Filbert to help him plan and organize events. They had finally perfected their work, and Daniel seized the opportunity to partake in one of his favorite pastimes.

“Hey! Whatcha waiting at the train station for? Expecting someone?” Cole always had an abundant aura of curiosity about him, and it was no less projected at his closest friend.

“Oh, hi Cole.” Daniel quickly glanced over his shoulder. “No, I am taking a trip and waiting for the next train to arrive.”

“Cool! Where are you traveling to?”

“Not anywhere in particular”

Cole looked with a perplexed expression. Leaving on a train with no destination? How odd… Cole wasn’t one to ask questions, but on this occasion his curiosity piqued him.

“That’s strange?”

Daniel sighed lightly. “Well, when I was a young boy, my parents and I would always take the train everywhere we went. I always enjoyed watching the trees and hill roll along outside the window. I figured I could enjoy some more rail time. I can’t be with my parents this Christmas but I’ll at least allow myself the occasion of enjoying a simple pastime in their memory.”

“That seems nice. Can I go along with you?”

Cole was Daniel’s closest friend in the small village of Boston, and he couldn’t see to it that he be turned down.

“Of course.”

A few minutes later, the train arrived and they both boarded. The inside of the train had bench seats and tables, decorated with plain green cloth cushions and stained wood. They spent their time watching out the window at the gorgeous, snow-covered trees and plains, as well as reminiscing about their life in Boston.

Daniel found the space to let out his frustrations regarding his position as mayor of the village. He always felt that he wasn’t taken as seriously as he should have been. Being a quiet seventeen-year-old of a lone-wolf nature likely didn’t help his position, yet he still felt as if his secretary was too overbearing, almost over-protective of him. Nonetheless, he was grateful for his position as it allowed him the opportunity to connect with all his animal neighbors and form close friendships with them.

For a brief moment, as they sat in silence, a young lady of about sixteen years caught Daniel’s eye. She seemed to be quite upset and lonely; her eyes were filled with regret and remorse. He did not favor intruding in others’ personal space, but he felt the need to say something.

“Cole, would you excuse me for a second?” Cole was almost oblivious to Daniel’s words, mesmerized by the shifting silvery landscape through the window.

Daniel walked down the aisle, towards the young lady, and seated himself across from her.

“Pardon me, I couldn’t help but notice that you look immensely upset. Would you like to chat?”

“No, I don’t feel like talking…” The girl was seemingly unable to lift her teary eyes from her hands.

“Oh, I’m sorry I asked.” Daniel became somewhat anxious; making a mistake outside of his comfort zone was beyond his reasoning.

“No, it’s okay. It feels nice to know that someone cares about me…” The girl wiped her eyes across her arms and picked herself up a bit.

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked in all honesty.

“Well… to be honest, I ran away from home because I felt like I didn’t belong…” A tear rolled down her cheek. “…and I feel so bad about it that I… I…”

She started to sob, and brought her hands back up to cover her face. Daniel too her hands in his and asked again what was the matter. He had become even more anxious in attempting to sympathize with a girl he barely knew, though he still felt an obligation to hear her out.

The young lady came from a family of emotional instability. Only a year ago she had lost her father in an accident, and her mother took the news poorly. She had become highly emotionally and physically demanding, too much for the young lady to bear. She ran away from home, though now she felt as if running away was a selfish move. She had nothing left but to wallow in her self-pity. Daniel was speechless.

“I’m… so sorry to hear about that.” He tried to find a diversion, hoping she could feel better. “I’m sorry, I never got your name.”

“Oh, where are my manners. I’m Amelia. And yours?”

“Daniel.”

She looked up, a little less saddened. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you.” Daniel could finally see her eyes, void of tears. They were as deep and vibrant as the ocean, yet they still held a hint of melancholy.

“How do you feed?” Daniel asked.

She took a handkerchief from her shirt pocket, patted her face, and gave a faint smile. “To be honest, I feel better now that I have someone to talk to.” She made eye contact for a brief moment and quickly turned away, though still smiling.

“It’s my pleasure.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Daniel glanced out the window again, and broke the silence yet again.

“Have you ever looked out the window, watching the trees and hills roll by?”

Amelia looked up and turned towards the window. Outside there were tall cedar trees covered in a thin blanket of snow and ice, contrasted by the smoky blue mountains in the distance. They reminded her of her father. She began to tear-up again but held back her tears.

“Nature’s beautiful. I’d like to find a day when I can just go to a park, let my mind wander and just… enjoy life.”

Daniel suddenly had an idea.

“Is there anywhere, specifically, that you are travelling to?”

“No, not really. I got on the train to get away from it all, not knowing where I’m bound.”

Daniel smiled. “Well, we must be two birds of a feather because I’m on for the very same reason.” He shifted in his seat for a moment, and asked, “And I was wondering if, maybe, when this train stops, we could get off and go enjoy life.”

Amelia hesitated, but before she could say anything he quickly responded, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” His heart started racing. ‘What are you doing?’ he thought to himself. He was greatly anxious, yet he continued to carry out his obligation.

She looked up and smiled. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

“I’m glad.”

They continued to look out the window. The sun had started to set, and the peeking moonlight shimmered across the fresh snow.

Later, the train stopped, and they all got off. Cole was initially confused as to why they had gotten off, but he quickly began to distract himself by making snow angels in the deepest pile of snow he could find.

Daniel nudged Amelia’s shoulder. “There’s a nice wooded path not too far from here.”

As they both walked towards the bath, the spoke without words. Amelia felt happier than ever before. The path ahead was stunning in the moonlight. The trees were coated with a thin layer of snow on each individual branch, and decorated with colorful Christmas lights. She enjoyed the silence but she desired to learn more about Daniel. He seemed to be of the interesting type.

“So what do you usually do with your time?”

“Actually, I’m the mayor of a village.”

She couldn’t believe it. A mayor? It was an honor, yet it seemed so strange…

“Wow! I bet that’s a tough job.”

Daniel shrugged, tucking his hands into his vest pockets. “Well, my secretary likes to ‘dumb it down’ a bit for me. You’d think I would have a bigger responsibility. But, what more could I expect from a village full of animals…”

Amelia didn’t respond. Daniel sighed.

“I try not to complain. Successful people don’t complain; I have to remind myself sometimes.”

“Do you at least enjoy your life?”

“But of course! Everybody loves me, and I love them in return. Even if they do act childish sometimes.”

“Must be nice…” He could see a look of sorrow, once again, in her eyes, but he did not want to impose.

“I’m sorry if that sounded self-centered.”

“No, you’re fine.” She looked down at the pathway. “I feel a very positive vibe walking here with you. You seem like a nice, respectable person.”

They continued to walk. Daniel could feel the anxiety drifting away.

Amelia glanced towards his side of the path. “You know, I’ve only known you since earlier, and yet I feel like I’ve known you for years.” She looked away again. “But I bet you get that a lot, being a mayor and all.”

“To be frank, I don’t hear praise as much as you might think.”

“Well a nice compliment once in a while is the best thing a friend can do.”

She thought for a second. “What about your little friend back there?”

“Cole? Oh, yeah. He is one of my closest friends. He and Willow are always nice to me, and they never call upon me to do selfless things they could do themselves.”

“That’s what friends are for. They keep each other company…”

“…and they support each other…”

“…and they always offer a shoulder to lean on…”

Amelia leaned towards him, but he hesitated a bit and shuffled away. Still yet, he took her hand. He was speechless. Did he have any kind of feelings for her? It was hard telling, but he whole-heartedly agreed with her. It did seem as if they had known each other for years. They continued to walk down the shimmery path, watching the lights twinkle between the tree branches. They had found peace.

Post automatically merged: Jan 31, 2021

here's mine!

It’s Christmas Eve, and Daniel had finally finished preparing tomorrow’s festivities and wrapping gifts for his friends. As the mayor of Boston he had a great responsibility, though he always seemed to find pride and joy in his work. Though he preferred to work alone, during the holidays he sought the help of his friends Cole, Willow, Leopold and Filbert to help him plan and organize events. They had finally perfected their work, and Daniel seized the opportunity to partake in one of his favorite pastimes.

“Hey! Whatcha waiting at the train station for? Expecting someone?” Cole always had an abundant aura of curiosity about him, and it was no less projected at his closest friend.

“Oh, hi Cole.” Daniel quickly glanced over his shoulder. “No, I am taking a trip and waiting for the next train to arrive.”

“Cool! Where are you traveling to?”

“Not anywhere in particular”

Cole looked with a perplexed expression. Leaving on a train with no destination? How odd… Cole wasn’t one to ask questions, but on this occasion his curiosity piqued him.

“That’s strange?”

Daniel sighed lightly. “Well, when I was a young boy, my parents and I would always take the train everywhere we went. I always enjoyed watching the trees and hill roll along outside the window. I figured I could enjoy some more rail time. I can’t be with my parents this Christmas but I’ll at least allow myself the occasion of enjoying a simple pastime in their memory.”

“That seems nice. Can I go along with you?”

Cole was Daniel’s closest friend in the small village of Boston, and he couldn’t see to it that he be turned down.

“Of course.”

A few minutes later, the train arrived and they both boarded. The inside of the train had bench seats and tables, decorated with plain green cloth cushions and stained wood. They spent their time watching out the window at the gorgeous, snow-covered trees and plains, as well as reminiscing about their life in Boston.

Daniel found the space to let out his frustrations regarding his position as mayor of the village. He always felt that he wasn’t taken as seriously as he should have been. Being a quiet seventeen-year-old of a lone-wolf nature likely didn’t help his position, yet he still felt as if his secretary was too overbearing, almost over-protective of him. Nonetheless, he was grateful for his position as it allowed him the opportunity to connect with all his animal neighbors and form close friendships with them.

For a brief moment, as they sat in silence, a young lady of about sixteen years caught Daniel’s eye. She seemed to be quite upset and lonely; her eyes were filled with regret and remorse. He did not favor intruding in others’ personal space, but he felt the need to say something.

“Cole, would you excuse me for a second?” Cole was almost oblivious to Daniel’s words, mesmerized by the shifting silvery landscape through the window.

Daniel walked down the aisle, towards the young lady, and seated himself across from her.

“Pardon me, I couldn’t help but notice that you look immensely upset. Would you like to chat?”

“No, I don’t feel like talking…” The girl was seemingly unable to lift her teary eyes from her hands.

“Oh, I’m sorry I asked.” Daniel became somewhat anxious; making a mistake outside of his comfort zone was beyond his reasoning.

“No, it’s okay. It feels nice to know that someone cares about me…” The girl wiped her eyes across her arms and picked herself up a bit.

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked in all honesty.

“Well… to be honest, I ran away from home because I felt like I didn’t belong…” A tear rolled down her cheek. “…and I feel so bad about it that I… I…”

She started to sob, and brought her hands back up to cover her face. Daniel too her hands in his and asked again what was the matter. He had become even more anxious in attempting to sympathize with a girl he barely knew, though he still felt an obligation to hear her out.

The young lady came from a family of emotional instability. Only a year ago she had lost her father in an accident, and her mother took the news poorly. She had become highly emotionally and physically demanding, too much for the young lady to bear. She ran away from home, though now she felt as if running away was a selfish move. She had nothing left but to wallow in her self-pity. Daniel was speechless.

“I’m… so sorry to hear about that.” He tried to find a diversion, hoping she could feel better. “I’m sorry, I never got your name.”

“Oh, where are my manners. I’m Amelia. And yours?”

“Daniel.”

She looked up, a little less saddened. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you.” Daniel could finally see her eyes, void of tears. They were as deep and vibrant as the ocean, yet they still held a hint of melancholy.

“How do you feed?” Daniel asked.

She took a handkerchief from her shirt pocket, patted her face, and gave a faint smile. “To be honest, I feel better now that I have someone to talk to.” She made eye contact for a brief moment and quickly turned away, though still smiling.

“It’s my pleasure.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Daniel glanced out the window again, and broke the silence yet again.

“Have you ever looked out the window, watching the trees and hills roll by?”

Amelia looked up and turned towards the window. Outside there were tall cedar trees covered in a thin blanket of snow and ice, contrasted by the smoky blue mountains in the distance. They reminded her of her father. She began to tear-up again but held back her tears.

“Nature’s beautiful. I’d like to find a day when I can just go to a park, let my mind wander and just… enjoy life.”

Daniel suddenly had an idea.

“Is there anywhere, specifically, that you are travelling to?”

“No, not really. I got on the train to get away from it all, not knowing where I’m bound.”

Daniel smiled. “Well, we must be two birds of a feather because I’m on for the very same reason.” He shifted in his seat for a moment, and asked, “And I was wondering if, maybe, when this train stops, we could get off and go enjoy life.”

Amelia hesitated, but before she could say anything he quickly responded, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” His heart started racing. ‘What are you doing?’ he thought to himself. He was greatly anxious, yet he continued to carry out his obligation.

She looked up and smiled. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

“I’m glad.”

They continued to look out the window. The sun had started to set, and the peeking moonlight shimmered across the fresh snow.

Later, the train stopped, and they all got off. Cole was initially confused as to why they had gotten off, but he quickly began to distract himself by making snow angels in the deepest pile of snow he could find.

Daniel nudged Amelia’s shoulder. “There’s a nice wooded path not too far from here.”

As they both walked towards the bath, the spoke without words. Amelia felt happier than ever before. The path ahead was stunning in the moonlight. The trees were coated with a thin layer of snow on each individual branch, and decorated with colorful Christmas lights. She enjoyed the silence but she desired to learn more about Daniel. He seemed to be of the interesting type.

“So what do you usually do with your time?”

“Actually, I’m the mayor of a village.”

She couldn’t believe it. A mayor? It was an honor, yet it seemed so strange…

“Wow! I bet that’s a tough job.”

Daniel shrugged, tucking his hands into his vest pockets. “Well, my secretary likes to ‘dumb it down’ a bit for me. You’d think I would have a bigger responsibility. But, what more could I expect from a village full of animals…”

Amelia didn’t respond. Daniel sighed.

“I try not to complain. Successful people don’t complain; I have to remind myself sometimes.”

“Do you at least enjoy your life?”

“But of course! Everybody loves me, and I love them in return. Even if they do act childish sometimes.”

“Must be nice…” He could see a look of sorrow, once again, in her eyes, but he did not want to impose.

“I’m sorry if that sounded self-centered.”

“No, you’re fine.” She looked down at the pathway. “I feel a very positive vibe walking here with you. You seem like a nice, respectable person.”

They continued to walk. Daniel could feel the anxiety drifting away.

Amelia glanced towards his side of the path. “You know, I’ve only known you since earlier, and yet I feel like I’ve known you for years.” She looked away again. “But I bet you get that a lot, being a mayor and all.”

“To be frank, I don’t hear praise as much as you might think.”

“Well a nice compliment once in a while is the best thing a friend can do.”

She thought for a second. “What about your little friend back there?”

“Cole? Oh, yeah. He is one of my closest friends. He and Willow are always nice to me, and they never call upon me to do selfless things they could do themselves.”

“That’s what friends are for. They keep each other company…”

“…and they support each other…”

“…and they always offer a shoulder to lean on…”

Amelia leaned towards him, but he hesitated a bit and shuffled away. Still yet, he took her hand. He was speechless. Did he have any kind of feelings for her? It was hard telling, but he whole-heartedly agreed with her. It did seem as if they had known each other for years. They continued to walk down the shimmery path, watching the lights twinkle between the tree branches. They had found peace.

 

[Biyaya]

It's that time of year again. The sharp bite of the frigid winds, darkness as the sun retreats early to it's nightly grave, black chimney smoke rising from the houses that stand aloof on the empty, white winter floor. I lay idle beneath my tightly wound quilt and peer out from the ice-glazed, bedroom window beside me. Hours seem to pass while I vainly attempt sleep. Every nod is a dreamless slumber and I fight for rest, jolting awake at any stir in the landscape which stares bitterly back at me: its emphatic nothingness rivaling that of the empty pit in my chest which wells up with sorrow when my tears find my lashes and fades empty again as my mind fades into its own abyss. I feel like a shell, it's concave throat swallowing the sandy saltwater with every dying wave just to have it pulled back out again with the reminder of things lost -- of a person lost. I cannot believe how long the days feel while simultaneously how short the year has been. I feel as if I haven't left this room. Another hour passes to no avail of dreamy rest. I inch slowly from my hiding place, letting the cold air claim my body in increments before completely rousing from my quilt.

It's almost New Years, and I still haven't sent my folks a Toy Day gift... I need to do this. I've put it off too long already.

I peek up at a simple wall clock. The hands point to 3:38 PM, but I know it's still an hour off from the end of last daylight savings.

I walk slowly, considering my next move, to a chair in the corner of the room. Off of it, I grab a semi-clean sweater and pull it over my head, then I switch from my pajamas bottoms to a pair of worn joggers. Fastening a scarf around my collar, I make my way down the short hallway to the door before slipping into some tall, black snow boots and stepping into the miniature tundra outside.

First things first: let's get a gift.

I start trudging through the unpaved white until meeting the shallow muddied path to the town's recycle shop. Girlish pink paint cover the exterior walls, cyan shingles line the roof, a specials board is propped beside the magenta door with it's customized heart-shaped window in tow, and above that door is a round, wooden sign, finished with a light stain and the name "RE-TAIL" etched in darkly -- its R resembling an alpaca and painted in red. I walk around a small, unassuming pond and make my way through the door, where I am greeted by a lady-like alpaca with a naturally pink coat, clothed in a red apron. Her sweet smile hurts like a cavity in the face of my depressive state. I reciprocate the smile with my own attempt and hope it is convincing enough.

The walls are the same shade of pink as the exterior, and there are four cyan, wooden show stands displaying gently used clothing and furniture. In the back corner of the shop is another alpaca, cyan and burly with freckles, napping at a work table sprawled with tools. He doesn't seem to notice the bell jangling as I come through the door.

"What can I help you with today?" the pink alpaca warmly inquires.

"I need a gift for my mom. I was hoping for something personable though, you know? I didn't want to just buy anything from T&T."

"Oo! A birthday?" beams the lady.

"I- uh, yeah," I stammer.

"Well, we have a few items I don't think I've seen at the Emporium before. What does your mother like?"

"Uhm... Turquoise?"

Serenely, she pauses a moment to ponder. "We'll figure something out..."

"-- CYRUS!" she erupts.

The other alpaca jolts awake in a panic until he sees us standing mildly at the front of the store.

"Yes, Reese?" answers Cyrus breathlessly as he begins to regain composure.

"Do we have any turquoise?" she entreats.

I attempt to correct her that I meant the color, not the stone, but by the time I can get a word in between them, they've already determined to make a gem-embossed vanity.

I don't think she needs this, but I don't really know what else to get her, and she's going to think I forgot about her if I don't send something soon. I really should write more often...

"Alright! My Cy-Guy is going to get it all fixed up for you!" exclaims Reese in a singsong way.

"Leave it to me! Come back in an hour, and it'll be ready," Cyrus smiles proudly.

After leaving, I huddle up in my sweater and scarf and head to a nearby park. I traverse a long way south to the closest bridge.

I don't understand why the mayor built the bridge so far out of the way, I sigh. Everything has been going down hill since Isabelle left us...

After another long walk back north, I come upon a deserted playground. Benches are piled in white fluff, icicles hang from the street light and an emptied fountain is filled with heaping powder. I brush the snow off a bench with my forearm and take a seat. I look around and see the jungle gym, unstable from neglect. I think about how cubs and joeys used to play here all the time, but even longstanding residents have moved on from town.

Maybe I should go too... I'm sure my folks would let me come stay for a while.

I stare upon the empty canvas floor beyond the park, and the salty waves begin to crash into my cold shell again. By the time I come to, my hands are frigid and stiff from the open air and the sky has darkened, setting the park light on.

I pull out a half-written holiday postcard. It's addressed to my mom and comes with a matching festive wrapping paper. After contemplation, I decide against telling her I'm returning home, sign the card and fold it back into my pocket.

Maybe next time.

I pick myself up and head back for my commission at the recycle shop.

As I return to Re-Tail, I see a smooth, blue vanity adorned with lustrous turquoise beams and accents. The knobs are pure, carved turquoise stones, and the mirror appears clearly new.

Cyrus waves me down from his worktable with a cheerful, bucktoothed grin.

"Hey, squirt! It's all done."

"Hey. Thanks!"

"Alright. Now for the payment of..." he puts a hoof to his chin and murmurs some mental arithmetic to himself before finishing: "... ten grand."

Cold sweat begins slipping from my pores. My hands are clams. "Wait -- what?"

"You mean, Reese didn't tell you the price?" he queries, mouth agape.

Silence.

"I can do two for now..." I offer.

Cyrus is visibly irritated, whether with Reese or myself, I cannot tell. He huffs and agrees, and we make the exchange. From the table, we meticulously wrap the gift and attach the postcard.

I slip the vanity into my pocket and head for the post office.

Crossing the poorly placed bridge and a set of train tracks, I find my way to Main Street. Among a row of buildings, the first being the post office.

As I enter the building, I recognize the clerk behind the desk with her bright red lipstick and heavy, blue eyeshadow. Her violet feathers are smoothed out with their well-manicured white tips. It's Phyllis; I don't have to fake a smile today. Another animal is already at the counter chatting with her. I assume she must be new to town -- at least relatively. I haven't seen her around before, but she has a very memorable way about her, as if I could have seen someone like her on one of those species-inclusive pop culture channels on t.v. Her nose twitches as she listens to the pink pelican's gossip. Her long, blue, polkadot ears briefly perk sideways as the door swings open and smacks the bell while I smear the snow from my boots on the welcome mat. As I approach the clerk, she side eyes me before commencing to ignore me even as I'm standing beside the bunny. I wait for her to acknowledge me for several minutes before piping up.

"I'd like to send a letter," I request, interrupting their conversation.

Phyllis looks at me without turning, excuses herself from her friend and then with overt sass, begins with me.

"Someone local or in another town?"

"I need to send something to my mom in Denver."

She takes the parcel and dips a rubber stamp in blue ink before pounding it down like a gavel onto the brown paper.

"So, another town."

She tosses my package carelessly into a pile of blue-stamped letters behind the desk.

"That'll be 200 bells."

As I begin to rummage through my pockets for change, the bunny starts again:

"Speaking of family... How's your sister doing?"

I startle before realizing she's not talking to me.

"She's fine. Still pining over the delivery boy," the pelican laughs. "He's not even cute."

I place the bells on the counter, turn around and head towards the exit.

"At least she's not doing anything crazy. My sister is so impulsive; she moved to an underdeveloped island, chasing some boy. Gotta hand it to her though. When she dreams, she really goes for it!"

"I mean, I could really go for a vacation on an island," the bird retorts.

"We should go visit her sometime. Bring Pelly! I think my sis said the assistant mayor who used to live here works there now. They were friends, weren't they?"

I stop in my tracks. The door hits me on my way out. Phyllis rolls her eyes and continues chatting with her friend.

"They were."

"Marvelous! It's on an island called Palawan. I'll send you all the details later."

The gritty waves are no longer prodding at me. It's as if some perfect creature found its way at the perfect timing to discover this shell. It climbs in and fills every crevice with its warmth and life -- the perfect fit. The warmth rises to my cheeks, lifting a faint and hopeful smile. This shell is no longer tossed to and fro on the contemptuous, familiar sand. It has the capacity to traverse the full ocean, and it's determined...

I'm off to New Horizons.

 

[Hanami]

The sky was gray and the air was crisp. The houses and the buildings in the horizon were blanketed with what seemed like baby powder. From her slightly open window, the falling snow smelled a bit woodsy, fresh if you will. It was difficult to express the smell, let alone the feeling even though snow falls every winter here.



She walked to her bed to retrieve her dusty blue weighted blanket and wrapped herself in it. Returning to the window, she looked out and stared blankly. A mix of vulnerability, nostalgia, and regret pierces her, but she can’t pinpoint what is making her feel this way.



She thinks back to school closings on snow days. Oh, how nice it was to stay in bed and play videogames at home. She didn’t have to worry about shoveling out snow out of her driveway and not have to think about road conditions for work.



She jumps to winter holidays. It was so pleasant to wake up for gifts and cake. To see family at home. It seemed like there was so much more time in the world. She would’ve told her grandmother how much she loved her and devoted more attention to her.



Could it be because she learned to apply makeup for the first time in the winter? She thought after winter break was the perfect time to return to school with a “glow-up”. She thought she did a good job at the time, but the baby blue eyeshadow just seemed tacky now.



Perhaps it was because she fell in love twice in the winter. The first time was full of video calls and online games together. Skype calls until 3 am in the cold morning. He was there for her when she argued with her family a lot in secondary school. But now she thought, “what if I liked him because I was lonely?” The second time, her hands were sweaty when she held his during their ice skating date. But now she thought, “what if I told him how I felt?”



Every time she looks at snow, she sees herself. It’s so plain, so bland. She’s not as insecure as she was in her days in secondary school, but she’ll occasionally pick herself apart in the mirror. Through the smudges, she sees small eyes. Sparse to no eyebrows. Ghostly pale skin.



She wonders if she had took enough risks in her life, said yes to enough hangouts, taken advantage of every possibly opportunity. Heck, her name was Daisy—the flower being so basic, simplistic, innocent, pure. But she felt like vanilla ice cream.



She lied down on her bed with her arms outstretched and her legs dangling off the edge. Fat tears ran down her ears and tickled them. She quickly shot up and used her paws to wipe off the tears on her temples and ears. She looks out the window again.

 

[Chris]

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all 107 of you who participated in this contest! We have finished compiling the entries for the internal staff voting phase, so we are now unlocking the thread to allow discussion. Any edits you make to your entries as of this post will not be reflected in the version submitted for judging.

The staff voting for this contest has two phases. The first phase is already underway: Mairmalade and I are in the process of reviewing all 107 of your short stories—for the record that's a collective of 116,000 words!*—and creating a shortlist of the entries we feel deserve further consideration. In the second phase this shortlist will be presented to the rest of the TBT staff team and all available staff members will then nominate the entries they personally feel are the best. From here the staff nominations will be tallied and all entries that receive above a certain number of nominations will go onto the public poll. In the public voting stage you, the community, will then have your say in which short story deserves to wins first place.

This contest ended up gaining a lot more interest than we expected, so it is going to take us a while to thoroughly go through all of the entries. While we cannot provide exact dates right now for when the raffle and public poll will take place, we can confirm that the public poll will not go live before February 14th. I will keep you posted if we run into any significant delays.

Now excuse me I've a lot of reading to do.

*Did you know that most first-time authors will only be accepted by publishers if their manuscript is between 90,000-120,000 words? Congrats, you wrote a novel between you!

 

[Valzed]

Thank you to both @Mairmalade & you, @Vrisnem, for all the reading you both are going to be doing.

Thank you for keeping us up to date on the progress of the event. Thank you to all the Staff for everything they do!

 

[OtakuTrash]

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all 107 of you who participated in this contest! We have finished compiling the entries for the internal staff voting phase, so we are now unlocking the thread to allow discussion. Any edits you make to your entries as of this post will not be reflected in the version submitted for judging.

The staff voting for this contest has two phases. The first phase is already underway: Mairmalade and I are in the process of reviewing all 107 of your short stories—for the record that's a collective of 116,000 words!*—and creating a shortlist of the entries we feel deserve further consideration. In the second phase this shortlist will be presented to the rest of the TBT staff team and all available staff members will then nominate the entries they personally feel are the best. From here the staff nominations will be tallied and all entries that receive above a certain number of nominations will go onto the public poll. In the public voting stage you, the community, will then have your say in which short story deserves to wins first place.

This contest ended up gaining a lot more interest than we expected, so it is going to take us a while to thoroughly go through all of the entries. While we cannot provide exact dates right now for when the raffle and public poll will take place, we can confirm that the public poll will not go live before February 14th. I will keep you posted if we run into any significant delays.

Now excuse me I've a lot of reading to do.

*Did you know that most first-time authors will only be accepted by publishers if their manuscript is between 90,000-120,000 words? Congrats, you wrote a novel between you!

Thank you so much to all the staff for making this contest, for reading over the entries, and for so much more that went into this It was so fun to write my entry and read everyone else’s! And those prizes too I hope I win something!

 

[Imbri]

Thanks for organizing this. It's a lot of work, and we do appreciate it.

Best of luck to all the entrants!

 

[Cosmic-chan]

I had fun writing my story. I liked the way it turned out. It was sad but romantic but still remained wholesome. :3 I needed the practice

 

[Lt.Savior]

I was the first to edit my entry. I did read several times before i posted. But after posting i still discovered some spelling errors. I live in Holland so it was kinda hard. And my education level is not very high. But had fun writing it and i want to thank TBT for making this possible.

I have to admit, i gave every story i read a like. And i wanted to read every story cause they were all so good. But then last week i did get a terrible headache for a few day's and i'm still kinda recovering. But i intent to read them all still i just need some time.

 

[princess.looking.for.frog]

I missed the cut off by 40 mins but its ok cant wait to read everyones!!

 

[Plainbluetees]

Thanks for another one, staff!

It was fun to read everyone’s stories. I really liked quite a few of them!

 

[Nefarious]

*Did you know that most first-time authors will only be accepted by publishers if their manuscript is between 90,000-120,000 words? Congrats, you wrote a novel between you!

All 107 of us should totally collab and publish a novel together.
Imagine how wild a read that would be hahaha.

Thanks for the event staff, didn’t think I’d ever write. It was a good challenge though. ^^

 

[Cosmic-chan]

All 107 of us should totally collab and publish a novel together.
Imagine how wild a read that would be hahaha.

Thanks for the event staff, didn’t think I’d ever write. It was a good challenge though. ^^

I'm in charge of all the gay parts thank you :^

 

[Roxxy]

All 107 of us should totally collab and publish a novel together.
Imagine how wild a read that would be hahaha.

Thanks for the event staff, didn’t think I’d ever write. It was a good challenge though. ^^

Make that 106 as my entry is definitely participation only . Been a long time since I have written anything and fan fiction was fun and an experience . Tysm to @Vrisnem it was a fun challenge and @Mairmalade just ignore my entry . Can’t wait to see who makes the finals I think everyone has shown such talent and I have loved reading all the entries. Congratulations

 

[Xara]

thank you for another super fun event! i know it isn’t exactly over yet but i just wanted to express my thanks now. i really appreciated having something to do and while my story went an unexpected route (got me and tbt shipping sprinkle and whitney), i’m honestly really proud of it!

i enjoyed reading everyone else’s stories, too, and good luck to the other participants!

 

[daringred_]

i'm just glad mine got accepted lmao, even if nobody read it. god knows i spent too long agonizing over whether or not the last part would get me disqualified.

 

[Chris]

i'm just glad mine got accepted lmao, even if nobody read it. god knows i spent too long agonizing over whether or not the last part would get me disqualified.

Not at all! It wasn't graphic so it was fine. The short story I wrote (but didn't have the guts to share) was worse. In it there was a fade-to-black implied adult scene and brief descriptions of war violence. So, long story short, you're good!

 

[The Pennifer]

I don’t envy you and Mairmalade and the staff team your job! I read every single story and would be hard put to pick a winner! There were some I wish I could triple-like! Lol
I wanted to say thanks for this contest because a lot of the events I can’t really participate in anymore, ... but writing something about winter and Animal Crossing New Horizons was a real pleasure for me

 

[Toska]

Thank you staff! I'm not a good writer, but it was amazing practice I desperately needed!

I haven't got to read that many, but I intend on reading more later. The ones I did read were amazing, though! This will be a tough job, for sure. Best of luck to everybody!