Furious Easter challenge winners and shortlist

Over the recent Easter long weekend, we challenged our Furious Fiction Fan Club members to a 29-word story challenge.

(What’s Furious Fiction, you ask? Find out all about it here.)

The challenge criteria:

• Their story must feature a bunny
• Their story must include the word CALENDAR
• Their story must not contain more than 29 words

The mini stories bred like rabbits and our inbox was suddenly chock-a-block full of 29-word tales. Our judges ummed and ahhed, enjoyed some Easter eggs, and managed to narrow it down to three favourites.

Congrats to our winners Melinda Shaw, Alyssa Mackay and Samantha Tonks! They each had the honour of selecting a mandatory word in the April Furious Fiction competition.

You can enjoy reading their excellent stories below, as well as some of our other favourites.

Holding a tattered calendar, Frankie struggled to swallow March eleven.
“What are you doing?” His exasperated mother queried.
“Eating dates.” The small bunny mumbled.
“Why?”
“Can’t find any prunes.”
– Melinda Shaw

She cast the bunny head aside, wiping her sweat with a paw. All those sticky-fingered children. Never again. Her phone pinged. Another calendar alert. ‘Clown costume – 2pm, Ricky’s birthday.’
– Alyssa Mackay

First the calendar fell from the wall. No big deal. But when the clock started to tap dance and my bunny lit a cigarette, I knew something was up.
– Samantha Tonks

The door flew open. A giant bunny peered in. Ariel didn’t know whether to run or laugh. Glancing at her hallway calendar, she realised her medication was due.
– Elaine Cain

Bunny Harrington-Smith’s social calendar was simply horrendous. The Waverley’s jubilee, Lucinda’s dressage final, her secret rendezvous with young Jake the gardener. How would she fit in the orchid show?
– Chloe Howorth

Fascinated by the calendar’s photo featuring a floppy-eared, two-legged rabbit with high-heels, fishnet tights and a bow-tie, the young bunny went home and pondered evolution theory.
– Stephen Faucette

Title: The Mound I Found
The mysterious mound cowered in a corner. At my tentative touch, it sprang forward bunny-like, burying me in the detritus of a dozen calendar years. I hate filing.
– Kathleen Dyett

“I love you honey bunny, fluffy puffy, squashy girl,” he was all doe eyed. I looked up from the calendar, pretty sure there wouldn’t be another anniversary.
– Kerrie Jones

Title: Secret Lovers at the Mansion
“You look lovely in bunny ears.”
“Thanks. Yours suit you, too.”
“When this calendar is done, we should run away.”
“I’d like that.”
Holding hands, they waited.
– Karla Rey

The bunny looked at the calendar. Easter weekend was just around the corner and time for him to start laying chocolate eggs. He shouldn’t have skipped those yoga classes.
– Sean Fallon

The calendar on the fridge was wrong. His parents were home a day earlier than expected. Red-faced, he tried to hide his nakedness with a chocolate Easter bunny.
– Kate Hamilton

Love story challenges? Join the Furious Fiction Fan Club and enjoy a new competition every month – plus the chance to win $500!