Susanna Leonard Hill's 11th Annual Valentiny Contest

This year, Susanna Leonard Hill's Valentiny Contest required its contestants to write 214 (or less) word stories for children where someone was feeling superstitious. I wrote about Violet, a vulture who feels like it was only the luck of her heart scarf that was bringing her Valentine's Day cards. 

Violet's Very Fine Valentine
by Rebekah Hoeft
214 words

Violet the Vulture was sad and distressed.
Her heart scarf was missing. She felt underdressed.

“When I wear that scarf on Valentine’s Day,
good things like sweets and cards come my way.
My classmates won’t think to give ugly ol’ me
anything special. But I’ve got these three
cards that I made for Lark, Gull, and Crow.
So I can’t skip the party, I do need to go.”

Sniffling, she dreamed of the luck the scarf brought.
Then bravely she banished those thoughts, and she caught
a current; she flew to Party Place Park.
Circling to land, she heard Crow, Gull, and Lark
talking about her. Their words made her blush.

Lark was impatient, “I wish that she’d rush!”

Gull said, “She’s late, but we really can’t start.
She’d miss all the feasting, the very best part!”

Then Crow proudly said, “Guys, I worked really hard
on making her perfectly roadkill-shaped card.”

“Vi’s funny and kind.”

“Violet’s great!”

“She’s the best!”

Their words made her weepy. She croaked, “I am blessed.”

Blinded by tears, she crashed onto the ground.
As her friends helped her up, her thoughts flipped around.

“You’re really my friends, I found out today!
You like me for me! Happy Valentine’s Day!”