A Paper Heart Mystery

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Below is my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill's Valentiny Writing Contest, a contest where writers must write a children's story in 214 words or less. This year's theme is "curiosity" so I wrote a mystery! 

A Paper Heart Mystery
214 words


Cora woke up and discovered a red paper heart by her pillow. “What a special Valentine’s Day surprise!” When she got dressed, she found another heart in the closet. When she brushed her teeth, she found another on the bathmat. 

Mama came into the room, little Neo panting at her feet. “Thank you, Cora, for the lovely paper hearts you left me in my room,” she said.

“But I thought you were the one who put them in my room.”

“That is very curious,” Mama said.

Cora thought for a moment. “Do you think a leprechaun left them?”

“Leprechauns are for St. Patrick’s Day,” said Mama.

“What about the Easter Bunny?” Cora asked.

“Easter is not for weeks.”

“Santa?”

Mama chuckled. “I don’t know who left them. Let’s get ready for school.”

At breakfast, Cora found a heart under the table. She found another inside her shoe, then one more under her coat.

Cora grabbed Neo’s leash and whistled. “Neo! Time to walk to school.”

Neo trotted in with a mouthful of paper hearts. He dropped them at Cora’s feet, wagging his tail. “Neo! You silly pup. It was you that left the hearts everywhere.” She bent and Neo licked her face. “I love you too. Thank you for the special Valentine’s Day surprise.”

Photo by bin Ziegler from Pexels


Photo above adapted from photo by Adonyi Gábor from Pexels.

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