Happy December! And happy annual-holiday-writing-contest season! I’m delighted to be joining Susanna Hill and a host of other wonderful kidlit writers in this year’s contest. (You can read my honorable mention entry from last year, The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney with Care here.) This year’s contest must feature a countdown of some kind and squeak in under 250 words. You can read all the rules, enter yourself, or check out the other amazing entries here!
The Cookie Calamity
(c) Katie McEnaney, 2023
249 words
Amelie grinned as she frosted the twelfth and final snowflake cookie. Perfect! She hoped the snowstorm wouldn’t spoil her first-ever Solstice Party.
DING-DONG!
“It’s Mateo!” yelled Amelie’s little sister, Camille.
“I brought hot chocolate with cinnamon and chiles. It’ll heat you up, inside and out!”
“Great!” Amelie set the drinks down by her nine cookies. Wait, nine? But before she could investigate…
DING-DONG!
Faith and Mei dropped their dumplings near the seven cookies. “If anyone is cold, dumplings were invented as frostbite medicine,” chirped Mei, running off with Camille.
DING-DONG!
Rory, Lachlan, and Fiona tramped in with Scottish biscuits. “Good thing we brought enough to go ‘round,” said Lachlan, eyeing the plate of four cookies.
Amelie kept holding the door. Ayo, Olumide, Jelani, and Tobi shook off their winter gear. “Nigerian doughnuts,” Ayo declared. “Thankfully Auntie was snowed in with us!”
Amelie surveyed the impressive scene: hot chocolate, dumplings, biscuits, doughnuts… an empty plate!?
“It’s not the Solstice without my cookies! I made a dozen snowflakes,” Amelie moaned. “One for each of us.”
“We’re only ten,” said Rory, counting heads.
“Then we’re missing two… suspects!” Faith declared, hunting for Mei and Camille.
The kids burst into Camille’s room.
“Welcome to my Solstice Tea Party!” Camille grinned. The snowflake cookies were sitting in a circle with an array of stuffies. “I have enough for each of you!”
Amelie relaxed. “You planned this for us? How kind.”
Camille beamed. Everyone found a spot. “To friends and the Solstice!” they toasted.
Aww, how sweet! Good luck on the contest.
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