Charlie and Sienna – a Friendship Story for Valentiny Contest

Today I am sharing my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s Valentiny Contest. https://susannahill.com/2021/01/25/eh-whats-up-doc-announcing-the-guidelines-for-the-6th-annual-valentiny-writing-contest/

Judging criteria will include:

1. Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
2. Creativity in using bravery and success in making us feel the bravery!
3. Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story!
4. Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
5. Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
6. Originality – surprise us with something new and different!

Charlie and Sienna -A Friendship Story 211 words

Charlie loved his human, and when she left, he spent long, lonely hours waiting by the window.

As leaves landed on the porch, Charlie noticed Sienna.

She nibbled on the pumpkins. Charlie admired her tail, her delicate movements. He wished Sienna would notice him. But when the pumpkins disappeared, so did Sienna.

Charlie wondered if she would ever return. Had he missed his chance?

Snow swirled. Wind whirled. Charlie’s human couldn’t leave. 

Outside together, she shoveled while Charlie buried his face deep in the piles. The human made a snowdog near Charlie’s window. Carrot nose, pinecone eyes, and a bird seed mouth. She strung cranberries to create his leash. 

Once again inside, Charlie snoozed by the window. 

His ears perked. He blinked hard. Once. Twice. Sienna! 

Perched on her haunches, Sienna pressed her nose to the window. She turned to the snowdog. And back to Charlie. Sienna pulled the carrot up to the window and nibbled under Charlie’s adoring gaze. 

Had she noticed him all along? 

Time to make his move. 

Would she wait for him or run away? 

He mustered his courage and went out to the yard. He sat silently next to his snow counterpart, nudging the cranberry leash into a heart for Sienna.

Without a sound, friendship formed.