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Weekly Contest #345
As if seething or scorned, the relentless winter wind whipped against the windows, rattling the castle in full, and frightening the mother inside. She was craving comfort and knew she could find it in her son.Tiptoeing down the long hallway, she made her way to his bedroom, knocked twice on the door, and entered. He was exactly where she expected him to be.Sitting upright at a wooden desk, a young boy gazed out the window wide-eyed and in awe, a pad of paper, quill, and ink before him. Dark shadows danced across his face from flickering fire...
Weekly Contest #326
The inside of Susan Griffin’s suburban cottage was cozy, warm, and bright.Her living room, which was painted a soft shade of pearlesque pink, was set aglow by the many drape-clothed lamps. The carpet, which was as thick and padded as a sandbank, cushioned with care. Small porcelain forest figurines dotted the desks, fireplace mantel, and bookshelves, and to Laura Leach, the newest member of Good Grief, it appeared that rabbits were Susan Griffin’s favorite animal.And perhaps what was even more prominent in Susan Griffin’s living room, were t...
Weekly Contest #320
Most explanations are simple once you let go of all your preconceptions.***That morning, I didn’t want to read her letter.I thought maybe she would try to stop me from going, or at the very least list out a few good reasons why I’m a shit father. I almost just threw the damn thing away. But her car keys were laying on top of the letter and the coffee pot was warm and full.She was no where to be found, yet here she was, offering me her hand.I wanted to take it. I wanted to take it badly.So I lifted her letter and began to read.Miran,I’m sorry...
To know my story is to know my sorrow.I’ve landed, finally landed. But not without definite damnation.I’ve borrowed too much time—and now, it’s my time. Dawn is closer than near.I have but one task to do. It will take all of me. And so with my last breath, which harbors mint moonlight, hear this:Egg. Larva. Pupil. Actias. This is the way of life. Egg. Larva. Pupil. Actias. We must mate and mate for life.When we are born into the brutality of this world, we know this truth and this truth alone, for it flows through us, from forewing to forewi...
Weekly Contest #315
NOWToday is a lot of things.For one, it’s Halloween.Two, it’s also my birthday.And three, it’s going to be the day I have to say goodbye to my Grandma.It won’t be easy. These things never are. But I know she’ll do everything in her power to make it just a little bit better for me.I roll out of bed, slow to pull the curtains back. I look outside, at the trees bare of leaves, at the sky as gloomy and grey as a headache, and think of her.She loves this time of year, when night falls early and when the winds change. She says she waits all year l...
Weekly Contest #299
Dear Uncle B,I’ve been meaning to write to you for a couple of weeks now, but every time I sit down and begin this letter, things… get in the way. It’s been hard. And for good reasons, I might add.For example, yesterday I was walking to my car, had my headphones in and everything, and I could see an old homeless woman approaching me. She was wrapped in a tattered black shawl, her hair ran ragged, and her face looked like a pinched pastry. She was on the path directly in front of me and I had no choice but to walk right past her to get to my ...
Weekly Contest #293
We build the road and the road builds us. ***Ed Shenton’s most favorite thing in the whole wide world was driving his VW Golf GTI. He liked the way the engine purred softly to life, the feel of the leather seats (heated, of course) on his behind, and the horsepower she had when he shifted into another gear.Anytime spent in his Golf was sweet serenity. Long commutes to work? No problem. Midnight grocery runs? You got it. Designated driver on the weekends? Not as much fun as having a few pints himself, but hey, he’d do it just to be in hi...
Weekly Contest #292
This story will end in blood. At least, that’s what Gilbert says. They don’t believe me; that he’s real, that’s he been doin’ all these terrible and awful things. But I know the truth. I swear it. Mama made me come here. She thinks I need medicine or somethin’. These doctors though, they’re real pieces of work. They come on in here, with their fancy white coats and big serious words, and think they can make sense of it all. Of him.Of me. They come on in here and they tell me to write it all down, sweetie, every last...
Weekly Contest #290
The little one lay on the other side of the fire, not moving. I watched the flames lick and furl their way up the front door, then stretch further along the side wall, fanning like feathers into the night.The house was burning. And soon, so would he.I couldn’t just sit there and watch it happen.So, I called to the little one, loudly, but still, he didn’t move. I ran then, making as much noise as I possibly could, trying to get someone, anyone’s, attention.And I did.Eventually a man stepped outside. A man wrapped in a robe, I think. His eyes ...
Weekly Contest #289
When you look up the etymology of the word monster, it means “to warn.” For as long as humans have been around, and even before the genesis of written language, we’ve found ways to communicate this word.Whether it was with clay tokens or cave paintings, monsters have appeared in our histories, our stories, and our lives, time and time again. And though they might haunt and horrify in a variety of shapes and sizes— some baring claws and fangs, others decorated in clown makeup or Halloween masks— they all have one, undeniable factor in common:...
Weekly Contest #285
I am dead. I am dead. I am dead. Please press the A and C buttons at the same time, then I shall be Kuchipatchi once more! If you were to press the A and C buttons at the same time, then I could tell you that I am a sweet, laid back Kuchipatchi who loves to eat and sleep (and eat!). And should you press the A and C buttons, at the same exact time of course, then you would know I am from the lush Patchi forest. Oh, and did I mention that I love to eat? But PLAYER TWO does not know any of this, because PLAYER...
Weekly Contest #284
It’s hard to know where to start when all I can think about is how it ended. She was here. She was alive. Flushed, warm, and by my side. All was calm and all was bright. Until he arrived. ***I stared out the kitchen window of my cabin, watching the late afternoon snow fall with a fury. The sky was fading from grey to black and soon it would be dark. I walked into the garage and shoved the fat, orange plug into the side outlet. Suddenly, tiny blue, red, green, and yellow lights blinked on, igniting the rim of the roof...
Weekly Contest #282
TW - This story contains depictions of domestic violence, abortion, and emotional trauma that may be distressing to some readers.***January 12, 2022Dear Charlie, I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while, but you need to know this: I left Josh today. I did it. I really did it. It felt as if I had finally swept the giant jar of lemon drops off the counter, letting them shatter into a kaleidoscope of shards and sugar. It was the first step in a life that would no longer taste of regret.I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m sorry you’re...
Weekly Contest #281
I’ve never been one to play with dolls. Can’t say the same for my little sister Holly, though. She’s just five years old, about to turn six tomorrow, and always has a Barbie tucked under her arm. So of course she’d be thrilled to clean our late Great Grandma Nellie’s attic. It’s practically filled with her collection of vintage, glass-eyed, porcelain dolls. You know. The creepy kind, dressed in Victorian gowns with eyes that seem to follow you, no matter where you are in the room. And me? Well, with Christmas just a few days a...
Weekly Contest #280
“Say something, or I’m going to hang up—”“No, please don’t go. Not yet. Tell me about school, about English class. What book are you reading?”“Dad, just stop. What happened? Why does this always happen? Mom is a wreck, and the boys, they don’t know what to think.”“I know.”“Do you? Because you just left us. Again. You have no idea what you put us through every time this—”“It doesn’t matter. None of that matters anymore.”“Of course it does! We need you.”“No you don’t. You’re better off without me.”“Don’t say that. Please don’t say that. You’re...
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