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Weekly Contest #374
Rosa dunks the mixing bowl into the dishwater. She hums along to a catchy kpop song playing on an old, AM/FM radio she keeps next to the sink. Her hips sway to the beat while she scrubs bits of tamale dough from the bowls surface. It’s a pleasant summer afternoon, and Rosa is content, if perhaps a bit lonely. It’s been weeks since her son Carlos visited. The music melody changes, and it takes a few moments before she realizes its actually the sound of sirens and she turns the radio off. They sound close. She crosses herself with her soapy, w...
Weekly Contest #366
I knew it. Felt it in my bones that mornin’. Joints creakin’ like loose floorboards. Took me damn near an hour to get up and outta bed. Put a pot of coffee on, hoping that’d put a pep in my step. Ain’t nothing you haven’t felt before, I tried tellin’ myself. Been getting’ old for a long time, hasn’t stopped you yet. Sipped my coffee and watched the sunrise. Never got tired of it, watchin’ that ball of fire peekin’ over the horizon. Coffee tasted like shit, as usual. Drink it black as night. That stuff could take the rust off a radiator. Sti...
Weekly Contest #351
In a dimly lit warehouse on the outskirts of town, Carl sat in a bored stupor tending a metal stamping machine. The greasy behemoth shrieked with each press of a button, puncturing the virgin steel he dutifully fed it. As usual, his mind wandered to quieter places, escaping the harsh cacophony of the machine shop. So engrossing was his reverie that he barely reacted when he saw his finger roll away from his hand. An incident report would later state that Carl had activated the stamping press just before his hand cleared the safety guard, sli...
Weekly Contest #318
Well folks, it all comes down to this. Fourth and goal from the eighteen-yard line, down by four with only three seconds on the clock, no time outs. The Tigers need a touchdown to win. Star quarterback Conner Daily has played brilliantly tonight, both through the air and on the ground. Let’s see what kind of magic the Heisman-favorite quarterback can come up with on this final play… Tony leans in to hear the play call. He and the other players huddle around Conner, who is kneeling on the ground and looking up at them. Conner’s eyes are abla...
Weekly Contest #309
Today, Leila would reveal her crush on Jeremy. The thought caused her stomach to flutter with anticipation, and walking into her second-grade classroom, she felt like she was gliding. Decorations adorned the room, with heart-shaped cutouts along the walls, and red and pink streamers hanging from the ceiling. The day felt magical, full of energy and possibility. She checked that her valentines were undisturbed before carefully placing her backpack in her assigned cubby. The bell rang as she hurried to her seat. “Good morning class!” The teach...
Weekly Contest #305
*Note: To stay true to the spontaneous spirit of this contest, I've only included what I wrote within the suggested 1-hour time limit, after randomly plucking this prompt. Afterwards, I spent a few minutes adding some minor formatting and correcting/replacing a few words for readability, but largely this is as I originally wrote it, warts and all.* He looked between us once more and said, “It’s either her or me…” Sarah turned to look at the two paths that each was choosing. They both looked exciting, dangerous, unexplored. Meredith stood on...
Weekly Contest #290
“I’m not dead, yet...” Ami laughs and releases her grip, realizing she’s been squeezing Daemon’s hand too hard. “Sorry, I just…” She clears her throat, fighting back the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Daemon reaches out and gently grabs her hand again, meeting her gaze. Even in the dim backstage light, Daemon’s eyes sparkle like green gems. Ami can’t hold it in anymore. Her throat tightens and warm tears cloud her eyes. “I can’t let you do this,” she says, looking away. “Of course you can.” Daemon steps in and gently strokes her wa...
Weekly Contest #289
How did I get here? Judith looks around an unfamiliar room. The walls are a white blur, the floor a swirl of blue. There are adornments, a plant here, a framed picture there, but they blend into the messy unknown. Meaningless images flicker on an old, square TV perched upon a wood dresser. It feels like someone’s living room. Who’s living room is this? A crinkling sound startles her, and she notices someone reclined in a grey easy chair across the room. The person’s feet are crossed out in fr...
Weekly Contest #280
HELLO! Hello, is this Mrs. Ellis? …HELLO? Hello, is this Mrs.— I CAN'T HEAR YOU! HOLD ON! …I've got my hearing aids in now. Who is this? Hello Mrs. Ellis, we’re calling on behalf of the Future Events Administration. …the WHAT? The Future Events Administration. We— Well then, what is your name? I like to know who I’m talking to, you know? Yes, of course Mrs. Ellis. Just so that you are aware, we are not a human representative. We are a virtual agent, reference number 33457-02, but you can refer to us as Aly if you would prefer. …Ar...
Shortlisted for Weekly Contest #280 ⭐️
Mom? Can you hear me? 01110111 01101000 01100001 00111111 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100111 01110100 00101110 00101110 00101110 Mom, this is Chris…your son Chris, can you hear me? 01100011 01101000 01110010 01101001 01110011 0111100…Chrisy? 01001001 00100000 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100…I feel…so tired… They said you might feel…er…have a simulated feeling of grogginess. That’s the digital anesthetics tapering off. Chrisy…where am I? It sounds…I can hear your voice all around me… It’s okay Mom, I know ...
Weekly Contest #278
“How have you been honey?” I paused, taking a deep breath before bending over to take off my winter boots. Barely across the threshold into my grandmother’s house and she was already pestering me. “I’m fine mom, no complaints.” The laces on my boots were knotted, and I gave an annoyed growl as I struggled with them. Standing up, I noticed my mother’s concerned smile. She stepped away to let me finish getting settled in. Be patient with her, she’s just being a concerned mom, I thought, reasoning that I would probably be asking the same thi...
Weekly Contest #272
With a bit of pressure, the knife plunged into the thick flesh. Jessica turned the knife, forcing it to cut along the lines she had sketched onto the skin. This was her favorite part, the carving. She didn’t care much about clearing out the innards, too painstaking and messy. But the carving, that artistic act of mutilation, that was what she had waited all year for. As the cut lines intersected, the freed pieces of orange flesh fell into the hollowed interior with a thunk! With knife in hand, like an artist with her paintbrush, she stepped ...
Weekly Contest #266
My faithful readers, In the pages of this monthly column, I have revealed to you the mysterious doings of some of the most curious and eccentric persons on this earth. Over the years of your faithful readership, you’ve followed along on my adventures in meeting such elusive characters as the Bayou Swamp Preacher, the Magician Salesman, and the Mob Exorcist. Although I’m proud of my chronicles thus far, there had been one particularly evanescent figure of great importance who had evaded my attention…until now. Join me as I regale my encounte...
Weekly Contest #265
“I’m leaving,” Cassie announced. Hanging her arm out the window, she patted the grey door of her Honda Civic three times. Cool morning air slid over her arm, raising delightful goosebumps. Her other hand gripped the steering wheel, confidently guiding the old car along the winding country road lined with dark green pine trees. This was a route she had taken thousands of times. She knew every curve, every pothole, every tree leaning a bit too precariously over the road. Breathing deeply through her nose, she savored the scent of pine, damp so...
Weekly Contest #261
For nurse Sarah Robinson, Thank you for taking such good care of this old man in his final days. I couldn’t have asked for a more compassionate and competent person to guide me towards the end of the line. I have no doubt that, even if you knew who I was, and what I did, you would have treated me with the same care and respect that I have come to receive these past few days. As a final request, my hope is that you can help these letters find their way to their intended recipients. If you are curious and would like to know more about the man...
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