The butterfly hit the windscreen, but rather than splatter on the glass it seemed to filter through into the car in a burst of colour, then just vanished and everything for a second was still.
He looked across at her, took her hand and smiled.
They were no longer afraid.
N.F. Barlow is an English writer living in Friuli, Italy.
“Let those feelings go!” the counselor suggests. “Pour them out across the floor! It’ll help.”
I start with a single teardrop dripped onto the carpet. Then suddenly I’m on my knees flailing my fists, bang bang bang.
I’m cured. I forgive my father.
But man do I hate floors now.
This story was based on the prompt “pour it out” at TypeTrigger.
They decide to spent some time apart so they can get their priorities straight, sort out their emotions, and gain a new perspective on their situation.
It changes nothing. Within a month they’re back where they started, lying on that operating table, begging the surgeon to stitch them back together.
This story was based on the prompt “time apart” at TypeTrigger.
My neighbours are quiet, peaceful and private. It’s great, because it would suck to be interrupted by nosy, whining neighbours during my thrice-weekly parties.
When I shoot off fireworks at 2 AM they come out and yell until they’re blue in the face. That’s how I know they’re really enjoying it.
This story was based on the prompt “loud neighbor” at TypeTrigger.
Chick flicks, tragedies, heartbreaking anti-romances… She couldn’t get enough. Those faces on the screen, looming large, eyes, noses, mouths puckered in anguish, terrified: “Love me! Love me! I don’t want to be alone!”
Her hard drives were filled to the brim with her obsession. She was downloading torrents of tears.
This story was based on the prompt “torrents” at TypeTrigger.
The black cat strolled through the prison, being avoided by everyone in her path. She breezed into the first cell.
The prisoner dropped his head. “They didn’t believe me. That a wizard did it.”
“They will,” the cat said, transforming into his wife. She waved her wand, and they disappeared.
Jamie Mathews is an award-winning journalist and writer. He earned his BA from The University of Alabama, where he was a proud member of Honors English Program, and his MAT from the University of South Carolina. Find out more about Jamie on his site.
In fair weather or foul, the mail must get through.
No one knows why anymore. It has been possible for a decade to send any message electronically and to replicate or actuate any object that might previously have required physical transportation.
I suppose the mail carriers have a good union.
This story was based on the prompt “in fair weather” on TypeTrigger.
Mere minutes til the results are announced. Win or lose, succeed or fail… Which will it be?
She perches on the corner of her bed, clutching her phone. It rings.
“Well?” she breathes.
“Hi, honey. It’s Mom.”
She hangs up in disgust. This is too important.
The phone rings again.
This story was based on the TypeTrigger prompt “minutes til.”
Pirate Week has been, I think, the most fun I’ve ever had running a contest. It’s had the biggest prizes, the highest number of submissions, and the most reader involvement, through the Audience Choice Award voting. Thank you so, so much to everyone who sent a story in, commented on and rated their favourites, and voted like crazy in the Audience Choice poll! I’m blown away by the number of votes the poll received.
I want to send out a special thank you to Todd Battaglia and his Grade 7 Language Arts classes. Todd assigned the Pirate Week 50-word story challenge to his classes and sent me the results of what his students came up with. I was only able to pick five stories out of that collection, to avoid flooding the site with too many stories all at once, but I read, enjoyed, and appreciated every story I received. And that goes for all of the other submissions that I wasn’t able to post on the site, too!
The Results
Now here’s the information everyone wants to see! First, the Audience Choice Award, as voted on by the readers, goes to Brandon King for his story Hospitality. Congratulations, Brandon! As a prize, I will be emailing Brandon to get his input on the next Captain Blackbird short story.
On to the Grand Prize winner and the runner-up prize winners. I know this is “the thing to say,” but it’s really been difficult for me to choose a winner from among the five finalists. After deliberating long and hard, however, I’ve come to my conclusions.
The Runners-Up will each receive
The winners of the Runner-Up prizes are… Cameron Boyce for A Golden Opportunity and Brandon King for Hospitality!
The Grand Prize winner will receive
The Grand Prize winner is… Abby W. for Night-Time Stories!
Congratulations to Abby, Cameron, and Brandon, and also to King Kool and John H. Dromey, our other finalists. Your stories were all really excellent! I will be emailing you soon so you can claim your prizes.
Arrr, maties. Thanks for writing in and reading along, everyone!
“It’s Leap Day!” said Benjamin Bear. “Let’s have an adventure!”
“We could go swimming in the ocean!” said Bartholomew Bear.
The two boys ran to the shore and dove in, laughing and splashing and playing.
“Swimming is pawsome!” they said.
“More like jawsome,” said Samuel Shark, eyeing them from below.
This story was based on a pun I saw on a McDonald’s Happy Meal bag.