2017 Short Story Contest Winners
Contest winners Daisy Connery, Max Collins, Chloe Whelan, and Naomi Aluvila
Dead or Alive
by Daisy Connery
First Place
by Daisy Connery
First Place
The day started off like all the others of the past few dreary months following Charlotte’s release from the institution: Charlotte rolling out of bed to the blaring of her alarm clock fumbling around in her closet for a few minutes until she had on something that resembled a formal business outfit and trudging out the door to the nearest Starbucks. Charlotte wished she could observe something about change being in the air, but all that lingered was a thick fog and the smell of cigarette smoke coming from some alley or another. The bleak winter months had dragged on all the way to March, and no snow remained, only cold rain and mud that seemed to find its way over the tops of her boots and into Charlotte’s socks.
“Good morning, Charlotte!” The cheerful barista chirped as Charlotte walked into the small café. “Another job interview today?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Charlotte sighed, pausing to recognize Jessica, her regular barista.
“Don’t worry, you’ll find a job one of these days.”
Charlotte fought back the urge to snap back with some retort. Instead, she managed a brusque smile and waited patiently for her coffee frowning as she checked her phone. She was waiting for a text from her little sister, Chloe, whom she hadn’t heard from yet this morning.
Down the Rabbit Hole
By Naomi Aluvila
First Place
First Place
The children stared at the rabbit curiously. It was summertime. Its soft square nose twitched once, then twice, as its round glassy eyes perused the surrounding grass. Oh how the children were entranced by the little creature! They marveled at the insides of its velvety ears, its bushy tail, and how the rabbit sat oblivious to their wonder in the damp grass littered with tiny droplets. The children would pass by the clearing on their way to school early in the morning, and lean on the fence, yawning, faces rested on their hands, elbows jutting outwards as they silently watched the rabbit continue on with its daily activities. They all found the rabbit quite irresistible; its calm yet lively demeanor just made them love it even more. But there happened to be one girl who loved the rabbit, in her opinion, the most.
Each and every morning she would arrive at the clearing before the other children and she would watch the rabbit. She would climb over the wooden fence, the soles of her shoes leaving faint imprints in the soft wood as a content smile made an appearance on her lips. There she waited, crouched by the fence, her eyes following the small animal as it played and hopped with the breeze. Some days it would approach her, its nose twitching in excited curiosity bouncing on the springs of its feet. The girl always thought the rabbit liked her best. No, she knew it liked her best. Why else would it only come close to her, only play around the grass where she was sitting, only turn its soft, buttery gaze to her face? Of course it loved her as much as she loved it!
The Last One Standing
by Chloe Whelan
Second Place
Second Place
February 7th, 3034
5:36 pm
Devastation walked the earth as a daunting shadow. Earth, consisted of rubble and gasses swirling and churning in heavily toxic air. Everyone was gone. Except for Eliza Banks. She was wrinkled, tired, and, the last living person on earth. The vessel had taken the last shipment of Americans to Mars, the new “Earth” of the universe. In just a few days, the earth would be consumed by fire and eventually explode, and she was well aware of that. She looked up at the evening sky from her decimated porch and gazed at the dark orange and blood red colors swirling around the sky. The only perk of the world’s horrendous pollution was the consistently beautiful sunsets. She was trying to savor every moment of her last days on earth, closer to coming to an end every hour of every day. She watched the sunset fade and sizzle into the black of the night and walked into her house to have dinner. She made herself a peanut butter sandwich and drank some fizzy orange soda. She had only a couple of sips left in the bottle and planned to ration them throughout the week. She ate her sandwich and sipped her soda feeling as if she was in a coma of contentment. She was strangely happy. Not feeling a slight bit of anxiety. The world seemed to be at peace, and she was the only one on it.
Cordyceps
by Max Collins
Third Place
Third Place
“Every sixty-three years,” the man heard the Shaman saying, “the fungus returns to infect one person, to start the spread of the deadly disease. The gods send down a demon in the form of a fungus to our realm to ensure humanity doesn’t become powerful enough to challenge them.” The man chuckled. After tending to the rice fields for months, it was time for the harvest, and to celebrate the man visited the shaman to hear of his stories. The man wasn’t very religious, but the stories were one of the few options for entertainment. The man thanked the Shaman for sharing his tale and left the small, bamboo shack. It was a cool, cloudless night, and a full moon lit the ground bellow. Through the moonlight, he could see trees dotting the landscape of rice farms. It was rumored the same fields had been farmed since the first dynasty. It was a bit of a walk home, but he enjoyed the fresh air.
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