#ekphrastic ficiton contest

[tcstu]

January’s Honorable Mentions

This month’s piece generated some incredible stories. I chose this work of art believing there were numerous tales buried within it, and I was not disappointed. Each entry took a completely different perspective on what is happening in this scene. If you enjoy one of the Honorable Mentions below, please let the writer know. I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

As a reminder, I celebrated the new year by featuring one of my favorite artists, @hydraart​​. If you’ve been following this contest, you may remember that this artist was also featured in January of 2019 and 2020. This seems to now be a New Year’s tradition, and I am happy to be able to continue it this year. If you would like to see the pieces previously featured by this artist, you can view them here:

January 2020

May 2019

January 2019

The piece for this month was titled, “Hide and Seek.” Here it is along with the Honorable Mentions for this month:

(These entries are listed in the order they were received and do not reflect a system of ranking.)

Untitled

Written by: @emilyelizabethfowl​

Ten

She couldn’t tell whether the breeze she felt came from nature or from Its wings.

Nine

At least she didn’t have to worry about the smell betraying her hiding spot.

Eight

Sound, however, was a different matter entirely.

Seven

But her legs were starting to feel numb…

Six

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to move them, just a little, would it?

Five

Just a teeny tiny little bit…

Four

Slowly, carefully, she stretched her left leg.

Three

Then, bringing it back, she stretched out her right one.

Two

But she did it too fast, too carelessly.

One

Losing balance, she fell down. Her elbow knocked into the giant sheet of metal she was hiding under, the sound carrying far.  

Zero

Barely seconds later, giant talons dented the metal, ripping it away easily.

Found you!

Aw, shucks.

She stood up, turning to face the creature.

“Best three out of five?” she offered.

It’s already past your bedtime. A deal is a deal.

Ah well. It was worth a try. She climbed the creature’s back, clinging tightly to the feathers longer than she was tall.

She’d win their next game for sure!

“Eleanor And The Great Bird”

Written by: @evanthenerd83​

“Do not move,” Eleanor whispers to herself, thin frame curled inward.

The flapping of wings drowns out her panicked breathing. Dust swirls around. Bits and pieces rain down, and they sound like bullet casings striking metal.

Eleanor could recognize the sound anywhere. It is as familiar as her grandfather’s wartime movies. Black and white visions of the dead.

“Do not move,” Eleanor reminds herself, eyes scanning the words scratched into the steel.

The great bird passes overhead, and the entire shard shakes with its might. She bites her lip. A moment of terrible silence.

It is circling around. Coming back.

“Do… not… move,” Eleanor repeats, unaware that it doesn’t matter.

The shelter is just a jagged piece of roof. It isn’t big enough to hide her, not all of her. Not her shadow.

And unfortunately, the sun is burning in her direction.

The great bird has locked on.

The great bird makes one last turn…

Sit Com

Created by @daalseth​ ( Doug Aalseth )

"Ma!!" came the anguished cry.

"What is it?" replied his mother, her voice drenched in fatigue.

"Billy smashed up my 172 scale model Medieval Human Village."

"Now Tommy..."

"It wasn't me," shouted Billy. "I wouldn't do nothing with your stupid model."

"Yes it was," shouted Tommy waving his wing at the table. "That's your feather laying right there."

"Nuh-huh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-huh."

Their mother rubbed a talon against her throbbing forehead. It was going to be a long day. Maybe it was time to just kick the little bastards out of the nest? She looked at the two chicks arguing. "No," she said softly, "I'll give it one more day."

“Whatever It Takes”

Written by: @winterrose42​

I dug my fingers deep into the ground as I curled tighter into myself, squeezing my eyes shut in a vain effort to concentrate. This had to work- in the end it’s all I could do, whatever God that’s left forgive me. I could feel the beast looming impossibly large behind me, breath wuffing over the ruined plains like winds before a storm. A low growl thundered from its throat and I dug harder even as my fingernails protested and bent from the dirt being shoved underneath them. I couldn’t fail. I had to find them, and to do that I needed to make it out alive. To do that…

I felt it suddenly, claws slicing easily into the dirt deep enough that I’m sure someone could make a bomb shelter of it later. The tips of its heavy wings brushed the uneven ground, dragging stone and steel along as they swayed in rest. Feeling the pull of its head was the worst; it had seen me that much I knew, darting from toppled building to ruined tower to hastily put up shelter as  fast as my legs could carry me had not been fast enough. It’s great shriek had nearly deafened me as it shook the earth landing just a few yards away from where I had crouched. The few warriors who had gathered to head off the beast- they all knew in their hearts they hadn’t a chance of making it.

That’s what I kept telling myself as the beast’s arm raised and came crashing down to sweep away fallen debris and lean to steel sheets and scattered weapons, armor and men alike, leaving them to try and bury themselves yet again. Collect their wits and reorganize perhaps. I couldn’t afford to give them that chance. Setting everything in motion the wings swept back, the arms came up, the eyes focused forward, sharp beak opening wide with vocal chords straining to make its signature call- and so it was done.

All at once I severed the connection, feeling impossibly small and weak and useless once again as the ground shook like an earthquake with the speed at which the beast fell, screaming its indignation at being puppeted for as long as it had, intelligent eyes snapping forward to those running for better cover, myself sitting still and forgotten for the moment in light of more easily accessed prey. I covered my ears and closed my eyes, whispering out a prayer of forgiveness to carry on the artificial wind for those who cared to hear it.

Eventually the shaking ceased, noise quieted, beast placated if only for a moment making it possible to crawl out and stand up though I dared not turn around. Sticking to the irrational belief that my imagined carnage was worse and therefore I was absolved of blame I squared my shoulders and turned west.

I had survived and would continue to do so through whatever means necessary. I would survive. And I would find them.

Maran-do

Written by: @spoldhamindieauthor​ (S.P. Oldham)

Maran huddled beneath the toppled roof of a ruined dwelling, sitting now upon the ground, broken and battered. All of the buildings in this tiny hamlet told a similar story; one of destruction and wrath.

Maran heaved a silent sigh. He had sent out Maran-do, his mind partner, when the day was still bright, her task to bring down anyone he had not dispatched. Very few would be daring enough to try to evade her. It would take a remarkable being indeed to slip past Maran-do unnoticed, avoiding her wicked talons. He had never known it happen yet.

Maran-do hung in the air now like a dark, oppressive shadow. She had been the foretelling of death for so many souls, Maran had long since stopped counting.

He had never imagined she would foretell his own death, too. Maran frowned, trying to recall such a thing happening before. What could possibly cause a mind-partner to turn upon its host? It was unheard of.

He knew the tiniest movement would be enough to alert her to his whereabouts. Resisting the urge to break cover and run, Maran struggled with ordering his thoughts. That was the biggest problem. Maran-do was inside his head as well as outside it. She knew his own mind better than he knew it himself.

How could he possibly escape? Wherever he went, Maran-do would go with him. Why had she turned on him? In a rare moment of self-pity, Maran gave a sniff.

It was enough. He could feel the air outside shifting, darkness looming over his hiding place like an unstoppable, oncoming storm. For the briefest instant, Maran felt the terror and utter helplessness so many had known before.

A large talon tapped impatiently before him. Inside his head, the words ‘Come out, come out, wherever you are’ blossomed into life like clouds of puffed smoke, Maran-do taunting him with his own phrase.

“Why?” Maran breathed, “Why do you turn upon me?”

More words of smoke, ‘I am to be mind-partner to a greater one than you, little Maran,’ using the childhood endearment, ‘Your mind is weak. You take much pleasure from death and killing. I belong to a greater mind than yours,’ she repeated.

She raised her foot. Maran flinched as, above him, the beams and planks of the rough wooden roof began to splinter. Instinctively he crouched, making himself smaller, as if he could avoid being crushed.

He had just enough time to wonder how she could survive without his mind to host her. Then he was gone; snuffed out like a bare candle in a blizzard.

Maran-do stretched her wings, letting out a silent shriek as her head turned to the west. A new host awaited her, a new name forming in her mind even as she rose from the earth. A path of flight was shown to her fathomless mind, stretching like an umbilical cord across the skies.

Maran was dead.

So was Maran-do.

Tethered

Written by: @wildler

I heard the spirits before I saw them—their strangled moans carrying through the smoke-stained air. Carys whinnied beneath me, her ears twitching in all directions.

“Easy girl,” I murmured, stroking her neck. “Only a little further. Should be the next clearing.”

The sound continued, growing stronger as we pushed closer to where the village was rumoured to be. I tugged the hood of my cloak from my head, sweat sticking my hair to my neck. It seemed my limited healing skills had arrived too late to be of use—but my other skills—well, perhaps I would return to the king with something more substantial than rumours at last.

We entered the clearing, the devastation hitting me like a sword to the gut. Homes had been scalped, gutted and burned. Their charred remains left crumbling into the earth. Spirits inhabited the ruins. Flickers of human outlines that cried out as they relived their violent, final moments of existence. Their fear keeping them tethered to this plane.

I dismounted Carys and pressed my hands to the ground, shuddering as the sweat on my neck turned cold. A haze of panic blanketed the site like thick smoke, making it impossible to get a sense of the events leading to its ruin. I sank my fingers into the soil and focused my will, trying again.

Sounds and smells came rushing at me, distorted screams on a hot jet of air. My eyes sprang open to find the spirits staring in eerie silence, their gaze passing right through me to something on the horizon.

I heard the presence before I saw it—a monstrous shriek carried on a blast of flame.  It was an end too terrifying and binding to escape.

And so, I relive it again.

[tcstu]

Ekphrastic Fiction Contest Winner (September 2021)

The winner for this month’s contest is... Void @shadowsofsorts​! Congratulations! You can read this writer’s winning entry below and visit their page to learn more about them.

I hope you will also look for my honorable mentions post later today.

As a reminder, the character in the featured art for this month is named Valdamerica the Starcatcher, and it was created by @arnaerr​. If you like this image, please make sure to visit @arnaerr​​‘s page to see more original creations!

No one knew where she came from. She just appeared one day, hair shimmering of moondust and eyes flashing like opals with a joyous gleam. She seemed approachable, almost a creature unreal, made of nothing more than stardust and dreams. No one knew why she was there; the few fools brave enough to ask were met with a mysterious smile that played across her lips. "I'm a Starcatcher," she laughed, as if that were explanation enough. And then she'd be gone, leaving only confusion and the faint scent of midnight dew.

No one knew where she went, those mysterious nights spent dancing across rooftops, gathering the clouds that wisped behind her. She just was.

They were fiercely protective of her, their Starcatcher. When other showed scorn, they covered her scars with the gentle river moss that glowed softly against her skin. They spent hours chasing down butterlilies only to stand bashfully in front of her, bleeding from hundreds of bite marks to show her the whispered kiss of wings against her palm. The silverquicks flitted behind her as she walked through their gardens, trailing across her shoulders like a cloak of living stars, a comet trail in her wake.

No one knew where the stars went. They slipped gradually away, between hushed breaths and whispered moments.  Each day the Starcatcher grew a little less alive. Her hair settled heavier on her bare shoulders, no longer moving as if caught in an unseen breeze.

A star dashed out of the sky.

Her skin lost it's luster, growing paler and paler.

The blanket of the sky stretched further.

Her eyes darkened, sinking beneath heavy lids that showed a weariness all too different from her vibrant nature.

The blank space spread across the horizon.

They swear she's out there still, searching through the galaxies for the place her stars fled to. They avoid glancing up, the image of the night sky too painful to remember. They refuse to speak of her, saddened beyond compare by the memory of what became of their joyful Starcatcher.

One spoke softly to me, the words straining from his mouth. He told me of the Starcatcher as they last saw her, standing tall though a shadow of her self. He murmured of how they reached for her, pleading, but she shook her head wordlessly and with a sad smile turned away, shoulders set against the lonely path before her. With her heart in her hand she faded from view. Where she went, no one knows. Why she left, they can only guess. But what good is a Starcatcher, if no stars are left?

[tcstu]

July’s Honorable Mentions

This month there are two honorable mentions. They were both written by incredibly gifted writers who have previously won this contest. Both chose to write succinct yet well-crafted pieces. If you like the writer’s work, please reach out and let them know.

As a reminder, This month’s artistic piece is an untitled ink painting inspired by Lovecraft’s Shadow Over Innsmouth that was created by Thomas Elliott @art-of-thomas-elliott​​​. This artist has some pretty incredible fantasy work posted, so if you like this piece, make sure to check out this page to see more original creations! 

Untitled

By: @emilyelizabethfowl​

“I can’t do this anymore!” Ctharis exclaimed, ripping away their mask. “Such false advertising is not in my nature! It’s not Esnamel’s potions that made my legs so soft and smooth; it’s just my normal skin!” 

Children of the Sea

By: @evanthenerd83​

The small coastal town of Portsmith went quiet.

This went without notice, however. All eyes were focused on the ongoing Japanese eruption.

Concern grew in Washington. A week passed before action was taken. Government men descended upon the settlement.

They only found puddles of sea water.

[tcstu]

February’s Honorable Mentions

This month, there are three Honorable Mentions for the contest. Each piece creates a completely different interpretation of the featured art work. If you like one of the stories below, I hope you’ll reach out to the writer and let them know. I’m sure they would love to hear from you!

As a reminder, this month’s contest features a piece titled, “An Encounter” created by Alfa @the-upper-shelf​​. In addition to being on Tumblr, this artist has an incredible amount of work on Deviant Art, so if you like the picture below, make sure to check out her page to see more of her incredible pieces!

Note: The stories below are listed in the order they were received and do not reflect any system of ranking.

Untitled

Written By: @emilyelizabethfowl​

“You know,” Aspen said, shifting his grip on the buckets, trying to keep the handles from digging into his palms, “When mom said you should be following in my footsteps, I’m pretty sure that’s not what she meant, Nina.”

With a flop of her ears, Nina tapped the ground with her foot.

“You were taking too long,” she shot in rapid-fire morse. “I came to help.”

“Yes, I’m sure the fact that Katie lives right by the Fairy Pond had nothing to do with that decision,” Aspen rolled his eyes.

In a blink of an eye, Nina shifted. Her long, white hair and soft ears flew freely from under her hat, tangling slightly into her fuzzy coat.

“Why don’t you just fly?” She signed before jumping to take one of the buckets off of Aspen’s hands.

“I’m not strong enough for that, as you very well know,” Aspen said, jogging up to his sister. That girl just wouldn’t stay still. “I can barely get myself an inch off the ground.”

Nina snorted, flipping her floppy ear back. “Practice makes perfect,” she signed loftily.

“Yeah, not everyone can be a prodigy,” he grumbled under his nose. “Just because you could do a full shift before you could walk doesn’t mean everyone’s got their priorities in that order.”

Rolling her eyes, Nina skipped a few steps ahead. They could already see their house from there.

“What does mom want the fairy water for?” Nina turned around long enough to sign.

“Her potions, what else,” Aspen shrugged. “Winter’s approaching, we’re gonna need them.”

Putting her bucket down by the wall, Nina grabbed one of the empty ones from the nearby stack.

“I’m going to bring some more, then,” she signed cheerfully.

“Preparing the dry ingredients would be more helpful!” Aspen yelled after her, but she was already gone.

Somehow, he doubted Nina would bring any water back. They’d be lucky if she remembered the bucket itself.

“Sometime After The Fall”

Written by: @evanthenerd83​

They froze, staring at each other. Floppy ears twitched. Jaundiced eyes narrowed in suspicion. The woods had gone quiet.

A light breeze blew through trees. Wings fluttered. Stubby tail wobbled.

The grigori stood up straight, buckets swaying. Sparkling water sloshed. The wabbit tilted its head. Thunder rolled across an empty sky.

Pale lips pursed. Anger thrummed the air. “Go. Now.”

They moved, forgetting about each other. Small body propelled. Agonizing prison driven by a withering, pitiful will. The woods resumed its song.

Fuel for Questions

Written by: @winterrose42​

Finding a wild, white hair running out of the woods wasn’t an odd occurrence on its own. The woods were thick and had plenty of burrows that no doubt had hundreds of such rabbits if one cared enough to find them. What was odd, however, was the distinct lack of oddities whatsoever.

This world had long since evolved from the Old Ages. Humans and animals alike had evolved and adapted to the changing environment and kept on living just like any other sensible creature would. At least, that’s what he had been told by those who had the patience to answer such obvious questions. There were old books on the subject detailing specifics, pointing out which changes were natural and which were man made to make the survival rate higher than it would have been otherwise. He always remembered the creatures in those books looking so plain…and small. Fewer limbs, rarely did any of them that weren’t avian possess the ability to fly, usually only one set of teeth and a fragile set at that. The subject was fascinating- and when he discovered that he wouldn’t have had his wings or hooves or tail back then, pointed ears rounded and a far inferior sense of smell he was instantly hooked on the subject…much to the exasperation of his parents.

So when the white hare dashed out from under a bush and stopped in an instant, ears twitching as it decided whether he was a threat or not, he knew what it was. Lepus timidus, as ridiculous as the old scientific name sounded it was clear that’s what it was. Just an old world mountain hare, much smaller than its current descendants but seemingly just as bold for it barely flinched as he locked eyes with it. No claws, no hard armored back, no antlers or spikes to speak of that were common across the species now. Even its tail was simply a soft puff of fluff that twitched gently back and forth, not a barb in sight.

HOw, he thought with fascination, had such a soft creature escaped evolving along with everyone else? And if it had, and it had survived this long, that meant either it was very old indeed or it was a descendant of its own line of unevolved hare. Which meant that whatever direction it had come from there may well be a borrow housing a countless number of these Old World creatures that had somehow remained hidden from both common folk and the scientific community for thousands of years. Was he the first to see one? Was this in fact the only one?

Mesmerized, he walked forward only a step but it proved to be enough to send the old creature running, disappearing into the thick woods on the other side of the road. The weight of the buckets reminded him of the task he was neglecting and he turned back, lost in thought over the encounter that only fueled his need for answers.

[tcstu]

June’s Honorable Mentions

There are two Honorable Mentions for this month’s contest. I hope you’ll read the entries below and let the writer know if you enjoy what they wrote.

As a reminder,  the artistic piece for this month’s contest is a digital animation titled, “Reaching for the Stars.“ It was created by Miena @mienar​​​. This artist was also featured in my contest in May of 2018. This picture is actually a digital animation, but for whatever reason Tumblr will not allow me to post it as one, so you can click here to see the full version as well as other amazing animations by this artist!

Title:“Exodus”

Written by: @evanthenerd83​

You didn’t see it. You weren’t there. None of you were, but that’s not blame I’m laying at your feet. There’s nothing you can be blamed for.

None of you’d been born yet.

But good god… you missed it. The single greatest triumph in our long, shameful history.

The mass fleeing. Their exodus from this broken world.

They were tired of blasphemies being performed and propagated, even sanctioned, by their fellow man. Science was cutting down the Tree.

It was chipping away at the past.

Many of their neighbors had already lost their faith in the old ways.

They’d forgotten about Selene. The fish that always leaped out of her skin.

How she’d been forced to deliver righteous vengeance upon Atlantis, which had also forgotten about her.

Forgetting. That’s the worst kind of sin. The Gods hate being forgotten.

You should’ve seen it. All of those lanterns, swinging from side to side, as they released the anchors.

You could’ve seen them waving, heard them saying goodbye.

It took them a while to break through, for the balloons to ascend beyond the smog and the clouds.

They could only go so fast. There wasn’t enough fuel. Not enough lightbugs were left.

But I’d like to think that they didn’t care. That they were capable of ignoring all bodily concerns.

That the cold hadn’t bothered them. That their hunger had quickly subsided.

I’d like to think that they’re still up there, that they did make it. I can hope. I can dream.

And I dream of a banquet hall.

A infinite chamber of light. Tables carved from space and time, covered by all manner of things.

Strange fruits.

Even stranger meat.

Cups of sloshing stars.

And I dream of them, sitting before Selene and her blinding throne, partaking in an eternal feast.

Watching us suffer.

Down here.

Untitled

Written by: @currentlywriting​

I hold onto the rope, and ignore Erik calling after me. He says climbing this far up is dangerous, be careful. Maybe he’s right. I don’t care.

I’m finally free.

The city is merely twinkling lights beneath me. The wind is blowing in my ears and flying through my hair.

The skies are dark, the moon is full and, somehow, the stars are so much brighter than they were yesterday.

When I hold my hand up and reach, it’s almost as if I can touch them.

[tcstu]

February’s Honorable Mentions

The entries this month were incredible! I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read the Honorable Mentions below to see why.

If you like one of these entries, please let the writer know! Personally, I love all of them!

As a reminder, this month’s feature is an illustration titled, “Mid Shift” and it was created by Bobby @bodbby​ . This is a truly talented artist with a lot of impressive pieces, so if you like this illustration, I hope you will check out her Tumblr page to see more incredible pieces!

The pieces below are listed in the order they were received and do not reflect a level of ranking.

“A Minute In Hell”

Written by: Evan @evanthenerd83​

“See? This is why he left you.”

The shadow sighed and sat down on the back of the couch. Its impact made the springs squeak in protest. Jamie dropped to the floor.

It smelled like sulfur and blood and the ugly offensiveness of smoke. Her nose wrinkled.

“Not to say that you’re not pretty.”

“Uh-huh.” Jamie mumbled, then plunged her hand deep into her pocket.

“Your hair smells like strawberries. I always sniff it when you’re asleep. And your thighs are so soft that I just have to lick them. I love how sweet they taste.”

“Ok,” Jamie murmured. She wasn’t even listening.

The shadow leaned over, and it slid a crooked finger under her blouse. It lifted the fabric off her shoulder.

It started to pull her bra strap.

“Of course…”

Finding purchase, Jamie pulled out the holy bullet. It felt nice and heavy in her palm. And warm. Warmer than the shadow’s cold breath.

The shadow was panting now. No doubt thinking about how warm her own flesh would feel.

Jamie reloaded the Winchester pump-action shotgun.

“… your sister is nicer. And sexier. And she has a bigger butt and bigger boobs and her hips are so wide. They’re probably in bed right now, screwin’ like rabbits and Catholics, and—“

Then, she turned towards the shadow and pulled the trigger.

Untitled

Written by: @inkjackets​

Daniel paced back and forth with his hair scrunched in his hands and his eyes wide and crazed as he muttered under his breath, ‘We’re gonna die, we’re gonna die!’ Over and over those words hissed from between his teeth sending shivers up our spines already tense with hyper-vigilance.

I nodded at Grace. She took him to the side and forced him to sit down, and whispered softly in his ear until his mutterings subsided and gave way to shaky breathing.

I, meanwhile, stood guard at the door. ‘We’ll wait until their gone for good, then we’ll make a break for it,’ I said. Voicing a plan calmed my racing heart and gave me some semblance of control.

‘You lot need to chill,’ came a drawl. I glared at the girl slouched on the couch, her rifle resting on her hip and balanced in her hands, looking as if it might slip at any minute. ‘Those demons are gone, they won’t be coming back.’

I still didn’t trust her, though the people back at camp said we could. ‘You can’t know that,’ I said and gripped my gun so tight my knuckles turned white.

Silence.

Then a smirk. ‘You so sure about that?’

I jerked my head towards her.

Her eyes glinted in the light and shadow stretched on the wall, revealing two spikes that hadn’t been there before.

‘You-you-’ my words dried up in my mouth.

‘You-you-!’ The demon repeated and mocked, her grin widening as she stood into something unnatural.

‘Oh, I’m not going to hurt you!’ she said as I backed up against the door, ‘I’m merely saving you for someone much more special.’

Daniel’s yell made me jump. ‘No, no, no!’ He hunched over and rocked back and forth as Grace stared at me wide-eyed with terror. And I wanted to comfort them, to tell them we’d survive this together like we’ve always done before! But the demon’s grin was horrifying and the fear was paralysing and when I raised my gun to shoot her she somehow knocked me to the floor.

‘Please,’ I begged, my hands quivered in the air and heart pounded in my chest and Daniel’s cries grew louder and Grace started to sob and the demon leered over while fear took over and just when I knew I couldn’t take it anymore…

There came a knock at the door.

“A Job Well Done”

Written by: @wemitodd​

Max was an agent of chaos - their official job description. It was a bit pretentious if you asked them, but it paid well, though sometimes working out of time meant they confused themself. The job was in 2017, not 1917. (though max doesn’t quite know if this outfit fits either but oh well) Max sighed and slipped into the house. From the sound of it, Joshua Miles and Michael Lewis didn’t need their help, but regardless. They slipped into the living room where the two were already fighting. Quietly, Max sat in a cushy chair and waited. The men arguing didn’t notice them for sometime, not until Lewis threw a vase and cracked a picture that was above their head. Miles was the first to turn to Max, turning to see what had broke along with the vase.

“Hello,” Max greeted sweetly. Lewis finally turned towards them and his eyes widened just a fraction. “I’m here to collect on a deal.” At their statement, Miles eyes wrinkled in confusion and Lewis’ widened in realization. His eyes found Max’s shadow which didn’t quite match their shape.

“What?” the confused one asked.

Lewis softly started, “But it hasn’t-”

“No, it hasn’t,” Max interrupted, their lips pulling into a smirk and leaning back in the chair. “But you haven’t been following the rules have you Mikey?”

Lewis opened his mouth to protest but Max wasn’t quite patient enough to listen to excuses. They raised their shotgun, and shot Lewis in the chest.

“What the-” Miles started. He was cut off when Max appeared next to them and placed the shotgun in his hands.

“Uh… the gun was a family heirloom… I guess.”

Miles blinked. “My great grandfather’s shotgun.” He answered dreamily. Max smiled and patted his cheek in a job well done. Faintly they heard the sound of sirens. They left.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a job well done.

[tcstu]

Ekphrastic Fiction Contest Winner (April 2020)

The winner for this month’s contest is...... @evanthenerd83​! Congratulations!!! For those of you who don’t know, Evan has previously won this contest four times and is currently our reigning champion! If you enjoy reading horror and surreal microfiction, you definitely need to start following this writer. Evan is constantly posting new work with incredible twists that will make you a little too freaked out to sleep at night.

If you want to see Evan’s previous winning entries, you can check out these posts:

August 2019

March 2019

February 2019

December 2018

You can read the current winning post below and make sure to look for my Honorable Mention post later today!

In case you’ve forgotten, this month’s feature is an untitled digital piece created by KAWAYLS @kawayls​. In addition to being on Tumblr, this artist is also active on Twitter at this link: https://twitter.com/kawayls?s=09 . If you like this piece as much as I do, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out those pages to see more unique creations by this artist!

“Wasteful”

“Please,” begged the Single Man. “Kill me.”

The Woman tapped her chin with a ringed finger, then plucked a lovelydill from a branch.

His screams were muffled by the pleasant music being played on violins, the cheering of guests both old and young. Church bells rang with heavenly clarity.

“Why,” asked the Single Man. “Why?”

“Because,” the Woman whispered, kissing his cheek. “Wouldn’t you hate it? To see love… wasting away?”

She stood up, dusting off her dress.

Then, she skipped down the hill, towards the clapping crowd.

The sacrifice was complete.

[tcstu]

May’s Honorable Mention

This month’s Honorable Mention is written by @evanthenerd83​! Evan is currently our reigning champion and has written some incredible pieces, so if you would like to see more examples of Evan’s work, you can look at last month’s winning post here and check out this writer’s page.

As a reminder, this month’s feature is an untitled digital piece created by @muraokamiart​. This artist has some incredibly interesting original art and fan art, so if you like this piece as much as I do, I hope you’ll visit this artist’s Tumblr page and also consider browsing through their work on this art shop!

  “Jealous, But Mostly Just Angry”

“Are there… are there only females?”

James took another photograph, focusing the camera on the woman’s face. It was easy. She practically glowed in the moonlight.

His flashlight illuminated something both beautiful and alien. Skin as smooth as a dolphin’s. Seaweed-green hair that spilled over her chest, modestly covering it.

She stared back at him, pearl-eyes wide and glistening. She was just as interested in him.

He couldn’t stop himself. He took another photograph.

“Hm? Oh. No. But the men are pretty ugly. And not as… playful.”

“What do—“

Something hit the boat. Something big. Something angry. Something that hated humanity and all of its ships and fishing nets and lights.

The mermaid gasped. Her head dipped below the surface. She swam away, quickly and silently. Gaining speed.

James barely had enough time to catch the afterimage of her tail as it slipped back into the dark. He cussed.

Then, he saw them.

The claws. Digging into the underside of the boat, each nail an inch longer than the rest. They were curling around the rim.

Twitch.

“W-w-w-well…”

[evanthenerd83]

Yay!

Ekphrastic Fiction Contest Winner (April 2020)

The winner for this month’s contest is…… @evanthenerd83​! Congratulations!!! For those of you who don’t know, Evan has previously won this contest four times and is currently our reigning champion! If you enjoy reading horror and surreal microfiction, you definitely need to start following this writer. Evan is constantly posting new work with incredible twists that will make you a little too freaked out to sleep at night.

If you want to see Evan’s previous winning entries, you can check out these posts:

August 2019

March 2019

February 2019

December 2018

You can read the current winning post below and make sure to look for my Honorable Mention post later today!

In case you’ve forgotten, this month’s feature is an untitled digital piece created by KAWAYLS @kawayls​. In addition to being on Tumblr, this artist is also active on Twitter at this link: https://twitter.com/kawayls?s=09 . If you like this piece as much as I do, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out those pages to see more unique creations by this artist!

“Wasteful”

“Please,” begged the Single Man. “Kill me.”

The Woman tapped her chin with a ringed finger, then plucked a lovelydill from a branch.

His screams were muffled by the pleasant music being played on violins, the cheering of guests both old and young. Church bells rang with heavenly clarity.

“Why,” asked the Single Man. “Why?”

“Because,” the Woman whispered, kissing his cheek. “Wouldn’t you hate it? To see love… wasting away?”

She stood up, dusting off her dress.

Then, she skipped down the hill, towards the clapping crowd.

The sacrifice was complete.