Winning Stories
The Sixth Playground Challenge - May 2023
1st Place
“The Waterfall at Innishker” by Sinead Amirak
Northampton, United Kingdom
Follow Sinead: Twitter
Following a terminal diagnosis, an elderly man returns to the place of his birth one last time.
2nd Place
“Sixty Feet and Six Inches” by Alan S. Falkingham
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Follow Alan: Website
The story of an unusual friendship, the things we cannot leave behind, and the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate.
3rd Place
“The Kindest, Most Caring Library You've Ever Known” by A.W. Prihandita
Jakarta, Indonesia
Follow A.W. Prihandita: Twitter
On Día de los Muertos, a library and its custodian are trying to reunite with their lost loves.
4th Place
“Three, Three, Nine” by Pauline Marie Morris
Stephentown, NY, USA
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A marriage arranged between a young Japanese girl and an older Japanese soldier bodes well until a new presence threatens to divide them forever.
5th Place
“Time Like Water” by Ashley Evans
Bethlehem, NH, USA
An ancient shape-changing being haunts a pool of water, feeding on passersby. Can it change its nature for a man who refuses to fear it?
6th Place
“Confectionary Redemption, A Generation Away” by Cathern Rosser
Saint Marys, GA, USA
Fulfilling his father's dying wish, Michael has travelled across the world to return something to its rightful owners. Along the way, he may realize this journey is not just for his father.
7th Place
“Sixty Minutes to Echo” by Anna Long
Cataula, GA, USA
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When the love of his life goes missing, Thomas, a committed officer of the Echo Fleet, has a new mission: Find and retrieve Ling as soon as possible.
8th Place
“The Strangler Fig” by Lucy Joyce
Fernie, BC, Canada
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A naturalist living in a British colony in the Caribbean revisits the location of a dark episode from her childhood.
9th Place
“Men and Other Disappearances” by Charlie Rogers
New York, NY, USA
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A closeted teenager learns some adult lessons when he accompanies his mother to a self-help seminar.
10th Place
“Barberry for Atonement” by MM Schreier
Chilly by the Sea, MA, USA
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Alone on a frozen mountain, a General turned hermit, prepares for an unwelcome visitor. The price of magic is that the General must give freely when asked, but sometimes it costs even more.
Honorable Mentions:
“When in Vegas” by Holly Grover Brandon
Petal, MS, USA
Follow Holly: Instagram
An 18-year-old girl visits Las Vegas for the first time with her embarrassing, but well meaning parents.
“A Commonplace Thing” by Karen Mitani
Brooklyn, NY, USA
A woman on vacation with her family seeks a vacation from her family.
“The Debt” by Natalie Maddern
Adelaide, South Australia
As the world falls apart, an apprentice tries to settle his debt.
“Hairy Larry and the Trailer Trash Kid” by Dana Starr
Ransom Canyon, TX, USA
Follow Dana: Website or Instagram
In the immortal words of Mick Jagger, “You can’t always get what you want.” But for a few folks living in the Whispering Pines RV Park, sometimes you get what you need.
“Playing for Sam” by Christine Roy
Union, CT, USA
For years, Matty and his older brother, Sam, enjoyed summers at their grandad's Shetland Isle campsite. This year is different for Matty. He will need love, understanding and all of the beauty and magic of the isle to complete an impossible task.
“All That Glitters Isn't Yours” by Riel Rosehill
Milland, West Sussex, UK
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Needle is washing the mantle he stole from his king under a waterfall, reflecting on what led up to that moment.
“Krishna Leela” by Suma Jayachandar
Bengaluru, India
Follow Suma: Website
On a visit to a waterfall, Leela, the much younger wife, is stopped from embracing its vibrancy. Is her friends’ prophecy finally coming true?
“The Fall” by Jonathan A.J. Davis
Spennymoor, Durham, UK
Walter Johnson, a veteran of the parachute regiment during the Suez Crisis, found a second career as a globally renowned country musician. Now old and reclusive, Walt reminisces on a life shared with his wife Eleanor and best friend Edward.
“Poison Dance” by Katie Frendreis
Des Plaines, IL, USA
Follow Katie: Instagram
Detective Kaito investigates the murder of a businessman with ties to a subculture of drugs, nightclubs, and illicit poison dancing. The closer he gets to solving the mystery, the deeper he falls into the dark and disturbing underworld of Nagoya.
“Waterfall Jewelry” by Dan Clotfelter
Chattanooga, TN, USA
The matriarch of a run-down trailer park spots the arrival of the new family for unit 7 and spots potential in their daughter who stands in contrast to the rest of the family and her surroundings.
Fifth Challenge Winning Stories - December 2022
One-Year Anniversary Challenge Winning Stories - July 2022
Third Challenge Winning Stories - March 2022
Second Challenge Winning Stories - November 2021
