Winning Stories
The Eighth Playground Challenge - May 2024
1st Place
“Despite the Wind” by Holly Grover Brandon
Petal, MS, USA
Follow Holly: Twitter or Instagram
An eighteen-year old girl, two young boys, and a reclusive elderly neighbor work together to survive the aftermath of a destructive hurricane during the summer of 1969.
2nd Place
“The Burial of Max Peterson” by Alan S. Falkingham
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Follow Alan: Website
A daughter makes a trip to attend her father's funeral, and learns to see both her parents' lives through very different eyes.
3rd Place
“This Savage Life” by Chuck Schading
Geneva, NY, USA
Follow Chuck: Website or Twitter
In a brutal and unforgiving north, arranged marriages like this one are key to the survival of the human race.
4th Place
“Break Glass” by Sabina Trojanova
London, UK
Follow Sabina: Instagram
Sixteen-year-old Eve takes part in the Rite, during which she will be matched with her future husband. All she has to do is prove her worthiness.
5th Place
“Splitsville” by Stephen James
Calgary, Canada
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Ben is trying to build a new life, but is haunted by a past he can’t escape.
6th Place
“Cold is a Language” by Charlie Rogers
New York, NY, USA
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A long-held secret emerges when an estranged son returns to the family cabin after twenty years.
7th Place
“The Mortician of Cannon Beach” by Kim Holland
Clearwater, FL, USA
A mortician in a post-cataclysmic Oregon beach town teaches an unusual little girl the secrets of his craft.
8th Place
“Lemon and Salt” by Hayley Igarashi Thomas
New Market, MD, USA
In Aokigahara, the Sea of Trees, a woman reckons with sour memories of her missing mother.
9th Place
“In Loving Memory” by Shannon Bursey
North Chelmsford, MA, USA
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While a shy young girl navigates the complicated emotions of losing a loved one, she encounters a grown-up with a morbid occupation.
10th Place
“Hares on the Mountain” by Aggie Novak
Gold Coast, Australia
Minodora doesn't want to marry the man her father has chosen for her, so she turns to the only person she thinks can help.
Honorable Mentions:
“As It Was Told” by Russell Mickler
Vancouver, WA, US
Follow Russell: Website
Fosin Piao, a reformed criminal, conveys a story to an old friend, in hopes he’d think better of him.
“The People Around Our Kids” by Jackie Harris
Denver, CO, USA
A mother takes her son the bowling alley for a birthday party.
“Worse Things” by Mary Li
Shelby Township, MI, USA
A young couple goes on a weekend getaway to Isle Royale, a secluded island in Lake Superior. Once they are alone, they try to forget their worries and enjoy their vacation, but one issue seems impossible to leave behind.
“Shotgun” by Julie Johnson
Pleasant Prairie, WI, USA
A father and his children struggle to move forward following his release from prison.
“Two Truths, at Once” by Justin Creps
Hilliard, OH, US
Follow Justin: Instagram
What if your fate after death was decided by a person you wronged in your worst moment in life?
“Where Nobody Knows” by Mike Kreiner
Baltimaore, MD, USA
A young man leaves home to escape the past, but has to learn to trust himself.
“The Best Thing About God” by Tom Bray
Lancashire, England
Follow Tom: Amazon or Instagram
Lexi never had a reason to be terrified of her priest - a respected and trusted man in her community - until he began separating her from the rest of her Thursday evening church group, in exactly the same way as he'd been doing with many of the other children since she first started attending.
“Personal Disco Ball” by Alyssa Beatty
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Follow Alyssa: Website
A mythical creature grapples with grief and bowling pins.
“Like Blood, Like Flame” by Rachel Harbaugh
Elizabethtown, NC, USA
Follow Rachel: Instagram or Website
A young woman struggles with the heavy burn of a powerful gift.
“Venetian Nights” by Charlotte Davis
Buckinghamshire, UK
Carnevale marks the last few days of Isabella's freedom. But a chance encounter, and a moment of rash action, may change her life forever.
Seventh Challenge Winning Stories - January 2024
Sixth Challenge Winning Stories - May 2023
Fifth Challenge Winning Stories - December 2022
One-Year Anniversary Challenge Winning Stories - July 2022
Third Challenge Winning Stories - March 2022
Classic Short Stories
“Sonny’s Blues” - by James Baldwin (1957)
“The Yellow Wallpaper” - by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
“The Storm” - by Kate Chopin (1898)
“Babylon Revisited” - by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1931)
“The Cask of Amontillado” - by Edgar Allen Poe (1846)
The websites linked above are not affiliated with Writers' Playground, LLC. We thank them for sharing these beautiful classic tales.