PROMPT ONE: 

PROMPT TWO: 

"The human spirit was the strongest medicine on Earth. And sometimes all it needed was a little encouragement to pull off a miracle."

~ David Baldacci

PROMPT THREE: 

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Just wanted confirmation." 

Wow. Just... wow. I think I can say, on behalf of all the judges, that the quality of these short stories are incredibly high. So many high scores! So many jaw-dropping moments! So many paragraphs of stunning description and vivid story-telling. 

Sorry, the reader in me just keeps getting tingles. 

Okay, focus. Thank you to everyone who participated this month! As I've already mentioned, the stories were very impressive and both myself and the judges were in love. 

Speaking of judges, a massive thank you to: 

GryffindorsLoneWolf -- Who hasn't seen this name before, at this point? Lone Wolf, you are a star. And you are a star judge, for sure, because you always, always pull through for me. You work hard, you judge fairly, and you write your reviews with professionalism. Thank you so much for being a star. 

Maraudin -- I think this is the first time you've judged for us, and it was such an honour to have you as part of the team for this month! You were an absolute gem, taking on more than you asked for, and doing it in such a quick and professional manner. I was very impressed, and I hope you stay involved with the community! 

NDeMeer -- Absolute queen right here. Balancing being an ambassador, writing an (incredible) novella, and also finding the time to judge for these awards? I'm always beyond impressed, and thank you so much for being part of this community. I love you and your friendship to pieces. Thank you so much! 

And now, as everyone has been waiting for, the results!

Similar to last month, we've established that short stories are very subjective. The winning stories just kept swinging based on what the judges had to say, and luckily, each story was judged by two judges to keep it fair. 

While there was a very clear winner, every other story came very close. So, first of all, congratulations to the following shortlisted stories: 

SHORTLISTED SHORT STORY: Sleeping Beauty 

AUTHOR: LeafStorm924

FEEDBACK: 

Oh dear me, I absolutely loved this! The story was sweet, full of energy that I could relate to and had a great ending! There were a few spelling errors and some capitalization mistakes, but nothing that really deterred the reader from the story. Oliver and Felicity are so relatable (him paying off his loans and Felicity with her imaginative mind). I do wish that I could've 'seen' the characters better, but their personalities came out loud and strong. Maria was absolutely adorable too, but I wished that she'd reacted a bit more realistically (with being watched by a random dude, I'd have been creeped out). But she's a sweet person and her reaction to meeting Oliver was cute. Great short story and a wonderful job! 

SHORTLISTED SHORT STORY: Just Us

AUTHOR: itsnothardtodreamx

FEEDBACK:

Woah, what an incredibly heart-wrenching, emotional story! The prompt is very cleverly handled and the theme of the story is conveyed really well. I found the first four paragraphs or so a bit of an info dump. I know the author was trying to set the scene, but it felt very telling. I think showing all that info instead, would've made a bigger impact. What bugged me most throughout the story however, was that there was a huge detail left unexplained (or maybe simply not considered). It is said that the deadly compound spreading across the earth is a gas; yet the MC and his family are hiding in a basement. A gas can easily penetrate the cracks of a basement. All in all though, this is a fantastic story. The plot is clear, the conflict exhilarating, and the ending, though painful, evokes a lot of emotion. Beautifully done.

SHORTLISTED SHORT STORY: Fight or Flight 

AUTHOR: dreams_of_silver

FEEDBACK: 

This really didn't feel like a short story. It felt like something taken out of the middle of a novel. Nonetheless, you've got only one or two errors (that I noticed, and weren't really big), and you write incredibly well. I can feel the emotions of both the dragon and your MC and it's amazing how easily you conveyed them. While the descriptions were fleeting, they helped tie the story together. The emotions were raw and real. You've got a great talent for story-telling and I seriously think this would be better as part of a novel, not a standalone one-shot. And again, I really loved your style of writing! Keep up the great work!

And now... our winners: 

IN THIRD PLACE: 

SHORT STORY: Of Storms and Seas

AUTHOR: GnomeMercy

FEEDBACK: 

Firstly, I just want to say that I absolutely loved the beginning! The first sentence was intriguing enough to catch my attention and the author easily held onto it with the next paragraph. Within just a few sentences, you managed to create a broad picture of not just the main character, but also the scene and the main event. I absolutely adored the description of the wave climbing and the falling -- it was beautifully done. The ending didn't quite feel like an ending, however. It felt like a cliff-hanger at the end of a chapter, but not the end of a completed story (short story or otherwise). Other than that though, this was an incredibly enjoyable story. The plot was unique and hooking, the characters interesting and fun to follow, and the prose very well-written. Great work!

OVERALL SCORE: 86/100

IN SECOND PLACE: 

SHORT STORY: Burn to Ash 

AUTHOR: brighteyez1610

FEEDBACK: 

This story snatched me up from the first paragraph, and didn't let go. The author confidently tackled a difficult topic—child abuse (implied sexual abuse), without being overly graphic or reckless with the reader's imagination. Great work.

The story was constructed well—an eye-popping beginning with emotion woven in. Readers get the necessary information to hate Trevor and not feel bad that he's dead. April has become almost detached from the abuse, unable to feel guilt or remorse for the murder. Ending was great! I thought it was an interesting way for her to handle the situation—but her rationale was explained.

If there was a weak point in the story (and its a stretch to call it that) is that we don't get any of Hayden's reactions. We know he was crying, we know April wants to protect him, but I could have used a short dialogue exchange as they said goodbye. 

OVERALL SCORE: 91/100

IN FIRST PLACE: 

SHORT STORY: A Way to the Stars

AUTHOR: avadel

FEEDBACK: 

From start to finish—this story was impeccable. The characters, the voice, the setting, the plot, everything was beautifully constructed and woven together. I was shocked they were actually going to outer space, and I nearly cried when Mama was shot. 

My favorite part was Ascrita's unique voice. Her southern accent was perfectly executed. Not comical or overdone. I could hear her speaking. A story becomes more powerful when dialogue is done right. And you did it right. 

I thought the story flowed well, found the length appropriate, and loved how you made Ascrita the care-giver in the end. Helping guide another out of a difficult situation. 

OVERALL SCORE: 98.5/100 

As you can see through the feedback, all the judges loved the short stories. It all ended up coming down to the smaller details. However, a huge congratulations must go to our winner, avadel, who stunned both judges. 

Thank you for participating, and we hope to see everyone come back for the next round (which begins now!).