APRIL FLASH FICTION CONTEST WINNERS
This Month's Theme — HORROR POETRY
** Please Note: This month's winners were chosen by our honored celebrity guest judge
BRAM STOKER AWARD-WINNING POET LINDA ADDISON **

(Stories Listed In Alphabetical Order by Author's Last Name):

WEEPING WILLOW by Rose Blackthorn

weeping willow, hunched and ancient
trailing branches hanging down
below, beneath the leaf debris
my body lies within the ground

when breezes blow, the willow sings
and dances – staid and slow
but I am still, within lacy roots
in my grave below

in winter when the storms descend
the willow keeps me dry
in summer’s heat the willow’s limbs
keep me shaded where I lie

the willow’s roots, entangled now
are wound around my bones
and it’s windy voice an echo
of my silent ghostly moans

this weeping willow weeps for me
but at least I’m not alone

DYNAMIC by John Boden

Our room is round
Closer to heart shaped
Black and broken
like a heart, as well

The whispers nest
in silent corners
the accusations roost
where ceiling and wall are one

Hulking lies and
man-handed anger
sequestered in dark closets
behind pilly sweaters
and tear-stained linen
Skulking behind pressboard wall

But among all of these monsters
I hold you as the prize
cradled in my calloused palms
a pale and gorgeous moth
that I will lightly kiss
and then crush to dust.

 

A WITCH'S LOOKING GLASS (GOETHE STANZA) by Theresa C. Newbill

Feed the Willow with offerings of pig and pearl;

old woman smells of wet wool, where spirits dwell.
She breathes the air of worship as scrying mirrors swirl,

night's memory warms her skin with secrets she'll never tell.

 

HONORABLE MENTION:

(Stories Listed In Alphabetical Order by Author's Last Name):

 

BOOKMAN'S PRAYER by Mark Angevine

'Though spines may fade
And binding's dry
A well turned phrase
Will never die
So turn the page, friend
And read on
Until the light to see is gone

 

THE MIRRORS by Theresa C. Newbill & Tony Tremblay

Upon reflection, eternity
and death beckon;
between them, a choice.
Cognition induces desire;
passions stretch, rage
ignites.

The night explodes to
a breath once taken;
a calamitous force of starry
whispers revolves; staining
the mirrors with the fog
of desperation.

Familiar shadows speak,
torture has a beat, tinted glass
bleeds red, the pounding of dank
gasps swim from my mouth, dying
haphazardly in the liquid swells
of my image.

A cacophony of chaos;
mirrors, demanding supplication.
And those yet to die call to me.
I am their corpse bread,
naked beast, stump flesh,
among shards of broken glass.

OFFICIAL RULES FOR MAY 2012:

It's a pretty busy month for the young adult crowd, who also happen to be a staple of the horror genre. As such ...

This month's theme — TEENAGERS

There's a lot going on in the world of high schoolers and college students right now — proms, formal dances, graduations, class trips, final exams, etc. Of course, it also just so happens that young adult characters have always been, and will always be, a bedrock of horror stories. Therefore, we're going to be very loose with this theme; your story can be as fantastic or as realistic as you want, and your teen can be the hero or (for any frustrated parents out there) the monster. The only requirements are that your story be 100 words or less and focuses on a teenage character (or characters).

Necon E-Books reserves the right to republish all WINNING and HONORABLE MENTION pieces (i.e. all those published on our web site) in our annual Flash Fiction Anthology. Otherwise, all rights revert to the authors as soon as the winners are announced each month.

Submission deadline is May 31st, 2012.
** PLEASE NOTE!! NEW SUBMISSION RULES: Authors are now free to submit however many stories they want. However, only your top voted submission will be considered each month. Part of the purpose of this contest is to give exposure to as many writers as possible, and we feel limiting authors to one publication per month is a fair way to assure that.
Please submit work either directly in an email or attached as a text, RTF or MS Word document.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT

The first week of each month, we'll announce as many winners and Honorable Mentions as we see fit and publish their work on this site. Then, at year's end, we'll collect all the pieces previously published on our site into the NECON E-BOOKS FLASH FICTION ANTHOLOGY In addition to having their work published online, all included authors will receive a free copy of the anthology.