We cannot overstate how proud we are of everyone who entered the contest, regardless of if you placed. Sharing your writing is scary and vulnerable, and it warms our hearts that you trusted us enough to enter!

Taylor Bennett was our awesome judge this round (THANK YOU, TAYLOR!) and you guys made her job extremely difficult. Here were her selections.

Honorable Mention: K.J. Haakenson

As soon as we arrived, I knew I had been right to think that this was a bad idea.
Sparks danced across the floor of the tech lab like stars in the darkness of deep space.
I held my breath as I shone my searchlight over the frayed wires and broken test tubes.
Caldera cowered behind me, my twin sister’s hand clutching mine as if we were still children growing up on Earth. “Is anyone here, Cassio?”
Metal scraped behind us and we swung around, my beam of light landing on an old man. He struggled up from the ground, squinting into the light and clutching a bleeding forehead. “It’s too late,” he wheezed. “They’re all gone.”

Taylor’s comments: The imagery in this entry was beautiful, and I‘m anxious to know what happened to the others in the lab…and the man left behind.

Third Place: P. Barny J.

As soon as we arrived, I knew I had been right to think that this was a bad idea. The library’s shutters were pulled to keep the moonlight out, books strewn everywhere on the floor. The upper sections had been roped off, and was that glass flashing at me from the ground?
But none of that screamed “DANGER!” like the hulking, winged figure with glowing eyes that stared at us from across the room.
“Joe…” I tugged on his hoodie and he whimpered. To top it all off, the figure spoke.
“Don’t be scared, boys,” it rumbled, “it’s just me.”

Taylor’s comments: Who doesn’t want to read about a creepy night at the library? I was intrigued by the build-up and pleasantly surprised when a mysterious, otherworldly creature appeared.

Second Place: Amy

As soon as we arrived, I knew I had been right to think that this was a bad idea.
The meeting site was all wrong, for one thing. There wasn’t any cover, and retreat up the river would be difficult.
Jarken was already here, for another thing. Her lips stretched in a snarl, and her scales glinted as she rose and made a mock bow.
This was wrong. It was all wrong.
I held out a hand for Sara to stay behind me, but she smacked it aside and stepped forward. She lifted her chin. My heart sank. Sara was going to try and reason with her.
She should know to never try to reason with a dragon.

Taylor’s comments: The family dynamic and obvious emotion in this piece really spoke to me. I loved the character development and was eager to see where the author would take the story.

First place: C. Marie Bohley

As soon as we arrived, I knew I had been right to think that this was a bad idea. The iron cemetery gates creaked in warning, while the slender branches of the surrounding oaks called us forth into the darkness. The shadows they casted were long and sinister, like coiled hands reaching toward us.
I grabbed Maggie’s arm. “I think we should go.”
She twisted away from me. “You get scared too easily.” Behind her confidence, I could detect a fear as deep as mine. Even Maggie knew it: we shouldn’t be here.
“Once we find it, we can ditch this place,” Maggie continued, and I forced myself to keep up with her despite the trembling of my limbs.

Taylor’s Comments: This one drew me in right from the start with its spooky, ominous feel. It left me begging for more as I wondered: what on earth is “it”??

Congratulations to all who placed, all who made the top 15, and all who entered!

Want to suggest a prompt for the future? Leave your ideas in the comment section!