2nd Annual Halloween Writing Contest: 13 Word Horror Story Tricks & Treats

First up in the 2nd Annual Halloween Writing Contest is the “13 Word Horror Story” Category.

Art by Laura Silva

As we began to revise and narrow down the potential winning submissions in this, by far our most popular, category, we soon realized this wasn’t going to be an easy task. Debating our conflicting views and fighting for our individual top choice (all in good fun), led us to having to decide whether or not to assign possible winners into their own sub-categories based on comical aspect or being downright creepy.

Although it was tough, and we were torn between our favorites, we finally agreed on the three winners and five honorable mentions you see published below. We hope you are as chilled and cheered as we were by these concise tales of terror and fun.

–Mercy Yepez, Yuba College Literary Arts Club

WINNERS

Flavoring

Cyanide in your soup you say?

I was sure it was almond extract.

–by Michele Reid, Yuba College

Side Chick

You can text her, but her body is rotting under your oak tree.

–by Jeng Xiong, Yuba College

I Just Realized

It was only later that I realized that all that blood was real.

–by Marcus Igarashi, Yuba College

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Enemies

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. So I ate them all.

–by Manny Cheema, Yuba College

Goodnight, Mommy

Flesh ripping, blood dripping, eyes unblinking, yet she’s speaking. “Goodnight mommy,” says dolly.

–by Matthew Hadley, Yuba College

Dead

I stood beside my body as they chopped it into bite size pieces. 

–by Erendira Mendoza, Yuba College

The Wind

Howling wind awakens me. A window wide open. My baby’s crib is empty.

–by Sean Dennis, Yuba College

Muted Endurance

Agonized, realizing the anesthetic hadn’t worked, she felt the scalpel. She couldn’t scream.

–by Kate Perrie, Yuba College

To read the winners and honorable mentions in our other categories, see:

• All Hallow’s Short Shorts: All the Zombies are Wearing Them
• Halloween Haiku Candy
• We’ve Picked Our Poison: Spell Poems