Breaking News

Read the Flash Fiction Contest Official Runners-Up!

In May, we challenged you to submit a 300 word flash fiction story containing the words spider, rainbow, and cake. From over 1,100 stupendous entries, we chose two Grand Prize Winners and three Runners-Up. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! (For more excerpts, check out this forum thread.)

"The Governor's Cake" by Asenath W.

The air was warm and damp on Maren’s face as she leaned against a tree, laughing to herself as she held a thick slice of cake up to her mouth. Mum would be furious with her.

The cake was for the Governor, when he visited today. Maren knew it was of the utmost importance—Mum had told her the visit could even end the war! And if the war ended, Dad would come home—something Maren had been longing for.

But Maren hated being told what to do... Read the rest!

"The Same Coin" by Salma S.

She perched in the eaves, ready to rappel down with her knife at a moment’s notice. Dressed all in black, she would look to anyone below like a spider waiting to prey.

The rainbow hues of their jeweled gowns made her angry. How many mouths they could feed by selling that fabric!

They stood stuffing their faces with birthday cake and champagne, while her stomach growled. She had snuck her porridge into her grandmother’s bowl. That was yesterday night, the last time they had eaten... Read the rest!

"The Day My Birthday Went Bad" by Lily B.

"Happy birthday Luna!" Mother said to me. I looked at the cake she was carrying. At first, I didn't notice it. But then I looked at it. I screamed in terror. There on my giant, rainbow cake was a huge, very long legged hairy SPIDER looking at me with all of it's big scary 8 different colored eyes. I ran for the garage. Mother dropped the cake.

The entire house had gone mad, screaming and running. Through the chaos, I searched for Spider, wanting to destroy it. I had picked up my father's old metal baseball bat from the garage.

"DIE YOU HORRIFIC HIDEOUS HAIRY SPIDER!!!!!!" I screamed as I charged towards the nasty, gnarled, disgusting thing... Read the rest!

View All Breaking News