2024 Short Short Story Contest

2024 SHORT SHORT STORY CONTEST

About Ethos Literacy

Ethos Literacy has grown from tutoring 22 people in 2009 to being a community leader in literacy That’s 15 years of building strong programs, creating community partnerships and making a difference, enrolling 1,600 adults

We provide free one-on-one and small group tutoring in reading, writing and speaking English. Our students range in age from 18 to 60+. They are immigrants from 47 countries. A majority of students in our reading/writing program, come to us reading below 3rd grade level.

Our students come here to learn the skills they need to make a better life for themselves and their children

www.ethosliteracy.org

general@ethosliteracy.org

text ETHOS to 44-321

About the Contest

The challenge: write a 100 word story on one of these topics: bicycles, eclipse, fire or suitcases.

We awarded six cash prizes:

Best of Contest

Best of Topic

Best Youth Story (writers 14 years old and younger)

Stories were read and scored by a panel of three readers using a scoring rubric. Ethos Literacy’s Board of Directors chose Best of Contest - using the same rubric.

Writers from the United States, Europe and Asia participated. Thank you to all of them.

The Writers

Diane Berger

Diane Berger is the Co-Founder and Director of a non-profit agency in Albuquerque, NM called Kids Empowered, which teaches kids to recognize, prevent, and stop child abuse. This is her first foray into the writing world. Diane is pleased to support Ethos Literacy, a fellow agency working to empower others

Eric Good

A life-long resident of eastern Tennessee, I recently retired from careers in architecture and teaching high school math and physics

Trying to find my place as a proper burden on society, I'm spending more time writing in various genres including contest entries such as Ethos - thanks to all!

Amy Isenberg

I have always loved the adventures and lessons that unfold between the pages of a good book When I am not working as a nurse or busy writing, I am out on the lake enjoying the beauty of East Tennessee with my husband and daughter The Colorful Narwhal is my first published book and readers can follow me on Instagram @pages.by.amy

The Writers

Miranda Lucero

Miranda Lucero is a local abstract artist and writer. She lives with her fiancé, who is her muse and best friend, her younger sister, who teaches her something new everyday, and a pack of loving dogs and cats Her art is a dedication to the ones she loves, and the ones who love her back

Lucas Powers

My name is Lucas Powers and I live in Vacaville, California I am 12 years old and in 7th grade My hobbies and interests include writing, reading, playing soccer, and growing plants I also love animals I have 9 pets in total! I am very active, and I like to try and play with my siblings, who are twins. When I grow up, I want to attend college and become a wildlife biologist, photographer, or actor/director. I hope you enjoy my story.

Best of Contest - Fire

Last Chance

Amy Isenberg

She draped her legs across the fire pit, resting the shackles over the coals. The cuffs around her ankles grew hot, singeing her leg hairs and blistering her skin. She ignored the pain. Lifting the chain out of the fire and onto the floor, she beat the glowing metal links with a skillet from the stove. The chain cracked. She yanked her legs in opposite directions, breaking free at last. Scattering the embers across the floor, she flung herself out into the snow.

Flames engulfed the shack as she sprinted towards the forest. He would be back any minute.

Best of Category - Bicycles

Sad Physics

Eric Good

My brother was so infuriating. He biked teasingly in front of me and needed some payback. I decided to ram him. The sad reality of bicycle physics says that friction results when two rubber surfaces meet.

The back edge of his rear wheel moved upward; the leading edge of my front wheel - downward and opposite his. Upon contact, both wheels grabbed and stopped rotating. He skidded briefly and rolled blithely on.

Another sad reality - human bodies have momentum; they don't stop just because a front wheel does.

Something to think about as the last stitch was sewn into my forehead.

Best of Category - Eclipse Passing Shadows

Eric Good

She is my morning sunshine, my afternoon breeze, and my evening surf - my world. We thrill in building the nursery addition to our little cabin in the woods.

But complications arise; bedrest and medications follow.

It isn't enough, and I collapse hopelessly in the post surgery waiting room.

The eclipsing moon blocks the much larger sun because it is so much closer.

As I hold the fresh squirming bundle in my arms - a miniature of her - she opens her eyes and I see the first rays of light peeking out.

It is blinding.

Best of Category - Fire

Surround Sound

Miranda Lucero

It is so cold. I sit cross-legged in the darkness, struggling to make out the pit in front of me. I beg the ash to catch fire; but it answers with a sigh. I need an offering of some kind.

I use my passion for you as that flint, imaging the flames twirling, dancing, tantalizing me like you do with your shape. The light in your eyes burns brighter than any I’ve ever seen. It shines into my soul, warming me from within. A smile slips across my lips. Even here, you surround me. Then, I hear a spark.

Best of Category - Suitcases

Multi-Leg Journey

Diane Berger

Home was cozy and safe, but Sammy dreamed of traveling. Eyes closed, she could easily sense the airplane’s weightlessness, inhale the fresh ocean air, and savor the warmth of a tropical climate.

Sammy’s fantasy was interrupted by the unzipping of her front door. Brightness exploded in, causing all her eyes to snap shut. Recovering, and just as she’d imagined, an idyllic beach view came into focus. She urgently crawled over her web (adherent to a flip-flop), and jumped down onto the hotel carpet.

Yes, home was cozy and safe, but she didn’t even look back as it was wheeled away.

Best Youth Story

The Lunar Eclipse

Lucas Powers

In the beginning, two gods emerged. Solarus, god of the sun, and Lunarus, his overshadowed brother. Lunarus, the god of the moon, was very jealous. This jealousy overtook him, and he devised a plan, a cruel plan. He was willing to do whatever it took to surpass his annoyingly perfect brother. He set off on the grueling journey to locate Solarus, eventually finding him. Lunarus lunged at the mighty god and penetrated his shimmering aura. With all his strength, Lunarus absorbed his brother’s light, making him appear with a red tint. This phenomenon is what we call an eclipse.

The Get Away?

Eva Abrego

The wind rushed past my face, hair curling around me, as I sprinted down the hallway to the spiral staircase. This was my last chance to get away and I blew it. There was nothing now. Lugging my few belongings in my small suitcase, I turned the corner and flew through the French doors. My heart hammered in my ears as I glanced about, looking for any signs of being followed. Ugh, when would this chest tightness go away? “It’s fine," I tell myself, “No one will know.” I begin walking past the house. They wouldn’t know... Right?

Honorable Mention: Suitcases

Suffocating Suitcase

Alyssa Brade

It is dark – Inky. Oppressive.

My arms are trapped under my chest. I can’t move.

I hear her laughing. Or crying. Or both. The alcohol is numbing my brain, my senses.

She is telling me this is what I deserve.

I need air.

It was a bet. She knew I couldn’t resist a bet. I unpacked the worn suitcase after she begged me to come back. My chest is heavy. Lungs can’t expand. It’s hard to think.

I call for her to unzip the suitcase. There’s music playing, but it’s fading now. The darkness is deeper.

Too late for air.

There’s No Fire

Maiya Brock

There is no fire in the stairwell. A man calls, "fire! Fire in the stairwell!" and this, predictably, makes the other people in the apartment believe there is a fire in the stairwell, though there is not. "Fire!" The man yells again, for good measure, and pulls the fire alarm. Now there are people running and screaming, and coughing though there is no smoke. The man just stands in the middle of it all, smiling and looking up at the unactivated sprinklers. By the time everyone figures out there is no fire in the stairwell, he will be long gone.

Honorable Mention: Suitcases

Till We Meet Again!

Susan Good

The wheels touched down in Paris, France. What joy!!

Sadly, my suitcases went to Paris, Texas.

"No problem, we will send them to your hotel tomorrow."

Having a change of underwear and little else in my carryon, my dreams of being "Très Chic" flew out the window.

I shopped for essentials, but their sizes were different. I left flustered.

I purchased new shoes - they hurt.

I replaced hair products - frizzy hair.

Longing for my custom-tailored wardrobe, I wore the same outfit every day.

Ten days later, ready to check out - a knock on the door.

"Your bags, madame!"

Honorable Mention: Suitcases

While I Wait

Michael Gorman

Wow! Look at that! If rescue never comes, I can behold this magnificent vista forever: snow-dusted peaks with a river valley ribbon flowing away toward infinity.

I now believe in miracles. My Samsonite brother inadvertently saved me, cushioning my thousand-foot velocity drop, ejected from the exploding plane. Instead of destruction on this jagged mountain slope, I landed squarely upon him, like Isaac Newton’s head breaking the apple’s fall.

Should I be found, unscathed, still carrying Marianne Harrow’s travel wardrobe and personals, perhaps my new owner will show me more global highlights. Prague? Maybe Samoa. Until then, what a view!

Honorable Mention: Suitcases

Yours for the Taking

I am married. I have three kids, two boys and a girl. My husband and I have been together for twenty-four years, and I have a secret. Every March 1, I drive to the Minneapolis airport, put on a mini disguise (glasses, Twins baseball cap, and baggy pants) and go inside to baggage claim to steal a suitcase. You can’t choose one that stands out, like the one with the red ribbon tied to the handle or the lime green hardback. You have to choose one that blends in, sort of like how I chose my husband.

Molly Milroy

Honorable Mention: Bicycles Plum

Joann Severson

Being purple, she affectionately called me “Plum.” We frequented farmers’ markets; on Wednesdays she pedaled me to the laundromat, my basket piled high with clothes. Her modest apartment was adorned with treasures we found at yard sales.

One spring morning she sang sweetly as we rode to campus. She lovingly patted me on the seat as she entered the library. Suddenly, a stranger roughly grabbed me, recklessly joyriding me to the edge of town. He hurled me into the river where I lay broken beneath the water’s surface.

Some days I see her walking past, sadly she doesn’t see me.

Honorable Mention: Suitcases

My Luggage - A Eulogy

Heather S. Jones

My dearest Dot,

Thank you for tagging along with me for so many good times and important business ventures throughout the years.

From the western giant mouse of California to the Bahamian waters of the Atlantic Sea.

From the northern conference land of Ohio to the shimmering sinkholes of Florida.

For the multiple southwestern road trip adventures, you carried a great deal of my baggage.

Although I have no way to avenge your murder by the careless airport handlers of Houston Hobby, I will carry on with your other set siblings till they meet you in the great landfill beyond.

Who We are in the Dark

Amber Turner

Jacob peered into the dark, knees tucked against his tiny chest while laid atop sweat- soaked sheets. Paralyzed with fright, afraid to run, he listened to the sounds of his own ragged breath, not daring to step a toe on the hardwood floor, even though his bladder ached for release (and a toilet).

The thing in Father’s closet, once locked in an old suitcase, had escaped. Its screams shook the house on Gilbert Lane. It got Mother.

Father now stands in the doorway, gripping the beast by the throat. Then he smiles as he unleashes it on them both.

The Honorable Mention Writers

Eva Abrego

My name is Eva Abrego and I am a freshman at Highland High School. I love, sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track), traveling, and especially reading. I also participate in Deca and Science Olympiad competitions and I enjoy playing the violin Despite my many extracurriculars, reading will always be my favorite.

Alyssa Brade

Meet Alyssa, a storyteller living in the boondocks of Washington State with her husband and two toddler boys As a fiction writer, Alyssa has been spinning tales that have evolved from childhood antics to heartfelt character-driven narratives. Her literary journey began with a desire to entertain her family, an unintentionally liberated chicken, and a neighbor's unsuspecting backyard. She now enjoys writing in the midst of the beautiful chaos around her

Maiya Brock

Maiya Brock is a sophomore at the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe She is an avid reader and knitter, and loves curling up with a good book and a steaming mug of herbal tea. Maiya is a soft-spoken introvert who writes to put herself and her voice out into the world.

Susan Fisch Good

I am a retired Spanish and ESL teacher who now writes bilingual children’s stories based on my experiences growing up in Latin America due to my Dad’s job with Pan American Airways. I live in beautiful East Tennessee. I am a two-time cancer survivor, a lifetime learner, and grateful for any adventure that comes my way

I write a weekly blog “The Diary of an Airline Brat ” www sfgoodauthor com/blog

Michael Gorman

Author, university instructor, and whitewater fly fishing guide

Michael Gorman lives in bucolic Corvallis, Oregon, home of the Oregon State University Fighting Beavers. Michael has published no less than 26 books on a variety of his passions: fly fishing, cats, self-help, health, and history. He draws love and inspiration from his furry feline family, Squeaky, TinyCat, and Little Bub. His life is blessed

Find him at MichaelGormanBooks.com

Heather S. Jones

Heather S Jones resides in Southern New Mexico with a family mix of people, cats and dogs. She loves Jesus, music, art, writing, and a good gourmet pizza.

Molly Milroy

Molly Milroy shares her love of writing through nature poetry, essays, and more When not immersed in words, she enjoys live music, photography, and exploring new destinations

Residing in Duluth, Minnesota, Molly finds inspiration along the shore of Lake Superior.

Joann Severson

After working for 45 years as an RN, I’m enjoying travel, Bible study, and spending lots of time with my husband and six grandchildren in my retirement.

I would like to acknowledge my high school creative writing teacher, Jim Walker, for sparking my interest in writing over 50 years ago. Thanks Mr Walker!

Amber Turner

Amber Turner has been writing for over 30 years and now does it professionally as a mid-senior level communications manager in the tech industry. When not leading a team of writers and designers during the day, she can be found online shopping, practicing her amateur product photography, reading, writing fiction, binge watching TV, or spending time with her young nieces. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Ohio