2024 New Year’s Writing Contest — Prizes, Awards, and Recognition!!!

Okay!!! It’s time to stick a bow on our 2024 New Year’s Writing Contest!

First, a huge thank you to EVERYONE who participated, whether by posting a story or leaving a comment. You helped make this a true community event.

Now: Let’s get to the part you’ve all been waiting for. We have a few prizes, but in the end, not enough of them, because so many wonderful people submitted GREAT stories.

Fifty and Out

By Dee Sylvan

June 2023

I’m sitting in my car wondering what in the heck has gotten into me. The Grande Ballroom is hosting my 50-year class reunion and I’m in the parking lot, ready to walk in, but…

18 months ago, somewhere in the Thumb region…

Rachel, one of my best friends from High School and the former homecoming queen, is showing up on my caller id. “Hi Alex, would you be interested in helping plan our 50th high school reunion for the Fort Austin Pirates?”

On the cusp of living authentically, Allison Szymanski hopes for one final quiet New Year's Eve with family. But the best laid plans of mice and trans women...

Treehouse
By Marissa Lynn

New Year's Eve

Allison pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her eyes. She zipped up her jacket, glancing at the walls, grateful that the steps to the old treehouse still held.

A brutal man learns the folly of his ways.

“Bryan, where’s Martin?” Wendy said as he entered. They twins hugged one another.

“I can’t stay long. We broke up.”

“Really? W–?” Marisol said, also giving her brother-in-law a hug.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Bro.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it. We disagreed about something and neither of us were willing to change our positions. It was a mutual understanding that we’d grown apart.”

“You were together for five years.”

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024

Old friends
Sat on their park bench
Like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
On the high shoes
Of the old friends

A gentle song. Lesser known perhaps but familiar to us both. The single hadn’t gone anywhere, but the album made it to the top of the charts.

I remember the last time I saw her perched on the far end of the bench. I’d walked about as far as my aching bones could carry me so asked if she would mind my joining her.

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming tonight. I realise it’s a little bit of an imposition for me to ask you..."

Everyone laughed politely, which only seemed to confuse the Old Man. I mean this was the New Year’s party, wasn’t it? And he’d all but told us attendance was obligatory. So surely he must have expected a good turnout.

Life and love can yield turns, some welcome, some not. Leah, her friends and family would find that out over the years

Trust Your Gut?
By Marissa Lynn

New Year's Eve 2019

"Why am I here? I wasn't in a contest. It wasn't Halloween. I didn't finish last in my fantasy football league. Nope. I did this to my own damn self."

Jake was lost in his thoughts as Jasmine and Amy had run out of the apartment for God knows what to pull the look together.

“He refuses to do any of the work you’ve suggested,” Susanna said. “You gave us that charm. He was me for less than ten minutes before he freaked out and we had to swap back.”

“I didn’t want to freak out,” Tyler said. “You didn’t warn me it was your time of the month.”

“It didn’t occur to me that would be a problem.”

“Are you telling me you didn’t freak out when it was your first time?”

She didn’t answer.

Carlos, their marriage counselor, said, “Did you?”

Night Shift

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024

You never expect Hollywood to get it right, do you? I mean not in the slightest. Because why let reality get in the way of a good story? Pure escapism, which isn’t to say pure rubbish. I mean we all need to get away from the real world every now and then.

So anyway. Time loops. More common than you might think.

Countdown to Confidence
by Peregrine

Copyright © 2023 Peregrine
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ghost Town
I had small hope this year of achieving my New Year’s Resolution. Recognising that it was likely to fare no better than its predecessor of the year before, I’d varied it this time, but I had little faith. My basic need was centred on overcoming the temptation which surrounded me and which in the past I had proved too weak to conquer. The circumstance from which that delicious torment arose was that I was at home, alone, for long hours each day while Carole, my wife, was working. There was no escaping it.

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024

“I don’t really want to go, Janet.”

There, I’d said it. I’ve never known why I find it so hard to be assertive, but it's especially hard with Jan.

She doesn’t like me calling her that, so of course, inside she’ll always be Jan to me.

Call it my little rebellion.

Maybe that’s where I found the courage.

“What do you mean? It’ll be fun. There be free food and free booze and loads of people.”

Maeryn Lamonte Copyright ©️ 2024
Warning: This story includes mention of a suicide. Proceed with cation.

“So anyway, you know that New Year’s party my work always throws? Well, I asked Colin if he wanted to come, and he said no.”

“Sounds suspicious.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I mean free food, free booze, a chance to let your hair down and boogie. I mean what’s not to like?”

“Absolutely. So what did you do?”

Blue Silk

by Erisian

This year, I hereby resolve…

“Seriously, Joe? Are you still working on that journal assignment?”

Cass hovered above a shoulder, or more precisely, peeked over it as they only reached a few inches above five feet even when shoved into boots.

Whereas in contrast I could hardly fit in the chair and had to lean way over to type, seeing as how my knees would never fit below the ridiculously tiny desk standard to each small and drafty dorm room.

The hotel was on a steep hill, which left the basement neither one thing nor the other. Uphill, it was indeed underground, but on the downhill side it had windows open to the sun. The hotel entrance, therefore was sort of ground floor, sort of first floor.

“Hello. Booked in for two nights B and B”

“Name, please?”

“Anderson”

“Mark?”