100 Word Story Competition

After thousands of entries—and months of voting—we can finally reveal the winners of our short-story competition

 

Now in its eigth year, our 100-word-story competition continues to grow in popularity. The entries have flooded in during the past few months but while we’ve enjoyed reading every story, only a few can come out on top! You, our readers, voted to whittle the shortlist down to the ultimate winners—revealed overleaf. The finalists will also be published in an anthology, thanks to our sponsor Lulu

Winner

MONKEYS WITH MONEY AND GUNS

by Matt Soden, Chelmsford

Shaving the chimp and getting it into a suit was one thing, but getting it elected? Madness. Gullible, yes. The people weren’t stupid…were they? Sure, he looked like a businessman and he had even learned to talk, but what he knew about running a country you could write on the outside edge of a dollar bill—plus the animalistic urges remained. Less fiscal, more fist-full.

Let the people decide! Oh, I didn’t think…The world waited to see how this monkey business would end, as he sat beating his chest, staring at the big red button on his desk.

Runner-up

CONSIDERING THE WEATHER

by Noah Russell, Kent

Two boys lay in the grass, considering the weather. “The sun is very strong,” said one to the other. But under the tree, in amongst the roots, it was cooler. The bells of the church rang out, the sound rushing through the soil, sending bone-quivering quakes down their spines. St Mary’s stood tall in its fertile grounds, the deep, green blades surrounding it appearing like an algae-covered lagoon, spattered with engraved, jutting rocks; the central spired building, a great flint island. In the yews, blackbirds hopped from branch to twig. The boys’ headstones cast arching shadows across where they lay.

Runner-up

ENCROACHMENT