Long-held secrets unravel when an estranged son returns to the family house for a graduation party... "Graduation Cake" won 1st Place, out of 639 entries, in our Twelfth Playground Challenge... Originally from Beacon, NY, Charlie Rogers is a talented gay writer who lives in New York City. He is a former photographer and aspiring hermit. He finds himself writing the same story over and over, ignoring birds and their portents, and he studied literature at Cornell University for some reason. His work has appeared in BULL, Uncharted and Ellery Queen... You can follow Charlie and read more of his work on his website, charlierogerswrites.com and you can read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Gordon navigates the social complexities of a new family dynamic. Meanwhile, astronauts explore new frontiers in space... "One Small Step for a Man" won 7th Place, out of 642 entries, in our Ninth Playground Challenge... Erin Brandt Filliter is a talented writer from New Brunswick, Canada, and you can follow Erin, and find more of her work on her website, erinfilliterature.squarespace.com. You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

An eighteen-year-old girl, two young boys, and a reclusive elderly neighbor work together to survive the aftermath of a destructive hurricane during the summer of 1969... "Despite the Wind" won 1st Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Holly Grover Brandon is a talented writer from Petal, Mississippi. She is a preschool teacher and mother of four who squeezes bits of writing into the cracks of a chaotic life. She has published a few short stories here and there, and hopes to add a full-length novel to that list one day. You can follow Holly on social media - on Twitter @hollygb - on Instagram @holly_b_writer - or on Bluesky @hollygb.bsky.social… You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Hank Whitaker, a journalist, stumbles upon Don Mateo Corvalán, an ailing Argentinian widower who claims to hear the voices of the dead from a dry well..."Somewhere Between" won 7th Place, out of 716 entries, in our Tenth Playground Challenge… Russell Mickler is a talented writer from Vancouver, WA who enjoys writing fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and horror… He is an avid participant in writing contests and also a judge for NYC Midnight… make sure to check out Russell’s website, black-anvil-books.com and there you can find a variety of his work, including successes that he has had in writing competitions, short stories that are available on kindle or audiobook, and he also has published a novel called The Ballad of Skyer Dannon: A Vampire Story, which is available on amazon… as well as a whole series of cozy fantasy stories called the Aevalorn Tales… You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Fifteen-year-old Sophia retreats to her childhood treehouse as she grapples with the weight of expectations and a future slipping beyond her control... "The Hothouse" won 3rd Place, out of 697 entries, in our Eleventh Playground Challenge. Natalie Minaker is a talented writer from Worcestershire, UK and you can follow, and read more of Natalie's work on her website, nfminaker.wixsite.com/my-site. You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A science-fiction piece that takes place once Earth has become uninhabitable, and humanity is sending some of its survivors to Mars, and others on exploratory missions through space in search of other habitable planets... "Suicide Protocol" won 2nd Place, out of 553 entries, in our One Year Anniversary Challenge. Lucy Joyce is a terrific writer who has placed multiple times in our writing competitions. She lives in New South Wales, Australia, working as a teacher and she is enjoying life on the coast. You can read more of Lucy's work on her website, clippings.me/lucyemmajoyce and recently, she has been focusing on her poetry, which you can read on Instagram, @poemsbylu. Read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

Set in the 1950s, a shop owner tells a story about regret to some neighborhood boys... This episode is dedicated to Tita Moreno - In Loving Memory and Always in Our Hearts...

A young girl finds peace by the river while the world finds itself once again at war... "A World of Men" won 3rd Place, out of 642 entries, in our Ninth Playground Challenge. Alex Atkins is a talented writer from Utterson, ON, Canada, and she is a chronic genre-hopper. She won the NYC Midnight Prize for Flash Fiction for her science fiction short story “The 4:10 to Tarick” but also enjoys writing horror, romance, creative non-fiction, and more. Check out her website, atkinswrites.com to read some of her publications. Alex also has written a novel called, Them Bones, which is is the first novel in the “To the Grave” duet. It’s a gritty, grungy, coming-of-age romance set in the nineties. Available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. You can find it on Amazon, as well as on her website. You can also follow Alex on Instagram @alexatkinswrites Read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A story about an old wizard on a time-sensitive pursuit, and some young mages who stand in his way... Out of 462 entries, "At the End" won Honorable Mention in our Fifth Playground Challenge. David Ley is a talented writer from London, UK, and you can follow David on Instagram @david_ley. You can also read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com

A story about an adolescent girl and her relationship with her father... "Shane Lives in Allouez Now" won 3rd Place in our Second Playground Challenge. Michael J. Vowles is a talented writer who lives in London, UK and works as a copywriter in financial services. You can follow Michael on his website, tumbleweedwrites.com/ and check out his book of short stories, Fractured Threads, which you can find on Amazon. Read more of the winning stories from our competitions at writersplaygroundllc.com