Long Story Short Contest Winners 2025
Winner: A Drink At Davy’s Tavern by Bridget Benz
Casey spotted Eva darting out of the house at dusk again. Under the streetlamp’s glow, she scampered across the road and around the back of Davy’s Tavern. Casey followed. Davy’s had been closed for years. What was Eva doing there? Casey watched her climb atop an overturned trash can, horse open a window, and climb in. Crouching low, Casey scurried to an adjacent window and peered through the cracked pane. Several stubby candles’ flames reflected off a mirror behind the bar, the only light in the dim room. Wax pooled thickly below them. “Play us something, Serge?” Eva prompted as she took off her coat and settled onto a stool. Floorboards creaked in the corner of the room. Casey turned to look as soft fiddle music began. When his gaze returned to Eva, she was clutching a freshly poured whiskey and studying Casey’s reflection in the mirror. “Got anything bottom shelf for my nosy neighbor here?” Eva called into the darkness while beckoning Casey inside. He was halfway through the window when a second glass slid down the bar and stopped at the empty seat beside Eva’s. Casey’s jaw dropped. From beyond the mortal coil, Davy never missed.
Runner Up: Coverup by Dianne Emmick
Elizabeth Bennet wriggled out of the covers and found herself next to her friend Daisy Buchanan. “I always feel so flat when I first get up,” she said.
“Yes,” replied Daisy, “but we perk up when we all see each other.”
“Hello, girls,” chimed Jay Gatsby. “You’re looking lovely today.”
“There goes that scamp, Tom Sawyer,” warned Daisy. “Don’t you come near me me with that paint brush!” Tom dashed away straight into Oliver Twist, and the two ran off in search of buried treasure.
“Those two are going to be famous someday,” observed Sherlock Holmes. “They’re always seeking adventure.”
“Boys after my own heart,” agreed James Bond.
“Bah, humbug,” growled Scrooge. “they will come to no good end.”
“Now, now,” admonished Atticus Finch. “They are good boys at heart. They just need some words of wisdom from the likes of us.”
“And they need to take pride in their roots,” added Kunta Kinte.
Just then they heard a door open. “Morning already,” murmured Miss Marple sadly. They all began to shrink into themselves as they climbed the shelves and into their beds, slamming their covers down hard.
The library opened for the day.
Runner Up: Tomorrow Can Wait by Ian Waverly Campbell
When my wife drifts off, I pet the dog, thumb the worn leather of his collar, and whisper, Wally. Once, he would spring to attention. Now he only grumbles and rolls over. I step into the hall and call again. This time, the bed shudders as he springs up. I can hear my wife roll over, awakened by the movement. The dog barrels towards me.
His eyes flash, What took you so long? This lasts only a moment, before he is trotting down the stairs and into his crate. He forgets, curls inside without going out. I pull on my shoes, open the door and wait. He remembers, darts into the dark.
He wanders through the yard, nose to earth. Slow sniffs thread the velvet night. In fall, there's the crunch of leaves. In winter, the crunch of snow. But tonight, there is nothing. His fur is graying now. I try to look away, gazing at long dead stars.
Too soon, Wally waits at the door, ready for bed. It is my turn to make him wait. Tomorrow can wait.
Notes on the winning entries for "The Long Story Short" micro-fiction contest by Linda Lowen
Sometimes short fiction can feel truncated, as if it’s only a portion of a fuller story. And sometimes events aren’t clear because a writer leans into too much description to set the mood but fails to situate the reader at a comprehensible starting point. Every entry in this competition had merit. What guided my choice in selecting the winner and the two runners-up was, ultimately, clarity. I’ll explain why the three stories below met and exceeded the criteria described above.
WINNER: A Drink at Davy’s Tavern
Whether short or long, fiction should tell the whole story (surprises are always a bonus)--and that’s what A Drink at Davy’s Tavern accomplished. Every element on the page moves the reader forward to a satisfying yet unforeseen ending. There’s just enough description, and there’s no confusion as to what’s going on or who is who. And finally, when a word is used in an unfamiliar context and I learn something new, I’m delighted; I’ve never seen “horse” used as a verb meaning to physically move something heavy. From my very first reading of this and through subsequent readings, this stood up to scrutiny and continually made me smile. It’s a clean, crisp story with a good deal of showing and minimal telling.
RUNNER UP: Coverup
Clever, original, and a lot of fun, Coverup plays with the ‘toys come alive when the shop is closed’ trope by making famous figures from well-known books emerge from their covers after hours at the library. Largely told through dialogue, the characters behave true to the reader’s expectations. And one particular choice made by the author sealed the deal: an awareness of the need for diversity. The ending, while expected, provided--at least for me--an unanticipated image: iconic characters shrinking into themselves (at least until they emerge once again under the reader’s gaze). For a library writing contest, this was spot on.
RUNNER UP: Tomorrow Can Wait
Often all a reader needs is to step out of their own life and into the narrator’s world; even if there’s nothing big happening, it’s a form of escape. Tomorrow Can Wait was the most richly immersive entry-- it offered just enough detail without choking the story with cliches or over-dramatization. The first sentence is evocative with its strong sensory images: it hooks you into the narrative. In this quiet moment, this pause just before bedtime, subtle emotions swirl under the surface, and often that’s enough. Like every other winning entry, it feels complete.
