Last month, Coquitlam Public Library ran a contest called Tiny Stories, sponsored in part by The Tri-City News.
And the entries were tiny indeed: Each could be no more than 420 characters, including spaces and punctuation — no small challenge when telling a tale.
The stories of the three winners in each category (teens and adults) are printed below:
TEENS
Carly
By Ella T.
Last night Carly called me again. She and I are no longer together. I slumped into my sofa weakly. Images of Carly flooded my mind. Her flame red hair, her glowing green eyes, her brilliant smile…Before I knew it, tears soaked me. After purchasing a bouquet of roses, I drove out to Carly. “I love you,” I said, “So please stop bothering me.” As I placed the bouquet in front of Carly’s grave.
That Was Really Funny
By Emily K.
“That was really funny!” she exclaimed as I exit the stage. I cockily push the hair from my face and deliver what I imagine to be a knockout smoulder as a makeshift thanks. “You managed to make me push air out of my nose with slightly more force than usual,” she finished blithely. Post-performance glee dissolves into embarrassment as the applause which belonged to my act transitions into anticipation for hers.
Snow Day
By Grace W.
The instant the bell rang, the girl burst out of the doors like a charging buffalo, stomping her way through the snow and barrelling into her father with a tackling hug that almost knocked the poor man into the snow drift.
“Ooof, what’s gotten into you?” the father chuckles and readjusts his daughter’s fleecy toque.
“It’s snowing, so let’s go build something!” and she skipped out of the school yard, father in tow.
ADULTS
Kit Was
By Ross W.
Kit was at that age when kids want to do everything their dads do. One Sunday he saw me penning a flash fiction-contest entry and decided to do one too. “That’s great,” I told him. “Just be sure it comes out to 420 characters.” An hour later, he was back with a fistful of pages. “So far I’ve got a wizard, an ogre, a ninja and an elf,” Kit said. “If I gotta write that many characters, I’m gonna need a lot more paper!”
The Visit
By Anna R.
The chickadee tapped on the window by my hospice bed, I knew in my heart it was my love who died last year. I’m sad to go but my life has been full. My granddaughter asks me to give her a sign that I will always watch over her. I promise I will and she squeezes my hand. Later that evening as she is tucked in bed by my son, two chickadees visit and lightly tap on her bedroom window. She smiles knowing I’m OK.
Best Friend
By Anna R.
She enters the small enclosure and quietly sits on the cold, cement floor. She opens the tattered book and starts to softly read. The barking stops, and the dog listens. This neglected dog, the one who has never known love, slowly makes his way to where the little girl sits and rests his head gently in her lap. He starts to lick the girl’s hand to tell her that he will be her loyal and faithful friend forever.
