Graduation Cake by Charlie Rogers

Three, Three, Nine by Pauline Marie Morris

An arranged marriage between a young Japanese woman and an older Japanese soldier bodes well until a new presence threatens to divide them forever... "Three, Three, Nine" won 4th Place, out of 570 entries, in our Sixth Playground Challenge... Pauline Marie Morris is a talented writer from Albany, NY. She is currently seeking representation for her thriller, Water on The Grid, and she is actively working on her new novel, a dystopian romance set in futuristic Japan. You can find her website paulinemariemorris.com [https://paulinemariemorris.com/] and follow her on Instagram and Threads @paulinemariemorris - Read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com [https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/]

Have You Seen Me? by Sarah Newman

Between a fouled swimming pool, a school bus fight, and a half-packed runaway bag, a girl comes face-to-face with anger, loyalty, and the quiet ways love shows up... "Have You Seen Me?" won 2nd Place, out of 639 entries, in our Twelfth Playground Challenge... Sarah Newman is a talented writer who lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she splits her time working for the local children's museum, battling neighborhood groundhogs who won't stop terrorizing her vegetable garden, and playing beer-fueled fast-pitch baseball with a bunch of lovable punks. She lives in a home overfilled with books with her fellow bookworm husband who is very, very handsome (she was paid by him to add that) and her ball-obsessed Pitbull. A lover of stories and writing bad poetry in the notes app on her phone, Sarah looks forward to continuing to try and find the right words to describe this weird, wild, ephemeral existence. That is, until the groundhogs get her... You can read "Have You Seen Me?" and more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com [https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/]

Graduation Cake by Charlie Rogers

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 [http://charlierogerswrites.com/] and you can read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com [https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/]

One Small Step for a Man by Erin Brandt Filliter

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 [https://erinfilliterature.squarespace.com/]. You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com [https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/]

Despite the Wind by Holly Grover Brandon

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 [https://x.com/hollygb] - on Instagram @holly_b_writer [https://www.instagram.com/holly_b_writer/] - or on Bluesky @hollygb.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hollygb.bsky.social]… You can also read more of the winning stories from our competitions on our website, writersplaygroundllc.com [https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/]