Thanks to all who entered my story competition. The entries were anonymised before I judged them, so knowing me did not benefit or disbenefit anyone!
I enjoyed all the different ways you used the prompt. On another day, with a different judge, any of you might have won.
I chose Samuel Dodson’s story as the winner because of the way it goes beyond individuals. And it has a thought-provoking ending. Congratulations to Sam! Check him out on twitter at @instantidealism and find out what else he’s up to in the writing world.
I’ll run another competition before Christmas, so look out for that.
Here is the winning story:
The Gap
There is a gap that runs through the town. A bisecting line that divides the residents. It is small – smaller than you’d think; and almost un-noticeable. Yet it is impossible to cross.
The two tribes on either side inhabit separate worlds, though they all pretend not to. It only really becomes apparent when people from each side start to approach it. You can watch them – go on. See how they pause, look around; turn away. To cross the gap would be to acknowledge it.
There are, however, cracks. They spread out on either side. They started to appear not too long ago, when the mayor of the town forgot such a gap existed, and tried to ask the town-folk what he thought was a simple question:
“Are you content with where you are?”
The mayor thought the answer to this question was obvious. After all, he himself was exceedingly content. He lived in a big house in one half of town. He had a big garden with a stylish wooden hut where he could sit and write ideas he had. His wife wore expensive dresses and he never needed to worry. People even brought things to his house! There were fancy dinner parties. He never even needed to go into town – so forgot all about the gap that neither he nor anybody he knew would cross.
He couldn’t figure out what to do when the people in the town said they were not content. He hid in his little hut and didn’t come out.
The cracks in the streets are widening the gap.
Soon, the people will have to notice.
Some already have.
Every town has a gap like this.
Coming next: FlashNano!
Cath Barton 