Winning Stories – CRANKED ANVIL PRESS

Prompt Stories…

INSERT VAGUE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE HERE by Keith Henderson (1st place, Prompt Mar22)

11 May 202211 May 2022

It’s a pencil keeping him from sleep tonight. Not an actual pencil, obviously, a metaphorical one. Or should that be a metaphysical one? One or the other, anyway. There are…

Prompt Stories…

PAWN TAKES KING by Jonathan McLaughlin (2nd place, Prompt Mar22)

As I sat in my office, stumped over a crossword puzzle asking me for a six letter word for a legendary Greek king, my leg couldn’t stop shaking. My eyes…

Prompt Stories…

EMILY AND THE GIRLS by Alison Wassell (3rd place, Prompt Mar22)

Emily’s colleagues, not one of them under forty, refer to themselves as the girls, as in "girls’ night out", "all girls together" and "girl talk". Girl talk, as far as…

Flash Fiction…

LONELINESS IS BEIGE AND TASTES OF MUSHROOMS by Emma J Myatt (1st place, Flash Feb22)

13 Apr 202213 Apr 2022

It’s a yellow Friday and I’m about to finish when I see a man in the closest aisle, prodding different packets of biscuits. His mask is the right colour and…

Flash Fiction…

TIM’ROUS BEASTIE by Charlotte Mitchell (2nd place, Flash Feb22)

Maisie Gibbins went to make banana bread and discovered that a mouse had shit in her flour. “The wee fucking bastard, it never has! Jesus, can’t I have anything to…

Short Stories…

ANGELA BARR TAKES EARLY RETIREMENT by Abigail Williams (1st place, Jan22)

There had been drinks at Angela Barr's retirement party. Half mugs of warm Prosecco and a shop-bought cake. 'Early retirement' was what they said, but she knew the truth. Her…

Short Stories…

WHEN THE TOUR GUIDE STILL SMILES by Hannah Retallick (2nd place, Jan22)

Paris. The city of love. Eiffel Towers everywhere, couples kissing for selfies, visitors buying fridge magnets from street sellers. It will help. Tourists crowd the ramp to the Seine, waiting…

Short Stories…

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TOLL BRIDGE by Taria Karillion (3rd place, Jan22)

Dear Sirs, I am a hard-working, law-abiding troll and am writing to seek your legal advice regarding a recent workplace injury of a distressingly violent nature and hope that your…

Flash Fiction…

GLASS by Fiona McKay (1st place, Flash Nov21)

Push it down. All the way down. Everything is fine. I can do this. I can. It’s just a test. Mom always says that a test is just to help…

Flash Fiction…

THE SUNSET PEACH AND THE LEMON TREE by Dettra Rose (2nd place, Flash Nov21)

26 Jan 202226 Jan 2022

Percy’s tailor would be unforgiving if he saw the mix of textures. Rough plaid with silk-velvet and raw linen. He’d warned against such matches. But smoothing down his waistcoat, Percy…

Short Stories…

A DRIED RAT by Flo Ashbee (1st place, Oct21)

22 Dec 20212 Feb 2022

They found a dried rat while clearing out their parents’ house. It was under the sink in the utility room. “Do you think it died of old age?” the younger…

Short Stories…

GUNPOWDER, TREACHERY AND SEX by JD Revitt (2nd place, Oct21)

If you stroll along the sea front, saltwater wind stinging, hair whipping sticky tendrils across your lips, head straight up the hill, down the first set of steep steps, then…

Short Stories…

SEEING HIMSELF OUT by Peter Hankins (3rd place, Oct21)

It didn’t seem odd at first that there should be someone in David’s bedroom. There was a faint shuffling noise, which must have been the thing that roused him, but…

Flash Fiction…

WASHING DAY by Richard Hooton (1st place, Flash Aug21)

Andy glared at the damp sock in his hand as if it was the root of all problems. His other grey socks, along with his white vests and shirts, pleated…

Flash Fiction…

THE BRIANS by Hilary Coyne (2nd place, Flash Aug21)

The Brians came back last night. I didn’t notice until my son said, “Mummy, there’s a Brian in a box at the end of my bed. I don’t like him.…

Short Stories…

WHO AM I? by Denny Jace (1st place, Jul21)

My name is Lauren. I’m from Birmingham. I’m married. I have a daughter. I wave my husband Ed off, as he leaves to catch the 8.47 train to work. Please…

Short Stories…

PIPE DREAM by Will Griffin (2nd place, Jul21)

George Sprung turned his key carefully in the lock. He stepped into the house as if he expected a booby trap, closed the door softly, put his briefcase on the…

Short Stories…

THE TRAIN TO BRIGHTON by Caroline Ross Tajasque (3rd place, Jul21)

Salim was supposed to go on the tube. But he doesn't do the tube, not since he had a panic attack at Mile End station. The buses were all packed,…

Flash Fiction…

SOAKING THE JARS by Bernadette Stott (1st place, Flash May21)

Jem liked those posh yogurts. The ones that came in real glass jars with proper twisty lids. Every jar kept, label picked off, soaked in warm suddy water. Some jars…

Flash Fiction…

THE UNSAYABLE by Alison Wassell (2nd place, Flash May21)

Three o’clock. In fifteen minutes, Jen can release thirty children into the custody of their parents. Today they are, so far, all unmaimed. She begins to relax. Too soon. Tilly…

Short Stories…

SHINDIG by Letty Butler (1st place, Apr21)

11 Jun 202117 Jun 2021

Ursula is in her usual fireside spot languishing in her own flesh, whilst reading an old Argos catalogue aloud to Boggo. He can’t hear her because he’s in the galley…

Short Stories…

THROUGH THE RUSTING GATE by Rosie Morris (2nd place, Apr21)

11 Jun 202117 Jun 2021

Jake’s mammy always wove the most wondrous tales, carrying him on the magic carpet of her imagination to kaleidoscopic worlds far beyond the everyday. Through her, he became an intrepid…

Short Stories…

THE COUNTER by Chris Cottom (3rd place, Apr21)

11 Jun 202117 Jun 2021

You love clacking the abacus beads across their frame, counting off the nights until Father Christmas comes. You like the red ones best, the top row. The enemy are the…

Flash Fiction…

THE MOST FASCINATING WOMAN IN THE WORLD by Andrew Boulton (1st Place, Flash Feb21)

11 Apr 202117 Jun 2021

When it became clear she truly was the most fascinating woman in the world, everybody wanted to be near her. And, because she genuinely was a fascinating woman, and hadn’t…

Flash Fiction…

LET’S NOT by Colette Coen (2nd place, Flash Feb21)

11 Apr 202117 Jun 2021

‘There have been times,’ she stopped reading the magazine article, ‘when I’ve thought about it.’ ‘Of course,’ he said, and she’s glad he understands. ‘Me too.’ ‘Oh,’ came out of…

Short Stories…

NIGHT TERRORS by John Biglands (1st place, Jan21)

15 Mar 202117 Jun 2021

I push my head around the edge of the door. It’s eleven o’clock but he isn’t asleep. He’s lying on his bed, ramrod straight, staring up at the ceiling. His…

Short Stories…

THE RESPITE by Barbara Kuessner Hughes (2nd place, Jan21)

15 Mar 202117 Jun 2021

We had no choice but to ram in the front door of Flat 27. Our procedure is that one person enters first in case of an ambush. I’m thankful it…

Short Stories…

HIGH HOPES ON THE HIGHWAY by Caroline Drew (3rd place Jan21)

15 Mar 202117 Jun 2021

Moments before he slammed the door behind him, Charles could hear the sound of his wife’s loud laughter rolling in his head. She’d describe it as having her giggle-mug on,…

Flash Fiction…

WARM MILK by Hannah Sutherland (1st place, Flash Nov20)

18 Jan 202116 Jun 2021

He’s drinking the glass of warm milk as he’s always done before bed, a ritualistic habit, born from his childhood. Slurps it down, wipes his lips with the back of…

Flash Fiction…

SOUP KITCHEN by Rose Walker-Taylor (2nd place, Flash Nov20)

18 Jan 202126 Jan 2021

I had my fiftieth birthday at the end of April. I look around me now and struggle to believe that at fifty years old, I now sit here. The path…