Thanks for waiting. We’re about to make the winner’s announcement, but first a series of clues. Number #1 was in the very first sentence. It’s similar to how our winner began their story. Let’s see how you go with the […]
A Mother’s Grief Gena Hannett Major Contest 2018: The Hate and Coat Award My eyes remain focused on the small playground that stands in the middle of an even smaller park. The park itself is more or less a […]
The Disappearance Agnieszka Oszust Major Contest 2018: Hate and Coat Award Following someone’s dreams is hard. It’s like inhaling the air he just has exhaled – you are still breathing, but the quality of every gasp is poor. You […]
Creatures of the Night Tessa McCarthy The Hate and Coat Major Contest 2018 I open the front door to Randall’s incessant meowing to discover for the second day in a row a headless corpse lying on the doormat. “Really […]
For Tommy Alanah Andrews Major Contest 2018: The Hate and Coat Award I am sprawled on the couch chatting with Tommy when the unlabelled package arrives. The thunk as it falls through the slot reminds me of that first […]
Nothing to Wear Ian Harrison Hate and Coat Major Contest Matilda Jackson was rushing around the house, threatening to mess up her perfect hair. She’d spent over an hour agonising over each strand and it was flawless, sprayed […]
Cliffhanger Ian Harrison Hate and Coat Major Contest “Smell that Eucalyptus! Worth getting out of your bedroom for the day, don’t you reckon?” Kevin Gorman ignored his older sister and kept trudging the barely-there path, eyes fixed to […]
Hate Compounded Aphra Pell The Hate and Coat Award They told me to study botany. It is a suitable subject for a woman. I remember my father wearing the coat in his laboratory, its beige linen stained and […]
Supper in the Subway Helen Lalas Hate and Coat Major Contest Virgil kicked the puppy viciously, causing it to trip over its oversized paws in an uncoordinated attempt to get back on its feet. It scrambled back towards its […]
Away from Me Mick Wiley Major Contest 2018 – The Hate and Coat Award “You are always late Dad.” The cyclist in front of the car cocked his finger, shot out the tire with a fake gun, and […]
A Husband’s Coat Anne Howell The Hate and Coat Award The women in yellow appears. “Your mother’s coming. We called to tell her you’re up and talking, Sarah.” Sarah. Interesting. More interesting, how had I forgotten that I had […]
Last Laugh S. D. Platt The Hate and Coat Award “Is this a joke? What the hell is this?” “It’s a jacket, sir” “Yes, I can see that. Thank you, Mr. Lawyer, I see all those years of studying […]
Must Have Been About Leather Meg Hill The Hate and Coat Award We went to look at the car the next day. It was upside down, some problems clear in the light. There was a big log […]
The Needle and the Coat M.C. Benitan Major Contest 2018:The Hate and Coat Award My name is Rhiannon, and I have been on the run for the last four hours. The wind is bitterly cold, and I know I don’t […]
Slasher & Co Sally Lewry 2018 Major Contest: Hate and Coat Award No time for breakfast, I tripped over the empty dog bowl in my run to the front door. No time, no time. Fumbling with the door keys, […]
The Warm Grey Overcoat Peter Larsen The Hate and Coat Award “Memories, light the corners of my mind…” I hate Barbara Streisand. I hate memories. They light dark corners. Corners that should never be illuminated. Strange things, memories. […]
The Procedure Peter Larsen The Hate and Coat Award He had fifteen minutes to complete the procedure. “Don’t worry….it is a perfectly routine operation”, he lied. His calming words did little to soothe the patient. Terrified, she began […]
The Good Neighbours Peter Larsen The Hate and Coat Award “Do you remember when we first moved in?” Dawn lovingly squeezed Albert’s hand. “Of course I do…fifty years ago last April.” “Mind you, the neighbourhood was different then. […]
A coat and the price that was paid. The Price of the Coat Rod Francisco The Hate and Coat Award Many years ago, I made a decision. I knew that one day I would pay a price for that decision. […]
Skeleton Dance Jacqueline Trott 2018 Major Contest: Hate and Coat Award These are the soft hours where she treads a-quiet. She notices the way that the others jangle and jaunt their bony frames into the sunset, like marionettes […]
Catching Butterflies Sandy A Norman Major Contest 2018 – The Hate and the Coat Award Floating in this cage of darkness. With no desire nor will to escape. I know I am safe here. I don’t want to […]
A Cretin’s Gamble By Regina Campbell Major Contest 2018: The Hate and Coat Award Thomas Crooks swore as he slipped across the deck of the heaving whaler. The Verity had nearly been the death of him before, and […]
Paddington’s Coat Pam Fulton The Hate and Coat Award Jenny’s scent clung to the wool fibers of the tiny blue coat with the wooden toggles. I breathed in vanilla baby shampoo and Vaseline, a shiny smear of goo on […]
Millennial Skin Jacqueline Trott 2018 Major Contest: The Hate and Coat Award They welcomed me in their desert tongue of dust and silence and heat. They pointed to the ground with sticks to show me the tracks of […]
Lovers’ Tangle Jacqueline Trott 2018 Major Contest: The Hate and Coat Award He waits for me. I promised that I would have arrived months ago, but as the crippled creeks trickled dry, the weeks had peeled into seasons. […]
Black and White Jennifer Rock 2018 Major Contest: The Hate and Coat Award Moira yanked the cloak off its hook and threw open the door. The ravens were already calling out, screeching at whatever had disturbed their resting hours. […]
Issy Silvana Simic-Bentley 2018 Major Comp: The Hate and Coat Award The Mid West, North America, 1865 “He’s dead.” The words release from my mouth in waves of horror but I do not flinch as I myself retain the hollow […]
The Sound of Bow Bells on the Wind Iain D. Chalmers 2018 Major Comp: The Hate and Coat Award I scratched my beard and grasped the sniper’s rifle tightly to my chest. I had waited an impossibly long time, […]
BURNING MEMORIES JEANETTE STAMPONE THE HATE AND COAT AWARD I’m in a hypnotist’s office. How weird is that? The adults must be so desperate to fix me. I pull my jacket around my body and sink into the couch, waiting […]
Black Crow David Potter Major Contest 2018: The Hate and Coat Award The Black Crow was eating him alive. It had him in its ever-tightening grip and was consuming him, body and soul. The Black Crow with its blood-red beak […]