Les Miserables. "The Road Not Taken." Casablanca.
Heart-wrenching decisions, seemingly impossible choices—this is the stuff of narrative gold. As we approached a historic election, we invited writers to tell a story—true or completely made-up—in fifty words or fewer, about a character at a crossroads.
Winner
She felt a hand fumble about and then finally take the tooth out from underneath her pillow. She didn't want to catch her; she just wanted a glimpse. To see her wings.
What colour her eyes were.
They were brown. Same brown as her mum's.
The very same really.
Miriam Kotorova
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Finalist
A chipped blue nail hovered over the plane icon. The descent had been smooth.
Before takeoff, the message had pinged: "He's in the ICU. It's bad."
She had selected an animated movie with a happy ending, but it was over.
Her seat-mate stood, impatient.
She closed her eyes. Tap.
*ping*
Stephanie Brigg
Norwood, MA
