Odd Embers Writing Contest

Drabble-abble-abble Contest: Results

“We Eat Toes” (First Place)

by R.P. Sweeney

I chew on Deliah’s frozen toe. They nibble your feet, tender and sweet, we warned the children. What came next? I can’t remember. I giggle. Warm bits of her fall into my hands. She only has two left.

The beasts outside scratch the wood of the icehouse. Her body lies blackened and bitten by the cold. By me. By we.

“We only eat toes,” I whisper and laugh. I smack my face. I’m still human—still a man. God—witness me, I take no pleasure in the sin. I break off another, and chew. Only one left. How did it go? Tender and sweet, swallow and follow… That’s not it.

I shift my shoulders, suck the ice, and swallow her down. I can smell their fur beyond the walls. We smell everything now.

“Not we,” we say. “I.”

The bugbears scratch their long claws on the swollen boards, like applause. They could rip through and tear me apart. Like the others—but they wait.

We wait.

“Get out of my head!” I smash my face into the ice block. The blow reminds me, swallow and feed, summon the seed. Yes, that’s it. What was next? We can’t remember. I break off the last bit of her and suck it against my gums. My teeth grow, my jaw loosens. No more toes. I laugh. Hooves.

I claw at fresh fur on my brow. Bone breaks through. We are full.

It’s time, we decide. We are ancient, older than a prayer. We step over Deliah’s body. We meet the frigid winds.

I am them.

They are me.

Against the white drifts, our eyes burn. Our antlered crowns dip downward. We surround the icehouse and hum Deliah’s name as one—our notes sour. We sing, ten toes, another one grows. And somewhere, a child sings it with us.

Ember says: If I had toes, I’d be making sure they stayed under the blankets tonight!

“Taking Stock” (Second Place)

by W. M. Peregrine

The room should be exactly one-hundred-and-fifty square feet.

She holds a stocktake checklist. Those numbers matter, but she cannot begin her work as her attention is locked on the wall opposite.

There is no wall opposite.

Shelving, ceiling, and floor frame her peripherals. The frozen goods are where she left them. Her breath escapes in rapid, trembling puffs of mist.

She takes a step backwards and does not meet the frostbite-cold metal of the door. Turns to

hiding under sheets so it can’t

see the door is gone. In its place, another dizzyingly incorrect infinitude of freezer. A headache burrows in behind her eyes, accompanying a compulsion to scoop them out.

‘Hokum.’ She gasps words between laughter. ‘Extravagant bullshittery.’

will anyone know to look for me

She’s not dressed right, had planned, timed breaks. It will take about three to six hours for hypothermia to set in, if the freezer’s temperature is still at -23°C.

Absolute silence kindles her awareness of the absence of freezer hum.

dyatlov pass bodies found naked am i warm am i tired

She looks up.

And up.

And falls back into the ice, staring at the expanse above her.

no way i can count all that

The room is not one-hundred-and-fifty square feet and her list is not long enough.

Her phone breaks the silence, screeching out a dissonant Disney ditty. It’s break time.

There is a glow buried in the ice near her head. She scrapes at it with her screaming phone and finds a ceiling light.

The shelves. They’re the wrong way up. Down.

She braces her foot against the lowest platform and climbs like she’s at Rock Sports in the Valley. Pain permeates her frigid muscles but she forces herself to keep moving.

if i let go

which way

will

i

fall?

Ember says: Who knew a trip to the walk-in could be such a trip!

“Baby’s First Pet” (Third Place)

by MM Schreier

Welcome to the Uncanny Pet Expo. Let me show you some options.

Exhibit 27: Draugr

If you’re a fan of zombies, this undead Viking is the perfect pet for you. Exceptionally strong, so make sure to get a good trainer.

Ew, it smells like rotting flesh. What else you got?

Exhibit 93: Banshee

Here, take these earplugs. Banshees are unique companions with the handy ability to foretell impending deaths. Very vocal.

That’s too much wailing. The neighbors will revolt.

Exhibit 111: Kraken

This one takes the blue ribbon in the aquatic pets’ division—all tentacles and wrath. I had one, but it outgrew my pool and I had to release it into the wild.

We’re landlocked. Pass.

Exhibit 204: Jabberwocky

Mind the bitey jaws and catchy claws. The whiffling and burbling are endearing. Your kid will adore it.

Classic, for sure, but it’s just another dragon, really. We’re looking for something a little more out of the ordinary for our kiddo.

Exhibit 488: Shinigami

This death spirit is certain to delight! They enjoy lurking near the recently deceased—graveyards and mortuaries and the like—and are prone to hauntings and possessions.

Very tempting. But we’d really like something on a grander scale.

Frost Giant? Djinn? Mishipeshu?

Maybe we should look elsewhere. Little Sxaodrr'kest is turning five thousand and we want to get them a very special pet, something truly abhorrent and destructive. They are the son of an Old One, after all.

I do have something on display… but, no… it’s not a pet for a child. Forget I said anything.

Intriguing. Let’s see it.

Exhibit 666: Human

These are very short-lived creatures that reproduce prolifically. As a species, this greedy, war-mongering collective exploits their own habitat and visits unspeakable violence upon each other. Classified as impossible to educate and generally irredeemable.

Perfect. Call the breeder. We’ll take 8.3 billion.

Ember says: I would have taken the jabberwocky, personally. That’s too many humans for my taste…

Most Intriguing Title

Oddest Character

Strangest Concept

Just Missed Placing

This list contains stories that were discussed by the judges and actively considered for the top three places. Presented alphabetically:

The Long List

Presently alphabetically:

Judge Shoutouts

Judges were given the opportunity to call out a particular story from the contest that they enjoyed, no matter where it placed.

Thank You!

Ember’s next contest launches this summer. Stay tuned for details, but we hope you’ll, like, literally join us!