“Alone” by Hannah Newell vs “Good Neighbors” by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt Greetings, short story lovers, and welcome to Round 4 of the 2016 Arena Tournament. We asked our authors to explore a very specific type of relationship for the arena this week. It is a relationship built entirely on chance. … Continue reading
I had a slowly rolling metal ball in my gut. That’s the feeling, at least. It had spikes that patiently tore at everything in me that was once peaceful. It never rested, it never stopped, and because it never left me it seemed to promise that it would remain for … Continue reading
The angrier Tate Gibson got, the more amusing his wife found it. “Why don’t you go over there and talk to her?” Abby asked. “I shouldn’t have to go over there. She shouldn’t be playing her music so loud.” He shook his head. “If I had known the walls were … Continue reading
“Deadwood Run” by Tony Southcotte vs “The Foghorn Leghorn Tribulation” by Thomas Mays Greetings, short story lovers, and welcome to the third quarterfinal round of our 2016 tournament. We’ve had some journeys so far in the arena, our walls are no stranger to the idea of a road trip, … Continue reading
The hem of Anne’s dress draped over a box of TNT. She’d been sitting in the shade of the wagon for most of the day while her father drove the horses forward. The flat plains had given way to the Black Hills mountains and the scent of fresh pine was … Continue reading
The Penhurst contract had been a weird one – one of those shake-your-head-and-laugh-about-it-over-beers-later sort of capers – but, all in all, it had been a good job and well accomplished . . . right up until the close. When your client pulls a gun on you, it has a tendency … Continue reading
“All Our Incandescent Yesterdays” by Albert Berg vs “The Dark” by Lu Whitley Over the course of the past year at the arena we’ve found ourselves going back to the basics. We’ve especially enjoyed rounding out some of the major themes that our older prompts dipped into. For example, … Continue reading
My fire is black as coal dust. Through this window in my chest, I see it flicker through shades of gray like the scenes of an old-time movie. They tell me it’s my soul. Murky and tortured as it may be. “Why are you so dark, Erin?” My ordered psychiatric … Continue reading
I was always hungry, my love. I was hungry on the day I descended from the mountain into your cold world. You languished in the darkness, gnawing at roots and berries, tearing at raw flesh with rotten teeth. You huddled under the skins of the other animals, almost dead … Continue reading
“The Queen’s Cure” by Joseph Devon vs “Impossible Wings” by David Webb Greetings, short story lovers, and welcome to the very first prompt of the very first round of this year’s tournament. Nothing ever stays the same. But some changes are more…noticeable than others. As readers you are no … Continue reading
