Absurdist Awakening Challenge Winners

Reality took a coffee break—and the ordinary went off the rails. In this challenge, we asked you to transform everyday moments into wild, wonderfully absurd adventures. From misplaced shopping carts leading interdimensional rebellions to elevator rides that spiraled into existential debates with talking pigeons, your stories cracked open the mundane and spilled out pure chaos.

After laughing, gasping, and occasionally questioning our own grip on reality, we’re excited to share the winners—writers who embraced the illogical, the unpredictable, and the delightfully strange to craft tales that were as clever as they were unhinged. Congratulations to everyone who submitted—you reminded us that comedy and creativity know no bounds when absurdity takes the wheel.

🏆 $500 Grand Prize Winner: Accidentally Summoning an All-Knowing Crust Lord by Steph Marie

Steph Marie's story triumphantly claims the Grand Prize by masterfully blending the mundane act of ordering pizza with a delightful plunge into fantastical absurdity. The unexpected arrival of The Crust Lord, along with a Vespa-riding, cloaked figure, injects humor and intrigue with pitch-perfect comedic timing. The inventive Pizza Trials, the battle against the gooey Cheese Kraken, and the charmingly bizarre dialogue transform an ordinary night into an epic, doughy quest. Steph's imagination shines brightly, serving a feast of surprises that leave the reader grinning and craving more of her cleverly orchestrated chaos.

🥈 $200 Second Place: Teethpaste by Addison Alder

Addison Alder's story dances exuberantly on the surreal tightrope between the banal and the bizarre, and this dazzling high wire act earns it the second-place medal. By transforming an everyday brushing routine into a riotous, dental dystopia, the narrative weaves a jaw-dropping tapestry of biting satire and fantastical events. Alder escalates absurdity with masterful comedic timing, notably through whimsical hallucinations featuring rockstars and Hollywood veneers. The immersive transformation into a frenetic teeth-centric world showcases both imaginative twists and vivid imagery, keeping readers teetering delightedly on the edge of insanity and hilarity.

🎖️ Runners-up: $15 Each

Mrs. Butcher’s Cleaning Service by Amos Glade

Amos Glade's story dazzles as a runner-up with its effervescent blend of surreal comedy and meticulous absurdity. Mrs. Butcher's unwavering dedication to cleanliness juxtaposed with the demonically chaotic setting injects pure delight into the narrative. The whimsical exchanges with talking gargoyles and animated household messes reflect the playful nature of the tale.

Egg-stra-sized by Lana V Lynx

Lana V Lynx's story wows with its spirited transformation from an innocuous shopping trip into an absurd feast of Herculean consumption and unexpected mutation. The brilliant twist—downing eggs like a seasoned warrior to avert customs protocol, only to transform into a colossal She-Hulk—elevates the mundane border crossing into a comical epic of human expansion. The vivid imagery, especially the comedic logic of navigating a toy car homeward, secures its position as runner-up through its unabashed embrace of outrageousness.

The Art of the Fowl by River and Celia in Underland

River and Celia in Underland's story gleefully spirals from a simple grocery store trip into a brilliantly absurd world of poultry politics and dystopian economics. This piece charms as a runner-up due to its inventive depiction of a world where chickens are corporate overlords and inflation is pegged to egg prices. The escalating hilarity of a protagonist turned live stock in a world dominated by feathered conspirators is an imaginative risk that pays off fantastically, weaving surreal scenarios with sharp wit and social commentary.

Trevor and the Existential Toaster by E.K. Daniels

E.K. Daniels' story dazzles as the runner-up with its uniquely humorous journey from the mundane to the metaphysical, transforming a malfunctioning toaster into a catalyst for existential exploration. The vivid narrative elevates the ordinary quest for a toast refund into a vibrant dance with oracular decrees and surreal options, crafting a universe where every detail brims with comedic absurdity. The story stands out for its whimsical progression, blending ironic wit with existential musings that culminate in Trevor's joyful, anarchic flame dance around the now-befuddled toaster.

The Great Sock Migration! by Neli Ivanova

Neli Ivanova's story captures the whimsical chaos of a city caught in the clutches of a sock revolution! The talking socks' grievances and witty dialogue sparkle with personality, bringing an absurd yet oddly empathetic perspective to hosiery. The narrative wonderfully escalates from a simple breakfast to a full-blown societal upheaval, punctuated by sock manifestos and a bus ride to freedom. The originality and comedic flair, combined with the hilarious inevitability of socks-with-sandals fashion, secure its spot as a delightful runner-up in the absurd adventure showdown.

Tire Change by Tina H

Tina H's story captivates with its brilliant blend of mundane realism and chaotic supernatural interference, earning it a well-deserved runner-up position. The comedic timing is impeccable as Mostuvius, a supposedly fearsome entity, hilariously falters in the face of Erica's litany of medical issues, showcasing a delightful subversion of expectations. It's a tale where the outrageous effortlessly intertwines with the ordinary, delivering both humor and a refreshing twist on supernatural encounters.

Performance by T. McCormack

T. McCormack's story earns its runner-up placement by ingeniously transforming the drab setting of a performance review into an absurdist exposé of privacy gone awry. The comedic timing is delightful, with Alan's flabbergasted reactions to the detailed reports of his personal life, morphing from the anticipated tedium of workplace metrics to hilariously invasive charts about his private activities. The story artfully celebrates the mundane in an extraordinary fashion, closing with a charming nod to civic duty wrapped in surreal satire.

Administrative Attention by Ian Vince

Ian Vince's story dazzles with a bureaucratic dystopia where mundane tasks morph into Kafkaesque escapades! The impeccable transformation of a routine tax claim visit into a surreal encounter with steam-spewing, automaton-like bureaucrats is brilliantly executed. Ian captures comedic irony with playful precision, from impeccable coiffures to unforeseen beards, leaving readers both baffled and delighted at this charming governmental absurdity. This entry earns its runner-up spot for its witty embrace of chaos, comedic escalation, and a delightful dance of the bizarre behind every mundane corner!

The Staircase by Morgana Miller

Morgana Miller's story took the reader on a sensational journey from an innocent seafood boil to a whimsical and wild transformation narrative. Its vibrant metaphors and engaging character dynamics were bursting with clever originality, painting a vivid tableau where sea critters become the surreal harbingers of existential reflection.

New friends... by Angie the Archivist 📚🪶

Angie the Archivist's story spirals delightfully from the mundane morning commute into a lively day in a talking library. As the protagonist navigates both a chaotically sentient Blue Bug and chatty books yearning for proper shelving, the tale masterfully balances chaos and clarity. Its charming dialogue, clever absurdity, and imaginative world-building earn it runner-up status, showcasing whimsical, surreal adventure at its finest.

The Fool's Journey by Tyler C Clark

Tyler C Clark's story waltzes through absurdity with a delightful, dream-like rhythm, earning its place as a runner-up with a journey that is hilariously unpredictable and marvelously whimsical. The Fool's transformation from grocery aisle theatrics to a kaleidoscope of surreal escapades is a fantastic adventure brimming with unexpected twists and a rainbow of comedic logic—from judgmental sphinxes to rap battles with celestial bodies. Greg's epic voyage from insecurity to confidence, catalyzed by a wisecracking dog and a parade of absurd events, charismatically embraces the bizarre, leaving readers chuckling and yearning for the unexpected in their own trips to the supermarket.

Tom's Trojan Paste by A. S. Lawrence

A. S. Lawrence's story earns its runner-up placement for transforming toothpaste selection into a captivating romp of oral absurdity, blending wit with an imaginative storyline. The conversation with Tom, the sassy toothpaste mogul, adds a layer of hilarious unpredictability, escalating from humorous inner dialogues to outright negotiations for peace with a toothpaste. The delightful interplay of consumerist satire and the personification of mundane products made for an utterly engaging and refreshingly inventive tale, celebrating the joyous collision of the normal and the fantastical.

The Renewal by Aaron Morrison

Aaron Morrison's story perfectly embraces the wonderfully strange atmosphere of a routine DMV visit turned spectacle. The tale escalates from bizarre familial revelations about Betsy the cow to extraterrestrial romances, all woven with sharp, deadpan humor that plays beautifully with the monotony of waiting. The absurdity of each moment, especially the uncannily aged child, and the final alien husband reveal, are executed with seamless comedic logic and timing, marking it as a brilliantly eccentric and entertaining experience.

For Sale by Alison McBain

Alison McBain's story sparkles with its clever absurdity and whimsical dialogue, earning the runner-up spot. Transforming the simple task of buying something into a surreal game of semantics is handled with sharp wit and escalating humor. The quirky interaction between George and the enigmatic shopkeeper teeters delightfully on the edge of reality, creating an entertaining reflection on consumer culture. This piece stands out by turning an everyday shopping experience into a mind-bending, hilarious adventure where logic is joyfully upended.

The Closest Exit May Be Behind You by Alyssa Nicole

Alyssa Nicole's story takes the exhilarating experience of barely catching a flight and catapults it into an unexpected, laugh-out-loud absurd adventure. The comic twist of in-flight laughing gas sets the stage for sheer mayhem as the narrative brilliantly escalates with Susan's wild, mid-flight escape. Alyssa masterfully crafts a tale that dances on the edge of reality with perfect comedic timing and imaginative boldness, earning its well-deserved runner-up position.

🏅 Honorable Mentions

As our challenges continue to grow, we are celebrating even more incredible writers with Honorable Mentions—a special spotlight for stories that stand out for their creativity, originality, or emotional impact. Writers who receive an Honorable Mention get a special badge that appears on their profile, showcasing their achievement and contributions to the Vocal community.

• Cosmic Constipation by Caroline Jane
• My Day of Fortune by Anton Crane
• We've Been Trying to Reach You by Alexander Not a Dumas
• When Integers Attack by Barb Dukeman
• It Was Me Uncle Jim's Funeral, and I Nearly Died Laughing by Cathy holmes
• Weed Boss, Broccoli, and Random Squatting by Cristal Beikd
• Just Killing Time by D.K. Shepard
• Taste that Sound is in Town! by Gary Lougheed
• Goose Games by Daniel Bradbury
• The Widow by Joe Young

To explore more Challenges, please visit Vocal Challenges.