Spooky Micro Challenge Winners
A behind-the-scenes glimpse at the Vocal Curation Team’s top picks from the Spooky Micro Challenge.
Happy Halloween to all who celebrate! 🎃
For this challenge, we asked you to start with one chilling rule — “don’t open the door” — and you delivered stories filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and a touch of the uncanny that made our spines tingle. We are pleased to announce the winners of this spooky challenge below. (We'll keep our notes short to maintain the integrity of these micro plots!)
Grand Prize Winner: "Kinsmen" by Blake Booth
"Kinsmen" captivated us with its haunting exploration of isolation and the unknown. The story's rich atmosphere and profound emotional depth made it a standout entry.
Second Place: "The Door" by Michelle Liew
"The Door" masterfully manipulated perspective, creating an eerie narrative that had us on the edge of our seats.. Its eloquent prose and profound connection between humanity and the supernatural set it apart.
The Runners-up:
"A Door , rooD A" by E.K. Daniels
A brilliantly twisted take on the doppelgänger trope that kept us questioning reality.
"The Last Knock" by Dr. Jason Benskin
A suspenseful build-up with a memorable climax.
"Beneath the earth" by Tim Varney
An original and claustrophobic journey that delves into the mysteries lurking below.
"Weeper's Ranch" by M. A. Mehan
Classic horror motifs with some folklore mixed in, yielding a fresh and haunting twist that maintained suspense throughout.
"Nanna's Warning" by Kenny Penn
Touching and eerie, this piece beautifully balances familial bonds with supernatural fear.
"The One Rule" by Kimberley Silverthorne
A thought-provoking exploration of temptation and consequence in a historical setting.
"Pandora's Box" by N.J. Gallegos
Brilliantly fuses surgical precision with moral transgression.
"The Unfed" by Kenneth cruz
A creative take on the undead theme, filled with personal stakes.
"In the Closet with Monsters" by J. Otis Haas
A unique twist on the monster-in-the-closet.
"The Door in the Wall" by Lydia Stewart
A magical and mysterious narrative that explores hidden worlds with a satisfying and chilling conclusion.
"Where Silence Holds Forgotten Secrets" by Gael MacLean
An abstract and poetic approach that effectively blurs reality and nightmare.
"Night Shift" by Hannah Moore
Captures fear from a child's perspective like you have not seen before.
"Mindfeeder" by Addison Alder
An unforgettable depiction of curiosity turned horror with eerily precise and impacting language.
"Not Every Door" by Emily Fine
A suspenseful narrative that expertly builds tension around the consequences of temptation.
"The Other Child" by Cindy🎀
A poignant and eerie twist on the family horror genre that felt like a movie.
We hope you enjoy these haunting tales as much as we did, and that you don't have any trouble sleeping tonight after reading them. Stay tuned for more challenges, and keep those imaginations roaming the shadowy corners where spooky stories are born — just remember, some doors are better left unopened 👻
You can read all of the Spooky Micro Challenge submissions here HERE.
Explore our current Challenges:
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Vocal Curation Team
Collaborative, conscious, and committed to content. We're rounding up the best that the Vocal network has to offer.
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Represented Challenge Winners
Representation matters. Whether it’s in a movie, a song, or a book, seeing yourself reflected in the media can be life-changing. When someone finally sees their identity reflected on screen or in print, it can feel like coming home. For LGBTQ+ folks especially, these glimpses of representation can validate years of questioning and struggle. And for allies, these stories open windows into experiences different from their own, starting to build bridges of understanding.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout a year ago in Resources
Comments (20)
Well done everyon3
Thank you for this. Feel honored.
Reg gas pra hetu
Felicidades cigan haci
Amazing job guys! This was a really cool experience for me. My first challenge on here was so much fun!
Well done everyone, there were so many great entries the choices must have been tough. Congratulations
Congratulations!!🎉🎉🎉
Congrats everyone
Congrats peeps! 🥳
Great selection! Congratulations everyone of you! Cheers!
I opened the door, and... [trying to think of something funny to type]. congrats to the winners;)
These are awesome!
Well done, everyone!
Congratulations, all!!
Congratulations to all the winners.
Congrats to the winners and all who placed!
Big shout-outs to all who placed and all who entered the Challenge!
Pretty satisfying to recognize a few stories and authors who I’d hoped would place!! Looking forward to reading the ones I hadn’t seen yet too. Congrats and great job to every author who placed :)
Congratulations to everyone! These are all fantastic entries! 🎉
Congratulations to the winners!