1st place: The Old Man by Marie Gethins

I keep the old man locked away. He’s been in a secure vault for years. I used to worry that someone might hear him—interminable entreaties, captivating promises—yet no one else seemed to notice... read full story.

The Author

Marie Geth­ins’ work has fea­tured in The Irish Times, National Flash Fiction Day Anthologies, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, Litro, NANO, The Lonely Crowd, Wales Art Review, Word Bohemia and others. She has a Master of Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford. She lives in Cork, Ireland.
2nd place: On the Tropes by Bartholomew Cryan
Old Red sat cross-legged by a pile of crates. Scattered light from a broken gas-lamp meandered up the walls in a swaying crawl. The mood was sombre and serious. Beside him lay some type-of-stereo."Well, Cliff , where do we start?"... read story
3rd place: Tea by Lucy Flannery
My mind was filled with trivia as I assembled milk, teapot and mugs - the car was due for an MoT; my jacket ought to be dry-cleaned before being put away for the winter; the clock in the hall needed a new battery. A robin in the garden caught my eye and I watched as it turned over leaves and inspected the earth below with a beady eye... read story

Commended

The Black Bull by Hamish Adams

Breaking the Chains by Valerie Bowes

It Lies With You by Wendy Dranfield

Orly by John Holland

Right Eye Mythologies by Gillian Dockins

Silence and Laughter by Veronica Bright

There for the Taking by David Stephens