Misplaced Challenge Winners

I once was lost, but now I’m found — amazing grace, and we can only appreciate the latter if we know the former. In our Misplaced challenge, we asked you to consider what it would be like to be cast adrift and to imagine beyond our human shapes.

So congratulations to our winner, sleepy drafts, for Scrabble Philosophy. Lorraine’s lost earring observes her life with perspicacity, and there’s a simplicity of description and observation that make this story vivid and true. “Her shoulder shifted up at just the right angle and nudged me out of her ear lobe.” We can just see it, can’t we? That’s the spirit. This is thoughtful storytelling.

In second place is Aaron Morrison for GABLE: now, to be frank (we’re always frank with you) the lost toy is a bit of a trope, but here the immediacy of the narrator’s imagination stands out. From the evocative detail of the beggarweed at the opening, to the fwoosh of his movement, to the way the writer builds suspense so we’re invested in this little fellow’s fate — it’s nicely done.

And a round of applause for our runners-up too. L. C. Schäfer gave us a mischievous pup on L-O-S-T, and unexpected twist of the tail (get it?) on our rubric; M. J. Benjamin’s conjuring of the aftermath of a shipwreck, Derelict, was rich with atmosphere; Kyle Cejka’s The Hand brought a bit of horror to the task we set you. What else can we say but — we’re glad you all found Vocal. None of us are lost if we stick together.

You can check out the full list of winners HERE and learn about our current challenges below: