Stay a While Challenge Winners

We had an absolute blast judging Stay a While. The challenge attracted an impressive mix of horror stories spanning everything from supernatural and cosmic horror to creature features, folk horror, and full-throttle splatterpunk. There were a lot of memorable entries and more than a few difficult decisions along the way.

While we came across great stories in every corner of the genre, the entries below rose to the top because of the way they captured the spirit of the prompt. Whether through isolation, creeping dread, or unforgettable twists, these stories delivered the suspense and slasher-inspired energy that made this challenge so much fun to read.

🏆 Winners

This Little Piggy by Tyler Clark (they/them)

Tyler Clark takes a seemingly playful tourist attraction and twists it into something far more sinister. This Little Piggy balances survival horror, mounting dread, and genuine emotional weight, creating a story that lingers long after you finish reading the final scene.

Off Season by Sara Wilson

Off Season by Sara Wilson makes great use of its setting, turning a quiet summer camp into the perfect backdrop for a slasher story. Packed with tension, memorable villains, and plenty of nods to classic ’80s horror, it feels like a love letter to the genre while still carving out an identity of its own.

The Snowslasher by Deanna Grey

Deanna Grey takes a classic slasher setup and filters it through the lens of a wildlife documentary, creating something both inventive and unexpectedly funny. The Snowslasher never loses sight of the suspense beneath its clever premise, delivering a horror story that's just as entertaining as it is unsettling.

Before We Forgot by Kelsey Kidder

Before We Forgot by Kelsey Kidder puts a fresh spin on the classic slasher setup, using memory and perception to keep both its characters and readers off balance. What begins as a reunion among old friends gradually becomes something far stranger, building a steady sense of unease that leads to a haunting and memorable payoff.

New Nacogdoches by Jennifer A. G.

Jennifer A. G. uses vivid prose and a richly imagined setting to make New Nacogdoches feel completely immersive. By grounding its horror in believable characters and a growing sense of mystery, the story transforms an abandoned landscape into something both eerie and unforgettable.

🎖️ Runners-up

• Big Sky Country by Ophelia Keane Braeden
• into the waters below by John Cox
• Hags Tarn House by Hannah Moore
• The Moirai Shadow by Sam H Arnold
• Doppelganger by Matthew Batham
• Play with me? by Cristal S.
• Shelter by Sian N. Clutton
• Geoslasher by Aaron Morrison
• Benkill by Paul Stewart
• White Wake by Steph Marie
• Friendly Fire by Polite Adjacent
• The Predator's Screams by Lightning Bolt ⚡
• Under by Nathan Sanders
• The Monster of The Lake by A. J. Schoenfeld
• Glamping Gourmet by Sasha Desideri

🏅 Honorable Mentions

• Whispers by Ruth K
• Stay a While: The Lineage of the Mask by Caitlin Charlton
• Sundown by Alexander McEvoy
• No Man's Island by Natalie Gray
• Still Water by Ian Read
• Myth Tour by Jessica McGlaughlin
• Chicken-Arms by Ecarg Nosive
• The Stalking of a Stalker by Novel Allen
• Novum Tellus by Julie Lacksonen
• The Isolated Cabin by Elsa

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