This was my first round entry to the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Competition 2019. The genre I was placed in was horror, the action had to be eating breakfast and the word existed had to be contained in the story. The word limit was 250 words. I didn't qualify for the second round but achieved an honourable mention.


Red on White.

Sonia inhaled deeply, regretting her impulse to enter. She needed the money to fix another heart defect that had resurfaced. The audience remained silent, as per instruction, building tension.

Picture courtesy of Canva.

The producers raised the ante with each contestant's dreadful tale every time they skipped to an ad break. Each story of misery existed merely to drive up ratings, enhancing their network’s coffers and getting people talking about how disgusting and deplorable the situations were becoming.

Sonia was seated under a spotlight, alongside eleven other contestants at the white linen lined table. They wore white lycra clothing, as the slow drumbeat of the theme tune started. The floor producer counted in the host, Michael Bonoski. 

His orange face and white teeth contrasted the blackness around him. Exaggerated hair horns proved how depraved he was especially as it was the final day.

A single light shone on him, revealing how they had lost fourteen contestants, but none were severely maimed. This morning they would lose another six, eating breakfast. He instructed them to put on their blindfolds.

Picture courtesy of Canva.

Each was given a small bowl and a large silver spoon. Then a box of breakfast cereal would be put in front of each contestant. Six of the boxes would have regular cereal inside, but six would contain razor blades, thumbtacks, and tiny nails.

Sonia was contestant number seven. She would be able to tell from the crowd’s reaction if blood was gushing from a previous contestants’ mouth. 


Red on white would make great television.