Season Nine Short Story Category Winner Announcement!

A ghost story about a father's love and the annual vigil he keeps.

Oct 31, 2024

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Congratulations to

, our Lunar Award winner for the short story, “The Vigil“, which is posted on her Substack Halcyon Horror! Leigh and the honorable mentions will each receive an eBook copy of John Coon’s ”Pandora Reborn”, and Leigh will also receive a six-month paid comp to the Lunar Awards, including a permanent link on the Past Winners page. Thank you to all of the amazing writers who submitted stories.

Halcyon Horror

The Vigil

October 31st, 11:53 pm…

7 months ago · 36 likes · 5 comments · Leigh Parrish

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our guest judges for the Pumpkin Patch were unable to participate, but both John and I have chosen the recipients, which are sure to provide you with all of the frights necessary for good Halloween fun! Regarding the eBook reward, I will be in touch soon with the recipients.

And now a word from John, this season’s judge:

I've enjoyed being a guest judge for this season of the Lunar Awards. I always enjoy getting lost in a good story and was not disappointed with this batch of stories. Memorable characters. Spooky twists. Nail-biting suspense. These are stories I hope all of you will take the chance to read and enjoy.

Choosing a winner and two honorable mentions was not a simple task. There were plenty of stories worthy of coming out on top. Ultimately, I chose the stories that created a spooky atmosphere, created suspense, forged realistic characters, and wrapped it up in captivating prose.

Short stories are one of my favorite storytelling forms. I love how these tales give the reader a glimpse behind the curtain at a larger world while also telling a self-contained story that sticks with you long after the final sentence. Well-written short stories get you thinking and linger with you, leaving questions for you to answer and new trails to explore.

"The Vigil" by Leigh Parrish ultimately stood apart as a haunting and engrossing tale. A grieving father's quest to track down a ghost that appears at exactly 11:59 pm on Halloween night will resonate with anyone who has lost a child or parent or spouse. You sympathize with his inner torment and connect with him on a deeper level. Realism mixed with scares is always a winning formula.

Leigh crafted a high-quality immersive story that's worth your time. She expertly weaves her prose to create a satisfying urban legend and a haunting setting to drive the story. I love how she builds suspense while covering each minute as the clock draws closer to 11:59 pm. "The Vigil "is a perfect role model for how to approach a short horror story.

Congratulations, Leigh!

Both honorable mentions were also fantastic stories. Stephen Duffy creates genuine terror with his dark tale "The Birthday Wish" and leaves you feeling deeply unsettled at the consequences of a rash wish made in a moment of anger. Natalie Phillips dives into the world of buccas — sea-spirits from Cornish folklore — in her tale "To Follow a Bucca", that delivers a fascinating world intertwined with myth and a certifiable gut-punch of an ending that will leave you haunted and speechless.

Thank you to everyone who entered their stories. I'm happy to have had a chance to read what you've written. I encourage everyone to go through and read each story. They are well worth your time. - JC

Honorable Mentions

In the story “The Birthday Wish”, written by

Stephen Duffy

, a young girl discovers the consequences of powerful curses and fulfilled wishes.

In the story “To Follow a Bucca”, written by

Natalie Phillips

, a Cornish folklore follows the journey of two boys who come from two different worlds.

The Pumpkin Patch

Our three Pumpkin Patch winners are

Stephen Duffy

Kaine De Morgan

and

FranB

for their spooky contributions! Stephen was an honorable mention, but you can read the stories from Kaine and Fran under the Participants list. They will all receive a special mention on our Past Winners page. Great job writers!