"For You, Anything" by Dustin Ruth—Our December 2021 Gold Medal Winner

Dustin Ruth is our first place winner from the contest posted in our December, 2021 issue and his story will be published in the March 2022 edition. Congratulations, Dustin!

What the judges had to say:

“I realized I was holding my breath as I read the last paragraph! What a unique and creative take on the prompt.”

“This story was a powerful and disturbing metaphor for a dysfunctional relationship with a tragic end. Very clever and creative way to use the prompt image.”

“Interesting premise sustained until the end. The theme of how we transform others was managed with care, threaded throughout the story.”

Meet Dustin

Dustin is a former journalist now living in B.C. He always wanted to be a writer and has decided to give this whole writing thing another go.

For You, Anything

an excerpt of Dustin’s winning story

It was once upon a Tuesday, in a bar down any old street, where Keaton and Mollie’s eyes first met. First would not be right, for the eyes were the second thing each noticed that night. For her, it was his red shoes standing against the expanse of the bar. For him, it was her red dress contouring endlessly beyond his imagination.

He said hello. She said it back. And that was that. They were in love, though they did not know it yet. It would be many months before Keaton and Mollie understood what they both felt that night. But between the satin sheets, on a Tuesday many Tuesdays from then, the words finally slipped out.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“You do?”

“Of course.”

She smiled. “I know you do.”

“You love me, don’t you darling?”

“I do.”

“Please, tell me you love me.”

She touched his face, rubbing her hands against the shadowed grain that, by this hour, had spread. It felt of sandpaper, ripping, tearing as he pushed his body against hers. But that mattered little to Mollie now.

“I love you,” she whispered.

His hand caressed her soft, yet rather pointed, chin, tighter now, moving it this way and that.

“My little caterpillar,” he said. “Yes. Yes, of course you love me.”

They kissed and laid together motionless for hours.

…

to read the rest of the story, order your copy of the March 2022 issue.