July 2026 Flash Fiction Winners: Wild
WILD FLASH FICTION WINNER
The First Rain
by Arsy (He/Him)
Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
All my life, I tried to be easy to love. I spoke softly, smiled politely, and folded my dreams into smaller shapes so no one would feel uncomfortable. Then one afternoon, the rain came. Instead of running for shelter, I stood still. Water soaked my hair, my clothes, and every expectation I had carried for years. People stared. I laughed anyway. For the first time, I wasn't performing for anyone. The rain wasn't washing me clean, it was uncovering the person I had buried beneath approval. Maybe being wild isn't becoming someone new. Maybe it's finally remembering who you were.
Arsy: “I’m someone who notices the little things quiet conversations and emotions people often leave unspoken. Writing helps me make sense of the world and of myself. I don't write because I have all the answers; I write because every story is a chance to understand and feel a little less alone.”
WILD FLASH FICTION RUNNER-UP
Untitled
by Jules RM
Melbourne, Australia
She sits at the table. A tacky Tex-Mex joint—his choice. They make small talk but his attention drifts. Mariachi blaring, a group of men hootin' and hollerin', testing their spice tolerance. Her date smiles towards them. She selects a hot sauce– Mild. With one bite her mouth is on fire. She coughs, sputters. She bolts up, knocking her chair over. The men are interrupted. They stare. Her date scowls,
"What's wrong with you?"
"Milk!" She yells. A waiter arrives, he looks perturbed.
"Not. Mild!" She gasps.
The waiter wipes a stain from the hot sauce bottle. Wild. It reads.
Jules RM is a writer and psychologist from Melbourne. Her work explores attachment, loss, resilience and the absurd rituals humans invent in search of meaning. She writes across creative nonfiction and fiction, with a particular fondness for dark humour and uncomfortable truths.
A note from our July flash fiction judge, Brittany Dupree [Three Sides to your Story], on why she selected these pieces.
On ‘The First Rain’ by Arsy:
“This captures wild as the simple, freeing act of finally letting yourself exist without performing for anyone else or holding back because of conditioning. The image of standing still in the rain while everyone else runs for shelter says so much about what it means to embrace the parts of ourselves that are often labelled as too much, when really they’re just human. This story reminds us that being wild can be as small and as radical as choosing not to shrink. It’s untamed in the most tender way, and that’s exactly the kind of wild I want to see in the world.”
On ‘Untitled’ by Jules RM:
“This one earned its place for sheer wit. The slow build of confusion, the perfectly timed reveal, and that final pun landing right on theme made it an absolute joy to read. I loved not knowing whether the wild part of the date was going to be the chemistry, the chaos, or something else, and the writer played that uncertainty for all it was worth.”
Congratulations, Arsy & Jules! 🌟
Our monthly Flash Fiction Competition is free to enter, and writers of all ages, from anywhere in the world, are invited to submit! Follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
