top of page
News

Professor Edmund Percekay: Master Locksmith
4 X 100 word drabble. Professor Percekay helps the new librarian with a sticky situation Silently skulking down the hallway, looking for errant students out past curfew, Edmund came upon Miss Muliebrile grumbling under her breath. “Stupid lock, why are you fighting me,” she groused, repeatedly trying to shove a key into a stubborn lock. “Is there a problem, Miss Muliebrile?” It did not escape the professor’s eagle-eyed attention that the Academy’s new librarian was quite a co
Elise Betz
18 hours ago2 min read
Don't Whistle
Writer's Weekly 24-Hour Fall Short Story Challenge Entry Prompt: The sagging porch faced east. Beyond the field of rotting pumpkins, a blood moon was rising. After a long day of moonshining, the two men alternated swigging from the same jug. They’d both heard the stories. They knew they had to get inside before the moon turned orange. Then, they noticed a little girl in a white dress skipping in their direction... Stories need only touch on this topic in some way to qualify.
Elise Betz
Oct 294 min read
Letum Sanitas Dolores
Writer's Playground Eleventh Challenge, 1955 words: Summary: A queen laments her imprisonment and the curse her husband, the king, suffers. Trigger warnings: mental health issues and reference to drug usage Peering through the bars of the ancient tall tower in which she was imprisoned by her son, Prince Energumen, Queen Doloris could see nothing but desolation beyond. “I fear that I shall not be able to free you, my beloved husband. And if we escape, a vast wasteland lays bey
Elise Betz
Oct 198 min read
Harbinger
Tadpole Press October Mini Moon 10 Words or Less Writing Challenge Entry Smoldering leaves, rotting pumpkins, ominous moon. Autumn full of portent.
Elise Betz
Oct 181 min read
How to say “things will never be the same” without saying “things will never be the same.
Forest and Fawn micro flash challenge I won’t bore you with some Zen cliché about never stepping into the same river twice or treasuring each precious moment as it is fleeting or sand through the hours glass crap. Just accept it and move on. You can’t go back, can’t change the past. This is your new reality, so suck it up because the clock is ticking and it’s not going to wait while you navel gaze and wonder how it’s going to be going forward.
Elise Betz
Oct 141 min read
Sangfroid (2,486 words)
Archetype Editing romantasy short story challenge entry. WARNING: graphic sexual content and mild gore Prompt elements: Event: A masked...
Elise Betz
Sep 510 min read
Kaeru
Winner of an Honoorable Mention from WritersWeekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest (833 words) Prompt to be included: Did she just see what...
Elise Betz
Sep 24 min read
Lomonosov to Leningrad
Forest & Fawn Friday 100 word prompt challenge: an enchanting encounter The train rocked back and forth as it trundled along. She had...
Elise Betz
Aug 61 min read
SENTIENT CATTLE
Entry for the Forest & Fawn Faerie Short Story Writing Challenge (1995 words) Summary: Alfhard, a fae, goes on a voyage to another world...
Elise Betz
Jul 248 min read


The Unfathomable Barmaid
A sea shanty from the WIP manuscript, "A Sylvan Tale" Lyrics by Elise Betz, music/composed/performed by Andre Menegazzo In my current...
Elise Betz
Jul 171 min read
A Fleeting Summer Romance
Story Street Review Short Story contest entry. Prompt: Summer Sadness (100 words) Unfurling my habiliments upon Summer’s hedonistic...
Elise Betz
Jul 11 min read
Third Time's the Charm
Gotham Writers’ 10 words or less Very Short Story Contest 2025 Entry Earth exploded. “Now what?” God shrugged. “Third time’s the charm.”
Elise Betz
Jun 271 min read
The Squirrel
One sentence horror prompt: A summer serial killer known as "The Squirrel" Friday flash fiction writing prompt by Tyler Poole on Bsky...
Elise Betz
Jun 201 min read
Comedic Tragedy
Gotham Writers April 25-word short story submission. Prompt: “comic” His pantomimes portraying misery made them laugh. The more despair...
Elise Betz
Jun 181 min read
At First Glance
Gotham Writers March 25-word Contest Submission. Prompt – at first glance Meeting her fiancé’s best friend then, at first glance, he was...
Elise Betz
Jun 161 min read
Daffodils
53 Press: 53-Word Story May Contest “A Promise” Tilling the soil with the gritty, powdery mixture, she was upholding her promise to...
Elise Betz
Jun 11 min read
Shadow Dance
Tadpole Press May writing contest entry (99 words) She had danced towards his embrace since the day she was born. As a child, he was a...
Elise Betz
May 311 min read
A Kiss to Build a Spring On
Writer's Weekly 24 hour Prompt: She was on her annual trek to the Spring Fair to obtain that one essential item. She walked quickly,...
Elise Betz
May 154 min read
Love Is the Way Forward
Entry in Forest and Fawn's Romantacy Spring 2025 challenge (2000 words). Hiding from daemon troops, Princess Cerys comes across someone...
Elise Betz
May 128 min read
Hope for a Spring Promise
He promised to return to her after the war (2223 words) It was nearing sunset. She had waited for him since dawn. Eryn kept her mind busy...
Elise Betz
May 19 min read
bottom of page



