In the produce bin, among discarded corn shucks and carrot tops, but discernible in a transparent plastic bag, a severed human hand lay with its curled fingers extended toward her, begging. She stared.
“Like I needed this, right?” she said.
Tossing a head of broccoli in her cart, she glanced over her shoulder, steering toward the meat counter. She waved a small goodbye. It was an omen, she reckoned.
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The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online.
The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatically nominated for Best Small Fictions and any other prize we deem appropriate. In addition, we will pay the grand prize winner $1000. Second place: $500. Third place $300. Finalists: $100. All finalists and placers will be published in the December ’25 issue of SmokeLong.
Previously published as well as previously unpublished work will be considered.