I entered all of thes into the Anchorage Press Supershort story contest this year.

Category: 5. Sci-Fi
Title: The Last Red Balloon

Puff. Puff.
Puff. Puff.
He sucked on his air hose. The sun glowed brightly behind the haze of brown filling the air. The wind cut into his body. Even as heavily wrapped as he was he could feel the bitter cold. He wiped away dirt collecting on his UV goggles. Stopping at an old bench he snapped a quick photograph of shadows permanently burned on the sidewalk. Climbing over the remnants of a wall he caught a glimpse of something red stuck just above him on the wall. He reached up and pulled the string out of the fissure it was stuck in. The light bulbous rubber end was whipped about by the violent winds. He used a hand to steady it. He gazed at it a moment then let the string slip out of his fingers. The balloon rode away on the winds.

Category: 8. A talking moose
Title: Thomas Nodded

“Hey! Hey, kid!”
Thomas turned around quickly and slipped on a patch of ice. From his view on his back he couldn’t tell who had been trying to get his attention. He could only see a large moose lumbering over towards him. He knew he should get up, he was already late for school, but the moose made him nervous.
The moose quietly slouched over to Thomas and then stood with its face inches away from his.
“That was pretty funny,” the moose said to Thomas.
Thomas started to worry that he’d hit his head when he fell.
“You fell right on your ass. You should’ve seen it. That was some funny stuff, man,” the moose continued. “Are you Thomas?”
Thomas nodded.
“I want to share the secret to happiness with you, Thomas.”
Thomas nodded.
“You must always …” the moose began and then a car struck her.
Thomas nodded.

Category: 7. Use six of these eight words.
Title: Gods’ Love

The large wooden door loomed before her. She pressed the doorbell and heard the chime inside. A vole skittered across the ground in front of her. She waited patiently for a response from inside. Suddenly, uneven footsteps that could have set off a seismograph shook the house. She heard thunder and then rain began to pelt her bare skin. The door opened and she entered.
Her husband’s bulbous gut covered his unsightly genitalia when he stood. He disinterestedly looked her over then returned to his workshop. He farted loudly as he limped heavily out of the room.
The irony that she was unloved was not lost on Venus.

Category: 6. Micro-mini
Title: Always Wait Half an Hour Before Going Swimming

Wilbur enjoyed a hearty meal before he died.

Category: 6. Micro-mini
Title: The Unsightly Demise of Arthur McArthur

The Police had never quite seen a man do what Arthur McArthur did with a Chihuahua and a 2x4.

Category: 6. Micro-mini
Title: Dog Eat Dog

No one was particularly upset by the need to put Fido to sleep.