The winners are good, but most of the rest are appalling (and not in a good way).
“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
She expected a beautiful morning after the previous night's hard rain but instead stepped out her door to a horrible vision of drowned earthworms covering the walkway — their bodies curled and swirled like limp confetti after a party crashed by firefighters.
Rita Hammett Boca Raton, Florida
The first time I saw her she took my breath away with her long blonde hair that flowed over her shoulders like cheese sauce on a bed of nachos, making my stomach grumble as she stepped into the room, her red knit dress locking in curves better than a Ferrari at a Grand Prix.
Harol Hoffman-Meisner Greensboro, NC
He slowly ran his fingers through her long black hair, which wasn't really black because she used Preference by L’Oreal to color it (because “she was worth it”); her carrot-colored roots were starting to show, and it reminded him of the time he'd covered his car's check engine light with black electrical tape, but a faint orange glow still shone around the edges.
Lisa Mileusnich Willoughby, OH
On a lovely day during one of the finest Indian summers anyone could remember—a season the Germans call “old wives’ summer,” obviously never having had Native Americans to name things after, but plenty of old wives, and “Indian summer” in German would refer to the natives of India in any case, which would make even less sense than the current naming system—on such a day, however named, John Baxter fell in the creek and drowned.
Deanna Stewart Heidelberg, Germany
Fenwick was concerned when his voices returned, but they hadn't been troubling him much until now—now that they were singing an old tune by the Shirelles, or the Crystals, or the Ronettes, or the Angels, or the Chiffons, or one of those damn girl groups he couldn't keep straight, the uncertainty making him very agitated again, although he had to admit the harmonizing was quite good, really.
Jim Seamon Punta Gorda, FL
I couldn’t find the Edward Bulwer-Lytton quote I used to use for a tagline on FR, and can’t remember exactly how it goes. Oh well, there’s an apropos one in there now.