Micro-stories continue to arrive at La Voz for the XV edition of the Radio Lanzarote Summer 2025 Micro-story contest. This time, the contest commemorates the centenary of the birth of the writer Carmen Martín Gaite (Salamanca 1925 - Madrid 2000).
One more year, the Tourist Centers collaborate with the contest, which opened the deadline on July 1, 2025 and will close on August 31, both inclusive.
This time, participants must present a micro-story that must not exceed 100 words, among which the introductory text that we will provide below does not count. The stories will have the same beginning, a fragment from Las ataduras (1960): "The bar door opened immediately and a girl ran out, crossing her cardigan over her chest. She turned to answer the man who was running after her, reached the side of the car and opened the front door for him...". From this beginning, participants must imagine what happens next.
Each author may send a maximum of five stories, which may be signed with a pseudonym, although they must always indicate a name and contact telephone number. Also, the stories will be sent to the address: concursorelatos@lanzarotemedia.net.
As the stories are received, they will be published in La Voz de Lanzarote. The author's name will not appear in the publication. Only after the decision will the names of the winning and finalist authors be known.
A jury composed of journalists from Radio Lanzarote and La Voz de Lanzarote will choose three winning stories and seven finalists. The decision of the contest will be made public in the second half of September.
The winner of the first prize will get a Jameos Noche dinner for two people, while the second will get a dinner for two people at the Castillo de San José. Finally, the third place winner will enjoy an Unusual Experience for two people.
58) Literary antiquity,
[...]
At the same time that she got into the car and closed the door hurriedly, a second man appeared, somewhat older and with a tired look. Both, in unison, shouted and waved their arms demanding the young woman's attention.
Any problem? -I asked-.
Two crazy people who have taken it out on me for no reason! -She replied-.
One says his name is Miguel de Unamuno and the other, Alexis Ravelo. They demand that I leave because, according to them, they have seniority here.
My God, how are people!, -I replied laughing-. By the way, where are we going, miss....?
Carmen. My name is Carmen Martín. Take me to Orense, I need to cut some ties there.
59) The island of silence,
[...]
Without hesitation, she got in and closed it forcefully. He arrived tired, trying to reach her, but she looked towards the volcanoes, with tears in her eyes. At that moment, I understood that she was fleeing not only from him, but also from a dark past buried in the ashes of that volcanic land. The island, with its arid beauty and desolate landscapes, had witnessed her tragedy: a story of forbidden love and secrets that had condemned her to a life of silence. Timanfaya seemed to cry with her, a silent witness to her pain.
60) Between the sea and the sky
[...]
Without hesitation, she got in and closed it forcefully. He arrived reaching her just as she was looking towards the horizon, where the sea merged with the sky in golden tones. The sea breeze caressed their faces, and at that moment, their eyes met with intensity. Without words, he took her hand and brought her closer slowly. Their lips met in a kiss full of promises, while the sun set, sealing a moment of passion on that beach in Lanzarote.
61) Forbidden love
[...]
Without thinking, she got in and closed it forcefully. He arrived panting, reaching her just as she was looking towards the Timanfaya volcano, with tears in her eyes. At that moment, I understood that she was fleeing from a dark past buried in the ashes of that volcanic land. The hot breeze of Lanzarote enveloped us, and in the middle of the silence, he took her face in his hands. Our eyes met, and at that moment, without words, we gave each other a passionate kiss, as if the volcano were a witness to our forbidden love.
62) Correct decision,
[...]
Almost skidding, we moved away from the place. She kept looking at the trail of dust that her departure left and at that lean man from whom she was distancing herself. A stubborn, obstinate and dominant man. His ego had always been an obstacle to making her advance and grow personally, it filled her with insecurities and fears, in some way he had her emotionally tied. He was a man who resisted any change, cruel and insensitive and tremendously selfish who only thought about his own well-being. She was not happy, but she decided to be, she had made it clear to him a few moments ago in that bar.
63) Sacrificed wishes,
[...]
But she didn't enter, she kept walking away with an angry face and murmuring something I didn't understand. There, still and observing the scene, I remained expectant. The man seemed not to give up and tried to calm her down. I heard her shout that she was not willing to let him get away with it again or to go back to bed or to spoon, that she wanted to be free and have a drink when and where she wanted, but the man was not willing to tolerate, that his wife disrespected him. I took them back for the price of urban fare.
64) Emotional dependence
[...]
She got in quickly and we left there leaving the man making gestures with his hands. She told me that she wanted to feel useful, valued and loved by that man she left behind, that she didn't want the routine of each day, the obligation to follow rules for what people would say, she wanted to feel free to decide and act, to go out and in and not be singled out for being a woman and having to obey her husband. She wanted to break the unfair rules that society imposes, but she returned to her house and told her husband that she had the food already prepared.
65) Without vertigo
[...]
- How far? -I asked him.
When she looked at me, I recognized myself and knew that she wanted to continue being with her.
- Until fear gets tired of following us.
She smiled with her cheeks full of wind and fire.
I started.
On one side, the sea breathed slowly; on the other, the jable advanced without asking questions, and in front, the cliff, immobile, as if it already knew what we were going to do.
- Don't brake -she said, without raising her voice.
I accelerated.
I placed my hand on hers. On the radio was playing "Si tú no estás" by Rosana.
And she, finally, stopped looking back.
66) The permission,
[...]
- He's crazy! He didn't even let her say goodbye!
- Come in, I'll talk to him -I said, taking her by the arm.
She agreed. It wasn't just the waiter anymore: four more were running behind, as if protecting something broken.
She sat down, crossed her bag over her knees as if it were a sleeping cat and offered me a lollipop wrapped in pharmacy paper. I refused. She put it in her mouth with the joy of a girl who has won a game.
Then, the bar exploded.
My ears were ringing. She smiled.
- Could it be because of not wearing clothes?
- It's cold -she whispered.
67) Duel with its own name
[...]
She sat down, trembling. She squeezed the phone against her chest as if she were hugging a secret that had already ceased to be hers.
I didn't interrupt her. I didn't even blink.
She wasn't crying anymore. Maybe because crying would be too private.
She left the phone in the glove compartment. Then she opened the window, as if the air could give her something back and for a moment, the wind erased her face.
- I just wanted a macchiato -she said, as if she could still be anonymous.
68) SentIA
[...]
After initiating the containment protocol.
- She said that my vital code does not match my face.
Outside, the world seemed to stop.
I activated the opaque mode. The glass lost its transparency, and with it the looks vanished.
- I just wanted a coffee -she whispered, as if naming it made it unattainable.
Then she saw it in the reflection: a sequence of numbers ascending through her temple, like an inverted tear.
Sometimes, a human gesture is enough for the artificial to remember its purpose.
- Unit 7-B confirmed. Synthetic core restart protocol in progress. IA module restart in 3, 2, 1...
69) Zenith
[...]
Her breath trembled like an interrupted song. She had her eyelids lined with charcoal, and on her skin, the sweet aroma of jasmine. She said nothing. She only knew she was being watched. Since she entered. Since always.
No one applauds when an artist like her doesn't go on stage. No one pays more, but everyone looks as if she should.
Without a word, she looked back, towards those looks that still didn't let her go.
Then she said it, without anger, like someone who sings a song that no longer expects an answer:
- Being black can be art. What is unbearable is not turning off in the attempt to be it.
70) Without Title,
[...]
- Of course Aurelio, look at you hunting pokemons in the middle of the bar!,
What a shame!
- It was a fire pokemon and I didn't have that one!, Will we see each other again?...
- I hope not! - she answered sullenly.
She thought she would never meet anyone again through a dating app.
While she was sitting in the front seat, I didn't want to get into the conversation, but I couldn't help it.
-I also hunt pokemons - I commented smiling.
She looked at me with bloodshot eyes and got out again shouting to cancel the service, that she would ask for another Uber.
71) Couple crisis
[...]
She was angry, indignant, for believing that everything was going to change when she got pregnant. Pilar was too young to accept that responsibility alone, I thought, but her partner was unable to face life together. You are not completely free when you have a family. With her face covered in tears, she looked at me and said. -I feel completely disoriented, no matter how much I look around I see everything dirty, disordered and black. Then she opened the glove compartment and grabbed the gun, she wanted to end so much pain, but the image of her son without knowing him, made her change her mind.
72) Stupid moment
[...]
The gun I was hiding was stained with blood. We headed towards the cliffs, where the sea could be seen. Slowly and silently we moved to the back. We lit two cigarettes and took several puffs while drinking from the bottles of alcohol that had been left over from the previous day. Everything seemed not to matter, I followed her lead, but I got scared when Paula started to tremble. Most people do this and that, without knowing why we do it and this is one of them. Paula lay motionless, her life was gone.
73) JoeBlack73
[...]
You are the one who goes up. Five senses, even six those that receive your disjointed signals and that I compose in the same direction always. I look at you, I look at you again, I admire you.
I haven't asked you questions yet, you already have the answers. In order with you, wishing to disorder you with me. I review myself in case I pass and I never succeed. Ask me for something else, whatever you want.
You fly high, I see you from below. Although I am the one who flies over you. And you, with your feet on the ground. We arrived, luckily.
Lucky me to have you. Lucky me not to know you.
74) I love Sonia,
[...]
I love Sonia. I think I love her.
This morning I went with her to the back garden. The pines looked at the sky, it started to rain and the magnetism of the rain made them dance in a magical dance that seemed to comfort them.
Sonia and I also got wet and, between drops falling down our faces, we kissed. No one notices us... or maybe someone observes us curiously behind the windows of the mansion. Maybe the driver or the butler, we don't care.
Now I'm going with them in the car, Sonia's perfume survives on my cardigan.
75) Whatever it takes.
[...]
She looked at me with a frown. I understand the distrust. It's normal. But one has to earn a living.
She relaxed after seeing the taxi sign on top of the car and entered murmuring a "thank you".
The man who was following her nodded to me and I did the same. The rest was already agreed. I just had to take her to the alley they had told me.
That night I would count the money and forget about the whole thing forever.
76) Changes of scenery.
[...]
I started. Vero always got into trouble. Her relationships and her life were ephemeral. She couldn't take it anymore.
- Vero. You can't keep doing this to yourself.
- What? - She took off her lipstick and put on another color.
- You can't keep going on like this. You're hurting yourself... And I can't keep helping you.
- You're right. - She took a wig out of her bag and put it on - I can't keep going on like this.
I sighed and stopped the car at the terminal.
- Will I see you again?
- You already know the answer. Pass me the passport and the ID.
- Goodbye. - I looked at the shiny ID - Carmen.
- Goodbye Julia. - And she was lost in the crowd.
77) Steals hearts.
[...]
She called me to pick her up and take her to Teguise. But I didn't expect that little number.
She went up. And she was going to close the door when the guy held it.
- You're not going anywhere you son of a bitch. That's mine.
- Let me go! - she shouted from the seat - Help!
Everything was very fast. I punched the guy in the chin, he fell to the ground, I heard a thank you, laughter and the wheels of the car in a cloud of dust.
- Imbecile - said the guy with a tooth in his hand - I'll have you arrested.
He kept his word. And, that night in the dungeon, I met your mother.
78) "Billable kisses"
[...]
In the back seat, hidden behind the tinted windows, he, her lover, who had convinced her to "pluck" her husband, (the sad individual from the bar) and set course for the Caribbean, to melt his bills like a chocolate bar in the sun, was waiting for her.
What she ignores in her passionate obfuscation, is that this is the way of life of the burly aforementioned gallant and that love will end at the same time as the money.
Moral: "If you leave your husband for a handsome hunk, first make sure he is not a subscription boyfriend"