The editors of Radio Lanzarote have already received more than fifty texts for the call for the XIV edition of the Radio Lanzarote Summer 2024 Short Story Contest. On this occasion, the contest pays tribute to the writer Miguel de Unamuno, as it marks the centenary of his exile to Fuerteventura. Unamuno arrived on the island of Majorera on March 10, 1924, and said of it: "These bare hills look like camel humps and the outline of these is cut out on them. It is a camel-like land."
In this edition, participants must submit a micro-story that must not exceed 100 words, not counting the introductory text that we will provide below. The stories will have the same beginning, which is one of the first sentences of the beginning of his work Niebla: "In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it..." From this beginning, participants must imagine what happens next.
Each author may submit 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. Once again, the Tourist Centers are collaborating with the contest, whose deadline for sending the texts is next August 31.
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 dinner for two people in the restaurant of Jameos del Agua, while the second prize is one of the unusual experiences for two people in Montañas del Fuego. Finally, the third prize is a brunch in the Cactus Garden. All prizes are for adults.
As the stories are received, they will be published in La Voz de Lanzarote. The name of the author will not appear in the publication. Only after the decision will the names of the winning and finalist authors be known. An incessant trickle of short stories continues to arrive at the editorial office for this literary contest:
Title: Disambiguation
"In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it... who now, without apparent justification, stops and looks at the sky, perhaps crying out to God that the aforementioned graceful young woman turns around and notices him, and... Shit! I think she saw me..."
-Well, of course I saw you, and I heard you before, that's why I stopped... What's that about a "graceful" young woman? Is she perhaps a gallant and good-looking, lush and healthy young woman, or is she perhaps a robust and corpulent young woman? Look, I'm made like a figurine, I'm a gallant and good-looking young man and I demand...
-I'm up to my... "END"
Title: My Greatest Secret
"In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it..."
"who let himself be dragged by her magnetism, because something about her seemed familiar. Her lava-red hair reminded him of that olivine-eyed girl, who spent the summer in Playa Blanca, until one summer she was no longer seen. Augusto had not been able to forget her laughter in the sea, nor her chases and drownings. He also remembered her stories of maidens and knights in the Castillo de las Coloradas where he had promised her: "When I grow up, I will share my greatest secret with you."
Two decades had passed, and it was time to tell her that he had never stopped loving her."
Title: Augusto's Misfortune
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it...
-By God, madam, you have a quick walk, I can't keep up with you, perhaps you don't want us to meet. I whistle at you as if you were a dog and I regret it, because you are more than a simple dog that I am chasing through the street.
- In my faith, sir, how persistent you are. Blessed be your gaze that annuls me with your tender eyes and, seeing only the beautiful in me, you ignore my defects and, I assure you, I have them.
-Your grace honors me with your voice, misfortune is mine, I have two hands, only one heart.
Title: Garden of Delights
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it... He followed her through streets and gardens, even stepping on volcano rock. Until she submerged herself in the ocean and unfurled her enormous mermaid tail. But Augusto hated salt water, so he turned around and ran headfirst into the edge of the painting where he had been painted. El Bosco smiled on the other side as he built his great hell.
Title: Penury
If he longed to come across one of the many dogs that roamed the city, it was because of the fine instinct they exhibited to procure food. And hunger was already a way of life for him. But his fruitless attraction to the opposite sex was stronger at that moment. Pursuing those skirts that left the young woman's well-formed ankles exposed, he suddenly came across the passionate encounter between her and a handsome military man. Returning to the harsh reality, Augusto resumed the search for a dog that would show him the way to satisfy his appetite.
Without title:
"In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it..."
He said to her:
I know I wasn't your Prince Charming, but you still won't have loved another with more passion than me. What was my mistake? If we hadn't stopped seeing each other, maybe you would have made peace with me. However, your love for me fell into a well where you poured underground layers of oblivion. Even if I don't go to work all day today and I've brought this poem to your mailbox, you probably won't change your mind. You don't know how much I regret it, but later you'll regret it like Judas when he kissed Jesus. Believe me if I tell you that I've had a terrible time. There wouldn't be dikes so robust that could contain the tears that I've been shedding lately for your disdain. Fortunately, I maintained my honor, and no one saw me sob. I will never separate you from me. Goodbye.
Title: Thoughts
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it, turned his body and remained like that, immobile, static, thoughtful. His thoughts about life were beautiful and pleasant, the land where he walks, the air he breathes, the water that cleans him and the respect towards the other self. Without stopping looking at her and smiling, he began to draw her. Her slender, transparent silhouette, moving away along the road with firm and sure steps. That's how he imagined her.
Title: Chiaroscuro
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it, closed his fists so hard that he sank them again and again into the ground of the road, cursing his bad luck.
-Why don't I have a bright and clear life? He said to himself. For a moment he almost achieved it, he thought, but he plunged again among lambs and wolves that fluttered in his mind.
Title: Departure
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it, embraced life, but life pushed him and he fell into the hole of his fears. He said goodbye to his body that had given him so much joy. There lying between four wooden boards, he looked at her fixedly and she returned his gaze. His sunken sockets like water troughs, refused to close, he wanted to continue looking at her as he had always done, but little by little his eyelids were falling like the night. Until only hearing a voice say. - Goodbye my love.
Title: Primum Vivere
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it. This would not be anything special if it were not for his condition as a lackey in the service of the Countess of Aguasgrises, who a little while before had lost sight of her beloved Tilín, a purebred poodle, a gift from her cousin the queen. The countess, attacked by a nervous crisis, had entrusted Augusto with the immediate search and rescue of her beloved pet, fearing perhaps what probably ended up happening. And it was that these were times of famine and the rabble did not turn up their noses at any living creature that came within range.
Title: "I needed a garimba"
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it... he felt like when the volador announced the San Ginés festivities. He was losing his baifo. He felt a lot of heat. Fatigue took hold of him.
He needed a garimba. He knew he should have had gofio for breakfast. A comadre who was passing by came over to golisnear, but he escaped quickly when the bus arrived. Although he was not a conejero, he felt like he was from the place, he knew the corners and sensed where the chocha would be, and he went there willing to do whatever it took. In time to see her pick up her children from school who, when they saw him, shouted smiling: daddy!
Title: Blue Abyss
"In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it, who immediately found himself submerged in the blue abyss of that gaze... And there he remained forever... the poor thing... It is true that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. And the soul of that young woman turned out to be deeper than hell."
Title: Extravagance
Memories of adolescence and how to forget it ... That bohemian music from my favorite program on the radio , yesiiii on the radio. Sitting in an armchair I counted the magic hours of the clock that said cuckoo ... cuckoo wake up girl and turn up the volume on the left knob.
There I was giving it my all in front of that small and tiny device singing and dancing to the sound of Stevie Wonder " I Just Called To Say I Love You"
Title: Ephemeral
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto Cabrera went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it. Years later, every time he thought nostalgically about that moment he was unable to remember the details, only the sensation of momentary amnesia, which was broken the moment she turned around and looked at him.
That look woke him from the spell with a kind of jolt, realizing that he was standing on the Pescadería dock, from where she had jumped onto a falúa that was moving slowly away from the coast. What's your name! he shouted, but she only had eyes for the brigantine called "Ocean".
Title: Stolen Kiss
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it. Yes, she was pretty, but what really fascinated him was the look, which seemed to be looking at nothing in particular, but, of such intensity, that Augusto thought it was directed at some matter of vital importance. He followed her silhouette without disguise through the backlights marked by the implacable sun, turning at the corners like an automaton. At one point she stopped dead, approaching a young man who only managed to say: You...!. She kissed him lightly, looked to both sides and continued on her way with a determined step while the boy took his fingers to his lips.
Title : Trending Topic
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it. She was holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear and while she was talking she was rummaging through the contents of her backpack in search of something. Her face seemed familiar to him, although what intrigued him was to see a person dressed like that heading towards the beach and in such a hurry. Just at the moment when he remembered how he knew her, the girl stopped and took out, finally, from her backpack a red vest with the word DOCTOR labeled on the back and, putting it on, continued hurriedly in the direction of a group of people who, sitting exhausted on the shore, were looking without seeing.
Title: Don Miguel
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it. When he noticed they were in Timanfaya. She transformed into voluptuous flames that rippled towards him. Augusto looked up, took his head out of the paper, addressed the author: "Damn it, Don Miguel!, don't be complicated, I just want a woman."
Without title:
In this, not a dog, but a graceful young woman passed by in the street, and Augusto went after her eyes, as if magnetized and without realizing it.
He reached the hyperonym trying to recover from the fourteen stations of his via crucis. Of anodyne and vulgar nature, Augusto transgressed his biomechanical gene remembering that the beloved Eugenia had long ago found accommodation in the vaghezza of Mauricio, and that flirting with foreign bodies also brought him hormonal complacency.
The street recited a thousand epics that defined it as a chaotic jungle. In the midst of lanterns and hundreds of boquinazos that hid among the shadows of the forbidden, that majorera generous in features urged him to protect himself from any stumble that could give with his bones on the pavement.
