Author J.M. Heluk won Crystal Lake’s most recent flash contest and has agreed to host.
This month’s theme is WHITE COAT FEVER—Tales of Medical Horror.
“Drag us into the unsettling world where medicine meets fear. Your challenge is to write a short story centered on medical related horror. Raise our blood pressure by exploring the sinister side of medicine, dentistry, science, psychology, or the human condition.
Think beyond the ordinary, get creative: an optician who discovers a hidden terrible world in the eyes of a child or perhaps, a simple disease that begins behaving in unexpected ways.
From the bloodied tents of battlefield surgeons to the bayou where witch doctors’ dwell, this genre is ripe with possibilities.
Your story should evoke a concerning level of dread and paranoia while using medical professions, settings, procedures, or concepts as a core element.
Whether the horror is psychological, supernatural, or grounded in reality, focus on creating an atmosphere that lingers with the reader.
Make us think twice before we schedule that next appointment.”
Before we get to the submission guidelines, please know that only the top 15 to 20 stories will be posted on our Patreon page for our patrons to vote on. The winner will receive $0.04 per word, publication, and an Author Spotlight on our newsletter, website, and Patreon page. The second-place winner will receive $0.03 a word, and the third place winner $0.02 per word. The winner will also have the option of hosting the following month’s contest for an additional $50.