The Contest

Summary

"The Contest" is a flash fiction piece about a pie eating contest, narrated from the perspective of the pies, which are personified as awaiting their fate to be consumed.

Abstract

The short story "The Contest" by Brandon Ellrich, published on Medium, provides a unique perspective on a pie eating contest by giving voice to the pies themselves. The narrative unfolds as the pies anticipate their inevitable consumption, describing the event as a spectacle where humans, referred to as "ravenous beasts," eagerly await the chance to devour them in a competitive display of gluttony. The pies reflect on their purpose, the spectators' enthusiasm, and the irony of the contestants' enjoyment in the sport rather than eating out of necessity. The story culminates with the announcement of the winner, Derek Montgomery, amidst the chaos and excitement of the event, and ends with a clean-up and anticipation for the next year's contest. The author invites readers to engage with the story by clapping and commenting, and offers a call to action to follow for updates on new posts.

Opinions

The pies in the story are personified and express a sense of resignation to their fate as food for the contest.
The author describes the contestants as "gluttonous animals" and "beasts," suggesting a critique of the excesses of competitive eating.
The story evokes a mix of emotions, from the pies' apprehension to the crowd's jubilation, highlighting the contrast between the pies' purpose and the contestants' pleasure.
The author uses vivid imagery to convey the intensity and almost grotesque nature of the pie eating contest.
The ending of the story, with the clean-up and anticipation for the next contest, implies a cyclical nature to these events and perhaps a commentary on society's consumption habits.
Brandon Ellrich encourages reader interaction by asking for claps, comments, and follows, indicating the importance of audience engagement in the Medium platform.

“The Contest”

We were made for only one purpose: to be eaten.

But first, we will have to wait. We are put on display while we anticipate our death sentence. The ravenous beasts come by and gaze at us hungrily, almost lustfully. They are not allowed to eat us, however, until the bell is rung.

Just as it does every year, the crowd will gather. The spectators will watch and cheer as they witness us being manhandled, torn apart by salivating mouths full of teeth. Their jaws will move as quickly as they can while swallowing at the same time, almost choking on their meal. Those monsters will gorge themselves in this contest. Yes, a contest. Can you imagine? The gluttonous animals do not even eat out of hunger, but sport.

As we knew it would, our time has come. We are taken and each placed before a different beast. They smile as they look down upon us.

“Ready!” someone yells.

“Set…” They lean forward.

Then the bell rings-the sound that signals our doom.

Nickie claps and giggles with glee as the contestants plunge their faces into the pumpkin pies in front of them. The crowd cheers, “Eat! Eat! Eat!” for just a few minutes until one of the contestants stands up with his hands in the air.

“And the winner of this year’s pie eating contest is…Derek Montgomery!”

The crowd cheers and applauds.

Pieces of crust and globs of pie filling are cleaned up and discarded. Until next year.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this flash fiction, please click the clap button (as many as 50 times) and leave a comment as well. Did the ending surpise you or did you see it coming? Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a response. Follow me if you would like to receive updates on new posts whenever they are published.

Originally published at http://brandonellrich.com on October 13, 2022.

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