Jerboa Lit
"In fifth place, winning $200, we have...
"Ghost Gear" by Victor Cabinta!
This story is about a car that requires memories for fuel, and the couple who are driving it to a place called The Archive, where stolen memories are stored now that the world has collapsed.
It's an incredibly haunting piece about giving up pieces of oneself to keep going in pursuit of something that may or may not even exist - a place they might have already passed and forgotten about on their quest.
With its beautiful imagery and striking love story, set in a place and time where memories are currency, we're thrilled to award fifth place to Victor. Well done!"
Elegant Literature
Signal Fire is a speculative story about grief, memory, and the fragile boundaries between what is lost and what we wish could return.
Victor’s submission for this issue explores a reality that feels familiar yet unsettlingly altered. After the death of his partner, Micah navigates a world where love lingers, routines persist, and the past refuses to stay buried—but something beneath the surface doesn’t quite fit. As Micah searches for stability, he’s forced to confront the question of whether grief can reshape not only a person, but the world around them.
Quiet, intimate, and unsettling, Signal Fire examines how far we are willing to go to hold on to love—and what might answer when we call into the dark.
