Short Stories Contest #1

[Xapphire]

Just out of curiosity, does the story have to be short as in, if someone submits a 20 page story, someone a ten, and someone a 2 page story, does it make a difference on the grade, or do you only judge by its quality..?

 

[esb]

It's in the rules...

Length: Your story’s length must be between 1,000 and 2,500 words. That’s about a page and a half to four pages in Word, font Times New Roman size 12. If you are using Word you can check the number of words you have so far by going to Tools > Count Words.

 

[Technomancer]

Bring it on suckaz, I'm in

 

[Rheias]

Added. I gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed, 10 days remain, about 10 contestants and yet only 3 submissions. I hope some of you plan to submit their stories soon.

 

[monoVertex]

Sorry Rheias, I'm gonna quit it, I have/had some nasty events in my real life and I don't have the inspiration to write anymore. And if I try, the story might become something about me killing someone .

Anyway, I'll try to submit something, if I feel like writing .

 

[Rheias]

I'm sorry to hear that Smith_S9. Don't apologize, I wasn't talking about cases where something unexpected happens but on people that join contest with no real intention to submit something.

 

[monoVertex]

Well, I started writing (I have about 1000 words) while also working on the spell for the contest. Happens I finished the spell then my entire inspiration vanished... damn, who invented womens? xD

 

[Halahan]

is there a point to putting Smith's name on the list contestants crossed out? If he's not up there, we know he's not in.

 

[Miz]

is there a point to putting Smith's name on the list contestants crossed out? If he's not up there, we know he's not in.

Well Idk
Anyway I am going to drop out as Well
So Enjoy the contest people

 

[Krys A Night]

Please remove me from the contest. I have no desire to be any part of this forum anymore.

 

[The Helper]

I am sorry to hear that Krys.

 

[Ninva]

Please remove me from the contest. I have no desire to be any part of this forum anymore.

Oh... D:
We still love you.

 

[Halahan]

yep

 

[SilverHawk]

Just out of curiosity, does the story have to be short as in, if someone submits a 20 page story, someone a ten, and someone a 2 page story, does it make a difference on the grade, or do you only judge by its quality..?

I guess that's up to each individual judge. However, I point out that there are no points awarded to length in the judging criteria.

 

[XXXconanXXX]

Oh ho ho ho. I'm definitely in.

 

[SilverHawk]

Added.

Good luck!

Off-topic:

I didn't get a chance to welcome you back yet. Welcome back!

 

[Seb!]

I'm in.

Sorry for the short notice

Spoiler

Amy glanced at the picture on her desk and sighed. The handsome brown-haired man that smiled back at her from the photograph was her father. She had not seen him since his heroin addiction had driven him from the house just over a year ago. She got up from her chair and slowly walked down the stairs to the small kitchen occupied by her mother.
Her mother was standing over the stove with a tired expression on her worn face. Ever since her husband had left, she had spent more time alone had become separated from her daughter. All she ever did was work, sleep, and cry. There were days when Amy wondered if her mother would ever recover from the loss of her husband. All of this because of heroin!
"Amy, could you please take this chicken to your grandmothers for me?" said Amy's mom. There were lines under her eyes and Amy thought that maybe she had not slept at all last night.
"Mom! Common," Amy replied,” I was just about to get started on my science project!" Amy had finished her science project a week ago, but the thought of walking almost a mile to deliver food to an old woman was not exactly appealing.
"Amy please," the stress of working three jobs was evident the woman's strained voice,” she is not well and needs you to bring her this food!"
"Ahh! Fine!" Amy grabbed the basket from her mother's hands, pulled on her red hoody, and slammed the screen door on her way out.

As Amy walked along the paved streets of her city, she thought about her father. Why did he have to go and take heroin, she thought helplessly, why did he have to ruin everything? Didn’t he realize that Mom would have to work three jobs, that she would cry herself to sleep almost every night, that maybe everything did not revolve around him and his stupid cravings! But it was no use. No matter how much she thought about her dad, she could not understand why he had done what he did.
Amy sighed. She was beginning to see the outlines of the forest in which her grandmother lived. It was a regal forest. The oaks, birches, and pines combined to give off a most comforting effect. Sometimes though, the taller trees that were deeper into the forest appeared threatening, even sinister to Amy. She wondered if her grandmother was ever afraid of the trees in her forest. She did not think so.

Half a mile from her house, Amy hopped over the log that separated Trentville from her grandmother’s forest. As she did this, a dangerous looking man approached her.
The man was very tall. He wore all black, and a mocking scowl rested on his evil face.
"What have you got there in that basket?" he said in a threatening voice.
"Just some chicken, nothing of value," replied Amy, who was trying not show fear in her voice.
"Where are you taking it?" the man asked.
"To my grandmother's house further down," Amy answered,” but I really must get it to her, goodbye."
Interesting, thought the man whose name was Jack, very interesting. An idea started to form in his head, like a seed in the ground.

Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Who is there?" cried Amy's grandmother.
"Amy!" Jack replied in his best falsetto.
With that, he opened the door, dove for the woman's bed, and silently taped
the old woman's mouth.

When Amy got to her grandmother's house, the door was already cracked open. Amy was surprised; her grandmother never left her door open.
"Grandmother!" exclaimed Amy,” I brought you some food!"
"Wonderful, my dear," said a voice from inside the house,” come in and give it to me, that I may taste it.
Amy slowly opened the door, to find whom she thought was her grandmother lying on the bed. The figure had her grandmother's blouse, cap, and shape. Amy approached the bed, and only then did she notice the figure's ears. They were larger and darker than her grandmother's.
"My," said Amy,” are you okay Granny, your ears look strange."
"Yes child, when you grow older you will better understand the odd ways of an elderly body."
"Ok, Granny, but are you sure your arms haven't grown!"
"Don't fret, my dear, I can much better hug you now!"
"I suppose, Granny."
Then Amy lifted up her grandmother's bonnet and saw that it was not her grandmother under the nightclothes; it was the strange man she had met near the entrance to the forest! She screamed and tried to resist, but Jack taped her mouth and threw her under the bed with her grandmother. She panicked and flailed her body around, but it was no use; she was this terrible man’s prisoner.
"Hahaha!" Jack laughed from above the bed,” Now no one can stop me from taking the old lady's possessions!" With an evil laugh, Jack began to eat the chicken that Amy had brought for her grandmother.
Amy groaned through the tape that covered her mouth. She eyed her sleeping grandmother with loving worry. Amy did not think that she could last much longer under the circumstances.
When she heard the intruder break open a box or glass shelf, her heart filled with anger. If only her father was here! But he wasn’t.

A tall, brown-haired man walked up to the old house. I wonder, he thought, I wonder if she will understand. With that, he walked into the house. Sitting on his mother-in-law's bed was a vicious looking man. The man snarled and charged at him. With a cry, Amy's father pulled out his revolver and shot the man.

Mmm! Mmm! Amy tried to alert her rescuer of her presence. When her father had unbound her and her grandmother, she hugged her father tightly. They looked into each other's eyes and began to cry.
“Oh please Daddy! Never leave us again!” Amy said as she cried.
“Never again,” promised her father.

 

[esb]

I'll post mine in a while (few days? ) Don't lose hope

 

[Rheias]

Added you Seb!. Would you mind uploading a notepad document with your story, and a "Word" document if possible?

 

[Seb!]

I'm not sure if that .txt file i submitted is notepad?