Writing Contest! [CLOSED]

Share any written short stories, novels, or poetry

Moderator: Tea House Moderators

What should be done about the word limit?

Only entries that are under 3000 words should be accepted.
24
56%
Entries over 3000 words should be allowed, but they should be fined 5g per word.
19
44%
 
Total votes: 43

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Foofy22
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Foofy22 »

Does our story have to be entirely complete? or can we leave a cliffhanger, like as if we're starting a sequel? :wave:

if we can, then I'll submit my entry! :cool:
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Icethornstar »

Yay, another entry!
Shoot me if I'm wrong,*Shot* but I'm sure it's fine.
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Foofy22 »

Well, here it is anyway. If we aren't allowed cliffhangers, please tell me and I will revise it. Thank you! Oh, and if there's a problem with speech marks turning into random symbols, I don't why it does that, it just does. ^_^
Spoiler
The main street was packed, crowds of people milling around, browsing the brightly coloured tents and stalls that always traded their wares on a Sunday. I poked my head up, but couldn’t see anyone I recognised. My friends Samantha and Madison were supposed to be meeting me outside this cafe. I took a seat, itching to spend the money that was burning a hole in my pocket at the cute little jewellery stall.
Out the corner of my eye, I spotted something near the drain, glinting gold in the midday sun. I bent down to pick it up, thinking it was a dollar coin. As I touched it, I flinched. It was icy cold, so cold that I had to flip it from hand to hand. This confused me. It had been lying in the baking heat, how could it be so cold? It was a small, seemingly solid gold ball, but it was light as paper, I could hardly feel myself holding it. I shoved it in my pocket for close examination later.
My friends had shown up, and, as we shopped and chatted, I couldn’t help wanting it to be over, just so I could look at the ball again. I thumbed it in my pocket. I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I had been before, and Samantha had noticed.
“Amy. Are you okay? Usually you love to shop!”
“I know...um, I’m not feeling too great today. I think I’ve got a cold.” I lied, hoping it sounded convincing. I added in a sneeze for good measure.
Samantha eyed me, clearly suspicious.
When they had gone home, and I was about to call my mum to pick me up, I decided to sit on a picnic bench near me and investigate the ball more closely. It was still freezing cold, like a snowball, but now it was pulsing, vibrating as though there might be something shivering inside. I rolled it around the table gently, tapping it. I nearly jumped out of my skin when it squealed, like a piglet, rocking back and forth violently.
The thought then came to me: perhaps this was not a simple gold ball, as I had first thought. Perhaps it wasn’t even solid, but that it was an egg.
I phoned my mother and she came and picked me up.
“Did you buy something nice sweetie?”
“Only a necklace...and I bought you a pair of earrings!” I piped up.
“Aww, you didn’t have to do that just for your mummy! You are such a lovely little girl, honey.” It seemed like mum was yelling, and the window was open. I blushed and sank lower in my seat, rolling my eyes. I couldn’t wait for next year when I’d finally be sixteen and able to drive. Then I wouldn’t have to put up with mum embarrassing me. I fiddled with the egg, worrying about what to do with it.
*
As soon as I burst into the doorway, I rushed up to my bedroom, kicking my joggers off as I went, leaving them lying haphazardly over the stairs. I sat on my bed, cradling the little gold egg.
I moved my desk lamp onto the windowsill, where sunlight streamed in from outside. I cut a smallish, egg-shaped hole in box full of tissues and nestled the strange egg in it, tucking them around like blankets. I was sure this was an egg, I could definitely feel faint stirrings that could be nothing other than a baby...something. I craned the lamp as far as it would go and switched on so that it beamed directly onto the egg.
I stared blankly at the egg for a while, scared to leave in case something happened, but when my stomach grumbled loudly, and it became apparent that the egg was still a while from hatching, I went down stairs.
Halfway through dinner, as I was chasing a piece of steak around my plate, a loud bang came from upstairs, more importantly, my room. My parents looked at each other, then at me. I screamed inwardly and said, “Must be something falling off my desk. I’ll go check, be back in a sec!” and ran upstairs as fast as my legs would carry me.
Thankfully, I tripped. I’m happy about this because, if I had not tripped, I would have likely stood on a tiny, radiant gold thing that was gracefully slipping its way down the stairs. I gasped. This had to be the little creature that had hatched from the egg. It gazed at me penetratingly, with deep turquoise-blue eyes. It knew things, I could sense that. I shivered and picked up the glowing gold creature to have a closer look. The little animal looked like a tiny lion with horns, except for the wings. Leathery wings sprouted from its back, bony and thin, seemingly too big for the lion’s diminutive body. As small as it was, it was clearly a powerful animal, muscled shoulders, yet lean and lithe. It’s claws were sharpened to piercing points that could kill with one swipe. But it’s face was friendly, and it looked as though it was smiling, and it portrayed an air of gentleness and grace.
It padded right up to me, scrutinizing me with it’s bright blue eyes. I just lay there, going red in the face, because, strangely, it felt embarrassing, lying splayed on the stairs while the creature held its head, proud and regal.
And then it spoke. In just the voice I may have expected- the voice of someone very important.
“You are the One. Are you prepared to complete your destiny?”
I was confused. The lion-thing was speaking, but it’s mouth wasn’t moving, and it’s deep, rumbling speech was giving me a headache. I couldn’t even figure this out, let alone understand what on Earth it was actually talking about.
“I am speaking with you telepathically.” it laughed, which sounded like a small thunderstorm inside my head, “And yes, I can hear the thoughts that you are projecting.”
I grinned at the lunacy of it all. But I’d come to believe that anything’s possible, really, especially after the two strange incidents that had happened over the last year and a half.
First of all, I saw a real life, (well, dead), ghost. It had been a little girl, and the ghost had lost her teddy bear. I found it in my backyard, the dog trying to rip it to shreds, but looking extremely confused since it couldn’t work out why the bear wouldn’t tear. I returned it to the ghost, who thanked me thoroughly and disappeared.
The second...I’d rather not talk about it. Let’s just say that the one guy who I ever truly thought I might have actually wanted to go out with is dead to me now, literally.
Anyway, I started to pay attention to what the lion-thing was saying. I’m the One? What the heck is that supposed to mean?
“I must tell you of your heritage. Sit.” I had forgotten that the thing could read my thoughts.
I sat. Mum yelled up from downstairs, calling for me to finish my dinner.
“Later, okay?” I scooped up the majestic creature who started complaining loudly, and shut him (I was sure it was a him) in my room. I kind of felt guilty, though, so I resolved to come back up straight away.
I bolted my food and pushed my chair back, tipping it over in the process. My mother raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Mmm, yum! Thanks Mum.” I grinned nervously, and retreated backwards, towards the stairs.
When I got to my room, I slammed the door and took note of the small mammal flapping slowly in circles around the bed. When it realised I was standing, staring at it, the lion lighted down on my dresser. I began to do it’s creepy thought-speak thingy.
“You are of a long line of Spirit Walkers. Your first mission is to convey a message between the world of Ryne and it’s long lost ancestral home of Nyite...Wait, you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you.” The lion thing sighed.
Although it wasn’t a question- it was pretty obvious how bewildered I was- I shook my head.
“Right, well. I’ll start from the very beginning.” His tone of...thought? Anyway, it clearly implied how ignorant I was.
“There are many worlds that exist in several warps around this area of the Milky Way, as you call it. Some sustain life, most don’t. But all are linked by the powerful ‘deep magic’ within the planets. Earth killed it’s natural magic many years ago, when all hatred and evil seeped into this world. I have a pure Spirit Power, which is a magic unlike any other. I have the ability to see things in my mind’s eye, and I have a connection with the gods of magic. I am your Soul Guardian, and I am here to help you in achieving your destiny.”
I squeaked something indistinguishable that was supposed to be ‘what’.
“Let’s get going. I shall teach you on the way.”
He came over, and, so quickly I didn’t even feel it, pricked my arm with his sharp claws. He wiped the blood onto my forehead, and put some of his own blood on his head too. I, somehow, knew exactly what to do. I leaned forward, and our heads touched. An intense heat that filled me with a fiery strength, gushed through my body like water made of flame. Then, it all went black.
*
Later, I woke up staring into a pitch-black pit, swirling with tiny pinpricks of light. Stars. I shifted a bit, and looked down. I was staring at the back of a lion. Air rushed around me, and I turned to see huge wings sprouting from its back. The thing, it was big!
Suddenly we shot forward.
:omg: :woo:
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Kestrad »

Oh yay, entry! I'll put it up after I get some sleep...Kestrad feels pretty dead at the moment XP
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Kestrad »

Bump. 13 days left!
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by MageLorelei »

For the first prompt, do they need to be enjoying it? Could they be totally miserable? Or start off miserable, and then become less miserable, but not exactly 'happy'?
25/25 Gifts, thank you!
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Android »

12 days left... Oh, the suspense! :tard:
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by ML1201 »

I'm trying to get final opinions of my story on another forum for a different game, but no responses yet. If I don't get anymore a few days before the final day I'll just post the story as is.
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by MageLorelei »

I think my story is horrible... if it can even be called a story. Anyway:


Untitled
Prompt 1
Spoiler
Lorelei glared out the window of The Keep. Big white fluffy flakes were falling slowly from the sky. There was already a good coating of snow on the ground; many magi had gone out to enjoy it. She glared at them, too, before turning away from the window. She despised snow. It was all could and wet and... cold and wet. Speaking of the cold, she was feeling rather cold herself. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself. When she had still lived in The Keep she would often sleep the entire day away when it was cold and snowy like this. But she didn't live here anymore. She glanced back at the small guest room she was in. The snow had already kept her in here for two days; she was sick of the room. Almost in challenge she glared outside at the snow. She was a fire magi, she wouldn't stay huddled up in some room because of a foot of snow! She would go out there and...and go home! She'd like to see that stupid snow try to stop her!
Turning on her heel resolutely she made her way down to the courtyard. However, as she got closer to the mass of white she was walking slower and slower. Finally she stopped just short of entering the courtyard. Nervously she glanced around... good, nobody was there. Gingerly she stepped into the snow...and immediately withdrew her foot. That snow was really cold. Even through boots she could feel it. Suddenly a hand pushed her on the back to send her tumbling into the snow. She yelped in surprise and tried to regain her balance. Soon, however, she was face first in the snow. Lorelei turned and glared at the person who pushed her; she came face to face with a pair of laughing blue eyes. The man they belonged to snickered at her as he leaned back. She crossed her arms and pouted.
"Ha ha, very funny Ymiros." She summoned a small ball of fire and began holding it to her wet and snowy cloths; they began to steam almost immediately. The man looked down at her, a playful smirk coming over his face.
"I thought it was pretty funny. The look on your face was priceless. And when you put your foot down-ha! You looked like an alphyn being forced to take a bath!" Despite his mocking words, his voice had a hint of what might have been fondness.
Lorelei moved to get up and Ymiros quickly offered his hand. She stared at it, then took it. He saw a flash of a smile before he was pulled down into the snow beside the fire magi. She laughed and lay back in the snow beside him.
He smiled at her. "I guess I kinda deserved that, huh?"
She nodded. "Of course you did." Suddenly, the snow didn't feel so cold anymore.
Ymiros glanced over at her. "What brings you to The Keep, anyway? Certainly not any of your creatures."
"Well, Aurora asked me to deliver so herbs Master Belmos had asked for. I also came to see if I could get a koi from the pond... no luck, though."
"Master Belmos ordered herbs? Why didn't he just grow them here?"
"Well, it is very hard to grow; it requires almost constant attention. It's also very fussy about the soil it'll grow in, and the type of water... or so she says. Not to mention that it's too cold here, right now." She nodded her head sagely.
Ymiors shrugged. "Well, if you say so... And speaking of cold, why don't we head inside? I'll make you some cocoa." He brushed snow off of himself as best he could while he stood up.
Lorelei sat up eagerly. Now that she was reminded, she did feel pretty cold. This time, when he offered his hand, she took it happily. After he helped her up, she glanced back at the snow. Maybe... the snow wasn't so bad after all.
25/25 Gifts, thank you!
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]

Post by Kestrad »

l337Lorelei wrote:For the first prompt, do they need to be enjoying it? Could they be totally miserable? Or start off miserable, and then become less miserable, but not exactly 'happy'?
Sorry I didn't see this until you submitted, but the answer is that you can do anything you want with that prompt! The only two requirements is that it's set in winter and the world is the MS world. Now I'm off to read your submission :D
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