Alright, let’s get this party started! Is everyone okay with one week? If so, the deadline will be at Midnight on Wednesday the 10th at central time. So 10 MAR 2021 at 2359 CT.
If anyone thinks they may need more time, speak up now!
And judges let’s shoot for four days after that? So results posted by 14 MAR 2021 at 2359 CT.
Is that alright with everyone?
I’m down.
same
Sounds good! Good luck to the writers, and may the odds be ever in your favor (:
Noice! Do you want us to wait until Match 10th to post our stories or just when they're done?
@AAAAAGGGHH-MJ-MIGHT-BE-AN-ARSONIST You can post as soon as you’re done, that way the judges have even more time to read everyone’s submissions!
Here we go!
This is called.
"What's Wrong with the Crimson Seas?"
It's 900 words long.
"I'm a sailor, for Cefora's sake!" Jaq said, slicked raven black pompadour shining in the sun as he read the words Whatever you do, do not touch the water on the side of an old abandoned church dedicated to the dead Celestial, Pearl Luvesew. He walked back to his own beautiful wooden ship The Queen Ender. She was a thing of beauty, golden accents on her rear, and on her starboard and port as well. It shone in the midday sun.
“What’s so bad about the damn water! It’s only stained crimson!” Jaq stated as he got onto his ship on the port side, walking up to both his husband Bastian and his other lover, Hailey.
“Hey, babe~” Bailey said, kissing Jaq. Jaq swaggered over to the Captain’s Cabin, which had a nice wooden table with a map of the Crimson Seas. The cherry wood shone in what light shone through the big clear window behind the table.
Jaq threw his nice, intricately engraved knife into the next location on the map; Jarews, Naudyr. Jaq’s hometown. He would probably be noticed as a hero, and what about his mother? She would be so relieved when she saw him home and safe! Oh, how he missed her warm smile.
He walked out and stood up to his full height of 6’3. He opened his mouth to give commands. The other sailors lined up in battle formation.
“LISTEN UP FUCKNUGS! WE’RE ABOUT TO SET FORTH ON ANOTHER TRIP! I’LL NEED YOU ALL TO HEED OUR WORDS! Palera, heed the sails!”
“AY AY CAPTAIN!” Palera said, as she went up to take care of the sails, her blonde hair shining in the setting sun.
“Geoffrey, go aid Palera!”
“YES CAPTAIN!” Geffory did so, helping Palera.
“Jules! Crow’s nest!” They did so.
“I’ll need ALL HANDS ON DECK!” Jaq shouted, his throat now sore.
“YES CAPTAIN!” The rest of the sailors said, going off to their respective designated positions.
They sailed for 5 days, and only one person died. It was Jules. But no one really liked Jules, so it sucks for them.
“We’re here!” Jaq said as They went into the port and was greeted by a big crowd, the leader of the crowd being his mother, Profero.
“MA!!” He said, running off the ship’s port side and running towards her and hugging her tightly, towered over her by 2 feet and 2 inches.
“Oh my.. You look like your father.” Profero said, smiling.
“I know,” Jaq smiled back faintly.
“Oh dear!! You didn’t say you brought friends back!” Profero said, her sky blue rose eyes lighting up while looking at Bastian and Hailey.
“Oh, we’re not his friends. We’re his spouses,” Bastian and Hailey both stated.
Profero then proceeded to faint jokingly, then standing back up.
“JAQ! You got married twice! And I wasn’t even present?” She said, eyebrows tensed up.
“Sorry, ma.”
“Now, Let’s get this hero some food! 7 days on a ship is a long time without proper food!” She said, walking back to her humble cottage.
“Yes, ma.” Jaq said, smiling and walking with her, arriving at her house.
The small round table was set humbly. The stairs were still in tack somehow, and everything was how Jaq left it.
“Ah.. home,” Jaq said, sitting on the couch, being careful not to break it.
“Honey! You wanna go for a walk on the beach?” Bailey mentioned, smiling at Jaq. Jaq nodded and walked towards Bailey who was at the backdoor beach.
“So… what do you wanna talk about?” Jaq asked, looking at the maroon water. What was so bad about it. He leaned over and touched it. Nothing happened.
“Come on, Bailey! Join me!” Jaq shouted, running into the water.
Profero sighed as she watched him and Bailey through the kitchen window.
“He’s cute when he’s happy.” Bastian told Profero.
“I know. He’s my cute baby boy.”
Bastian helped Profero cook dinner and was very helpful and witty with her.
At night, when the Heaste (basically Turkey and Chicken combined) dinner was ready, Jaq and Bailey came inside, wet and cold and hungry. They were laughing and having a good time. They dried off and came inside to eat. They sat down and began to eat the wonderfully cooked Heaste.
About halfway through the meal, Profero grabbed her chest, panting like she had just ran a marathon
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Jaq asked, concerned
“My.. Jaw and chest… hurts…” She huffed out. Jaq checked her forehead. Her sweating was like that of when someone is scared, and Jaq could feel it.
“And.. I’m nauseous…” She said, fainting and passing out.
“MOM!” Jaq said, going to her level and holding her body.
“I.. love you,” She said quickly before her soul left her body and she died. A tall muscled male in dark clothes appeared to reap her soul and disappeared again.
This.. was the Curse of the Crimson Seas. This was why it was stained with so much blood; Because it was cursed so that you or someone close to you will die.
“FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!” Jaq roared, smacking his fist onto the floor.
“Why… WHY ME?” Jaq thundered, about to cry.
The tall man appeared again. His name was Grimm.
“I told you not to touch it, didn’t I?” He said, barely moving his mouth. “Now look. You are paying the price.” Grimm stated bluntly
“I know..”
“Memento Mori.” He said.
The End
edit: Sorry for the weird formating… notebook refuses to let me change it. Just… if you want proper format, pls quote it-
Okay! Here's mine. It's called… uh… I don't have a title. It's 1,072 words (so sorry for going slightly over) and there's a few TWs. There's death, blood, and extreme burns. Just a head's up.
"Eli!"
"NO- Save yourself!"
"I'm not leaving without you Elliot."
"Ana- Listen to me. I'm not making it out of here alive. The world needs you, they don't need me. Just remember that I love you and whatever you do, don't touch the water."
Alana shot up, breathing labored and clothes soaked through with sweat. She pushed the sopping hair out of her face, gripping it tightly on the back of her head. Her lungs ached with every breath and tears threatened to spill out of her hazel eyes. Her hands shook as she hastily wiped the tears away from her red and swollen cheeks.
The nightmares were becoming more and more frequent the closer it got to Eli's birthday. Each of them were the same… but this one was odd. In past dreams, Alana hadn't recalled Eli ever warning her of water. She just remembered the ceiling caving in and crushing the man she loved. Alana took a long, shuddering breath and slipped out from under her covers. Flesh met the freezing and cracked tile, but the numbing cold was good. It helped her get her mind off other matters.
Alana made her way down the hall, arms tightly wrapped around her torso and her eyes never leaving the ground. She passed her apprentice's room, Scottie still snoring loudly. She relaxed slightly, her nightmares hadn't woken her apprentice this time around. On instinct, Alana began her morning routine, even though the sun was hours from rising. She muttered a small incantation and the dishes and spoons began to rattle inside the cupboard. The rotting and splintered cupboard door flew open when she waved her hand and the cutlery and bowls danced out of their place on the shelf and landed softly on the counter.
"Don't touch the water…" She mumbled, mind drifting away from the current task. "What does it mean?"
Alana sighed and leaned against the counter top. The dripping faucet and Scottie's snoring faded away, the only sound the sorceress could hear was her own breathing and beating heart.
"Whatever you do, don't touch the water!"
The words bounced around in Alana's head. They sounded hollow and foreign, words that could've never come from Eli. The dream played again in her head. The crumbling castle, the screaming and blood. It made Alana sick to think about. Even though the Siege of Savera ended years ago, the memories were still fresh in Alana's head.
The whistling tea kettle over the fire ripped Alana from her thoughts. She sighed through her nose and poured the boiling water into two bowls filled with dried oats and fruit. Her hands were somewhat steady until the light reflected off of a golden ring resting on her left finger, painfully reminding her of what could've been. Now her hands shook so violently, she dropped the tea kettle onto the table, the top coming off and boiling water spilling everywhere. Alana cursed and hissed, immediately beginning to wipe up the mess she had made.
"'Lana?" A groggy voice coming from the hall caught the sorceress's attention.
"Scottie-" Alana stood up, wiping her hands on the back of her nightgown. "What are you doing up? You should still be sleeping."
"Yeah. And so should yoooouuu-" Scottie yawned and wiped his dark brown eyes. His unruly curly hair stuck up in all directions, one part flatter than the rest of his mini-afro from where he was sleeping. "Lemme guess, nightmares?"
Alana nodded, subconsciously gnawing the inside of her cheek. "They're getting worse, Scottie."
He nodded sympathetically and joined his mentor by the kitchen counter. "Was it the same? Y'know, everything still exactly how it happened."
"No." The word had left her mouth before she could think of a proper answer.
Scottie raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, intrigued by what was yet to come. "Oh?"
Alana nodded, rotating the ring on her finger. "Eli…" She sighed and shook her head. "Before the building fell on him… He told me to not touch the water."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know, Scottie. This is the only time it's happened so- AGH!" Before Alana could finish, she collapsed, clutching her left wrist.
"Alana?!" Scottie knelt next to her, eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? What happened?"
The sorceress trembled, words failing to form. Her sandy hair shielded her face from Scottie. "Lana, come on, what's happening?!?"
She cried out in pain, holding her wrist tightly to her chest. Scottie slowly reached out to her, slowly wrapping his slender fingers around her arm. "Let me see," He said slowly and carefully as if talking to a feral animal rather than his mentor.
Alana complied, wincing at the contact. Scottie snapped his fingers, a small green flame forming at his fingertips, casting a perfect circle of green light around the duo. The apprentice slowly brought her arm into the light and could barely repress the shocked cry at what he saw, instead the sound coming out like a strangled whine.
Alana's ivory flesh was now scarlet and covered in boils and welts. At first, Scottie assumed it was a third degree burn. He knew where the aloe and other medicinal supplies were and Alana would be healed in no time. But this was no third degree burn.
The welts began to swell and move, spreading down her arm and beginning to form in other places that wouldn't have even been touched by boiling water.
"Alana?" Scottie asked, his voice strangled and quiet. Tears filled the young apprentice's eyes and his hands shook. "W-What's going on?"
Alana slowly looked up, her hair sliding away from her face. Her eyes were wide with pain and clarity. "Scottie-" She whispered, her voice was scratchy as if the blisters had formed on her vocal cords. "He-" She choked on her own words, beginning to cough. When she looked back up at Scottie, her face was covered in the boils; blood dripped out of her mouth, running down her chin and falling to the floor. "He told me not to touch the water-" Alana curled in on herself, hacking and wheezing. Tears mixed with the blood on her face, making Scottie sick.
"Alana, who did this to you?!" Scottie shouted, rage and pain seeping from his tone. "Alana, please!"
"I did this-" Alana wheezed. "I did this to myself-" She began to cough again, but this time much quieter.
And then she was still.
Alright y’all! You guys have until midnight tomorrow to get your submissions in! The due date is the Wednesday 10th at 2359 (11:59 pm)!
Oh heck, I almost completely forgot about this due to being at work. Best get writing.
“Another Flower in the Garden”
I went a little bit over the word count at 1070 words
She rode out of the village on the back of her Clydesdale. Its wide feet stamped the earth in its path down the overgrown trail towards dark woods rich with lore. There was fear, first, that she would never reclaim her beloved. Then there was inescapable grief. Her Gelsey, who tucked shriveled flowers in between locks of her black hair, and who lined the shelves of their shop with vials of essential oils.
A neighbor tended to their shop while she was away.
“—and make sure to restock the rose hips on that shelf, there. A box of them should be arriving tomorrow,” she said to Henrietta: a stout old woman with cheery round cheeks and a gummy smile.
“Eloise,” Henrietta reproached her, but only until she could rest a hand on the girl’s shoulder to comfort her. “Don’t worry about a single dust bunny under the cabinets, my dear. You find your Gelsey, and the shop will be just fine and dandy once you get back.” The woman traced her hand up to Eloise’s face, holding her cheek with a wrinkled palm.
Eloise sighed and leaned into the comfort. “Thank you, Henny. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Nay, I’m sure I do, dear.”
Henrietta once had a beloved of her own, who was tragically lost to the woods flanking their little village. The same with countless other civilians. There were enough disappearances in the last year to warrant a long withstanding rumor. Wives lost their husbands to the fairies, and parents lost their children. The story had become something of a cautionary tale: stay away from the haunted wood, lest you be stolen by the hostile woodland creatures.
The ride took roughly half a day as Eloise gauged the position of the sun. There was no telling where or what to search for in a haunted forest. Until finally she reached the place. Or a place that looked mildly interesting enough to be a fairy residence. A cottage.
The frail excuse for a house sat nestled behind a garden. Sickly-looking plants and flowers spilled out from the containment of a short, white picket fence. There was also the pond. Enchantingly strange, yet seeming nothing less than appropriate for the surrounding scene.
Eloise blinked at the sight once. Twice. Then dismounted her horse, whispering soft praises to her steed while she lashed the reins to a nearby branch. It felt natural for her feet to guide her towards the water’s edge. Clearing the fence, she stooped down to examine the pond. On the surface she could peer into her own reflection, distorted by tiny ripples thanks to the breeze.
Mesmerized, she felt a sense of obligation to let the cool water envelop her hands and past her wrists. Even the thought of giving into temptation eased her anxieties. Maybe Gelsey found this place before her. Maybe she was safe. Her finger was just barely half an inch above the surface when—
“—Whatever you do, don’t touch the water.”
Eloise flinched back at the voice. She stood, smoothing out her skirts, and stared wide-eyed at the strikingly beautiful woman standing on the other side of the fence. Pale faced, rosy cheeked, shivering with emotion, Gelsey. “I’m begging you, I…”
“Gelsey?” Eloise lost her breath. All thoughts of the water gone from her mind.
Gelsey pushed a tuft of her red hair behind her ear and came forward. Her eyes glued to Eloise’s face. “My love.” She pulled her wife into a close embrace, shoving a tearful expression into Eloise’s shoulder. Thin fingers pushed shallow dents into her back.
Eloise pulled away when she trusted that her heart wouldn’t burst. Gelsey cradled her chin with both palms, stealing another long moment to examine Eloise’s state of health. “I have so much to tell you,” she laughed breathlessly.
Inside the little cottage, Gelsey rushed to explain herself even before Eloise asked. “On the road to Narfolk my poor horse was spooked, by something or another, and dashed off into the woods. That’s when I came upon this cottage. I thought it was a fine place to spend the night. There was a man here.” She spoke as if remembering an event from long ago, soft and distant, rather than just a handful of weeks prior.
“He let me sleep in his bed while he took the floor. There were two pitchers of water on the counter. One from the river, he said, and the other from the pond. He told me not to drink from the pond because it would curse me to the house like he was.
“That night while he was asleep it…it was just so odd, like I had to take a sip of the pond water. So I did. And the next morning, he was gone, and a new flower appeared in the garden.”
“My lord, Gelsey, why would you do that?” said Eloise. “And why couldn’t he—or you—just leave?”
Her spouse slowly shrugged. “Like I said, it just felt right. And if I left…I’m too terrified to think of what might happen.”
After that, not many words were said between the two of them for the rest of the evening. Gelsey preferred to sip her tea in silence, contentedly watching Eloise from the other side of the room as she explored the vintage treasures.
That night, after Gelsey went to bed wrapped in her quilt, Eloise felt compelled to visit the pond again.
She knelt down by the shore, admiring the strange beauty of an oversized puddle. The unnaturally clear water for a stagnant pond, and a distinct lack of fish. Until at last, she submerged her hand into the water. After all, she wasn’t going to take a drink.
There were no apparent consequences to her indulgence until the morning when Eloise woke up in a patch of grass beside the pond. She stretched out under the sun, humming a soft tune to herself until she gathered enough of an inclination to stand.
She cleared the entrance into the cottage, and turned to greet Gelsey with a good morning, though she no longer rested under her bed of quilts. All that was there was emptiness. A cold bed sold for the price of another carnation in the garden.
Thinking back to the bed of wilted flowers, Eloise crumpled under the weight of herself with a strained wail escaping her throat.
Okay y’all! Only 6ish hours left to submit!
Alrighty, I have my submission! It's 1004 words and I've titled it 'The Truth'.
'Whatever you do, do not touch the water!'
Juron's word was everywhere, written across every new and decaying wall of the country that only knew one thing– water was forbidden.
Ever since the family of Juron took control of Acirema and turned it into a plastic hell, it had been drilled into the minds of everyone that if they were to touch the water then something awful would become of them. This was only pushed further when all the ancient trees were replaced by broken LED models, and the vast fields of fresh grass were killed off and replaced with what could only be described as a dull neon carpet. When it rained, the country shut down completely and became nothing short of a ghost town, only groaning into life when the gravel was bone dry.
There were no oceans surrounding Acirema, only other countries where citizens never dared even speak of the plastic hell, but if such seas had even been close to the border then Juron would have made sure to seal it off with a wall as he had the lakes and rivers. Even ponds were filled in, the wildlife that lived inside them being killed off as if they were nothing more than pests. This invasion happened over two thousand years ago, and it wasn't until recently that someone discovered what actually happened to those who touched the water.
Eddy woke up for his shift at the factory, just like always, and took his weekly 'bath' with Juron's Special Multi-purpose Soap– a foamy concoction that didn't require water to be used effectively. Eddy was a simple man with generic short brown hair and brown eyes. He had a fairly average build and was just as ordinary as everyone else in his part of town.
He poured himself a glass of milk but didn't touch it, he hadn't touched his milk since his fourteenth birthday and felt incredibly nauseous even looking into the anemic liquid.
He left the glass on the table and glanced around his drab apartment. Nothing about the moss brown walls and curtainless windows screamed that someone genuinely felt at home there, but it was the customary housing arrangements for what Juron called the ‘working class’. The rickety bed sat in the corner away from the window, its wooden frame was cracked in several places and it was only a matter of time before the straw mattress was on the floor. Sometimes it was nicer sleeping on the wooden floor than constantly waking up with every creak of the bed that Eddy was too big for.
After dressing into his oil stained overalls and pulling on his tattered work boots, the middle-aged man left his apartment and joined the line of other factory workers that were making their daily commute to work. Tired greetings to ‘Eddy’, ‘Tom’ and ‘John’ were muttered among men, while ‘Sarah’, ‘Jane’ and ‘Wendy’ silently smiled at one another. Men and women worked in separate factories, despite doing the exact same jobs, because apparently it left no room for distraction when in reality it only reminded everyone how meaningless they were in the omniscient eyes of Juron. The bells rang for them to start working, and everyone fell into line like they always did.
When the bells finally rang for the end of the work day, everyone was eager to return home and eat. Every worker, including Eddy, were now used to the long days with no food or drink, and the blistering hands and feet from constantly working, but they still looked forward to returning home. Their already waning hopes were completely shattered when rain started to fall. Sirens blared through all of the factories as the doors began shutting down. While many made their way back to their work stations to keep safe, there were a decent number of workers who made a break for it. There always were, but this time Eddy joined them.
Some unfortunate souls were unable to make it before the doors closed, with a couple being crushed to death before they could escape, but Eddy managed to break free and found himself staring up at the blank grey sky as drops of cool liquid fell onto his face.
It wasn’t just Eddy who was entranced by the rain as the other escapees also stared in wonder as the water pooled in their hands. The man cupped his hands together and brought the water to his lips, revelling in the refreshing wave that rushed from his brain to his toes. He had never tasted something so cold, so clean. He closed his eyes and allowed the water to soak his entire body, before opening them again and jumping back in shock. The world around him was rich with vibrant colours–even the dull charcoal overalls he wore had taken a new colour. No one knew what these new colours were, no one could understand why they were seeing anything other than dull browns and greens, but they didn’t have the time to ponder among themselves as several glistening vehicles pulled up through the gates to the factories.
The vehicles pulled up to a halt but no one climbed out yet; everyone already knew who would be greeting them. Juron. The overlord himself would be facing them, ordering his soldiers to deal a punishment to the factory workers. But the person who climbed out was not at all who they expected. He looked like Juron, but younger and not as intimidating. He spoke to them, his pre-pubescent voice causing some of the men and women to laugh, but it wasn’t until Eddy caught the boy’s gaze that it really click that it was Juron.
Those that had laughed were the first to be shot, then the man stood nearest to Eddy, before the gun was pointed at Eddy himself.
The rain continued to fall on their corpses, the blood staining the dirty gravel.
Why was touching the water forbidden?
Those who saw the truth never lived to tell the tale…
Great job on the submissions guys! The judging team will get those results to you soon!
Results coming soon, your lovely judges have already submitted their winners… they’re literally just waiting on me but work has been crazy! I’ll try and have it in by tomorrow!
Wonderful work everyone!
(Especially keeping it mostly down to 1000k - that's hard to do)
:O omgg thank you all so much!! I had so much fun writing it. I was definitely going for the Scottish old lore vibe.
SO the official results are:
In First Place - “Another Flower in the Garden”
In Second Place - "The Truth"
In Third Place - Untitled
Thank you guys so much for participating in this competition! If you guys would like full critiques on your work, please just PM me and I'll get to it when I'm not so swamped with work!