Writing Contest Submission Thread

[Chu]

Writing Contest Submission Thread

We don't want entries getting lost in chatting so here's the submission thread. Please use the forms in each post for your submissions and place them here. Absolutely no other posts are allowed.

[Chu]

Rules

Just re-posting the rules so that you guys don't forget.


1. Follow Midorea's rules, and the contest's rules.
This means:
- Everything post should be PG-13;
- Users must use the designated forms for their entries (see each contest details for info);
- Follow deadlines strictly (again, check each contest for details).

2. All entries must be your original work.

3. We encourage you to chat and comment on other people's work (if they request it), but bashing will not be tolerated.

4. Don't ask about prizes: they have already been decided and have been kept from the entrants for a reason. They will all be handed out at the end of this event.

5. Additional in this thread: Absolutely no posts other than submission posts.

[Chu]

Daily Drabbles

1. Night
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 6/27/10
   --Winner: N/A
   
2. Love
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 6/28/10
   --Winner: N/A
   
3. Stability
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 6/29/10
   --Winner: ecco
   
4. Suspicion
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 6/30/10
   --Winner: TBA
   
5. Rustic
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 7/1/10
   --Winner: N/A
   
6. Flight
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 7/2/10
   --Winner: TBA
   
7. Waves
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 7/3/10
   --Winner: ecco
   
8. Escape
   --Deadline: 12:00pm EST 7/4/10
   --Winner: TBA

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: Chu
Day/Word: 1/Night
Submission: TEXTHERE

[Chu]

Weekly Shorts

1. Setting: cyberpunk universe
   Plot: crime story
   --Deadline: 11:59pm EST 7/3/10 Done!
   --Winners: Keylaleigh
   
   
2. Setting: sword-and-sorcery/ classic medieval fantasy.
   Plot: humorous quest.
   --Deadline: 11:59pm EST 7/10/10 Done!
   --Winners: NA
   
   
3. Setting: modern day.
   Plot: love story.
   --Deadline: July 17th at 11:59pm EST Done!
   --Winners: NA

Weekly Shorts Submission
Username: Chu
Week: 1
Submission: TEXTHERE

[Chu]

Prom King & Queen

• Mary Sue
  --Deadline: 10:00pm EST 7/17/10
  
  1. TBA
     
  2. TBA
     
  3. TBA

• Gary Stu
  --Deadline: 10:00pm EST 7/17/10
  
  1. TBA
     
  2. TBA
     
  3. TBA

Prom King & Queen Submission
Username: Chu
Category: Mary or Gary
Entry: TEXTHERE

[Chu]

You may post now. :3 Remember, entries only!

[ecco]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: ecco
Day/Word: 3/Stability
Submission:
When you were near my heart soared like a seabird over the ocean, the crashing of the waves – my heartbeat – deafened me with every step. I felt young again, the worry lines on my forehead slowly vanishing; as if you were some sort of healer, and yet, untameable… the harder I tried not to, the further I fell in love with you. But you would never be mine – you needed excitement and adventure, I needed a place to call home. He may not make me feel as alive as you do, but at least my husband has a steady income.

[Keylaleigh]

Well, here's my entry! I hope you guys don't mind it going a handful of characters over the limit...

Weekly Shorts Submission
Username: Keylaleigh
Week: 1
Submission:
Too Much of Heaven

In 2035, the electronic revolution made physical competition a thing of the past, and professional gaming became the spectator sport of choice. Nightly, gaming arenas would be packed to bursting with spectators, ready to watch a new breed of athletes armed only with controllers duke it out on large screens that could be seen by the entire audience. The general populace had their favorite teams, now called "clans", and their favorite players on these clans. The best gained a celebrity status similar to those of the old football and baseball stars.

Of course, it took a great amount of skill to get to that level, and not just any nerd confined to their mother's basement could reach it. Seeing this need, black market pharmacists invented Decagen, a drug made to enhance a gamer's hand-eye coordination and reflexes. The moment it hit the streets, the wannabe pros took to it immediately, giving it nicknames like "heaven", "twitch", and "indigo", after the bluish tint it gave the user's fingertips. Upon the drug's release, the amount of gamers in the pro circuits doubled, the ones using Decagen outranking the naturally talented gamers. This made the original gamers jealous, and they started taking Decagen to improve their skills.

Currently, the IGL (International Gaming League) hasn't done anything to stop its use, but there are rumors that they will start taking action against it in the very near future. Recent surveys showed that over 80 percent of gamers in both amateur and professional circuits have admitted to taking Decagen at least once.

--------------

Seventeen-year-old Zee was one of the less than twenty percent of gamers that decided to stay clean and not take the drug. Of course, his rank in the amateur circuit was dropping rapidly because of it, but he didn't care. He knew that the IGL would crack down on it soon, so he figured it best to stay clean and in the league then to be kicked out for what was essentially steroid use.

Upon reaching his house, he banished any thoughts he had about gaming. He preferred to not mix his business and his home life together.

Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case today.

Zee’s mother, an amazingly attractive woman in her early thirties, was on the vidscreen with a man in his early twenties with slicked back blue hair and wrap-around glasses. Zee gave an annoyed sigh and walked up to the screen. “Hey, mom. I’m home.”

The woman jumped a little and turned around. “Oh! Hello, dear.” She smiled. “Well, now that you’re here, I can leave you two to talk whatever business you need to.” She smiled sweetly and walked upstairs.

The blue-haired man grinned as he tried to get another look at her. “Daaamn, what a fine ass. Dude, is your mom still single?” He grinned, adjusting his glasses.

Zee scoffed. “There is no way I’m letting my clan leader date my mom. Plus, she’s, like, ten years older than you.”

“Well, you know what they say, Zee. The older the wine…”

“Just… stop there.” Zee groaned. For some reason, the conversation always veered in that direction. “Why are you calling me at home, Demo? Couldn’t you have just used the portable?”

Demo sighed and pulled out a bright clipboard. “I was looking at the registrations for tonight’s competition and saw that you didn’t sign. What’s up, man?”

“I don’t feel like it, is all.” Zee grumbled, annoyed at the fact that Demo completely ignored his first question. “Everybody there’s gonna be hopped up on Heaven, and I’ll have no chance against ‘em.”

“And that should tell you something, Zee.” As Demo said these words, Zee rolled his eyes. He knew where this conversation was heading already. “You gotta stay in the game!”

“No way.” Zee responded sternly. “I’m not getting drugged up.”

Marco sighed, shaking his head. “I checked the district rankings. Over the past three months, you’ve dropped ten places. What happened to my champion? I know he’s in there somewhere. Just needs a little help coming back, is all.” He sounded concerned, but Zee knew that it was a show.

“I said no.” Zee growled. He was about ready to shut down this communication completely.

Demo shook his head. “Well, I’d suggest getting your head in the game. You’re going to be unable to compete at all if you keep like this. You gotta get some help. All the other guys on the clan did. Stop being the black sheep, man. And I expect to at least see you at the arena tonight to cheer on the rest of the clan. And if you’re ever interested, I can hook you up with some Heaven for real cheap.” He tapped his forehead with his index finger. “Think about it.”

With that, Demo cut the communication.

Zee sighed. He was already planning to go to the tourney tonight as a spectator. Demo’s last words rang in his ears, though. His rank really was slipping because of his choice to stay clean, and he was tired of being beaten repeatedly. Maybe he’d consider… NO! He shook his head. Looking at the clock on the vidscreen, he figured he had a half an hour to get into better clothes before heading out.

-----------

Two hours later, Zee came home sighing. After watching the competition, he realized that with the way gaming was going, he would never be able to compete. And that was a depressing thought. He loved the sport and the thought of never being to compete on even an amateur level was upsetting. He hated admitting, but Zee knew what he had to do. Walking over to the vidscreen, he punched a number into the dialpad and Demo’s face appeared on the screen. “What’s up, Zee?”

Zee bit his lower lip, trying to figure out how to word what he had to say. Eventually, he inhaled deeply. “I’ve changed my mind. You said you could hook me up for cheap?”

One Month Later…

It was only minutes until tournament time, and Zee was twitching like mad. Upon taking the small pills that Demo had been giving him, he always felt a sudden adrenaline rush that was thrilling and frightening at the same time. Demo told him that waiting a few hours before starting to play was preferable, but he had no time to wait. There was a new game being previewed tonight, and he wanted to be there to play it.

And Zee wasn’t the only one that felt like that. He looked at the other competitors on the floor, and almost all of them had a bluish tint on their fingertips. He had gained quite a blue himself over the last month, but it was worth it. He was back in the top five and feeling great. Hopefully this tourney would be enough to boost him back to number one.

“All competitors, please go to the floor! Five minutes until start!” The announcer’s voice rang out over the tinny speaker. Zee nodded and tried to shake off the excess twitchiness he was feeling.

The arena floor was even more packed than usual, but that was expected on a release day. The making of this game must’ve been super-secret, because nobody heard anything about it beforehand. Just that it was premiering tonight. The registration list was full within the first few days of it being posted on the IGL site, and Zee was lucky to get a spot on it. The competitors took their places on the floor at their respective consoles and picked up the controllers. After the customary pre-show announcements, the screens turned on and the competition started.

The game was a racing game combined with Space Invaders, and it had a very retro feel to it. The flashing lights that occasionally appeared on the screen were a little unsettling, but he kept going. The longer he played, though, the worse he started to feel. His twitching was becoming a little too erratic, until he was almost unable to control his hands. Looking around frantically, he saw that most of the others had this reaction as well. Before he could figure out exactly what was wrong, though, he collapsed…

-----------

IGL Finally Cracks down on Decagen
Last night, hundreds of gamers around the country showed up for an official IGL tournament in the hopes of previewing a brand new game. Unfortunately, most of them suffered horrible seizures and could not complete the game.

No action was taken against the IGL, though, because the seizures were meant to happen. After almost a year of debate, the International Gaming League has decided to take action against the users of Decagen, deciding that it gave unskilled gamers an unfair advantage.

In an elaborate scheme set up with Zidecor studios, one of the largest game companies in the world, they came up with a special game that would cause anybody on Decagen to suffer from seizures. Almost every competitor was on the ground five minutes into the game.

All gamers that were found using Decagen have been given a one-month ban, and dealers of the now illegal drug face serious penalties. Hopefully this will keep any future gamers away from the substance.

[Sora]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: Sora
Day/Word: 6/Flight
Submission: I have never felt so high before. Never have I felt such freedom. I feel like I can take on the world, soar over all my problems. Nothing can stand in my way. My dreams have taken flight, to show the world what I'm made of. My imagination and determination are my greatest tools.

[Megami Rizu]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username:Megami Rizu
Day/Word: 6/ Flight
Submission:
Slowly I unfold my newborn wings. The gentle breeze tickles them and I smile as I look out across the horizon. I am ready for this: The thrill of the drop and then the calming of the flight as I head for unknown territories. No longer bound to the small nest, I seek to experience a sensation that home cannot give me. I know that I can always return when my wings tire and the winds can carry me no more.

[ekko]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: Ekko
Day/Word: 6/Flight
Submission:
There is a place I go, far beyond the weighted earth beneath my feet, a place that exists beyond the heavy drone of gravity. I go there when I am cold and alone and bored of my home under the atmosphere. I seek it as a drowning man seeks the sun and a thirsty man seeks the seas, I seek it with my eyes closed and my soul open. Some call me an astronaut, but I am simply a man who seeks the sky.

[SapphireSiren]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: Sapphire Siren
Day/Word: 6/Flight
Submission:

It had taken years to complete. She had put in her own sweat, her own blood and tears, and not once had she looked back. Her dream since she was a young girl was about to come to fruition with the unveiling of the town's largest project. She adjusted her leather jacket, threw her scarf around her neck, and pulled down her goggles to mask the thundering she felt in her chest, even louder than the engines as they whirred to life in the hangar. She pulled the side-stick back and felt her heart soar. She was free.

[ecco]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: ecco
Day/Word: 7/Waves
Submission:
The last time he had been here was in his youth, with his friends by his side. They had sat on the warm sand and played music on acoustic guitars, built a bonfire and drank beer all night. The girls climbed around the rocks looking for crabs in the little pools of water. He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly as he reflected on that day. A perfect moment in time, one that he could never forget. He was the only one left now, but stood in the cold water, tiny waves lapping at his ankles, he felt as though they were still there with him.

[ecco]

Daily Drabble Submission
Username: ecco
Day/Word: 8/Escape
Submission:
Grey clouds filled the sky. She looked up through the glass roof of the bus station as a few fat drops of rain splashed across the sloped surface and trickled downwards. She looked around at the other people waiting – not a smile in sight. The door of the bus swung open as the engine rumbled into life, and the cheerless group of people hurriedly boarded the vehicle. She flashed her bus pass at the driver and took a seat at the back. The silence of the passengers felt like a heavy weight. “I’ve got to get out of this town,” was the only thought in her head.