@Selestial,

Do the stories have to eb a full story? Like, can you just submit a single chapter of something? or does it have t include some type of ending?

@Lostwords13,

I would really prefer a full story. That way it has a beginning, a plot, and an ending. Something incomplete can be submitted, like a chapter of something, but I can almost guarantee that unless it can stand on its own as a story it's probably not going to place.

Complete!
It's an untitled work, but I like how the story came out. ^^ Enjoy!
--
The world had a grey sky, clouds colored as dark as ash, and rain that slowly ate away at the mountains and rocks. Land was not a fresh and lively green, but a pale gray mixed with spotted, lifeless brown soil, and not even the dead, leafless trees were able to stand on their own in the middle of the lonely plane. The only redeeming feature this world had was its ocean, blue and constantly turning while the world stood still.

A girl with long, feathered wings fell from the cloudy, tainted heavens, plummeting downward into the ocean. Her white wings were dirty, splotched from the ashen clouds, and her flowing garments that were once white were soiled just the same. She fell freely and unconsciously, as if she were a sleeping soul, moving from one world to another, except the air was the world of the dead, and the ocean was the world that was living.

The angel’s body made a splash into the ocean headfirst, and then sank down, as if the ocean pulled her in so she could sleep easier. The ash on her wings and garments washed away, becoming pure white like pearls. Her long hair flowed along her body, a silvery blonde color, befitting for an angelic being.

However, she remained in her resting state, falling deeper into the ocean, until light could not reach the ocean floor. She slowly sank deeper, and gradually, the world of creatures that called the ocean their home curiously circled around this foreign being, wondering who she was, and why she came to a world that was unlike her own.
--
The angel awoke a few days after her arrival to the ocean’s haven. Her eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. They stung a little, and as she moved her hand up to her eyes to rub them, she realized it took extra effort to move, as if the air was thick and dense.

When her vision managed to clear and sharpen, she saw the world a tint bluer than she thought it was. She tried to move all her limbs, and it was like moving through…water. She panicked, trying to clutch at her throat and breathe for air, hyperventilating and believing she’d drown then and there. But then as she almost gave up hope, she exhaled, and breathing felt easy.

“Don’t ask us how, but we were able to give you some of this kelp,” a voice spoke out. “It helps you breathe underwater. We figured it was less invasive than poking holes in your throat to make gills.”

The angel turned her gaze over. She registered that she was in a room, the furnishings of a light blue and aqua theme, with corals and seashells used in a variety of ways to create furniture. It was a man, much like her as far as humanoid shape went, but instead of feathered wings, he had a long fish-like fin where his legs would be.

“We never met a being like you,” the merman said. “You must be a sky-swimmer...but people like you never come down here.” The merman’s tone sounded skeptical of her presence, but it was obvious that he was worried for the angel, and her main caretaker.

“I…” The angel started to spoke, though she paused, amazed that she could talk in water. “I…have never seen people like you before, either…”

“Well, we don’t swim in the sky. We don’t expect you sky-swimmers to swim here in the ocean.” His eyes narrowed, as if he thought the angel was dimwitted to assume anything she was already thinking. “What is your name, sky-swimmer?”

“I…I…” She drew a blank. All she could think of was the immediate setting of the room she was in, the merman she was looking at, and her attire, including her wings that seemed so out of place in comparison to the aquatic world.

She could not remember.

“I’m sorry…” A look of worried sorrow appeared on her face. “I do not remember my name…I don’t remember why I’m even here…why am I here?”

The merman scoffed. “How should I know? You just sank like a rock and I had to rescue you. No one knows why you’re here; you’re just some stranger that literally fell in on us.”

The angel’s lips quivered. “I-I…I…I…I’m sorry…” She drew her hands close to her face, and her wings drew closer and folded in. “I didn’t mean any trouble…I…”

“Oh goodness…” The merman sighed. He approached the angel, swimming closer to her, and cautiously held her by one of her wrists. “Don’t be scared. Ocean-dwellers are good people at heart. Take your time, remembering, alright?”

The angel nodded, but was still scared. The merman could tell from her arm shaking as he held a firm grip on it.

“Oh. Sorry.” The merman let go of her wrist, and backed off slightly. “Anyways…do you have a name you’d like me to call you?”

She shook her head, and tried to avoid his eyes by looking away.

The merman pursed his lips, a bit frustrated by the lack of input from her. “Well…come with me, we’ll figure something out.”
--
The merman held the girl’s wrist, gently this time, guiding her along the ocean floor. Buildings made of smooth, carved, navy rocks, and the natural plants being kelp forests and other colorful sea plantlife, it seemed so ethereal to the angel, even if she could not remember the land that she came from.

“The story is,” the merman said vacantly, as he guided her through the oceanic town, “something about there being people who used to live on the land above. The land used to be really green and teeming with its own plants and animals. They called them land-walkers, because they had legs to walk on land, like you (and we don’t have legs because we swim!). They say that the land-walkers covered almost all the land, and tended to make big cities near the coasts, right next to the ocean. They used to eat lots of fish. It’s a shame, there’s too many fish schools that swim by and wreck up the town with all the ocean currents they cause…I wouldn’t mind if they ate a few thousand, but what can I say, I’m a vegetarian myself…”

The angel half-paid attention to his babbling, while studying the town’s features, and also the merman’s features. His hair seemed to glimmer between teal and dark blue, maybe a little of both. It was short, but long, flowing freely as much as hers did. In fact, they almost seemed alike, even in age and stature, had it not been for a lack of wings, and a silvery flipper fin.

“At any rate, the land-walkers made use of all the land they lived on, ripping and harvesting from it until it was nothing, barren and lifeless like it is now. They say after they took everything from the land, they turned upon each other, and killed each other. Either that, or they died by themselves without anything to survive on. Sad, huh?”

“Uh-huh…” she replied quietly. As the two moved on, the angel slowly moved her legs back and forth, trying to build momentum against the water. Her wings unfolded fully after awhile, tired of trying to fold against the water moving against them. While it seemed like leverage to pull the angel with unfolded wings, the merman was slightly muscular at his biceps and abdomen. Maybe all merpeople were like that, the angel thought, since they swim lots like regular fish.

“Anyways, maybe in other places, the land is growing back to how it used to be. I heard that it isn’t pretty above us, though. They tell us not to go swimming and peeping our heads above the surface, or we’ll die from inhaling the dirty air…n-not that YOU’RE dirty, I think you’re actually very clean. I think unlike the land-walkers, sky-swimmers and ocean-dwellers are a bit more conscious about their environments. We blend into the landscapes we live in, like how we carved our homes out of the ocean rock we found on the sea floor. I don’t know about you guys though. They say you live in the sky, in the clouds.”

“Mm…yeah…” The angel thought quietly to herself, blanking out almost, with the merman’s ramblings in the background. All she could remember was pale and ashen clouds. Then…she remembered how hard it was to breathe.

“The land-walkers had names for people like you and me. They called people like us mermen and mermaids, though the girls that I know would never wait on people like “maids” do. I think they call sky-swimmers angels…though, I don’t know why they call you people that either. There’s no rhyme nor reason to land-walkers, right?” The merman stopped swimming along and turned around with a smile. “Righ--?!”

The angel started hyperventilating, clutching at her throat yet again. The merman came close, but was unsure how to help. “I-its…its so dark up there…I can't breathe…!”

“D-don’t freak out! You can breathe fine here, you were for the past 5 minutes!” The merman tried to rub her back with one hand and hold one of her arms with the other. “Breathe in, and out, slowly! I’m right here, you don’t have to worry!”

The angel’s vision was shaking as she remembered what the world was like above the ocean. Her people struggled to find the fabled clean white clouds. They were forced to fly through dark gray clouds of pollution which blackened their lungs and killed them slowly, or fly under those clouds, risking their wings to acidic rain that stung and burned their skin and wings, or even be shocked instantly by the raging thunder and lightning that followed. “T-the world is ruined because of land-walkers!!” she cried, curling her head into her arms. “It’s terrible up there...I can’t go back! And soon, the things that killed my people will seep through the ocean here…we’re not safe--!!”

Her vision was a blur of oceanic teal and blue, and her arms were moved away from her face. The merman pressed his lips onto hers, and a deep puff of what seemed like air rushed into her throat.

The air he breathed into her wasn’t a salty processed breath from the ocean, but it felt warm, yet refreshingly different, as if he breathed life into her; clean, pure life, from one living being to another.

The two stood together, connected, and as the merman gave her what resembled a kiss of life, the angel’s breathing slowed to a calmer rate. The merman held her in place by her arms, falling by their sides, and the angel’s visions went from the dark foggy clouds to the ocean world that seemed more peaceful and gentle. Before she opened her eyes, the merman backed away from her lips, but remained right in front of her, close enough that she could feel his warmer breath on her lips.

“Um…sorry…” the merman mumbled with a blush. “You looked like you were having some sorta panic attack. You gotta stop having those freak outs…you can breathe fine now, you see?”

She took a few slow breaths in and out. It felt like breathing clean air, with a little sea salt of course, but it felt more natural than before. “Y-yeah…yeah…”

The merman smiled. “You’re a rare person, so I can’t have you drowning on me.” He took her by the hand this time and tugged her forward. “Wanna go see the fishies? They’re super pretty under the light.”

The angel floated along with him, though her voice sounded soft and sad again. “Nothing is pretty up there…”

“What do you mean?” the merman asked while he swam along.

“I remember it all, now…” She sighed, looking down while he guided her along. “There’s no people up there. Not in the sky, not on the land, nowhere. I’m the only one left…everyone else fell from the sky and either died on land or from impact on the ocean surface…there’s nothing to eat because no animals roam, nor does the land grow anything natural and edible. Everything’s dead…”

“Hey, com’on now,” the merman said, pouting. He stopped in his tracks and got close to her, holding her by both hands. “We’re alive. You’re alive. Heck, you survived with barely any scratches. I’m sure you can swim in the air perfectl—“

“First of all, we don’t swim! We fly!!” the angel yelped sadly. “We use our wings and fly around in the sky, but…the clouds are all dirty with things that can kill us…I don’t want to go back up there!”

“Then fine! You don’t have to go up there, you’re fine here.” The merman patted her shoulder, trying to calm her down again. “You can stay here. It’s cleaner down here, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but…” She looked down at her feet and his fin. “I have wings, not flippers…or fins…I don’t know how to swim like you sea-dwellers do. I’m meant for the surface, and I’m sure your people know I don’t belong here…I’m meant to die and go extinct with the rest of us…”

“Hey hey hey, don’t say that.” He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. “We don’t mean that upon you. You’re more than welcome to stay here with us…with me.”

The angel looked to the side. “I don’t look anything like you…”

“That’s okay. I think you’re beautiful with those wings of yours anyways.” The merman’s smile was kind and admiring. “I sincerely think that you are very pretty, and the fact that you’re different makes your pretty a one-of-a-kind pretty. Which is good. Which means you should stay.”

She blushed at the sudden compliment and tried looking back into his eyes. “Stay…with you, right?”

“Y-yeah.” He blushed. “With me. You seem like a quiet sleeper. At least…for the past few days that you were out, you were.”

“Then…I guess I’ll stay…” The angel smiled meekly. “You seem like a nice person. You’ve been very kind to me since I was here…”

“I try to be,” he said with a grin. “Now, let’s go see the pretty fishies, I think you’ll like em!”

The two slowly made their way out of town. From afar, townspeople saw them swim above, nearing the light that fell upon the ocean. Schools of fish shimmered glittery rainbows from their scales, like gusts of silver leaves through the blue background. And right under the display of sealife were the two beings that symbolized two worlds, one of the sky, and one of the sea.

@Flute,

Nope, no preferences there really. Whatever you feel most comfortable writing!

Too bad the only story I've completed would be required to be sent VIA pm... >.>

hmmm....what if someone wins first place but want either 2nd or 3rd place prize? Do they get to choose first or is it set?

Hrm... I hadn't considered that. it would probably be best for the first place winner to be able to pick, then the second place from the remaining two, wouldn't it? Perhaps I'll change it to that.

@Selestial,
The Dragon Flame

Its night. I cant sleep. Im still thinking what it was... I get up and come to the window. I see bright shiny stars, a big yellow slice of cheese-the moon and not a single cloud. And sudenly, I see it again! I see what i saw this morning! A bright orangy-yellow flame in the sky which appeared from nowhere and lasted only a few short seconds. I tried to see what could have made the flame but it was too dark...
In the morning I had my breakfast and decided to draw what I saw yesturday. After few hard minutes of looking for an empty space in my art book which wouldnt covered in drawings of dragons i finaly find one and draw the picture. After lunch I tell mum what I saw and show her the picture. I tell her that I think it might be a dragon but she looks at me and laughs! “I told you before that dragons don’t exist! Probably it was just an airplane and because you were sleepy you thought it was fire.” she said.
I don’t understand why everyone says that dragons don’t exist!
In the evening I went for a walk to the forest. I got some blackberries and was about to go home but something stopped me. I saw this flash of light again but this time not only the light! I saw a small black dot moving towards the ground and another black dot flying away. The first dot was getting closer and closer to the ground until it touched it. I felt the ground wobble and I heard a bang! I ran towards the place where the dot fell to see what it was! I wanted to find out what it really was!
As I got closer and closer I saw a trail broken trees. I decided to follow it. Finally I see it. It looks like a big black stone. I come closer and… I can’t believe! It’s a dragon! A dragon! A real alive-ish dragon!
I cone closer to check if its alive… few, its heart is still beating, its alive but tired and burned. Mum is calling for me so I decide to go home and bring it some food in the morning.
The next day was sunny so I say to mum that I want to go for a walk to the forest and have lunch there. She permits me to go so I quickly get something meaty from the fridge and run to the forest. The dragon woke up but is still there. I slowly come towards it but it doesn’t move, it just sits there and stares at me. I leave the food near it and go ten steps back to see what happens next. After a minute or two it eats the food and approaches towards me. I start to wary and think what if it wants to eat me… It stops and lays like it wants me to sit on its back. I slowly come to it and sit on its back and suddenly it jumps up and… we are flying! It flies so smoothly with its big beautiful wings and I don’t even feel sick like I usually do in an airplane. Its gold and black skin feels so soft and so warm. Everything that is happening doesn’t seem real but near the end of the flight I realize that it is real. It smoothly lands in the same place where we met, I get off, it looks at me and I look at it. It seems that the dragon is smiling, I’m also smiling. Then it flies up and disappears in the sky.
I came back home and told mum everything. Ofcouse she didn’t believe me but when the dragon, the same one, flew over our heads, “eeeeeeeeeeeeerm! I think I believe you now!”

The knocking of the door

It was the night of Halloween. People ran and cheered outside as they collected sweets and scared each other. Well, it’s not even scary, what is the point of celebrating Halloween? No point. My name is Sally, I’m 16 and I am a orphan living in a run down care home. I have messy cut hair that’s ginger, with blue eyes that look so tired to match. I am the size of a 12 year old but I don’t care, good size to hide. But what makes it easier to hide is my skinny, twig like body. I don’t eat or drink much but I survive.

I never get adopted. No one gives me a second glance. People say I am Frankenstein because of my apprence. I hate it here. I really do… My whole life I was given a look that made me feel like an outcast. An outcast with no hope. But, right now, I’m alone in this run down care home. I am completely alone. Or so I thought at the time, I mean, everyone in this care home is outside trick or treating. I hope they all get tricks, horrible, just horrible, tricks.

I moved away from the dusty window I was at and sat down on the dirty blue sofa. It had holes and in some places the springs where in full sight. This sofa is like me. No one goes near it and if they pass it they start calling it worm ridden, flea bag sofa…not me though…I like this sofa, it’s the only thing I like.

Knock

Who’s that? No one would come trick or treating here…I got up and my skinny, twig like legs moved towards the door. “H-hello?” I whispered. No answer. “We are not doing trick or treating so please, go away! And everyone is out so you can’t come to adopt!” I said slightly louder. Still no reply.

Knock!

This time the knock sounded angry, frustrated. I don’t know how a knock could sound like that but now I am scared. I rushed over to a cardboard box and picked it up. I put it in front of the door and stood on it to see out of the small window at the top. No one was there. Then out of no where, no rock or hand came near the window. The window shattered. I jumped back protecting my face with my arms. Help! Oh why is no one coming to help me?!

I moved my hands away from my face and looked at the broken window. A small groan escaped my lips as I knew I would get the blame for this.

Crunch crunch

The sound of when someone is walking in the kitchen. The kitchen is covered with coal and rocks. We have to use logs and coal to heat our water and everything. I ran to the kitchen door hoping it was one of the care takers. I swung open the door. The crunching stopped. No one was in there.
Panic surged through my body as I quickly shut the door again. I ran back to the blue sofa and dived onto it. I didn’t care the spings jabbed and scratched me. Right now I was scared. Terrified, alone. No, I’m not alone. Something smashed the window. Something was walking around in the kitchen. I’m not alone.

I heard the crunching again. I heard the creek of the kitchen door opening. Oh god! Oh god! It’s in here!

Knock, knock, knock

It must be walking towards me! Oh god someone help me!

Knock, knock, knock

No, no keep away…I don’t want to die! I want to stay alive!

“I’m coming for yyoouu” I heard the whisper. Neither Child nor adult voice. Neither woman nor man voice. “You better rruunn. Or I’ll catch yyoouu” What ever it was it sounded like it was enjoying my fear. Like it was feeding off my fear.
“Please! J-just go away…I-I don’t want you to be here! I-I don’t want you here!” I shouted at it. I didn’t lift my face from the sofa so it might have been muffled.
“Nnoo, because you need to have your pprreesseenntt. Oh what you did for me, I shall do to yyoouu.” My eyes opened wide. My scared exsprestion softed in to a grinning face. I knew who that was. And it can’t do back what I did to her. Because she is dead. And she is my mother.

I sat up and looked at her. I couldn’t see her by the door because of how she is. She can’t walk because she has no legs. She got in by smashing the window with the clear metal pole that is an arm and she climed in. She can’t hurt me now, because she broke her poll, her arm.

The grin widened at I looked at her body. “You can’t hurt me. Because your dead like everyone else. Like father and brother. Like the missing children here….


You’re the knocking on the door.”