The green light has been given! After weeks of preparation, the Contest can be launched!
This has been brewing in many users' mind for awhile. Enter the Official Writing Contest!
General Rules
1)Submissions for the context must specify the word count implemented. 2)It must adhere to the period's theme as the main idea, or at least have some connection. 3)It must be submitted by the deadline. (The deadline will be according to AG time so that people will not be confused by the timeframe/exploit difference in time zones.) 4)A winner cannot win twice in a row, though he or she can submit an entry the next week. 5)Winners get a merit.
What not to include
1)No excessive inappropriate language, such as vulgarities, swearing. This includes slandering anyone in the AG community. 2)No slandering of race, religion, culture, language of people. 3)No sexual references or innuendoes, though romantic scenes such as kissing can be included.
Actions that lead to disqualification
1)No plagiarism. If it has been discovered that the story has been copied, e.g. the plot has been copied, the user will be disqualified with immediate action. However, elements of inspiration can be allowed. 2)Only one submission is allowed for each user. So please do not create multiple accounts for multiple entries. If it has been discovered that a user has submitted many entries due to this method, he or she will be disqualified. 3)If someone's username is used as a character's name or mentioned in the story, ask for permission first. Failure to do so may lead to disqualification.
Judge: Me, though I will appoint someone else if I want to take part.
The Hunger Hunger, fatigue, it has been so long since he had felt anything else. These days seem like battles between the two. The only thing that keeps him pushing forward is his hunger and every time he collapses from weary limbs he is sure it is his last. Yet without fail the hunger would worsen and involuntarily he would rise again. Hunger drove him to live but it brought pain to his life like nothing else, a pain that throbbed through his entire body, like a knife twisting in his gut. Yet the hunger had a life of its own, he could tell because there was not a single second when he could not feel its beating heart. It grew stronger even as it pained him more. The fatigue was a whole different beast. It coursed through his body like lightning, burning his muscles and shaking his joints. Long ago it completely consumed his strength and resolve, now it seemed to feed on his pain. Each time when the fatigue would devour all his pain it would promise rest and reprieve. Then just when he thought he would have them, the hunger would drive them away. Sleep was rare for him. Beyond his pain and fatigue he faintly observed the outside world. He was only dimly aware of his perpetual forward motion. Under bare feet the dark scar on the earth cut and crunched and shot dust up choking him and stinging his eyes. The air was thick and the heat seemed to drive him toward the ground. Sweat escaped every pore on his body and smothered him with grime. He walked, but to what end he could not say for as far as he could see the world was empty. The ground was continually black and the skies eternally grey. Somewhere nearby he heard someone fall. Though it pained him, he turned to look. It was a woman with grey hair. He couldn't see her face for she lay on her belly arms sprawled. She was lying very still; he could tell she wasn't going to get up, the pain consumed her and the fatigue consumed the pain, and now she sleeps forever. There were others who fell, hundreds of them. Some would get up, some would not, but until they could no longer move the hunger drove them all. The pain beckoned to him and he turned to continue on his way. Though his cycle of moving and falling never ended he was partially conscious of day and night. Occasionally, when he could hold a thought he would wonder how long he had been going. The last count he could remember was ten days, though he was sure he had fallen a thousand times since then. Other times in lucid moments he would try to recall how he got trapped in this cycle and what things were like before. A face known to him, a woman would appear in his mind and bring a twinge of a forgotten feeling of warmth. Other faces would appear too and bring other feelings that shone weakly inside him, now though most of those faces were left behind lying still in the black dust. But the face of the woman was especially important to him; he knew they shared a powerful connection. Despite that bond no matter the feelings he clung to they were always fleeting and soon the pain would fill him again. Now it is night. In a brief coherent state, he thinks again of how long he has moved. Faintly he recalls a grey-haired woman in the dust. How long has it been since then? Perhaps ten falls. Undoing the cap of a waterskin he squeezes the last few precious drops onto his tongue. Weakly, he shakes and wrings the waterskin but it produces no more. So then, it will not be too much longer. Slowly he begins to put one feeble step after the last but the strain is too great and he falls, a plume of black ash puffs up around him. Closing his eyes he waits for the pain, but the hunger is gone. Distantly he is aware, more so than he has been in weeks. There is someone tugging on his arm. Scarcely cracking his eyes, and as if from one of his memories the face of the woman appears before him surrounded in a halo of light. She lifts him up and begins to carry him forward. His eyes shut once more. "Weâre almost there little one; we're almost to our new home."
Then he sleeps. ------------------
Perhaps could have made it longer but oh well, don't have anymore time or patience.
Also kudos to people who understand how this relates to fire, it does so on multiple levels.
Hmmm yeah, I was wondering if I'd get it in on time. I liked my idea for the story so I didn't want it to go to waste. Although it didn't get developed quite as much as I wanted it to.
And cut! No more entries will be allowed from now onwards...seeing that it is already the 31st. Judging will commence and finish...when I have the time to do so. Make haste my fingers!
Thank you nicho, thank you nicho. And alas my story. I whipped this up in about 40 minutues.
A Troubled Land
This is a true story, the one I am about to tell you. It's a story about a fire, a large fire, one that engulfed the entire state of Kentucky. And I know what you,re thinking; how could a guy write about something like this if it really happened. Well, I'll tell you. I am one of only a few survivors. I was there and I barely believe it. Here's my story. My name is Johnny Ponder. I love to read books, and I write some too. I don't have a television or even a radio. I never thought that those things were necessary; all I need are my books. I do get the city newspaper every week but I only read it for the funny papers. I do jog some to stay fit, and I have a farm of tomatoes, squash, green beans, carrots, and some other things. I grew an apple tree and a pear tree. So, that's enough about me, let's get on to the real story. It was about 3 p.m. on August 17, 2007 when I got the newspaper. On the front page was in bold.
Massive Fire Broke Out In Kentucky Yesterday
If you haven't already seen this in the news or on the radio, a forest fire broke out in eastern Kentucky. It is spreading so fast that the fire fighters cannot put it out. It has grown at least 5 miles since it started. We are signaling a state of emergency address to the president. A state-wide evacuation has started. Continued on page A2
As soon as I read this I told my wife. She screamed and started to pack but I told her that the car was at the garage for an oil change and tire replace. We walked outside and sat on the front porch and I turned the news paper to the comics. I asked my wife what are we going to do about this and she said that she was going to think of something. It was quite warm outside although it was supposed to be in the forty's all week long. I told Courtney (my wife) that it was very warm outside. She said it was the fire and then we looked out and we saw a huge red and orange fire blaze at us. She screamed and we ran inside, gathered our things, and went down to the basement. The house soon caught fire. We were down in the basement huddling in a corner with some metal surrounding us when I soon ran outside with a shovel and Courtney. I quickly dug a hole and we jumped in. With water we stayed in there for what I think is about three days. Suffering third degree burns we walked around until a rescue chopper found us and took us to a hospital in Tennessee. We're now currently staying with are cousins. That is my story. I now wish to tell this to the public so everyone will know what it was like that day when a fire made Kentucky a troubled land.
518 words
Sorry if it's a little short. I saw the contest and started writing. There will probably be a better story next time because I will have more time to write.
