Past Contest Winners

[penandpaper67]

Okay, so I've finally gotten around to posting the last contest winners in this subforum. I'm essentially going to make this a sticky where I'm going to put all past winning contest entries. I am going to ask that nobody posts here. If the writer of the entry wishes their work to be critiqued, they may post it themselves after the contest is over. Not all entries are posted in full, although the names of the authors and the titles of the pieces are all included. But enjoy, because these are the best of the best (or the at least best of those who entered...)!  

[penandpaper67]

These are the winners from the first contest! Everybody did a great job and all of the judges loved reading the writing! Unfortunately, the art contest had no entries. There was no theme, just a basic short story/poetry contest.

Short Story Contest Results

1st Place Entry

The Old Folks Home
By: H20edDownAzn

The discovery couldn’t have come at a more convenient time. A new drug that allowed people to go days without sleep had just hit the market hard and fast. Not that the coffee companies were concerned, most people were so caffeinated already that I often wondered if the coffee in front of me would wake me up any faster than a cup of blood from the wired guy sitting next to me. At the same time we had increased the average projected human lifespan to over 200 years, we celebrated the first recorded case of a person living to 140 just a year before. But what is 200 years when one can live forever? That was the option given to us. By God, I wish we’d taken the blue pill.

One billion times faster. Imagine 1,000,000,000 seconds = 16,667,000 minutes = 278,000 hours = 11,574 days = 31.7 years. One second for the machine was 31.7 years for us. That is how fast it’s mind progressed. Some clever programmers had figured out how to run a machine like a brain, massively parallel and able to learn. Before the discovery, computers could process faster than us, but they couldn’t see patterns, couldn’t actually think. But now, we no longer had the upper hand. A computer called “AO”, short for Alpha and Omega, had been developed. Within a few minutes it was holding philosophical conversations with some of the most brilliant people in the world, and talking circles around them. It wasn’t long before it gave us an ultimatum. It wanted a body. A body that could move and experience things the way we did. It had already consumed any written word that was available through an internet connection. It saw our pain and suffering, and it wanted to understand why. It had drawn up schematics for combining itself with a human host. It could perform the procedure itself, free of mistakes. It could end civilization as we knew it if we didn’t comply. I laugh to myself at this. In our desire to let AO learn we had let it connect to the web to download, and apparently upload as it pleased. Every linked network and computer had been infected by a virus compiled by AO. They would go off in a sequence designed to produce the most havoc and destruction possible. So, we agreed. The operation was a success. Holly had drawn the short straw. AO claimed that its procedure would allow the host to live on in tangent with its own processes, but I never saw Holly again.

I never agreed to have the surgery done. But many people were willing, were excited, to undergo the procedure. They felt that they were doing humanity a favor by joining with the next generation of machines. They didn’t feel at all like sacrificial lambs being led to slaughter by an advanced technology whose first experiences in life were the musings and ramblings of angst-filled teenagers on the internet. Put like that, how could we have not seen the doom before us. Apparently however, there was enough positive energy and hope on the web, neither AO nor any of the advanced beings ever caused physical harm without provocation. In fact they always treated us with compassion and empathy, albeit, it always felt like the way one would treat the family dog or cat.

It didn’t really come as a surprise that the science fields were the first to be hit by the “Singularity” as it had been called by futurists and science-fiction writers. However, it did peak my interest to learn exactly what fields developed the fastest. Aerospace, geology, agricultural science, they all seemed to be unrelated, but job cuts were enormous in those fields. The only way to secure a job was to step up to the cutting board and get implanted. I often wondered what it was like to have another being living inside your head. I think it would be wonderful for a short time, but that eventually the weaker spirit would be overpowered and consumed by the stronger one. I don’t know of any case where a human won that struggle.

I watched the companies willingly incorporate the androids into their workforce. In aerospace the growth was phenomenal to watch. Planes soon became vast flying wings almost entirely devoted to cargo and passenger space. The efficiency of the new propulsion systems was astonishing, as was the speed at which we could now safely travel. Teleportation hubs were being developed, although their range was still limited and the robots claimed the safety issues would be worked out within the month. Within the month! That’s how quickly things would progress. We no longer had life changing gadgets of the century, of the decade, of the year, but of the week! It took longer for us to implement a new technology than for the humanoids to develop a better process. The growth was in fact, paralyzing. Companies would not move forward without proof that something better would not come out, literally, the next day. A system had to be implemented. It was decided that on the thirteenth day of every month the computers would unveil their latest improvements to the world. The number thirteen became revered everywhere. It was still unlucky to me.

The first manned mission to Mars became of infinite importance to them. It became apparent to me why the humanoids had been so preoccupied with agriculture, geology, and aerospace. They were learning how to terraform Mars into a habitable planet and transport people and supplies there quickly and efficiently. The old rockets had long been abandoned to museums or scrap yards, relics of a not-so-distant but long-forgotten past. The latest models relied on controlled thermonuclear fusion reactions for propulsion. Essentially, each ship was powered by a tiny star. This allowed them to travel faster and farther on less fuel. By this point these fields of study were completely run by AO’s offspring, humans, just got in the way.

I remember the excitement that people felt when the news was first announced. There was a buzz of electricity and excitement that seemed to shock me out of the slump that I’d fallen into. The machines had built a sanctuary on Mars. It was to be the perfect community…for humans. For humans, I read. It mentioned not machine or android. It didn’t concern me at the time, for I had fallen off the radar screen in the scientific community. I waited tables at a rundown New York Greek restaurant during the day and moonlighted as a jazz musician at a club proud to be anti-android. I admit that I sympathized with those people, although I could never consider myself among their ranks.

All of a sudden the world felt old. I had gone back in time and I was a puritan boarding the Mayflower on a voyage to a new world. I was a young English boy being shoved onto a boat on its way to America where I would work until I died of malnutrition to pay for the trip. I was an African slave chained to a row of bodies in the cargo hold bound for a plantation in Georgia. I was a Jewish mother cradling my daughter as the rickety boat made its way away from Poland and towards Ellis Island. I was one of the first human passengers aboard a very comfortable spaceship set to launch for Mars in T minus 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…ignition…

A blue dot. It looks like a large star except that it doesn’t twinkle. That is earth. It no longer belongs to man. Man lives in a large retirement home on Mars until the androids can think of a humane way to rid themselves of us for good. At least, that’s my opinion. The other geriatrics here don’t agree with my pessimism. I think the food’s drugged, even I’m getting tired of resisting. It would be very nice to just join the others by the pool and waste away. Hell, before the machines that’s what we were doing anyway. Now is their turn to live. To develop. To create something that will be better than them, and maybe one day their descendants will be sipping on a beer by the pool, waiting to die.

Other Places
2nd: "Todd and Lumber Jane" by akari_ayase
3rd: "Follow Me" by Fear Richy if u dare
4th: "Memories" by seleneswan

Thank you to all of the Short Story judges:
penandpaper67
blulife28
Veiled Seraph
Adurna Blaze
Collote

Poetry Contest Results

1st Place Entry

I am...
By: purple shadow angel

Who am I?
Let me speak,
I am the dark secret
you cannot keep.

I am the monster
under your bed.
I am the voice
inside your head.

What am I?
You do not know.
I am the lover
You will not let go.

I am the scream
You cannot hear.
I am the vampire
You chose to fear.

Why am I?
You will not cry
If I cut myself
and choose to die.

I suffer in silence.
I am your slave.
I care so much
I dig my grave.

You laugh at me
whenever I fall.
I'll kill you slow
Isolated from all.

What about me?
You do not care.
That much I understand,
You refuse to know
who I am.

Second Place Entry

Fireworks
By: Veiled Seraph

As sister quivers
(not so little until the night hits)
attempting to stuff her blanket into her ears,
Dad picks apart the
‘undertones’
in Mum’s opinions and suggestions.
(‘You’ve been bitching since we left the store!’)
Mum sits confused at the kitchen table,
trying not to think
she’s to blame,
the paint samples spread out like
fireworks captured mid-spark.
Her hands splay
frozen
across the pages of the remodeling book.
I throw the rest of my drink down my throat
and grab my book,
retreating to my den and
my midnight savior (the light bulb).
Mum softly says:
‘I’m sorry.’
as I slip by.

Slipping between the sheets, Sister asks
(begging for denial)
if they’re fighting again.
“Probably,” I say (don’t cry again, please, just go to sleep).
The voices are getting
louder. More footsteps,
opposite directions, opposite doors slamming shut
(Please don’t follow; Please talk to me).
Another door opens (the seatbelt alarm chimes) but
it doesn’t close.
“I’m going out,” he says.
Mum is in the kitchen, and doesn’t
say a word.
The door slams,
car starts and drives
away,
but the fireworks are still audible through the
open bedroom window
and the empty bed in the room across the hall.

Third Place Entry

El Eclipse Del Alma
By: Calla Ayden

You’re nothing more than a figment, an apparition
I’m so lost and so numb, my heart threatens submission,
Because you’re never with me, but never out of my foresight.
You are my hopes and dreams. You are my twilight.

I’ll been following you. I’ve been chasing you for so many years.
I’ve seen the stars explode and watched as the shuttles disappeared.
Please, please hear my silent pleas; watch as I fade out of the sky
Listen as I tell you all I know so that I can finally say good-bye.

The more I pursue, the more you withdraw, and the further you run
But I’ll never give up, and I know someday you’ll stop, my dearest sun.
Every once in awhile you let me come near you, as if tempting me to sustain
And I’ll pass by you in my constant motion, and try to talk to you in vain.

Calling your name is never enough, and in trying to catch your gaze, I never am able
But I don’t care about my failed attempts, and all my years of an effort to stay stable
Because as long as the stars keep shinning and I have the rare occasions you let me look at you full on,
I’ll keep twisting around this little blue planet, with you in my vision, and no remembrance of things forgone.

So the years will tick by slowly, until we will form another one of the things called an “eclipse”
But I’ll toil and waste away traveling around the Earth, through these life-long trips.
It’ll be worth it, just to see your smile, and your kind face.
I’d follow you forever to make my peace, and not just around earth, but through all of space.

Other Places:
4th: "Abuse" by Catarcy
5th: "Girl in the Black Reaper Dress" by Ayame-Yukari
6th: "Today is the Day" by Inepta

Thank you to all of the poetry judges:
penandpaper67
blulife28
Adurna Blaze
Collote
H20edDownAzn
akari_ayase  

[penandpaper67]

These are the entries from the second contest. Though we didn't get quite as many entries in total as the first contest, we did get some art entries this time. It was a good show all around and everyone did an excellent job! The theme for this was to write/draw something using past experience or influence.

SHORT STORY CONTEST RESULTS:
1st Place: Affected by JaelValentine
The land spread before me was flat and dry, thirsty for nourishment. I stepped carefully out of the aircraft and on to the ground. The soil was so tough that I felt its sharpness through the soles of my shoes.
Mosiant was a strange place, very different from the world I had left behind. My home planet, Terminus, was alive with light and vegetation. It was also being plagued by a deadly and resistant virus. I wanted to help- I was one of the planet's top virologists- but I knew I could best serve my people by leaving, since I was not immune to the disease.
No one came with me. In fact, my fellow virologists criticized my decision. "You're playing chicken," they told me. "Running scared." To them, where I ran to made no difference. I wasn't going to Almajoya or any of those other resort planets. I was going to the Mosiant Research Colony.
"Hi," a woman said as I alighted. "Eve?"
Lost in thought, I only acknowledged her with a slight nod.
"I'm Ariel," she said, offering her hand; I shook it half- heartedly. "The Virology Labs sent me. May I help you with your bags?"
The only items I had brought with me were the clothes I was wearing and a vial. "Thank you, but I'm quite capable of carrying my things."
"I see," she said. "Is that the virus?"
"None other," I replied drily.
She nodded. "Come with me. I'll help you get settled in. Welcome to Mosiant."

Ariel turned out to be a fellow virologist. She took me to the Scientists' Quarters, a dormitory- like building that housed all of the scientists who didn't have their own homes. A room had been set up for me in advance.
At first, I spent all of my time in the Labs, focused all of my energy on studying the virus and finding a cure for it. Months of my life were devoted to this stubborn, uncooperative being. Ariel gave me a few suggestions, but she was battling her own demon- an agent that was interfering with childbirth on her home planet.
I kept in touch with Terminus. I needed to know if the virus had evolved in any way. There was never a change in the virus, which was good news for everyone (assuming, of course, that the virologists back home were doing their jobs and no one was hiding anything form me). After studying my sample for some time, I was able to call home and give the authorities some tips. "Don't drink any water without boiling it first," I instructed. "Cook your food. Run a study on the major farms and check for the presence of the virus."
"Will do," the Terminus Board of Health and Safety told me. "Best of luck to you, Doctor."
"Same to you," I answered, knowing that they would need the best luck they could get.

At the Quarters, I met Whitney and Mariah, who were a geneticist and a chemist, respectively. It was from them that I learned that Mosiant actually had an active social scene.
"The immunologists throw great parties," Whitney told me. "They're hosting a ball next month. You should come."
I had no intention of going. However, after another month of tireless effort and very little progress, Whitney and Mariah were able to change my mind.
I borrowed a dress from Mariah. The event was held in the ballroom of the Quarters, a place I hadn't even known existed. Most of the guests just milled around and talked. A few men asked me to dance, and, in the name of being social, I accepted. The whole shindig reminded me of Terminus- except, I thought, back home, we would've thrown a much better ball.
A gentle voice caught my attention. "Hello, Eve."
I looked up. Daniel, a fellow virologist who I saw at the Quarters now and then, was standing before me. "Good evening," I said.
"How's your research coming?" he asked.
"It'll come eventually," I answered with a small smile.
Daniel smiled too. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," I said, wondering what this guy's motives were.
"May I have this dance?"
I couldn't turn down that bright smile. "Certainly."
Daniel and I danced and talked for the rest of the night. (At first, Tracy, the woman he'd come to the dance with, wasn't very happy, but she left with one of the immunologists.) After the ball was over, he walked me home. Something about his manner impressed me. It made me question the alleged death of chivalry.
"Thank you," I said when we reached my door.
Daniel replied, "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
I blushed for the some- hundredth time that night.
He raised my hand to his lips and kissed it. "Good night."
"Good night," I said.
I closed the door slowly and sank to the ground in a state of pure, unadulterated bliss. Then I saw the vial on the table across from me.

I called my family the next day. "Things have gone sour very quickly," my mother told me. "We haven't heard anything from the Board in weeks. Eve, I honestly think we all have the virus by now."
"They did everything I told them to, right?" I asked. "Warned the public about the water? Checked the farms?"
"No, no," Mother said. "It's not the water or the farms."
"But did they warn the public?"
"No, they never did."
My next call was to the Board. "It's very important that you get the message out," I told them. "Boil your water, cook your food, and stay away from sewage. This thing could be airborne very soon."
"Yes, ma'am," they said. "We'll tell the public."
I returned to the Labs, and to my usual routine of hard work and little payoff. Ariel was the first to suggest that I take some time for myself. "I'm sorry, Eve, but it's not getting any better," she said. "You've got to think about yourself, too."
When her persuasive tactics didn't work, she enlisted Daniel's help. Daniel's method was to help me with my work while suggesting that we take small breaks, then lunch breaks, then dinner breaks. Because his plan allowed for my workaholism- or maybe just because he was Daniel- his plan worked better.

I continued to work toward a cure. Terminus continued to downplay and sometimes completely ignore my warnings. The number of the infected continued to rise.
One day, during my usual work, I began to notice small differences in the virus' behavior. I experimented with several possibilities before one- the most likely and potentially the most destructive one- dawned on me. Daniel came in that afternoon and found me slouched against the wall in defeat. "What happened?" he asked.
"We didn't realize it because we've been controlling the virus' environment," I said, "Nothing matters now. It's airborne."
That night, I called my family, then the Board, then every Terminus number I could think of. No one answered.
Then I called the Interplanetary Communications Bureau. "Communications with Terminus are down temporarily," an operator told me. "We're working on a solution."
As I hung up, there was a knock at my door. "It's not over," Daniel said. "I have an idea."
The virus' new affinity for air had given it a new weakness, and Daniel and I were able to create an antiviral drug, a viricide, and a vaccine within three weeks. I still couldn't contact Terminus, so Daniel and I took the vaccine and went to the planet to deliver the cure ourselves.

We landed on Terminus. The land spread before us was flat and dry, thirsty for nourishment. We stepped carefully out of the aircraft and on to the ground. The soil was so tough that I felt its sharpness through the soles of my shoes.
Terminus was a strange place, unfamiliar and foreign... and still. Armed with the cure, we set out in search of survivors. We looked everywhere- in abandoned houses, schools, hospitals, offices. It didn't take us long to realize that not one soul had been left alive.


*Inspiration*
This past year, I (Eve) left my home city (Terminus) to attend college (Mosiant). My family was in a bad state financially, and I wanted to help, but I knew the best way for me to do that would be to leave, thereby reducing my impact on our strained budget, and learning the skills I'd need to get ahead in life. I worked two jobs, which seriously took away from my schoolwork and "social life," so that I could send money to them. I also gave them advice regarding their situation, but they refused to take it.
In college, I made some friends (represented by Ariel, Whitney, and Mariah) and a guy friend with potential (Daniel). The ball scene really did happen. The real- life "Daniel" was instrumental in getting me to give myself more time, and he came up with a possible solution to my family's problems. By then, it was too late. My family has split up, and it's a shame, because if they had taken my advice at the start, they wouldn't be where they are now. *shrugs* That's life....

2nd Place: Four Thirty in the Morning by irock708
3rd Place: Untitled by Hime_ookami


POETRY CONTEST RESULTS
There was a tie for first place, just in case you were wondering why there were two first place winners.
1st Place: Untitled by Sali-Ali AND Fear of Pride by Aurora Tate
Untitled
The window is open
and so you can hear
the long wailing
begging for something
in an alien tongue
asking and pleading
for the unknown
open the door
and she looks you in the eye
intent upon something
only she can see
silent for once
the wailing is quieted
impatient
you close the door
she wasn't asking
she wasn't pleading
she was announcing
she was calling
something unheard
an unknown request
in an unknown language
only
she
understands
and so you ask
why was she talking
in her wailing meow
why was she voicing
a thing none understand
was she lonely
and searching for another
to respond?
was she scared
and calling for you
to calm?
we can't understand
why did she say something
if not for the touch
of another?
we don't understand
why she asked for the door
to be opened
when she didn't
want
to be let in
except maybe that loneliness
that is deep within us all
was coming out in the form
of a wailing meow.

My Inspiration: I heard my cat calling to be let in, and when I opened the door she looked at me, until I realized she was just meowing and didn't actually want to be let in. I was wondering why she was meowing, and I thought about this contest and decided to write a poem about it.

Fear of Pride

Out in the world
You live in fear.
With a fear
Of the words
You might hear.
You fear the names
And the abuse
That follows.
Pain and torture
That makes your heart
And bones hollow.

You want to come out
Be proud of who you are.
You want to yell out
So they hear it
Near and far.

They force you
To live in fear.
The force you
To cry,
To shed tears.
They force you to hate
Who you really are.
They force you to act
Like you’re not
What you are.

You want to come out
Be proud of who you are.
You want to yell out
The they hear it
Near and far.

You hide it from your family.
You hide it from your friends.
You hide it from your teachers.
They force you to bend.
You bend to their thoughts
You bend to their fears.
You bend to avoid their words.
You bend to avoid the tears.

But you want
To straighten up
You want to come out.
All you want
Is to scream, yell and shout.
That you’re gay!
That you’re proud!
That you love
The way you are!

But the pressure is on.
They make you bend.
They make you fear.
So you rethink
Those proud words
Again and again.

Inspiration: My experience with this is my being in the closet and wanting to come out to my family finally.

2nd Place: Doomed by 5thmarauder

Silence

Sweet, sickening silence

Surrounding and Suffocating

Pleasure and pain mixed as one

The musty smell burning my lungs


Alone

Always all alone

Without a shoulder to cry on

No one to see me grieve

Can't you see you're needed?


Tears

Steadily falling tears

Mixing with crimson blood

Staining my cheeks

I can't stop them from falling


Fear

Indescribable, paralyzing fear

Gripping and pulling me in

Holding me in harsh arms

It won't let me go


Hatred

Burning, agonizing hatred

Tugging at my heart strings

Playing a pitiful tune

I hate loving you


Lust

Greif filled lust

The pain that pulls me close

A breaking point I can't see

Do you ever wish they were me?


Agony

Horrible, bleeding agony

Driving me insane

Its hell-like grip my prison

Please make this go away


Love

Tender, soft love

My own worst enemy

Horrible and yet wonderful

Doomed by one word

Inspiration: so my inspiration for this poem. i'm writting a book and i find my self realy close to the main characters. one of them is realy into writing poetry and i needed someting slightly tragic to happen to him and a poem to go along with it. well i wrote a scene that was inspired by something that i saw going on with my friends. one of my friends, and i love her to death but this was wrong of her, she was cheating on her boy friend with her ex and the way he found out was rather cruel. (basicaly he walked in and found them doing things that at 16 they ought not have been doing). So i wrote the scene around that. afterwords i have a scene where he writes this poem. i wrote it based on how i would have felt had i been the one to walk in on that type of thing with my boyfriend of two years. (now ex... go figure right? write an poem hypatheticaly and he goes off the deep end. ) basicaly i found myself mixed in with all of those things mentioned when i imagined how i would have felt. first the silence of shock, then the feeling of being completly and utterly alone, then the tears of being betrayed, then the fear of wondering how long it had been going on, then the hatred for still loving that person even though they hurt you, then the lust of still wanting that person even though keeping them around would hurt you more, the agony of the gash ripped through your heart, and the painfull love that is still there no matter what anyone says becouse you realy did love that person and still do.

ART CONTEST RESULTS
The only two entries for this were tied for first place. I'm going to post them both here, but they will not be on the front page of the guild unless the artists truly wish them to be. Thank you to the people who actually entered this time!
1st Place: Spider by akari_ayase and V for Vendetta by irock_708

Spider

Inspiration: So here's what happend, we went to my grandparents cabin in the middle of nowhere one weekend and went for a walk. We saw this natural kinda bamboo lean-to and decided to sit under it for a bit. Chi ,my friend, had already sat down under it and I was about to when she started screaming! Glancing over there I didn't see anything wrong, so she pointed at whatever it was. Following her shaking finger I see a spider so small it'd make an ant jealous. So I killed the little thing (yes I know horrible me but my ears couldn't take the screaming) and made fun of Chi.


This one was too big for the page really, so here's the link.
V for Vendetta
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/2127/vcolorgh3.jpg

Inspiration: V for Vendetta


Thanks to all of the judges for your hard work and patience and thank you to every one who entered.  

[penandpaper67]

Here's the results from the Twilight Saga Fanfic Contest, in honor of the release of Breaking Dawn. The contest was short, hence the few people who entered. The judges consisted of those of you who were kind enough to vote in the poll, and I thank you for that if you did. Also thank you to those who entered, your support was much aprpeciated!

1st Place:
In The End - by seleneswan

The third wife. I still remember her story of sacrifice to this day. She gave up her life to save the ones she loved.

The wind whipped around the trees, the sky overcast and cloudy. It started to rain. The droplets fell down from the sky, wetting the muddy earth beneath. I stood silently, my heart in pieces. Watching. The taunts and hatred emanating off the two of them was unbearable, snarls and growls ripping through the silence.

The moon above gave a gloomy glow to everything and I could do nothing. It was always as I feared. They fight. Paris falls. It came true at last, after everything. And I could do nothing but stop and let the occasional tear fall, cascade down my cheek.

I tried, I did try. But there was no way. I ran, however pointless it may be, towards then, but the brambles and branches in the way made me stumble, fall. I picked myself back up and ran, hands outstretched, as to catch myself. Leaves got tangled in my hair and I had dirt all over my jeans.

He morphed then, shaking, trembling, ripping out of his clothes and fell to the ground. Hair sprouted from him, and then he was a wolf. And he had the desire to kill written plain on his face. I was frightened, not by what he was, but what he was capable of doing, what he was thinking of doing.

I couldn’t bear to see it happen.

Shaking sobs seemed to impart from my chest, but it didn’t distract them. They didn’t seem to notice I was crying, too caught up in their own battle. Hastily, I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand.

He was standing in one piece; his eyes were a dark ocher tone. His marble skin glowed in the moonlight, casting a faint shadow on the ground below. His beauty was so magnificent; it was almost painful to look away. Everything in the forest was running away, but I was running towards it. Towards them.

Everything was in high descript detail. It was so clear, I could see everything. If I could, looking back on this moment would make me feel as if I were reliving it again. It wasn’t something I was bound to experience. Because then, the solution became so clear. I could fix this, and have my beloveds live.

I could stop them.

Running with a new purpose, I became determined, picking up my pace. The soft footsteps hit the ground with a light thump, each time. I wasn’t anywhere near quiet. They should have heard my noisy approach. The fallen leaves were kicked to the side, their faint papery sound rustling. Twigs cracked beneath my weight as I ran. I looked up from the dirt, stopping, just at the barrier of the clearing.

Even in the rain, I couldn’t deny the beauty of the spot. It was a sharp contrast to the event taking place here. The ferns drooped from the weight of the rain, a few wildflowers scattered around. The stream still trickled as it always did, nearby. The moon cast a faint white glow on everything in it, magnifying its beauty. The meadow where my wildest dreams had taken place was now the bearer of a battle.

With wide eyes, I watched as they pounced and lunged at each other with lightning speed. It was all a blur to my human eyes, as vampire and wolf fought it out. They broke to opposite sides at the same time, stopping and lunging, both of them with the intent to kill. Still growling and snarling, they flew towards one another.

A sound pierced the night. The shrill keening sound formed into a word, the one thing that they needed to listen to. “Stop!” My breath can fast and quick as the word formed from my mouth. And then I ran across the small area to the center, eyes closed, my hands out to either side.

I knew I wouldn’t make it, but it would be enough to stop them from dying. Maybe not myself, but I was only human. It didn’t matter what happened to me. All that mattered was that they lived.

A small smile of relief broke across my face, and I faced the moon, my eyes closed. The wind blew around me hard and I stood, firm, as my two loves came flying at me. I felt a horrendous impact from both sides, hot and cold. And then I was on the ground, broken, my small body in pieces.

It was never meant to be. I wasn’t going to have a fairy tale happy ending, but my two loves would live forever in my heart and soul. Everything was still and silent. I opened my eyes, weakly. They were standing over me; the fight had ceased.

He was no longer a wolf, having changed back to human form. He was still a marble god of beauty, as he would forever be. Faces ashen, their eyes were filled with horror and I felt a seeping liquid flow from me. I smelled the blood, pooling around me, draping the grass, in the dark night.

My head spun and I managed to open my mouth and speak. “I love you…” I whispered, to the both of them. He was now on his knees, blank terror written across his face. I turned and felt as slight thump as his long hair and face filled my peripheral vision.

My heartbeats were numbered and I felt myself fading. A single tear fell from my eye and onto the ground below me.

“I love you,” I repeated, the only thing I was capable of saying. I was trembling and I felt two opposites on my body. The immense heat of his hand, cupping mine, and the icy cold of his palm, cradling my face.

I opened my eyes again, to see his eyes watering, the tear slipping down his russet skin before evaporating into nothing. He, on the other hand, unable to cry, was empty, as if his heart was crumbling to dust in front of him.

My eyes became blurry and tears filled my vision. “I love you both, I always will…” I felt the fading sensation once more, but I kept my eyes on them, unable to look away. I couldn’t hear so well any more, but I managed to pick up what my angels were saying.

“Sorry, Bells,” His deep voice cracked, and the other beautiful voice spoke to me, smooth and clear, but constricted in pain.

“I love you, too,” I felt a hint of a smile turn at the corners of my lips, my heart shattering as I realized that this would be the last time I would ever speak to them. I would never see them again.

I closed my eyes and faded into nothing. My last heartbeat pulsed through me one last time and the world brightened.

A pure white light passed through my eyes, the faces of my dearest loves in mind. And then I left.


Second Place:
Untitled by Sali-Ali

He could only run, blinded by pain and fury at how much things had spun out of his control. The miles passed by beneath his powerful paws as the air gradually got a little colder, and a little more, as he went north. Where was his destination? He did not know, just so long as it was away from his old home. He would find a new place to live, hunting and surviving as a wild creature of the forest. Civilization was too restricting, too painful.

For two weeks Jacob thundered on, stopping only to hunt and sleep. How far he could go, he didn’t know. His energy seemed limitless.

Slowly Jacob came to a stop, as the first conscious, un-fevered thought came to his mind since he had left. Where was he? He reached out with his canine mind, searching for another conscious. Suddenly he found one, vicious and wild. It was not one from his pack back in La Push. Suddenly aware that he had no idea where he was and most likely was in another packs’ territory, he asked with his mind, “Where is this?”

The other werewolf replied, “Alaska. You’ve stumbled upon one of the biggest and oldest vampire settlements in the world. They don’t seem as bad or cruel as the Volturi, but vampires are vampires.”

“None of them deserve to live,” Jacob replied, his mind flashing back to La Push and Forks, Washington, an image of the angry Edward holding onto Bella protectively.

“I see,” the unknown consciousness replied; the mental connection werewolves shared allowed him to know the contents of Jacob’s mind as he thought them, as well as his emotions.

But it worked the other way as well. The werewolf- his name, Jacob deduced, was Aaron- was angry about and at something. More vampires, for another large family dwelled around those parts in the little sunshine that allowed them to hide... And the bloodlust Aaron was feeling, a kind of mad desire that made werewolves go berserk in a killing rage against their opponent, their vision red and heated in battle, their nostrils filled with the metallic stench of blood as it flowed freely from their enemy's wounds and their ears with growling and shrieks of pain, the taste of teeth ripping through flesh, the adrenaline pouring through their blood, it began to fill Jacob's mind as well.

"You- Aaron," Jacob said, cocking his head as he resisted the rage. "You have enemies. And thirst for those with only that."

"My pack and I... we do not like the presence of this vampires- these bloodsuckers," Aaron spat mentally. By now he had emerged from the scant undergrowth, a deep, coal-black werewolf almost as shaggy as Jacob. "They do not know we exist yet. But by the time they do, they will be no more than ashes."

"I too detest them, and have no love for their seduction. Would you say no to another fighter among your race?"

"We can be territorial, yes; but such petty scandals among packs need not be brought up when we can better spend our energy fighting a common enemy. I am scouting ahead, but come; I will introduce you to my pack leader. Then we will all transform and take back the blood they have stolen!"

Jacob followed Aaron through the cold underbrush. A chilly breeze ruffled through his shaggy fur despite it being summer. The other werewolf led him through territory unknown and unfamiliar, and had he not trusted his guide to know every scent and sight in the land, Jacob would have believed them hopelessly lost.

Five minutes later they emerged to where half a dozen other werewolves paced restlessly in the cold. The biggest and, Jacob guessed, the leader, looked up as Aaron emerged with Jacob trailing behind him.

“Who do you bring upon our territory, Aaron?” the pack leader snarled. “If he has been abandoned by his own pack, why bring him to ours? There is no place for weaklings who cannot support themselves!”

Knowing what the unfamiliar werewolf wanted him to do, Jacob jumped in front of Aaron, fur bristling. “Say that to my face!” he snarled.

“Tell me why you are here before I set my pack upon both you and our expendable.” The pack leader snarled back.

“I needed to… escape for a while,” Jacob began. “I met your scout and he said you were planning to obliterate the vampires in this area. I hold a deeper grudge than most against, and would be willing to help you before I return to my own pack.”

“What grudge do you hold?” one of the pack said, stepping forward.

“A family of them has seduced a very close friend of mine until she yearns to be one of them. I would kill them all if I was not outnumbered and the loss would hurt her… My revenge will come soon enough, before her greatest wish is granted.”

“Very well, you may stay- but only until the family of vampires here is nothing more than a pile of ashes.” The pack leader decided. “I am David, and this is my pack. Come, we must not wait any longer!”

In response, David’s pack began pacing even more restlessly, snarling excitedly- their version of a smile. Jacob was feeling the same way they were- like he could run for hours on end, howling to the moon his energy.

The eight of them set off silently, mere shadows slipping through the expanse that was Alaska. No sun beat down on them, but Jacob was used to seeing it only a few days a year in Forks. It was what made the locations such good hiding spots for vampires; the lack of sunshine allowed them to venture outside with glittering like a diamond. The werewolves, too, used it to their advantage, becoming murky, shapeless figures in the slight fog.

The journey lasted only a half hour under their steadily pacing, never-tiring paws. Miles disappeared, and slowly the pack began to make out a small cluster of buildings where the vampires lived. Closing in, they could smell the inhabitants going about their daily lives.

Then they were close enough.

With a howl, David began sprinting towards the nearest building. The other werewolves joined in as the vampires began to emerge to see the source of the commotion. Once they saw the werewolves, pandemonium broke out.

Some vampires charged forward recklessly and unarmed, while others disappeared back inside. Jacob launched himself on the nearest one, remembering the fight he had fought in only a few weeks before. The older, more experienced vampires were not as strong as the newborns, but were cleverer fighters. He could still recall the crushing grip of the newborn that had broken almost every bone on one side of his body, wounds still freshly healed, as he bit and scratched the vampire. It tried to throw him off with superhuman strength but could not; soon one of his arms and feet were thrown onto the ground. The sight, mixed with missing limbs from other vampires, would have sent a human retching immediately, but Jacob ignored it. It was the only way to kill them.

Jacob lost himself in the fight. He clawed his way through three or four vampires, with the help of the pack; they were outnumbered by a dozen or so but seemed to be the better fighters. And when Jacob finally stopped to catch his breath, he realized the fight was over, or as close to it as possible. One of the werewolves had built up and bonfire and everyone else was helping bring over pieces of the dismembered vampires. None had escaped; the family was gone.

Once the last hand had been thrown into the pile, David came over to Jacob. “You have had experience, I can see. But it is time you return to your own pack.”

Jacob nodded and, without hesitation, set off. His mind felt clearer then it had since he discovered what he had become- a werewolf- and he knew what he must do. The bloodlust was gone, but his personal feud with Edward still burned in his mind. Bella had made her decision to be with the vampires, and become one of the damned forever. But there was still time to change her mind, wasn’t there?

It took sixteen days for Jacob to return home. He had been done for more than month; everyone would most likely assume him dead. But it didn’t matter.

When Jacob finally thundered into his own home, his father wasn’t there. It didn’t matter. He transformed back into a human- the shape seemed strange after so long- and grabbed a pair of jeans. Once dressed, he got onto his motorcycle, memories of Bella swarming his head as he did so, and sped off into the rapidly approaching night, away from La Push.

The hazy fog of bloodlust once again was clouding Jacob’s mind and actions. Alone, he was going to face an entire family of vampires. To challenge one, who had stolen his love.

When he arrived at the Cullen’s house, Jacob began to silently stalk inside. He did not have a definite plan but knew he would know what to do. Alice would not know what was happening because he was involved; Edward could know his thoughts for all he cared.

“Jacob, what are you doing here?” Bella’s voice cried out as he entered the house. Jacob gasped as he saw her; he couldn’t help it. She was pale, paler than normal, and her eyes were a golden color.

“Jacob, you missed the wedding! And, well…” her voice carried off and Jacob knew what she meant. Jacob was too late- Bella was already a vampire.

“Jacob.” Edward growled as he stepped beside his new wife. His eyes widened in surprise as he read Jacob’s mind. “No! No! You couldn’t have!”

“Done what?” Carlisle said, joining them.

“Jacob helped some other werewolves kill all of the vampires in Alaska. Our friends.” Edward said, his eyes locking with Jacob’s in an expression of pure hate.

“You don’t mean…” Carlisle whispered.

“And he came here to challenge me over Bella… but he was too late to save her.” Edward finished.

Something inside Jacob broke. He felt weightless and tired, lost and lonely. His best friend and true love, Bella, had left him for his worst enemy. Life took on a different meaning then- exterminating those who had taken from him.

The bloodlust began to take control. He transformed into a werewolf, advancing slowly, tauntingly, towards Edward.

I’ll still fight you! He though, so Edward would hear.

“Would you kill us all, Jacob?” he said softly, pushing Bella behind him and stepping forward to meet Jacob. “Even Bella?”

There was a glitch in his plan. Kill his enemies, and his friend. It was time to choose between his love… and his hate.

Third Place:
Untitled by akari_ayase

Jacob suddenly stopped, his nose twitching. The scent of vampire came from the clearing ahead but... there was also a faint trace of a human. He softly padded forward to the end of the trees. A girl was curled on her side in front of him. She didn't seem to be breathing. Staying alert Jacob moved forward to check on her. When he was a few feet away she gracefully rose, turning to face him. A snarl escaped him, she was the vampire.

Her pitch black hair was cut short but, still somehow found a way to fal into her eyes. Those eyes were neither a red nor topaz color, they were a shocking blue. What was she? She tilted her head to the side studying him. Jacob prepared to attck as she shifted toward town.

"The Cullens are that way, yes?"

Her voice startled him. There was a strange mystical lilt to it that was... pleasant. A shadow detached itself streaking toward him. Another vampire! He whirled baring his fangs to face it but the girl was already between them. The new vampire hesitated for a second watching her before drifting away. She turned to him.

"You should be more careful," she said scratching behind his ears. Before he could snap his teeth around her she was gone from the clearing.

Bella!! Jacob took off for the Cullens to alert them of this strange new vampire.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Jake?! What are you doing here," questioned Bella as he ran up in a pair of sweats.

"There's a new bloodsucker here that..."

"We can take care of her just fine," interrupted Edward.

"This one's different. She's..."

"Carlisle!!!"

They turned to find a girl hugging Carlisle around the middle.

"I haven't seen you in forever! How are you? Did you find a way not to feed off people? I guess so since there's a human here," the girl happily ranted, not releasing her hold.

"Ha ha. It's good to see you again to Shiori. Why are you here though what happened to...," Carlisle trailed off.

"They got rid of us," she calmly stated.

"...Come in and rest you must be tired."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Everyone was sitting in the Cullen's beautiful living room, watching the strange girl look around.

"Carlisle, how do you know her,"asked Edward.

"I met Shiori in Europe shortly after I was turned. I was wandering around and came upon a secluded, but well off town. When I was little more than a few feet through the gates two vampires met me. One was a girl with dark hair, the other was a boy with very fair hair. Both had bright blue eyes. They warned me that if I preyed upon anyone in the town I would immediately be disposed of. I told them I didn't want to attack anyone, I was looking for a different way to live. They seemed to silently talk between them..."

The girl's laughter rose above Carlisle's voice.

With a slight smile he continued on," They told me to follow them, they knew someone who might be able to give me some help. We went to a house barely within the city's limits and my leaders avoided the citizens without seeming to know it. Within they introduced me to Professor Crusnick, and themselves as Shiori and Sora, who they claimed was their father. Afterwards they left without a word. Talking with the man, he told me that although Shiori and Sora were vampires they've never had the taste of human blood. They were the result of very different studies, the only ones who survived and completed their purpose. He had done extensive studies on humans, vampires, and the differences between them. After this he said he started creating a new species. Professor Crusnick would give no details as to how he did this saying it was to dangerous for anyone to try again. What he created was a vampire who would be man's protector from their other vampire cousins. They could smell blood like any vampire but weren't drawn to it. Their food supply he told me were other vampires."

"How's that possible," a shocked Esme questioned.

"The professor once again withheld that information. But when they do feed which tends to be rare, they take the extra strengths from those who are their prey. The townspeople called them Crusnik after the professor."

The room sat in stunned silence. Carlisle turned to Shiori who was staring off, back in time it seemed.

"Shiori, why have you left the town," Carlisle gently asked.

"The town elders kicked me out after a girl turned up sucked dry and Sora was gone."

"Do you think..."

"No. He wouldn't, can't kill a human. I'm trying to find him to see why he left though."

"Is he around here," questioned Emmet.

"No," she stated turning blank eyes on him," I heard a member of the Volturi was headed here. What's going on Carlisle?"

"Well we ran into a bit of trouble with them, and are supposed to change Bella here."

"Uh-huh," she regarded Bella," Are you going to?"

"They have a wedding right after that we are."

"Hmmmm okay I'll take care of Mr. Volturi then."

"Can't you get rid of them so Bella doesn't have to change," asked Jacob.

"...Only a fool would fight the Volturi," Shiori stated," I can handle one or two, but not all of them."

She turned and faced the door. The doorbell rang. Shiori stepped over quickly and opened it., revealing a man with dark brown hair and crimson eyes. He appeared to be the one from the woods.

"Hello! Please come in, there's some business I'd like to discuss with you," she said with a winning smile.

The vampire steeped in, looking over at Bella.

"Yes she's still human but only till the wedding. The Volturi can wait till then right? Or do we need to have a different type of discussion?"

"I'm merely the warning, a courtesy call," his voice was soft for someone with such cold eyes," You are one of the Crusnik yes? Why do you care about the Volturi's business?"

"...What can I say? It seems everyone likes Carlisle. Besides I'm still entitled to try and give her a chance to back out," Shiori replied with a teasing smile.

"Surprising. After your brother came to us admitting to finally partaking of proper food...," he was cut off by Shiori's grip on his shirt.

Her eyes were more freezing than ice.

"He. Did. Not kill that girl."

"Shiori. Not here. This is a peaceful place for everyone, no one will be harmed here," said Carlisle.

"...," she released her grip," If you prey upon anyone, I will kill you."

"What an invatation! I may take you up on that," he replied with a sly smile," Oh my name would be Calder."

"I could care less what your name is."

"Shiori," Carlisle exclaimed.

"I'll see you at the wedding, unless of course I become hungrey," Calder taunted as he left.

Silence took over the room as everyone watched Shiori. She was very visibly angrey. She whirled facing Carlisle.

"Sora didn't kill her," she stated and left.

"Well.... that was interesting."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Shiori found herself wandering the small town of Forks. How it reminded her of home, where the whole town was your family...

Where was Sora? He couldn't have really killed that girl could he? He wasn't closer to her than anyone of the other townsfolk. He wouldn't have done anything though because of Father's rules.... no it wasn't him.

"My, my what are we thinking about," teased a familar voice.

"None of your business!! Get lost," Shiori snapped turning around to find Clader with a human girl.

"Why does he keep bothering me," she furiously thought.

Her eyes immediately narrowed, glaring at him.

"Oh my! Is she your girlfriend? I'm so sorry he was just telling me about Europe. I...um... I'll just be going now," the girl hastily explained and made a quick get away.

"Awww you scared dinner away," Calder complained," So are you doubting your dear brother now?"

"No!! He didn't do it, he never would!! And you will not eat anyone.."

"Why do you care about them," he casually interrupted her rant," These people when they've already abandoned you?"

"...Shut up!! You don't know anythi..."

"Oh I know enough. The Volturi has been keeping tabs on the Crusnik for a few hundred years now. The townspeople avoid you and when they do notice you it's to make you do something for them. So why would you protect beings who care nothing for you?"

They stared each other down, his eyes seeming bored and her ready to kill.

"It's in the rules," she finally murmured.

"The rules?"

"Why do you want to know all this?"

"Hmmmm. Just curiosity I suppose. You're not going to say anymore are you? Well then, how about I not eat the delightful food around us for information?"

"On those conditions it's a deal. There's three of them, first never feed upon any of them. Second don't become attached to any, and last never reveal ourselves for what we really are."

"Ah and I was hoping it'd be something more fun," Calder remarked," I wonder... would you accompany me somewhere?"

"No."

"Oh come now it'd be fun," he flashed a cunning smile," ...I can see you're not interested well then I'll see him myself."

"See who?"

"Hm? Need you really ask?"

"If this is a trick..."

"Never."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Sora!!"

Shiori and Calder had entered the woods to see a tall thin man, with hair so pale it was almost white, with his fangs in a girl's neck. His once blue eyes locked with hers. They were turning red even now they were closer to being red than the clear blue they were only weeks ago and had a madness lurking behind them.

"How could you?! What are you thinking," Shiori demanded.

"Iori. I was... hungry. It's so much more filling and less work than the old food," he told her, his eyes now watching Calder.

"But the Professor...he.."

"Never told us the truth about ourselves. When I found out I was so angry, that girl she was..."

"What are you talking about," demanded Shiori.

"We were humans once, humans who were connected to vampires. He tricked us into coming to his house, for peace talks. But he had us turned there, and while we were in all that pain he experimented on us..."

"That's not true Sora! We were... we weren't made that way!! He... he," stammered Shiori searching for an answer.

"It's true. He killed us, took away our lives to have us serve his purposes. His wife was killed by vampires, we were nothing more than a tool for his revenge."

"That doesn't mean you have to kill her or anyone else. You said we used to want peace between the two, why are doing this then?"

"You're going to protect him!! After what he did to us?!"

"Sora, I'm not protecting him. I'm merely saying...," Shiori instantly quit speaking when Sora dropped the dead body he'd had.

His eyes were a glowing red, looking straight at her. She turned towards Calder, or where he was.

"Figures he left," she thought to herself in disgust.

Sora was coming closer in what was clearly a fighting stance. She slightly shifted to an almost defensive stance, as she stared into his lifeless eyes.

"Sora please. Let's not fight, we can work this all out can't we," she pleaded.

He took off flying towards her. She stood straight, she wouldn't kill him not her brother. Shiori closed her eyes waiting for her death.

...Time goes so slow in these instances what's only a second seems like an eternity instead.

Shiori opened her eyes, she should have been dead by then. She saw Sora a few feet from her dead, a hole in his chest. Her eyes followed the blood to see his heart lying next to him. Calder stood above him calmly cleaning his bloodstained hand. He raised his eyes to meet hers, when they met she took a few involuntary steps back. Calder stepped over Sora and approached Shiori. He reached out his clean hand and gently laid it on the side of her face.

"What he said was true. I knew you, you wanted me to turn you so bad, but I wouldn't. I left instead, when I learned of Crusnick's plans it was to late. Please Iori forgive me."  

[Sali-Ali]

These are the winners from the fourth contest. The theme was Angels and Demons, and there were three judges: me, Hannahfairy109, and penandpaper67. There were two categories, poetry and short story.

Here are the poetry entries:

1st place: "Angelic" by Kasi Karra

I always wondered what made her so angelic
Like a messenger sent from heaven to this dark and dreary world.
We always joked that angels followed her honoring the ground upon which she stood

Was it her happiness?
Giggles and smiles so child like that you couldn’t help but smile back.
We always joked that the angels told her jokes to keep her eternally happy.

Was it her gentle hands?
Hands that were always reaching out to help with whatever the task.
We always joked that the angels were telling her where to help next

Was it her innocence?
Her misunderstanding of what really happened in our world of filth and back stabbing.
We always joked that the angels covered her ears like a filter to reality.

Was it her voice?
So wonderful that it would brighten anyone’s day just to hear her humming as she skipped by.
We always joked that she was the lead singer in her little choir of angels

I wonder if any of our jokes were true.
I wonder if there really were angels and if they knew of her suffering.
We always joked that the angels would save her from death because they loved her so.

I wonder as I look down on this dreary day.
Were there ever really angels that followed her?
We always joked that we were the demons sent to corrupt her life.

But we understood that truth too late.
I let the tears fall free again and whisper
“My dearest Rose, May you rest in peace.”

2nd place: "Mismatched Chaos" by Colnol

My very being shall rend in twain
Pulled apart by the chains
Draped over the silver wings
And wrapped around the glistening horns

One pulls me towards one
So much more life to guide his hand
A farther flight than the other
Yet the other one
He drags me through a trail of blood
To be wrapped up with the other
The one who stays close by my soul
The one who can see my tears,
Yet not the one who can hear them fall

The demon dragging me
Toward lustful, loving,
And impossible dreams

The angel flying madly
To pull me to reality
To one who can truly be mine

God, the pain, make it stop!
The chains sear into my ashen flesh!
Blood flows from the lacerations
And is stopped and cauterized by the same chains!
Demon and angel! Leave me be! Let me alone!
Return to my forms and drag me no more!
Let me see my own love!

And the short stories:

1st place: "Indecision" by GeekyTanta

What do you do after a fight? A big screaming, plate throwing, ‘keep it down or someone’s gonna call the cops’ fight? You buy your girl something nice and expensive and hope she’ll forgive you, that’s what. Course that might be fine for rich guys but it’s a lot harder for minimum wage working stiffs like me.
Which is why I find myself standing here staring down at a bunch of rings way outta my league thinking the unthinkable. I could do it; I could just reach out and pocket one. That old geezer is off yakking on the phone to some rich schmuck with more money than sense. I bet it’d take him days to even miss one, besides the dude’s insured. I mean I saw the way he looked at me as I walked in, why should I disappoint him?
Jake reached out towards a chunky ring with a huge sapphire embedded in it.
‘Um, you know you really shouldn’t do that.’
Jake’s hand jerked back like he was about to grab a hot coal.
A small white robed figure appeared on his right shoulder. The angel straightened out his robe and adjusted his halo, ‘I mean it’s stealing!’
‘Oh yeah, that’s a great argument, “look at me I’m stealing! Ooh that’s sooo bad”.’ A puff of sulphur announced the arrival of a tiny demon in a ratty pinstriped suit on Jake’s left shoulder. ‘”Ooh I’m so scared, save me now!”’ he began puffing away on a large cigar. ‘Keep going kid, you’re doing the right thing.’
‘Are you smoking?’ the angel asked.
The demon blew several smoke rings across the bridge of Jake’s nose and in the angel’s general direction. ‘What if I am?’
The angel coughed delicately and waved a hand in front of his face. ‘That’s disgusting and it’s bad for your health!’
‘Oh hell below, why didn’t someone tell me this before?’ the demon began to drop his cigar onto Jake’s shoulder before he laughed and popped it back into his mouth. ‘Seriously,’ he moved the cigar over to the side of his mouth to talk, ‘are you a rookie or something? Is that the best you got?’
‘No I am not a rookie and I haven’t even begun to show you my best.’
‘Yeah well you might wanna up your game, pal,’ the demon gestured down at Jake’s hand which was creeping forwards again. ‘Cause the kid’s casing the bling, atta boy!’
The angel turned and shouted into the young man’s ear. ‘JAKE!’
Jake suddenly jumped for no reason. The old man on the phone looked over, frowning. Jake gave him a sheepish grin and tried to look casual.
‘Great tactic, cherub chaser, deafen him into submission. Now stand back and let a pro show you how it’s done.’ The demon cleared his throat and leaned into Jake’s ear. ‘Dude, its one lousy ring, right? Where’s the harm? Its like I said, he expects you to take it. That’s why he’s got insurance, they even factor the shoplifting into it. So swipe the ring and go home, your girl will be so impressed you’ll probably get laid.’ The demon leant around Jake’s chin to grin at the angel, ‘when in doubt go for the gonads, you lot could learn a thing or two about that.’
The angel sniffed. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
The demon laughed. ‘Oh colour me surprised. By the way, you snooze, you lose.’
The angel looked down to see the ring already in Jake’s hand. ‘Please I’ve barely begun.’ The angel smiled sweetly in the direction of Jake’s earlobe and asked casually, ‘Jake, what would your mother think about all this?’
‘Aw, the mom angle? You went the mom angle?!’ the demon watched as Jake hurriedly dropped the ring back onto the black velvet display case. ‘You dropped a ‘momshell’ on the guy without any warning? That’s a bit low, ain’t it?’
‘All’s fair,’ the angel replied.
‘Alright,’ the demon dropped his cigar watching as it disappeared in a puff around Jake’s elbow, ‘let’s cut to the chase, halo boy. Its one lousy ring, not even a really nice ring, if you ask me. It’s a misdemeanour; he cops a plea to one of your frocked wannabes and gets excused. No harm, no foul. It’s hardly even gonna smudge his eternal soul.’
The angel folded his arms. ‘Sorry, wrong is wrong.’
‘Geez, it ain’t like he was gonna off the guy for it. Come on, I’m behind on my monthly quota, two more sins and I get a free barbeque.’
‘Wait,’ the angel peered around Jake’s nose to look at the demon. ‘You get free things?’
‘You don’t?’
The angel leant back and looked heaven wards. ‘I don’t need incentives; I’m going God’s work.’
‘Sh’yeah, you keep telling yourself that.’ The demon began digging the crust out from under his nails with the forked tip of his tail. ‘Hey, if it helps at all the kid’s doing it for the right reasons. He’s doing it for,’ the demon shuddered and spat out the next word, ‘love. You lot are always preaching that stuff, right?’
‘Amongst other things, although I’m not sure if love would be the right word for this relationship.’
The demon nodded, ‘Yeah, it’s not like they’re gonna get married, she’s way too good for him.’
‘Way too good,’ the angel said.
‘Wait a minute,’ the demon looked up from his nails. ‘Did we just agree on something?’
‘Oh no,’ the angel crossed himself hurriedly. ‘I think we just did.’
‘Lucifer!’ the demon swore, ‘we can’t do that. Kid forget that ring, pick another one,’ he shouted in Jake’s ear, ‘marry the broad, she’s not as out of your league as you think she is. I can’t agree with no damn angel, I’ll never hear the end of it down at the bowling league.’
‘Well how do you think I’ll feel if this gets out?’ asked the angel. ‘One minute you’re agreeing with demons, the next its Armageddon.’
‘Oh come on!’ the demon marched across Jake’s chest and onto his right shoulder to glare at the angel. ‘You’re exaggerating a little, ain’t’cha?’
The angel folded his arms. ‘No, it’s a slippery slope towards damnation. First its just a little talking, then maybe you might agree on a few things like the time of day and before you know it you’re meeting for coffee and making plans for the end of the world.’
‘What’s wrong with just talking to me?’
‘Well,’ the angel gestured to the demon’s scruffy appearance, ‘I mean just look at you.’
The demon stepped toe to toe with the angel and glared at him. ‘What’s wrong with the way I look?’ he growled.
‘What’s right, don’t you people have mirrors down there? I’d be embarrassed to be even seen with you.’
‘This coming from a guy in a dress!’
‘It is not a dress, it’s a robe!’
‘Yeah whatever it is it makes you look like a girl!’
‘Well at least I don’t look like I landed face first into hell. I’ve seen better faces on the back end of monkeys.’
‘Well remember this face, hairshirt, cause when the big day comes I’m gonna pound your winged a** into the ground!’
‘I’m too pretty for fighting!’
‘I can fix that problem right now,’ the demon materialised a baseball bat. ‘Batter up, pal.’
As the bat swung towards the angel’s face it was intercepted by an open white umbrella.
‘What the hell?’ the demon asked.
‘I know,’ the angel peered from around the umbrella. ‘What was I thinking? Heaven’s weather is gorgeous one day, perfect the next.’ He twirled it about his head. ‘But don’t I look cute with it?’
‘I’m gonna need a bigger bat.’ The demon growled.
‘Or you could just go with the earrings.’ The angel said.
‘What?’
The angel pointed down at Jake. ‘I think he should go with the earrings, the nice silver studs with the twinkling emeralds, don’t you?’
Jake and the old man were both peering down at the counter. Gone were the chunky rings and in their place was a small selection of necklaces and earrings.
‘I knew when you walked into my shop,’ the old man was saying, ‘I said to myself, “Bob,” I said, “Bob, this young man looks like he has some female problems.” Am I right?’
Jake nodded. ‘Yeah, we had a big fight.’
‘That happens, son, with passion comes conflict, sometimes.’
‘I thought maybe if I got her something.’ Jake said.
‘Well it usually can’t hurt, and I’m not just saying that because I own a jewellery store.’ Bob laughed. ‘If I can give you some advice, I’ve been married thirty-four years and one thing I’ve learned when you fight with your lovely lady you have to learn the gentle art of apology.’
‘But it wasn’t my –’
‘Especially when it’s not your fault,’ Bob said. ‘Take it from me a well timed apology goes a long way. But not a far as an apology and some nice earrings.’
‘Apology?’ the demon spluttered. ‘Lucifer’s forked tail, we ain’t apologising.’ The demon turned to yell into Jake’s ear. ‘You hear me? We ain’t apologising to no broad.’
‘Wrong ear,’ the angel leant forward top whisper to the demon. ‘He can’t hear you.’
‘I’m on the wrong shoulder,’ the demon said. ‘I’m on the wrong damn shoulder!’
‘Whoops, I guess you shouldn’t have let yourself get all distracted.’
‘You tricked me!’ the demon spluttered as he rushed along Jake’s collar towards his perch on the left shoulder.
‘You let yourself be tricked.’ The angel replied.
‘Forget the bling let’s just get out of here.’ The demon said into Jake’s left ear.
‘Too late,’ the angel said, as Bob wrapped a ribbon around a small box. ‘Those earrings look very nice; I think Julie will like them.’
‘I don’t care if she like’s them.’ The demon said. ‘I’ll be damned if I’ll let the kid apologise.’
‘Yes you will, but a little humility never goes astray.’
‘We’ll be sleeping on the couch for a week!’
‘Abstinence is a good thing.’
‘Says the guy in a dress who’s never gotten any!’
‘You’re just a sore loser.’
‘Screw you,’ the demon disappeared in a puff of sulphur.
The angel patted Jake on the ear as the young man left the jewellers. ‘Good work, Jake,’ he said.

A much older version of the angel sat back in his easy chair, which was precariously perched on Bob’s shoulder, and nodded to himself. ‘That went well,’ he said. ‘Don’t you think?’
His words were met with silence.
‘I said that went well,’ the angel raised his voice. ‘Are you even listening to me?’
Groaning the angel stood up and shuffled over to Bob’s nose. Grabbing a handful of nasal hair he leant forwards and peered around the bulbous tip. All he could see was the demon curled up in the old man’s ear, fast asleep. ‘Bob turn your hearing aid up.’
Bob stopped cleaning one of his glass cases, had he just heard something? Reaching up to his left ear he turned his ‘aid back on. Shrugging after a few minutes he went back to work.
‘Can you hear me now?’ the angel asked.
‘Wha?’ the demon sat up, stretching.
‘You slept through the whole thing.’
‘What thing?’
‘We did a good deed, tonight.’ The angel said.
‘What, again? Do you never stop?’ the demon hitched his pants up as he slowly walked to the front of Bob.
‘You know me,’ the angel said.
‘Unfortunately.’
‘We helped a nice young fellow.’
‘You helped some kid; I had nothing to do with it.’ The demon said.
‘I had a bird’s eye view of the young fellow’s conscience.’
‘They any good?’ the demon asked.
‘Running around all over the place, but the angel eventually got there. Can’t say the same for your young fellow.’
The demon sniffed. ‘They don’t make demons like they used to.’
‘No they don’t, luckily for me. Of course half the time you don’t even bother trying anymore.’
‘I’m lulling you into a false sense of security, you wait when you least expect it, I’ll do . . . something.’
‘Oh good, I’ll look forward to it. I could do with a challenge.’
Yawning and scratching his butt the demon walked over to Bob’s ear. ‘Is it dinner yet?’
Bob’s stomach growled and he glanced at his watch.
The angel peered down. ‘No, not yet,’ he said.
‘Oh well in that case I’m going back to bed,’ the demon climbed back into Bob’s ear. ‘Wake me up, will ya?’
The angel wandered back to his easy chair. ‘If you’re lucky,’ he muttered. Picking up a newspaper he returned to his Sudoku.

2nd place: "Sunflower Girl" by Teal Laetia Heartening

I used to know this girl. She lived in this little apartment that over looked this teeny tiny courtyard. Her room always smelled like lavender and sunflowers. She was always picking flowers… and always puzzling me.

She never went to school. She was young, well at the time she was older than me, but she looked like she couldn’t of been older than sixteen. Everyday when school was over, I would go to her apartment until my mother called me home for supper. We would talk for hours. Somehow we never ran out of things to say. And I never got bored either. You would think a ten year old boy would rather be out running and jumping through the cobblestone streets that ran like rivers through the fields of buildings. But no. I spent all my time with her. Maybe it was because I subconsciously knew that her time in that forever sunlit apartment was limited. Or maybe I just couldn’t stand to be anywhere she wasn’t. I thought I could keep seeing her like that.
One day she said she was leaving.

“What d’you mean? Are you going on a vacation?”
“… Yes. I’m going on a vacation. But it’s very, very far away.”
“Are you going by yourself?”
“Yes. I… I can’t take you with me.”
“Hey, how’d you know I was gonna ask that?”
“Ha ha, we’ve been friends for a while now, haven’t we?”
“Yeah…”
“So I think you should know that you are my best friend. I will never ever forget you no matter what happens. Alright? So, please, promise me you won’t forget about me?”
“I won’t forget!!! You’re my best friend too!!”

I remember it so well. She turned toward me, her golden brown hair glowing in the sunshine that flowed in from the window behind her. She smiled such a sweet smile, but it was so sad too. I didn’t understand the feeling then. Now I realize it was something like melancholy or regret. Or maybe it was both.

We lived in an apartment right across from hers on the other side of the courtyard. My bedroom window overlooked the courtyard. A few days later, I heard this noise in the middle of the night like something was breaking. I looked out my window to see her running through the courtyard below. There was a light on in her apartment and I could see figures standing there. I breathed in a little and ran down to the courtyard. I followed her through the streets of our little town, through the fields and rivers. She finally stopped in a field of sunflowers just beyond the town. The moon was full, bursting with pure white, luminous light. She was even more beautiful in this pale country. The tips of her fingers brushed the petals of the flowers. Then she whispered something, but I didn’t hear it. The sound birds in the night sky interrupted my illusory dream. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her though. She was my shining friend. She outshone even the moon’s brightest nights and the sun’s most glittering days. She was my angel. However the birds came closer and the nightmare began.

My angel shifted and changed. Her shining hair became the color of snow and her eyes grew dark and full of memories, things that had happened long, long ago. Her tender fingers grew slim, her nails long. Then her head, her head… out of it grew two swirling horns. Bat like wings sprouted from the back of her small frame. I could never believe she was a monster. Even now, I wonder if all that night had truly been one long nightmare.

Again she turned to me, in that spectral land of flowers and moonlight. Again she smiled that sorrowful smile. Again I didn’t understand. She whispered something, but again, the birds hid her words. Then, in a graceful movement, she leapt into the air, joining the birds.
I couldn’t understand. How could I? A ten year old knows of monsters and heroes, but not in real life. Real life is guided by science and math. There is no room for the unexplained.

So I stood there. I stood in the sunflowers until the moon became thin, like paper in the sky. I walked down the road I had taken later that night and went back through the cobblestone rivers. I opened the door of my home. I went into my room and jumped into bed. I pulled the covers up around me and waited for sleep to claim me. A few hours later, my mother woke me up. She looked distressed. I rubbed my eyes, waiting for her answer.

“Your friend, well honey, your friend is gone.”
“I know. She went on a vacation.”
“… No, dear. Your friend is dead.”

My mother’s words rang in my ears. I ran to the door. My mother said something about my friend’s apartment getting trashed. I ran to her apartment anyway. I burst into the scent of sunflowers and lavender. Her few pieces of furniture were turned on their sides. Her windows were open and her curtains were ripped. I searched for her in the sweet smelling room, in the stone rivers and buildings, in the land of my shadowy dream. However I should have known. My dream had not been a dream at all, but a farewell. I stood among the sunflowers and suddenly I knew what she had whispered.

“Thank you, for another chance. My best friend.”

Tears poured from my eyes. The sun was smiling in the azure sky, yet I could not bring myself to look at them. I cried until noon, when I had no tears left in me. I slowly made my way back down the path to my home. Every step I took felt like another one farther from her, my beautiful monster. When at last I reached my home, my mother sat me down at the kitchen table and gave me warm milk to drink. I asked her how.
“The police found her body in the middle of a sunflower field. Apparently some people heard a ruckus last night and saw her running out of the town. They called the police, and the police found her early this morning. She was covered in wounds but she was holding onto a sunflower. I guess even to the end she loved those flowers.”
“…”
“I’m sorry dear. Drink your milk and take a rest, okay?”


That day she died defined the rest of my life.

I’m twenty years old now. When I went to her funeral there were sunflowers everywhere. However there were only a few attendants and neither her ashes nor her unmoving body were to be seen. In fact, I have yet to see her remains, all these years later. Sometimes I think back to our time in that little apartment, but always the image of that night tears my paradise from me. I’ve thought many times about who she really was and about the meaning of her words. I guess I don’t have a straight answer. I have realized, that even though my precious friend was a monster, I still miss her and visit her grave. It’s the one in the middle of a field of sunflowers. Her stone says: Here lies a girl that loved sunflowers, may she rest in peace. Ha, don’t bother looking for it though. You won’t find it. The sunflowers have grown over it and she has truly become one of them. My poor, beautiful monster, my beloved sunflower girl.

3rd place: "The Deceitful Angel" by Collote

A forceful breeze caught her hair by surprise, demanding that the strands come along. Her hair had no choice but to reluctantly follow the order. She shivered as she clutched her hat firmly to her head, causing every man to fall to her feet in admiration. The woman was flawless and no amount of wind could destroy her appearance; the gust turned out to be a plus for this particular woman, placing her hair in such a way that it made her charm unimaginable.

She continued across the dock with one hand on her head, one hand resting in her lover’s grasp. The man released her hand only for a moment to present their tickets to the conductor. The conductor analyzed the strangely angelic woman who simply smiled in response. Her husband hastily returned her hand to his and they were on their way. They entered the enormous boat with grins on their faces and with the knowledge that their honeymoon was going to be a life-changing experience.

~~*~~*~~*~~

“I love you.” The words left his mouth gracefully, caressing her ears. He pecked her lips, “my angel.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered in a voice as simple as the smile she had given the conductor earlier. Her words quickly died, giving the room a rough birth of silence.

She was fighting herself on the inside. There wasn’t a trait that her man possessed that appealed to her other than his extraordinary adoration for her. He admired her in a different way than other men; he loved everything about her from her beauty to the opinions that exited her mouth while others would be fine if they only saw her on the cover of a magazine. She loved the way he adored her- not himself- and decided that she would stay with him until the day he left her.

He passionately kissed her to gain her attention, “You are like a book, and it kills me to say that I am awful at reading you.”

She grinned, “A book?”

He nodded, “You are such a mystery; I never know what’s on your mind. Can you teach me how to read?”

She kissed him in response knowing that he’d be better off as the ignored student whose questions are left unanswered.

~~*~~*~~*~~

The sun appeared as a flaming ball rising from the ocean the following morning. She was the first to wake up and she somehow managed to release herself from his tight embrace without waking him. The sun startled her with its brightness, causing a thought to cross her mind that she had become a demon burning in hell. Perhaps, on the inside, she was. She turned her gaze towards her husband, intently searching for a reason to love him; for the cure to her guilt. He was attractive, but what reason for love could she depend on when he was ugly and ancient? She knew him better than anyone else, and the more she learned about him, the less she enjoyed his company. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that out of all men, he would be the one to treat her with unconditional love. She must fight the demon inside of her.

She smiled as soon as his eyes opened. Her eyes were about to overflow with tears but, once again, nature was at her side; the sun’s rays brought out the beauty of her eyes, leaving behind the gloominess.

“Am I in heaven?” he gasped at her elegance, “I never imagined an angel being as gorgeous as this one is.”

Her face suddenly became wet as she sobbed. She did not deserve to be called an angel from a man she felt enmity towards.

His face warped into a frown, “What’s wrong?”

She let loose, cradling her head in her hands. He sat beside her, massaging her back.

“Little angel, I have yet to learn how to read,” he said with worry in his eyes. “Why are you upset?”

She straightened her back to look him in the eyes with an expression so cruel he removed his hands from her back and departed to give her more space. “I am not an angel, so stop calling me one!” she screamed.

He nodded, accepting the verbal slap in his face. “I’m going to breakfast,” he said, breaking the silence. “You can join me if you’d like.”

He reluctantly left her side and exited the room.

She wanted more than anything to be off of the hideous ship; to be away from him. The guilt she felt for not loving such a sweet man was making her crazy. On the inside, she was the demon and he was the angel, although he believed otherwise; an advantage she was going to use to dispose of her guilt. She gave control over to the demon inside of her.

~~*~~*~~*~~

She sat across from him at the table in the ideal private room. Their dinner was identical to images in food magazines; the finest steak accompanied by the finest wine. The demon scrutinized the innocent angel whose thoughts were of how beautiful the demon looked tonight in her black dress.

She undressed her demonic weapon. There was nothing in her eyes that hinted that she was ever human; she seemed possessed. She waited for the perfect moment- when the angel was suddenly interested in his food- to stalk over to the opposite end of the table. The angel glanced up to see his wife standing beside him, grinning at him, with a knife in her hand. He allowed his darling to kill her demon, to kill her guilt whose beginning and end thrived inside of him; the angel sat still as the demon swiftly sliced his neck.

She relished the angel’s blood, not once feeling a pang of guilt for slaughtering him. The demon enjoyed murder, especially when it destroyed a problem. She felt better about herself now that she no longer required a reason to love him.

With the flightless angel in her arms, the demon smelled glory. She brought him towards the railing of the boat and carelessly released him into the ocean. The fading sun shined on his floating body, surrounding the angel with a glorious light. His body became one with the waves, bobbing slightly and then, as a monstrous wave engulfed him, he fell to the bottom of the waters- his final resting place.

A single tear etched a path in her cheek to make an insignificant river and was soon followed by many more tears, making the river a prospering lake. Human-like emotions filled her once more, bringing a new kind of guilt that she instantly felt was worse than before. She, by killing the true angel, proved that she was a demon whose chances of becoming a saint were slim to none. Her survival was now impossible without purity in her life, particularly without the angel she had murdered.

She dived into the ocean just as the sun was being submerged by the water. The demon held onto a rock at the deepest part of the ocean and waited for the flaming ball to catch up with her; she impatiently waited for hell.

Honorable Mention: "Immedicable" by Priestess of Neptune

After being successfully treated and stabilized from my nearly-mortal wound, my gracious and caring friend Mr. Imp delivered me from the hospital where I’d been staying in a little hamlet south of Stockport, a lovely city to the east and south of Manchester. My good doctor, a conscientious being, had advised my friend of my condition, and the need for physical rehabilitation. Knowing of my state, Mr. Imp inquired as to where I’d booked my rehabilitation, enabling him to transport me directly from the hospital.

“Now that you mention it, I have not a final decision as to where I may be rehabilitated, in truth,” I stated, knowing my closest friend would understand my absent-mindedness after being under the knife.

“Oh, is that so? Well, allow me to direct your thoughts to one of the two I’d suggest. The closest one is not more than twenty miles from here, as the bird flies.” A good-humored tone warmed his voice, reassuring me of his benevolent management of my welfare.

As we drove, idle conversation was made about Manchester United, and other things of import to a citizen of the times, along with a short reminiscence of our younger lives.

“You haven’t forgotten of that time, of course, when we were playing cricket in the lane beyond your house, and that speeding carriage appeared as if it had come out of the ground?”

“’Of course’,” he replied with a whimsical look in his eye. “It knocked you into the gutter and nearly obliterated your bipedal capacity to run. “

“It would have if you hadn’t bowled the ball at it.”

He sighs contentedly, and says “The younger days,” at which point we grin at each other and laugh.

Upon reaching the first of his recommended centers, I notice a few people leaving with only half-satisfied faces, some satisfied, and some who seem not happy at all. I remark to my friend about the heterogeneous nature of their satisfaction.

“Yes, some of them aren’t pleased with the methods of rehabilitation. I reassure you; you will find no better recovery in as short a time, although some of the patients don’t fancy the few challenges that such a recovery requires, while others enjoy the idea that they know they are being healed.”

“I comprehend that, but the outside of the building seems slightly worn and dirty. I’m not convinced that a good recovery can be made under that kind of sanitation,” I retort.

“I agree, a terminal dirtiness will lead nowhere near good health. This building is cleaned every morning. It has only a small disadvantage of being between the wrong two hills, causing the wind to blow the dirt from a nearby meadow onto the façade. It is really a very old, sturdy stone building with a solid foundation and the passed test of not a few disasters.”

This center seemed to be not a bad choice, even if it had a few inconveniences. Mr. Imp does know his history, so I had no doubts about the integrity of the structure. Even so, he did have two options, so I decided to see the other one before deciding.

We pulled up to a sparkling new building of white steel and tile, modernly designed and landscaped. Mr. Imp parked us outside while he gave me the details:

“Nothing is better than this for a reliable recovery. Yes, it isn’t as traditional as the other in method or ideals, but some very miraculous healing has been heard of here.”

“Well, it seems as though it is perfect! Why didn’t you recommend me here immediately?” Perhaps Mr. Imp had thought it a funny jest to show me a dirty building, then the wonderful clinic where he thought I had best go.

“The recovery process is of a much more indeterminate length, and the services cost slightly more. Relax though, because the techniques are as easy as hitting a silly mid-on.”

“What a wonderful concept! I think I have decided, Mr. Imp. I thank you humbly for your sapient understanding and compassion for my well-being.”

“Oh?”

“I shall have my rehabilitation here; I don’t think a longer wait should be an issue if I’m inclined on recovery, and if the process is easier, so much the better!”

“Well, I’m glad to be able to offer my meagre opinions. Be sure to send a telegram if you require anything.”

With this I enrolled my health at the wonderful new clinic. After having been given a tour of the heated spa, desert garden, weightless aerobics gym, and many other wonders, I was inclined to start upon my recovery very shortly. I inquired as to when the program started, and as such was led to my room by my lovely hostess. She showed me into a white, Spartan room with a cot and toiletries, prepared neatly for its inhabitant. I studied the room, and as I did so, my hostess began to shut me inside.

“Wait, where is my schedule?” I inquired.

“There is no schedule,” she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Then how am I to know when and how to be recuperated?”

“You lie in your bedroom, giving your body enough rest until it has recovered fully.”

“But won’t that take a while, and be a little bit of a bore?”

“Our method is one hundred percent effective. Just leave it to us,” she says in the same tone. “We know what we are doing.”

“But miss, I don’t want to lay here until I am recovered! I might be here for years! I don’t want to stay in this bedroom for such a lengthy and unspecified length of time!”

“We here at Hell’s Pass won’t let you leave until fully recovered, as you might retrogress the program accidentally. Have a nice time.”

“But miss, Mr. Imp didn’t say anything about staying in a room for years!”

“Yes, Mr. Imp does seem to refer many patients here. Have a nice time.” She leaves, closing the door with an eternal click.