[2nd CONTEST] Horror Short Story Contest

[Sacara]

Welcome all to the second-ever Horror Short Story Contest! While I'm not active in the Arts & Fiction sub-forum, you may recognize me from Got Issues? where I regularly post. Tonight, I have come to present a short story contest. More specifically, a horror short story contest. This is the second iteration of this contest, with a link to the original from 2018 found at the bottom of this post. Unlike last time, where the only guideline for the contest was to leave the reader feeling unsettled, this contest features a twist. All short story submissions must contain the following line: You feel yourself slowly becoming a monster. How you choose to interpret this and where you choose to place it within your story is entirely up to your discretion.

To submit an entry for this contest, all you have to do is telegram Sacara your short story and its title. That's it! I will update this post regularly with a list of entries, including the title and the nation that submitted it. You will also receive a telegram letting you know that I have received it. Entry will begin on August 1st, at 12:01 AM, and the deadline will be August 25th, at 11:59 PM, Central Standard Time.

1. The story must be written by you. Plagiarism is an automatic disqualifier.
2. The story must be written in comprehensible English. Please proofread and utilize online grammar-checking websites before you submit!
3. The story must be no more than 2,000 words. Please use paragraphs.
4. The above line must be found somewhere within your story.
5. No more than one entry per player is allowed.

Results will be released approximately one week after the deadline. There will be one winner and one runner-up. None of the submissions will be released until I have graded and reviewed them. As I did in the previous contest, I plan to post a couple of submissions each day.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or send me a telegram. There is are no prizes for this contest, other than a fancy badge I will make for your signature. And the satisfaction of knowing that you are a better writer than your NationStates peers.

ENTRIES:

Main Nation Ministry
Mzeusia
Shwe Tu Colony
Valentine Z

First Horror Short Story Contest.

[Infected Mushroom]

Excellent. I’m really busy irl but I’ll see if I can come up with something in time.

[Shwe Tu Colony]

The above line must be found somewhere within your story.

Do the pronoun — and therefore story perspective — as well as the tense need to match, e.g. "he felt himself slowly becoming a monster?"
Past that, it's a matter of seeing if my current idea is horror. And if it fits the word count...

[Main Nation Ministry]

Alright. I'm back. I've been rather busy, but I think I need to brush up on my skills, since it's been too long.

I think I have a good idea on what to write.

[Drew Durrnil]

How gory/insensitive/racially offensive can these stories be?

[Sacara]

Do the pronoun — and therefore story perspective — as well as the tense need to match, e.g. "he felt himself slowly becoming a monster?"

No, they do not need to match. "He felt himself slowly becoming a monster", "I feel myself slowly becoming a monster", and "she had felt herself slowly becoming a monster" all work. No future tenses, though.

How gory/insensitive/racially offensive can these stories be?

These stories will be posted later on this thread. Anything that NationStates prohibits will also be prohibited in this contest.

[Drew Durrnil]

Do the pronoun — and therefore story perspective — as well as the tense need to match, e.g. "he felt himself slowly becoming a monster?"

No, they do not need to match. "He felt himself slowly becoming a monster", "I feel myself slowly becoming a monster", and "she had felt herself slowly becoming a monster" all work. No future tenses, though.

How gory/insensitive/racially offensive can these stories be?

These stories will be posted later on this thread. Anything that NationStates prohibits will also be prohibited in this contest.

So, is a story about the killing of children of a certain race prohibited?

[Heloin]

I might participate again. I don’t have much free time so who can really say.

No, they do not need to match. "He felt himself slowly becoming a monster", "I feel myself slowly becoming a monster", and "she had felt herself slowly becoming a monster" all work. No future tenses, though. These stories will be posted later on this thread. Anything that NationStates prohibits will also be prohibited in this contest.

So, is a story about the killing of children of a certain race prohibited?

If you have to ask maybe the idea isn’t a good one.

[Sacara]

Submissions for the contest are now open!

Feel free to send me a telegram either containing the text of your short story or a link to somewhere where I can find it. You may submit a story until August 25th at 11:59 PM CST.

Good luck!

[Main Nation Ministry]

I forgot what happened at the last contest. I think I just recall writing most of my story in one night, since the deadline was looming nearby.

I already have a firm idea on what I need for my story for this contest, but gotta do a little time management for the week.

[Sacara]

I forgot what happened at the last contest. I think I just recall writing most of my story in one night, since the deadline was looming nearby.

I already have a firm idea on what I need for my story for this contest, but gotta do a little time management for the week.

It looks like you won the last contest. If that was the quality of work you produce in one night, I cannot wait to read something you've had weeks to work on.

[Main Nation Ministry]

It looks like you won the last contest. If that was the quality of work you produce in one night, I cannot wait to read something you've had weeks to work on.

I do have some Candyman tunes that might help me get in the groove.

[Valentine Z]

I most very definitely have something in mind! I would like to thank my fever dreams I had in the past few days. ^^;

[Shwe Tu Colony]

I most very definitely have something in mind! I would like to thank my fever dreams I had in the past few days. ^^;

Ah.
Seems we're both writing dream stories, in that case—
Only problem is I'm feeling a bit worried about the line I'll have to tightrope across with mine, unless I find something else to write, which is nonzero. I feel like it's cheating for me to use a character that is explicitly stated to be a minor in a horror, just because of protective instincts, but I'll see when I make it if I think it's suitable here.

[Valentine Z]

I most very definitely have something in mind! I would like to thank my fever dreams I had in the past few days. ^^;

Ah.
Seems we're both writing dream stories, in that case—
Only problem is I'm feeling a bit worried about the line I'll have to tightrope across with mine, unless I find something else to write, which is nonzero. I feel like it's cheating for me to use a character that is explicitly stated to be a minor in a horror, just because of protective instincts, but I'll see when I make it if I think it's suitable here.

Oh ahh, mine is not about a fever dream, per se. Just some idea I had because I was sick on Friday.

[Shwe Tu Colony]

Oh ahh, mine is not about a fever dream, per se. Just some idea I had because I was sick on Friday.

That was me cutting out a word, then, my error. I didn't mean a story on dreams, but stories based on them.

[Sacara]

Looking forward to reading these stories as they start rolling in.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

This sounds interesting. I’ll see if I can participate.

[Sacara]

We're now a week into the contest submission period. Reminder to telegram me your submission, along with its title, when you have it completed. No rush, there is still plenty of time left. Submissions will close on August 25th at 11:59 PM CST.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

We're now a week into the contest submission period. Reminder to telegram me your submission, along with its title, when you have it completed. No rush, there is still plenty of time left. Submissions will close on August 25th at 11:59 PM CST.

My story, I think, is longer than 2000 words.

[Shwe Tu Colony]

Done with first draft, might submit soon, but anyway, it's 1,999 words and I'm hnnggging. In all honesty, I'm slightly doubtful on the content advisories, but it's not detailed enough that I think it a concern. That this is based on a dream of mine is, I think, the larger concern for my mental wellbeing, but nonetheless. If anyone wants it:

So a boy ends up in the jurisdiction of some sort of dollmaker or doctor and constantly gets cut open and sewed back. The time fast forwards and the older man goes to sleep. By this point, the boy has been so torn apart that he's barely sapient, so he gets out of the crib he's stored in and wanders over to a shelf and picks up an old doll. He fumbles open the doll and finds a sticky note with a very bad heart drawn over it, and clutches it close as he false asleep. Some sort of fading green glowing artifact in his chest turns him, fully, into a doll as he sobs. The scene zooms out into a Twitter comic, and suddenly the backstory changes to the boy being a doll that was brought to life. A voice narrates that, although the boy/doll still deeply loved his owner, he was just never a good man and he never changed, and ultimately all of his love was a waste.

It's not one-to-one, obviously, but it's still an inspiration.

love "the mind electric" (emotionally evocative) but audiovisual flexing over literary do be a big dame da ne

[Main Nation Ministry]

How ironic that I finished my story on Friday the 13th? 10 minutes before it becomes the 14th.

[Sacara]

And we have our first entry! I will update the OP to reflect all new entries.

Remember: entries are due by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on August 25th. There is still time to write and submit!

[Sacara]

Just over 24 hours remain! Hopefully everyone is putting their spooky finishing touches on their stories!

[Main Nation Ministry]

Just over 24 hours remain! Hopefully everyone is putting their spooky finishing touches on their stories!

*gets popcorn, soda, and Myuji music ready*