I
Incinermyn
Round-Robin Writing Competition (Round III)
Rules for Entry and Participation (Please read completely)
1.) Signups for this round begin as soon as this thread is created, and are open to everyone except the winner of the previous round (Unique Username). Participants may sign up by asking to here or do so via PM to me. Entrants may also drop out at any time without consequence. Please note that only eight entries will be accepted, though more may be allowed depending on interest.
2.) For this contest, all entrants are required to write a short passage (between 250 and 1000 words in length) that continues the following storyline. These can be written any way that writers see fit, but should ideally match the verb tense and content. All submissions must be sent to me via PM before the final deadline.
Darkness has fallen on the world. Men, women, and children rest gently in dreams that will not be remembered when morning comes. Crickets brazenly chirp as the wind softly whispers through the trees. A rodent squeals in the night before being stifled by the owl that hunts it. As the moon rises and midnight approaches, everything slows to a quiet. There is a sense of serenity to it all, a peaceful and picturesque scene.
That is, until It awakens.
A creature of shadow, it stalks the night when all are unaware of its presence. Those who know it dare not name it. It is Eldest, none remember when it began. It slides through the night, not making a sound to break the silence. The moon is full, but no light reflects off of the rough and torn scales on its black skin. The urge to kill rises as it sees a quaint house in the fields. As it approaches it hears the quiet murmurs of sleep emanating from those who dwell within. Its mouth opens into what may have once been a smile, showing a myriad of broken teeth, still razor sharp. Deftly it slithers over to the door. Seeing that the door is old and rusting over, it spits in disgust and glides over to the nearest window. It raises a clawed hand to the glass and slowly traces a circle with one of its fingers. The hunter presses softly on one of the sides of the circle and it turns with a soft screech, leaving an opening. It hesitates, not breathing for fear that it has been discovered. One of the men in the house turns over in his bed, snoring loudly. The creature sneers widely as it removes the glass circle from the rest of the window and sets it gently in the grass. Clearly the fools within have lived a peaceful life, no fear of being hunted as many creatures are in the night. How long had this creature been asleep that none remembered to fear it?
The creature straightens itself out and lets the many spines on its back and tail lie flat. Compacting itself, it launches itself through the hole, neatly fitting through. Its claws extend and it catches itself on the wooden floor with little sound. The wood creaks slightly as it steps forward and it curses itself. Clearly it had been a long time since it had hunted in this manner. It slides across the floor, its red eyes reflecting little light, but nevertheless holding an intense and piercing gaze. The door swings open as it leaps into the bedroom, no longer needing its stealth. Its prey realizes they are not alone. Their eyes flutter open in horror as it descends upon them. Not even given a chance to scream, they die swiftly and silently. The hunter seems to smile again, and it lets itself make sound once again. Its breath is ragged and uneven, and steam emanates from its mouth every time it exhales. No longer does it need to be silent.
Once it has finished with its new found meal, it slithers up onto the roof. It rears up onto its hind legs, spines uncurling from its back and tail again, and spreading its arms wide it lets forth a piercing, eerie blood cry. Birds scatter from the trees, and animals tear through the brush, trying to flee from the source of the sound. The creature’s mouth breaks open into a hideous grin as it relishes in its return. Soon all would learn to fear the night. Its hunger could never be satiated long ago. It has wakened from an age-old sleep.
The hunt now begins.
The creature continued to perch on the roof, its jaundiced claws easily sinking into the soft cedar wood. Its macabre shadow pervaded the lustrous arc of the moon, the pearl sphere fractured by a phalanx of scabrous scales and notched barbs. The tips of its obsidian quills blended seamlessly against the twilight sky, its silhouette perfectly camouflaged amidst the midnight tapestry. The creature languidly flexed its sable barbs, the angular spikes mimicking withered autumn leaves as a brisk wind caressed its spine. It luxuriated in the splendour of its restitution, ascending its calculating glare beyond the pristine fields of golden wheat.
The merciless predator vigilantly surveyed its domain, its crimson scowl piqued by a city fabricated within the sanctum of a slumbering mountainside. Its silhouette harboured a soft glow, the craggy contours embellished by golden flakes of light. The creature cackled malevolently, slowly prying apart its curtailed jaws. 'What a perfect night for a moonlit slaughter...' it voicelessly purred, delighted by its promising discovery. Insatiable hunger ravaged its stomach with an instinctual urge to devour sweet, succulent flesh. The beast smiled maliciously, hungrily tracing its mauve tongue over its broken fangs. It crouched low on its haunches, adjusting its spines as it feverishly thrummed its talons upon its wooden roost. It precariously balanced on the truss, glimpsing upon the fertile earth as it prepared to conquer the six metre plunge.
A serpentine chain suddenly lashed beyond the midnight veil, swiftly ensnaring the beast by its curved neck. A brusque jerk yanked the creature backwards, its throat constricted by steel vertebrae. The beast released a gurgling snarl, its claws clumsily sliding upon the shingled roof. It hastily glimpsed toward a weather vane, snatching the oxidized ornament with its tail and utilizing its fury to snap the metal shaft. It hurled the compass directly into the void, the device crashing inside a mysterious black mist and vanishing beyond existence. The chain was abruptly abandoned by its wielder, collapsing into a lifeless coiled braid. The demon slowly regained its balance, narrowing its carmine eyes as it glowered into a hollow oblivion. 'There's no one else here...?!'
A crooked blade plunged betwixt its onyx scales, an aquiline thorn protruding out of its chest. The creature relinquished a guttural roar, black blood oozing down its scaly chest like viscous oil. It viciously whirled around and smashed its barbed tail against the vindictive assailant, the unknown entity dissolving into charcoal smoke. Inertia drove its tail into the roof, its jagged prongs embedding into shingles, tar and wood. The beast growled in frustration, wresting its barbs out of the debris. It tenderly clutched its wound as searing anguish gnawed at its vulnerable flesh, billows of painful heat seizing its muscles. Whoever this adversary was, they liked to strike hard – and fast.
A tenebrous mist slithered past its feet, gossamer tendrils licking its ankles like a nightmarish flame. The demon shivered violently, the ghostly vapour like the embodiment of winter. 'A ghost...?' it silently mused, watching the obsidian cloud accumulate. The creature gingerly sniffed a fibril of drifting mist, recognizing its pungent scent. It reeked of death and decay, a copper musk clinging to every particle. 'A vampire...' The beast nervously clacked it talons together, feigning intimidation as it watched the swirling nebula. Ethereal fronds solidified into various appendages, a man emerging beyond the smouldering crests. His pale complexion was accentuated by the moonlight, his sable tresses kissing his statuesque shoulders. His scarlet irises harboured a stoic expression, although his arrogant smirk and glinting fangs betrayed his austerity.
“Who are you...?” The demon inquired with a scrupulous hiss.
“Ivan Faust.” The vampire callously fished out his gun, cocking the hammer with an ominous click. “Your executioner.”
“You cannot win, bloodsucker.” The creature growled, its spines erecting in ire.
“Oh, I beg to differ.” Ivan retorted, tracing a fingertip along his pistol. “Three-hundred years ago, your gluttonous escapade nearly exterminated my species. You greedily devoured everything in your path, and left nothing – not even a single drop of blood. My sire warned me of your untimely awakening. If you are not stopped, you will bring a second famine upon us. You cannot slaughter the townsfolk as you please!”
“Watch me.” The demon defiantly snarled, its malignant tone dripping with a venomous hiss. Without warning, it swiftly slithered down the building and vanished inside a labyrinth of saffron grass. Ivan vehemently leered at the abhorrent reptile, reluctantly storing his weapon inside its leather holster. 'I don't need a gun to take care of you...' Ivan sneered, glimpsing to a rosewood fence post skirting the property entrance. The vampire effortlessly leapt onto the picket, stepping down with reserved elegance and kneeling to the ground. Ivan gently pressed his hand upon the earth, summoning a force unbeknownst to the living. An arcane swarm fervently squirmed within the soil, minuscule scratches trembling beneath his fingertips. Ivan grinned triumphantly, a glistening fang curling over his lip.
“The hunter has now become the hunted...”
That is, until It awakens.
A creature of shadow, it stalks the night when all are unaware of its presence. Those who know it dare not name it. It is Eldest, none remember when it began. It slides through the night, not making a sound to break the silence. The moon is full, but no light reflects off of the rough and torn scales on its black skin. The urge to kill rises as it sees a quaint house in the fields. As it approaches it hears the quiet murmurs of sleep emanating from those who dwell within. Its mouth opens into what may have once been a smile, showing a myriad of broken teeth, still razor sharp. Deftly it slithers over to the door. Seeing that the door is old and rusting over, it spits in disgust and glides over to the nearest window. It raises a clawed hand to the glass and slowly traces a circle with one of its fingers. The hunter presses softly on one of the sides of the circle and it turns with a soft screech, leaving an opening. It hesitates, not breathing for fear that it has been discovered. One of the men in the house turns over in his bed, snoring loudly. The creature sneers widely as it removes the glass circle from the rest of the window and sets it gently in the grass. Clearly the fools within have lived a peaceful life, no fear of being hunted as many creatures are in the night. How long had this creature been asleep that none remembered to fear it?
The creature straightens itself out and lets the many spines on its back and tail lie flat. Compacting itself, it launches itself through the hole, neatly fitting through. Its claws extend and it catches itself on the wooden floor with little sound. The wood creaks slightly as it steps forward and it curses itself. Clearly it had been a long time since it had hunted in this manner. It slides across the floor, its red eyes reflecting little light, but nevertheless holding an intense and piercing gaze. The door swings open as it leaps into the bedroom, no longer needing its stealth. Its prey realizes they are not alone. Their eyes flutter open in horror as it descends upon them. Not even given a chance to scream, they die swiftly and silently. The hunter seems to smile again, and it lets itself make sound once again. Its breath is ragged and uneven, and steam emanates from its mouth every time it exhales. No longer does it need to be silent.
Once it has finished with its new found meal, it slithers up onto the roof. It rears up onto its hind legs, spines uncurling from its back and tail again, and spreading its arms wide it lets forth a piercing, eerie blood cry. Birds scatter from the trees, and animals tear through the brush, trying to flee from the source of the sound. The creature’s mouth breaks open into a hideous grin as it relishes in its return. Soon all would learn to fear the night. Its hunger could never be satiated long ago. It has wakened from an age-old sleep.
The hunt now begins.
The creature continued to perch on the roof, its jaundiced claws easily sinking into the soft cedar wood. Its macabre shadow pervaded the lustrous arc of the moon, the pearl sphere fractured by a phalanx of scabrous scales and notched barbs. The tips of its obsidian quills blended seamlessly against the twilight sky, its silhouette perfectly camouflaged amidst the midnight tapestry. The creature languidly flexed its sable barbs, the angular spikes mimicking withered autumn leaves as a brisk wind caressed its spine. It luxuriated in the splendour of its restitution, ascending its calculating glare beyond the pristine fields of golden wheat.
The merciless predator vigilantly surveyed its domain, its crimson scowl piqued by a city fabricated within the sanctum of a slumbering mountainside. Its silhouette harboured a soft glow, the craggy contours embellished by golden flakes of light. The creature cackled malevolently, slowly prying apart its curtailed jaws. 'What a perfect night for a moonlit slaughter...' it voicelessly purred, delighted by its promising discovery. Insatiable hunger ravaged its stomach with an instinctual urge to devour sweet, succulent flesh. The beast smiled maliciously, hungrily tracing its mauve tongue over its broken fangs. It crouched low on its haunches, adjusting its spines as it feverishly thrummed its talons upon its wooden roost. It precariously balanced on the truss, glimpsing upon the fertile earth as it prepared to conquer the six metre plunge.
A serpentine chain suddenly lashed beyond the midnight veil, swiftly ensnaring the beast by its curved neck. A brusque jerk yanked the creature backwards, its throat constricted by steel vertebrae. The beast released a gurgling snarl, its claws clumsily sliding upon the shingled roof. It hastily glimpsed toward a weather vane, snatching the oxidized ornament with its tail and utilizing its fury to snap the metal shaft. It hurled the compass directly into the void, the device crashing inside a mysterious black mist and vanishing beyond existence. The chain was abruptly abandoned by its wielder, collapsing into a lifeless coiled braid. The demon slowly regained its balance, narrowing its carmine eyes as it glowered into a hollow oblivion. 'There's no one else here...?!'
A crooked blade plunged betwixt its onyx scales, an aquiline thorn protruding out of its chest. The creature relinquished a guttural roar, black blood oozing down its scaly chest like viscous oil. It viciously whirled around and smashed its barbed tail against the vindictive assailant, the unknown entity dissolving into charcoal smoke. Inertia drove its tail into the roof, its jagged prongs embedding into shingles, tar and wood. The beast growled in frustration, wresting its barbs out of the debris. It tenderly clutched its wound as searing anguish gnawed at its vulnerable flesh, billows of painful heat seizing its muscles. Whoever this adversary was, they liked to strike hard – and fast.
A tenebrous mist slithered past its feet, gossamer tendrils licking its ankles like a nightmarish flame. The demon shivered violently, the ghostly vapour like the embodiment of winter. 'A ghost...?' it silently mused, watching the obsidian cloud accumulate. The creature gingerly sniffed a fibril of drifting mist, recognizing its pungent scent. It reeked of death and decay, a copper musk clinging to every particle. 'A vampire...' The beast nervously clacked it talons together, feigning intimidation as it watched the swirling nebula. Ethereal fronds solidified into various appendages, a man emerging beyond the smouldering crests. His pale complexion was accentuated by the moonlight, his sable tresses kissing his statuesque shoulders. His scarlet irises harboured a stoic expression, although his arrogant smirk and glinting fangs betrayed his austerity.
“Who are you...?” The demon inquired with a scrupulous hiss.
“Ivan Faust.” The vampire callously fished out his gun, cocking the hammer with an ominous click. “Your executioner.”
“You cannot win, bloodsucker.” The creature growled, its spines erecting in ire.
“Oh, I beg to differ.” Ivan retorted, tracing a fingertip along his pistol. “Three-hundred years ago, your gluttonous escapade nearly exterminated my species. You greedily devoured everything in your path, and left nothing – not even a single drop of blood. My sire warned me of your untimely awakening. If you are not stopped, you will bring a second famine upon us. You cannot slaughter the townsfolk as you please!”
“Watch me.” The demon defiantly snarled, its malignant tone dripping with a venomous hiss. Without warning, it swiftly slithered down the building and vanished inside a labyrinth of saffron grass. Ivan vehemently leered at the abhorrent reptile, reluctantly storing his weapon inside its leather holster. 'I don't need a gun to take care of you...' Ivan sneered, glimpsing to a rosewood fence post skirting the property entrance. The vampire effortlessly leapt onto the picket, stepping down with reserved elegance and kneeling to the ground. Ivan gently pressed his hand upon the earth, summoning a force unbeknownst to the living. An arcane swarm fervently squirmed within the soil, minuscule scratches trembling beneath his fingertips. Ivan grinned triumphantly, a glistening fang curling over his lip.
“The hunter has now become the hunted...”
3.) The deadline for all submissions will be set for Monday, February 6, 2012 (at 12:00PM Central Standard Time), but is subject to change depending on how soon entries are submitted. Once the deadline has passed, all the submissions will then be posted here anonymously for public reading and voting.
4.) Voting will be open to all members of PokéBeach. All entrants who submitted works are required to vote (but not for their own), in order to ensure that there’s a significant tally. Votes are to be sent to me via PM that tells me which entry you think continues the storyline best. No one may vote for more than one entry; otherwise said vote won’t be counted. This phase will run for about a week, depending on how many votes each entry gets. In the event of a tie, I’ll make the deciding vote.
5.) Once voting is over, the results will be posted along with the names of each entry’s author. The winner’s entry will be used during the next round, but be disallowed from entering the next round.
This contest is still slated for five rounds total. If anyone thinks it should be extended longer, please let me know and I’ll consider it.
Good luck and Godspeed, writers!
Participant List
1.) HypnoticLuxray
“The hunter has now become the hunted…”
“This book is a piece of crap on drugs!” high-school student Ike Richmond complained aloud, flinging the ancient withered text at the wall. “Tell me why I have to tortured with this again, Jeb?”
“Because if you don’t read some kind of book, Mrs. Burns will fail you in English,” his friend Jeb Timmins responded with a tinge of annoyance.
“And?” Ike said, not caring about a single ounce about Jeb’s response.
“Your parents will be ticked off if you don’t pass,” countered Jeb.
“And?”
“They’ll probably kick you out of our band if you do.”
“Get to the point already.” Ike demanded.
Jeb smirked, knowing he was about to end their quarrel. “If you quit the band, Tara will dump you. Guess who’s gonna be on the rebound? He licked his lips.
“Fine, Fine, I’ll read it,” Ike gave in. A sense of false hope entered Jeb. “Eventually.”
“Your impossible.”
“Am I?”
“Yup.” Jeb spun around in his computer chair, for seemingly no reason at all. He and Ike hung in his bedroom everyday after class. Rarely, they did schoolwork. Most of the time, they talked about chances to make money, get girls, or popularize their band. This day was like any other.
“So, are you ready for the gig?” Ike asked his buddy. “We’re gonna be off the roof.” Their band consisted of four members. Tara, the group’s drummer, was the ‘babe’ of the group. At one point, all of the other guys in the band had dated her. Greg, an African American who loved to do nothing all day but chill, served as the band’s bass guitarist. Ike, Tara’s current boyfriend, was the rebelling lead guitarist. Jeb took his place as the group’s lead vocalist.
“Sure am,” Jeb hastily replied while casually checking his wristwatch. “Crap! If we don’t leave now, we’re gonna be late! Quick, get the RV. We’ll pick-up Greg and Tara on the way!”
“Were lost,” Tara pointed out. They had been driving around in circles for ages. Admitting that they were lost was inevitable.
“No we’re not,” nervously denied Jeb, who was driving. He was the one with the vehicle, after all. “I know exactly where we are.” It didn’t take a genius to tell he was lying. For a deep fog had enshrouded the road. They couldn’t see two feet in front of them, let alone know where they were going.
“Your not fooling anyone bro,” Ike interjected. “Just admit that you drove us into the abyss, and then maybe we’ll become un-lost somehow.”
Jeb angrily started, “You know what! You should be freaking grateful that…”
“Chill down bros,” the calming voice of Greg brought peace to the tight space as he rested his hands on the shoulder of Ike and Jeb. “If we just take a deep breath, maybe we can find our way out of this fog that Jeb brought us to.”
“I TOLD YOU WE’RE NOT FREAKIN LOST!” Jeb shouted, doubting himself even now.
Tara stroked her long red hair, getting tired of the quarrel. “Listen, just admit that we’re lost and…”
A huge pounding sound erupted from outside of the automobile. It sounded near.
“What was that!” they all erupted in union. No one had an answer.
The sound repeated, closer this time. Again, there was no explanation. It just kept getting louder. It was louder than a gunshot in complete silence. Then finally came the “BANG!” A gargantuan gash, maybe even claw marks, appeared on the side of the RV. Tara and Ike slowly backed away from that side of the van, shuddering. Greg followed calmly, reaching for the pistol he always kept in his pocket. For whatever reason, Jeb didn’t move.
He was the one to die.
A grotesque creature rammed into the already crumbling wall. It disintegrated into a million pieces scattering all over the tight space. Jeb didn’t stand a chance. Dazed by the missing wall, Jeb barely had time to notice the bellowing creature wrapping its enormous mouth around his body. Just like that, he was swallowed whole.
Tara screamed.
Greg speedily whipped out his pistol. He took three shots at the beast’s head. It just seemed to smirk. Greg blinked. Bad idea. In a millisecond, his arm was gone, ripped from its socket. He fainted.
Tara screamed again.
The beast approached the location of Tara and Ike. Tara couldn’t scream anymore. Ike had already peed his pants. They couldn’t go on much longer. As the beast reached Ike, it smacked him across the head, almost immediately knocking him out. The last thing he remembered seeing was a golden arrow digging into the neck of the creature.
A gruesome man slapped Ike back into consciousness. He held a golden crossbow, obviously his savior. “Hello, friend,” the man grinned. “My name is Ivan Faust. It seems like you and your armless friend are now my new bait. Enjoy life while you can.”
“This book is a piece of crap on drugs!” high-school student Ike Richmond complained aloud, flinging the ancient withered text at the wall. “Tell me why I have to tortured with this again, Jeb?”
“Because if you don’t read some kind of book, Mrs. Burns will fail you in English,” his friend Jeb Timmins responded with a tinge of annoyance.
“And?” Ike said, not caring about a single ounce about Jeb’s response.
“Your parents will be ticked off if you don’t pass,” countered Jeb.
“And?”
“They’ll probably kick you out of our band if you do.”
“Get to the point already.” Ike demanded.
Jeb smirked, knowing he was about to end their quarrel. “If you quit the band, Tara will dump you. Guess who’s gonna be on the rebound? He licked his lips.
“Fine, Fine, I’ll read it,” Ike gave in. A sense of false hope entered Jeb. “Eventually.”
“Your impossible.”
“Am I?”
“Yup.” Jeb spun around in his computer chair, for seemingly no reason at all. He and Ike hung in his bedroom everyday after class. Rarely, they did schoolwork. Most of the time, they talked about chances to make money, get girls, or popularize their band. This day was like any other.
“So, are you ready for the gig?” Ike asked his buddy. “We’re gonna be off the roof.” Their band consisted of four members. Tara, the group’s drummer, was the ‘babe’ of the group. At one point, all of the other guys in the band had dated her. Greg, an African American who loved to do nothing all day but chill, served as the band’s bass guitarist. Ike, Tara’s current boyfriend, was the rebelling lead guitarist. Jeb took his place as the group’s lead vocalist.
“Sure am,” Jeb hastily replied while casually checking his wristwatch. “Crap! If we don’t leave now, we’re gonna be late! Quick, get the RV. We’ll pick-up Greg and Tara on the way!”
____ ____ ____
“Were lost,” Tara pointed out. They had been driving around in circles for ages. Admitting that they were lost was inevitable.
“No we’re not,” nervously denied Jeb, who was driving. He was the one with the vehicle, after all. “I know exactly where we are.” It didn’t take a genius to tell he was lying. For a deep fog had enshrouded the road. They couldn’t see two feet in front of them, let alone know where they were going.
“Your not fooling anyone bro,” Ike interjected. “Just admit that you drove us into the abyss, and then maybe we’ll become un-lost somehow.”
Jeb angrily started, “You know what! You should be freaking grateful that…”
“Chill down bros,” the calming voice of Greg brought peace to the tight space as he rested his hands on the shoulder of Ike and Jeb. “If we just take a deep breath, maybe we can find our way out of this fog that Jeb brought us to.”
“I TOLD YOU WE’RE NOT FREAKIN LOST!” Jeb shouted, doubting himself even now.
Tara stroked her long red hair, getting tired of the quarrel. “Listen, just admit that we’re lost and…”
A huge pounding sound erupted from outside of the automobile. It sounded near.
“What was that!” they all erupted in union. No one had an answer.
The sound repeated, closer this time. Again, there was no explanation. It just kept getting louder. It was louder than a gunshot in complete silence. Then finally came the “BANG!” A gargantuan gash, maybe even claw marks, appeared on the side of the RV. Tara and Ike slowly backed away from that side of the van, shuddering. Greg followed calmly, reaching for the pistol he always kept in his pocket. For whatever reason, Jeb didn’t move.
He was the one to die.
A grotesque creature rammed into the already crumbling wall. It disintegrated into a million pieces scattering all over the tight space. Jeb didn’t stand a chance. Dazed by the missing wall, Jeb barely had time to notice the bellowing creature wrapping its enormous mouth around his body. Just like that, he was swallowed whole.
Tara screamed.
Greg speedily whipped out his pistol. He took three shots at the beast’s head. It just seemed to smirk. Greg blinked. Bad idea. In a millisecond, his arm was gone, ripped from its socket. He fainted.
Tara screamed again.
The beast approached the location of Tara and Ike. Tara couldn’t scream anymore. Ike had already peed his pants. They couldn’t go on much longer. As the beast reached Ike, it smacked him across the head, almost immediately knocking him out. The last thing he remembered seeing was a golden arrow digging into the neck of the creature.
____ ____ ____
A gruesome man slapped Ike back into consciousness. He held a golden crossbow, obviously his savior. “Hello, friend,” the man grinned. “My name is Ivan Faust. It seems like you and your armless friend are now my new bait. Enjoy life while you can.”
