~*ONC shortlist*~ It's up to a climbing enthusiast, and the local jaded doctor to find out what's going on when a mysterious hole appears in their town's park at the same time that a strange new illness starts ravaging the community. *ONC 2023 From the ONC Prompts: 38) A seemingly bottomless pit was found, for which the depth can't be determined. Over time, scores of people began using it to illegally dump trash. Many have jumped believing that they'll find life's answers within it. Today, we learn the truth about the hole. 54) As townspeople are overcome with a deadly sickness, it's up to you, the only one not afflicted, to find the cause and cure. 69) I had a marvelous time ruining everything - Taylor Swift.

[Pride Awards 2023, hosted by official lgbtq , Romance Category Winner and 5th Place Grandwinner] The foster son of a former cupbearer marries the cursed king of Persia, becoming not only the first consort to survive after the wedding, but also a threat to many conspirators. **** Shahryar had lost his first wife to a man no equal to him just after the wedding. Following their execution, each wife he marries dies some way or the other- falling down the stairs, suicide or even poisoning. Shahryar and his ministers are lost as to why it's happening, and eventually the king is called cursed. People are dissatisfied with the king and a rebellion threatens to bloom secretly. Soon there is a dearth of suitable women to marry Shahryar. But the sun cannot be complete without the moon. So comes forward Shahrazad.

Deacon Blye struggles to leave the shadow of a demanding legacy to create his own. Working himself to the bone, he's now the popular mysterious country star for True Tone Records. Don't be fooled by his suave personality, Deacon likes filth... When a spanner is thrown in his works quite literally, he needs to rethink his plans and possibly swallow his pride. Harlowe Nichols is proud of the country music legacy her parents left for her to build on. She's the sensation for her family's Nickel Records & Publishing. But to be fair, shining in their shadow can be daunting. Fans and haters alike have named her, 'Music City's Sweetheart', not really caring if she truly has any talent. Harlowe is determined to forge a path for herself. The filth mentioned earlier, could stick and blemish both their images. What happens when the Mystery Man and the Sweetheart collide? Chasing Legacy is entered in the Open Novella Contest 2023. I'll use Prompt 44 (with a dash of Prompt 25 & 51, maybe...). Cover design: P.D. Vance.

Elizabeth-Annebelle lived her life on the family farm. She gathered the animals for breakfast, helped clean and feed them, and reported any deaths or weird behaviors. One day, when she goes to report a death, she finds out that she's become a ghost. When trying to find out what to do, she finds two doors. Opening one, she releases many w into the living world. Now her and the Grim Reaper have to work together to return the souls.

A group of scientists came across an organism unlike anything they had ever seen. It mimicked the elements surrounding it. Its original origin is unknown. Upon being discovered inside the biodome, it had a shipshape-shifted self into human form. How do you fight something which you don't know its true identity? Scientists are starting to understand why it's been locked away all these years.

Florence Eisley is dead, according to her death certificate and her loved ones. Gone. Buried. Already rotting away into nothingness in her little grave. Ethan hasn't seen her in over a year, after a falling out that left both of them too awkward to reach out and mend things. Not only that but for some strange reason, Florence entrusted Ethan to be her post-mortem confidant, a person responsible for sifting through a dead person's online life. Now, finding himself knee deep in Florence's digital life, Ethan must figure out what's worth keeping and what's worth erasing from the internet forever.

| 𝟏𝟐𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 | An ex-gamer enters a virtual reality ruled by a rebel AI in order to rescue her younger sister and shut down the death game. * * * Eight years ago, Mori Fukutomi held the rank of number two player in the tactical hero shooter game SniperX. But fate and her parents had other plans and Mori now works as an accountant with her dreams of being a pro gamer long since buried. Games like SniperX are old relics in the face of virtual reality tech and their latest gem, Facing Fear--a simulation designed to analyze the psyche of its players and adapt itself accordingly, creating a safe terrain for players to take risks and discover themselves. Until FEAR, the AI governing the virtual world of Valor, decides the thing humanity fears most is death. Despite the rising death toll and Facing Fear closing its doors, when Mori discovers her sister Shiori is trapped in the game, she does the unthinkable. She goes in after her. But she'll soon discover they're not the only ones desperate to make it out alive and there are worse things in Valor than the monsters. There's more to FEAR than fear itself. ✧ 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 ✧ 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 ✧ 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✧ ─────────────────────────────────── Completed: 4-23-2023 Word Count: 35,000 - 40,000

He's back, and he's out for revenge. 🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ₪ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦 When a secret hidden for 22 years is revealed, every part of Kalisha Morales' life comes tumbling down. The karma of a careless childhood decision has finally arrived on her doorstep with a surprise gift. She ruined his life and Aiden Bryant isn't going to let her go scot-free, not again, no matter how long it has been. Sucked into a battle of survival, Kalisha must become the predator and not the prey or risk losing her life this time. There is no good or evil. There's just doing whatever it takes to survive. Will he get to her first or will she outlive him? 🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ₪ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦 Oɴᴄ 2022 Pʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ: 49, 69, 33 ✎ Sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ: 08/02/23 ✎ Fɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ: TBD Wᴏʀᴅ Cᴏᴜɴᴛ: TBD © 2023 Laz-lequil

Marie was not prepared to get fired from her job. This was supposed to be her chance at fame and it just went down the drain. Down on her luck she stumbles upon The Rabbit Hole, a small little talent bar. When Marie is offered a job she's skeptical at first, but eventually agrees to the job. But The Rabbit Hole isn't as normal as it appears. A man turns invisible, another starts on fire. And her partner is never seen expect right before they're about to perform. Oh, and there's a man with fire for eyes who's seen right before trouble appears. If Marie wants to do well and become famous she's going to have to learn more about The Rabbit Hole and herself. ~~ An ONC 2023 entry Cover by: @HollisOfRandom