|CROSSROADS x LEAP YEAR | Eighteen-year-old April Lewis flees her troubled home, desperate to escape her emotionally distant, controlling mom, and seek out her dad. Little does she know a chance encounter with her classmate will take her on a cross-country ride: a journey that will change April's life forever. A venture that will lead her down a path of self-discovery and unexpected love. *** When eighteen-year-old April Lewis' mom walks around like a zombie, evades all attempts to talk and controls her every move, April decides she's had enough. She leaves home one warm summer evening with nothing but a yellow backpack filled with her coveted dad's letters he's been sending her for the past months, and some bare necessities. She's determined to seek him out and go live with him down on the West Coast, where he has a temporary job. The last thing April expects is almost being hit by a car. The owner of the vehicle? Her classmate, Dave Rivera, a troubled boy whom she almost never talked to before, and who can't be more different than her. After making sure April is just a little banged-up, Dave strikes a deal with her: he'll help her get to the West Coast free of charge, as long as she doesn't report him to the cops. The two embark upon a road trip from NY to LA, navigating through stunning landscapes and meeting a colorful cast of characters. While sharing life stories and exchanging experiences, armed with the wisdom from her Dad's letters, April and Dave discover that they are a lot more alike than they originally thought. The journey slowly becomes more important than the destination, and their path takes an unexpected turn when a shocking secret comes to light. © 2024 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompt 4! Which is (I shan't leave ye hanging :P): "When life gives you balloons, you fly up into the sky."

When Essa sees their villainous future, they use the prophecy as a ploy to defeat their three brothers and force each one into a better work-life balance. Their first so-called battle restarts an old tradition for family dinner, leading Essa to bond with their brothers, all while struggling to balance their guilt and their alter-ego, Muse, whose name comes with a reputation of its own. **** Written for the Open Novella Contest 2024 (ONC), using prompt 87. Cover by @Nicoismysenpai !!

In a need of a break from her demanding job, Carmina seeks refuge in a hidden gem of Italy - Amalfi Coast. But her plans for a peace are thrown off course when a mysterious stranger appears out of nowhere. Despite Carmina's expertise in unravelling secrets, this man proves to be a puzzle she can't solve. As they both strive to keep their secrets hidden, they find themselves ensnared in a tangled web, with no easy way out. 🏆 ONC 2024 Longlisters! #2K words milestone ✔️ #8K words milestone ✔️ #20K words milestone ✔️ ________ ONC 2024 entry Prompt 09

ONC 2024 SHORTLIST ************ For the longest time, it's been just Mitchell and Hayley against the world. Between hustling and trying to be a good big sister, Mitchell's only happiness comes from romcoms. But she has a dream - the day when the two of them will be free and happy. With Hayley pursuing her internship at a prestigious food research lab and Mitchell experiencing an encounter with a man, both of them get exposed to a whole lot of new things and people. The two sisters will have to work hard for their dreams amidst balancing the new additions to their lives. And boy will that be a whole rollercoaster! This story is created basing on prompt 8: You start singing along to a movie soundtrack late at night forgetting that your window is open. Someone from the outside starts singing with you. - Featured on Celestia Cove's New Adult reading list

ONC Prompt 5 and 65 This story explores prompt 5, "Horror is in the eye of the beholder." and the subjectivity that goes along with it. So, what is horror in the eyes of a demon? I don't want to spoil the fun with descriptions. I mean, the cover might give it away. Prompt 65 will be introduced shortly. Genre: Horror/Fantasy ~ I don't know which category best suits this story just yet. I'll see as I write

In 1600s Virginia, a small colonial village sprang up unceremoniously on the sacred burial grounds of the Native American people it was taken from, the Nottoway. Now, an ancient evil has been awakened in the form of Elementals known as The Bird People and it is suspected that the Nottoway Tribe has cursed the ground in revenge for being encroached upon by colonial settlers. After failed crops, still births, deaths, burnt homes and facing starvation, superstitions run rampant and the townspeople do the only thing they can think of in the late 1600s to appease these angry and destructive spirits. Give them an offering. It is quietly decided by the elders of the community, in an effort to keep these spirits of the bird people at bay, that every woman should give up her first born infant daughter to them. One such young mother cannot bear this resolution much less imagine giving up her only child. In order to keep her only child, a daughter, she makes a baby out of straw and gives that instead, bringing chaos to their puritan village. A cursed girl. The man who loves her. A questionable death. Native American Lore. Elemental Guardians. A village built on sacred burial grounds. What could go wrong? -An ONC Shortlisted Winner- -ONC Ambassadors Pick- MAIN PROMPT No. 56 In a world where humans and magical creatures coexist a detective must solve a murder case that threatens to plunge the two communities into war. **My twist of the prompt is that the 'other community' are Wendigos. Wendigos are similar in effect to Skin-Walkers. Ⓜ️𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Will include: Paranormal Activity, Ritual Activity, Superstitions, Early American Colonial Life, Native American Lore/Subjects, Descriptions of child birth and death. Maybe some difficult situations.