Opennovellacontest2021 Stories

PROMPT #59 - MYSTERY/THRILLER ENTRY IN THE 2022 STORMY NIGHTS READING CHALLENGE Harold Pope, contract killer by accident, takes advantage of that fact and crafts a successful, financially beneficial career until, through another accident, becomes his own contract!

Waking up to omens of death on his doorstep is par for the course for Greg. It's kind of the definition of being a medium. Waking up to Death herself? Not so much. Stranger still is the Zombie T-Rex prowling his street in Las Vegas. Clearly it must be a Monday. When Ari wakes up in the Bellagio Casino next to Jeff Goldblum and Johnny Dep having no memory of how she got there or anything else, she's a little alarmed to put it mildly. When the phone stuffed in her very lacy bra goes off with a cryptic message she's even more confused. But she'll have to figure it out on the go, because a zombie velicoptoraptor is clawing at the window and they're about to be lunch. Death could not be more put out. First someone brings the dinosaurs back from the dead after she spent all that time reorganizing their files. Then someone goes through her records of the living, deleting people. She knew this new software was going to be a problem, but Charon was soooo pushy and now, as usual, she's left to clean up a huge mess. Is it a random bug in the system or an intentional virus sent to destroy the planet's circle of life? Death needs Greg's help to communicate with the Supernatural Agency's top IT witch, but when they finally find her, not only does she turn out to be Greg's loathsome ex, but her memory's been wiped and she's been magically linked to Goldblum who won't shut up about everything being just like Jurassic Park. If they can't restore Ari's memory so she can fix Death's system, not only will life on Earth be destroyed forever, but other worlds may be next. Death knew she should never have put them on a connected network, and now "greater efficiency" might be the doom of the entire universe.

Princess Knallia's birthday is less than a week away, and her parents haven't given up hope in her finding the Prince of her dreams. But Knallia has, and her parents decide to throw a masquerade ball in order to gather all of the Princes in one location to make her choice easier. Aven is a young thief on the run from a neighboring kingdom, who had to leave her father behind to try and make enough money to pay off the family debt. When word of a masquerade ball reaches her, she is almost too happy to go. An excuse for a thief to wear a mask near the kingdom's wealthiest citizens, no doubt dripping with jewels? Sign her up! But what happens when the unlikely pair run in to each other, can they become more together than they could have dreamed? This novella was written for the ONC 2021 contest with prompt #87 If you're looking for more gxg books, there are several here on this profile, so by all means go check out: The Inner Ring (Mature) A Rock and a Heart Place (Mature) Cloud Dancing (Mature) Ghosted (Mature) To Those Who Wait (Mature) A Little Dinged Up (Mature) Dead Men's Bells (Mature)

Sol, daughter of the Melefica, Betrothed Queen to the Ursa, Mate to the last Draco of the Mother. Pretty titles for a pretty woman, more powerful with her words than with her magic and yet, she could easily bring down Kingdoms around her. Especially the Ursa Empire. Rescuing her dragon, and being called to war, the rightful King of the Draco will burn and rise again, with the power of the Melefica. War is coming. He is coming. ------ Prompt 63 - You, a magic wielder, accidently stole the most fearsome supernatural family's relic Written for Open Novella Contest 2021

ONC 2021 Ambassador's Pick ~ Lav Sciarra's accomplishments are many: He is one of the Tower's best soldiers. He founded the Gemma Special Forces. He killed the terrorist who nearly destroyed the Tower. Lav Sciarra, they say, is a hero. Lav knows otherwise. ~ An ONC2021 entry. Based on Prompt #1: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

A girl, another girl, strange presents and overthinking. And love (maybe) That's all. I know, this synopsis is short but I have to submit the novella for the #OpenNovellaContest2021 and I have to hurry up!

Son of a famous hero, a now orphaned Max is forced to come out to the public with his powers. With panic spreading over the nation, it's his job to try finding other super people who haven't been wiped out by the illness for a final stand against rising villains. Prompt #3 "When the world's superheroes are struck down with a deadly and mysterious illness, it's time for the next generation of heroes to save the day." Prompt #4 "You're a weapon, and weapons don't weep."

Sudheera Kashyap, popularly know as Dheera, is a final year design student in India's dream city. With laid back, super cool parents, a diverse yet tight knit group of friends, a new adventure every day and her bright future as an interior designer almost within her grasp, life is oh so amazing for Dheera, or at least that's what she tells herself every night. But she still can't help but want for more. Late at night, when the world is asleep, she stays awake dreaming of far greater adventures, a land far far away, and people she has yet to meet. Her thirst for something she herself doesn't understand is what drives her to do it all. To accept every dare thrown her way, to take on every adventure she lays her eyes on, all in search of something more, something incomprehensible. And, that is exactly how she finds herself locked inside an old, abandoned and very spooky house in the woods far away from civilization. What she discovers next changes her whole life. ONC 2021 India first round winner - 2nd Place ONC 2021 India second round winner - 3rd Place

It's a classic love story. Mindless, post-exam swiping on the next big dating app, Magique. Girl is the illegitimate love child between a wizard and a banshee with serious daddy issues, and may or may not be the victim of several assassination attempts. Boy is unwillingly on the run after destroying a six-million-dollar MRI machine and almost burning down a university. And they both swiped right. It was a match of convenience, with more strings attached than either of them had ever anticipated. Based on ONC prompt "A new dating app, matching magical beings with ordinary folk takes the world by storm"

"So if we don't get there soon, we lose, right? We lose Merlin and Hera will end the world?" "Camelot will end, Greece will end... Even your own world will be gone." 'You knights are our only hope.' Luna's signing really sold it. If they didn't stop Hera soon, the whole world would end. "Alright. What do we have to do?" ********** As far as the world knows, Camelot and ancient Greece never conflicted. Never associated, never spoke, never interacted. In fact, it would be safe to say that the two worlds didn't even exist at the same time. Until they do. An untold story that changes every story you've ever known. The Knights of Camelot rule as kings and queens, the first since the death of the legendary King Arthur. Sharing the duties among the six of them and under the guidance of the warlock, Merlin, these teenagers travel between Camelot and the modern world, the first time travelers, to protect the land they've adopted as their own. The Goddlets are used to living in a world of their own. As the children of the gods, they are used to getting away with whatever they want. Not used to many changes in their quiet world, they aren't prepared for what comes next. When the Knights and the Goddlets are called together on a quest to save Merlin from the clutches of Hera, the queen of the Greek gods, two very different worlds collide in a race against the clock to save the world. With limited time at their hands and everything they know and love at stake, the Knights and the Goddlets team up to put an end to Hera's destructive reign. The worlds of Camelot and ancient Greece collide in this action-packed book. Classic characters meet new faces in a complete retelling of universes people both know and love. {Entered in the Open Novella Contest under prompt 83: "This assignment requires us to act like adults. I have never been more stressed."}

Ricardo Torres has spent most of his twenties chasing the bohemian lifestyle, right down to the paintbrush that seems permanently attached to his hand. In his quest to capture the damage wrought to his beloved Lake Fúquene on a canvas, Rico once again finds himself lakeside. However, he soon discovers that the lake has been hiding a secret beneath its waves. With the water all but gone, a stolen Botero sculpture emerges from the cracking, muddy lakebed. Shortly after the police are called, Detective Sonia Mendoza arrives on the scene, eager to warm up this cold case. But as soon as Ricardo and Sonia are back at the police station in Bogotá, they learn that the lake was hiding one more secret. Now this unlikely pair must team up to solve a mystery neither of them anticipated. [[[ONC 2021 Longlister]]] [Based on Prompt #5]

2021 Leighyeann A. Mies All rights reserved An entry for the Open Novella Contest Book #1 of the Face saga Movie poster by @deathinreverie Playlist by @YuriAppl3 [COMPLETED ON 7/7/2021] *** Sim Daejung is the mastermind of the so-called "Face" project, where he forces the people around him to face each other to get them spill the most grueling secrets and possibly start trusting him. Easy, right? Well, maybe it's time to redefine the concept of "easy". Many people are already questioning his motives, as well as each other, for a number of reasons they don't want to disclose. Others just call him out as a "fraud" because he happens to know something about them that could put them into a compromising position. Either way, everyone should brace themselves for the adventure of a lifetime, or for a nightmare that's about to come true...

In a century filled with death and darkness, the few remaining human survivors must continue to support each other as they struggle to survive through the ongoing global pandemic, and the now full-swing zombie apocalypse. The fact that this planet is nothing more than a zombie-infested wasteland - a harsh and unforgiving place - doesn't mean that true love doesn't exist. While the last of humanity struggles to survive, whether true love prevails or not, depends solely on finding the cure. Even then, it may not be worth getting a mouthful of zombie. * cover designed by my lovely best friend, @stxrseed * Prompt #38

[ONC ROUND I AMBASSADOR PICKS] "You can't burn all of the witches, dear child. Where one falls, another drinks her blood and rises." A sellsword discovers that perhaps, just perhaps, maybe the humanity she is trying to save doesn't have much humanity after all. © irya kadlec, 2021

Harper Holland has started a Twitter account called All Things Breakfast. After several months of dedicated, daily posting, she is proud to say her account has forty-three whole followers, not counting her best friend Olivia. On one completely unremarkable morning, after she crafts an exceptionally beautiful post, she forgets to change from her hole-filled sweat pants into her jeans. But that's not going to ruin her day, right? Except it does, because crashing into a door and thoroughly embarrassing herself wouldn't be complete without an awkward encounter with the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. If she'd known she was going to meet him, she would have been extra sure she was wearing nicer pants. And if she'd known all the trouble that morning tweet would cause, she probably wouldn't have posted that either. I mean, no one wants to start a coup with their breakfast tweets, right? But she did forget to change, and she did post the tweet, so now she has to accept her consequences. The only problem is those consequences keep getting weirder and weirder. Sometimes, being internet famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. *** This novella was written as part of the open novella contest 2021 for prompt number 40.

When Project Re-Connection forces a grade 10 class into an assignment based on building relationships and overcoming the social isolation caused by the pandemic, a group of teens quickly learn that there is more to everyone than they thought... For quiet, controlled and introverted 15 year old Millie, she is about to face her biggest challenge...16 year old Ray, an equally quiet Indigenous classmate she thinks she has figured out. Millie reconciles the things she is learning about herself and the people around her while helping her closest friends with their own epiphanies.

~ A tale beyond threads of time ~ A voice echoes in her dreams, telling her to visit an unknown place, because it's time. Will a companion, who hears similar echoes in his dreams, make the expedition better than the destination? _______ Unfolding in two famous royal cities of India, this saga of dreams, destiny and reincarnation will take you on a journey of two soulmates, that battle mysteries, betrayals and vengeance, to rekindle a forgotten historic romance. The timeline alternates between 2021 and 1921, showing glimpses of contemporary India as well as British India and its Princely States. _______ Sanjana is the only living heir of a wealthy business family, based in New Delhi, India. However, she is tired of visiting several therapists, who cannot seem to understand how stubborn and convincing the echoes in her dreams are. The echoes that have been telling her to go somewhere since she turned 18. The therapists offer her no solution, except the useless sleeping pills that aren't even effective anymore. When she suddenly finds a stranger with a similar predicament, will she embark on an expedition with him to find answers? Where will this journey take her? ________ Brandon is the co-founder of a gaming start-up, based in Silicon valley, CA, USA. With his excellent design skills and his partner's business strategies, he became a successful billionaire at a very young age. Life is perfect for him, except for the nagging echoes that disturb him every night in his dreams. When an opportunity to explore a new country comes up, in the form of finding out where his dreams intend to take him, he decides to seize it. Will this be just another holiday for him or will this trip change his life forever? _______ Written as an entry for Indian Open Novella Contest ONC 2021, Prompt #2 _______ All rights reserved © Paramagnetic, 2021

Once upon a time I retired...for about 5 minutes. ---------- When your fairytale isn't turning out the way you hoped, who do you call? Your fairy godmother of course. But Meadow is done with that life, but the fairy godmother life doesn't seem to be done with her.

After being accused of witchcraft, a young girl is forced to run away from her hometown. ( ((o)) ) Aubrey Delacourt was able to keep her magic hidden for fifteen years. But when rogue Wardens invade her town, her powers are revealed to everyone. Charged with witchcraft and forced to run away, Aubrey finds herself completely alone. Beyond the safe bubble of her town, Aubrey is left chasing legends to try and survive. As her magic becomes harder and harder to control, she struggles to hide from the Wardens who draw closer every day. With no other option but death, Aubrey sets off on an epic quest to try and neutralize her abilities. Aubrey knows what happens to wayward souls. But as she starts to drift away from reality, she wanders closer and closer to where the lost things go. ONC Prompt #22 Cover by @Alexan629

When a dog out of one of her mother's folklore textbooks appears on her doorstep, Anne Rhodes is pulled into a world made up of creatures that seem to be straight out of fairytales. A world hidden from every human eye - except for Anne's. And as she unravels more secrets, Anne is faced with truths about herself that she never expected. *Prompt 62 *Rounds 1&2 Qualifier, Longlister *Final Word Count: 28,450 [unedited] ©2021 by @lenoxtitia