Opennovellacontest2022 Stories

*entry for ONC 2022* prompt seventy: his [her] eyes were cold and lifeless as he [she] stared at me. "you have no idea who i am, do you?" - It's only been three weeks since Vera Watson and her father moved to Goldhurst Lighthouse. She's trying her best to settle in, but it's hard when they're the only non-white family living on the property. And to make matters worse, she's never worked at a lighthouse before. But when a storm rolls in--the first one Vera will experience since moving here--everything changes. In the middle of the raging tempest, Vera finds a strange girl by the rocky shore. Wearing a white dress, her skin pale white and her hair as dark as the night, she looks like a ghost. Thing is, she is. And she's asking Vera for help. © myrawritess 2022. all rights reserved.

To say Amare isn't from 'around here' would be the understatement of the century. But Cynthia Orvin doesn't quite know that yet - just as she doesn't know much about the story behind her parents' demise or why her mother's family seems to despise her. What she does know is that in her nearabout eighteen years of being, this is the first ever time she has found a friend. Maybe more than a friend. But Amare has come with a ton of secrets on his back - secrets that stand to both answer all of Cynthia's questions but also destroy the trust she has in him. ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ Lying curled up on the road before her, with nothing but his hands covering up his modesty, was a naked male. Her eyes involuntarily traced his muscled torso, the vast span of his dark olive to light brown skin which was coated with thick lumps of mud in places but seemed to carry no visible wounds. The ebony hair atop his head were coiled up in tight curls, as luscious as his thick eyebrows and the eyelashes fanned over his wide, curious eyes that housed the most brilliant cerulean irises she had ever seen. Given the youthful fullness to his cheeks and the vibrance of his coral lips, he looked not much older than her. Cynthia would have perused the individual longer, lost in her curiosity at his state, had he not cleared his throat to toss her out of her thoughts. His brow scrunched up and lips pursed down, before he opened his mouth with a sharply snapped, "I need to talk to a human." She stepped forward with a hand extended towards him. "Um. I am a human. Are you okay?" He looked her up and down, eyes brimming with amusement. Then very slowly shook his head. "No, you're not." What... on earth did that mean? ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ◾ ↪ 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 2022 | 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱◂

When one of the most important inventions of the Inventors Showcase goes missing, Castus Neris has to take up the one thing he wanted to avoid: bounty hunting. Despite his qualms, Castus has no choice. Not if he wants to keep his sister alive.

Six hundred years is a long time to be alive, and Freya is not looking forward to her birthday, the next in a long row of lonely days and only fickle mortals for company. She just wants to get away, reinvent herself once more. Getting catfished was not really part of that plan, and neither is finding herself face-to-face with her greatest nightmare and her oldest dream. A journey through the past and the yet-unknown future. Featuring: non-stereotypical sapphic vampires, sword fighting and betrayal, hanging out in a grocery store and watching the stars. _______ an entry for the Open Novella Contest 2022 based mainly on prompts 76, 33, 39 and 38

After losing her husband during the pandemic, Runa MacCabe moves herself and her children to the remote island that her husband's family had owned for centuries, hoping that she, her daughter, Hertha, and her son, Stigr, can find some kind of peace and closure. When the island is rocked by an earthquake and a terrifying storm on the first night, Runa believes their new life may not be as peaceful as she hoped. Especially after her children tell her that they were saved from the earthquake and storm by a big dog that now lay injured in a mysterious cave. Only, there were no dogs on the island and the only other resident of the island had only livestock animals on his farm. Insistent, Hertha and Stigr persuade their mother to see the big dog, only for Runa to find something far stranger and far more dangerous than she could have ever feared. Something that could spell destruction for the entire world. A novella, written for #ONC2022. Based upon Prompt No. 13 and in the Creature Feature category. Cover created in Canva, using a Pixabay stock picture.

Jane doesn't quite believe the magic bean is real when the tooth fairy accidentally drops it into her sister's bed. She plants it anyway and finds herself climbing to the sky on a giant beanstalk, just like her cousin, Jack. The Giant catches her and gives her an ultimatum: steal her weight in gold from the dragon or never go home again. Fortunately for her, there are good friends to be had, but will they be enough to overcome an ancient dragon? Jane is determined to try.

[TJZ'S EXPANDED VERSION IS NOW AVAILABLE IN MY PROFILE!] Believed to be created by the founder of Zecaj, the Jewel of Opulence is said to curse whoever possesses it with endless riches beyond their wildest dreams. Desperate to get his hands on more fortune to aid a brewing war, Sultan Shahrayar, the kingdom's cunning ruler, calls his people far and wide with a declaration: the one who presents him with the mythical artifact shall be rewarded with a tower of gold. * * * In the lowly province of Klalasha, Badriya bint As-Sahra is sick of piling up camel dung and picking people's pockets for a living. But she can't do anything else unless she wants to rot in the streets and die. When she hears the sultan's decree, she jumps at the chance to become rich in the easiest way possible. And perhaps get a title for herself to prove that women are more than just slaves and child-bearers. But, as Badriya would learn the hard way, searching for an object that may not exist is proving harder than it should be. With other, more resourceful competition and a handsome stranger distracting her, she will have to use her wits and skills to achieve her goal or risk losing something even greater than herself. -- Featured in @retold, @WattpadFantasyPH, @StoriesUndiscovered, @Fantasy, @antiheroesgalore, @dangerouslove, @classicauthors, @WattpadExplorer, @WattpadAsianFantasy, @WattpadESL, @Alt-U and @mythandlegend Book graphics by the amazing @Dayisdemigod and @Lueur_laVespine! | 30,000 - 35,000 words. First, rough draft. |

Giselle Landry shows up to her first date in years, expecting to have a lovely dinner with the tall, dark and handsome man she's been talking to online for months. Instead, she finds herself in a restaurant full of strangers. Eventually, it becomes obvious one of the men there is the guy she has been talking to. But he looks nothing like him. She did not shave her legs for this. Hunger overtakes embarrassment because a girl's gotta eat. So, Giselle pulls up a stool at the bar to grab a bite and immediately strikes up a conversation with the handsome bartender, Feliciano Arias. Sparks fly as he shows her parts of the city she never knew existed. On the surface, everything is charm and excitement. But Giselle can't shake the feeling that she doesn't really know the man behind the tattoos. Is she being catfished again?

Elizabeth Grayson was still caught on Christopher Milton. The one that got away. Her childhood friend; her first crush and the unrequited love of her life. When he suddenly gets back in touch, Elizabeth knows this is it: her chance. Only things don't go quite to plan when Chris turns up at a reunion dinner with a new fiance, and the announcement that he's getting married in a month. With her second chance gone, and a month's worth of activities planned for the wedding party, Elizabeth has to decide whether to keep pinning her hopes of happiness on Chris or to take a chance finding it somewhere she'd never thought to look before. One thing is for certain: this month is definitely going to be interesting. Prompt (89): You thought you still had a chance with your childhood friend, but it turns out they're getting married in a month.

"There was something inside [her] that wouldn't stop until the whole world was blood." The kingdom of Ostrova has been at war for centuries, and to feed the unending cycle of violence, every year, the day after the New Year, every sixteen-year-old in the realm is conscripted. A notoriously difficult exam called the Proving determines where in the military they will be placed. Norah Tasca is a peasant girl from Ostrova's oldest colony, Navaria. When she passes the Proving with a perfect score, she becomes only one of a handful of commoners ever admitted to the Citadel, the training program for Ostrova's future commanders. But at the Citadel, Norah is an outsider, and all is not as it seems. Those chosen to train there were not chosen for the intellect or their aptitudes, but for something else, something that challenges everything Norah has ever known about the world and the balance of power.

Daisy Eve has two crises - her heart is nearly broken by the love of her life, whom she can't seem to let go of, and she is a little slow when it comes to romance. So when the notorious Aelius Carter Hayes, the infamous best kisser, gets heartbroken on the same night, maybe they both can strike a deal to get back what's theirs. Perhaps, it takes more than just a kiss to fall in love. *** This story is part of ONC2022. *** Disclaimer: This story is exclusively published on Wattpad. If you see it somewhere else, please do inform me.

Welcome to Belsgate. There's not much here but a sleepy, dusty town, lots of farmland, big open sky and an inter-dimensional gate, that by all appearances, seems to lead straight to the depths of Hell. Zeph is a small town mechanic with an impossibly big responsibility. For generations, members of his family have guarded this: the last known active Gate, making sure that demons don't mingle with the regular spirits of our world. The Gate has remained mostly dormant for decades, but this period of inactivity seems destined to come to an end. With Gate activity slowly rising, Zeph is going to need help if he intends to keep things under control, or better yet, close the Gate for good. Prompt #58 - The motion sensor light at the back of your house keeps turning on and off, finally you go to investigate. Prompt #63

After tragic circumstances, twin sisters Pat and Kat find themselves in front of a magical mirror. A decision to step through lands them in Uther Pendragon's court. Legend says only he who is fit to rule England could pull the sword from the stone. Yet Pat finds herself poised to do just that, and the outcome could change history... forever.

When a young woman goes missing without a trace, the police write it off as another missing persons case. But her mother is not convinced... After the fallout from a corruption scandal forces the disbanding of her old unit, Elise Wu is transferred across the country to Corviston. She is paired with the grumpy, withdrawn Simon Brown, who she had worked with previously. Simon quickly becomes convinced that the mother is right in her instinct. A trail of clues leads to an unlikely path...

"People come and go, but video games are always here for you." That is something Felix Baker has decided to fully live by ever since a bad breakup he wishes to completely erase out of his mind. In order to get his life together and move on from his heartbreak, he gets back into one of his old-time hobbies: gaming. Through his gaming journey, where he starts uploading gameplay and gaining popularity and support, he accepts a single friend request. That is the start of a beautiful friendship that Felix cherishes from the bottom of his heart. After three years, the two decide to meet up, but what will happen when the person that Felix meets up with is the one who originally broke his heart by cheating on him? Will he truly be able to recover, or will he be giving his heart a second chance to either be mended or shattered even more? *** [Open Novella Contest 2022] Prompt #77: Having had your heart shattered into pieces by a particularly tough breakup, you turned to a popular multiplayer online game, through which you met your new best friend and virtual soulmate. After three years of talking and playing together every day, both of you agreed you were long due for meeting up in person. But when you meet, you realize it's the same person who broke your heart all those years ago - the person you caught cheating on you. Cover by @calistacyq

Entry for ONC2022 Cheryl is a young woman who runs her own catering company. Her apartment isn't the best looking out there but it is her home. She has a reputation to uphold but what happens when a few customers give her trouble? A new neighbour moves in and immediately starts trouble. What happens when she goes to confront this person? Will it be sunshine and rainbows or will it just blow up in her face? Cover by @Exequinne

Entry For ONC2022 Heaven is a place any Angel wants to be and the angels here are thankful for their home. Calynn enjoys the peace and beauty of this world but what happens when the enemy comes and picks a war. Will the Angel of Heaven win this battle or will their enemy win? What happens when she feels love but for someone not of her kind? Cover by @Lueur_laVespine

∘∘ ©┋𝗞𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗬 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗡 ❍Graphics ❍Narration ❍Plot ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● Seeking Infinite life is not unusual. But, being immoral to others in this process is debatable▬Seeing the difference is not so easy. ═─────── ꗄ ───────═ Cassandra Wood is a 12 and half years old charming girl, living with her parents and two-year-old sibling in the UK. Curious Cassy never stops to ask out her doubts. Nanny-ma is the credit to Cassy's love for stories. Her fantasy lives in those characters who were misunderstood. Always has soft spot for them even villains are included in that list. Her Brilliant plan is to read her favorite series which has published its third book in 1999 on the Christmas Holidays. Yet, she just begin the 1-2* books ╮ Visiting her countryside Grandma's house▰ ❛ Will be her boon or bane? ❜ Holidays passed merrily but her plan is at stake on the last day. ⌕ Does every Grandma's story have to be ╼ fictional ╾ ? ═─────── ꗄ ───────═

|| WINNER AMBYS 2022 VAMPIRES CATEGORY || || FEATURED: FOODKART || When single mother and baker Autumn Milford is hired to cater a high-end party in the Berkshires, she discovers the "special ingredient" she is required to use isn't just the quirk of an eccentric millionaire ... ------------ Autumn Milford has been determined to rely on no one but herself after her parents kicked her out at seventeen. With the money she's due to earn from catering a high-end party in the Berkshires, she'll finally have enough to open up her own storefront bakery. But her employer is not just another eccentric millionaire and his guests aren't your average denizens of high society. Autumn is about to discover that creatures of the night are real ... and they're eating her cinnamon rolls. Corbin Westbrook would rather cut off his own head than host the once-a-decade gathering of the New England Knowing. There have been sightings of a Fallen in the area and it is Corbin's duty to ensure that the creature is disposed of. But to decline such an "honor" is ill-advised. Left with no choice but to throw the party, Corbin stays as far away from the event planning as possible ... until he meets the baker. Hold onto your cinnamon rolls, it's going to be a sweet ride! ------------ ONC 2022 Prompt 20. You manage a catering company. The latest request has a few ... interesting menu items. [Status: Complete] [Word Count: 28,000] [Content warning: PG-13 for mild swearing, violence, sensuality, and fade-to-black intimacy.] [ [ Highest rankings ] ] [#1 in Baking 2/26/22] [#1 in Singleparent 4/1/22] [#1 in Paranormalromance 4/14/22] [#8 in Paranormal 4/11/22] [#10 in ONC2022 4/14/22] [#11 in Supernatural 5/3/22] [#16 in Vampireromance 4/20/22] [#20 in Romance 4/11/22] Cover by @chessaandersen

For two months, the Avondorian Mountains have been a safe haven. Now, that's about to change. When a scout returns to Anahill with a disturbing message, Audren, the freshly-inaugurated Lord of the Mountains, finds himself faced with a challenge: The Cursed will reach the city within days. Undead, highly dangerous and hungry for human flesh, the Cursed are creatures not to be messed with. Audren refuses to let them slaughter his people and turn them into monsters. He sees only one way to save his home: Breaking the curse that started this terror. Teaming up with a grumpy student mage, Audren ventures into hostile territory. But can this curse even be broken?