Flickering Creatures | ONC 2024 Longlist | ✔︎ - A.B. Channing - Wattpad

Flickering Creatures | ONC 2024 Longlist | ✔︎

SmokeAndOranges

Reads 1,499
Votes 329
Parts 21
Time 2h 34m

Reads 1,499
Votes 329
Parts 21
Time 2h 34m

SmokeAndOranges

When Bryony -- herbalist extraordinaire -- goes missing, Bella knows one suspect stands above the rest. The village's aspiring second witch, Daphne, comes from a family that's tried to take Bryony down before, and Daphne seems determined to carry on that legacy. For someone who's always been terrified of Bryony, she's a little too keen on looking into the disappearance. 

There's just one problem. Bella's insufferable fellow familiar thinks the kid is innocent... and he's been right about worse things before. 

If Daphne herself is to be believed, clues on the disappearance lead a whole lot closer to home than Bella would like. As the evidence mounts, Bella must choose to either stand by her values and the woman who raised her, or seek what might be a truth she would rather not uncover.

Prompt #81: The town's witch has gone missing and no one is looking for her but her two familiars - a crow and a black cat, plus the teen who has always been scared of her.

❖❖❖

Written for Wattpad's 2024 Open Novella Contest. Longlister. Complete.

Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn  :)All Rights Reserved

Table of contents

21 parts

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The Prophecy by lspearson

Ariella's biggest desire in life has always been such a simple one. She wants to be 'normal.' Unfortunately, that one simple wish has never been within her grasp. Coming from a long line of witches is bad enough, but she's even more different than the rest of her family. The fact that no one will give her any answers to why she's so different doesn't help matters. Her entire existence is shrouded in secrets that everyone around her refuses to reveal. After a family tragedy, she moves to a new town, and she gets her first chance to at least pretend to be 'normal.' For the first time, she's allowed to leave the house and go to an actual school. She makes friends, and she develops her first crush, that's quickly followed by her second. She's finally living the normal teenage life she'd dreamed of, but it doesn't last. Everything she believed about herself and the world around her is changed in an instant. Family secrets come to light one after another, turning her entire world upside down in the process. She quickly realizes that sometimes ignorance really is bliss, and maybe she didn't really want to know the answers to the questions she'd always asked, especially when one of these truths causes people close to her to turn their backs on her without hesitation. Before she can even recover from the shock, she's thrust into a war that she hadn't even known existed. Loyalties will be tested. She'll have to choose sides between all of the people she's come to care about. Will she stand with her family, her new friends, or the two boys who both hold a piece of her heart? One thing is for sure. She'll have to let go of her dream of 'normal.'

Soul Tides by cjtruz

In a lakeside town where shapeshifters roam the shadows, Mara Philips, a rogue detective, must find a missing girl. But when clues lead her down a path of deadly desire and deception, she's forced to face her own demons in a race against the Bloodmoon. ***** Waking up naked on the beach isn't too off-brand for Mara Philips, considering the opened bottle of whiskey not far away. Recently forced to surrender her detective badge, she's been having a rough couple weeks. But blacking out the same night the neighbor's dog dies? A little sus. Something's amiss along the lakeshore and Mara discovers the dog might not be the only victim. Fliers for missing teenage girls are posted all over town and a mother desperate for answers begs the rogue detective to take her case. With the help of a new flame, Mara investigates the shadows of her rural town where shapeshifters roam and a government agency hunts them down. But when clues lead her on a path of deadly desire and deception, she'll be forced to face her own demons before they consume her in a race against the looming Bloodmoon. Content Warning: This story contains mature sexual content, violence, gore, pet death, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, drug mentions, kidnapping, mentions of sexual assault/trafficking, discussion of friend's suicide, homophobic slurs, racism SOUL TIDES blends dark supernatural mystery with sapphic romance and a dash of science fiction. #ownvoices WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2021 1st Place Fantasy - Elite Awards 2019 1st Place Paranormal - Writer's Oscars 2019 2nd Place Paranormal - Pride Awards 2020 3rd Place Fantasy - Majestic Inc Awards 2019 Top 3 Paranormal Finalist - Prime Awards 2020

Mote of Darkness by wowimspecial

Just one phone call is all it takes to leave one consumed by grief. Her sister. Dead. Six dark months later, something dangerous and not quite human lurks. Brixlee soon finds herself targeted by mysterious creatures she never deemed possible. They threaten the safety of her life and that of those she loves. One seemingly helpful and enigmatic man offers his protection. His motives are questionable, but he promises to help her find the answers she seeks. But can Brixlee trust her instincts that lure her closer to this strange man, and can she battle through her depression to survive what's hunting her? ****************************** "I don't get to have that special moment where I breathe against her skin just to see if she'd shiver. I can't grace her neck with the barest touch of my teasing fingertips. She doesn't trust me enough for any of that. She doesn't even know me. Not yet. For now I'm just the creep lingering in the dark, the only place I'm permitted." For those whom wish to know more about what they are getting themselves into... ✅ Book 1: Done & ready to publish at any moment. (May be revised for edits) ☑️ Book 2: 9/10 of the way done ◻️Book 3: Started!

Midnight In Acriania ✓ (GxG) by GraveyardSiren

Princess Isabela Dmitria Luciana Vaduva of Acriania is well aware of how her story is supposed to go--stay closeted, become 'King Samuilu', marry a princess from another kingdom, and bring up an heir. Isabela finds the idea to be boring; she wishes for more excitement--unfortunately, her wish is received, but not in a good way. Isabela finds herself rapidly succumbing to the Black Death. And she knows there's only one cure. Becoming a vampire. She also knows if she accepts this said cure, there's no turning back. [This book is part of the "Project Unfinished" series. It can be read as a stand-alone, or in the order of the timeline.] Highest ranks: #2 in darkages - (7/22/23) #40 in romania - (7/22/23) #4 in theplague - (7/22/23) #2 in 1300s - (9/13/24) #1 in transwoman - (9/14/23) #1 in theblackdeath - (7/22/23) #4 in mtf - (9/5/23) #4 in transgirl - (7/3/24) #3 in transfemale - (7/25/23) #1 in transfem - (2/14/24) #373 in royal - (8/6/23) #18 in lesbian - (9/4/23) #2 in trans - (10/25/24) [Featured on FreeTheLGBT's paranormal reading list.] {Word Count: 20,000 - 30,000.}

Eye of The Wyvern by madzm3lon

Karissa lived a calm life in South Town with her father, Peter. Upon her mother's death in her teens, she rebuilt herself, and lets her mother live on in her memories. As her 18th birthday approaches, she begins to have strange dreams. Her childhood best friend, Amanda, and their new friend Lorelei from the northern city of Irkah, one day overheard a conversation that will soon change their life forever. Just two days before her birthday, grief sets in when her friends go missing, and she's left without them, not knowing where they could be. On the day of her 18th, she discovers that her eye has changed color. Scared and confused, she confided in her father and Amanda's grandmother, Rhian. They tell her the stories of what is truly happening, what she is. Introduced to the Magic Folk's world and its people, she must follow those who once guided her mother. Professor Chasm and Headmaster Andla offer Karissa guidance and teachings for her newfound life of being one of the Magicks. Now she must find her power so she will be able to defend both Magic and Human lands against their enemies whom threaten all's way of life. Read Eye of the Wyvern to find out more of what happens to Karissa on her journey of adventure, self findings, love, heartbreak and grief. (this is the best way I could put this description without spoiling the whole thing and giving away juicy details :))

Thistle in the Sky | #NONC2022 | ✔ by SmokeAndOranges

❖ ''ZF 16 Ariomma to unknown vessel. Please identify yourself. Over.'' ❖ Farah and Kazem are twins working aboard the Ariomma, a trading airship that sails the edges of a flat world. Out here is a frontier far from civilization: a place known as the Tideless, where water lifts from the surface of the sea, and great creatures rise with it. Only some of them are known. This is not a sailing path known for its safety, but the crew of the Ariomma have rarely feared their work. That is, until they find the carcass of another ship hanging in the Tideless, decimated by an unknown enemy. Soon, their flight to safety becomes a fight for their lives, as the monster turns its attention on the Ariomma... and them. ❖❖❖ Written for #NONC2022, a community-run novella festival operating in parallel with Wattpad's 2022 Open Novella Contest. Complete. Marked mature for violence and other dark themes. Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)

The Cat, The Crow and The Witch ||ONC 2024|| by Ry-reader-29

When the towns local Witch goes missing, her two familiars set out to find her. Matias only really likes one person, his witch, Eve. So when she goes missing one day he's determined to find her. Even if that means putting up with the annoying crow of hers. But there's only one problem, Matias has no clue where to start. Logical, the only right thing to do is blame the girl who's always hanging out around their cottage. Selene has been told to be scared of the witch that lives at the edge of town, and she is. Or at least she thinks she is. The witch is the only one who really stirs something in her gut, and it has to be fear, right? When a cat and a crow come to ask her to help them find the witch she's hesitant. How could she possibly be able to find her? But when no one else in town seems to be searching and the cat seems almost desperate she decides to help. How hard can it be to find someone who disappeared without leaving anything behind? *** An ONC 2024 Novella

As the Crow Falls | ✔ by SmokeAndOranges

Niccola is a demi-queen undercover in enemy territory. Her little sister went missing seven moons ago, but one lead remains: a picture of a woman's face, drawn by a diviner shortly after the disappearance. Tracking her down has led Niccola to Calis, the realm next door whose border with her own remains closed for a reason. There, the trail goes cold. Until, that is, Niccola runs into a man in the marketplace who bears a family resemblance to the woman she seeks. His name is Isaiah, crown prince of Calis, and he's investigating disappearances, too. They join forces, faking courtship to sneak Niccola into the palace and get Isaiah's wedding-minded mother off his back. It doesn't take long to suspect that a common threat might underpin both their realms' problems. And as Niccola begins to develop real feelings for Isaiah, she's faced with an impossible choice: reveal her secrets and risk breaking his trust, or leave him in order to chase down the woman who stole her sister... a woman whose forbidden magic comes with a cost that could bring both realms to ruin. ❖❖❖ Complete and fully edited. Cover credit goes to @CeeMTaylor. Go check out her books too if you like Dark Fantasy Romance-she writes some pretty incredible stuff! Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)

The Tragedy of Eden's Gate by Maeve-Ashford

When a dark situation leads Theo to the quiet village of Eden's Gate, where the residents are odd and the pool of friends severely lacking, he's less than thrilled. The town is a miserable means to an end. And, to make matters even worse, he's pretty sure the house is haunted. Cold spots, flickering lights, a shadow that won't stop following him- a recipe for a haunting, and for a complete disaster. Sam is a vengeful spirit, cursed to walk the halls of his own murder scene for the rest of eternity, doomed to an afterlife of dismal solitude. And then his favourite resident goes and dies, the house is given to new people, and Sam discovers - quite by accident - that the boy sleeping in his room can see him. And he is the only one who can help Sam solve his murder. ───── • ⋆⋅⛧⋅⋆ • ───── Status: Complete Story length: 40,000 words ONC 2023 Prompt: • They were not real, everyone told me they were not real. But why are they here? Why are they trying to talk to me? Why are they calling me the ONE? Why are they staring at me like that? (23) Disclaimer: this story contains themes that some readers may find distressing relating to death and mention of domestic abuse. The cover image has been generated for this story using BingAI.

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Slide 1 of 9

The Prophecy cover

Soul Tides cover

Mote of Darkness cover

Midnight In Acriania ✓ (GxG) cover

Eye of The Wyvern cover

Thistle in the Sky | #NONC2022 | ✔ cover

The Cat, The Crow and The Witch ||ONC 2024|| cover

As the Crow Falls | ✔ cover

The Tragedy of Eden's Gate cover

The Prophecy

Ariella's biggest desire in life has always been such a simple one. She wants to be 'normal.' Unfortunately, that one simple wish has never been within her grasp. Coming from a long line of witches is bad enough, but she's even more different than the rest of her family. The fact that no one will give her any answers to why she's so different doesn't help matters. Her entire existence is shrouded in secrets that everyone around her refuses to reveal. After a family tragedy, she moves to a new town, and she gets her first chance to at least pretend to be 'normal.' For the first time, she's allowed to leave the house and go to an actual school. She makes friends, and she develops her first crush, that's quickly followed by her second. She's finally living the normal teenage life she'd dreamed of, but it doesn't last. Everything she believed about herself and the world around her is changed in an instant. Family secrets come to light one after another, turning her entire world upside down in the process. She quickly realizes that sometimes ignorance really is bliss, and maybe she didn't really want to know the answers to the questions she'd always asked, especially when one of these truths causes people close to her to turn their backs on her without hesitation. Before she can even recover from the shock, she's thrust into a war that she hadn't even known existed. Loyalties will be tested. She'll have to choose sides between all of the people she's come to care about. Will she stand with her family, her new friends, or the two boys who both hold a piece of her heart? One thing is for sure. She'll have to let go of her dream of 'normal.'