Onc2024 Stories

Everyone can read minds except for Ethan Langdon. And Ethan Langdon has the dumbest (and cutest!) thoughts Lukas Hoffmann has ever heard. ____ Lukas Hoffman's life in Brambleburg is about as boring as you'd expect for a town where everyone can read minds. He's used to his routine of dusting the LPs at the record store where he works and helping out his grandma around the house. Nothing in Brambleburg changes. No one in Brambleburg changes. Until Ethan Langdon stumbles in with the soggy remnants of a paper map, asking for the quickest route to Berlin. Ethan, it turns out, doesn't have telepathy, and as aggravatingly inane as his thoughts are, Lukas hasn't felt the excitement of meeting a stranger since.... well, ever. And the more Lukas listens, the more he starts enjoying Ethan's cute thoughts about life, the universe, and Lukas's dimples. ____ Might bring to mind: "Cherry Magic" but set in a fictive European town where everyone except the love interest can read minds. ____ Cover by @mygoodbones ____ Written for the Open Novella Contest 2024 using prompts 8, 75, 82, and 85. 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. 75. You awake in the middle of the night to a voice saying loudly "May the force be with you..." 82. You wake up on a seemingly ordinary day to discover that your thoughts are not private. There is someone else in your head with you. 85. "If you do that again, I'll throw you out that freaking window. What are you doing?" "Checking how high the drop is to see if it's worth it."

2100. A mysterious ship, nicknamed the Chimera, appears in Martian airspace. It bears the symbol of the international space agency, the BASE, but there is no record of such a vessel. Word and rumour quickly spread. BASE investigator Leanne Ziegler is sent to inspect the ship and make contact with its crew. But the Chimera seems completely deserted, other than the imperious AI caretaker, Valkyrie. Down in the fledging Nerio colony on Mars, suspicion grows. The colonists are already turning against the ways of the BASE, creating their own Martian identity. This potential security threat could prove to be the final rift between Earth and Mars. Trying to keep control of the political situation, Nerio sends a mysterious and cold liaison, Ryan, to aid Leanne. But, in ten days, Mars will turn her guns on the Chimera. Leanne and Ryan must work quickly to discover the secret of the ship - and decide whether its fate under the Martian guns is deserved. [ONC 2024 entry]

(ONC 2024 Longlisted) Not all fairy tales have happy endings, which Arthur is about to discover in a big way. After an especially bad day of work, he makes a wish on a star that all of the magical stories his Nana used to tell him when he was a boy were real. Life in the mundane everyday world might not always be great, but fairy tales might not be all they're cracked up to be either. Can Arthur get things back to normal or is he going to be stuck in a fractured fairy tale world (not so) happily ever after?

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Meredith, a doughty ex-FBI agent has escaped the fast-paced life of a federal gunslinger and is hellbent on keeping it that way. She's content living as a small-town rancher until an old friend tasks her with babysitting a vulnerable tech magnate worth billions. Sebastian is on the run from international criminals and the only person on his side is a reluctant tough girl with a complicated past and a farm she won't forsake. On a mission to outwit the powers that be, this unlikely duo might just learn two truths: #1 the odds are better together, and #2 whatever you sow, you will reap.

It is when the bar is in complete silence that the barkeeper is the most content. That is until another companion comes to them in death and they are reminded of what they are still there for: memories of love. *** A woman who spent all her years in anger, but wants to spend her last minutes talking about her sister. A lover who remembers the one that got away. A man recounting the reconnection to his baby brother. A mother. A teenager. A barkeeper. TILL OUR FINGERS DECOMPOSE tells the stories of the ones who have passed on in conversations between the dead and a barkeeper who is only interested in hearing about their love. (ONC 2024 entry)

🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 A young journalist must navigate a war-torn country and the intricacy of first love in order to save herself and her family. ⋯⋯⋯ In 2042, invaders crossed Philippine waters and marked the start of the war. Two years later, Maian Dizon, a displaced Metro Manila journalist, navigates the war-torn streets in search of a way out of the country. However, when her path crosses with Kian Lucero, a reservist medical doctor, doubts creep in. With the guilt he carries, the foreboding loss on her shoulders, and the pressing needs of her family, her calling points her back to her homeland with no promise of salvation. But the attacks crawl closer every day, and Maian must devise a plan to save the people she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself. From the award-winning author of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥 comes a story of love and life, and how they fade and thrive at the face of war. There is an end to peace, memory, and glory, but there are things that will live forever. We only have to find them. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2024 (First Edition) [30,000 - 35,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] C/TW: Some scenes in this story contain graphic physical violence, disturbing themes, or character introspection that may upset or trigger the reader. Please read at your own risk. 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024

🏆 HONORABLE MENTION - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 A witch has to pretend to be the wife of the Prince of the Dead in exchange for resurrecting her lover. ⋯⋯⋯ Mavyn of Krauss has everything under control until her rich and influential fiancé keels over and abandons her. Now with no place in society as a witch, she moves to the next best option―summon an immortal from the Land of the Dead and strike a deal to resurrect him. Enter Valen Nox, a prince of the Underworld, bringing along an irresistible deal to the table. She will have a chance to comb through the Underworld's domains for her fiancé in exchange for being Valen's date for his sister's wedding. But when the truth comes out with the promise of a conspiracy, Mavyn is thrust into the wicked world of the Kathari, the Underworld's immortal rulers, and their schemes for dominion. Now, she must play by their rules while crafting deadly plans of her own―plans that may endanger more than what Valen bargained for. After all, the most logical thing to do in a court deep in chaos is to use it to one's advantage. From the award-winning author of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥 comes a tale of the deadly and the wicked, set in a world where life and death are not so simple, and there may be more to lose at the edge of the void than at the end of memory. AN INSTALLMENT OF THE WICKED DEATH SELECTIONS. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2024 (First Edition) [22,000 - 27,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] 🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 R1 AMBASSADOR PICK - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024

🏆 WINNER (2ND PLACE) - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 A misfit of an aristocratic family must find out who is behind the murder at his university before he is disowned and falls victim to the murderer. ⋯⋯⋯ Arlo Crowhaven, a student of the prestigious Lyllan University of Magic, is poised to uphold his family's elite status. That is, until a classmate is murdered, and all of the clues point to him. With little time to clear his name, he must take the investigation into his hands, find the killer, and stop an even bigger secret from leaking out. After all, while Arlo likes keeping his hands clean, he may be entangled in a scheme even his family is not privy to. Now, Arlo must pull all the strings he can to foil the murderer's plan and save his skin. From the award-winning author of 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘌𝘯𝘥 comes a story of privilege, wealth, and the divide between the elite and the common. Ideals are a salvation for many, but in the quest for freedom and power, sometimes, they are the first to go. AN INSTALLMENT OF THE LYLLAN UNIVERSITY OF MAGIC AND MISFITS SERIES ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2024 (First Edition) [20,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] 🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 1 WINNER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024

A struggling writer vows to make his father confess to his mother's murder ... but is stunned when he learns the truth. (#ONC 2024) Tormented by nightmares of his mother's violent death, and his father's part in it, Michael Lewis has avoided his past for three decades. But when a terminal illness draws his estranged father back into his life with one last wish, Michael sees a chance for justice. He agrees to take his father on a search for the rare Andalusian Hemipode, determined to use their time together to prove his darkest suspicions. As their quest for the elusive bird progresses, Michael's parents' heartrending love story comes to light and he starts to doubt his childhood memories. Can a shared passion for birdwatching heal their rift before time runs out?

ONC Entry based on Prompt #90: You were officially dead for 2 minutes. Ever since then you can see guardian angels, and not a minute goes by in your daily life that you don't see an annoyed angel doing their job.

King Uther of Forland is old and failing. His grandson and heir, Prince Richard, lives the good life: anything that gives him an adrenaline rush. He gives cursory attention to his duties and means to keep living the life he enjoys. The prosperous Duchy of Westmere can only be inherited by a male. The Duke of Westmere, Prince Sean, despises the Royal Family for shunning his parents when his father married a commoner they called unacceptable. Richard dies unexpectedly. Sean, now King against everyone's wishes, is the one man who can keep the Kingdom together. And he wants to break Forland in two. With no choice but Sean, the Royal Family and Government plot to keep Sean in line by marrying him to a cousin. He has other plans for his country and his heart. He wants to marry Isobel, twice-divorced, beautiful, scandalous and ambitious. She wants the advantages of being Queen. Sean is forced to meet any number of hopeful young women but plays the field. He decides to force the Family and Government to allow him to marry Isobel by selecting the least suitable girlfriend he can find. Pam is a clerical temp, a foreigner, and the opposite of princess material. She's no Cinderella, beautiful under her rags, but a tired young woman who lives paycheck to paycheck. They have nothing in common. Sean tries to hire her to pretend to be his girlfriend. She says it is deceitful. Her mother's financial troubles lead her to accept. He arranges generous compensation for her help that will relieve her financial quandary if she can make Isobel look good. Their relationship is platonic despite appearances. He starts to depend on Pam more and more. He misses her when she is away. Sean is pushed to choose his cousin by the Government, Isobel by his desires and Pam by his heart. The Family demands he marry his cousin and the Government begins to favor Pam. She wants to return to the US. Sean must choose between his heart and his country or find a way to unite them.

This story is written for ONC 2024 and is based on prompts 84 (main) and 9 (secondary) Butter, formerly a human prince who went as His Highness Prince Dalton Buttercutter, is a kitten who has served the Woodgrip witches for the past twenty-four generations. His present mistress, (the ninth Woodgrip) Pepper, is a stress-ridden assistant to the magistrate of the Sulvill district working in the Ministry of Management of Magical Beings, aka MMMB. Their break comes in the form of his mistress's cousin's wedding, where the witch and her familiar arrive at the venue hoping for a relaxing vacation. Things don't go as planned when Salvador Hart, a playboy celebrity hounded by his fans and paparazzi, arrives there to complicate (or aid) matters. Meanwhile, Pepper is in the dark about Butter's hidden motives: to find a match for his mistress and break a centuries-old curse that plagues the Woodgrip family and him. Will Butter be able to find the perfect man for Pepper? Who really is Salvador Hart? What happens to the witch and her familiar if the latter fails in his mission? Start date: 20/02/2024 Completed on: 23/03/2024 Status: Complete Word count: 30954 This is an original story written exclusively for Wattpad by GandalfofspaceAnli. GandalfofspaceAnli ® This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, GandalfofspaceAnli

As the second daughter of the king, Elara has always had one future in sight: marrying for political ties. When her father suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, her estranged uncle is selected to take the throne until her sister turns eighteen. As her uncle threatens to plunge her country into war with the Zestross, Elara must prove who killed her father before it's too late. With the help of a strange suitor, she just might be able to save her nation. #ONC2024 #opennovellacontest2024 Prompt 38: "I hate you so much, I can't even bring myself to kill you."

| ONC 2024 HONORABLE MENTION | Pretie Panton, princess of Aecora and sole heir of the Panton bloodline, does not want to marry - at least, not the prince her father has arranged for, who Pretie has never met. However, when her attempt at escape is quickly put to an end, Pretie finds herself in an even worse predicament: cursed to take the form of a mermaid and live isolated from the world she has always known. Driven by the desire for revenge, Pretie seeks the help of an adventure-seeking mermaid named Ephyra, who has heard legends of a mythical stone that may just be able to transform the princess back into her human self... If it truly is her deepest desire. ｡𖦹 ° Written for ONC 2024. Keep in mind that since this is a contest entry, this is an unedited draft and, as such, there may be some grammatical errors I've missed. This story was inspired by the following prompts: (Main Prompt) 88. Your father is forcing you to marry someone you have never met. The night before your wedding you tie your sheets together and make your escape through the window. Half way down you make eye contact with someone doing the exact same thing a few windows over. 24. A desperate wish, made from the heart, is always answered. Sooner or later. 28. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Word count: 31,006 words Status: Honorable Mention

A dark family lineage. Secrets hidden away within rotting walls. And a mysterious Book that binds it all together... Oliver Wendell was only ever meant to write stories, lost within his own worlds of imagination. He was never meant to be a soldier. He was never meant to see his brother die. Yet in the midst of the first World War he finds himself caught within the wreckage of both grief and carnal destruction that has torn such worlds away. Seeking refuge from it all, the disgraced boy soldier hides himself away within the decaying seaside manor of his grandparents-- finding there a mysterious and unfinished book that has reignited his passion for the written word. Yet amidst the house's ancient bones lay the unexplainable, and beneath its foundations lay unimaginable horrors waiting to be awakened with a few strokes of a writer's pen... Written for ONC 2024 using prompt 66; A grim fairytale is unfolding before your eyes. As its author, it's up to you to put an end to this nightmare. And prompt 5; Horror is in the eye of the beholder. CW; This book contains graphic scenes, descriptions of war and PTSD, and details of eldritch horror. It is intended for readers ages 16 and up.

This book is now available on Apple Books, Kobo and on Lulu from which you can get the Paperback on link in bio. • Harry is almost late for a job interview and so he decides to make a quick stop at a café to get breakfast as on the way. It's Wendy's first day in the job but what does she do when some mystery man pays a $100 dollar for an expresso to go and a few donuts? to all the coffee lovers out there. Achievement #23 - onc #24 - coffee

He can climb the tower, but can he win her heart? Victoria Grunell loved her job as a personal assistant. Or at least she did, until her absentminded boss of five years decided to suddenly retire and disappear, without leaving even a current phone number, the jerk. And it's the day before her best friend's wedding reception. At the party, she meets Trenton Lloyd, drummer for the hit cover band Aspire, and wonders if her luck is already turning around. Unfortunately, they have no time to explore the sparks between them, as Vicky is kidnapped by an evil organization hoping to coerce Trent to join them. Trent will have to keep his cool to get Vicky home safe from the tower of terrors, but will he be able to show her his heart, to earn her love in return?

The Fairtane family have ruled a small, cursed island for generations - until the night before Rowan Fairtane turns sixteen, when a too-successful attempt at usurping them leaves him the last surviving member of the family. With no plan for how to proceed, he assumes the morning will bring his death. Only for his twin brother to be the one standing at the door. Soren Fairtane disappeared five years ago, on the eve of his eleventh birthday, and was presumed drowned. Everyone knows that. His return to the island, though, isn't Rowan's saving grace at all. If anything it's about to spell disaster for them both, because Soren has a plan and five years have not really changed the insanity of his plans all that much. With nowhere else to go, though, Rowan finds himself joining forces with Soren in his attempt to find a way to break the curse keeping everyone trapped on the island. But even if it has been five years since Soren vanished, it's not hard to tell that some things about him have changed... and the longer they spend searching for answers, the more Rowan begins to wonder. What happened over the last five years? And is the answer to the island's curse right in front of him?

Rachel worked hard, looking forward to the vacation she saved up for, a break from family troubles, only for troubles to find her as the paparazzi take an interest in a certain pop idol and some of the other things going on at the Pokemon Resort, including her brother's friend group which includes a not-friend but rival who believes his mother is an alien. Because while Pokemon exist, aliens don't, right? Disclaimer - I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender or Pokemon Concierge. This is one of my Open Novella projects for 2024. The main prompt is prompt nine, "After some long months of working harder than ever, you finally get to your well deserved vacation getaway but when you arrive at the hotel there is this one star that brings all the paparazzi and trouble with them and makes your vacation a one to remember." I'm also working with prompt four, "When life gives you ballons, you fly up into the sky," prompt thirteen, "Every family has that one member of whom no one speaks, and that's you, prompt thirty-one, "'Your Mom was an alien.' Exactly what a child needs t hear from their father as a bedtime story," and prompt thirty-four, "You wanted to go to the moon, see the silvery white glow of it for yourself. Instead, the moon came to you. One day, at your door."