Onc2023 قصص

Do you have an ONC? Wish to get feedback as well as discover other ONCs? Then stop by and join our ONC book club!

Three women, who have never met. Three secrets, never meant to be known. Three lives, tangled together in horrific ways, as fate plays with the strings. * * * * * Rani Altario has a secret. A threat to her life and her country leaves her with little choice but to flee, hiding herself behind a new identity for protection. But make no mistake; Rani isn't running. She's waiting, struggling to keep her flame lit. And it is all too simple for even a small fire to turn into an inferno. Maliha Sarrow has a secret. By day, she's the breathtaking young maiden, whose hand is wanted by what feels like every man in her hometown (never mind that she doesn't want any of them). The ultimate prize to be won. But by night, she's someone - something - different, darker. Something Maliha never wanted to be. But for the people she loves, there's no limit to what she'd become. Rija Nazari has a secret. Injured and betrayed, she leaves behind everything she's ever known for a nation that won't welcome her. It's a risk - scratch that, it's a suicide mission - but Rija is alone, afraid, and out of options. But will leaving truly save her? * * * * * Originally written for the Open Novella Contest 2023! Prompt #15 (MAIN): Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives. Prompt #49 (SECONDARY): "Master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can." Michael Scott, "The Sorceress."

[FEATURED STORY] Welcome to a tale of mystery, romance, and the dark side of happily ever after. *** In this thrilling YA fairytale mystery, star-crossed lovers find their happily ever after cut short by a midnight murder. Join a rebellious princess and a runaway prince as they race against time to catch the killer and uncover the truth, all while navigating the treacherous landscape of love and betrayal. A new kind of fairytale is born with nods to classic fairytale tropes and the suspenseful intrigue of Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None. Lies are told. Painful truths are revealed, and no one is safe. Who will make it out alive? *** Featured by @mystery in their Murder Reading List (March 2025) Open Novella Contest 2023 Participant - Prompt #49 Cover by Hendré Basson Interior Character Art by Hendré Basson Other images created with Canva

Everyone knows the band Zenith, but nobody knows how they managed to rock Zerkovkia's youth into starting a revolution... until now. Tolya Viktov is coming of age in the 1980s to the tune of spinning records, cheap liquor, and Zerkovkia's nine year war with neighboring Blivdova. The perms and denim jackets are hip, but it's the underground music he's most excited about. By the time he enters university, his lyrics and his talent have helped him break through on the student musician scene. Tolya, a duo of genius guitarists, and a bandless drummer soon come together when a producer realizes the key to achieving radical change in Zerkovkia is getting them to make music. What happens next is the stuff of legend and a whole lot of love, revolution, and rock and roll. Honors/Awards: ONC 2023 Honorable Mention ONC 2023 Ambassadors' Pick (Round One) "VIKTOV LIVES!" is featured on @music's "mighty drumset" reading list @storiesundiscovered's "feast on fiction" reading list @flexiblebookexchange's "read these gems!" reading list @opennovellacontest's "2023 honorable mentions" and "2023 ambassadors' picks" lists Copyright © 2023 Elle Chaika Open Novella Contest 2023 | Prompt No. 44

CIA black ops assassin Apollo Fox awakens to find a dead body and a duffel bag of money with a pelican case next to him in a room in the safe house. The only thing he has is no memory of who he was or ended up here. Unable to trust his handler. And anyone he must unravel the deadly conspiracy to find out who was he and the. dead bead body is? based on prompt 32

2023 Leighyeann A. Mies All rights reserved An entry for the Open Novella Contest 2023. Based on prompt #39 Billie Presley isn't exactly the luckiest woman when it comes to relationships. When she decides to try a new dating app, she scores a date after three months, but her "match" isn't what she expected... She only stays out of politeness even though she's uncomfortable and would just like to leave... That is, until an attractive stranger comes in, changing all cards on deck...

This is my entry for the OCN 2023. Dan had never been to the Adirondacks and thought it was time he remedied that situation. The Adirondack Railroad just felt like the proper way to do it. An avid photographer, he filled his memory cards with images of mountain lakes and woodland wild life. A newly formed, large sinkhole attracts his attention and he takes copious pics. Back home ,reviewing the pics with his girlfriend, the two are shocked at what they find. Is that a dead body? And what are they doing with it? The pair must now return to the mountain village to slake their curiosity.

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝- 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈 In a small town, nestled in the heart of the countryside, lived a young boy named Luci. Luci was a quiet, introspective child who had always found it difficult to understand his own emotions, let alone those of others. He struggled to connect with his peers and often felt like an outsider, even within his own family. One day, as Luci sat alone in his bedroom, he had an epiphany. He realized that what he was missing in his life was love - not just romantic love, but love in all its forms. He knew that he needed to go on a journey to find it. So, with nothing but a backpack and a sense of determination, Luci set out on his quest. He didn't know where he was going or what he was looking for, but he knew that he would recognize love when he found it. As he journeyed through many places, Luci encountered all kinds of people and experiences. He met kind strangers who showed him compassion, and gruff old men who taught him the value of toughness. He found beauty in nature and in the small moments of everyday life. But despite all of this, Luci still felt like he hadn't found what he was looking for. He had seen love, but he had not yet felt it. As he continued on his journey, Luci began to feel discouraged. He wondered if he would ever find the love he was seeking. But just when he was about to give up, he stumbled upon something unexpected - something that would change his life forever. And so begins the story of a young boy on a journey to find love - a story that will take him to the ends of the earth and back, and teach him what it truly means to love and be loved.

ONC 2023 Shortlist | Fiona had one dream for her entire childhood: to move to Hollywood and act. Unlike the kids around her who wanted to be astronauts or pop singers, her dream never shifted to something more realistic, practical, or ordinary. At age 19, she allows the flip of a coin to decide her fate. Will she give up her dream entirely or fight to make it reality? prompt | Flip the coin and make a life choice with it. Two choices, one coin, and no turning back. Do you dare?

Born the son of a lowly hunter and abandoned as a child, Zhenxing never expected to be brought to Heaven and become the most treasured attendant of the mighty Tiger Immortal, one of the twelve Zodiac Guardians appointed by the Jade Emperor. But the world is tumultuous and not even the Heavenly Realm resides in peace for long. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, a dreadful discovery is made. The Tiger Immortal is found dead and a grieving Zhenxing flees Heaven, blamed and pursued by the remaining eleven Zodiacs. Abandoned and bewildered, Zhenxing seeks refuge in the one place those of the Heavenly Realm are loathe to tread: the Demon Realm. While in hiding, he discovers shocking evidence that the one who killed the Tiger Immortal was not his most beloved servant, but one of his fellow Guardians! With the help of a sinister and charming demon prince named Lixin, Zhenxing digs further into the mystery hoping to clear his name and avenge his beloved Tiger Immortal. Beautiful cover made by my lovely friend @AriaofStorms

Alex and Sameer are friends for the last two and a half years. They have always been loyal to each other. They wouldn't have imagined separating from one another even in their wildest of dreams. But life...life can throw unexpected curve balls, anytime, anywhere! One summer, Sameer decides to go on a holiday. But when he returns, he is utterly shocked to find his best friend missing! Worse still, nobody has any recollection of his friend ever existing! Not even his family! People begin to call him crazy for crying over a friend who never existed! On one side, he's mad to have lost his friend, and on the other, unsure how to convince people of his friend's existence. Will Sameer find his best friend? Or spend his life in an Asylum? Dive into the book to find out the mystery! Happy reading! *Written exclusively for the ONC 2023 India*

A twist in time. A villainous lady hated by the ton. A quest to avoid ruin. When Ria's Grandmother suddenly disappeared, she didn't expect the search would bring them to 19th century England. After possessing a body of a woman hell-bent to profess her love to the most dashing man in town, Ria must salvage what little of what's left with "her" reputation to live a comfortable life, at least until she could find a way to return to her own time. Taken from Prompt #70 (ONC 2023)

A plague covers the land. No one is safe from its hold, magic and non-magic wielders alike. Sending its victims, the Infected, into insanity, the plague has claimed more lives then any war. Leuitant Colonel Luthera Griffith is the leader of one of the many battalions fighting the Infected. She is killed on the line of duty, but when she wakes up alive and as a Returned, she is given a second chance to end the plague, and find the traitor who led to her and her brother's death. Fuelled with a rage and hunted by Reapers only intent on maintain the natural balance of life and death, Luthera races against time to regroup with her battalion and try to save whats left of this dying civilization.

Open Novella contest 2023 (Prompts 73 and maybe 20?) What happened Maddie-Rose? Hundred of years ago Maddie-Rose was a powerful goddess, with the love of her life Oliver on her mind. One day her mother walks into her daughter's temple and finds her grandson alone with no sign of his parents. Now in the modern day, cousins Katie and Frankie will be going on a school trip. Along with Uncle Tom and Miss Adams.

Gabriella is a just an ordinary tourist in Cameroon but something mysterious happens when she notices something in a camera image. Is she going crazy or has magic taken hold? Will her holiday gain new meaning after she unravels the mystery? And what will happen when she has to return home? Join her on this adventure to find out that magic could be closer than you think. This is a magical fantasy set in Cameroon and England. All photos within the story are taken by me, the cover uses a stock photo from canva. This is my own work which was inspired by my recent visit to my in-laws in Cameroon. I was deeply affected by the unbalanced society, with many people living in poor conditions while nearby others live in relative luxury. There are many issues in Cameroon which need to be solved and I hope that reading this story will inspire people to do more to help the environment and people less fortunate. This story has been written for the Open Novella Contest. ONC2023. following prompt 26. 'As a tourist in a foreign country you were just snapping pictures. Later that night you go through your camera roll and was shocked to your core when you saw what you caught on camera.' Copyright ©️ 2023 By Sarah Nana.

Marie was not prepared to get fired from her job. This was supposed to be her chance at fame and it just went down the drain. Down on her luck she stumbles upon The Rabbit Hole, a small little talent bar. When Marie is offered a job she's skeptical at first, but eventually agrees to the job. But The Rabbit Hole isn't as normal as it appears. A man turns invisible, another starts on fire. And her partner is never seen expect right before they're about to perform. Oh, and there's a man with fire for eyes who's seen right before trouble appears. If Marie wants to do well and become famous she's going to have to learn more about The Rabbit Hole and herself. ~~ An ONC 2023 entry Cover by: @HollisOfRandom

Cassie Nightingale left England years ago and finally came back. The memory modification Hermione Granger used on her parents is no longer needed. Pansy Parkinson attempts to fight the stigma of voicing the opinion they should hand The Boy Who Lived over to save their own lives right before the war ended. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter or Good Witch. This is one of my ONC entries for this year. For this one I am using prompt fifteen, "Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives."

Kenna's life has been turned upside down. Though the changes are positive, her past ensures that she still suffers from nightmares every time she closes her eyes. It's not long before her roommate notices, but she informs Kenna that she used to have bad dreams too. Except she managed to make those bad dreams disappear. Forever. Kenna's roommate offers her the opportunity to get rid of her nightmares too. Apparently, she and her friends found a way to fully control and manipulate their dreams, and with practice, they've been able to use this ability to improve their waking lives as well. They invite Kenna to join them, and though reluctant, she's hopeful to finally have a restful night's sleep. Kenna accepts. Problem is, dreams were never meant to be controlled. __________________________________ This story contains contain profanity and violence, and brings up past abuse (intensified through nightmares). • ONC 2023 •

There is an old and traditional shop that has been closed for decades in the small Town of Nowhere, right at the end of the obscure Dream Avenue. There were all kinds of made-up stories about this shop, tales about the mysterious business owner's magical methods. Thomas, a local officer with the town's police department, is a pragmatic man who has always mocked those who believed in such ridiculous rumors. That is, until the shop's door opened one day. ❆ ❆ ❆ This short story is my work for the #ONC2023. I hope you enjoy reading it!

He's back, and he's out for revenge. 🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ₪ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦 When a secret hidden for 22 years is revealed, every part of Kalisha Morales' life comes tumbling down. The karma of a careless childhood decision has finally arrived on her doorstep with a surprise gift. She ruined his life and Aiden Bryant isn't going to let her go scot-free, not again, no matter how long it has been. Sucked into a battle of survival, Kalisha must become the predator and not the prey or risk losing her life this time. There is no good or evil. There's just doing whatever it takes to survive. Will he get to her first or will she outlive him? 🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ₪ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦 Oɴᴄ 2022 Pʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ: 49, 69, 33 ✎ Sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ: 08/02/23 ✎ Fɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ: TBD Wᴏʀᴅ Cᴏᴜɴᴛ: TBD © 2023 Laz-lequil