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."

(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. FEATURED ON @IdentityandCulture's API VOICES MAY 2026 AMBASSADOR PICKS 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - 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

🏆 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

Detective Molly Rayne finds herself in the midst of a high-stakes murder case with two strangers and must uncover the truth before her hidden past is revealed and the murderer strikes again. -x-x-x- It was supposed to be a quick business trip. but the minute the train pulled out of the New York station, things started to go wrong. In the bustling journey to Chicago, a murder in Cabin 7 shakes the train. High-profile private detective Molly Rayne takes charge of the investigation, but no suspects emerge, and it seems the killer vanished into thin air. As Molly delves deeper, she discovers intriguing connections between the victim and a mysterious individual known as Mr. Bingo. Her resolve to uncover the truth is tested as she navigates a web of lies, deception, and hidden agendas. It was like something out of an Agatha Christie novel, only with a lot more blood and sarcasm. With danger closing in from all sides, will she be able to piece together the truth before it's too late? -x-x-x- Revision under the guidance of @MermaidAriel13

[ONC2024 ENTRY] [COVER IN PROGRESS] Sixteen-year-old Fern was happy to be sent off to an innocuous boarding school, until she finds herself at the epicenter of strange events and the string of fate bonding her to the school. *** Monkeys, matrons, mattresses. Commonly unrelated to the average person, but students at Wailmouth would say differently. The impressive boarding school sits among swathes of green foliage whose simian residents are playful as they are unruly. As if their tailed neighbors aren't enough of a problem, the school's matrons seem dedicated to make their lives a living hell. The infamous Madam Matron rules with an iron fist, her unrelenting force intensified against the old mattresses they're forced to sleep on. Fern learns all this in barely a month of her enrolment into Wailmouth College. Her arrival, however, had sparked a chain of bizarre events within the gates of the school. Together with her friends, Fern investigates the connection between the peculiar incidents, and between Wailmouth and herself. *** Trigger warnings: Alluded teen pregnancy, animal abuse, violence, death

ONC Ambassador's Pick & Shortlister! Rumors. Infidelity. Lies. Secrets. MURDER. And all before lunch time. Who knew being a socialite in 1951 could be so thrilling? ~~~ On a lovely June afternoon, as the oh-so-chic members of the Gilded Grove Ladies' Book Club gather for their scheduled luncheon, they are shocked to receive the news that their vice president, Camilla Otis, is unable to attend. Gossip ensues. What catastrophe could possibly have befallen her to warrant a last minute cancellation? The answer comes by way of two clever, dashing police officers. It seems Camilla Otis has had quite a busy morning, and that the truth behind her absence is far more scandalous than the Book Club ladies could ever have imagined. As the police dig deeper into the events surrounding Mrs. Otis' shocking crime, buried secrets about the other Book Club members begin to surface. None of the women in question are the fine, upstanding ladies of society that the public believes them to be. Each has tarnish on her so-called "sterling reputation." And no one has more to hide than club president Marcella Montgomery. Written for ONC 2024, this is a tongue-in-cheek "whodunit" (in reverse) that will leave you wondering just what a scorned woman *wouldn't* do for sweet, sweet revenge. ⚠️ Warning: many very nonchalant references to murder and death. Very ignorant (era-realistic), inaccurate comments about nationalities/cultures outside the US.

Round1✔ - Ambassadors' Pick - Round2✔ - Longlist✔ - Shortlist✔ ----------- Oct 4, 2025: featured on @Fantasy - Mythology & Folklore ----------- Genre: fantasy, romance, and a teeny tiny bit of action. ----------- Of a Moon, majestic silver and soothing blue, that hung in the sky, breathing life into barrenness and lifting away the darkness that threatened to swallow everything. And a wolf, fur darker than night itself, that would passionately howl at the moon in a holy nocturnal ritual. He yearned to go and reach his beloved sphere of blessed silver rays for it breathed life into his very being and gave meaning to his existence. His howls were a balm to her lonely soul and so, on one spectacular night, the Moon in all her glory descended, gracing her devoted worshipper with her radiant presence. That was how the wolf's search for his otherworldly beloved ended. She'd come to him instead. Indeed, a desperate wish, made from the heart, is always answered, sooner or later. ----------- Warning: mention of violence (wolves, duh) and blood, fluff, extremely gorgeous FL, one hawt ML, and (A LOT OF) sexual tension. *evil laugh* ----------- Note: 1. this is the prequel to Rieka (ONC22) and The Dark Side Of The Moon (ONC23) 2. the story is written from an omniscient point of view. ----------- + If you are reading this on any site other than Wattpad then it is being unlawfully shared. Mirror sites often contain malware so please protect yourself and the work of this author by reading only on Wattpad. ------------------ [ONC entry - 1st draft - unedited]

For him to live, a witch must die. Driven out of his village for the curse he possesses, Tavor is alone. With nowhere else to go, he must venture into the Eylderfell to hunt down the witch who cursed him. But the forest is dangerous, wild with magic and sinister spirits. And there is something lurking there, a darkness within the forest and within himself, both waiting to get out...

In a search for family, self-identity and a fight to save the Earth from the Wrecker of Worlds, Odette finds herself entangled in an age old war as the truth of her lineage and legacy is revealed. {*} STARTED: 12/08/2024 FINISHED: ... {*}

THIS BOOK IS ON HIATUS Amintyre week is approaching, a sacred festival to the Eldritchs. Mavishyanep, "Mavi," is a young Eldritch woman, part of the many young adults who will "rise" into the next generation, and have their achievements etched in the book of Recollection. She wants to squeeze in one last accomplishment by going where no rising eldritch has gone: to the underland known as Earth. But her family tells her that simply isn't done. The risks are too high, and the creatures living there are too weak to withstand the natural strength of the eldritch. But Mavi has never been one to follow orders. And when she catches sight of a human down there, she's more fascinated than ever. Going to Earth will be the greatest experience Mavi has ever known, she's sure of it. It definitely won't trigger a whimsical romance that ends in heartbreak. ***** ROMANCE READERS BEWARE - THIS BOOK DOES NOT HAVE A HEA

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.

Rule #1- Don't get involved with anyone from your planet. __________ Wyatt is a World Builder in training- the most prestigious job available to humans on EXO, a space station created to oversee creation- and destruction- of planets. In order to launch his new world, Wyatt needs to prove that his prototype can sustain itself in a five year test run. He never expects to fall in love with Emma, a woman from the test run planet, who is going to die when the planet is shut down. Wyatt must battle with his sense of duty and his heart to decide what is best for his future, and for the future of everyone on his planet. _________ cover by the amazing meha-k

Charlie didn't know that a new hot neighbor moving next door meant falling in love and making her dad proud. §§ Charlie Robertson loved singing all day long, until the accident happened, and she retired from singing to writing songs instead. Until, James Peterson, her hot new neighbor, moved next door. He caught her singing once, and it was love at first sight. He made it his mission that Charlie will return back to singing like old times. §§ Prompt chosen: number 8 Cover by the awesome: @ReynaBennett

Open Novella Contest 2024 writing prompt #83: Earth's climate is becoming increasingly inhospitable. Humans have located another planet to live on, but there's not enough room on the spacecrafts for everyone. Who stays and who goes? One wrong question has the power to condemn . Following the Martian discovery of a jump drive, the United Nations of Earth formulated a plan. There is a rumored list of seventeen crimes - modeled after the nineteen crimes that could get one sent to Australia. It seems a very similar one would get white collar corporate criminals, fringe political activists, terrorist operatives, bigots and climate law violators sent to Mars. Publicly, it's all denied. Then Brie Reyes (nee Hodges), finds herself arrested after a contentious briefing with the United States Climate Initiative Czar. Researching her absent father - who long ago left to be among the first settler of the Martian colony Selah - caused a cataclysmic shift in her life and her thinking. Meeting the half-brother born to her father after he settled on Mars may either bring her salvation or condemnation. Either way, Brie Reyes is going to Mars. Its either as a political prisoner. Or political refugee.

It was supposed to be a quick business trip but Detective Molly Rayne finds herself in the midst of a high-stake murder case with two strangers and collectively, they must uncover the truth before it reveals her hidden past and the murderer strikes again. -x-x-x- ❝Three Strangers. Two Secrets. One Key.❞ It was supposed to be a quick business trip, a bullet train ride from New York to Chicago. But the minute the train pulled out of the station, things started to go wrong. A person was murdered in the sleeper cabin, and everyone on the train was a suspect. Detective Molly Rayne, a tough-as-nails veteran with a dark past, was on board and found herself drawn into the investigation. With every mile that passed, the mystery deepened. As she uncovered secrets and motives among the passengers, Molly realized that the killer was more cunning and ruthless than anyone could have imagined. It was like something out of an Agatha Christie novel, only with a lot more blood and sarcasm. When the train arrived in Chicago, Molly was left with a body count, a trail of clues, and a nagging suspicion that one of her fellow passengers was more than they seemed. -x-x-x- wattpad ambassador select x1 | ONC shortlist qualified featured on @mystery profile's Murder reading list as of 04-07-2024 cover by @\storytellernat -x-x-x- highest ranking: #7 in onc2024 out of 567 stories #14 in mystery out of 27.5K stories #28 in detective out of 30.3K stories -x-x-x- Feel free to leave your suggestions/honest feedback/constructive criticism :D