Spooktober 2019 Contest
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Once More, They Depart

A Post-Spooktober Contest

My Love,

It is time for me to leave.

It always pains me to write these letters while you're asleep, but you were never one to last all night anyway. Just to sit here at my old table, seeing the candlelight play across your peaceful face, makes my time away from you feel like a bad dream. The thought of you dispels my hell hardships. Spending tonight in your arms is already paradise, so don't you worry.

I remember being sixteen. Feeling my heartbeat rise all the time in your company. When I invited you to watch the fireworks on the 31st and your friends and mine conspired to leave us alone together… Do you remember how the fireworks sounded? When you broke the silence by calling my name at the same time the fireworks sprang, and not even explosions in the sky could mask the guilty tone in your voice.

Sometimes, when it's dark, I try dreaming of coming back to that night. When I see you sleep so blissfully like this, I wonder if you're dreaming about it as well.

Hah… I can only wish.

Till next year, my sweet firework.

E.S.


Contest Winner: Spookman's Last Call

by Garden ManGarden Man


The winner of this year's Spooktober Writing Competition is also a latecomer's first entry in six months. I didn't expect the member to come to the site and submit Spookman's Last Call so quickly. The story acts like a slice-of-life dialogue between our ordinary protagonist and the stranger he meets at an empty bus station a few hours after Halloween's Eve. There are a lot of fancy hints about the post-mortal realm in this story and a lot of good jokes. This tale is this year's champion for delivering a cute story with an ending that's sure to bring good vibes.

Commendation: I didn't expect an ending so abrupt but emotionally satisfying.

Favorite Line: “I require your life force.”


"What happens to the dead who came back after October 31st?"


The contest is now CLOSED for submissions.

This is a Tale contest.

The goal is to write a story about the aftermath of the 31st of October, a.k.a., "All Hallows' Eve," a.k.a., "the Day of the Dead," from the perspective of the dearly departed.

For one night, the boundaries between our mortal realm and theirs are removed and the spirits of this world's former inhabitants return to do their business with the Living, whatever that may be. This is the dead's only opportunity to manifest as a corporeal being, to make their presence known, to check in with loose ends, and to continue with what they left behind.

But when the night ends, they must go.

How do they leave us behind? For what reason had they returned to us in the first place? What did they do while they were here? What do they feel going back to their realm? How badly do they want to stay?

That's for you to answer.

Welcome to this year's Spooktober contest.


Here are the rules1:

  1. Only one person per Tale. No collaborations.
  2. The work must be entirely original. Only one Item or another Tale may be referenced but points will be awarded if the Tale manages to work without them.

Mechanics:

  1. The submission period begins at 05:00 today, the 2nd of November 2019 (Taipei Standard Time.)
  2. We will stop accepting submissions by 17:00 on the 14th of this month.
  3. Once an article is published, the user is allowed a grace period of twenty-four hours to modify content, upload and edit files, and correct grammatical errors. Please don't forget to add the tag "omtd2019" during this time.
  4. Extra points will be given if the Tale brings me sad feelings.
  5. The user may only rate other contestants' articles, not their own.
  6. The minimum word count is 300.

The winners of this contest will have their Tale featured on the main page until 14 December 2019.

Direct any questions to me, DrCaduceusDrCaduceus.

Good luck!


Entries:

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