Horror Writing Contest 2023

Bestselling romance novelist Emma Chen has built her career writing about passion she's never truly experienced until her new editor turns her perfectly ordered world upside down. Jake Morrison is everything Emma tries to avoid: cocky, unpredictable, and dangerously attractive. When he's assigned to edit her latest manuscript, their professional relationship quickly becomes a battlefield of creative differences and undeniable chemistry.As they clash over every steamy scene Emma has written, Jake challenges her to dig deeper, to write what she really knows about desire. But Emma's carefully constructed walls exist for a reason she's never recovered from a betrayal that left her heart and career in shambles three years ago. When Jake pushes her to experience the passion she writes about, Emma must decide if she's brave enough to let someone past her defenses, or if some risks are too dangerous to take.With a manuscript deadline looming and their attraction reaching a boiling point, Emma and Jake must navigat it the thin line between professional collaboration and personal desire. But when Emma's past threatens to destroy everything she's built, including her growing feelings for Jake, she'll have to choose between the safety of her solitary life and the terrifying possibility of real love.

'My Last Wish.' is Annabelle's favourite book; an unknown author and delicious sex scenes, what's not to love? Well...being the Villainess, Being the villainess is what's not to love! Annabelle, a partially celibate lawyer (Not by choice) with a knack for pole dancing on the weekends with her best friend, wakes up in the arms of a beautiful stranger in what she hoped was a vivid sex dream. But, sadly, it instead becomes her new reality! Annabelle is stuck as the Villainess of her favourite reverse harem romance story--fated to be publicly executed by her contract fiancé, The crown prince of Envia. With no one to trust and nothing but malice offered by the male leads, she has no one to rely on but herself to restore her land to its former glory and clear her debt to escape the clutches of the first prince. Unfortunately, easier said than done, especially with the Prince's Knight constantly around her, her butler constantly watching, the Portburgh tycoon out for her blood and unknown prince's spies watching from the shadows making sure her plans are anything but hidden and her safety anything but guaranteed! (IMPORTANT: THIS BOOK NEEDS HEAVY EDITING, AND, UNFORTUNATELY, IT DID NOT DO WELL ENOUGH FOR BOOK TWO; I AM CONSIDERING EDITING TO COMPLETE THE PLOT IN ONE BOOK, BUT THAT NEEDS TIME (A LOT) AND EFFORT. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE UNTIL THIS NOTICE IS ERASED. IT COULD BE YEARS** BECAUSE MY WRITING STYLE HAS CHANGED)

The Alpha King, who was rumored to be ugly and violent, and hides his face under the Golden masquerade mask, sent a letter to my Alpha father. ["Dear Alpha Quinn, I'm writing to inform you that your third daughter, Etizia, is my mate. Send her to me, or face the destruction of your Pack. Sincerely, Alpha Nox.”] I was forced to marry the ugly Alpha King. But to my surprise, the cold Alpha King treated me kindly and with care. How did an Omega wolf like me manage to tame the beast of all beasts? I thought everything was doing fine. However, the Alpha King’s brother turned out to be the handsome wolf who rejected me in the past. Can I stay loyal with my faceless Alpha King husband when my brother-in-law wanted me back as his mate? ** ** The Alpha King leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Are you still considering escaping from me?" I replied, knowing the futility of my answer, "It doesn't matter what I say, you'll never allow me to run." He gently lifted my chin and smiled. "That's the right answer, my Luna. I can shower you with kindness, but I won't tolerate you turning your back on me. NOT AGAIN." With a swift motion, he removed his golden mask, revealing his true identity. My eyes widened in shock as I recognized him.

When they were teenagers Amber and Axel had a summer romance. But Alpha Alistair's son and his father had his whole life planned out. Out of nowhere everything changed. Axel left a mean note in Amber's locker to say goodbye and he told her not to contact her. He went to boardingschool to finish the rest of the year. A few weeks later Amber was in for a shock; she was pregnant with a pup. With the help of Brian, a friend who lost his mate, they traveled to another pack. Brian and Amber lived a peaceful live under Alpha Drake with her child Elias. Until it's announced that an Alpha will come in search of his mate during the full moon. Alpha Axel is looking for his Luna, but will find a whole lot more. Both Amber and Axel have been keeping secrets from each other. Will they find their way back to what they once had? Axel has to deal with problems in his pack and Amber has powers she's been hiding. Perhaps they can help save each other. The sequel 'The True King's Mate' is now on goodnovel. I just started writing the first few chapters. 'The True King's Mate' is about Elias, who is 17 by then. He meets a mysterious girl Jade who seems to hate his guts. But there is some attraction between them as well. Jade plans to stop Elias from becoming King before his 18th birthday. But will the feelings she has compromise her mission?

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

"You're an insensitive Bastard," I say. I want him to say something to do something, but he just leans against the wall staring at me. To my horror, I feel the telltale sign of tears, but I blink it away aggressively. Max walks towards me and cups my face "You've no idea," he says, leaning in. I don't know what I hope for, but I lift my head to face him anyway. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity when he whispers "Do you think I'm not tired Callista, you should know by now that I am an addict and you are my addiction, I know I should back away, but these days when it comes to you, it seems my body doesn't obey my commands. I close my eyes, and i see you. I breathe, and your scent fills the air. Every day, i crave a taste of you. You everything to me. " His nose caresses my cheek, and he takes a long inhale, and I realise he's breathing in my scent. He then puts his forehead to mine, and his lips brush mine when he says "I'm never going back to how I was before, am I?" When I open my eyes, he's gone.

My name is Athena Argos, and I’m the future Gamma of the Blood-Moon pack. I should be training to take over my position, but instead, I’ve left my pack to find the truth about the horrific attack that killed my father two years ago. He was my hero, and I can’t stand by and allow the pack responsible to get away with his murder. Follow the story of Athena and her lycan, Enyo, as they uncover the truth about who attacked their pack. What will happen when they find out that they are chosen by the Moon Goddess to fulfil a centuries-old prophecy, and are the reason why their father is dead? Will Athena and Enyo be able to protect the ones they love and fulfil the prophecy? Trigger Warnings: Violence This story includes random and/or deliberate acts of violence towards others which may be triggering to some readers with lived experience. Please proceed with caution. Physical Abuse This story contains descriptions of physical and/or verbal abuse, including SA, which may be triggering to readers with lived experiences. Mental or Emotional Abuse This story contains descriptions of mental and/or emotional abuse which may be triggering to survivors. Kidnapping This story contains descriptions of kidnapping, which may include forceful deprivation of/disregard for personal autonomy, which may be triggering for readers with lived experiences. Death This story includes references to death, violence, and/or abuse. Please proceed with caution. Blood This story includes descriptions of horror, blood, and/or violent behaviors. Please proceed with caution.

Élianor est une jeune femme dont l'existence n'a été qu'une longue souffrance. En raison de son poids, elle fut toute sa vie la cible des railleries, autant dans le cercle de sa famille que dans celui de toute la ville. Les murs de l'école furent pour elle le théâtre d'un harcèlement quotidien et impitoyable. Son calvaire atteignit son paroxysme lors d'une humiliation publique, si cruelle et si violemment orchestrée qu'elle se retrouva couverte d'un opprobre indélébile aux yeux de tous. Brisée et rongée par la honte, elle n'eut d'autre choix que de fuir cette cité devenue un enfer. Son exil fut marqué par un drame supplémentaire : elle partit, portant en elle un enfant dont elle ignorait la paternité, fruit possible d'une ultime violence ou d'une relation désespérée. Cinq ans plus tard, Élianor fait son retour. La jeune fille timorée et meurtrie a disparu. À sa place se tient une femme d'une beauté à couper le souffle, mince et rayonnante, dotée d'une puissance et d'une autorité qui ne peuvent être contestées. Elle revient sur la terre de son ancien cauchemar avec une seule et unique obsession : se venger avec une froide méthodité de tous ceux qui l'ont brisée, et faire payer à la ville entière le prix de son indifférence et de sa cruauté.

**Dez** Dezmond woke in a cold sweat. The ache in his heart was worse than ever before. It had been growing more intense over the past few weeks. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He didn't bother looking in the mirror, he knew what he would see. His face would be white and his eyes haunted with the need to find answers. Dezmond needed to know why he was being tormented in his dreams. He was never supposed to dream again. "I can't take this anymore." said Dezmond gloomily. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Ruby** Ruby couldn't focus in class, another night of tossing and turning. Seeing the flames consume her house. Hearing the screams as her family slowly died, knowing there was nothing she could do. It had been almost three years since the incident. The day she lost her family in the fire. She was the only one who wasn't in the house. And she relived that horror every night in her dreams. Though recently her nightmares felt different. More like a warning rather than a memory. "Rough night?" whispered Haven. Haven had been friends with Ruby since they were little kids. "Yeah, they started happening again." Ruby whispered back. They never really stopped. "Have you talked to anyone about it? Ruby, you can't keep it a secret forever." This is the same discussion they had just after the incident.

Cassidy was just an average, geeky girl, and a loner, who finally made a few friends during the start of her senior year, but was tragically sent to live on the other side of the world with her only known relative in Hampstead, North West London, when her father died from an odd animal attack during his hiking trip with some friends and her stepmother had just chosen that moment to disappear and left her with nothing. On her way to find her Aunt's place, she got lost and bumped into a strangely pale guy yet deadly beautiful who glared at her with utmost contempt the moment he laid his eyes on her. She was glad when she arrived at her Aunt's place and decided to forget about the weird guy she met. However, a few days after she started attending St. Claire Academy, a new student came and to her horror, it was the guy she had met who hated her before he even knew her, and to top it off, he was in her class too! Then, news came about the mysterious disappearances and deaths, especially of young girls just after the new guy; Caleb Scovell moved to the area. What will Cassidy do when wherever she goes, it seems like Caleb coincidentally is around too? Will she stay away from him when his piercing, icy, blue eyes compel her to go near him even if he looks dangerous?