Horror Writing Contest 2023 Novels & Stories

**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.

In the final stages of a terminal illness, my family abandoned me and threw me into a horror game. [Another one here to die. I bet she won't last the first night.] [Just listen to that cough. I'm scared she'll die right inside my phone.] On the first night, the head nurse made her rounds, prepared to execute any player whose heartbeat was abnormal. My heartbeat remained steady only because my body was too weak to fluctuate—and I even helped her sew up the tear in her uniform. "Miss, your clothes are torn. You'll get cold. If I mend it for you, you won't be cold anymore." On the second night, the surgeon swung his scalpel, determined to cut away anything imperfect. I handed him a wrist guard I'd made myself, watching his trembling hands. "Doctor, your talent shouldn't be buried by pain." … On the final day, the ultimate Boss gave me a choice: leave with a healthy body, or stay and perish with these strange beings. Back in the real world, the parents who had abandoned me were suddenly in tears, begging me to come home and split the money. I smiled and said to the creatures inside the instance, "I choose to trade my life… for a home for all of you." The next second, a burst of golden light erupted from the system. [Congratulations, player. You have triggered the one and only hidden ending—Divine Redemption.]

Lendon Martin was a renowned Duke of England. It said that he would lead world politics and business in the future. Everything was served to him on a silver platter, and his noble status was feared by many. His ruthless and cold temperament made everyone shivered, yet a dark secret lies on his deceiving look. For many years he suffered a series of attacks, and his body has been deteriorating. Kendra stumbled on his way, and he treated her like his possession. He gave passion yet caged her. One full moon night changed their lives together. “What is that smell?” The man suddenly got close to Kendra’s neck and whispered. He smelt Kendra’s body carefully. He had never smelt this fragrance before. It was not like the smell of rose or lily, but he was attracted. Who was this girl? How did she dare to come here on a full moon night? Wasn’t she afraid of death? The man stared at Kendra and wondered. Kendra moved back in horror, but the man kept coming to her. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” The man's voice came again. When the man opened his mouth to speak, Kendra thought he wanted to eat her alive. “Don’t come here! I…I just happened to come across.” she hurriedly retorted. “What a coincidence!” The man sneered. The next moment, the man rushed to Kendra and pushed her down.

On my wedding day, my sister was drugged by my fiancé's best friend and viciously assaulted by a group of groomsmen. When she came to, the shame and horror drove her to leap to her death, her broken body crumpling at my feet. Herbert Brady shielded my eyes from the grisly sight, vowing to make things right. But when the truth came out that Lori Reilly was behind it, he smashed my phone to keep me from calling the police. Lori shrugged with mock innocence. "The guys were just messing around. So what if they tore her clothes off? I've been half-naked around them plenty of times. Why was she so fragile?" She slung her arm around Herbert's neck, whining, "I told you not to marry some broke nobody. Poor people have such brittle pride. Look at the mess Mona has made." When I demanded justice, Herbert stayed cool, sliding a Centurion card across the table. "Ten million dollars. Enough to buy your silence? Lori is one of us, part of the city's elite inner circle. Push your luck, and you're making enemies of everyone who runs this town. Come on, it was just a wedding prank gone wrong." I seized the car and snapped it like a twig. Ten million dollars? To buy the life of the Woodard family's cherished heiress?

"Don't make me do this, Iris." The muscles in his arms tensed a kilowatt as he clenched his fists into a tight ball. I could feel the primal strength they exuded, and the slutty urge to be subdued roughly by them simmered between the cream of my lower lips. I slammed my lips roughly against his, drawing in a long noisy kiss to make his shaft budge against my lower abdomen. "Show no mercy." Iris Sawyer was forced to navigate her path through a supernatural world of angst and brute force. Stuck between a protracted pack war, she soon realized her survival depended on the side she took, or to use correctly, the kiss she accepted. In her quest to find an escape from the emotional turmoil of losing her parents at a tender age, she met Gustav, the Alpha from the Grey Moon Pack, who was mated to her by the Moon Goddess. Hell was a mild euphemism to describe the horror she met at the Grey Moon Pack. But as fate would redirect her steps, she met with the charming Lycan king from Crescent pack, Ludovic, Gustav's worst enemy. Gustav and Ludovic happen to be caught in a dark web of hatred for each other, and Iris was beginning to be another bone of contention between them. Will Iris be able to follow her heart and roost where it feels more secure? Will she be able to stand strong as she finds answers to all the questions plaguing her mind? Will love prevail in the end, or will blood settle the score?

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?

DUA AGHA KHAN. Dua agha Khan is a 28 year old woman trying to make her way through the judging gazes of people around her, being mute and divorced in a Desi society, she was gifted with criticism, harassment and Unhealed trauma. Her passion was writing began when she lost her voice admist the hustle of her haunting past and she had never felt more lucky to have become one of the finest writer out there. Escaping an abusive marriage was a hard task that almost cost her, her life. Surviving as a mute girl in the society she is met with yet problem of being arranged for a second marriage. It wasn’t something that she wanted, it wasn’t something that she would’ve probably looked forward to but it was happening. Not having the courage to say no she’soff to another ride of what seemed like an endless tunnel of darkness for her. RAZA SHOAIB Raza Shoaib is a 32 year old man with a serious personality. He doesn’t like getting involved in much and like to stay in his own boundaries. After having his fiancée cheat on him and run away a day before their wedding the image of loyal women had been ruined in his mind. He wasn’t looking forward to get settled and was happy living the life of an infamous playboy when his father arranges his marriage with the daughter of his Best friend. The girl he never approved of, having his father constantly on his tail with sharp glares and words he says yes to the proposal but with an intention to bring hell upon the woman’s life.

Luke Walter is the owner of the biggest writing company in the whole world while Anna Mines is a young innocent girl trying to make ends meet. Luke Walter turned into a chronic womanizer and kinda drunkard after the death of his first love whom he cherished and loved so much. After Anna Mines had worked tirelessly as a laundry attendant, she eventually goes into prostitution so that she could fend for her siblings. There, she had a normal one night stand with a random customer and discovered that she was pregnant for the man. The aftermath effect was hell for her because it was shameful and traumatic for her to undergo parenthood alone without a partner. Although, a whole lotta people encouraged her to abort the baby, she persistently disagreed and decided to keep her baby. Luke Walter was very unlucky and unfortunate after his usual night one-off sexual escapades because he was so drunk and got into a terrible accident that affected his spinal cord thereby rendering him impotent and unable to bear children again in life. He was left shattered and heart broken. The news of the accident was all over the press and the friend of the Anna came to tell her about it. Her friend brought out her phone and showed her the life videos and pictures of the rich billionaire. She burst into tears because she couldn't believe that her baby daddy was the richest young man in the whole of their country. She never actually wanted to own up that she was the mother to Luke Walter's son. Do you think Anna would eventually begin another phase of life with Luke?

Catherine Zoe Aragon was born with a silver spoon. She was one of the princesses of the Aragon Empire, envied by everyone, but unlike what they see in public, no one but the sisters knew the hardships they were put through to maintain their family's reputation. After years of putting up with all the rules and restrictions, she finally had enough. Cath was determined to leave her life behind and start anew, doing the thing that she loves, writing stories and drawing. She cut ties with her family except for her younger sister, leaving all the perks, wealth, and glamour that she was accustomed to all of her life. Eventually, she became a successful comic book editor, hiding the gravity of her last name. She was living her life the way she wanted to and it was wonderful, except for one thing, her creepy pervert boss. Luckily, he finally got his karma and was let go and that's when she met Mr. Gavin Mitchel, her new boss. Gavin came from the world that she escaped from a few years ago. He was a man trying to heal his broken heart by putting all of his time and attention to his work after a brutal break-up with his ex-fiance. When, or if they fall in love could they accept each other's pasts and baggage? What would they do with their pasts hunting them? Could their love conquer it all? Love triangles, family drama, friendship, and office romances... Would they get through it all? Fate might have planned a love story for you, but no one said that it was flowers and rainbows.

Sydney Soriano is a daughter that every parent would dream to be their child — responsible, caring, intelligent, kind, and everything you can ask for. Her carefree life ended after an incident that changes her life forever. Her mom suffered from a stroke, which puts Sydney in a complex situation that leads her to drop out of school and take all the responsibilities as the eldest sibling. Then she met Tycen in an online dating app called “Tinder," they spent 3 months talking through the app until they decided to exchange Facebook accounts. He helped her adjust to her new life, persuade her to go back to school, and pursue her passion which is writing, but Sydney didn’t know that she would fall for him, and little by little, Tycen fall for someone else. The time she was ready to confess her feelings for Tycen, Tycen introduced his new girl. She decided not to confess and root for his happiness and cut ties with him. Months passed she met Hade — the desperate rich ghost beside her bookshelf. He proposes a good deal with Sydney and will do everything to repay her kindness if she helps him return to his body. As she begins her investigation about Hade together with Jarred. Everything seems to bring her back to Tycen. She unveiled a story that throws everything she believed into question. And now Sydney is ready to face everything without running away. She's ready to take risks to see wherever it leads her.