Horror Writing Contest 2023

"I'm not the hero in your fairytale , songbird. You'd do best to remember that." I've been ripped from my life and given to a criminal the whole city fears by my father and only man I trusted in the world as a debt repayment with blames of crimes I never committed! He has 2 rules for me. 1) Obey him. 2) Tell no one ANYTHING about him. And then I ran into a aviary of freedom thinking I will be free ,only you can't be free once you enter a Mafia's life. I ran into his enemy and lived a horror worst than death . For a long time that felt like an eternity Until he returns. Until Zander king returns like an inevitable storm and tips my chin up and again life takes another turn. My downfall has a name , Zander ! -------------------------------------- I should have known she would ruin me the moment I saw her. Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t let her go though. Given to me in a war ,to begin a war ; I was too eager to accept. But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. I didn't know she would change everything. She sees through me in a way no one else ever has. Her innocence and vulnerability make me weak for her and I despise it. I know better than to give in to temptation of femininity. A ruthless man doesn’t let a soul like her, close to him. A cold-hearted man doesn't let a little bird twist his decisions. A powerful man with a beautiful woman at his mercy… he doesn’t fall for her. But ! My downfall has a name ,Jasmine !

Iris is a 21-year-old independent orphan human girl who runs her late grandfather's antique shop alone. One day when she was cleaning her shop, she stumbled upon a painting which was a gift to her by her grandfather. Accidentally she slips her foot on a rag and falls on the painting. To her horror, instead of falling on the painting, she fell into it. Eros is the king of the were kingdom. Everyone in his kingdom is werewolves. It is a world where a woman should be with a man for protection. Men tend to take single women without any protection for granted and they will take advantage of them. When Iris woke up in a strange world where women wear sarongs and men shift into werewolves when they get angry. When a man tries to touch Iris, she slapped him and kicked him between his legs. She didn't know it is a sin if a woman raise her hand upon a man. So she was arrested and taken to the royal court for punishment. When Eros saw her, he thought she came with ulterior motives. He hates humans since a human killed his father. When he learns that she dosen't have a master, he begins to misunderstand her and treat her badly. She loses her virginity, she is forced to serve as a maid to his fiancee, who tortures Iris. When he learns that she really came from another world, he decides to keep her with him permanently. But she hates him for what he did. But he is already addicted to her. She refuses to become one of his concubines in his harem. Will he marry his fiancee? Can she ever forgive him? Will she ever go back? What happens if she learns that this is her destiny?

Billionaire Adi Grenier has silently loved the girl since he was a young teenager. But due to the secrets that he had to burden in his early twenties, he never thought of pursuing her watching her from afar. And so he can only look on as she goes from a happy girl to a woman whose eyes only hold sadness. Now, he has finally settled all the matters that stopped him from pursuing her and so, he is going to cross every obstacle that stops him from getting her… But what he has not expected is that the person he has to fight is none other than the woman of his heart. Faith Heming is not going to risk her heart again.The walls around her heart are not going to be broken down. Not even by the one man who has always held her heart. Excerpt: Allie walked over to the couple, "You really are something, Faith. I need to know your secret.” Faith asked curiously, "Secret?” Allie sipped from her glass with a smile before she continued, "Hmm. You have three lovers. Your ex-husband still dotes on you and is ready to protect you. Your sugar baby is always following you around like a dog wagging its tail and Adi is not even ashamed of having you on his arm." Adi stiffened at the insult ready to defend her when Faith silently gestured to him and smiled lazily,"Why, it's the se* of course, Allie. You counted my ex-husband, my boy toy, my eye candy but I also have a female partner." As the woman frowned in horror, Adi Grenier could only sip his wine to stop his laughter from escaping… Finally, Allie stomped her foot and glared at Adi, "How can you even be with HER?"

I'm writing a sequel for From Hell to Heaven. Standalone Book. It's called LOVE LIKE HEAVEN! Prologue "You're are right Divya. I'm a playboy," Daksh said and stood up in front of me. "Now I will show you what Playboy can do," Daksh said and pulled my waist and grabbed my face with his other hand to move our body closer to him. "Lea....ve me Dak - he didn't let me to finish my sentence, because he forcefully pressed his hard lips on my lips. He was angry and rough. He is punishing me with his harsh kiss. I tried to push him back, but he stood on his ground. Then, he pushed me back down on the bed, pinning my hands above my head with his one hand and squeezed my breast painfully. I whimper because of his painfully torture. I never thought he would misbehave with me. I loved him, but that doesn't mean any woman can allow this forced. I try to push him away, but he didn't budge. So I bit his tongue hard. He immediately loosens his gripped on my wrist. Smack Yes, I slapped him hard across his face. Guilt washed over his face. I know I made a mistake by accusing him. But he doesn't have any rights to touch me or misbehaved with me. "I hate you Jerk" I said venomously. I stood up and ran away covering my mouth and tears flowing under my eyes as I ran far from him. Let's see their journey of how Daksh and Divya fall for each other. They are opposite to each other, but attracted by each other like magnets.

(Bxb) Eric Valence thought finding a job as an editor for a well-known author named Draven H. Malcolm was the beginning of his writing career. He had no idea that it would also be the beginning of his love story. *** "You're so clueless, it bothers me." He frowned, "What does that mean-" "You never wondered why I gave you all the best things on my floor - the closest desk, drinks from my office, my newest project. I even went to your house and picked you up to make sure you weren't late." "My portfoli-" "There are twenty three others with the same experience as yours, that was an excuse," he admitted, peering into Eric's eyes and daring him to look away. Eric didn't. Draven sighed, "The reason I got mad that day..." he paused for a moment, hesitating again but deciding to let it all out, "the reason I got mad is because I heard you kissed Jason, which I wasn't too pleased about but then seeing you and Justin together..." He never finished his sentence, and Eric raised an eyebrow, "What about Justin and I?" "I feel like you're doing this on purpose," Draven chuckled, examining Eric's confused face. "I'm not sure what you're talking about-" "I like you," Draven said clearly with his entire diaphragm, expression it as loud as he could for Eric to understand. Eric felt his throat squeeze itself shut, no oxygen coming in or out. "I like you, a lot more than I thought, Eric," he breathed. Eric was unable to believe it, shook his head and looked away for moment, before meeting his gaze again. "Why me?" he asked quietly. Draven shrugged his shoulders, eyeing Eric with adoration and admiration, "I'm not sure either, but I want you to be mine."

I was already halfway across the room before I knew what I was doing. What kind of people had she been surrounding herself with if she thought that she wasn't attractive? Hell, she was gorgeous, delicious, downright perfect in every way. I needed to show her what I saw. What she was in my eyes. I couldn't help myself. I had Genevieve up against the wall in a blink of an eye, a growl escaping my throat and mixing with her surprised gasp. Her hands still clung to the robe, trying to make herself seem smaller. I slipped one hand underneath, along her collarbone, while the other slid along her neck, to the back of her head where I gripped her loose bun and pulled it taught. "Babygirl, you're more than just attractive. You have my c*ck aching every time I set my eyes on you.” My voice was a distorted growl, but I know she understood every word I said. I leaned my body in against hers to accentuate my point, and Genevieve's adorable mouth widened with a surprised gasp. I took that opportunity to claim what I'd been dreaming off since the moment I set my eyes on her. I dipped my head and locked my lips on hers, and realized in that sweet, blissful moment, that I had f*cked up. *** Genevieve Blake was a well-known, erotic romance author. She enjoyed meeting her fans and writing stories that made even her blush. What she hadn't planned on, though, was for a stalker to come out from the shadows and threaten her life. When the police can't do anything, she turns to Grim Security to protect her against the deranged lunatic. But who's going to protect her heart, and her body, from the intensity of Raphael Bard?

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.

Sage Casey Ember-Brooks, who goes by Casey, is a fast-food worker and aspiring fantasy novelist whose ordinary life crumbles when mysterious strangers ask cryptic questions about her dragon series. Her recurring dreams of golden coins suddenly make terrifying sense when Marcus Chen—a businessman with eyes that flash gold—reveals that dragons are real, living hidden among humans for centuries. Casey's unnaturally accurate fantasy writing stems from awakening genetic memories. She's a rare "Convergence" bloodline capable of harmonising opposing elemental forces. The revelation comes at a critical time: a new cryptocurrency called DragonCoin, featuring symbols identical to her dreams, creates magical interference that weakens concealment spells protecting dragon society. At the Crossroads shopping complex where she works, disruptions cause dragons to flicker between human and true forms in full view of witnesses. Caught between Marcus (a traditionalist who wants to hide her with the Dragon Council) and the enigmatic Xaihuang (who advocates ending the masquerade entirely), Casey discovers an underground chamber housing ancient dragon artifacts. When she touches a magical coin, visions reveal three futures: chaotic revelation leading to war, continued concealment resulting in magical extinction, or a mysterious third path of integration. Casey realises DragonCoin wasn't created to expose dragons, but by another awakening hybrid like herself—someone in Seattle whose unconscious dragon heritage channels ancient power through modern technology. As magical concealment fails worldwide and dragons begin manifesting publicly, Casey must race across the country to find this unknown programmer before the interference between magic and technology tears reality apart. The story explores themes of identity, integration versus assimilation, and the collision between ancient power and digital-age innovation. With her awakening abilities growing stronger and the masquerade crumbling around her, Casey faces a choice that will determine her fate and the future relationship between the hidden magical world and human civilisation.

Victoria, "Tori", a young lady fresh out of nursing school landed her dream job at the prestigious Hidden Falls Medical Center. Her boss asks her if she would work at a home with a young man injured in a house fire. When she learns he is the next Alpha to the Hidden Falls Pack and all of her fears and anxiety returns. Memories of her mother taking her away from her father, an Alpha himself, due to infidelities and growing up with twisted horror stories of werewolves told by her mother just to keep her away from her father. Learning at a young age that she has a Genesis wolf, or healer wolf, but unable to shift, she decided to use her abilities to help others. Little does she know that her father has been searching for his little girl for seventeen years. After looking for her in every town, city, and even a few other packs, his Beta, Victor, and his Gamma, Eric, have stumbled upon her by sheer chance. Having known Tori when she was a little girl, Victor is excited and impatient to find her and bring her home. He is so close until he learns from Eric, who happens to be Tori's best friend's fiancé and mate, that she will be going to another pack, just out of reach. As her friend comes along to the pack as her assistant, she works with the injured Alpha, who turns out to be her fated mate, but later rejects her, she learns more about her abilities, and the power she possesses, and desired by the greedy Alpha who will stop at nothing to have her, even after rejecting her. But a second chance mate is ultimately her savior and has been with her all along.

Prince Barlion Great was about to accept the throne from his father, King Viper Great by the time he reached of age. But the lack of responsibility in the Prince had dragged out his correlation for a decade. But when the second son came of age, Prince Barlion was given a last chance to prove himself that he was worthy of the crown. The only way Kind Viper could challenge his son was to make him do the one thing the Prince was repulsed of.... Commitment. so, the King proposed that he will take Frost Sorrow as his wife or, he can pass the throne down to his brother. Prince Barlion didn't want to marry the faceless woman who has unpleasant tales told about her through all the five kingdoms. But he wasn't about to give up the throne either. Frost Sorrow- the faceless girl- had never imagined that she would be betrothed to the future king of Gold land Kingdom. Counting the seconds until the illness would finally take her had been the only thing she knew. A husband and a family were never written in the starts for her. But her parents had taken this opportunity to give her hand to the future king, where she'd be safe, while they travel beyond the five Kingdoms and searched for a healer. Frost didn't want to take a husband. She didn't want to leave the comforts of her home. But she would never defy her parents, and her parents would never defy the king. Prince Barlion doesn't want a faceless wife with enough rumors to fill a horror story. He doesn't want a wife, period. All he needed to do is stand the woman until he gets the throne. After that, all he has to do is...drive her away.