Winter Short Story Competition

[Amelia Decessum]

It's time for your writing skills to shine!

Whether or not you're an expert in the art of short story-writing or a general novice, it doesn't really matter; this is an RPG site, and if you can make a post, you can certainly make a short story!

• You may only post one short story per person -- we can do an IP check, so don't think you can sneak around and use a different character to post another story.
  
• It must involve winter in some way! It can just talk about the season, be about an event (such as a festival), refer to blizzards and snowstorms... Just make sure that it's about winter.
  
• You must still follow the site rules; the story doesn't have to be about Harry Potter, of course, but don't post anything that's incredibly inappropriate -- be mindful of the younger viewers.
  
• This is a short story; don't post a paragraph, but please, don't write a novel!
  
• All entries will receive 10 points for their House (professors can choose with House or Houses to distribute the points). The winner will receive 50 points, whereas one runner up will receive 25 points.
  
• The winners will be determined by the members! That's right -- after the contest ends (1^st February) the members will vote! Keep in mind, however, that we know what characters belong to whom; if you vote on multiple characters, that would be entirely unfair and voting for the entries might have to be determined by the admins. Voting will be open for about one week after the contests ends; therefore, you have until 8^th February to decide a winner.

We (Salina, Evan, Sam-Sam, Chris) hope for a major turnout! Remember, we're all capable of writing something, and it's not about the best writer -- it's about the most creative.

[Dinah Mills]

I will get started on a short story. I will be using Maeve to do it though since she actually has a house. >_<

Just one question...where exactly do we post it?

[Amelia Decessum]

You post in this thread. And you still have quite some time, so don't rush through, aye? Have fun with it!

[Moki Kagawa]

A couple of questions:

A: If my story isn't about winter but mentions the characters freezing and it being extremely cold because it IS winter, does that qualify? Or does it have to be ABOUT winter?

B: Is this an IC contest? Or is this just write whatever comes to mind on a whim sorta thing? I have an idea if it's not an IC contest but otherwise I'll have to keep thinking.

[Amelia Decessum]

My apologies -- Salina didn't tell me she wasn't going to answer your questions, like she agreed. >

A) If they're freezing and it's extremely cold because of winter, then it involves winter, right?

B) The story doesn't have to be about Harry Potter, so no, this doesn't have to be an IC story.

[Maeve Campbell]

yikes... how short is a short story? I have four pages on a word processor. I will go ahead and post it and if you think it is too long let me know and I will delete. This to me is a short story...so sorry if I misunderstood.

[Maeve Campbell]

A Life to Live


I looked up into the viewer as it past my work station. The viewer showed people who looked unbelievably happy at doing their jobs. Huffing under my breath I couldn't believe it myself. Hence, the appellation, unbelievably happy. Who could be happy putting doohickeys on a doohopper. Ok ok so I knew it wasn't a doohickey or a doowhopper but that is how insignificant my job really is.

I am a line worker at the new FordChevrolet factory and while it is nice to get a job building the new transports for the colonies on Mars and Venus it still doesn't change the fact that we are putting doohickeys on doowhoppers. Sighing heavily I lay down the laser tool that aligns the small nuts that I have to tighten. Instantly my supervisor's viewer whips over to hover menacingly above my workstation.

"Nyla! Get back to work right now! You still have thirty minutes until your nutrient break." Her face is puce with anger, the change to earth gravity did not agree with her. The change in job apparently didn't agree with her either. Rolling my eyes I had to stifle a laugh as I heard the drone viewer whip over to 'her' office and start to lecture her about how happy workers are productive workers.

"If they want me happy, they'd let me go outside for my nutrient break." I muttered under my breath to my coworker, Jonn.

His eyes lit up mischievously. "Are you still excited about the lift on the Outside Ban? Seriously, the sky has got to be smoggy still and covered in grease. Not to mention the condition of the ground" He shuddered theatrically causing his golden brown locks to fall across his face. As he brushed them out of his face his green eyes twinkled merrily.

"Nyla, this is Earth we are talking about. Not some lovely paradise out of a book or like the Venus bubble domes. The place has been covered in smog for how many generations?"

I glare at him from under the short black fringe that I called my bangs. My black eyes glisten fiercely when I want them to, and believe me I wanted them too! " You know how long Jonn. The blasted viewers have told us how long ever since we were scrabblers." I used the epithet generally reserved for people who had more than the allocated one child that the government allowed. Those were the ones that were generally sent up to the space stations to work. Drones is how we referred to them when they grew up. However, when I looked back at my work station a drone is how I felt.

"I know as well as you that humans had to move into the bubble domes here on Earth shortly after World War Four in the 22nd century." I did some quick math in my head. "That would mean we have spent approximately two hundred years here in the domes." My eyes and cheeks grew fervent with excitement as I warmed to my lecture. "However, most scientists have claimed that this is more than sufficient time for the world to have recovered! The only reason scientists have not been allowed to go out is because the government," Here my voice lowered, "doesn't want to relinquish the control they have over us here in the domes."

Apparently, during my conversation I had not been paying much attention and my line had gotten backed up. Alarms started shrilling and little red lights blared. A drone viewer came over and recited in that bland polite tone I hated so much. "Worker ten dash forty A please resume your proper station. Worker ten dash forty A please resume your work station." Before it could repeat itself yet a third time I slipped a few nuts on haphazardly and zapped them into alignment with my tool. Jonn stifled laughter as we both got back to work. All good for him, he isn't the one to lose his nutrient break.

Finally, at long last! I was starving and tonight was the first night that our communities were allowed Beyond the Dome. I had earned the right to go out tonight with many of the others who were as curious as myself by working on our weekly rest day. We gathered in front of the scientific domes and tried to look past them at the huge double doors that were the only entrance and exit out of the huge community of domes that had developed over the centuries. I had always imagined this dome city, no more like world, to look like a monstrous groups of spiders. The massive dark domes with their solid hologram walls (the holograms were usually a bland blue sky to match the seventy degree 'weather' in the dome) would be the bodies of the spiders and the equally dark transport tunnels would be their legs. As I was lost inside my imagery I didn't notice when someone snuck up and pinched my side. Jumping about a foot I yelped loudly drawing censorious looks from everyone including the scientific personnel. Shooting a general apologetic look around I turned around ready to deliver a low voiced reprimand to stare directly into Jonn's laughing eyes. I turned my reprimand into a punch that rocked his solid frame.

"You jerk! I thought you weren't coming?" I raised my eyebrows at him as he nursed his side gingerly.

"I figured I would come and see what got you all in a bother. Personally, I think the domes are safer and overall nicer." He looked up then before I could respond and gave me a nudge. "It's time. Let's go."

I grabbed his hand and shoved and elbowed our way up to the front of the small crowd. Soon we were face to face with one of my mentors. Dr. Kilout. "Hey, Dr. Kilout!" I whispered excitedly.

She raised her pale eyebrows in response before moving close enough to whisper. "Wait till you see it, Nyla. I don't know if everything is ok or not. They are going to still let this group out but we're thinking we have to replace the ban." With these cryptic words she ushered Jonn and myself through the big double doors. We were issued Hazmat suits and big helmets.

I objected to the helmets, "I thought the air was cleared, that's why you are letting us out, right?" The masked men dressing us just shook their heads in sadness.

"Sorry m'dear. This might be the last group going out. Ever." His grey eyes looked sad behind the mask. He was obviously an old man but the depth of his sadness was strange to me. Shaking off the sudden melancholy that threatened to overwhelm me I allowed them to place the helmet over my dark curls.

Suddenly Jonn, myself, and two scientists stood in front of the huge doors alone and suited up. They were so big that I didn't even notice when they began to open up. Finally I realized the doors were opening and I began to edge towards the opening like bird about to take flight. One of the scientists reached out and grabbed my elbow.

"Wait, please." The voice was as bland as that of the drone viewers. I briefly wondered if this was a drone just somehow embodied in a suit next to me. "Now, you can go."

The impersonal hand released me and I stumbled towards the opening. I exited the dome for the first time in my life. Immediately I turned toward the dome as if to seek reassurance of my imagery, in the depths of my mind I knew it was because I wasn't quite ready to see the outside world. Somewhere in the primitiveness of my mind I knew I was scared. Scared that the sadness in their minds was right and we would never live Outside again.

My eyes widened at the sight of the domes. They were as dark and ugly as I imagined. Great blobs of dark plasteek as far as you could see. Grimacing in disgust I turned to face the outdoors. This time not only did my eyes widen so much I thought they would pop but my jaw dropped as well. Instead of green stuff called grass and flowering trees I saw white. White, blinding, white. It was soft, I toed the stuff with the foot of my suit. It seemed to cover everything. Most of the trees were dead. Just bare branches poking out of the white stuff falling form the sky. Oh and what a sky. It was covered with stars. I knew what these were. We studied them in case we could go someday to other colonies. Sighing in pleasure I returned my gaze to the scene in front of me. It seemed so stark, so bare. Yet somehow beneath that I realized I felt something else. A sense of peace and calm that invaded my body and mind. It may be bare and bleak. Yet, it was REAL.

I suddenly wanted to touch the white stuff, had the insane urge to pick some up and throw it at Jonn. Skip and run like a scrabbler who'd eaten a month's ration of sweetener. I stifled this urge but could not stop myself from lifting the helmet off my head. No one noticed. I lifted my head and allowed the soft flakes fall on my face as I stared at the skies. It was cold. I had never experienced cold yet somehow I knew that this is what it was. This shiver that started from shoulder blades down to my toes. I grinned and when I did one of the cold flakes hit my lips. Instinctively my tongue darted out and caught it. It was...nothing. Cold, wet, delightful!

I couldn't stop myself. I lifted my hands and slowly, as if in a dream, took off my hazmat suit. When I had it off the others snapped out of their daze. Jonn who had been so quiet up until now, suddenly freaked out.

"No, Nyla! You'll be contaminated! Don't you see? It's all dead! Nothing is growing and now you will die too!" Jonn collapsed in his suit sobbing as the scientists approached me cautiously.

One snapped into his com-unit. "Male worker has collapsed please send a retrieval team for him."

A retrieval robot was sent after Jonn as he sobbed and begged them to forget I had been out of my suit and let me back into 'safety'. I stared after him with horror written on my face and turned back to the scientists.

They approached me and I began to stutter in my own defense. "Don't you see? Nothing this -this pure! Could be dangerous. It's just not what you expected. Please believe me. There isn't anything wrong with this stuff!" My voice trailed off in disbelief as they removed their own helmets.

The one who had spoken in his com-unit smiled, the other man, who reminded me of a drone viewer just smirked a little.

The first one, whose name I later found out was Heath, spoke, "Ahh, Nyla. Kilout thought you would react just this way. She said you had a rather astounding ability to think you are always right." His smile took any sting out of the words and relaxed me a trifle.

The other man just stood there with a slight sneer on his face. "Hurry up, will you, Heath? The boy is bound to tell someone sooner or later."

I looked at Heath with the questions trying to burst out unspoken. He smiled again, "Listen Nyla. We don't have much time. I know you have questions but we just don't have time."

He moved a little closer, not realizing it I moved a step back. He chuckled before getting down to business. "Basically, this is our problem. This white stuff, which we scientists have discovered is called snow only happens occasionally on Earth during a season called winter. We didn't have much knowledge of it because propaganda by the government had hidden it from us for years." He began pacing back and forth and despite my fear I felt myself drawn into his explanation.

"Right now there is a political upheaval taking place. Those in power had wanted us to see if the Outside world was ready for us to move into. Some factions didn't want that though. There was a political coup last night and those factions gained control. We argued that we had already promised a community it could go and it would be demoralizing to not allow them out. They agreed, reluctantly. They do not want us to have contact Outside the domes because they know, as do we, that there are still a few communities outside who live quite happily in 'weather'. They are afraid that if we live Outside they won't have as much control over us."

The other man snorted. "They'd be right. Controlling little..."


"I thought you wanted me to explain, Gorje?" As the man nodded curtly, Heath continued, "That is why Dr. Kilout included you in the group to go out today. She had the feeling that you would do just as you did."

At this he broke off to smile. I could hear sounds from inside. It sounded like they were calming Jonn down. I shook with fear and yes, I admit it, excitement. I could almost predict what he was going to say next.

Heath spoke one last time this time low voiced and urgent, "We cannot allow you back in now that Jonn has seen you exposed. This works well for us though. You must go out in the Outside to find these communities. Lead them to the domes if you can and help us convince the government to let those of us who want to leave to leave. Let the Outside communities know the truth. We will say you died exposed to the cold and the government won't gainsay us though they know the truth since it will play right into their hands. Please go, Nyla." Heath pleaded with me through his eyes and even the Gorje nodded fervently.

I gave a curt nod in acquiescence to the plan but just had to ask one final question. "What about Jonn?" My voice faltered. We weren't in love, but there was definite feeling there.

Heath shook his head. "I'm sorry, the less people who know about this the better. He will be told you died shortly after he was retrieved."

Tears began to run down my face freezing in the cold air. "You ask a lot." I sniffed and straightened my shoulders. "You leave me no choice though. You did your work very well." I gave them my coldest glare, icing through their hazmat suits like my tears were icing on my face. "I'll return, if for no other reason to let Jonn know I'm still alive."

Turning from them I began to trudge through the forest, disappearing from sight just as the doors burst open and people spilled out of them to 'rescue' me. I could hear Jonn's voice ringing out through the clearing.

"No, Nyla! Where's her body?" His voice cried in despair.

I wondered how they would answer that question as I walked through the wintry forest. I knew the word now. A few ancient poems briefly mentioned this condition. I knew the most important thing was to stay warm until I had reached a dome...no wait they would be called towns Outside not domes.

After a few hours the forest began lightening up which made me feel better because a few times I had heard creatures just beyond my line of sight and it terrified me. As I entered a clearing my eyes widened. There were individual buildings gathered haphazardly in a circle in the clearing. Small scrabblers were playing a game with a ball and stopped to look at me. I stood there in the hazmat suit minus the helmet so though they were scared they knew I was at least human. One scrabbler, a boy by the look of him, ran off. Presumably to get an adult.

I was here. Outside. Finally, I would have a life to live. It would be hard but it would be mine, my choices, and my actions dictating my fate. I approached the adults who nodded cautiously at me. Some day I would go back. Some day once I learned about the Outside and it's people. Then Jonn and I could reunite and I could show him that this 'winter' wasn't so bad after all.

[Moki Kagawa]

Alright, I've got one too (mind you it's rather sad...). I didn't mean this to be depressing. It was supposed to be funny at first but then it kind of progressed into something different... so here is my story! (BTW, stole the title from one of my fave. songs.)

EDIT: Hahahaha! I just read Maeve's and I'm soooo amused because we both chose futuristic settings... I just read it now so I'm thoroughly intrigued at how that happened.

A Long December

What a pity she had never liked popsicles. Elise groaned theatrically in annoyance, a cloud of steam issued from her mouth as she did so. She observed it angrily, watching the pearly air spiral and dance before vanishing into nothingness. Never in her life could she remember being so cold. She was inside a deserted house, the doors and windows closed in the weakest of attempts to block out the weather, the temperature so low she could see her breath. She was starving, too; it was for this reason that she had ventured into the five-degree kitchen in the first place, only to find most of the food inedible due to what looked suspiciously like freezer burn.

This was not her house – oh, far from it, Elise couldn’t remember the last time she had had a home of her own. No, this was… somebody’s place, but they hadn’t been here in quite awhile. The furniture was weathered, literally, the once-fine leather of the couches now cracked with ice, the wood of the kitchen table peeling and brittle. She had entered this place for one reason only – refuge from the cold outside that had driven away this house’s owners. She recalled back to how this had all happened – the bitter weather in this once-warm place, her own misfortune, as well as that of thousands upon thousands of others who had lost everything. It was only… could it be that it was just a year ago now that everything had changed?

She had been happy once – she had had a family and a job and a life. She remembered that day like it were yesterday – no, she would never forget the horror with which she watched as the world fell apart. For years, politicians had blathered on and on about the growing nuclear threat from enemy nations. Warnings became like white noise; ever-present and irrelevant to everyday life. Yet that day, as she watched the explosions on the television, she saw the danger she had pushed out of her mind destroying her world. She had watched millions die, believing it was only a matter of time until she joined them. And the sky turned black, blocking out the sun. It was nuclear winter, and the end of the world. Elise had survived.

She scowled, picking up what appeared to be an ice-encrusted banana. Maybe that would be okay… after all, it had a peel, so maybe the inside would be decent. She split the peel in two with effort, the cold rendering her bare fingers almost useless. The ice cracked and broke off at the action. She examined the fruit. It looked alright, but Elise knew it had been tainted by the evil demon cold. A desperate hunger drove her to attempt to eat it anyway. With a shrug, she sunk her teeth into the banana and was immediately struck by a very cold, then painful sensation. “Yaaaah!” she screeched, disengaging her teeth from the very frozen banana interior. “Damn sensitive teeth!” Elise slapped a hand over her mouth in a useless reflex to alleviate the cold. The feeling gradually subsided, leaving her angrier and subsequently hungrier than before. She cursed violently, stalking over to a pantry filled with undoubtedly frozen food. “Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘frozen dinner,’” she humorlessly remarked with a shiver, eyes roving over the contents, finding absolutely nothing. She wasn’t being picky. She couldn’t eat any of it. She was sick of eating ice when she was already frozen inside. Elise kicked the cupboard in anger with a strength she didn’t know she possessed. She screamed in frustration, then sunk to the chilled ground, worn-out.

This is it, Elise thought. I’m going to die here. For some reason, the thought brought her a feeling of comfort she hadn’t known since winter seized this place. This was the end. She wouldn’t go back to City Hall, where a hundred other starving “survivors” were huddling together around a fire to stay alive another day. She no longer wanted to live. It was gone, everything was gone, but soon it wouldn’t matter. Soon she wouldn’t feel this chill that never left her bones, the cold so deep she believed the fire of hell itself couldn’t warm. She curled into a ball, rocking back in forth. Thoughts raced through her mind – she could still save herself – but the thought of tomorrow only sent a feeling of anxiety and hopelessness through her body that settled in a deep pit at the bottom of her stomach. She didn’t want to face tomorrow, and the longer she sat, the colder she became. This is my last chance, she realized, and a mad smile stretched across her face, her hollow eyes wild with desperation. She wanted to go.

Elise didn’t move, letting the cold take her, bony limbs locking together in a last attempt at warmth. She was beginning to freeze, her skin slowly turning blue before her eyes. Her body shook violently. She knew it was only a matter of time. As the moments progressed, she began to feel sleepy, a numbness settling over her body. Her breathing slowed, her eyelids feeling weighted down. She thought of her family. “I-I’m c-c-coming,” Elise whispered, her lips cracking upward with her last effort. She closed her eyes, never to open them again.

[Maeve Campbell]

Wow! That is a great story Moki! Extreme feelings there.

That is weird how we both chose futuristic settings, though. Great minds, eh? ^_^

[Moki Kagawa]

Thanks, I like yours a lot too! It amused me, like zomg snow aaah it will kill us! Hehehe. And yeah, it's 'cause we're geniuses