Writer’s Workshop Submissions. Cycle 2, Week 4 - FINALS

Here we are for the final round of this cycle’s Writer’s Workshop, and the theme for this week, thanks to @Geoffers747, is What happens when night falls.

Please note, this round is only open to our previous weeks winners: @Smokestacks, @PDanford, @blackArcher52, @CableX17 and @Atralane.

Just to go over the rules once more:

  • You can only submit one story. Given that this is the final round, we’ve bumped up the word count - we’re asking for submissions to be no more than 500 words. A slight overage is allowed. :wink:

  • Vote for as many stories as you want - simply ‘like’ the associated post by clicking the heart at the bottom of the submission.

  • Keep all discussion of this week over here, as anything in this thread that isn’t a story will be moved or deleted.

Story submissions will close on Wednesday September 4th.

Please also note: the next cycle will be introducing some changes to the overall competition.

Good luck to our finalists! :smiley:

The night is ours, and ours alone.

In the dark, we are strong
With nights fall, we awake
Silently we arise, shaking from our napes the last light of day

The shadows light our eyes
The moon heeds our call
Our strength is in our brethren. In the weakness of our prey

In the night we hunt
In the night we live
The night is ours, and we are hers

We are what comes out at night
You are right to be scared
We are the monster you fear

In our blood curdling cry is night
In our terrifying fangs are the shadows
In the light of our unblinking eyes is the darkness of your dreams

We are not alone
We are not few
We are legion. We are the night

And I, I am Alpha
I am the howl that turns your head
The warning when it is far too late, when all hope is already lost

The night is ours, and ours alone.

4 Likes

Guardians of the Lunar Realm:
A Liylian Account of Life and Living to Tell It

A pair of guards looked off the side of the recently restored lookout tower. The first, Tobias, shifted his buckler and sword on his shoulder. The second, a slightly taller, lankier, and paler man named Cory, leaned with his spear against the side of one of the tower’s crenels.

Tobias: “It’s almost time.”
He let out a sigh.

Cory: “You nervous about tonight?”

Tobias: “‘Course I am. We’re stretched pretty thin, what with the shortage of soldiers. But we need those extra resources, and we’re just going to have to risk it at night to meet demands for now. I just hope us in the Schwartz Taskforce’s going to be enough to protect the harvest team out there.”

Cory: “Don’t worry, we’ve got it. Ah, the night watch is here.”

As the new soldiers took their post, Tobias and Cory met with the rest of the Taskforce, as well as the leader of the civilians, an herbalist by the name of Lewis. The last trickle of twilight began to fade as the group lit their torches.

Lewis: “As much as I hate to say, the place we need to head is the woods to the east.”

That’s bad, Cory thought. If it were the plains, we’d still have some visibility, but in the thick of the woods…

The group made quick pace, but it was obvious the villagers weren’t used to the late hours. They were slower, groggy, and had trouble seeing as far as the rested Taskforce could.

The group came to a modest clearing, where the gatherers began pulling herbs and foodstuffs.

Lewis: “These herbs make for a good antiseptic—medical supplies have been thin back in Liyl.”

“Just don’t eat them or you’ll throw up,” another villager added.

Tobias and Cory, meanwhile, separated from the group, scouting in the undergrowth around the clearing. It looked too exposed for their liking—someone could attack at any time.

Cory stopped. “Look,” he whispered.

Tobias saw it. It was a bit farther back, but they saw the orange glow of fire—a camp. “Goblins.”

Cory: “The same clan we squished the chief from?”

Tobias: “Yeah…they’re still not the happiest lot. It’s definitely a raiding band, and I’m seeing archers. We’d better move out of this area soon.”

The villagers were exhausted, so a portion of the soldiers took their loads to help the pack move faster. Much longer, and people would need to be carried. As they wandered through the woods, an eerie mist settled. Noises began to be heard in the distance.

Cory: “Please don’t tell me…”

Tobias: “—Yep. It’s zombies.”

The first corpse sprang from behind a tree, only to be walloped with Tobias’ buckler and roll down a hill. By the next, the group was sprinting full speed towards the outskirts of Liyl.

Cory: “Lewis, get the villagers inside with the provisions! We’ve got this!”

It wasn’t the Schwartz Taskforce’s first escapade—and certainly not the last.

2 Likes

reminder: submissions close in a little over 48 hours… come on finalists… just one more week, and we get to start with a sparkly new cycle! :smile:

This night was special, not only because it was the night of the week when granddad and I went stargazing, but this time he was bringing along a surprise from the crafters workshop.
Its late autumn and most leaves already abandoned their trees, so we dress up nice and warm, my granddads face nearly vanishes inside his huge green shawl.

“Peter” he says to me, “do me a favour and carry this here please”, with this he produces a long package, wrapped in heavy cloth. Its not all too heavy when I take it and I am eager on opening it up right then and there.
“Not too long my boy, then you’ll see it, lets get going shall we?”

Its a tiny village we live in, only 5 houses all in all, just a woodcutters outpost named Rosewood, that supplies the greater city of Calmhaven lying a few miles further to the sea at a large bay of the sea of Greenocean.
My father works in the city as astronomer, but I am lucky because granddad teaches me everything he knows and remembers of the time when he was a city astronomer.
On clear nights I know my dad is looking at the same stars as we are and wonder if I would feel it if we look at the same star at the same time.

Off we go, its not a too long walk, we just have to get far enough away from the houses so their light does not impede our vision.
Lately we found a small mound, ideal to see nearly all of the starry firmament, its about a half hour walk and on our way we happily noticed that the sky was totally free of clouds.

In the dark I can not run and jump as I would like to, but given that I don’t know for sure what the wrapped object I am carrying is, that might probably be for the better.
Granddad or old Nick how most people call him, slowly makes his way and finally we arrive, on the last steps when it gets a bit steeper I help granddad not to lose his step.

Eagerly I wait for granddad to catch his breath, our breath drawing white clouds into the cold air and finally he allows me to unwrap it.

Its beautiful, when I pull it to its whole length its sleek and looks just like I imagined it.
“Its yours now boy, looks a bit like your dads first even, but oh the crafters got so much better. Go ahead and try!”

This evening I learn that our job truly is to observe.
After 3 hours of watching the sky I spot 3 strangely fast moving dots.
When showing them to granddad he goes pale and mumbles something.

After he regained his composure he speaks to me with anxiety in his voice
"Peter, stay calm now. Run to Rosewood as fast as you can, take care not to fall.“
he sighs
"Tell them to dim all lights and be quiet - Dragons are coming to Calmhaven.”

3 Likes