Fortnightly Writing Competition! HURT

[Dualnames]

Theme: HURT

You have to write a story where someone/something is/will be/is about/has been hurt emotionally/psychologically/physically.

Rules:
-Random elements are allowed!
-No word limit!
-Horror/Comedy/Romance and Everything is allowed.

Started at 30th of May 2010.
Ends on 15th of June.

[Gravity]

Interesting. I may enter this if time allows, if only to help spark some interest into this competition again. Will edit this post later if I come up with anything. Peace.

[NsMn]

This is the first time I enter this.... I don't know if mine is Romance or Comedy - if it's Romance, it's Romance written stereotypically, if it's comedy, It's a really bad joke.


"Please, sweetheart", my shivering hands spelled out. "I love you, but..."
The ink blurred from the tears dropping from my face. I wiped them away, feeling the wrinkles on my forehead - wrinkles of sorrow, anger and concern.
I didn't know what else to write - then I felt the pain again. It was itching, burning and tearing all at the same time. "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HURT ME YOU" I stopped. 'You' what? Oh, what do I even care. Only if I'm honest to her I can win her back. "YOU WHORE!!"
My hand ached horribly as I made the period.


Then, I died -

Spoiler

from the blood loss of the wound she had cut me.

[close]

[/tt]

[Alan v.Drake]

-No word limit!

The will of the Cross

I gazed at the sky, the stars were watching down on me, silently judging me, but I didn't care. I turned my head and spit some blood on the ground, the taste of iron was permeating my mouth. I struggled to move my arms, but they felt too numb and heavy, but it didn't matter. I smiled with satisfaction.

I had just bought a present for my wife, and I was on the road home wondering what expression she would've made. The breeze was caressing my skin as I walked the path to the village. It was a beatiful day. That morning I had managed to strick a deal with a rich noble guy for the shipment of some of my woodworks, the man had recognized my talent and offered to buy them at high price and told me he would've come again to order more, I had never seen so much money in my life. That was why I decided to indulge myself in buying a little present for my wife, a shiny silver cross pendant with a beautiful topaz in the middle.
I opened the door, the smell of bread filled my nostrils.
"Stella, come here! I have a present for you." I said loudly.
Stella quickly entered the room, "You got home, dear!" she said with a smile on her face. Then she squeezed her eyes and asked "So, what about my present ?".
I took out the pendant from my pocket and put it around her neck.
She looked at it astonished. "This is beatiful!" she said with excitement as she stared at the topaz. Then she kissed me.
"It looks astonishing! Are you sure we can afford it ? I'll hate you if you were to sell it back..." she said with scowl on her face.
I smiled again. "Don't worry, honey. Today I acquired a big client who paid a small fortune for my wares, furthermore, he said me he'll be needing my services again soon... if everything goes right we may be able to move in the city." I said.
"Really ?!" exclamed Stella with stupor on her face.
"Yes" I replied, and kissed her back. Her long black hair smelled of bread, which remembered me, I was hungry.

We spent hours talking about our projects for the future and when we finished the sky had become dark. We were about to go to bed when someone started knocking at our door.
"I'll go see who it is" said Stella heading to the entrance. "I'm coming!" shouted Stella, in reply to the incessant knocks. I followed her to the main door, I was curious to see who was causing all this noise at such a late time.
As soon as she unlocked the door three man barged in. They carried a strong smell of alcohol, they were clearly drunk. The one in the middle was well dressed, and must have been a noble, he had short red hair curled behind, the other two were probably his guards. Stella got to my side staring at them with anxiety.
"Good evening, how may I help you ?" I asked keeping my distance from them.
The man in the middle grinned and said "I and my two friends here need some money, you see, to buy beer and entertrainment... would kindly lend us some, huh ?"
"What !?" I exclamed.
"Do I have to spell it ?! MONEY! Give me your money, you dirty peasant" he shouted and then burst into laughter joined by the other two.
The two men at his sides unsheated their swords "You heard the boss, you better give us your money..." they said with a rotten grin on their mouths.
My forehead turned sweaty, I had a really bad sensation. Stella was gripping tight on my arm, she was scared too.
"S-sure" I stammered. I reached my purse with the coins I had worked so hard to gain and give it them.
"That's all I have... p-please leave us alone" I asked hesitantly.
But the man was not done, he was staring at my wife. The pendant!
"Say, lady... what is a stupid poor bitch doing  with a jewel like that, you stole it didn't you ?" he said.
"No! It's mine ! It's a present!" she said trying to hide herself behind me.
The man with red hair moved a step toward us.
"I give you my money! Leave us alone now!" I shouted.
"Dont you dare give me orders PEASANT!" he said, punching me on the stomach. I fell on the ground, and tried to resist the pain. I felt like my lungs had collapsed, I hadn't breath... I couldn't speak.
He approached Stella. "Now... give it to me whore..." he said reaching his hand to strip her of the pendant.
She slapped him with force.
I felt a shiver run down my spine. The man stood still for a few seconds that seemed minutes to me. Then he laughed.
"Hey guys, this bitch needs to be taught a lesson in manners... hold her still... let's show these peasants why they shouldn't defy the will of those above them."
"No! No!!" she screamed as they stripped her gown away. I was scared but found the strength to launched myself on them, I couldn't let them do that to her. An acute pain came from around my stomach. I stopped, one of the two man had stabbed me, my jaw started trembling, a scarlet liquid started pouring from the wound. It all became blurry I think the man that stabbed me kicked me back, and it all turned to black.

When I came to my sense I immediately started coughing. What is this ?. A smell of burnt was corroding my nostrils. I opened my eyes.
"STELLA! STELLA !!" I screamed.
I looked around me, my vision was blurred, the room was shrouded in dazing fire. I coughed again and covered my mouth with my shirt. Then I saw her.
My heart stopped. Even though the fire was cracking, I heard nothing, even though the heat was burning, I felt coldness. My beloved stood there, motionless, the fire had started to consume her. At such sight I couldn't help but have my eyes cover in tears. It wasn't fair, it was not supposed to end like that. I screamed with all the air I had in body.
I looked at her again in despair, her beatiful black hair were being crippled by the flames, her pale skin turned to cinders, I looked away. Then aimed my sight at the pendant. Would have she lived hadn't I gotten it ? I stripped it from her dead body and hold it tight on my right hand. It was burning, but that pain was nothing. For what did she die ?
"I'll... I'll make them pay for what they did to you..." I whispered in tears.
A piece of roof collapsed and almost hit me, I had to get out of here. the entrance was on fire I couldn't get through it, I looked around for a possible exit, and I saw it but it was risky. I jumped through a window and rolled on the ground afterward to put out the flames. The wound on my chest made me shake in pain, but I stood up and walked away, only after almost fifty steps I turned around to see my life burn away in a pile of ashes. It was then I realized, my sorrow had become anger. I wanted revenge.
I stood in silence watching the flames cosuming all I loved, how could fate be so cruel ? It wasn't supposed to be like this!
I turned away and walked, walked till my sense faded.

I woke up screaming.
"Oh, so you're awake... You've been sleeping for two days... I almost thought there was no longer hope for you." said the old man getting approaching me.
"Where... where am I ?" I asked confused. I tried to move but a sharp pain like hundred blades piercing my abdomen hindred my attempt. "Ouch!".
"Don't move, you'll reopen the wound..." said the man keeping me still while inspecting my stomach. Then he continued "I found you laying in the grass two days ago. I treated the wound the best I could, you were lucky it didn't get infected."
I frowned as he medicated my wound.
"Mind if I ask you about how did you get into this state ? Were you assaulted by bandits" asked the old man.
I kept silent for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling with a void expression. "Yes... that's what happened." I lied. I didn't want those men to find out I was still alive, it was just better to let everyone think I was dead.
"What's your name ?" asked me the man.
I kept silent as I looked at my right hand, a red cross-shaped burn mark stood out in the middle of my palm, I could still feel it burning. I clenched my hand into a fist. "Call me Cross" I replied.



It was night. The wind was whispering me words I could not grasp. I kept still and waited. Faint footsteps started echoing in the distance, I hid myself in the dark alley waiting for the right time. One of the three men that had destroyed my life was about to face judgement. His name was Sighard, one of the two personal guards assigned to that rotten to the soul son of a noble, Eadric de Reymes. He was the worst of the scum, always forgiven of everything thanks to his father's influence. I had heard stories... I wasn't the only one to have suffered by his hand, there were others who were been deprived of all their savings, or even worse, that had their wife and daughters tainted by their depravity. And I can only wonder how many other that didn't live to tell their tale. I needed to find a way to breach into his defenses and catch him unguarded. And then have sending him into the scorching flames of hell as he deserved.
I hold my breath as the footsteps draw closer and closer, I caressed my blade. He was almost here, just a little more...
I saw him passing in front of me, my heart started beating loudly on my chest.
It was a matter of seconds. I slipped behind him, raised the blade and quickly stabbed his back three times  then took a step back. He stopped and emitted a few fainted whimpers. He tried to turn around but his legs had failed him, letting him fall on the side. An expression of terror and suprise was painted on his visage. He tried to scream but instead started coughing blood, I had perforated his lungs.
I observed him, as the life faded from his eyes, Sighard looked at me with tearful eyes as if he wanted to ask for forgiveness, but there was nothing to say for I had none. After a couple of minutes his body stopped trembling, he was dead. I crouched on him and took out a small knife from my pocket. I carved a cross on his forehead, this was my message. My hands were shaking and my head felt light. I stood up and ran away as quickly as I could, I had done it. Two more to go.

My heart was still pounding while I was running toward de Reymes' residence, I positioned myself on a wall shrouded by the shadows, then moved slowly along it till I reached a point where I had a good visual to the entrance gates and waited. The guards were patrolling the place. I kept waiting.
After about twenty or so minutes a city guard came running toward the house gates and spoke to the guards. I smiled, my plan was about to unfold.
Eadric came out confused and spoke to the city guard, his face turned pale. The guard must have informed him of his lackey's death. He then talked to his other footman, Zerach, and left with the gates guard, leaving the house unguarded.
His father's presence had been requested elsewhere, so he had left everything to the care of his son. It was the occasion I had been waiting for, without the father and his men it would've been a piece of cake to sneak in and coplete my plan. And there I was, aided by the darkness I entered the residence without causing any suspicion. I smiled again. Wait a little more Stella, for they won't get to see the light of the coming sun, I thought, gently grabbing the pendant on my neck.



"W-What the hell happened here ?" screamed Eadric at the sight of his man lying in a puddle of blood. His eyes were still open, frozen in shock, is mouth, covered in blood, was open wide as if in the act of screaming. But the only sound it could make was silence. His chest was drenched with dark blood, but what was more unsettling was that cross shaped cut on his forehead. Like if it had been some sort of punishment from the gods. Eadric suddendly felt overcome by a sense of nausea. Zerach too was staring with his eyes wide open , never had he expected to find his comrade in arms in such a state. He took out his sword and hit the nearby wall the hardest he could, he was angry, angry because his friend was dead. What would've happened now when the news spread ? Someone else might start thinking to fight back. No, he had to find out who did it, carve his eyes and tongue, and hang him on the rope for everyone to see.
They walked back to home.
"Don't let anyone pass!" ordered Eadric to the guards, then proceeded to his room. He needed to take a bath.
"Keep watch at this door, I have a bad feeling" said Eadric.
"Yes master." replied Zerach.
Entered the bathroom he filled the bath with water and got in. For some reason he couldn't shake the image of Sighard and that bloody cross carved on his forehead. He fell asleep.
A dry sound woke him up. "Zerach, what was that ?... Zerach ?" He got out the bath and redressed with haste. Then returned to the outer room. No signs of Zerach. Eadric took a sharp knife and proceeded to the corridor. It was empty but there was a door open on the near end. "Zerach are you there ?" asked Eadric, almost whispering. As he approached the room a strong smell invaded his nostril invaded his nostrils, something was burning. He ran to see what was going on inside. He peeked inside.
Zerach was sit on a chair watching in the direction of the burning flames. "Zerach what the hell are you doing !?" exclamed Eadric grabbing his shoulder. Zerach fell toward his master revealing a cut throat and a cross shaped cut on his forehead, his eyes were carved out.
"OH MY GOD!" he shouted and ran to the corridor. "GUARDS! GUARDS HELP ME!" he shouted again while running toward the exit door. But something was wrong, why was the door locked ? Eadric turned around, the terrace... he could've lowered from the terrace to the first floor and seek for help. He ran but as soon as he reached the terrace something caught his attention. A puddle of blood with something shiny lying on it, he got closer to inspect. A cross shaped pendant with a topaz.



He had gone just where I had predicted, this is it, the final act. I slipped behind him trying to be as silent as possible, ready to bring closure to his life of sins. I raised my blade to attack.
To my surprise he turned around quickly avoiding a fatal blow, still I landed a hit on his left arm, but then I felt it, a sharp pain on my chest, he had stabbed me with a small knife. But I didn't care anymore. I grinned as I grabbed his arm and hold it still with all my strength. "So this is all you got, huh ? I don't even feel it" I said euphoric. Then I wrapped my other hand around his neck without even giving him a chance to say a word. I kept strangling stronger and stronger, I heard his throat creak. I kept my hold for few minutes staring as his eyes where red spots started to appear. He stopped struggling. I felt my strength wane, I removed the knife from my chest, it didn't hurt, and I carved the last cross on his forehead. I had made it, the man who killed my beloved had found his way to the realms of hell. And then I wondered, what would've awaited me when my last breath was spent ? Would god have mercy of my soul ? I don't know, but still... I knew my heart was just.
I gazed at the sky, the stars were watching down on me, silently judging me, but I didn't care. I turned my head and spit some blood on the ground, the taste of iron was permeating my mouth. I struggled to move my arms, but they felt too numb and heavy, but it didn't matter. I smiled with satisfaction. And then my eyes got wet. The burden that had been weighing on my shoulders had been lifted.
"Stella..." I whispered.
She appeared to me, her beatiful long black hair caressing my face. "I'm here with you, dear" she said, then smiled me back.
I didn't care if it was just a dream. To me it felt more real than anything else.
I closed my eyes.



- Alan

[Galen]

It is too long; I didn't read it.

[Macay]

This is an attempt - attempt being the key word - of putting something together in the chaucerian spirit. It is a dialogue between a husband and his wife, back and forth in that order.

"Oh telleth me 'tis notte so,
Wendeth you do I darey notte let go!"

"Me harts and tars in loeth
Those men speak upon troeth!"

"Alas! A dastard woife to me ye hath beene
'Tis sword by me hand your hedde'll bringe."

"O tempora, O mores! What man are you to me,
Who wouldst bereave my deare hedde over jewelry!."

"'Tis notte but jewelry my spytefull deary
'Tis was the royel kind, of the King Henry Leary."

"Alone, Crown n' Scepter doth not the tale tell,
For you see, I have this, and Leary my weddin' bell."

Thus the man took his woifes hedde,
And fell to his sword and dethes bedde.

[Dataflashsabot]

(the following is rather disturbing)

Pain
I'm in a sunny meadow. It's a bright, sunny day. I'm free, free from all earthly worries. There's a light breeze, rippling through the grass. I'm with my wife and daughter. We lie down on the grass, and look up at the perfect sky. We're happy. No worries. No problems. No pain. No pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.

Pain.
I wake up in my cell, for the one hundred and nineteenth time. I'm weak, and beaten. There are two corpses nearby; I envy them. Every day, many times every day, I try to join them, but I'm always too weak.

The door of the cell opens. My masked captor enters. He unchains me, and slams a hand into my head, sending me sprawling to the floor, unable to breathe. He grabs my hand hard, cutting off circulation to it, and drags me from the cell.

For the sixteenth time, I'm in the torture chamber, tied to the table with crude cords that cut into my flesh.
Someone says something in a language I don't understand, and then I hear two people laughing uproariously.

From somewhere distant, I hear a woman screaming. It's suddenly muffled, but continues, even more panicked than before, accompanied by thuds. Then it stops.

There's silence for a long time. Then I feel a knife being plunged into my leg. Pure white agony flows through my veins. I can't think, can't hope, can't do anything, can't focus on anything but the pain. Then the knife is pulled out, but the wound continues to drench me in pain.

I remember a quote somebody somewhere once said about the body swelling until it takes up the whole universe. Maybe it was just some book actually, I don't know. It's true, really. My mind is unable to think of anything more important than my agony. Of course nothing actually matters anyway because we're just specks in the universe and whatever feelings some biological body is processing somewhere are completely irrelevant and in fact nothing is relevant because nothing matters and everything is just random cause and effect things and it's all just logic and random and sciencey and weird and what the fuck, I just want to fucking die, please, please please, "PLEASE KILL ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLE-"

I'm interrupted by a boot in the stomach, winding me. My bonds are removed with scissors. Needless to say, they slip and slash me in the hand, squirting blood. I am pulled upright. I know that I want this person to die, but I want to be dead even more. I have no energy.

I am led back to my cell.

[Oliwerko]

I got a shot at a sarcastical tone and had some great fun writing this. Thanks dual for a good topic! 

The Best Prank

Motto: "The evil that men do lives on and on."

I’m going to tell you about something that happened to me a long time ago. That, however, does not make it any less important, for it was an important lesson in my life that moved me a lot.

It was back in high school, when there was time for everything, fun was made out of everything and everyone was happily free-minded. In short, we all enjoyed life as it was and no problems were bothering us, so we had plenty of time to make our own.

I wasn’t extraordinarily handsome, rich or intelligent. I could classify myself as that boring average boy with ‘no interest in the world’. And so I lived my school life full of doing absolutely nothing while doing absolutely everything. I didn’t have many friends among schoolmates. There were the party animals getting drunk at least ten times a week and changing girlfriends every two days, then there were the study types not knowing what it’s like not to study, and of course the ‘alternative’ people, whom no one wanted to part with.

I belonged to neither of these groups and thus had no strong life ideology to share. But I didn’t mind. I was minding my own business, and from time to time I’ve gone out to celebrate whatever we thought was appropriate to celebrate, even when there was nothing to celebrate at all.

I minded my interests, had a few good friends and was averagely successful. That being said, I was the average of the average.

From the above it must be obvious that I didn’t look for friends in my schoolmates much. Most of them were nice to have around in school, and only in school. Any more social contact with them would be utterly redundant for I, along with my circle of friends, knew much more effective ways to waste our time.

Speaking of friends, I was never extremely popular around girls, either. Besides school there was virtually no place to meet new people and the girls at school were…well, most of them belonged either to the partying horde, or to the study horde. The little that was left was either taken up, or so distant from the mere average I was that it wasn’t even worth trying. But I didn’t mind (Didn’t I say that already?  In fact, there were very few things I minded in my life at that time). Not that I wasn’t interested, but as I said â€" it was either impossible, or impossible. So choosing either way was leading to a catastrophical failure followed by a few weeks of mental convalescence at best.

With this approach and few opportunities it never got far in any relationship, which was only natural and expectable in the given conditions. Then again, it was high school; we were young, dumb, and pretending drinking and sexual hyperactivity at every possible opportunity. The social success of a person was directly affected by the number of such opportunities that one was able to successfully turn into a bragging marathon of his or her, boasting of one’s whore adventures and vomit achievements.

The relationships I got into are not worth mentioning because they were both pointless and they sucked balls (not literally, that wouldn’t be that bad, would it?). But one case (or should it be two?) is surely worth mentioning.

As I’ve already said, there were a few girls I would have been interested in, if anything besides no contact with them was possible, because â€" these were the ones you don’t even dare to talk to. So I didn’t care. Years passed, and then things started to go weird.

With no reason, one of them started talking to me in the canteen. Not that I needed her to have a reason, it just seemed weird for a girl like her to go chat up someone so disgustingly average. A coincidence, I thought.

The next day we met in the corridor and talked for a good half hour. She even asked if I wanted to go to a party her friend was having that night. Sure, I had nothing to lose so I agreed. The whole thing seemed to stink a bit though. I felt that something was wrong, but I couldn’t get my hands on it.

A week has passed, we spent a considerable amount of time together, and I still didn’t understand it. I put exactly none effort in it, and she seemed to get hooked on me. Indeed, I thought it was weird. My friends considered me paranoid. They told me that I had become so insane that I can’t even recognize a girl having interest in me. Still, I wasn’t able to swallow the whole thing. It was too good to be true.

Anyway, the next week, an even weirder thing happened. Another girl I never spoke to began to hang around me. Not as often as the first one, true, but anyway, it was a bit strange. Nevertheless, at that time I thought my life has finally changed for better, less boring. And that was naturally something one can be only happy about. Let’s face it â€" being popular is flattering, no matter what the conditions are.

However, it was not as simple as I thought. The second girl also looked like she wanted to be more than a friend. I began to think I’m imagining things because of limited experience and rich fantasy my twisted mind was able to produce. But it wasn’t me, the others (I trusted) saw it the same.

Then it started to go rough. Both of them were great girls and despite I tried to overlook it, I had a decision to make. I couldn’t ‘part’ with both of them and pretend it’s normal. It’s not, and I had to decide. And that’s one hell of a challenge.

It may now sound as if I wasn’t emotionally moved, but these days were one of the hardest ones I have ever had. It took many sleepless nights when, sweating like a beast, my brain was operating at full capacity, yielding no results, as is naturally expected. Days went by, I spent time with both of them rather equally and the downward spiral of decisional insanity was starting to spin faster.

I spent many, many hours talking to close friends, discussing the matter at the utmost level of importance. Obviously, this isn’t a thing a friend can help you with. I had to decide on my own. I’m not going to elaborately explain all the little tiny things I considered when deciding. It’s only understandable that it was an extremely painful and slow process. But I had to come to a conclusion, no matter what.

And so I did, I didn’t know if it was the right decision but I had to make one and I did it. The plan was to get together with one of them so the other one would see what I’m up to. That way no painful explanations would have to be made.

Wrong.

Things fucked up right after. A friend called me and said he wanted to talk about it. He sounded as it was important, which made me uncomfortable a bit, because we already had discussed it before. So we met over a beer and he started talking. He said that he knows I don’t want to hear this, but it’s going to get wrong. He said that he heard from a girlfriend of his, who personally was a close friend of girls I was after, that it’s a prank. A bet, to be exact.

I couldn’t believe it. I finally thought things had turned for better and then this? All this terrorizing thoughts for nothing, leaving me with empty hands and in a state of total mindfuck?

As I got to know, the two girls were supposed to had bet who is going to seduce me faster, as I was supposed to be a target easy enough and isolated from their circle not to embarrass themselves in front of others. In short, they were supposed to have a little fun on my account. Nice, isn’t it?

I wanted to get it straight so I went straight to one the one I decided for the next day and asked if it was true. It was. I can’t tell what was stronger â€" embarrassment, anger, depression or plain insanity. I’ll remember it forever. She was standing there with that innocent face, with that ironic mild smile of victory, acting as if nothing serious happened. “You didn’t believe it was for real, did you?” â€" she said and chuckled in uttermost fun.

I turned around. I said nothing. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was going somewhere far, far away from anyone. I was outraged. More than that, I was disgusted. How could someone consider a thing like this funny? I never did have much fun with my schoolmates as I have previously mentioned, but I didn’t hate them. After this though, I was beginning to. Being so cruel with no reason whatsoever is something condemnable at least.

Moreover, they didn’t consider it even a tiny bit bad to do so. They had good fun, which was their primary goal.

It was painful, incredibly painful. I’ve lost a lot at once, but that was not the only thing that bothered me. It was the principle of the whole thing that was the worst. Two girls seducing a good-hearted boy making him do the hardest decision of his life turned to be nothing more than a prank. A fucking prank.


The worst thing was that despite in the corner of my mind I knew it all along, I overlooked it, doused this feeling and for a while I really believed it was all true. Obviously, it took me a very long time to get over and I became even less trusting than I was before, which didn’t help me either. But I don’t regret this had happened to me.

It was an important lesson. It made me discover a whole new dimension of fiendishness and evil that people do without thinking of how they can hurt others.

I learned that people can be so cynical. So wonderfully cynical.

[Atelier]

The Bear and the Beehive

In a forest of your own imagination was a bear, taking a stroll with his two closest companions: a squirrel and an owl.
After a while they stumbled upon a beehive overflowing with honey, which oozed like liquid gold over the comb. Inevitably, it was guarded by a cloud of vicious bees.
The bear gazed up at the hive and licked his lips. “I would so much like a taste of that delicious honey,” he told his friends, for bears have an almost insatiable sweet tooth.
Being good friends, both the squirrel and owl obliged, and began thinking of a plan to get the hive down. The squirrel, naturally agile of foot, was first to propose a solution.
“What we need,” he said, limbering up, “is somebody who can jump high enough to reach it.” Everybody held their breath as the squirrel prepared to jump.
WHOOSH! In a single bound, the squirrel cleared the ground and went soaring to the bough where the hive hung. His paw was a fur’s breadth away when…
“Ow, ow, OW!” cried the squirrel, and landed in a tangle on the ground. He sat up and shook himself â€" a bright red lump between his eyes. “I’ve been stung!”
“What we really need,” said the owl, naturally agile of mind, “is somebody with brains enough to reach it.”
The owl took a twig from the ground, and held it in his wing. Everybody held their breath as he steadied his aim.
WHOOSH! The stick whirled straight towards the beehive, and struck with amazing accuracy. “Timber!” they all cried, as the hive teetered and fell to the ground.
BONK! It landed right on the owl’s head. He staggered around in a daze; and by the time he’d recovered, the honey had already been snuffled up by his friend the bear.
As the sun sank below the hills, the three companions turned for home: the squirrel, wincing with his sting; the owl, nursing a nasty lump; and the bear, gorged on delicious golden honey.

Beware another’s greed.

[Oliwerko]

Well, since Dualnames' internet access is difficult, I'll be ending the competition for him.

That being said, today is the last day for your entries, so those who would like to participate have 'till tomorrow to submit theirs. Then the voting will start.

There are some great entries around, it'll be interesting 

[Dataflashsabot]

I was under the impression that it ended today, not tomorrow...

[Oliwerko]

Traditionally the dates are listed inclusive - that means it ends at midnight from today to tomorrow.

Okay, the deadline has passed, and that means only one thing:

Let's vote!

[Dataflashsabot]

Oliwerko gets my vote.

[Oliwerko]

NsMn - I liked it, but it could be a bit longer.

Alan v.Drake - a good concept, but there were some gaps in the story as well some grammar issues that spoilt the story.

Dataflashsabot - nice concept with the want to be dead more than you want your torturer dead.

Macay - That must have been hard!

AtelierGames - Nice story, I can't imagine how I could ever write something like this. Great moral in the end.


All in all, I give my vote to Dataflashsabot. Both the descriptions are believeable and the state of mind is expressed very believably too. Doing something like this is very tricky. Well done.

[Alan v.Drake]

True, my english grammar saddens me as well... also I wanted to write more but as Crazy pointed out it was too long already, I guess I'm not cut out for writing short stories.

- Alan

[Oliwerko]

Yeah, keeping it both short and interesting turns out to be harder than it seems at first glance.

[Atelier]

I vote for Macay.

[Gravity]

Macay gets my vote. For some reason it reminds me of a Shakespearian play, something I always wanted to try writing one day. Everyone else did a good job as well, just that one hit a certain spot with me. Good job everyone.

[Darius Poyer]

I will join in and place my vote on Macay as well.

[Dualnames]

Macay gets my vote too. My internet is still up surprisingly. Anyhow, Oliwerko will still close this. Thanks for all the entries people.