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Post by AmehanaArashi on Sept 10, 2016 19:00:16 GMT -8
Trotsdale Library Halloween Short Story Contest
Halloween approaches, and so too all manner of spookiness. Some of you library patrons out there might be wanting to try your hand at writing a short story. I propose a contest. Write me a 15,000 to 20,000 word (standard short story anthology submission length). It can be pony or non-pony, but the theme must relate to halloween/nightmare night somehow and be suitable to read in the library. Send it to me (Legacy name: Amehana Ishtari) in a notecard.
A contestant does not need to be a member of the library group. This call will also be going up on the manelands forum and in some other groups with interests in our library's happenings.
Submission Deadline: October 24, 2014
First Place: The story I like best will be read during a specially scheduled session, recorded, and shared on my Youtube channel. There will also be a small prize in Lindens, the amount I am currently still working on seeing how much I can do for it, as it's coming out of my purse.
Runners up: There will be two runner up slots. These two stories I will record and share on my Youtube channel. They will also receive a small prize in Lindens.
First Place and Runners up links will all be shared in a notification.
If this does well, perhaps a similar contest can be run again. This contest will be in addition to anything that other library staff members, or the activities of other groups this card is sent to, may decide to do.
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Post by AmehanaArashi on Sept 10, 2016 19:00:25 GMT -8
Contest Entry #1 The Legend of the Headless Horse by Ulfricstormcloak
In the small town of Sleepy Mane everypony is superstitious, but this is for good reason, now some of you may be saying you don't believe in ghost, or theres no way they are real, but just maybe after hearing this tale you may just rethink that.
In Sleepy Mane everypony was happy and cheerful always ready to welcome any newcomer to the little town and that day a newcomer did arrive. A colt named Shining Gent strode into Town. Gent was a handsome colt who held his head high with a light smile all the mares swooning over the colt. He was a bit skinny and not all that tall but still held a radiance about him that others seemed to admire. As he would walk down the streets the ponies would wave and smile to him all craning their neck to look at the sight of the colt. Now another Colt who was widely revered and well admired in the town was Colten, a strong and burly stallion who was the strongest and well known Colt in the town, but as Gent came to town he began to grow jealous of the attention he was attracting.
As Gent made his way down the street though he stopped suddenly, there being pulled down the street in a chariot being pulled by two white stallions was True Beauty, the most lovely and beautiful mare in all of Sleepy Mane, not to mention she was also the daughter of Pinched Coins. The wealthiest land owner of the town as well, but that mattered little to Gent as he was stricken with the mares unbridled beauty. At seeing this Colten turned red with rage him being the one who planned to marry beauty. Colten made his way towards beauty but was stopped by a group of mares swooning over him. Gent made his way to the mare. She looked to the newcomer and smiled softly. He could feel his heart burst in his chest at the sight and held out a hoof to help her out of the carriage as she took his hoof stepping out. "such a gentleman" she smiled pecking a kiss to his cheek as Gents face went bright red. as she moved off to go do her shopping. He stood there waving as if in a trance. Being pulled out of it as Colten pulled Gent to face him glaring down at him "get this runt, Beauty is my mare! nopony else's" he claimed.
Gent simply smiled devilishly "well i would think she should belong to no one, but if you insist lets see who wins her hoof" he stated simply. Many days and months passed as Gent spent many a nights with Beauty taking her out along the town, playing her music, and having her fall for him. Though Colten was having less luck as it seemed he was always to busy with his own work to see to her or she was off with Colten.It was about around October in the month as the town was preparing for its fall barn dance. All the town was attending showing up in fitted gowns and nice suits. Gent arrived with Beauty and her father as Colten arrived alone still burning over the jealousy of watching Gent and Beauty. As the night went on of watching them dance and laugh Colten noticed something he had before, Gent had spilled a bit of salt and looked about before lightly tossing it over his shoulder whistling innocently. Colten smirked as he saw this. He had seen many times of instances of Gent being a superstitious pony. He would go out of his way to not walk under ladders, if a black cat was about to cross his path he would duck around a corner. This giving Colten a grand idea.
As the night was drawing to an end Colten stood up next to the fireplace and called out "alright everypony, now before yall head home tonight, a story of a bit of caution to you all to give a listen" he grinned his gaze turning to Gent and Beauty sitting next to each other. "now we all know the Woods of Mane we are so known for" the woods Colten spoke of was the Thick Forest so called the Mane, because the trees grew so thick together and loomed over head. There was a small path through the large woods. On a night like this they seemed menacing and dark and everypony would have to wander through to return back to town from Pinched Coins Farm. "Now everypony listen well, i have this tale to tell. We all know the dark woods are scary, but every Nightmare Night on this eve, there is one threat that gallops through the trees. A Horse large as a bull and its head gone from its body". As the story went on Gent began to shiver slightly at the tale of a headless pony. "And this horse only thinks of one thing to claim, to gather up a suitable head for him to take. So on your way home tonight my fellow ponies, take care not to lose your head, listen to the sounds of the thundering hoof beats, and if he rides for you you better ride harder then you ever have before, once you cross that bridge the headless horse will disappear his magic gone. So tonight ym friends ride hard through the trees and dont look back, For tonight he rides to claim a prize" Colten smirked as he ducked behind a table reappearing with a cloak covering his head Colten rearing up as the lightning flashed outside shadowing his form making him seem like the look of a headless pony rearing up wearing a black cloak.
Gent jumped out of his seat scurrying under the chair and all the townsponies laughed at him. Even Beauty next to him couldnt help but giggle holding her hoof over her lips. As the dance came to an end Gent kisses Beauty goodnight and made his way off into the Manes to head for home. As he trotted through the dark forest he looked about Coltens story still chilling his bones. All the trees looked sprawled and crooked as if bony claws reaching out to try and grab him. Just as he thought this he suddenly felt something grab on his coat tail jumping in the air with fright and galloping hard but something pulling him back. suddenly it let go and as he tumbled to the ground he turned. There on a branch was a piece of his coat tail ripped off. he sighed in relief chuckling at his own superstitious nature. He continued to trot down the path when suddenly he stopped as he heard something in the distance. It sounded like heavy hoof beats. galloping down the road. He gulped uneasily and continued walking thinking it was just his fear again, but the sound seemed to be getting closer. the gallops of the hoof beats were like thunder striking the ground clattering down the mud path.
Finally Gent turned around and stared wide eyed at the sight he saw. A headless black horse reared up swinging its front hooves int he air wildly as a ghostly laugh rang out its cloak billowing behind it. the figure began galloping towards him at break neck speed. Taking off like a bullet Gent raced down the path. Sweat was covering over his brow as his hooves felt like lead anchors slowing him down. his hear pounding in his chest as he heard behind him the gallops seeming to get closer and closer. Suddenly a pair of hooves hit him upside the head knocking him down as he skidded along the ground and looking up to the headless figure backing away "no! NO! dont take my head please!" he cried out shivering as the Headless Horse chuckled before reaching up a hoof colten pulling off the black cloak with a smirk "Heh so much for the elegant charmer of Gent" he laughed. Gent sighed in relief at the sight thinking he had never been so glad to see Colten. Colten smirked down at him but a shadow large figure appeared behind him. Gents eyes grew wide as Colten turned to see what he was staring at. As he did with a swig of a hoof Coltens head was separated from his body.
loud dark cackle echoed out as The large black stallion that was twice Coltens size reared u with bloody silver horseshoes he had used to severe Coltens head. Gent got back up on his feet galloping again as fast as he could. But the headless horse was right on his heels. Galloping after him quickly gaining on him. as he looked back over his shoulder he saw the Headless Horse levitating colts head with an unseen magic. Gent screamed out as suddenly the head was thrown at him. ducking under the thrown head he continued running. he felt a sense of relief as he saw the bridge running for it faster then he had ever galloped before. Without even knowing it he could hear the clatter of wood beneath his feet as he made it to the other side of the bridge. He huffed and breathed heavily glad he had made it looking back as he saw the figure of the headless horse gone. Turning to make his way to the village to tell everypony of what had happend to Colten, The last sight he saw though, was the headless horse standing before him rearing up as it slung its silver horseshoes along Gents neck.
The next morning Gent and Colten, were nowhere to be found. Blood stains coated the ground near the bridge and in the Forest but nopony was found. One year later, a pony walking down the path of the Manes woods stopped as he heard a ghostly howl and raised his lantern with his unicorn magic. his eyes grew wide with horror as hanging from a tree he saw two ponies heads hanging from a black crooked tree. It was Colten and Gent, both of their faces frozen in horror in their last moments and their eyes missing from their sockets. From then on, ponies say if you wander the Mane woods of Sleepy Mane at Night, gallop as quickly as you can to the town, or the headless Horse may claim your head as its next prize.
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Post by AmehanaArashi on Sept 10, 2016 19:02:16 GMT -8
Entry #2
Count Bloodmane by Ulfricstormcloak
This is the tale of a pony, so evil and cruel that even in death he swore he would haunt the lives of everypony in Equestria forever, but i am getting ahead of myself. Our story begins in the quite village of Tortslymania((Trots-sul-mania)). Nightmare Night was only a few days away now and everypony was buzzing about the big Nightmare Dance for the school that year. Three fillys named Sweet Tooth a orange earth pony with a bright white mane and tail with swirls of orange in it., Candrela, who was a Pegasi with a lovely dark green coat and a sparkling red mane. Last there was Tricksta, a dark purple unicorn pony with black hair with streaks of white along it. They all loved Nightmare Night more then anypony else in their school. "Ooooh i cant wait for the big dance, you have any ideas for your costume yet Sweet?" Candrela asked her friend with a smile. Sweet nodding with a pleased smile "yep, heh im going as a piece of candy corn! fits me perfect dont you think?" she giggles happily. Tricksta roleld her eyes at the playful talk and smirked "well im going as the scariest costume anypony has ever seen" she bragged with her nose in the air. the other two fillys giggled knowing just how Tricksta was always wanting to play tricks and frighten anypony she could.
As they were troting down the hall they heard the speakers come on and Principal Rough Mane clearing his throat before speaking "to all students, im sorry to say the Nightmare Night Dance will be canceled this year, we have been receiving reports that to many ponies have been taken off with or disappearing. For your safety we will be enforcing a strict curfew throughout Trotslymaneia until further notice.There was a audible roar of protest and awwws from all through the halls of the school as everypony had been looking forward to the dance with their dates. Sweet Tooth slumped her head "Cancel the dance!? they cant do that can they? i mean so what if a few ponies got lost on their way home! its not like everypony is just gonna suddenly vanish on the way to the dance!" she grumbled. Candrela sighed "well looks like our plans are finished then. guess ill just sit at home and watch FrankenStallion". Trickstra though didnt seem to disappointed. she wore a pleased little smirk on her lips "oh we're planning a dance, but i have had a much better idea of where to have it then this dull place". she turned to the two "tomorrow night, you two meet me at the village gate at midnight sharp, don't be late" she called before galloping off down the hall.
Later that night Candrela and Sweet Tooth waited outside the village gate. "where is she? its been over an hour!" Candrela huffed getting impatient. "maybe she just forgot" Sweet tooth offered and looked about. as they waited though a dark figure slowly crept up from behind them and a cold hoof rested on Candrela's shoulder. She froze before looking back slowly seeing a set of large sharp fangs gorlwing at her. She let out a loud shriek galloping behind Sweet tooth and shaking like mad. Trickstra laughed madly holding her sides "ahahaha! that was priceless, you should have seen the look on your face!". Sweet Tooth Giggled to looked to Trickstra, but Candrela just glared "that wasnt funny, you scared the mane off me!". Trickstra was wearing a long Black dress that went up and over her flank. The edges of it spiked with red tips the color of blood and two earrings shaped like bats. Her mane done up in a bun and makeup along her face with thick black eyeliner and white makeup to make her look pale. Trickstra smiled showing off the Fake fangs and spitting them out into her hoof with a smirk "oh come on, lighten up will you? not the first time iv scared you to death".
Candrela sighed and shook her head "alright Trickstra so what did you dag us out here for anyway?" she asked and she only answered with a devious smile. "well what if we had a party of our own? then we wouldnt need to go to the school we could just invite evrypony else to it and have a ball there". Sweet Tooth jumped up and down with glee "oooohh!!! yes yes yes!!". Candrela rolled her eyes "and where are we suppouse to have this? my house isnt nearly big enough, Sweets parents arnt going to let her have a party, and i doubt your going to wan tto clean up the mess if we have it at your house". Trickstra had thought of this ahead of time and pointed her hoof to a large menacing dark castle figure up on the hill. The castle was old many of the bricks either loose or missing. Moss growing and vines crawling along the walls of it. Not one of the windows was in take all of them either broken of shattered. "we'll have it there, at the Counts place" she smiled proudly with satisfaction. There was a story of that old castle though, Long ago Trotslmaneia was ruled by a cruel Count. He was a black stallion with a dark red mane just as his name suggested count bloodmane. He let the poor go starving and aTaxed the Ponies of the village heavily. Whenever they begged for his help he sentenced them to be carried away to the dungeons to rot there. Finally the Townsponies had become so furious they rebelled against the count and stormed the castle. As they fought their way through the guard and the count was trapped oh the edge of his onning overlooking the cliff. he only smirked and cackled "you think this is the end, but i can assure you my deeds here are not done, you will rue this night my dear ponies and all will become my slaves sooner then you think" he called before throwing himself off the cliff.
Nopony had heard of The count since that night, but every so often ponies would tell of looking up at the old castle and seeing a shadowy figure in the window looking down at the village, but nothing was ever proven. Canderla didnt believe in the stories, but the place still gave hr the creeps "theres no way im going in there" she glared. Trickstra grinned troting over to her "aww why? scared Candra? I thought you were a pony, not a chicken" she smirked. Candra turning red with rage "fine! lets go!" she hollared stomping past Trickstra to head up the winding path to the old castle. As they headed up though Sweet looked up to the castle thinking she saw the figure of a pony looking down to them from a cracked window red glowing eyes baring down on her. she blinked and shook her head to take another glance but the figure was gone. she shrugged thinking that it was just her imagination but still she felt an erie chill.
The three fillys pushed open the large doors of the castle s they let out a protesting creak and groan. Stepping into the castles mane hall they looked about seeing the once elegant tapestries hanging now only old tattered rags blowing softly in the wind. as ghostly wail went through the castle and Candrela shook "w-what was that?". Trickstra sighed "its just the wind" she pointed to a cracked window the wind blowing through it letting out a ghostly soft wail. Stepping further into the castle they looked around "mare this place is huge! this place is gonna be the best dance we ever had!" Trickstra and Sweet looked around enthused at all the creepy sights, but Candra kept shaking eyes shifting about at every slight movement of the drapes or every creak of the floor. They stopped at the end of the main hall looking at the throne atop two stairs on either side of it. just under the throne a doorway to another part of the castle, but as they were about to head inside they heard chittering and squeaks. suddenly a gust of bats flew by them in waves. Candra letting out another loud shriek. As the bats flew out the open front large doors Trickstra sighed "would you pony up! geez its just a old castle! there is nothing here to be afraid of" but just as Trickstra said this suddenly the large doors slammed shut on their own. Trickstras eyes went wide "hehe well that was just the wind im sure". Then suddenly the candles all along the walls and edges of the room suddenly lit by themselves the small flames dimly lighting the erie room. Sweet now shook with fear to "w-was that the wind to?"
The fillys all shook as they stood there looking about wildly "whats...whats going on?" Candra held on tightly to Sweet as they both hugged each other shaking "Trickstra this isnt funny anymore! cut out the pranks!". Trickstra was shaking though to, this wasnt her doing. just as she was about to say something they hard the soft sound of laughter filling the halls. it was menacing and dark. slowly it grew louder before the three fillys turned looking up to the throne and there they saw it, Count Bloodmane. The black stallion stood there looking to them with an evil smirk his eyes a bright gleaming red as his red mane flowed as if it were alive. He wore a long black cape over his flank and a red jewel along his neck. He smiled to them as his horn glowed a red gleam and his fangs showing brightly in the dim light sharp as knives. "welcome to my humble home dear children, now.....after come such a long way, you must be hungry for a little snack". The fillys shook their head all of them wide eyed and shaking like mad. "n-n-no thank y-you sir. we're not that hungry really". they all nodded trying to inch away towards the large doors. suddenly the figure of Bloodmane vanished in a swirl of black shadows they looked around wildly for him but froze as they heard his chilling voice behind them "oh, but i am" they turned just in time to see him baring down on them his eyes glowing a bright red suddenly they all screamed taking off galloping further into the castle.
The fillys stopped huffing as they caught their breath "whats going on!" Candra yelled. "i dont know okay!" Trickstra shouted back "well, that was....it couldnt have been...well you know!" Candra was becoming histeric as Sweet backed away slowly into the corner sobbing lightly "i want to go home". Trickstra glared out the window there was cliffs on every side of the castle only the large doors they had come into was their only way out "look we just have to get back to the doors and pry them open!". Candra laughed "and you dont think he'll be waiting for us!?". the two ponies glared at each other "what choice do we have Candra!?". suddenly they stopped as they didnt hear Sweets crying anymore. they looked to the corner and saw she wasnt there. They looked around frantically "Sweet! SWEET!", but there was no answer. they heard the dark laughter agian as they ran through the castle. Outside it suddenly thundered lighting the castle fro a moment as raid poured down. "we have to get out of here!" the two race dback for the doors to the castle. they grunted as they tried to force them open "i-its stuck tight!", Trickstra stepped back, she knew she wasnt very good at magic but the adrenaline in her veins was telling her to try. they could see shadows swooping and moiving all around them as Trickstra's horn began to glow a bright purple trying to force open the doors "come on Trickstra Hurry!" she hollared to her as she kept trying. Candra thought she heard wings flapping wiggling in place as her heart hammered in her chest.
Trickstra kept grunting slowly as one of the doors began to open Candra rushing over to help pry it open. working together they were able to pull the door open enough to fit through "Come on quick! we have to g-" she was cut off though as behind Tristra she saw the count black bat like wings flapping as she swooped down grabbing up her friend. Trickstra crying out as she was flown off into the darkenss of the castle screaming "CANDRAAAAAA!!" the fillys eyes brimmed with tears and she tore off away from the castle gallopping as fast as her hooves could carry her slipping in the mud once or twice through the heavy rain but only for a moment but not stopping until she finally made it home. She ran upstairs to her room soaking wet and frightened. She cried thinking of her friends she had lost and curled up in her bed wrapping herself in the blankets.
The next few nights noone had heard from Sweet or Trickstra, and Candrela Didnt go back to school or leave her room for the next few days. Her parents grew concerned and as Nightmare Night fell they told her she was going out to trick or treat, wither she liked it or not. "now we will be waiting downstairs hun, get your costume on and get out there and get some candy". Candra sighed knowing she couldnt tell her parents what happend, or anypony. Candra slipped on her princess dress and tiara to please her parnets and moved to the stairs to head down, but stopped standing frozen as she looked down at the sight downstairs at the front door. her jaw dropping, dropping the basket she held in her mouth as she stared wide eyed and frightened at the scene before her. "look dear, its your friends come to get you. careful you two shes been abit akward these past few days in her room". her mother told her two friends Sweet and Trickstra who stood at the door smiling. They looked up to her at the top of the stairs "well we wouldnt know why, but its okay" Trickstra said with a grin "she'll feel better after she gets a nice bite of candy" Sweet replied as they both smirked showing a set of gleaming fangs on both of her friends their eyes gleaming a bright red "come on Candra, dont want to waste all night do we?"
From then on Nopony knows of what really happened in the small village of trotslymaneia, But there are still those who say on some nights is a shadowy figure that still looms in the counts castle. Waiting for the night begin to prey and feed on the blood of the unsuspecting ponies that trot through the night. Happy Nightmare Night everypony.
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