Deep in a wood, in a 2 story, old house, with an unnecessary picket fence, there lived a lonely, old man. His wife died years ago, but he remained reclusive in his own world within the thick trees. All that remained of civilization for miles was some cold, dark run down remains of a long gone town.
No one really knows why the people left, if they had left at all. The old man kept many secrets of the days of yore. Nobody has been around to retell his tales. He kept a journal by his bedside, for whatever reason. There's no one for miles to come across it to read, and no telling when he may die and someone will come across it.

The old man did make a trek to the closest store, 2 miles down the road, which was still a long hike for his ailing bones. Just to grab some canned food, tobacco for his pipe, ammunition for his hunting gun and anything else he may need for his simple, solitary life.

Along his way, one harrowing day of rain and lightning, he came upon an heap of fur on the side of the road. "Another sad end to a beautiful creature.", he thought to himself. As he came closer he heard a whimper, and saw a little twitch. With a closer look the man realized the animal was a dog, alive but badly injured.
He couldn't leave the dog there. The man, weathering 2 decades walking back and forth between his home and the shop, took off his coat, wrapped the medium sized dog and carried the dog back to his home.
Inside he got the wood fire going, heated water on the wood stove and applied an ointment the man made for treating wounds. The dog wasn't able to stand up. One or 2 of it's legs were broken. Possibly a few broken ribs. "Poor, poor pup. What were you doing so far from civilization?", the old man asked, rhetorically.

The old man realized he had no real food for this canine. Nothing of nourishing value. The man made sure the dog was comfortable and told it he would be back in a while. "Good dog. Good... Baxter. I shall name you Baxter."
The rain had stilled. The lightning and thunder had faded into the distance. The smell of refreshing, rich soil and petrichor filled the air. Something felt off all of a sudden. Like he wasn't alone. Perhaps years of being alone then being in the presence of a soul so close to his home unveiled his jaded contentment of seclusion. Once he got to the store, he said his "hello" with the shopkeeper, and grabbed some dog food. An unusual purchase for the old man that was immediately observed.
"My, what have you found?", asked the shopkeeper.
"I think I found a new friend along the road. It's resting back at home. Poor thing is unable to walk. May have gotten hit along the highway."
"Oh?", the shopkeeper exclaimed, perking up his ears and eyebrows. "You know, there's a legend in these parts of a canine wanderer. No one really knows where it came from. But the legend has it people disappear when they bring this mysterious dog home. Never to be seen again."

"Hogwash, you old coot. I say, for someone who's a hermit, such as myself, I have more sense than to believe in fairy tales and ghost stories.", chided the old man. He gave a couple coins for the dog food and went onward back to his cozy, dim abode.

There was something off in the air on the way home. The old man loved the scent after it rained. Gave him a sense of comfort, and reminded him of being a young chap, sploshing in the puddles with his galoshes on up to the knees. Watching the sparkling ripples with the sun peaking out from the clouds.
But something made him shudder, and paranoid. As if a thousand eyes were watching him. He was used to looking out for creatures staring back at him during his hunts. This was different. He sensed tension, fear, danger. As much as he tried to clear his mind and think of something else the feeling didn't go away.
The old man tried quickening his pace. He just wanted to get home. It seemed like he wasn't getting anywhere fast enough.
What felt like hours later he made it home,

Report

Final score:

2points

StrangeOne

POST

View more comments

Once upon a time there a was a spooky, abandoned village in the middle of nowhere. Everything that went in........never came out.

In Moose Lake, Minnesota, lived a 25-year-old explorer named Kelly Davis who loved to travel around the world. Once she heard about this from all around social media, she NEEDED to go. She packed her bag and got on a bus to that island.

6 hours later......

She arrived at the wharf with determination, postitvity and bravery. Kelly got off and entered the spooky sign which had a sign that spelt "BEWARE!" She shivered and carried on, deeper into the damp, foggy village with a forest clambering around it. "Ooooooooooooh!" whispered the wind though the snake like vines.

Kelly shivered and her little hairs on her neck stood up. Houses creaked and trees covered the sun. Suddenly, a big shadow cast over her. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed. In a flick of a swift grab, she disappeared into a big bush..............




I'm a writer as well, but that's all I could do :)

Report

Final score:

1point

𝐸𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒽_𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝓂𝑒𝓇

POST

View more comments

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

By Lewis Carroll

Report

Final score:

1point

Bookworm (she/her)

POST

View more comments

On a cold winter night not too long ago. There was a young girl with her family on a Christmas trip around the states. This specific night was like no other nights the girl named Leigh ever experienced in her life.

The stars were shining brightly and as she was watching the stars. She heard a voice that said this is the night of your dreams. She had a dream that she would meet her soul mate eventually when she got older. Leigh was in high school at the time.

The year she graduated was not only great but she found the one person who embrace who she is and accept her flaws. Her soul mate taught her to accept who she was and to improve what she needed to. She learned more about herself and Mark (soul mate) but she realized that he was right. She was just a slow learner and Mark knew. He shown her who he was all long despite her so called friends who told her lies. Her friends said that Mark cheats, lies, and tricks people. But in reality, he wasn't like that at all. He was down to earth and love Leigh more than anything and would give her the moon if he could.


Years after college was devastating for Leigh because she lost Mark are two years of marriage due to drunk driving. She told everyone she knew that she didn't want to remarry. She wanted to be loyal to Mark even through he was gone. But something happened that made her consider things differently. Mark loved the outdoors so one night a star was shining brightly and she heard Mark voice from a CD that he made before he passed away.

Mark said, "I know you love me. But I want you to be happy. I want you to live your life to the fullest. You are meant to be with someone who truly embrace who you are. Take your time to figure it out and i will try to guide you from the other side.

She found a gut who was similar to Mark but eventually John changed. He became mean to her and started beating her. She couldn't take it anymore and decided one night while he was out that she no longer wanted to be alive. So she passed away in the middle of the night after drinking poison. When the cops discovered everything the next day including the cd left by Leigh. John was arrested and Leigh was reunited with Mark and live together for eternity.

Report

Final score:

0points

Child of the King

POST

It feels like I'm still a girl.
It's like I'm trapped in a body I don't belong in. Like the one I have isn't mine. As if I'm trapped in some sort of suit that on the outside makes me look like a girl, and makes people see me as a girl, and is concealing the person inside of the suit, and I'm just itching to bust out of the suit, and show the world that the one who they thought was a girl, was actually a transmasculine demiboy trapped in a different skin.
When will I ever be able to get out of this body and stop laying awake at night, crying about not being able to be who I am? When will it end? Will I always be like this? Can I ever just be me? Be who I want to be? Without people misgendering me, without wanting to cry when I look at myself in a mirror, and just be who I'm meant to be? Is that too much to ask for?

this was written by me last May. I was having a hard time and decided to write this down and now I'm actually kind of proud of it. and don't worry, I'm doing much better now!

Report

Final score:

0points

TheForrestGreene (he/they/it)

POST