City of IF

HalfEmptyHero

Citizens of IF!
You are cordially invited to participate in the
First Annual Halloween Poe-Down Competition

What?: A Poe-inspired writing competition.
When?: Halloween Night.
Who?: You.
Rules:

This is a fairly lax competition. Writers are encouraged to enter any "Poe-inspired" work, be they short stories, poems, or novel excerpts. You can use "Poe-inspired" as loosely as you would like; whether you do a spin-off of one of his works or simply write in the Gothic fiction genre is completely up to you. The maximum length of entry is 5000 words, however if you were to go slightly over that number no one would shoot you. There is no minimum word limit, and multiple entries are allowed.

Ideally all writing would take place on Halloween Night, however due to scheduling, parties, etc. you need not feel guilt if you write it before hand. All entries are due in by the morning after Halloween, however due to time differences there is no set entry time.

Rewards include: Pride; a certificate for entry; winners will receive a special certificate, and a trophy*. If there are enough entries there will be a winner for different categories, in addition to an overall winner.

For fairness purposes, please PM me the entries, and do not put them here. Although please do reply if you intend on entering, I want to see if this interests anyone at all.

kc9cra · Joined: 27 Aug 2011 Posts: 44 Location: evansville, Indiana

I'm definitly in

misterbiz · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:28 am Post subject:

I'll submit one later today

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:57 pm Post subject: Entry #1

Entry #1

The Spider

A night of darkness failing
to the rigor of the moon,
as my eyes became quite lazy
(For sleep would be quite soon),
I spotted there in fading light,
of the corner of my eye,
a spider dancing in the night,
just waiting there to die.

I crept there right past him,
daring on him not to fret,
for surely in his suspicions,
he might deem me quite a threat.
And desired I not he scurry,
to my bed away so far,
when as the judge and jury,
I decided him to a jar.

But alas! My cupboard empty;
neither glass, nor bottle, nor mug.
And so I came to treat him
as if a common thug.
For a can of spray I found,
waiting for me to pluck,
so to his death I was bound
before safely I could tuck.

Still he waited there,
nestled on my wall.
In anger I began to spray him;
his legs curled to a ball.
If had a spider the voice to cry,
then scream he surely would.
Softly let I out a sigh,
take it back, that I could.

Off to bed I settled in
and on the morrow would I wake
thinking not of that spider,
nor of how his death did ache.
Pleasant dreams could only come
to a man as old as I;
happy thoughts of my mum,
For our reunion would be nigh.

But in the night I did wake
to an itching of my face,
as if a band of silent spiders
were marching pace by pace.
Began I to scratch it,
digging my nails into my skin;
must I have been bit
by a needle and a pin.

Raced I to the washroom,
and set about the light.
There saw I ten thousand spiders
putting up one violent fight.
Started I the clawing,
and the outright bawling,
seemed they not any stalling
as the routed towards my eyes.

Grabbed I the can
and sprayed around my face.
Although I couldn't see them,
it cut through them like mace.
Yet in a moment of enticement,
opened I my eyes.
Due to that excitement,
blind was I to my surprise.

The pain has since removed,
the itching now is departed.
But sickly I became
while to hospital I was carted.
For knew I then my fate,
blind I would remain,
and as always it was too late,
to never kill spiders again.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:32 am Post subject: Entry #2

Entry #2

When last I saw
Upon my sill
The mocking face
Of the black masked jay
Was the day I heard
We were moving away

It seemed to laugh
In it's own knowing way
About things to come
About my dis-fortune
And in my heart
My feeling were strewn

It laughed at me
Without the malice
One finds in man
But it is not what is meant
In such things given
But how received that bring lament

So now the days I live
From after such happenings
My mind remains closed
To the call of the Jay
Who tried to warn me
In his own fowl way

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:33 am Post subject: Entry #3

Entry #3

Dying for a Drink

People shout and the music plays
Enjoying the Carnival in the summer day
They sing, they laugh and they dance
They drink with hopes their style is enhanced
They have no thoughts nor dreams of the past
You wear a fools grin and I will see that it won't last
You have pushed me, to the end of the line
So follow me, and I promise, I'll get you some wine

Come, come, you needn't to ask
Just come with me and I'll give you a cask
Just follow me, my fool of a friend
We'll follow this path, the prize is at the end
Come, come with me, don't even think
Because I know how you must be dying for a drink

You come with me because your greed is too great
By the time you catch on it will be too late
We'll stop along the way, to give you a small taste
Of what is to come so please make haste
You smile and laugh, not knowing what greater prize awaits
You follow me close and believe all of my lies
Complete clueless about my anger and your future demise

Now stand, don't move an inch
I'll just build a wall, it'll be a cinch
Don't worry as the stack of bricks grows
You just vanished, far as anyone knows
It'll be over as fast as you can blink
It's just too bad you were dying for a drink

You cry and plead as your end does draw near
I can smell your drunken sweat mixed with your fear
Your jester bells jingle as I lay the final bricks
Forever hiding you with your flaws and ticks
"For the love of god," you cry out to try and be saved
"Yes, for the love of god," I respond as I send you to the grave

kc9cra · Joined: 27 Aug 2011 Posts: 44 Location: evansville, Indiana

Crap, didn't get it finished. Sorry about that. I share my computer with three others, so sometimes getting to use it can become challenging. Just dq me for tardiness.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject:

The poll is now up!

Vikas Muralidharan · Joined: 29 Aug 2010 Posts: 600

WOW.

I loved all the three poems, but to me, there was but one clear winner.

Never before have I been so Interseted in poetry.. Maybe I'll join the guild. This was just toooo good!!

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:49 am Post subject:

Voting ends Monday folks. Hurry up and pick your poison, it's shorter than your average storygame.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:23 pm Post subject:

Just about two days left. Hurry up and get your votes in.

Thunderbird · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 9:45 am Post subject:

Thanks for reminding me with that bump there HEH.

Some great entries, but yes, one did fully stand out. But yeah, all were really well done and kudos to everyone who landed an entry.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:24 pm Post subject:

Last day of voting, the poll ends tomorrow night. Any one wishing to make a last minute game changer, now would be the time; it's a close race right now.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject:

Well, voting is finally over and the results are in. I would like to thank all participants, both those who submitted entries and those who voted; a total of nine votes is a decent amount for competitions on IF, especially one with only three entries. It was a close race for first place, with the lead going back and forth for a few votes, but in the end one vote was the difference. So without further adieu:

In third place, with his untitled poem, Entry #2: PopeAlessandrosXVIII

In second place, with his poem titled "Dying for a Drink": misterbiz

And in first place, with his poem titled "The Spider": HalfEmptyHero

Congratulations to everyone, these were some quality entries. Same time, same place, next year.