Mavis Ericson's world was turned upside down when the creatures, the Delfunie attacked and invaded. Now a year later, she is sold to one and forced to have his child. But when mothers start to die after childbirth, Mavis is suddenly worried she doesn't have much longer to live and with her new violent Delfunie owner making life very difficult she has to fight to survive everything including the birth of her child that she doesn't want.

One day, Apocalypse came to pass. It started with a fog that engulfed the world. Thick and heavy in the atmosphere, nearly unbreathable to humans and able to corrupt a soul. It killed livestock, pulled buildings to the ground and deadened the soil. After a month, shields were erected over major cities to keep it out, but by then humanity could no longer see the sun. Next, they disappeared - the citizens in shieldless towns and the towns themselves - completely consumed by the fog. And in their place came monsters, beasts that craved human flesh and blood and knew nothing but destruction. In a matter of days, only half of humanity remained. . . but they didn't plan on going down without a fight. - Round Three Qualifier of the Tridents Awards (Winner of the Judge's favorites and Table Shakers subcategories)

Ever thought about what you would do when the world around you was no longer the safe place you thought it to be? When every person you meet becomes an instant threat? When all around you turns to chaos, yet you have no idea what’s going on? In Absolute Contamination Keara Haynes tries to survive when the whole world changes so drastically. Keara and her two brothers are instantly forced to leave their home – completely unprepared and without the time to say their goodbyes. Ordered to relocate to the Safe Zones, their journey proves treacherous as they meet many unexpected obstacles along the way. Despite the chaos all around, they must hurry because death is only a single touch away…

*Book One in the "Possessive Creator" series* Lucy has been fearfully running from her creator for almost a decade now. How she had gotten the courage to leave him that night, she had no clue. Escaping the clutches of her possessive creator was an almost impossible task. She wanted freedom, which meant she would no longer have to obey his orders or watch some guy, who had so much as to talk to her, die because her creator didn't want her to be with any other man. As she continues to run from him, she encounters a suicidal guy who she can't seem to abandon. But staying in one place would only mean her creator would find her, putting both her undead life and the guy's life in danger.

2026 ONC HONORABLE MENTION (Top 40) - When a killer feral hog invades Verity State Park, Officer Rylee Harding quarantines the entire area until the threat can be eliminated. She soon discovers doing the right thing isn't easy, because summer has just begun, and the livelihood of Verity's residents depends on the seasonal flood of tourist dollars. Facing opposition from town officials, her neighbors, and even members of her own family, Rylee stands firm in her decision and risks her life and the life of her unborn child to face down the remorseless monster. This story is written for ONC2026 using prompt number 78: You begin to realize that nothing is quite what it seems. Jowls, Copyright ©2026 by Dennis Royer, @dennisroyer All Rights Reserved. Cover art by Deviant Art / ArtVixen0520. Used by permission.

In the isolated, snow-buried village of White Pines, winter is not merely a season-it's a suffocating force that brings both cold and fear. As the bitter winds howl through the forest, a series of violent deaths sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community. The bodies are mutilated, torn apart by what appears to be an animal-but the villagers know better. Rumors swirl about the Wendigo, an ancient legend passed down through generations, a creature born of desperation and hunger, lurking in the frozen woods. A group of seasoned hunters, led by the grizzled but respected Elias Conroy, bands together to track and kill whatever is hunting their people. But as they venture deeper into the wilderness, they make a horrifying discovery: the Wendigo isn't a creature of myth, but something far more real-and far more terrifying. It's not just hunting them; it's infecting them. The twisted remains of their friends and neighbors reveal a monstrous truth: once the Wendigo touches you, you become it. The hunters, once brothers-in-arms, begin to turn on one another as paranoia sets in. Anyone could be next. As the lines between human and monster blur, trust disintegrates, and survival becomes a harrowing, personal struggle. In the brutal cold, with no help coming, they must face the terrifying reality that the Wendigo may not just be among them-it may already be them. Status: COMPLETED Genre: Psychological Horror

'"I cannot feel this way. You clearly don't feel-" "I do though." He interrupts me. I finally look up to meet his eyes. It holds so much sadness. "Believe it or not but it hurts me every time I see tears in your eyes." His hands reach for my face, one more time and gently wipes the tears off my face. No matter what, the tears keep flowing down. "Please don't cry." He whispers. "You have someone out there just for you. Waiting for you." I whisper softly. A sad smile forms on my face that is now saltier than the ocean bed itself. I try to tug his hand off my face, but his hold is firm. He leans his head down and places it against mine. "I know." His whisper equally soft. "You need to let go. Just as I am." I close my eyes and take in the breeze of ocean that surrounds him and now me. I hear a deep growl just as his hold tighten on my face but it's still gentle.' For the little Raven that was born out the woods, life was only about the survival of fittest. Hunt or be hunted. Until Aya came along and showed her that there was more to life. They became family, sisters and promised to stay together forever. But what happens when one of them finds their mate? Read along to find out the story of Amara Raven on her journey to find a place she belongs. Completed: 12/05/20 Can be read alone!

Raised by her witch Grandmother deep in the forest, Skyler has lived a friendless life of isolation and magic. Her fortunes change when she accidentally binds herself to the powerful demon known as Rayne. This former Prince of Hell is inexplicably drawn towards Skyler and finds himself determined to protect her. Skyler on the other hand has no desire to spend the rest of eternity bound to evil. However when her lonely world is plunged into danger as ancient prophecies, assassins, werewolves and army of demons invade her life, the only thing that stands between Skyler and death is Rayne. This is the third book in the The Imperial Vampire Court Saga.

Some relatives are meant to stay distant. * * * Josephine Lyttleton-Bradley can't understand why she must leave her London home - in the middle of the night during a wicked storm, no less - to live with a relative she's never even met. When Josie realizes she's stuck indefinitely in Great Aunt Donatella's lavish, but spooky mansion in the English countryside, she must uncover why her parents kept details about this branch of the family a secret or risk missing her chance to ever leave. [Approx. 30K word Novella] (c) 2014 All Rights Reserved - R.S. Kovach

[AMBYS WINNER 2024] Mutilated, dejected and stained by the blood of his loved ones, Lucius Cromwell, a precocious and naïve child of high society, strikes a deal with an unhallowed Scourge of 'The Waste' in order to get his life back, blissfully ignorant that he'll consequently find his humanity on the line. *** A disturbing voice has been tormenting Lucius' mind for the longest time. Disregarding its sinister way of suggesting revenge on people who hurt him as mere thoughts he goes about his day, doing his best to live up to his superficial parents' standards and following the ideals of his Archon of worship. Life is lacklustre, but hardly worth causing a scene over. When a life altering event renders Lucius struggling not to die on the streets however things turn grim very fast, and in an act of desperation Lucius casts his beliefs aside, promising his soul to be devoured by The Waste at the time of his death with the promise of power in return. It doesn't take long for Lucius to realize that even the smallest of favors promised to him come with a catch, and being forced to do the Scourge of The Waste's wicked bidding while watching loved one after loved one disappear from his life Lucius has to wonder if a lifetime of power was really worth an eternity of suffering. This is the first installment of the "The Meaning Of Eternity" series. [Word count: 108 000]