Onc2023 Stories

A contemporary Scandinavian adaption of the legend of Jack Frost/Jokul Frosti. *** A first kiss changes everything. When Joakim kisses his childhood friend Anton it puts their relationship and also the weather in turmoil. Snow starts to whirl over Stockholm, turning the capital into a chaotic state. Is Joakim's emotional state actually affecting the weather and can his inner turmoil be stilled once he reunites with Anton, who mysteriously has disappeared after their intimate encounter? An ONC novella using prompt #69: "I had a marvellous time ruining everything."

Always willing to put herself last, Catalina Juárez has never rocked the boat. But that all changes when her father insists she marry a man she cannot stand to be near. Hopping into a carriage for hire, she spends the last of her money on a ride to nowhere. Because this mysterious carriage has one rule: you go where it takes you. Well, that was a waste of money, because she isn't even to the edge of town before she's unceremoniously dumped off at a train station. With no money to buy a ticket and no time to think of another plan, Catalina pushes through the crowd and onto the train. Marcos Caballero has never met a problem he didn't want to solve. Traveling alone on a ticket meant for him and a woman who didn't want to be with him, he's taken in by the scared, doe-eyed look of the woman in the dining carriage. She's ticketless and alone; he's lonely and has an excess ticket. Stepping in to save her, he claims her as his wife, not really expecting her to play along past the point of danger. But she quickly steps into the role with ease, acting as if they've known each other their whole lives. Somehow, it seems like they might have. But being on the run from troublesome and powerful fathers isn't without its struggles, and Catalina and Marcos are going to have to decide how much they are willing to risk to put love ahead of duty. ~ * ~ * ~ This is one of the five novellas I'll be writing for this year's ONC! You can find the rest (Hang it Up, Christmas at the Cabin, Love Lies & Red Eyes, and I Don't Want to be Queen) on my profile! For this story, I selected prompt 9. "There's an urban legend that's been circulating for years about a taxicab that doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go. One night, you stepped into this cab." Except make it pre-car-era.

~ONC 2023 Shortlister~ An embezzlement, two murders and a series of suspicious deaths that follow- with a bloodthirsty murderer on the loose, Gabriel must race against time to defeat a powerful nemesis with no regard for law or life. Armed with an amateur for an assistant, next to no evidence and an old walkie talkie, Private Detective Gabriel Bedford sets out to uncover the deaths of Detective Katherine Wright and her lover from twenty years ago. How does the dormant walkie talkie seem to come to life at midnight? Who is the supposed ally who works in the shadows to help the detective when he is at his wits' end? Moreover, who is the unknown adversary who seems to know his every move and is always one step ahead? ~Can be found on the mystery, humor, adultfiction and MysteryThrillerIN profile reading lists~

Sixteen-year-old Grace Williams has always been destined to a life in servitude. Born to poor parents, she has spent her life knowing that service is all she shall be able to achieve. Levi Edgeworth has no such fate. Even though he has everything he could ever wish for at his fingertips, he still wants more from life. During a chance meeting, the flip of a coin becomes the decider of their destiny and the two of them agree to follow a stream to uncover its end. Although a seemingly ordinary journey, Grace and Levi quickly find themselves trapped underground with no hope of rescue. Injured and imprisoned in darkness with only each other for company, they must find their own way out of the maze of tunnels before the crumbling walls collapse around them. Based on Prompt 5: 'Flip the coin and make a life choice with it. Two choices, one coin, and no turning back. Do you dare?' (C)Spruce_Goose

All Seraphina wants is to kill the king of the vampires, but ending the life of Hawthorn Lukariah is not as easy as she thinks it will be. Given a golden opportunity to achieve her goal, Seraphina accepts an offer from the human government to take down the king of the vampires. With the skills that she's spent years developing, Seraphina is their ideal assassin. One fateful moment will alter everything, and the past that Seraphina wanted to avoid will catch up to her. Forced into a situation that she cannot control, Seraphina has to accept that she must bide her time. When the situation changes and the government moves to strike again, Seraphina must decide to listen to her mind or follow her heart. Will Seraphina save the king of the vampires? © Cover and Story TM Watkins (xMishx) 2023 No part of this story or cover may be used without written permission from the author. This story is exclusive to Wattpad. All rights reserved.

| ᴏɴᴄ 2023 ꜱʜᴏʀᴛʟɪꜱᴛᴇʀ | x7 ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ | ❝ ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟʟᴏᴜꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʀᴜɪɴɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ.❞ Goddess-blessed Zofia has the power to heal even the gravest of wounds running through her veins, the urge to use it when she sees even the smallest of bruises stronger than the intensity of a wildfire. When a Dragon-born soldier - an enemy of the Kingdom of Aerla - falls from the sky with his wings torn to ribbons, this impulse is no different. Dragon-born Larc has been banished from the Nusal Empire as the war between the humans and the dragons begins to grow. With the intention to seek revenge on his people for exiling him, he asks the help of the humans to destroy the powerful artefact his queen has been searching for. Is it the right decision for Zofia to trust the enemy that grips the Kingdom of Aerla in the throes of war? Or should she have never healed him when he fell from the sky? BOOK ONE - COMPLETE COVER AND END BANNER BY @ryevain 2023 © -DeeIsDead-

In a room full of future concubines, an old god awakens at the cry of "Please give us chocolates!" To ensure good luck in their life, all the heads of the Anzuhito family need a jewel by their side. Kidnapped, beautiful, and young enough to be gullible, eight toddler boys are educated in the Old House of Flowers. Only one of them will be chosen, the rest bound to disappear without a trace at the age of eighteen. In the midst of their grim future, innocence is all they have left, but not for long. Yet, when the Ancient One uncovers the truth behind the place, saving the little souls becomes a priority. And the only thing separating It from the goal, is an army of servants whose lack of scrupulousness matches its own. This is not my first language, so please spare me. Cover by @aantoiigness

There was a time when Antheia feared death above all else. After all, what else did a goddess have to fear? However, after thousands of years, she knows the truth. There are worse fates for the divine. She should know. Antheia was living it. After the fall of her temple, the goddess Antheia is lost to time. With no followers, she is just one of the many goddesses forgotten by the mortals and frozen in her heartache. That is, until centuries later when a simple gesture of kindness breaks the shackles on her grief. Awakening in the twenty first century, Antheia is stunned by all that has changed and all that remains the same. As she fights to adapt to the new world, attempts to train her newest priestess, and most definitely does not fall in love, Antheia soon comes to realise that the fall of her temple was not just an act of fate. It was a consequence of divine intervention. When her new priestess is threatened, Antheia must make a stand or risk losing everything once more.

* ONC 2023 Shortlister * "She caught the eye of one of the horsemen, and something in his face caused her to pause mid-step. The man he was standing with, realising he was being ignored, turned to see what he was staring at, and his mouth fell open. 'Arner! The prophecy!' he hissed. That seemed to attract the attention of the whole party, and before Aleyna knew what had occurred, they had all stopped what they were doing, and stared openly at her, before tilting their head in her direction, bowing. The last of the men to lower his head, the one who had first spotted her, was now biting his lip, something like worry creasing his brow, before he too bowed." * * * Aleyna, a professor at Lyknisia's Academika, is from a world of science and reason. To her, magic is something found in children's stories. It's not real, has never been real, and never will be real, and nothing anyone can say will change her mind. Arnerstrom, known as Arner, is King of Mynythia. He is from a world of magic and spirits. A world where the unseen is just as powerful as the known, and where prophecy dictates almost everything. But when a prophecy appears to be fulfilled by chance, Aleyna is whisked away from her books at the behest of Arnerstrom, and taken to a land of mystery and secrets. A land where magic is very real and spirits govern all. Set in the same world as The Winter Ghost, but located many kingdoms apart, The Convert Queen is a fantasy romance novella where what you see isn't always what you need to know.

AU Stranger Things Fanfiction Steve Harrington x Jonathan Byers Written for ONC 23 - Prompt 62 "I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul" - Pablo Neruda _ Trapped in a dark, alternate world with no evident escape, two halves of the same soul are pushed to face their deepest desires and fears, while dealing with consequences of their fates. _ Started: 27th February 2023 Round 1 Qualifier

My grandmother, or Nanna to me, has passed away. My family has requested that I be the one to head to Nanna's and clear out her stuff for the house to be sold. Sifting through Nanna's stored memories, I locate a box containing love letters, government files, and security requests relating to Harold Holt. Harold was Prime Minister at the time and disappeared to sea when picnicing with his family at the beach. Missing presumed dead. Can I piece the puzzle together of my Nanna's history? This is my entry for the ONC 2023. Prompt #7 You go to sort out your grandma's house after she passes away. While cleaning out the Attic, you discover she may not have been the person she's led you to believe she has and that she has played an important role in a historical event. Discover her story.

If you'd like to pick up mind-reading, look no further! This unorthodox guide by a normie draws on first-hand encounters with mind-readers, which means you get an outsider's perspective. If one day you find yourself unable to read minds anymore, or it suddenly occurs to you that you could never read minds, pray that 1) you do not expose yourself, and 2) you have this guide with you. Else, you're in for a wild ride. Hope the taxi from the urban legends exists in your city. It will make things a tad easier since it takes you to places you never knew you needed to be at until you're there.

ONC 2023 1. Turn your partner into your ex. 2. Get into a taxi. Preferably one with a deranged driver, this part might prove tricky. 3. Fall asleep in it. 4. When you wake up, scream like hell till he releases you (make sure this happens in the desert). 5. Then enter a random house and transport yourself to some magical world, using a dumb mirror. Oh and good luck with the extra voices in your head. They tend to drive people crazy. Prompts: 9, 29 and 30

[❌] archived "When you touch a mirror, and it ripples like water, dive in." Those are the words that send Arya on a wild goose chase to uncover the secret behind her aunt's disappearance. Arya always loved a good mystery. When she learns about the existence of her mysterious aunt, who vanished almost two decades ago, she can't help but be hooked. With nothing but a strange memory box and a shard of a mirror, she's ready to take on her family's deepest secret. But what was meant to be just a simple summer pastime turns into a wild, magical adventure when Arya stumbles upon a strange new world. ✽ ✽ ✽ This is my first ONC entry with prompt number #29 - the one used in the opening quote. A novella tied to a bigger storyline I'm currently working on but can be read as a standalone! Original story and cover by Tiana Lambent Created for the Open Novella Contest 2023

Closed. This is a book club specifically created for ONC entries. We aim to help you make your entry the best it can be through peer review and feedback. We move fast to keep up with the ONC: two chapters a week! So, being a member can help keep you on a steady track to getting the novella written.

While her best friend Cassidy snacks on brie and boys in France, Darcy Li-Quinn must face her last year of high school and the unpredictable wrath of her sister, Danica, alone. Darcy's plan for dealing with Danica and her heinous friends is simple-be invisible. But first, she's promised Cassidy she'll do 'one brave thing'. Mustering the courage to say 'hi' to the cute boy on the bus, Darcy expects rejection or indifference. She doesn't anticipate a grumpy ghost with unfinished business who needs her help. Suddenly, a quiet year of flying under the radar looks increasingly unlikely. *** Rationally, Hunter Viera knows that his brother's death wasn't his fault. But that doesn't stop his guilt about Archer invading his every thought or lessen the grief sitting heavy in his chest. Changing schools offers a fresh start, and Hunter's plan is simple-be invisible. But he hasn't counted on Darcy, or her ludicrous claim that Archer speaks to her from beyond the grave. Suddenly, a quiet year of sitting on the sidelines looks increasingly unlikely. *** This is a story about hearts and hope and public transport. This is Darcy and Hunter's story (and a little bit Archer's too). *** 'Get A Life' is my entry for Open Novella Contest 2023 and is inspired by the following prompts. 20. You finally build enough courage to talk to that cute someone you see every day on the bus. Their face turns dark as they respond "You shouldn't be able to see me." 9. There's an urban legend that's been circulating for years about a taxi cab that doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go. One night, you stepped into this cab.

The dead objects know how to tell a story. If you know how to ask them... An unfinished novel. A golden medallion. Even an ordinary coin. When she was only a teen, Clara learned that the voices in her head - the ones that tormented her - came from the objects around her. The family curse that was sprung upon her had followed her for years before she learnt how to live with it. But no learning happens without mistakes. Once anonymous threats start arriving to her door, Clara knows her past has finally caught up to her. Now, she must trust her powers and solve a murder that happened ten years ago before it becomes too late. ----- Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2023 ONC Prompts #5 & #15 ©2023 Jana Tulisa Published to Wattpad 1st of Feb, 2023 Draft Ongoing

The Sentinels are finished. Everyone knows that. Once crucial to the defence of the galaxy, now neglected and labelled as irrelevant, the legendary warriors are a shadow of their former selves. No longer a bastion of the best and brightest, in this time of drones and AIs, when contracts have taken the place of conflicts, they're little more than a collection of misfits and miscreants, battling to justify their existence. None more so than their leader Cameron Estrela - an Earthling, a nobody from a nowhere planet. And now, with a mysterious and sinister threat looming and the fate of the galaxy at stake, they may have the chance. Provided, that is, Cam can steer clear of his malignant ex, see off a swarm of space-pirates, save the Sentinels from budget-cutting bureaucrats and keep both himself and his ragtag crew from being blasted into their component molecules. Good thing he likes a challenge.

(ONC2023 shortlist) Minnie, a retired airship pirate, and Eleanor, Minnie's respectable new wife, discover what's at the bottom of the seemingly bottomless pit that has opened in their steampunk city. Can they survive the strange world below, and protect their home city from disintegration? This is my entry for the ONC2023, using the following prompt: 38. A seemingly bottomless pit was found, for which the depth can't be determined. Over time, scores of people began using it to illegally dump trash. Many have jumped believing that they'll find life's answers within it. Today, we learn the truth about the hole.

Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives. Aisha, Karen and Pamela can best be described as the contemporary supremes. Beautiful, smart, resourceful. Yet, something so dark and ominous haunts them, hovering over their heads like a dark cloud, threatening to expose them. They find a way to cope, to keep their heads up despite the shadows that is lurking. However, they'll eventually come to the realization that all is not as it seems, double nature comes naturally to most and your second skin is not thick enough. Secrets would be unveiled, bonds would be broken, some repaired, mistakes would be made and lessons learnt too. In the end, some would conquer, others would cave.