A Bright World Has Turned Out Its Lights WINNERS

Will you do it?

No!	18.8%	[ 12 ]
Yes	81.2%	[ 52 ]
Total Votes:			[ 64 ]

[xXxminimagexXx]

when does this close? smile

[MasakiSan]

"Cluster #3~"


We walked hand in hand down the park, arms swinging lightly in the air. The Statue of Liberty towered over everything as it stood in the distance. My fingers were entwined with hers and I smiled to myself. I cast her a look and she looked back, smiling.

"Jason is a handful," I remarked, nodding my head towards the eight-year-old running towards us, holding a flower in his hand. He had her blue eyes that sparkled like gems. But his hair was darker. Like his father. Who wasn't me.

"He is, but I still love him," Katherine answered, turning back towards her son. She let go of my hand to open her arms for Jason. He ran right into them and she lifted him in the air, spinning him in a circle. "What's this?" She asked him, lifting up the hand that held the flower.

"It's a flower for Mommy," he answered gleefully.

"Thank you. It's beautiful," she smiled, giving him a kiss on the forehead. She gently took the flower from Jason, placing him back onto the ground. A familiar tune started playing. Jason turned his head towards it. He hoped to see the ice cream truck, but saw nothing.

"It might be around the bend," I told him. "Let's go see if we can catch up with it."

"Okay!" He exclaimed, running in the direction of the sound.

"We'll be back," I said, flashing a smile to Katherine. I jogged after Jason, catching up in a matter of seconds. "Slow down. It's not going anywhere."

"It might if you don't hurry!" He cried, picking up his pace again. I smiled, remembering the days of my childhood.

We turned the corner and saw it only several feet away. There was a small line. The man was handing the girl in front an ice cream bar. "See. We made it," I said to Jason as we walked towards the end of the line.

He reached out to hold my hand as he looked at the pictures posted on the side of the truck. "Hmm. I don't know what to get. Can I get everything?" He asked me looking up with his innocent blue eyes.

I laughed gently. "Maybe next time. I don't have enough money for everything."

"I bet Mommy would let me get everything."

"I bet she would too," I said. "But she stayed behind. You were in too much of a rush."

"If we didn't hurry the ice cream man might have disappeared!"

"At least he's still here now. You better decide soon. It's almost our turn," I said as the person in front of us ordered.

A plane soared above us, blocking out the sun. I looked up at it squinting. It was close. "I don't remember an airport near here…" I murmured to myself. I thought I saw something drop from it. I blinked and saw nothing was there anymore. "Strange."

"What would you like today?" The ice cream man asked us.

I opened my mouth to reply as the ground shook. An explosion sounded in the distance. I crouched to the ground, bringing Jason close to me.

"What's happened!" I heard people exclaim as soon as the ground stopped shaking. I rose and looked around the ice cream truck. Smoke rose into the air. I heard another plane soar over us. I looked up again and I knew this time that something did fall from it.

"We're being bombed!" Someone yelled. People screamed and scattered.

I squeezed Jason's hand, sprinting as fast as I could go with him trailing behind. The ground shook again, but I kept running. Jason cried out and I stopped. "Get on my back," I commanded, crouching onto the ground again.

"But-"

"You're in safe hands, I promise."

He looked on the scared and on verge of tears, but he climbed onto my back. I stood up slowly as the ground shook yet again. I heard screams and explosions happening at the same time. I started sprinting again, going faster than before.

I saw a policeman directing people towards a building. "Why are we going into there?" I asked him as soon as I got close.

"There is a basement. It should be safer than the streets. We're trying to get everyone into basements until we can handle the situation. Hurry. We don't have much time."

I quickly slipped inside as another bomb went off. I followed the trail of people downstairs. There wasn't much room left. I walked over to a corner and sat on the ground. Jason slipped off my back and sat down next to me.

"Is Mommy here?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know…" I murmured. "I hope so." I felt tears spring into my eyes at the thought of Katherine not being safe in this mess.

After a few minutes, people stopped coming in. The doors to the above shut closed and darkness overtook the room. I heard the heaving breathing of the people around me. I could feel their fear and worry.

The ground shook again and again. There seemed to be more bombs being dropped. It sounded like they were coming closer to. I covered Jason's ears with my hands and he gently placed his over mine. He didn't need to hear this. Outside, bombs screeched like horror movie victims. People started to panic, to cry out.

The ground shook again, this time with more force. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled Jason closer.

Slowly, over time, the shakings became less and the bombs slowly died down. After who knows how long, maybe hours, maybe days, it was silent. I heard someone stand up and climb up the steps to the above. They slowly opened the door and peered outside.

Light poured into the room as the person gasped in shock. Everyone turned their heads to look. "I think it's safe," he murmured. He walked out of view. A few people followed, but most remained still.

I slowly lift my hands off of Jason's ears. He looked up at me and I nodded. It was time to see what happened. I took his hand and we stood up. Being careful not to step on anyone, we made our way to the stairs. We climbed up them and stood dumbfounded at the top.

Buildings were destroyed. They were in ruins. I looked up, seeing the open sky above me. Trees were burned into ashes and the streets were blackened. A few people were out walking around, taking in their new city.

Jason and I walked down the street. I looked for anything that wasn't destroyed. But there wasn't.

"Cameron! Jason!" I heard someone cry. We turned our heads, hearing out names. I broke out into a smile as I recognized the person running towards us.

"Mommy!" Jason cried, throwing himself in her arms. She smiled, tears flowing from happiness.

"I was so worried!" She kissed him and held him close like she was never going to let go."I was so worried something was going to happen to you two," she said, reaching out her hand to hold mine.

"I was worried about you. I was thinking about you the whole time. I wouldn't be able to bear it if you weren't safe," I replied, taking her hand.

"Neither would I," she said gently, smiling.

"Is it still Monday?" I asked her, pulling both of them into a hug.

"I can't remember, are we in New York?" She asked, wrapping her free hand around my waist and resting her chin on my shoulder.

I looked up at the Statue of Liberty; half of it was blown off. The part that was left was blackened and jagged. "This isn't New York anymore."

[c e r a - f i n n]

I think I might enter~

[SnowRune]

I am most definitely interested in #3. expect my entry...sometime soon. C:

[crash nebula is a zombie]

Thank you for the entry hun and thanks to those interested C:

[Abel Kingyo]

Definitely going to enter! This contest looks so fun. 4laugh

Question, though. Do we only use one of the prompts, or all of them?

I'm not sure which I'm most interested in. It's probably going to be #2 or #3.

[Krysto27]

Cluster #3
+"You're in safe hands, I promise."
+"Outside, bombs screeched like horror movie victims."
+"He hoped to see the ice cream truck, but saw nothing."
+"I can't remember, are we in New York?"

Thought I would give it a shot ^^ hope you like

"The tree on the hill"


Warm summer nights were always Rin’s favorite. She sat against the oak tree she had grown up near as a child. Much was lost since then, back when she was the innocent child who used to play in these fields. Alas, such days always seem to go by so quickly. Like the sudden blink of an eye, one event becomes another memory.

She fell over on the soft grass beneath her, laying beside the few flowers she had found and set beside the stone and tree, gazing up into the nights’ sky. What a dream it once was; a world she had called perfect once. Now, nothing but a shambled ruin of the place she once called home.

“It never used to be so horrible.” She mused to herself, letting out a soft sigh as she relaxed against the ground, those stars in the sky her only comfort. “What ever made it go so wrong? Why here? Why now?” All questions she had no answers for.

With another deep breath Rin sat up and surveyed the valley below. The carnage and devastation that lay below her was the constant reminder of such a time she lived in. With the greed of the world feeding the fire of its own hate, it’s a surprise this didn’t happen sooner. One conflict after another, men and women trapped in the middle of it, of strife between the selfish people that they called their “leaders”. A pity to think that after all that, this is what they were left with; one world in exchange for the next, and this one was no improvement over the last.

She stood up and stretched high into the air, reaching for those stars she so longed for. “It’ll never reach our home he said,” she said harshly into the darkness. “You’re in safe hands, I promise he said. Well, as far as I see, he must have let go of me…” She had to stop. Such things always made her upset, to think that he would leave her like that, alone and in this desolate world, he would weep in his grave if he had been here to see how everything turned out.

The short walk to the cities streets was always a morbid and devastating experience. The slums of the broken town was now the home to hundreds of refugees, men, women and children alike, all simply trying to survive. It always hurt Rin to see those faces, the men in a desperate anger, the women in a feared resistance, and the children with fear and hopelessness in their eyes.

Memories of that first night always came back to her upon seeing those faces. Memories that now haunted her dreams. The cries of the people, her family mostly, and of him, all of them clinging to each other in that hope that they would be together. Outside, bombs screeched like horror movie victims, the sheer terror of that sound now sent shivers down her spine whenever she recalled them.

She walked a little further up the street, passing the dead shadows of buildings now left empty after everyone had taken what was salvageable. Not much was left, and whatever was found was usually taken greedily by anyone who could overpower those who found it. Food, water, anything was of use and want.

Rin stopped suddenly as she saw a large group walking towards the intersection that she now stood on, watching from the corner as a small caravan of people came walking through. She was well hidden away in the darkness of the buildings shadows, not that it would hurt to let them see her, but that fear of not knowing what these people were was enough to keep her still.

It was a band of people, simply that. The group consisted of a few men, a handful of women, and dozens of children. What the men held was enough to keep her back. Guns, weapons, and loaded most likely. Best to keep her distance from them, they would cause trouble, and she didn’t want to be one to bring it on them, or on herself for that matter.

Again she saw those faces, the children looked pleased at least, some of them smiling, some frowning down the wrecked streets, one child with a cute innocence, one who would have had brighter spirits if the world was new again. She could imagine, a smiling face as he played outside with the others, he could hope to see the ice cream truck, but see nothing and still have that same smile. Such an innocent youth, and one that brought back the pains of why she visited the tree on the hill everyday, of why she had to stay strong through all of this. He would not like to see her cry, and so she would not.

“We must have traveled at least twenty miles today Jones, I can’t remember, are we in New York?” One man said to the other.

“Far from, and hopefully we never get close. I hear there’re street wars there everyday, a death trap for anyone who isn’t going to at least fight for a little food. No, best we keep our distance from that place.” The lead man responded. “Make sure the children have water and let’s keep moving, we can rest once we get out of this town.”

Rin watched as the small caravan made its way by. A shame that they wouldn’t find anything here, at least nothing that people hadn’t already been hidden away. She would have to remember them, those smiling faces, she would have to go back tomorrow to the hill with the tree and stone, she would have at least something pleasant to tell him when she visited him again tomorrow.

[crash nebula is a zombie]

Thanks hun!

[Sabri2709]

I'll join!!! I'll add my story as soon as I write it biggrin

[Rose430]

sounds awesome but wen is it due bye ill try to work on it sometime this week!
Rose

(watch out heres ur winner!)(if i remember to do it)lol jk

[Sabri2709]

Rose430

sounds awesome but wen is it due bye ill try to work on it sometime this week!
Rose

(watch out heres ur winner!)(if i remember to do it)lol jk

I believe this one is october 1st for the cut off... it says in the first post I believe

[Mokomonko]

i can still enter right?

[Molotovo]

Hello, here is my entry. I used # 2:

Remembering Why You're Here

He just finished his the fourth cigarette in a row, but it did nothing to ease his nervousness. He headed back into the airport to continue waiting for his flight. The wait was the only downside to arriving early. He figured the boredom was nothing if he was safe from any uneasiness. Getting there early made things easy until recent years where his life seemed like it entered into a sad spontaneous spiral. The chaos caused him to decide to pack up and move far away. The desperation was getting to him. He didn't know if he was going to somewhere better but he had to go. He just needed to get past the wait.

He washed his smelly hands in the bathroom and another man made him uncomfortable by staring at his scars. He left without drying them. As he was walking back to his terminal, he saw someone that made him stop in another waiting area. It was his old neighbor, Bianca. He stood there for a moment, gazing at her, as the crowds crept past him. His mind showed him memories that made him smile and some that made him want to cry.

As a child, he used to pretend she was his bride. He would blow a dandelion into her hair because he thought it made her prettier. She tied a bow around his neck too tightly, but he never complained. They would walk around the block together while holding hands. They remained good friends as they grew up and even as they joined separate crowds. They always exchanged gifts on their birthdays and valentines day. He remembered how he was beat up one February because she had a boyfriend. She cried when she saw his face and went off to get revenge. Their friendship was good until they exchanged their last gifts.

He remembered how they held hands in their school library. Bianca was wearing her graduation gown. He would get his after summer school. She was smiling to hold back some tears. They exchanged gifts and then she hugged him. That meant more to him than any gift. She went to college after that. They lost touch when he was kicked out of his house. He took all her gifts and letters with him and they were with him now in his bag.

His mind brought him back to the airport when someone bumped into him. The memories were doing something strange to his head so he tried to think about his trip to his hopeful salvation. Then he found himself walking towards Bianca. He tried to stop, but his mind kept moving his legs. When he got close she didn't realize he was there. She hummed softly to a tune nobody remembers. He couldn't identify a name but he did know they heard it together some time ago. He stood straight up as Bianca stopped humming and noticed him.

She gasped, darted up, and gave him a hug. It felt different. He sat down next to her and they talked closely. They shared memories like old friends do. Then she asked about what happened to him while they were separated. He lied and turned the topic towards her. Bianca made herself successful. She was just here for her job. He went from focusing on her face to what she was wearing. The business attire should have let him know. He grew self-conscious from his dirty jeans. He clutched his knees to stop his mind from making his mouth blurt out what he really wanted to say. He wanted to show her how he kept all the gifts and letters. He wanted to tell her how important she was to him and how he regrets letting her forget.

Bianca put a hand on his shoulder and laughed. That was enough to calm him down and he listened to her talk about her job. An announcement from the loudspeaker ended the blissful moment. She frowned and stood up. He looked up at her and almost grabbed of her hand. She gave him her card after she wrote something on the back of it. He took it and watched her walk away. He looked at the back of the card. It was a promise that they would meet again. She would be back soon. His mind went into the strange place again.

He got up and his legs brisked him out of the terminal and out of the airport. His ears ignored the announcement that called for his departure to another place that now seemed too foreign for him. There was no reason to leave this town anymore. The memories of chaos were replaced with memories of Bianca. His thoughts made him grin for the first time in four years. It was a bright world out there. He was already home.

[crash nebula is a zombie]

Thank you darling!