Short Story Contests discussion

Instructions:
Please do not use a story previously used on goodreads. After the month's contest, you are welcome to put it on your profile writings, but please refrain from using stories you have already put up on there.

You have until the last day of each month to post a story on here. Please post it directly onto this topic, rather than posting a link. Also, please do not discuss stories on here. You must go to the Picture Discussion for that. This will avoid any clutter and confusion, so that people can simply come on here and read the story, without having to read comments on the story.

This is a Picture contest. There will be a picture posted for the month’s topic, and although there are no rules as to what you should write about, we hope that this picture will inspire a story. This contest is different from the weekly contest, also, because in this contest you have the ability to post your stories in parts. For instance, you could post a small part of your story each week. That will give you more time to work, and it won’t be as much pressure on you all to get it done in a hurry. This dividing the story system will also enable the writer to keep their readers on edge until they post more of the story, that way it will pull more readers into the story. Also, there is no need to post the story into parts if you don’t want to. You can post the whole thing at once, or in as many parts of the story as you want in each monthly contest, but each new section must be over 500 words. There is no total word limit, as long as each entry is over 500 words. At the end of the month there will be a poll and a winner. The winner will have to option to have their story on the Short Story Galore website, and the page of winning stories here on Goodreads.


Topic Picture:


If you have an objection to this picture, go to the Picture Contest Discussion page (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...). Also, we do not own any rights to these pictures, they have been taken of places such as Google Images. If you would like to suggest a picture, please go here for some info on that: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Good luck!

Arthur [acting for Clare:]

P.S. PLEASE say if you would like to have your story on Short Story Galore, if you win. This way it wouldn't take me ages to get your consent afterwards. This includes adding a link to your stories. If you want to have your story on the Short Story Galore, but not the link, please just say so.

Also, thank you Minnie for making this picture suggestion possible.

Haha I really like this picture. Maybe i will get the time together to write for this contest... Also arthur, after week 50 is done, I will send you the SSG instructions!

A Horse A Yard Away




I was at home on this spot in the most part at last. And in the past I had been a traveler or freelance writer at the most. Never staying somewhere finding newer roads to journey in hope that someday I will find myself took me years before I grew tired of its unwellness. The new towns being built and old forests or roads no longer appeal to the greater senses of my body.

I talked with settlers of Belfast learning news and not yet all, getting views that Belfast was a fast moving boomtown of the quietest neck in the woods of rural Canada. Belfast didn’t sound Canadian and I suspect emigrants are coming from the United States responsible for naming it Belfast as if it were an American town.

That interested me in a way to bring me here. When I found myself strangely fascinated by the increasing characters in Belfast and I suppose I shall remain in Belfast for the rest of my life.

I was putting away the grocery when I noticed a man, a shadow of a man, leering outside of the front door. The bell suddenly rang almost alarming me. Now you see me, Jim, new in Belfast and not yet attuned to all the busy, busy, attractions living in a booming district has brought. Rory, the district voodoo priest, actually Rory McLeay was ordained a priest finding god in his upbringing but chose medical school not the bible school until he realized he had god in his heart all long. He is also known as one of the towns leading carpenters. Recently putting on a new hallway to an old room then finishing before Sunday Dexter’s home to be baptizing their newly born son in church, talk about a busy person.

Rory had his secrets. The world was growing up so fast and time was like sand and shifting through the fingers in mans hands. He had told me a little of himself. He tried putting the fear of god in me. I’m sure if I were Rory I would keep an open mind too except I wasn’t as analytical about life was all I believe in scientific cremation. That’s when you live and die just to please science and evolution. He accepted that when I gave my opinion. He didn’t push much anymore but made sure when he found a clearing to speak that he often used wisdom I found. Anyway Rory is some great guy.

“I’m building a horse.” He stormed in when I opened a crack in the door. My eyes were red and about to purple blossom in puffy swelling from the cracks of darkness around my dusty home making me dizzy and disorientated to see the sun, and he could tell.

“Are you not awake yet Jim? I’m going to build a horse because god has inspired me that we have them.” He said going to the kitchen with me behind him. I nudged past him to a chair to sit with telling him evidence of my own.

“I was only taking a nap.” I said gaily. For Rory’s intrusion tore apart any plans of a noontime sleep.

“Oh. You got groceries. Coffee?” He suggested.

“Help your self.” Jim aid smartly as he waved a arm towards the pot and stove. “Why wooden horses is this some church charity, are you raising money?”

“no I hadn’t thought about the church yet. Huh. No go goes on and lets death take us by acts. Often acts of god are like cause and effect. Often there are even those who witness acts and suffer death not being involved except by being in the wrong place in the wrong time.” Rory stated.

“Uh-hum. Fact, except I don’t think I follow where you on this, what about horses then?”

“Not horses. A horse. To save people.” A shifted in my seat. Waiting.

“A horse like the Trojans made only this one would fly to save those instead.” Rory admitted to what he was thinking sounded as little rational as my staring seemed to him. Rory cleared his throat, “this morning a morning like this a family lived down in the grove until the father starved to death . . . down in the grove which is far from town and in the sticks, he worked his farm to feed his family till he fainted and when I was asked to do a charity visit of a friend from one of the sisters I found him much under the weather dieing from not eating. I subscribed food but apparently to late. He died. That was a year ago. You remember. Only they had a little girl named Ellie, fell down a well and got hurt plenty. “Oh no Ellie, can you get up” enquired the mother. “I can’t feel my legs they’re plenty crooked.” Ellie replied. “Wait I’ll fetch a rope.” She ran to the barn and could not find one except there was one around the horse. She untied the beast. At the well the child had fallen asleep. The mother called down to her. She started to try to lift the child only to learn she hadn’t enough strength to lift the helpless child out on her own. She needed help. She’s courting some man but hasn’t married her yet so they were alone. She was too big to climb down herself and couldn’t lift the sulky child. She ran back to her barn finding the horse was gone. The water fills up the well with the tide and the child drowned. It’s a tragic end for the woman.”

“Tragic yes and I am horrified. But how do you intend to change the world’s ills by building a horse?” I had to ask.

“Then I got thinking, couldn’t we change events if we had a horse that could save people? I mean when in danger anybody could call out its name and it came? The world needs a hero and revolutionizing a horse can save people’s lives. Just think of it.”

“it’s 1876 Rory. We are advanced in science only not that far.”

“What about the front pedaled bicycle?” Rory questioned. “It was invented by stooges until one intelligent Scotsman said the bike needs petals to save the feet walking and everyone attempted to beat him in his invention only no one could think of what the bike needed. Many attached things to the front wheel but not him; it invents the bike because the world needed it. It’s logic. And is saving people.” It hurts an ocean to hear Rory’s words in church on Sunday now he could quake many lands with his sincerity.

“I don’t know Rory.” I say. “You want my help?” I ask with the guilty feeling that his plans of building a mechanical horse to save us all will go amuck one day to late but I eventually agree.

This contest is closed please no more posts.

Thanks Jes Jes Arianna Sage for your poem.

I realize my story doesn't make sense I should of written about whatever animal that picture was I thought of a horse instead of a jackal or fox.