Tales of Terror

[LadyDestani]

Tales of Terror

You're walking through the carnival, marveling at all the sights and sounds, when something catches your eye. Largely obscured by the decorations littering the area, you're not quite sure what it is, but you're inexplicably drawn to it.

You approach and sift through the mess to reveal the object of your curiosity. The moment your hand closes around the item, a tingling sensation races through your body.​

Task

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To create a spooky short story between 500-2000 words using the following prompt:

Write a story about a cursed object. Describe the object and how its curse impacts those who possess it.

Your entry must be a complete short story: no poetry, scripts, or a chapter of a larger piece of work. Entries must be fiction; no non-fiction or personal accounts. The only fan fiction permitted is Animal Crossing. Completely original works are accepted.


Rules

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• Only one entry per person and entries must be your own work.
• You may not use AI to write the story for you.
• You cannot collaborate with another person whether or not they are a TBT member.
• Must be a brand new piece of writing.
• Serious entries only please. If we think your entry lacks effort, or has just been submitted as a joke, then it will be disqualified.
• Keep content suitable for a PG-13 audience. If it would breach our Rules & Guidelines then it is not suitable here.
• Entries that go outside of the word count guideline will be automatically disqualified. Word count often differs between word processors, so we will be using this word count tool as the official guide for this event. Please use this to check the length of your entry before submitting it.

How to Submit

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Submit your entry by posting it in this thread by 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday 31st October 2024.

Submission Checklist:

Your entry meets the prompt.​

Your entry is between 500-2000 words in length.​

It is no later than 11:59 PM EDT on Thursday 31st October 2024.​

Prizes

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• Participation:
  • 13 Carnival Coins
• Staff Favourite:
  • 3 bonus Carnival Coins + Your choice of Cursed, Sinister, or Ancient Lantern (only one can be earned from the entire event)

Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. What is a cursed object?

• A cursed object can be any inanimate object that has a negative effect when it is owned or used. Example: Monkey's Paw
• Possessed objects, where a spirit enters an inanimate object making it come to life, do not count. Example: Chucky from Child's Play
• Living beings, human or animal, do not count as cursed objects.
• For the purposes of this event, plants will count as inanimate objects. However, please keep in mind that a plant's natural properties, such as any toxins they usually carry, do not count as a curse.

 

[LadyDestani]

Tales of Terror is now open!

 

[Alolan_Apples]

Spoiler: The Cursed Cookies

Once upon a night, a group of five teenage girls with the names of Sally, Kelly, Milly, Holly, and June went out to eat at a local restaurant. Normally, they choose to eat at Casa de Mix, a multicultural restaurant owned by Sally’s father, but since it was Friday the 13th, they agreed to choose a different restaurant. The reason being was that Casa de Mix usually has bad food and bad customer service when it’s Friday the 13th. The restaurant they chose was Meals Grill, an American food restaurant that is more like a fast-food restaurant. It was close to their usual hangout place, Holly’s house, and it was cheap.

Unbeknownst to the girls, Meals Grill was in trouble for the cookies they sold. When they first told their friends that they will eat at Meals Grill, they were warned not to eat the cookies. And if they do, they are not to predict the future by any means. According to reports, Meals Grill was selling cursed cookies, where anyone who eats the cookies will be cursed.

The cookies that Meals Grill sold were made of some mysterious dough from a temple treasure hunters have raided and stole from. It was considered the best-tasting dough ever. Everyone who tried it thought it tasted better than what they usually make. However, it belonged to the temple. If it ever got stolen, then everyone who eats products made of the dough will be cursed. Anyone who is cursed will only face a bad future event if they make any predictions. If a cursed individual predicts something bad, it will happen. And if a cursed individual predicts something good, the opposite will happen. A couple restaurants across the world used the dough for their desserts, and Meals Grill was one of them. The owner of Meals Grill even decided not to make any new dough for their cookies until the cursed dough ran out.

Despite the warnings, the girls ignored them, thinking that curses weren’t real. They went to Meals Grill and ordered their meals. After they ate their meals, Holly decided they should order some cookies to prove that the curse wasn’t real. All five girls ate the cursed cookies. As soon as the curse went into effect, Holly predicted that she will trip over, Kelly will throw up, Milly will have a good dream, Sally will earn a hundred dollars, and June will catch a cold. She believed that if none of the events happened, she will have proof to discredit the curse.

Upon leaving, Holly tripped over on the sidewalk and scraped her hands. Milly and Sally had to help her get up. After they helped Holly get up, they went back to their car and left. Unfortunately for Sally, she dropped $100 on the sidewalk while trying to help Holly get up. She didn’t even realize it until too late when she felt that her dress pocket was empty. Holly still denied the curse, saying that it was a coincidence. As Sally had to drive the girls back to their homes, Kelly threw up in the car. At that point, Sally began to believe that the curse was real, but Kelly said that the food might’ve made her sick.

Overnight, Holly’s remaining predictions started to kick in. June has incubated the common cold at home, and Milly had a nightmare while sleeping. When they went to Holly’s house the next day, they noticed that everything Holly said either has come true or the opposite has happened. Everyone except Holly and Kelly believed that the curse was real and promised not to make any predictions about what will happen. However, as time went on, Sally was the only one who kept the vow not to say the future. June told her parents that she will get better as soon as she got home, only to get sick the next day. Three days later, Milly forgot that she can’t say anything about the future and said to her brother that he won’t get laid off. He was laid off the weekend after the girls’ night at Meals Grill. Holly and Kelly, still denying the curse, didn’t follow the vow. Kelly claimed that she will pass her math test because she studied hard. And Holly said that her parents won’t feed her dinner the day after she ate the cursed cookies. Kelly failed her next math test because her teacher chose to play stupid on her, and Holly’s parents didn’t feed her.

Because of Kelly’s failure, she finally began to believe that the curse inflicted by the cookies were real. Holly was still a skeptic. She continued to make several good and bad predictions of the nearest future, only to see bad things happening. But when she predicted that she won’t get into a car accident while driving home from school, someone drove into her car and totaled it. Holly survived unharmed, but she began to realize that the cookies were cursed. And everyone that told her not to eat the cookies were right. Meanwhile, Sally still minimized the effects of the curse successfully.

After all of the misfortunes they went through, the girls had to talk to their friends on how to escape the curse the cookies inflicted upon them. They were told that they had to eat nothing but their least favorite food for one day. If they can do that, the curse will be broken. Therefore, Sally spent the next day eating nothing but mushrooms, Kelly ate only fish, Milly ate only candy corn, Holly only ate asparagus and onions, and June only ate gorgonzola. Everyone escaped the curse. However, only four of them faced good luck for one day. Holly’s parents bought her a new car with their latest casino winnings, Kelly got an A on her math test after her teacher regretted her actions, Milly was offered free movie tickets, and June got free food at a fast food restaurant due to a malfunction in the system. Unfortunately for Sally, she faced a whole week of bad luck since she was the only one who never made a future prediction as an attempt to minimize the curse of the cookies.

 

[ShinyDungeoneer]

The Cursed Ball​

Once, there was a dog named Lucky. Lucky loved playing fetch with his owner, a young boy named Jack. Every day, they would go out in their backyard and play together. Until one day, when Lucky accidentally broke his favorite ball. Jack, ever the resourceful one, told his pet not to worry, and that he would buy Lucky a new ball, much to the dog's excitement. However, on the way to the pet store, Jack ran into a shady individual, who offered him a rubber ball for free. Jack, although wary of the stranger, accepted the offer and ran home, happy to have accomplished his task faster than expected. When Jack got home, he and Lucky instantly began playing with the ball. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, until the next morning came. When Lucky woke up, he found himself getting assaulted by wasps. Panicking, he ran into Jack's room, only to find him getting bitten by wolves. Fearing for their lives, the two ran into the basement, locking the door behind them so the wasps and wolves couldn't get in. However, they were met with the rubber ball, and a few dozen more wasps. Thinking quickly, Jack threw the ball into the fire, having deduced that it was causing this bad luck. Now furious, Jack stormed outside, looking for the individual who gave him the ball, tripping a few hundred times due to the bad luck. Eventually, Jack found the individual, who told him the only way to get rid of the bad luck was to pass the ball on to someone. On the way back, Jack thought long and hard about what he should do, and came to the conclusion that he should pass it on to someone he hates. So, when he got home, he grabbed the ball out of the fire (which somehow hadn't burned), and passed it on to the school bully, masking it as a peace offering. As soon as he did that, the bad luck was alleviated, and Lucky and Jack were able to resume their peaceful life. And as for the poor, unfortunate soul that received the ball, he... ended up expelled from school, and perished due to the bad luck, a construction-related mishap befalling him.

The end.​

 

[Moonlight.]

Kiki and the Alarm of Danger
​

Being a black cat herself, Kiki was plenty familiar with Halloween and all things that go bump in the night. And as that fateful Halloween night approached, she got dressed up in her vampire costume and set out for a night of trick or treating. As the hours passed, she went from door to door, making sure to politely thank everyone that answered and gave out candy. She had a nearly full bag already when she turned and noticed something peculiar… there was no one else out! Confused, she looked around with a puzzled expression. She was sure there were other villagers out and about, yet only she remained.

As she glanced around at her surroundings, she realized something horrible. She was on a street with nothing but abandoned houses! She started to panic and when she turned around, she saw a light on in the house furthest down the block. She gulped nervously as she quickly ran down to it. She knocked once…no response. She knocked again… still nothing. She decided to knock one final time and again, no response. She sighed and turned to leave when she was stunned by the sound of the front door creaking open behind her. She quickly whipped around, only to be greeted by a strange looking mouse with big glasses. “Greatest of nights, dearie!” the mouse smiled. “I don’t get many visitors around here!” she continued.

“Oh, sorry…I was lost and saw the light was on and-” Kiki started to say before she was interrupted by the mouse. “No problem at all, my name is Petri, who might you be?” Petri explained. Kiki properly introduced herself and gave a soft smile back. “You know…I’m quite happy you appeared, I had a special treat to give out and no one was coming around” Petri sighed in defeat before leaving the entrance to fetch something. Kiki waited patiently, still somewhat anxious from the whole experience. Petri returned and handed her an alarm clock. “A…clock?” Kiki asked, confusedly. Petri nodded. Before Kiki could ask anything else, Petri excused herself and closed the door. To say the black cat was confused would be an understatement, she wasn’t entirely sure of what just happened. She shoved the clock into her treat bag, turned around, and went on her way.

As Kiki walked down the sidewalk, trying to find any semblance of a familiar landmark, the alarm clock suddenly started ringing. Confused and annoyed at this point, she tried to turn it off but there was nothing to press to cease its ringing. Unsure of what to do, she set it down in the grassy field nearby and walked away. As she did so, the sound of the alarm fell silent. She turned back around only to realize something terrifying… the clock was no longer there. And as she looked down, she realized something even worse. The clock was somehow in her treat bag. Her heart started to race, she was sure she put it down behind her, how did it reappear in her bag?

Once again, the alarm clock in the bag started to ring. Shielding her ears, she turned it around hoping to rip out its batteries. Yet…there were none. She started to sweat. As she was standing there stunned, unsure of what to do next, she heard the creaking sound of a large tree falling over. She quickly dove out of the way. She stared and started to panic, only to realize that the alarm had gone mute. She looked back and forth between the tree and the clock, gears turning in her head, but unaware of any connection between the two, or at least hoping there wasn't a connection. She dusted herself off and stood up, before taking off sprinting hoping to find her way back home. She glanced around as she ran, with her breathing getting heavier and heavier. The alarm started to go off again. She glanced at it but paid it no real mind, she just wanted to get home at this point. Suddenly, she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and went tumbling down a nearby hill and fell unconscious.

She awoke, her vision blurry and her head spinning. “This night has felt like an eternity,” she said as she slowly stood back up. Then the realization set in, the clock was quiet once again. She groaned and picked it up off of the ground where it landed and set it back into her bag. She continued her journey home. After 10 minutes had passed, the alarm suddenly went off again for the third time tonight. Her eyes widened; she knew this meant something bad was about to happen. She looked all around her at her surroundings, surely, she could find something amiss. But… she didn’t find anything odd. She rested against someone’s mailbox, she just needed a moment to breathe and get her bearings. Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a hissing noise. She glanced back at the mailbox before cautiously opening it up. A snake reared its head and hissed at her. She jumped back as her fur rose up and quickly took off running again. As she was sprinting and trying to locate her home, she dashed past several trick or treaters who looked at her in confusion and collectively shrugged. She was in such a hurry, she didn't even realize there were finally other people around! Kiki’s heart lifted as she saw the familiar autumn-coloring of her home in the distance. A large smile appeared on her face as she started to run faster.

Yet again, the alarm started to sound. She groaned and ignored it; she was so close to her home… what could seriously be the problem now? Suddenly, it started to pour. Kiki slowed her pace and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Really…after all of this…rain is the danger?” Kiki laughed. Her fur started to poof up again as she looked around confusedly. She instinctively jumped back and as she did so a lightning strike tore into the ground. She started to hyperventilate before she calmed her breathing down. “Of course…lightning…why didn’t I think of that?” she sighed as she headed towards her yard. She had never been so happy to see her pumpkin decorations before in her life. Kiki calmly unlocked her door and went into her home.
After about 30 minutes, she started to think about the clock and everything else that happened tonight. Sure, there was always the stereotype of black cats being bad luck, but she’s never experienced this before. She’s heard of cursed objects, but always assumed they didn’t actually exist! All her incidents tonight had to be linked to the clock, it was crazy to think but it was the only thing that made sense. Her eyes casually looked around her home until her eyes rested on the fireplace. She set it alight and stared at the clock in her hand. While not saying a word, she threw the clock into the flames and sighed. Whatever that science mouse did to get hold of such an item was none of her concern. She was just happy to be safe inside her home again.

 

[You got mail!]

Here is my entry for Tales of Terror!

Spoiler: The Mailbox

Every day we see and use ordinary objects such as kitchen utensils, pencils, books and much more. However, some objects are anything but ordinary and today’s story will highlight such a case as I know all about one such object.

I’m an explorer and I love venturing into all sorts of environments from forests, fields, plains and even abandoned buildings. I know it’s dangerous, but I know the risks and nothing beats the thrill of exploring places not many people go to. Anyways, I had gotten a tip for this house in the middle of nowhere that’s been long abandoned since the 80s. I made my preparations and drove over to the place. It sure looked abandoned what with all the broken windows, decaying walls and dead plants. I’ve went inside and it was spooky but ultimately unremarkable. Still, it was nice to explore a place that was once lived in.

As I exited the house, I took notice of the mailbox at the front. I didn’t pay much attention to it when I first entered the property but I saw that it’s essentially in pristine condition. The paint looks new and there’s no signs of rust. I opened it and there was nothing in it. On it was the address number 665. 665 huh, the neighbor of the beast. I thought it was really strange, this perfect mailbox with a funny number on an otherwise dilapidated area. I sensed something was special with this mailbox and so I took it off the post, loaded it onto my car and took it to my place as a souvenir. Yes, I did steal it, but it wasn’t like anyone was going to miss it. Anyways, when I got home, I placed the mailbox in my collection room and went to sleep. The next day, after finishing my morning routine I decided to open the mailbox again for the sake of it. To my shock I saw that it was jam packed full of unopened mail! How was that possible?! I dumped the mail out of the mailbox and began examining it. I discovered that most if not all of the mail have different ship and return addresses. I am certain that they were dead letters, mail that hasn’t reached their destination and can’t be returned to the sender. Out of morbid curiosity, I opened one of the letters. It was an apology to the recipient for things the writer has said and done. As I finished reading I could’ve sworn I heard someone crying and I also felt very sad all of a sudden. I don’t know why, but I opened more letters and each one had similar content, apologies for past mistakes. By the time I finally stopped digging through the letters, I felt very miserable and exhausted. It was still daytime but went over to my bedroom to sleep, hoping this was all a dream. I couldn’t sleep and I heard so much crying, it was unbearable. I had enough and walked over to my living room and somehow the mailbox was here from the collection room. It was just lying there on the floor. Not knowing what else to do, I opened the mailbox and there was just one piece of mail inside it. My jaw dropped when I saw just my name on it. I wasn’t expecting anything, definitely didn’t expect mail directed to me in a mailbox I took from an abandoned home. I opened it and in it was a letter that just said “WHY?”. Before I could even form a thought, tons of mail began shooting out of the mailbox. I made a run for it outside and when I looked back, my whole house was filled with mail, dead letters. I turned around and suddenly there were these strange men and before I could say anything, they cuffed me and took me somewhere. They must’ve been federal agents or something cause they told me they discovered the mailbox in my house and questioned me about it. I was let go but they somehow contained and confiscated the mailbox. Good riddance I thought but ever since that day, whenever I go to sleep, I hear crying and sobbing. I feel deep regrets even though I don’t really have any and overall, I am sadder and I can’t help it. I guess the lesson is that some things are meant to be left alone. I hope those agents know what they’re dealing with.

I really loved the premise of this activity, I was very inspired! One of my all time favorite games is one called Control and there’s these objects called Altered Items, mundane objects with all sorts of wild effects. Here’s a couple examples of some, it’s cool stuff!

Spoiler: Altered Items

 

[Airysuit]

With the beautiful word count of 666, I present to you my story

Spoiler: Coco's Cursed Cap

Coco's Cursed Cap

One cold winter evening, when snow filled the island, Coco decided to take a walk to enjoy the snowy vibes. Her footsteps crunched softly in the crisp snow, as she wandered around the village and the forest nearby. The silence of the snow felt mysterious, and Coco start feeling a little... excited about what the night may bring.
When she passed a bunch of holly bushes, something silver and sparkly caught her eye. Something was poking out from beneath the snow. Coco knelt down and picked it up, and it turned out to be a very cozy, snowy knit cap! It was red with a white winter pattern, with some silver threads knitted through the fabric, which sparkled in the moonlight. Coco was delighted to be so lucky to find a cute knit cap like that!

She put the knit cap on, and it felt so nice and warm, she was ready to embrace the cold again. She felt so comfortable and cozy en decided to walk on. She noticed how much warmer she felt despite the cold breeze. It was like the knit cap held a bit of magic.
As she continued her walk, Coco started to notice something odd... The usual sounds of the island, the breeze through the trees, the oceanwater hitting the stones, had all faded. The mysterious silence was now an absolut silence... Her head also felt kinda strange, now she thought about it. When she reached up to adjust her knit cap, she finally noticed.

Her ears were gone.

Coco panically felt around her knit cap, but no matter how long she felt, she could not find her ears. She ran back to her house, where she looked into the mirror. She hoped it might have been a trick of her imagination, but as soon as she saw her reflection, it confirmed her fears: her ears were gone. All she could see was the cap... Her heart sank. She loved her beautiful, strong ears. Not only were they part of how she looked, they were also how she could listen to all the beautifull sounds of the world. The soft rythms the waves, the relaxing rustling of the leaves, the happy sounds of the birds. She usually felt so connected to nature, and now she would have to miss out on all of that.

Coco could not sleep that evening. She was wondering if could have been the cap she just found... But she really liked the hat, and it felt so warm and cozy, she didn't want to take it of. She tried to take it of, but the warm cozy feeling stopped her. Maybe the hat is cursed, she thought. There must be something she could do to get her ears back, so Coco decided to wake up early tomorrow and find a solution.

The next day Coco tried to solve the curse. She visited her neighbours, hoping someone might know how to lift the curse, but no one had a solution. Then she decided to retrace her steps back to the snowy spot where she had found the knit cap. She figured she might as well try to find the solution in the place where she found the knit cap. As she walked to the spot, she noticed the silver sparkle again in the place where she picked up the knit cap.

Without thinking, Coco removed the knit cap from her head and placed it back in the snow. To her suprise and delight, she suddenly heard all kinds of sounds again. When she put up hear paws she felt her ears again too!
Coco let out a sigh of relief, and started walking back home. On the way back, she noticed all the beautiful sounds of nature again, and appreciated it in a whole new way. She was happy to have her ears back, and be herself again.
Next time, she thought, I will just buy a knit cap from the Ables Sisters!

Based on this photo I made of Coco

 

[Iris_T]

Here's my entry, again happy halloween!-

Spoiler: The Tanuki Curse

The villager looked unimpressed.
As much as Redd insisted that object was so special, it didn't look like much, in fact seemed rather ordinary.

''C'mon don't be like that cousin! This is one a kind collectible item y'know, I really shouldn't sell it this cheap. It's truly a steal!''

Instead of the typical counterfeit piece of art, the fox was showing to the potential client a simple blue apron with a leaf symbol on the middle. Somehow the villager had the nagging feeling of having seen that same thing before...but was foolish enough to ignore the thought and on a whim made the purchase.

As the bells were exchanged Redd gave a snarky and foreboding farewell:
''A pleasure doing business with you..see you real soon, cousin!''

And soon they would come to regret their shopping mistake.

At first nothing happened, and the apron was not even often wore by the villager.
However, in the following days they noticed something was not right with themselves.
They had from nowhere a sudden impulse to offer loans to their friends and neighbors and then inventing random tasks to pay back for said loans. To make things worst they also pick up some mannerism they didn't have before and they couldn't control, while talking they would randomly blurt out enthusiastic 'Yes, yes!' and finish most sentences with 'Hm?'.
In a little while they also began having blackouts, and when coming to their senses they were wearing the apron and had extra bells on their pockets for no apparent reason.

Worried and scared, they decided to visit a local fortune teller that they knew thanks to a friend recommendation.
Reaching the address location they found a mysterious tent and as they entered got welcomed by the smell of incense and the sound of a strange chanting:
''Keee ha mo-ataa....Keee ha mo-nurataa...YEEeeee! LLA SWONK LASTSYRC EHT!''

After an awkward silence Katrina, as she presented herself, talked to the villager.

'' Seems you have met with a terrible fate, haven't you? You found yourself a strongly cursed object, soon you will lose your real self to that apron..Sadly I cannot purify you, this curse it's beyond even my power..The only way you may be freed it's to return it to the source..
Heed my words, you must act quick before it's too late!''

Confused and even more scared, the villager returned home.
And then, next morning as they reflect the fortune teller words they had to do a double take once they passed a mirror.
To their horror a raccoon tail had grown off their body overnight!

Unable to take it anymore they went back to the shady fox store.

''Good to see you again cousin! Everything's well I hope??''

Losing no time the villager desperately begged Redd to get rid of the apron and be relieved of whatever evil that had overtaken them since last visit.

''Well, well! If you insist so much, I guess I could help you and take it back...for a 'small' fee of course.''

. . . .
​

After some negotiations and with an almost empty bank account the villager went back home.
To their relief they slowly lost all the side effects that afflicted them and finally saw an ending to the nightmare...

'' Hello cousin, can I interest you in a vintage and very stylish apron??''

...At least until some other fool makes a very regrettable purchase.

(Hope it's not too evident english it's not my native language )

Also, is the wordcount website making fun of me??

sob I tried my best ok? xD

 

[Flower-Loving Punk]

I tried to write this in the style of Edgar Allen Poe. It should be 500 words on the money! Edit: I didn't see the no poetry until too late!! Whoops!!!

Edit 2: I don't know if this will count due to the mix up or not but I included an actual short story!

Spoiler: The Camera

It was a tepid October morning. The summer heat was finally breaking into an unimpressive fall, and all across the city the festive spooky feeling began to heighten.

I was of course feeling festive myself, going thrifting with my best friend Lacy in our little podunk town. We donned our silliest witch hats and took off wandering through the old red brick streets sweeping in and out of each shop. The cycle was simple... We'd spot a cute object or clothing item we wanted, remark on how much we liked it, and then balk at the price and walk away.

Nearing the end of our little shopping spree, we wandered into a particularly shady looking shop, on the outskirts of the historic downtown. It had a history of being extremely overpriced and a little creepy, but Lacy dragged my by the arm and begged to go in, so we did.

The ceiling was low, and top to bottom of this store was cluttered with any and every item imaginable.

"Fire hazard." Lacy whispered. I gave a quiet chuckle, not wanting to draw too much attention to ourselves as I saw we were the only people in the store.

We wandered through decrepit old antiques and some honest to goodness junk, when there, on a small oak table near some hand-crocheted doilies, I saw a small silver camera. It couldn't have been more than 20 years old, it reeked of early 2000s technology, and I just knew I had to have it. Just before I could touch it, a loud shout came from behind the register.

"Wait!! Don't touch that!!" The shop clerk, a man, probably in his late 80s cried out. Lacy and I stared at him. He looked a bit sheepish and then continued. "It's... special."

"Special?" Lacy asked, incredulously. The shop clerk nodded.

"It makes a copy of anything it sees!" Lacy and I stared at one another. Yeah... it was a camera... they do that. I rolled my eyes.

"So, can I buy it?" I asked. The man stared at me, before giving a large sigh, and nodding.

As I picked it up and went to pay, it felt... off. I opened the battery compartment and saw it was empty. Great.

Lacy found a pack at a nearby gas station, and we drove to the park for a photo shoot. it made an odd, metallic groan as it turned on, that made the both of us jump. Lacy made a face as we parked.

Right near the car was a bright red mushroom, and I quickly snapped a picture of it. I ran to catch up with Lacy, who was already yards ahead. I didn't notice that as I walked away, a second mushroom materialized a few feet from the first completely identical in every way.

Lacy and I stomped around looking for a perfect spot before the sun would set. A golden retriever ran up to us, a tired-looking man only a few feet behind.

"Can I take a picture of him?" I asked. The man laughed and nodded. The dog posed, as if he knew how photogenic he was, and then off he ran into the woods, his tired owner calling after him.

Lacy finally found a stump with enough clearing for sun and it took me a couple of seconds to find the right angle. Just before the sun fell I got what I thought was a perfect golden hour photo.

As we walked back towards our car, we heard a deep growling coming from the tree-line. I turned to see the golden retriever from earlier, but he did NOT look friendly. He began barking like crazy, and walking slowly toward us.

"Keep staring and slowly walk towards me." Lacy said, from behind me.

"No. Walk slowly towards me." Said... Lacy, from behind me. My blood went cold.

I slowly turned around, and saw two perfect copies of my best friend.

They both screamed in horror at each other, and the dog went running back into the trees.

One of them pointed at the other. "That camera can make copies. She's a fake and she's coming to steal my life."

The other pointed back "I'm not the fake! She is."

I stared at the camera, horrified at what it was capable of doing. I smashed in into the ground, and it broke into a bunch of tiny pieces. Just as suddenly, one of the Lacy's disappeared in pieces, like a picture deleted.

We drove home in silence, and never mentioned it again. Sometimes I worry that the wrong Lacy got deleted. Sometimes I think she does too.

 

[Asarena]

Here's my entry!

Spoiler: Keep Calm

I yawned as I sat up in my bed. The Haunted Carnival last night had been fun but exhausting. I'd gone to bed as soon as I'd gotten home, leaving yesterday's clothes strewn around on the floor. As I went to pick up my jeans, a ring fell out. The mood ring! I'd almost forgotten about it. I'd won it from one of the carnival games. I hadn't had one since I was a child, so my nostalgia made me eager to try this one out. I picked it and the guide it came with up and placed them on my bedside table.

Once I'd showered and gotten dressed, I went back for the ring, slipping it onto my finger as I glanced at the guide, seeing which color went with each mood. I looked at my finger and saw that the ring had turned pink, meaning happy. But then I noticed an odd sensation. It felt like I was rising. I looked down and saw my feet floating a couple inches off the ground and screamed, dropping the guide before I abruptly fell back to the floor. When I looked at the ring again, it had turned black, which represented stress or fear according to the guide. Suddenly, I heard a faint whispering sound in my ear and began to see phantom-like creatures in my peripheral vision. I screamed, grabbing the ring and yanking it off my finger before launching it across the room. The whispering and creatures vanished instantly.

I shook my head, trying to focus on taking deep breaths, in and out. What was happening to me? Did the ring do that? Was I hallucinating? Maybe I hadn't gotten enough sleep. I had been pretty tired after the carnival. After taking a moment to calm myself, I retrieved the ring from the floor and took it with me to the kitchen, continuing to stare it while I ate breakfast. I didn't have that much time to think about it though before I had to go to work.

-

Having made it through the rest of the day without any more odd happenings or hallucinations, I was feeling a lot better as I arrived back at my house. As soon as I got inside, before I could even think about the ring again, the phone rang. It was my brother, asking if he could come by and play the new Mario Party with me. It had been a while since we'd played any games together, and the new Mario Party was a lot of fun, so I told him to come on over.

After fifteen turns of hope, betrayal, and loss, the game came to an end, with my brother just barely taking the victory thanks to bonus stars. Turning off the TV, we moved to the kitchen to grab some snacks and chat. While we shared stories of our recent life happenings and scarfed down some potato chips, the ring, still sitting on the table from the morning, caught my brother's eye. "Is that a mood ring?"

"Oh, yeah, I won it from the carnival I went to last night..." I squirmed as he picked it up, biting back the urge to scream at him to put it back down. Whatever I thought had happened in the morning hadn't been real. I'd just been tired. Rings couldn't make you float or hear or see things. My brother would think I was crazy if I mentioned it. Still, I winced as he slipped it onto his finger and studied it.

"Haven't seen one of these since we were kids. Anyway, sorry, I got distracted, what were you saying about your new coworker?" I kept my eye on the ring at first as we continued talking. It stayed green, indicating calm, the whole time. Sometimes it would start to become tinted with another color, but it never fully shifted from green. The longer nothing strange occurred, the more I started to relax. Of course nothing was going to happen. It was just some cheap carnival prize.

Finally, my brother glanced at the clock, and announced it was getting late and that he had to head back home. We bid each other farewell, and he went on his way. It wasn't until he'd driven off and disappeared around the corner that I realized he'd never given back the ring.

-

"Ugh," I said, noticing the ring still on my finger only when I was almost back to my place. I'd completely forgotten that I had it on. Oh well, I'd give it back to my sister the next time I saw her. It was just a silly mood ring anyway. As I approached my street, a car suddenly pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on the breaks. A spike of fear shot through me as I anticipated the impact, but my car stopped just in time, less than an inch from the other car. For a moment, I thought I could hear a strange voice whispering in my ear, but as my fear was replaced by anger at the idiot who had almost caused an accident and was now casually driving away, I felt myself getting hotter and hotter and noticed the stone on my sister's ring had turned a brilliant shade of red.

Flames burst out all around me, and I screamed as they engulfed the interior of my car. I scrambled to undo my seat belt and fumbled for the door handle, but it was melting in my hand, and I couldn't get the door to open. I dove to the passenger side, but it was the same story. The whispering I'd heard for a second earlier returned and dark figures danced all around my peripheral vision as my car and I continued to burn until everything faded to nothingness.

 

[DaCoSim]

Tales of Terror is now open!

I have a question Lady! I understand inanimate object. I understand NO people animals, etc. Can the object be a type of plant because technically that’s alive but it’s not in the animal category if you know what I mean. I don’t plan for it to be a poisoned plant or anything like that, it will have a curse. If you need me to DM you with the “thing” I was planning to write about, lmk!

 

[LadyDestani]

I have a question Lady! I understand inanimate object. I understand NO people animals, etc. Can the object be a type of plant because technically that’s alive but it’s not in the animal category if you know what I mean. I don’t plan for it to be a poisoned plant or anything like that, it will have a curse. If you need me to DM you with the “thing” I was planning to write about, lmk!

Plants are acceptable as long as they meet the proper definition of cursed as outlined above. I've updated the OP to reflect this.

 

[LadyDestani]

The Cursed Ball​

Once, there was a dog named Lucky. Lucky loved playing fetch with his owner, a young boy named Jack. Every day, they would go out in their backyard and play together. Until one day, when Lucky accidentally broke his favorite ball. Jack, ever the resourceful one, told his pet not to worry, and that he would buy Lucky a new ball, much to the dog's excitement. However, on the way to the pet store, Jack ran into a shady individual, who offered him a rubber ball for free. Jack, although wary of the stranger, accepted the offer and ran home, happy to have accomplished his task faster than expected. When Jack got home, he and Lucky instantly began playing with the ball. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, until the next morning came. When Lucky woke up, he found himself getting assaulted by wasps. Panicking, he ran into Jack's room, only to find him getting bitten by wolves. Fearing for their lives, the two ran into the basement, locking the door behind them so the wasps and wolves couldn't get in. However, they were met with the rubber ball, and a few dozen more wasps. Thinking quickly, Jack threw the ball into the fire, having deduced that it was causing this bad luck. Now furious, Jack stormed outside, looking for the individual who gave him the ball, tripping a few hundred times due to the bad luck. Eventually, Jack found the individual, who told him the only way to get rid of the bad luck was to pass the ball on to someone. On the way back, Jack thought long and hard about what he should do, and came to the conclusion that he should pass it on to someone he hates. So, when he got home, he grabbed the ball out of the fire (which somehow hadn't burned), and passed it on to the school bully, masking it as a peace offering. As soon as he did that, the bad luck was alleviated, and Lucky and Jack were able to resume their peaceful life. And as for the poor, unfortunate soul that received the ball, he... ended up expelled from school, and perished due to the bad luck, a construction-related mishap befalling him.

The end.​

Hi @ShinyDungeoneer,

I'm afraid your story does not meet the minimum word count of 500. It is only 376 words according to this word counter. If you could edit your post to lengthen your story by roughly 125 words, then I'll be able to accept it.

Please let me know once your edits have been made.

 

[Galatea]

Spoiler: The Cursed Mirror

One day, my grandma picked up this old mirror from an antique store and decided to put it in her attic. It was was big with a wooden frame covered in weird carvings. It looked like there were eyes and strange faces hidden in the wood, which was kinda creepy, but also cool. Every time I glanced at it, it felt like it was staring right back at me. I was about to reach out and touch it when Grandma suddenly shouted, “Don’t touch that mirror!” But I was so curious about what might happen if I did.

I couldn't wait any longer! It was as if the mirror was calling me so when Grandma wasn't looking, I snuck back up to the attic and went right up to it and whispered, “Hello?” Of course, nothing happened, so I laughed. Then, I got really brave and decided to touch the glass. Afterwards, I swear I felt a tiny jolt. It gave me goosebumps!

That night, something weird happened. When I looked into my bathroom mirror before bed, I noticed my reflection winked at me! But… I hadn’t winked! My heart was pounding, but I thought maybe I was just tired. The next morning, my reflection was acting even stranger. It smiled when I wasn’t smiling, and its eyes looked darker and a little spooky, like they knew something I didn’t.

At school, things got even worse. My reflection started copying me wrong in all mirrors, waving when I wasn’t, or frowning when I was happy. When I tried to tell my best friend Emily, she didn’t believe me. She just laughed and said, “You’re imagining things!” But I knew it was real. The mirror’s curse was following me. I couldn't wait for the bell to ring so I could get home to see if I could fix it.

After School I went back to Grandma’s attic. Maybe I had to say sorry or something. The mirror looked even darker and scarier. I whispered, “I’m sorry for touching you. Please, can you stop being so creepy?”

Suddenly, I heard a soft whoosh, and the glass rippled, like water. My reflection appeared in the attic mirror, but it didn’t look like me exactly. It looked like a shadowy, older version of me with glowing eyes. It spoke in a weird, whispery voice: “He who owns this mirror is forever bound to you!”

I panicked and ran downstairs to find Grandma. I told her everything, Grandma explained that the antique store owner informed her of the rumors surrounding the mirror's curse, but she didn’t take it seriously and bought it anyway.

We hurried back to the antique store, and the owner took the mirror from us without saying a word, almost as if he knew what had happened. Once I got home, my heart raced as I looked into the mirror. This time, my reflection was normal! No creepy faces, no weird winks. I felt super relieved. And, to be honest, I'm kinda happy that I didn't get cursed forever!

 

[DaCoSim]

Well darn. I’m at 2500. Gonna have to shave off some

 

[DaCoSim]

Spoiler: A Will-o’-the-Wisp Tale

My island was buzzing with excitement for the upcoming all hallows eve. Everyone was readying their costumes and cooking up fun, spooky recipes. I had been up to my eyeballs in crafts for weeks! Needing a break, I decided to go forage in the woods for things I could use for the upcoming event. This would be the perfect time to go scavenging because there were acorns falling and an array of beautiful leaves and mushrooms to look for.

As soon as I stepped into the forest, a wave of calm relaxation washed over me. There were piles of beautiful leaves everywhere. As I sifted through the leaves, I found acorns as well and put some of each into my basket. I decided to go further to look for more variety and noticed it got slightly darker the further I went. About 20 yards ahead, I saw a ginormous decaying tree. A friend had told me about this tree. They referred to it as the dead tree wraith as it was known to be a haunted tree.

My curiosity peeked, I ventured forward to get a better look. The decaying tree had an almost glow about it that got brighter nearest the base. When I got close enough to see better detail, I could see the most beautiful mushrooms in little patches on the ground surrounding the tree. The mushrooms glowed like they had a ball of light blue fire towards the bottom of their caps. I just had to take one home with me. As I started to bend down, I swear I heard the word wait, startling me, and made me step back. I looked all around me and called out who’s there but didn’t see or hear anyone. Silly me, I thought to myself, it was probably my own conscience telling me not to pick things I don’t know. I reached into my basket and grabbed a linen so that I wouldn’t actually touch the mushroom with my bare hands.

Holding my linen, I gently picked one of the mushrooms. As soon as it left its nestled home in the dirt, five little pieces of light flew out, leaving the bright glowy center of the mushroom cap quite dim and I felt a soft warming near my heart.

“Ahhhhhhhhh, I told you to wait!”, a gruff voice said.

Once again, startled, I looked around, trying to find whoever was speaking to me.

“Who’s there?” I asked.

“ I am the forest guardian, but legend supposedly calls me the dead tree wraith,” the voice answered.

Surely I’m dreaming, I thought, because as I looked to where the voice was coming from, the ginormous tree appeared to have eyes and a mouth. What kind of magic is this?! What in the world, trees don’t talk!!! (Animals don’t talk either, but I live on an island where I’m surrounded by talking animals…)

“You made a gastly error in judgement when u picked that mushroom,” the tree stated.

“Why?”, I asked, “it’s soooooo beautiful!”

“These mushrooms are called will-o’-the-wisp mushrooms, and they are cursed. As soon as one is picked, the glowing life force residing in the cap, inhabitants the picker and 5 pieces of the mushroom’s spirit float away,” the tree explained.

“You mean to tell me that I have this mushroom’s spirit inside me?”, I asked.

“Yes”, the tree affirmed, “but that’s not all. As you can see on the mushroom, the ball of light has dimmed considerably. You have to find the five pieces of its spirit before the light goes out or you will both die.”

“WHAT?!?!”, I yelled, “you cannot possibly be serious!”

“I did tell you to wait,” the tree said.

“Well how in the world do I find these pieces?”, I asked.

“ I can’t tell you exactly where to find them because I don’t know as I am rooted to the ground, you see, but I can tell you they like water. They also like to reside up high near tree branches, and they can also be found amidst blue and purple flowers.”

“ I suggest that you start looking now because you don’t have that much time. Keep an eye on the mushroom cap. The darker it gets, marks your time running out. When you get close to a spirit piece, you’ll feel it pulsating inside you letting you know you’re close, keep your net handy, but be careful, they like to wander the closer you get,” the tree explained. “Once you get all five, drop them in with the mushroom and replant the mushroom back at my base.”

“Best of luck to you, young one. I truly hope you find all five pieces in time.”

Readying myself for this strange quest, I dropped the will-o’-the-wisp mushroom into a mason jar from my basket and started on my way. The tree had stated water so I figured I could walk the river while looking up in the trees and checking the areas that have flowers as well. Armed with my net, I started walking towards the river. Every few moments, I would look up and around for spirit pieces in the trees and so far I had not seen any flowers at all. As I got closer to the river, I felt a pulsating like a little drum right beside my heart. Remembering what the tree had told me, I stopped and looked around slowly, turning in a circle.

THERE!!! In the branches, up ahead was a spirit piece! Forgetting everything, I immediately started running towards it. It sensed me coming and started moving away. Slowing myself down, I started walking towards it again with my net. Because it had moved some, the branches were no longer an obstacle so when I got close enough, I easily swung my net and caught it. I dropped it into a 2nd mason jar and shut the lid tight.

I continued towards the river, looking around as I walked. Once again, I felt a little pulsating near my heart and stopped, turning a slow circle until I could see another spirit piece, this time floating more towards the ground. Slowly, I walked towards it with my net ready, scooped it up and put it in the mason jar with the other one. When I looked up, I could see the river.

Staying close to the river while still being able to see the trees to my right, I continued on my spirit hunt. After a bit, I spotted another spirit piece hovering above the river. It was really close to the middle and I knew I would not be able to catch it with my net from the bank. I needed to find a way to get to it. I got closer to the river but stayed far enough away from the spirit piece so as not to cause alarm. I looked down at the slow flowing river. Sighhhhhh, I was going to have to get in. I took off my socks and shoes and stepped into the water. The spirit piece was about 6 feet from me so I slowly walked through the water until I was about 2-3 feet away from it and swung my net.

SWOOSH!!!


Annnnnnd, I missed.

The spirit piece startled and quickly moved far right of where it was. Luckily that meant if I was careful, I might be able to reach it from the bank of the river. I got out of the water and left my shoes where they were, and once again, got close to the spirit piece but a little bit closer than I was last time, swung again and caught it. Whew!!! After I put him in the mason jar with the other two, I walked back to my shoes and put them back on.

I continued my walk in between the river and the forest and could see rounder body of water up ahead with flashes of color. As I got closer, I could see that the river forked off a little into a small pond & the pond was surrounded by beautiful blue and purple flowers. Lo and behold, there was a spirit piece in those flowers. I slowly walked towards the flowers, net in hand, and when I got close enough, swung it straight onto the spirit piece catching it and putting it in with the rest.

When I looked up after the last catch, there in the middle of the little pond near a flat slab of rock jutting out of the water was the final piece I needed. I knew there was no way I wasn’t getting into the water this time, but how in the world was I going to be to sneak up on it? I went ahead and took my shoes off again and my hoodie, and looked out to the flat piece of rock that you could see in the middle of the little pond. If I got in all the way to the left of the spirit piece, and swam out to the rock under the water for the entire distance, maybe that wouldn’t raise any alarms. Gathering my courage, I quietly got into the water and went straight for it. Luckily, the swim wasn’t long , and once I felt the large rock with my fingers, I very slowly came up from under water, and peeked up over it. I could see it across the rock. As quietly as I could, I pulled myself up onto the flat rock, with my net in hand and swung hard. Thank goodness I didn’t miss this time!!!!

Because I couldn’t bring my basket into the water, I had to twist the net close and wade back to shore. After dropping the last piece in with the rest, I put my shoes and hoodie back on and made my way back to my tree friend. When the tree came into site, a massive feeling of relief washed over me. When the tree saw me, he actually laughed and called me a wet rat and then reminded me to reunite the five spirit pieces with the will-o’-the-wisp mushroom and then to plant it back in the ground. I dropped the mushroom into the jar with the spirit pieces and What a site to behold! The pieces swirled around the jar for a moment, and then each one dropped into the mushroom brightening the center. Now that it was all reconnected, I pulled my spade out of my basket and dug a small hole near the other mushrooms and replanted it into the ground. I then looked up at my new tree friend and thanked him again for all of his help.

When I returned home, I decided to make one more craft. I made a little sign that reads, Don’t Pick the Mushrooms, to take to my new friend sometime after the festivities to put out for anyone who happens to come along so that they do not make the same mistake I did.


And the moral of the story is, don’t pick stuff that you don’t know what it is!

 

[Snowesque]

Spoiler

Creepy Cute

Like a looming fog, Halloween descended upon Reviled, the plaza and shops turned into a wonderfully spooky festival. From witches, werewolves, vampires, and more, villagers dress up and gathered around to play eerie games, eat sweet treats, and see ghostly wares. Among the many booths, a mysterious one sat at the edge of the plaza. Katrina the fortune teller, draped in purple fabrics and gold embellishment, displayed various treasures from her travels. While all were of interest, a dusty porcelain doll with hollow eyes and a small smile sat upon a small pedestal.

For those that expressed interest in the doll, Katrina warned them. "This doll is no simple doll" she stated, with a serious tone. "For any that take this doll will release its curse upon themselves." After hearing this most of the villagers hurriedly walked away. It wasn't until Rosie, the cheerful blue cat had walked up to the stall that the doll received more attention. Despite hearing Katrina's warning, Rosie was overjoyed for finding such a perfect Halloween decoration. A few bells lighter, Rosie was now the owner of the spooky doll. Tucking it under her arms, she carried the doll close as she returned to the other stalls.

It wasn't long before villagers started noticing changes in Rosie. The usual bubbly Rosie now became quiet and distant. This caused murmurs between her friends like Marshal and Isabelle. Was the doll truly cursed? The curiosity of this question soon shifted to unease.

Later on, Rosie had proposed a game night at her house to relieve the eerie mood. When they arrived, they noticed the doll was already prettily displayed on a shelf, it's powdery, porcelain face catching the light of the night. The house had a chill to it, and they couldn't escape the feeling as if the doll was watching them. The air began to feel tense. Suddenly, Rosie stood up and then gave a vacant, blank stare, while saying nothing. For what felt like eons was only several seconds.

Marshal, who was admittedly weirded out, bravely grabbed the doll and joked, "Ok! Prank's over!" Though, the moment he grabbed it, he felt a chill go up his spine. He dropped the doll in an instant. The dolls smile then shifted into a creepy, big smile. Rosie friends, now feeling desperate, rushed back to the plaza to seek Katrina's help.

Katrina welcomes them without hesitation. Rosie's friends then calmly explained what has happened since she acquired the doll. Nodding is agreement, Katrina then explained that a spirit had cursed the doll, and in doing so would haunt the owner with unease. Then she explained, that the only to break the curse, is to find a new keeper for the curse, that understands the burden they will face.

Rosie quickly devised a plan. They remembered an old tree at the edge of the carnival grounds and decided to place it there. Once it was secured, Rosie then said, "Return to the earth where the rest of you rests". The doll's eyes faintly glowed, and then went back to their usual state. A warmth then returned to the plaza, dispelling the unease.

The doll had vanished, and also Rosie could feel a weight had being lifted. Katrina was packing up her booth, preparing her oddities for the next island. The friends shared a glance at each other, feeling a deep relief. "Maybe next Halloween I'll just worry about the candy" Rosie said with a sheepish laugh.

 

[KittenNoir]

Spoiler: The Curse of the Amethyst Medallion

The Curse of the Amethyst Medallion

Halloween week was upon the Island and everyone was getting ready to have a spooky concert to celebrate the occasion. Muffy and Kiki were excited for Halloween and they had planned their costumes for the concert. Muffy had decided to dress up as a zombie and her costume was stitched, stuffed, patched and ready to wear when she would sing on stage. However, Kiki was still undecided on her costume. She rang Muffy in despair.

“Muffy, I have nothing to wear as a costume,” Kiki wailed.

“Well you are going to do a solo ballet performance at the concert, right?” asked Muffy.

“Oh yes, I have a black tutu already but I just need something else to make it sparkle,” Kiki replied.

Muffy had an idea and asked Kiki to meet her at the carnival near the beach as quickly as possible.

Kiki hung up the phone, grabbed her handbag and ran all the way to the carnival where Muffy was already waiting for her. They looked through all the stalls and tents but could not find anything appropriate. They were about to head home with their tails between their legs before they glimpsed a dark and mysterious tent in the far end of the carnival. They decided to have a look inside this last tent. In the corner of her eye, Kiki spotted what seemed to be an ancient gold medallion necklace with an amethyst stone in the middle of it. She had to have it at once and told Muffy it would be a perfect addition for her Halloween ballet costume. The store holder told her to be very careful with it as it was very precious. Kiki and Muffy did not really pay attention and ran all the way to their homes to practice for the concert which was going to be held that very night. Little did Kiki know but this medallion, although very beautiful; was also cursed to whoever dare to wear it around their necks. In fact the amethyst stone in the medallion was part of an ancient treasure which had been buried by pirates deep in the sea many years before. Legend has it that the cursed medallion caused the wearer to lose their memory and to talk in a foreign language.

When Kiki arrived home, she immediately put her black tutu on, tied up the laces of her pointe shoes and put the shiny medallion around her neck so that she could practice her dance one more time. The amethyst stone glistened. As soon as she put it on, the room became dark and there was an odd smell of the ocean. Suddenly Kiki felt weak. She tried to practice her dance but somehow could not even remember the steps. She stumbled and turned and could no longer stand on her pointe shoes. What was happening to her she wondered. No matter how hard she tried, she could not remember the dance nor could she even remember a single dance step. She fell to the floor in tears and that odd smell of the ocean made her sleepy.

Kiki had been sleeping for hours and was only woken up by the loud banging at her front door. She slowly opened the door to find her friends Muffy and Cleo glaring at her. They told her the concert was starting in an hour and that she should have been there by now. When Kiki tried to reply, they could not understand her as she was now speaking in an unknown language. The more they pleaded for her to hurry, the more she spoke and the more they could not understand her. Cleo was just about to give up on her friend; but tried one more time. She asked Kiki to show them her dance steps. Again, Kiki could not dance. Her friends were puzzled. She had taken ballet lessons since she was a kitten and why was she speaking so weirdly now. The amethyst stone began to sparkle and Cleo noticed the medallion that Kiki had around her neck. She asked Muffy where it had come from and Muffy told Cleo they had bought it from a store in the carnival today. Cleo realised it must have been cursed and grabbed Kiki by her tail and they all headed towards that mysterious tent at the carnival.

When they arrived at the tent, Cleo did all the talking as Kiki could not be understood. The store holder told them that she had tried to warn Muffy and Kiki about the medallion but that they were too excited in their purchase and did not wait to hear the full story of the cursed medallion. The store holder ushered Cleo out the back of the tent and explained about the buried treasure and told her what she had to do to break the curse. Cleo listened intently and then grabbed Kiki and Muffy and directed them to the secret beach at the end of the Island. Cleo took the medallion off Kiki and wrapped it inside a purple silk pouch.

“What are you doing?” squealed Kiki.

This time, her friends could understand Kiki and they told her the story about the cursed medallion and how it was buried by pirates a long time ago. Cleo further explained to Kiki that for the curse to be broken, the medallion must not be worn and must remain at the bottom of the ocean so that no one is harmed. The three friends agreed and then tossed it into the ocean. They ran all the way to the concert area with only minutes to spare. Muffy sang her song and Kiki danced her solo with poise and perfection. They all soon forgot all about the medallion and its curse but while the villagers enjoyed refreshments after the concert that evening, there was a purple light shining brightly in the sky from the ocean. The medallion seemed to be calling from the bottom of the ocean floor hoping someone would find it again and bring it back to life, but alas, none of the villagers had noticed as they were all having so much fun at the annual Halloween concert; so the medallion remained in the ocean for another year.

1040 words

 

[skarmoury]

i was crying the other day and saw myself in the mirror.
i couldn't bear to see myself.

Spoiler: if you gaze long into the abyss

The abyss also gazes into you.

The rabbit was none-the-wiser staring into the recycle box at the town hall, trying to search for anything of value. Uncouth and rather barbaric, Francine thought, but the sign in front that wrote, 'The recycle box is full, please take what you can' was too tempting to pass up. She had always thought racoons did the trash-digging, not rabbits.

(Willow would probably judge her.)

At the very bottom of the box she saw a circular object — reaching out for it, she grabbed what seemed to be a compact mirror, gray and rather dusty. How long had it been there?

She slipped the mirror in her pockets and scurried away.

Returning home, she sat on her bed, bringing out the compact mirror and staring at her reflection. The mirror was clear and unbroken, as if brand new, never discarded.

Had color of the compact mirror always been light blue? Perhaps it was just too dark in the recycle box to see then. The glossy sheen of the cover made it look too precious to give away. She wondered whose it was previously.

Just then, her phone rang, startling the rabbit. She glanced at it before turning off her phone.

Another ring. Francine refused to pick it up.

A ding, this time a message. She peeked at the notification.

"Hi sis! Just finished a performance, it was awesome! Wish you were here. Can't wait to see you again."

Francine clicked on the message. It came with an attachment, an image — a pink polka-dot rabbit in a frilly outfit posing backstage, all smiles and sparkles as an idol is.

Her heart twisted, gut wrenched. She threw her phone before clutching the open compact mirror tighter in her hands. She could see her reflection — sad, pathetic, with a few wrinkles on her face. Had she always had wrinkles? That was embarrassing.

"I couldn't be as good as you," she whispered.

She got up and washed her face, leaving the mirror by the side table.

--

The following day she awoke to her phone vibrating — another message from her younger sister.

"I wish I could come visit you someday, I miss you a lot! I know uni has been rough."

The light from her phone shone down on her face as she lay in bed at six in the morning, her eyes half open and her mouth an obvious frown. It was too early for this.

Actually, waking up at six wasn't new to her, she had been doing that back in university when she was still studying fashion tech — until she flunked her third year, that was.

Did her sister know? No, it wasn't her business to know.

Sighing, she put down her phone, grabbing the compact mirror instead. She gazed long at her reflection — sad, pathetic, and now her face was... green?

She screamed, throwing the compact mirror, it slamming against the wall without a crack formed. Had she seen a monster? What was that?

Filled with distraught and dismay, Francine covered herself with her blanket — perhaps she was lacking sleep, is all.

--

The nightmares had been recurrent.

Eyes, she could see multiple of them — looking at her, following her every move — displeased, disapproving, disgusted. She saw her sister, standing on a stage of dazzling light, gazing long down, boring red eyes onto she who had been hidden in the shadows.

"Where are you?" her sister would ask, voice booming through emptiness. Francine would be too afraid to respond.

"Why have you run away?" a follow-up, yet no response.

"You're sad and pathetic," the voice would echo. Stage lights would shut off one by one and her sister would exit, just barely beyond her reach.

She would then wake up in a cold sweat.

Her obsession with the compact mirror had gone far too long, and her reflection looked worse by the day no matter what make-up she applied.

It's like she couldn't fix herself.

--

Two days had gone by since Willow saw Francine.

The sheep would frequently invite the rabbit over for a cup of afternoon tea. They'd share stories, dreams, life updates, and the latest gossip across the island. It was an enjoyable past time for the two of them.

When Willow noticed Francine hadn't left her house in a while, she settled to pay her a visit. The sheep knocked on her door once, twice, thrice, but no response. It was two in the afternoon — there was no reason Francine wouldn't be awake. Hesitant, Willow brought out spare keys of Francine's house. They grew close enough to share each others' keys as a just-in-case, and that provided useful in her current situation.

Willow swung the door open to see items scattered on the floor: make-up, lotions, cream, brushes, sponges. It's as if a storm had passed. In the eye of the storm sat the blue rabbit, holding the compact mirror in one hand while she put on so much make-up that it had completely covered her face. She was in the process applying another coat of mascara, tears welling up from her eyes.

"Francine... what—"

"Willow!" Francine cut in, startled at the intrusion of the sheep. "Look... look away, please... I'm hideous..."

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked.

"I... can't you see?" the rabbit replied through tears. "I'm a monster. My reflection is hideous."

Eyeing the compact mirror, Willow walked towards Francine and grabbed it, stashing it in her own pocket dress.

"Hey, that's—"

"Enough." Willow said, swiping away Francine's hand as it tried to reach into the sheep's pockets. "I don't know what it is with that mirror, but I know obsession when I see it. Stop obsessing over your reflection."

"But, the mirror... I saw myself, I looked absolutely horrendous..." Francine trailed off.

Willow took several pulls of tissue and sat on the floor with Francine, holding her face as she started wiping through layers of make-up and tears.

"You're seeing things. You look perfectly fine."

Francine stayed quiet for a while, quite embarrassed she had her friend cleaning up the mess on her own face. It was a bit before she found it in her to speak again.

"I couldn't text her back."

A pause from the sheep.

"Who, Chrissy?"

Silence, for a moment.

"I feel disgusting." Francine continued. "Flunking out of my dream course and running away to a deserted island, all while she's out there achieving so much more. The jealousy possesses me so badly that I feel horrible. I can't face her at all."

"And that probably manifested externally, too." Willow followed up. "Saw yourself as a monster. Caused you to spiral." She wiped the last bit of make-up from the rabbit's face. "But I don't see whatever you saw in that mirror. All I see is Francine, a rabbit with an extraordinary sense of fashion, unrelenting and full of passion. Never backing from a fight no matter how much the going gets tough."

"But I ran away," the rabbit said. "I'm not as tough as you make me to be. I feel like I've disappointed everyone."

"I know you still have it in you, Francine." Willow reassured. "I see the way you talk to the Able Sisters. I see your sketchbooks of designs. I know you haven't given up, you're just taking a breather. It's okay."

The distraught slowly dissipated from the rabbit's face.

"Why does it matter to others if you flunked? Your success was delayed, sure, but the door will remain open as long as you allow it to. You're not a monster for feeling jealous either, but instead of dwelling on it, let it propel you forward. That's what the Francine I know would do." Willow nodded, giving her friend a sincere smile. "Francine wouldn't let anyone drag her down. Especially not her own self."

The rabbit blinked away the tears, returning the smile, her first genuine smile in a long while. Whatever was in that mirror was an exaggeration — insecurities reflected, manifesting as undesirable traits fueling her obsession until it consumed her entirely.

It felt like a curse had been lifted.

--

On the day of her moving out, Francine packed all her belongings in boxes and waited for the service to carry her cargo to the airport. She had been accepted back into her course as an irregular student — still a step forward, she would like to think. Opening up to her sister felt like a weight off her chest as well; Chrissy was never one to look down on anyone, especially not her sister of all people.

It was a beautiful day, and Francine was more radiant than before.

Willow stood by the docks as the sea airplane took off, carrying her dear friend to greener pastures and bigger things in life. She couldn't help but feel a little envious — having dreams and people to live for was a gift in and of itself, after all.

As the airplane disappeared into the horizon, she felt a tear coming at the corner of her eye. She tried reaching for her handkerchief in her dress pocket, but was met instead with a circular object. She brought it out, a glistening compact mirror, yellow in color. Had it always been in this pretty shade of yellow? She couldn't remember.

Willow opened the compact mirror and gazed into her reflection.

 

[Muna]

Entries must be fiction; no non-fiction or personal accounts.

Does this mean that I can’t write a story heavily inspired by true events?