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[Runner-Up: TwinMoon]

And so, I present the winner and runner-up:

Runner-Up: TwinMoon

Winner: Tuomas

Congratulations to Tuomas, who must now host the next round, and wins the coveted winner's trophy! A trophy that says "victory", "triumph" and "I couldn't think of a better trophy design, please don't kill me for being too obvious."

[Tuomas]

Roll up and vote, everyone!  Which of the two stories did you like the most?

Iiiin the red corneeerrr... Tuomas with his story Something Stupid
Aaaand iiiin the blue corneeerrr... TwinMoon with his story Dumb Kids

Since we only attracted two entries this time, I have made a decision that you now only have one vote each.

Voting ends when Thursday ends. (Well... 23:59 EST, anyway) Vote away!

I'll say it's okay. I suppose I'd better start making some trophies...

That'll teach me to set slightly contradictory rules. 

I'm not particularly minded to push back the deadline, unless more people ask for it.

Please continue to keep your enthusiasm for this round under wraps. I understand completely that the last thing you want to do is to put other people off entering by appearing so excited that your entry will be the greatest ever.

Will I win by default if no-one enters? :o

["Something Stupid"]

Welcome to the the latest round of the Fortnightly Writing Competition!

At last, a new theme for a new competition. And here it is:

"Something Stupid"

Something said or something done? By whom? It really is up to you.

ENTRY RULES:
- Write a story of around 500-600 words. *
- Entries must be in before July 15th
- Post your entries (or link to your entry) in this thread
- Voting will take place on the 16th-17th of June
- The winner sets the subject for the next competition and starts the next competition

VOTING RULES:
- All voters have a maximum of two votes of equal value. One vote for one entry.
- One meber one vote. Two votes when there's two entries? Nah.
- Voting ends at 23:59EST on Thursday the 17th of July. Any votes made after that point don't count.

Trophies:
- Wait and see! But don't get too excited.

(*) The word count is just a guide, and not a target. Don't worry too much about falling short or going over: let your story finish as naturally as you can. Quality not quantity etc

[Think Outside the Boxland]

Think Outside the Boxland

Spoiler

No clue.

[close]

Spoiler

Look for somewhere to go that's to the left of the purple block

[close]

Fantastic! That'll look nice on my wall, next to my newly-acquired BSc!

I'll think of the next subject and post in over the next couple of days.

I really liked Jeffer's dictated entry, and I also liked TwinMoon's historical retelling of the story of the scribe. So, those entries get my votes.

[Chapter One]

Chapter One
-----------------

“In the beginning, there was the world...”

'No. Cliché.'

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

'Hmm.'

“Thousands of millennia ago, when the world was very different...”

'No. Awful.'

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

“In a time when dinosaurs reigned supreme, there came...”

I sighed.

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

Two weeks I'd spent trying to get my opening down. Two weeks I'd put my life on hold to get the first chapter of my novel on paper. A pile of unwashed dishes and plates and cutlery sat on my kitchen worktop growing mould. My kitchen cupboards were close to empty. I hadn't done my laundry, and had been wearing the same underpants and socks for four days running. I had made too many excuses for not going to the pub, the cinema, the football. I was convinced that once the first chapter was done, the rest would flow like... like...

“As the red hot magma gushed forth from the first volcanic eruptions, whatever pre-historic beings that existed may have...”

... like a ball of paper flying through the air towards my waste-paper bin.

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

It had already struck me that my approach to writing was rather wasteful. I had a working laptop computer which was very portable, and I could easily use it in a cafe for a few hours while watching the world go by: a cup of coffee in one hand with the other hovering over the home row. But the great writers such as Conan-Doyle, Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and Bronte did not have laptop computers. They had to make do with pen, inkwell and parchment. If they could write great works without such futuristic niceties, why couldn't I?

“Man has often believed that he was the first intelligent life to walk this earth. However...”

'Hmm. Promising.'

“...an organism which arrived on the scene some thousands of years before the evolution of homo sapiens beat him to it.”

'No. That gives the game away.'

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

I used to have such a creative spark. Where had it gone? Maybe it was the job. Maybe it was all those hours manning a checkout with a painted smile on my face and encouraging surly customers to have a nice day. Or maybe it was those unhappy years at school, where many a teacher derided my ability to write fiction. Maybe it was because they told me I had no talent and should concentrate on getting a job. No, that can't have been it: I was a good writer at some point in my life. Something must have happened to me.

“Far back in the mists of time, something truly terrible occurred...”

'Pathetic'

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. CLANG!

Three goals out of about four hundred shots. Not bad.

I sighed and put my pen down, then I got up and surveyed the total carnage that these unsuccessful sessions of writing my first paragraph of my first novel had unleashed on my life. In the corner of the room, I saw the red light on my answering machine blinking away furiously telling me that I had ignored the phone ringing every single time for the last two weeks. By the door, I saw the soggy, unread newspapers pushed through the letterbox on many a rainy day. I saw the unclean crockery in the kitchen, the unmade bed in my bedroom, and the open empty cupboards. I stared for some time, not comprehending what my eyes were telling me. Then I caught the odour from my clothes, and it brought things back into sharp focus.

I sat down at my desk, and picked up my biro once more.

“Chaos abounds in life. The smallest alteration of the system of life can cause such a huge change beyond the wit and comprehension of man...”

'Too pretentious.'

Rip. Scrunch. Throw. Miss.

While researching for this MAGS, I uncovered a massive conspiracy that doesn't want the truth to be released in my game.  They don't even want me to tel...

You too? This can't be a conincidence...

[Pure by Petteri]

My two favourites were

Pure by Petteri and
Dark Waters by ShonenAiGuy

Aside from being well written, Pure - rightly - scared me. Dark Waters, I feel, painted the scene the best, conjuring up a clear castaway situation in my mind.

[Seychelles]

Seychelles
Lying on the beach on Silhouette Island was a sure fire way to lose all track of time. The sun beat down on my front, face, feet and legs, while keeping the sand hot enough to turn me into a medium-rare steak if I fell off my lounger. The only sound was that of the waves gently brushing up against the shore, and then retreating. The unmistakable aroma of sea salt was slowly seasoning my nostrils. No clouds in the sky. Nothing was around to ruin my relaxing holiday. I was loving every minute of it. Damn right too: I’d earnt this.

I surrendered my brief battle to keep my eyelids open, and let myself doze off. I was only briefly woken up by the sound of the hotel waiter filling my glass, followed by a pleasant clink clink of ice cubes after which I drifted off again. I felt surrounded in a comfortable, warm bubble… floating. Just floating. Nothing on my mind, no troubles, no worries to rouse me. And I had another 4 days of this to look forward to. My eyes half opened to take in that clear blue sky again. Perfect. Absolutely…

“JOHNSON!!!”

I sat bolt upright in my office chair, pulling my head off the desk and feeling a chord of drool running down my chin. My eyes struggled to focus on my real-life surroundings, while the fluorescent tube lights burned into my eyes. I shook my head left and right to try and make sense of what was happening.

“You’re asleep at work AGAIN!” said a loud voice behind me.

I spun around and looked at owner of that voice, slack-jawed.

“Clear your desk. You’re fired!”

As I stepped out of the office that afternoon, the cold rain thundered from thick black clouds. It would be a long walk home tonight.

[PixelPerfect]

PixelPerfect's "Alex Counted the remaining bullets..."
Vince Twelve's Airship
Fyntax's "Please, I don't have much time...";
Auriond's "She opened her eyes, but only darkness stared back..."
PixelPerfect's Accident;

These either made me sit up and take notice, make me smile or have a great twist in them. (Not easy given the length restriction)

A couple that clock in at 55 words each:

He slumped into the chair. Another failed speed date. No-one ever seemed interested in him. Was it his clothes? His hair? His glasses? His short stature? His age? Perhaps it was his opening line: “So, what do you know about Brownian Motion?”

He feared he would die alone. But he didn't want to appear desperate…

Or, if you'd prefer a more uplifting one:

“Your wall clock is slow. Shall I wind it forward?” I asked, reaching out with two hands. “No! Don't touch!” he shouted, but he was too late. I pulled it off the wall. Plaster and masonry fell from the ceiling. The house shuddered, before it disintegrated around me.

“I said don't touch!”, he bellowed, glaring.

Wow! I am so looking forward to this!

PM me if you still need some assistance with a high-score screen, I might be able to help.

Well done on nearly finishing!

Nostradamus:

Spoiler

Watch the opening intro again.

[close]

Spoiler

You will need the smooth fork to prise open the hiding spot

[close]

Spoiler

Sweep the mouse over the screen, you'll find it.

[close]

italy:

Spoiler

You may have picked it up from somehwere in the office.

[close]

Spoiler

In the wooden cabinet.

[close]

Spoiler

But you need something else to use it on the guard...

[close]

I'll leave it at that for now.

When I started with AGS, I played with the RON resource pack and was part the way through a game before pushing it to one side and foolishly constructing an unplayable MAGS game and another non-adventure game.

I recently came back to it and was disappointed. It wasn't awful, but it was poor. I've lost my motivation for finishing it, but I have spent some time making it suck less than when I started about a month ago.



Get it (<1MB)

Commiserations on your recent death.

Now, what's the meaning of life? 

Okay, I've had another play to work out where you need to go.

Spoiler

For now, try and solve another puzzle. Try and elicit an item from 'Batman'...

He want's proof of your identity: your R symbol.

Is it yellow on black or black on yellow?

Look around the town for a suitable letter R.

[close]

The spoiler tag is [ hide ]

Hasselhoff's room:

Spoiler

From memory, I think Mika is making fun of you. There's no way to get in. If you have the power of flight, you can snoop on him by flying from the map screen.

[close]

Comic Book:

Spoiler

You can buy a comic from the store.

No money?

Look at any signs around the store for a clue where to go.

[close]

Not played this for a while.