Short Story/Poem Contest

[TomasOlsen]

Death Where Art Thou
The crowd chants "Greaper! Greaper!". Thats their name for me. I am Tom Shanks and my life changed forever 9 months ago. I was on the HMS Settlers, a deckhand. I did what I was told - scrub the deck, make bread, shovel coal, sharpen swords - yessir thankyousir. We were headed to Pirates' Island to trade gold, gems & swords for recruits to her majesty's army. A tame affair, or so I thought. On the 14th night of our journey just before landfall, the heavens opened up and the ocean ate us whole. The next morning, half dead, I found myself facedown on the beaches of what I would later come to know as Pumpkin Island. I raised my head and was greeted with sand in my face from a weathered boot. My ordeal had just begun.

My fellow survivors and I had been captured by the fearsome Mary and his bandits. I was enslaved, made to work tilling the ground, watering and growing pumpkins - always under the eyes of the rangers and their dogs. They said that was what kept Mary alive & powerful. I believed it too. These were no ordinary pumpkins, nosir. The memory of those vile things still makes me retch. At night, we were the entertainment for the roughnecks - shoved around, made to fight each other and if they were feeling cheerful, used as target practices. This went on for many weeks, though it felt like years.

One night, when everyone was drunk & merry and didn't give a hoot, I sneaked away into the pinewood forest nearby. There, I met other escapees. They took me to see their leader - the SortaMayor. They came from a different part of the island where they had set up a peaceful society away from the stench of the Halftree - their name for Mary.

They told me of a druid that could use pumpkins for our benefit. He had found a way to make a pumpkin potion that would make one invincible. They had stolen pumpkins and now grew them in their village. Some grew faster than others. The druid had even concocted a potion of fish, bread & deer meat that made them grow faster. They had been waiting for all the pumpkins to grow and I had arrived just in time for the harvest. They took it as a sign that I was to lead the battle. They had been training armies to take on the fierce might of Mary, but they needed a leader.

On the fateful day, I was given the potion. I knew instantly why no one else had volunteered. Every bone in my body creaked. Every fiber of my body screamed. Once I came to, I had transformed into this ghastly thing. I didn't feel any pain, but then I didn't feel human. My army was ready. At night, I led the charge. By dawn, the island was ours. It was rid of the terrible scourge. Yet, my life will never be the same. I'll never be human again. I am now half-man half-death - the Greaper.

[Voyaging]

Life Obscured

'Twas very chilly
When the sun went down
Then The Settlers rolled in
Grasping and gripping
In their eternal blanket.

All becomes still
Sight abandons
Hearing becomes acute
Confusing newborns
Scaring adults
Destroying thought
Light is irrelevant
Darkness complete
They meet.

The winds they howl
The mist hides from all
The Settlers
Sound is distorted
Then I hear it
Like the beating of drums
Or a tolling bell
It turns my backbone yellow
My hair stands on end
There comes a scream
Through time immortal.

Suddenly there comes a noise
Footsteps from hell
Begin bearing down upon me
There is no escape
I slowly turn around
My eyes open in horror
As I assess the impossibility
The absurdity
Of The Settlers being there.

As insanity creeps towards me
A raspy breath, disrupted by the fog,
Invades my ears

Searching the fog
With eyes and ears
Trying to find its origin
I trip and fall
Looking over at the cause
Nausea sweeps through me
The remains of a settlers body
Stares back at me
I scream
Like time tearing.

Out of the corner of my eye
I catch a glimpse
Of a shadow wisping by
Rising
I run after it
After what seems to be hours
I finally stop giving chase
Sinking to the ground
A moan escapes my lips
Followed by words
Please help me.

Again the shade of something
Hovers just beyond
My ability to visualize it
This time I slowly walk
Towards the apparition
And it remains where it is
As eyes focus on the reality
My mind understands the threat
I turn to run
Claws rip through my back
I fall to the ground
Immobilized.

Mist lifts
Thunderclouds disperse
And pre-dawn light
Encompasses the area
A body lies upon the docks

Snapping awake
Sweat covering my body
My mind finally accepts
That the situation was a dream
Rising
I go to the window
Opening the window
A stiff breeze stirs the curtains
Fog drifts into the room
Thunder cascades across the land
And a Settler moves
Towards my open window.

The fabric of time
Is torn asunder
Dreams become reality
Horrors become possibilities

And a scream fills the night.

[Bastadaen]

Wiping the dirt off her face and pants, PrincessMarri looked up at the mansion—a massive granite and wood structure that was once owned by the richest man in all the kingdom. Now it was creepy.. and haunted! Cobwebs hung from the roof and support beams. The granite walls seemed slimy with mold and the paths leading around the house were overgrown with weeds.

A moment of panic. She turned back to check on her friends, but saw nothing but the soft glow of the moon on an empty field. It was oddly serene and peaceful.

"One minute. That's it," she muttered turning back to the old house.

With each step the wooden porch creaked as she moved closer to grand entrance. The large iron doorhandle was formed in the shape of a lion. Awkward. She pushed. No movement. She pushed harder. A slight squeak. She paced back one step and put her whole force against the door. VOILA! Dust flew everywhere as she fell into the center of the room. The door, as if being pulled by gravity, slammed shut behind her.

She jumped up and looked around. As the dust settled, she began to hear movements around her.. as if a hundred eyes were looking at her. A tear started forming in her eye. She ran to the front door. It didn't budge. She flipped around only to feel the whole building shake like an angry animal waking from a slumber. Chandeliers swayed back and forth. The earthquake rumbled away, then screams.. two distinct voices, closer than before!

"AHHHhghhghhh!!!"

Suddenly, a flash of green light came from the second floor. The eyes closed in.. there was no way out. Without thinking, she moved closer to the stairs. One step. Two step. Third step broken, stretch. Forth. She began to hear muffled voices.. whispers.. ghosts? The most foul stench filled the air—worse than her brother coming back from spending all day at the fishery! It nearly knocked her out. Plugging her nose she continued on as the voices became clearer..

"I'm going.. kill you, seriously, one of ..days!"
"You'll .. before that happens!"
".. or I'll hit you so hard you .. to stand up!"

At the top of the stairs, a large window let in just enough moonlight to see a large room with furniture covered in dusty plastic. At the end of the room two dark figures seemed to be huddling over a third.

"Are we almost done?"
"Almost, a few more spots.."

Entranced as if in a dream, PrincessMarri inched closer. CRUNCH! what did she step on.. She screamed! All three figures were looking right at her. She tried to find her feet and run, but two of them quickly grabbed her by the arms.

"HEEEELLLPP!!" she cried out, "I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!!"


- to be continued -

[Sammykaye]

To the Settler who works, on this all Hallows Eve,
Beware the Reaper, for souls he does thieve,
As darkness comes, to silence one and all,
During these times of times, this Halloween fall,
Though do not fret, for the light shall come,
Buff my friend, to once again see the sun.

[Greyman_]

Eliot was excited, his big day was coming. The pumpkin patches had been planted, he could see them growing already.

Rumor was there would be a new general showing up. The farmers were eagerly awaiting word of silos. Even the other kids dreamed of being able to go to school and learn a trade, anything to keep from having to join the military.

Not Eliot though, he didn't care about school or farming. He wanted to learn how to shoot the longbow & then find the witch who had cursed him. He could hardly sleep. Over the next several days, he felt the need to check on the pumpkins. Nine patches, one in each of the town's cemeteries. He liked the looks of one of the ones growing ever so slowly in the smallest patch. Already all the gourds had been removed from the patches in the Noble plots. Nearly half were gone from the common patches even.

Late one night, Eliot thought he heard the chittering of bugs. He began to worry. Early the next morning, he crept out of bed. He needed to check on his pumpkin. WAIT! NO! There was no change. Hours and hours had gone by, but none of the remaining patches had changed. It was as if they'd been blighted by a Darkness “Buff.” He snuck into the Mayor's house and stole one of the Strong Light Lanterns. That would have to do the trick, but no, it wouldn't take. The patches hadn't been blighted.

Then, he saw one. A little speck on his favorite squash, as he looked around, he saw more and more. BUGS! He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew it would be coming, any day now, and he'd lose his chance.

He felt light headed, but then...

Eliot was excited, his big day was coming. The pumpkin patches had been planted, he could see them growing already.

Eliot had a sudden foreboding sense of Deja-vu. Then, his worst fear was realized: ROLLBACK!

[Clobberbobber]

I was never sure if the big eye and the Mayor were one and the same, but I knew I didn’t trust either of them. The letter I got in the mail this morning wasn’t helping. The mayor was “inviting” me to be part of a new organization. No longer would I waddle around the Island quarrying and carrying huge blocks of marble, but I could be part of a new unit of “special” people to guard the Mayor’s huge house.

I wasn’t sure how seriously I should take this idea. I knew there were old bandits, wandering families and sometimes even our own sons lining up to enter the barracks. I had no idea anyone didn’t like what was going on in there. My buddies struggled in the fields day after day, and hauled water from wells, and kept the big wheels in the mills going so there would be good brew for those barracks. Many more of my friends kept the mines, the smelters and the smittys going to forge endless supplies of weapons.

We all knew there were grave threats to the universe out there. We heard of distant Traitors, far off Outlaws, Vicious characters, even Pirates and Witches. We all loved the peace and quiet of our hearths, knowing these threats were far away.

It was only last week we started counting up the thousands upon thousands of fiery eyed youths following the seemingly aimless meanderings of generals who never seemed to come home again. Oh there were the really well trained and experienced troops who seemed to come and go regularly, but someone counted up hundreds of thousands of faceless, nameless sword carriers who had gone away and never come back. Was this too high a price to be paying for the big eye to have bigger and bigger numbers?

And now this letter seemed to be a hook, like the kind I might use on a fishing trip if I ever got time off. All our fishermen used nets and never knew the relaxation of a day with a pole in the water. Someone was talking of an uprising somewhere. Someone was questioning the normal order of the universe where the line up at the barracks just kept moving short dumpy waddlers in one door and out to oblivion. The Mayor and the big eye were getting worried. Would I organize a defensive force to protect the ultimate powers in the universe from a possible rebellion?

Quickly I threw the letter under a huge block of my quarried marble. If I had to choose sides, I would support my own kind. Short dumpy waddlers of the world unite. This is our time.

[Uthren]

In the Shadows of the Dark Castle

On that cold and dreary night
the brave young men knew not their plight

In the shadow of the Dark Castle they stood
longing for their homes and neighborhood

A cold chill filled the air
to make a sound they would not dare

for some this night would be their last
but still they stood, strong and steadfast

The brave young men soon would fight
on that cold and dreary night...

[Osote]

There once was a man named Sir Robin
He stole from the rich without stoppin'
I went to his isle,
and plundered a while:
Granite and exo for upgradin'!!!

[Osote]

Is it bad form to use the word grrr in a Haiku?

Witch of the Swamp, grrr!
Nice rewards, lots of losses
Rest in peace, my cavs.

[johnthenewf]

Ode To A Haunted Island

Alas I awoke to darkness
The light from my isle had fled
Eirie, creepy noises arose
Sounds my Settlers would dread

I raised my head, all fearful
Screaming with the fright
My eyes, my ears, my senses
not grasping what happened that night

The Pumpkin lords had come clashing
to make our lives a hell
I swiftly rode to my guild hall
To ring the warning bell

To arms, To arms I descried
Lady Dennk awake the Guild
We must forge bright lights together
We've pumpkin fields to build

My lady sent riders forth to all
"Prepare! Prepare! Sunset"
Our name might like the evening's blush
But no darkness will it vet

Light up the forge! Plant the field!
Buff your neighbours! Help them all!
Drive back the night! That pumpkin horde!
Our forces shall not fall!

Bravely we toiled and tilled the soil
No break or rest was given
We buffed and traded all we had
To make the brightness driven

Now we all stand, our islands and Guild
Bravely protecting the light
Never to retreat or run in fear
From darkness in the night


Johnthenewf
Sunset Guild
Settlers Online