Streetlights flickered and coughed as she passed. For a while, hope was a euphoric drug that changed her subtly, slowly — the rhythms of breathing, the flow of blood in her veins falling into a pattern that was in harmony with the world’s. For the first time in her life Leah was beginning to feel as though she belonged in the world — and in herself. Was this the transmutation she’d hoped for?
Yet hope is a fragile thing.
This is the beginning of my section of a “round-robin” horror story, written in conjunction with a bunch of other Australian horror writers a while back. The story was created for a competition run by the Australian Horror Writers Association. Now the final phase of the competition is upon us and below is the information you’ll need to be part of it.
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The AHWA and ‘Nameless’ competition director Stephen Studach are thrilled to announce that the “Nameless” competition will be judged by multi-award winning master of dark fiction Ramsey Campbell.
In honour of Mr Campbell’s involvement, the competition’s deadline has been extended to the 13th of March, 2010.
Read the story here. Come up with a conclusion and a title! Make your $10 donation and enter the competition here.
Competition prizes include a $500 winner’s cheque, and a prize pool of horror goodies:
- A manuscript version of the story signed by as many of the writers involved as can be tracked down.
- A copy of The Australian Writer’s Marketplace 2009/2010.
- A copy of The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 19th annual collection (edited by Datlow, Link and Grant.)
- Free 1-year membership, or 12-month renewal, to the Australian Horror Writers Association.
- Books: Signed limited editions — Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge; Wild Things by Douglas Clegg; Prodigal Blues by Gary A. Braunbeck.
- A boost to any personal horror library — Development Hell by Mick Garris; Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill; Infected by Scott Sigler; The Nature of Balance by Tim Lebbon; The Dark Descent edited by David G. Hartwell; a pre-loved copy of The Books of Blood (vols 1-3) from Marty Young’s own collection.
- A first edition of The Last Days of Kali Yuga, Paul Haines’ forthcoming collection of stories; published to impeccable standards by Brimstone Press, and slated for release in December 2009.
The six best endings will be featured at HorrorScope – The Australian Dark Fiction Weblog.
All proceeds from this competition go to award-winning author Paul Haines, to assist Paul and the Haines family, while Paul undergoes treatment for cancer.
- Source: Stephen Studach
I hope you enjoy INFECTED!