In mine, there will be monsters that are of Japanese origin and are pretty much unheard of out of Japan. If I put a list of names and short descriptions after the story, will it count as part of the 400 words? (*really, really hopes not* ) It would be confusing if you all didn't know what the monsters were, thus ruining the effect.

What is that behind you...?
Username: KageShio
Word count: 399
Entry:
“Do it Yume-dono, She took him from you. You have suffered in silence for too long, let your eyes see red!” The Amanojaku hissed into her ear, it’s icy breath sending chills down her spine. She looked at the sleeping form before her, loathing painted across her face as her fingers tightened around the handle of the knife.

“Yes… She… She took him from me! My Junshin-kun!” Yume screamed as she brought the knife down, plunging it into the blanket-covered body under her. She tore into the bedding, feathers tainted with red flying as the crimson pooled out from the body below. Yume stood up, her eyes wild as she reached for the edge of the blanket and peeled it back to see the twisted face of her victim.

“No… No… NO!!!” The wide-eyed face of Junshin stared up at her, blood flowing out of his mouth as it formed silent words. “No! I didn’t mean it! I just wanted Jun for myself!” She fell back, her breath caught in her throat as the blood stained the hem of her kimono, painting a gruesome pattern on the pristine white.

A dark, eerie chuckle came from the hall, “Yume-chan, poor, poor Yume-chan…” The flickering light casting dancing Oni on the rice-paper walls, shadows creeping along the floor.

“Ayame! You…. You did this! You wicked woman! You did this!” Yume yelled as she stumbled to her feet, her tabi making wet, slippery noises as she threw open the sliding door. She fell back at once, her mouth open with a scream caught in her throat. There stood Ayame, her hair long and wild, her eyes golden and nine long tails swept about the hall as long, blood-stained claws reached for Yume.

“This, my sweet Yume, is your final destination” She spoke, her voice a howl as the walls were ripped away and cold fire swept through the room. Ayame cackled as Oni rushed Yume, tearing at her kimono and hair. Her screams came to a crescendo as the great wheel Wanyudo burst through the flames, her spirit torn asunder at his presence.

“You know we can’t sleep, back to work.” Blank eyes blinked open to scan the desolate horizon seeing a woman in a white kimono.

“I had a dream”

“Oh really? “

“It was when I died” Yume said, picking up a rock to carry before bursting out in wails at the searing heat.

I am greatly wishing I would have been able to be on Menewsha sooner, I would have come up with a story as well. A certain house-mate of mine shall be receiving an unpleasant talk for not telling me. Oh well, I wish good luck to all participants and I hope you all enjoy reading my horror poem. Please forgive that it isn't brand-new, and that it is a bit long.

What is that behind you...?
Username: Fushigi no kaosu
Word count: 145
Entry: Acid Lullaby

Twisted metal
Piercing screams
Like horrors only
Seen in dreams
-
Shards of glass
Searing pain
Torn flesh cleansed
By acid rain
-
Rushing crimson
Waterfalls
Tangled bodies
Mangled Gaul
-
Taste of copper
Smell of death
Sound of gasping
Final breathes
-
Warm red pools
Of liquid life
Silver moonlight
Glinting knife
-
Glassy orbs
Now frozen wide
No more secrets
Left to hide
-
Racing heartbeat
Heaving lungs
Something wicked
This way comes
-
Spark of Hellfire
Burning bright
Stench of panic
Cold moonlight
-
Soft and wet
The feel of earth
Polished coffins
Trapped in dirt
-
Flowers lie
In stone lined rows
Gifts of sorrowed
Empty souls
-
Green eyed monster
Vengeful plans
Heartless murder
Blood washed hands
-
Shadows dancing
Secrets hid
Creaky slams of
Coffin lids
-
Ghostly wails
Rattling chains
Torn and tattered
Eyes deranged
-
Never resting
Empty hearts
Cold as ink
And thrice as dark
-
Misleading smiles
Filled with hate
Merciless as
The Hands of Fate
-
Breaking hearts of
Those betrayed
Silence as
The screaming fades
-
Mad demented
Church bell chimes
Evil twisted
Nursery rhymes
-
Echoes made
With no one there
Weight of secrets
Too big to bare
-
Fear and torture
Curse of death
Swing of scythe
Reapers breath
-
Belladonna
Nightshade leaf
Siren’s song
Of empty grief
-

Join in all
to sing and rise
All madmen’s laughter
Soulless cries

All whispers dark
Coal black hearts
Twisted laughter
Ever after
-
In this . . . . .Our acid lullaby

Fushigi, you sure that's 145 words? Looks like a lot more to me...Then again, it could just be the lay out ^^

According to wordcounttool.com Fushigi's is 227 words (once you remove the dashes). But it is possible that Word or another program numbers it differently.

What is that behind you...?
Username: ToriKat
Word count: 337
Entry:
I don't believe in ghosts.

They are a figment of people's imaginations. Religion will tell you that your soul will ascend, or descend if you're one of those kinds of people, to some ethereal state. Science will tell you that once you die, that's it. You're dead. Food for the lowest of terrestrial critters to consume. Ghosts exist in the realm of fantasy to frighten little children. Those "what if" questions spring up and suddenly fantasy can seem to deviate past the fiction line into fact.

Please. Whatever.

I walk down the halls absently. Every now and then, I run my hand over a piece of furniture. Time to clean, I think as I brush off the layer of dust from my palms. I'm compelled to write the same word over and over every place I can. I leave hand prints on the glass panes as I peer outside. Buds sprout. Green populates on the once emptied branches. It's a nice change from the freezing temperatures. I suck in a deep breath, but begin to cough from all the dust I'm inhaling. I try to crack a window, but it's sealed shut.

One of the hallways is always dark. Black stains streak the walls and the floors. A strong smell has been growing there ever since it began to warm up. While curiosity continuously builds within me, I cannot bring myself to go anywhere near that hallway.

There is a rap at the door. I investigate, peeking through the peephole. Police officers and one of the neighbors. They kick aside the piles of newspapers and rotten leaves and make their demands. Guns escape their holsters.

This is my house.

I angrily throw aside the curtains, causing a roar as the metal rings clang against the pole holding the fabric up. The would-be intruders look surprised.

"G-ghosts!" the neighbor sputters, frozen at first before he backs up and sloppily stumbles over his own feet.

I glare at them. Their stupidity enrages me.

There's no such thing as ghosts.

What is that behind you...?
Username: Neller
Word count: 361
Entry:

The Missing Hiker

Anna had always found solace hiking on the trails that lay in the forest behind her home. The silent trees had always brought peace and serenity to her mind.
*
One early evening, Anna found herself greatly distraught after a dreadful night of work. She skirted into the forest after pulling into her driveway and left her car’s engine idling and the headlights revealing a wild trail.

Anna ran and ran as fast as she could until she couldn’t find her footing anymore. She stumbled to a stop in order to catch her breath and glimpsed the forest fading into black around her. The trail was suddenly no longer familiar. Confusion set over the woman as she tried to recall from which way she ran. She turned around and thought it was only logical to follow the path in the opposite direction from which she came.

As Anna took her first steps home, a cry of pique shook the forest. Anna froze there in the trail as an unwieldy beast treaded onto the trail. Acidic froth cascaded from it’s jaw as the monstrosity ripped another ear splitting bellow. Anna fell to the ground from the roar, and the creature pounced on her, its claws encaging her wrists. As the defenseless girl attempted to scream, the beast’s large jaw wrapped around her throat, it’s piercing teeth boring into her veins. Anna clenched her teeth in agony as the monster’s caustic venom corroded her blood cells. The vile raced through her blood stream, consuming the walls of her veins. Her eyes grew in terror as she felt the acid reach her heart. If the beast had not been restraining her at the moment, Anna would have been writhing in pain due to the feeling of the worst heart-burn ever. She shrilled in misery as blood let from her throat. Only a moment passed by after, and Anna’s heart failed. Satisfied its work was done, the horrible creature relinquished the still body and quested back into the forest. The acid continued it’s work until the corpse was completely devoured, leaving not a trace of bone, blood, or disturbance on the forest floor.

Aw, man! Why didn't I find this earlier?!
Do not fret though, by 9:00 tomorrow I promise you that I will try my hardest to get an entry in!
Brain storming time! >D

We'll never forgive your tardiness Paper Face! You must cast yourself before us and beg for our mercy! Otherwise the story of your demise might top all the competition! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *eherm*..... O_o Don't mind me. I haven't had much caffeine today. ^-^;

What an awesome story ToriKat! I really like it.

Yikes...creepy acid monsters in the woods? I won't go hiking on Halloween...

i really like the story

Originally Posted by Rochiel Silverfire

Yikes...creepy acid monsters in the woods? I won't go hiking on Halloween...

:3
I actually had that idea for the longest time...wanted to write a detective story from it. ^_^
But I never got to it. v.v

Thank you shadowfoot! *flattered someone actually read it* xD

I read yours, ToriKat.
It humored me. XD

Thanks. xD

What inspired the acid monsters? T_T *will continue to not go outside alone in the dark* xD

Vampires... :3 I wanted to make them seem more cruel than what Twilight made them seem to be. So I kept changing my vision of vampires until I got a totally different creature from vampires.

xD So it obviously doesn't sparkle. *laughs*

...vampires scared me anyways. Having it completely devour you rather than just drain your blood...*hides*

Lol!
It definitely doesn't sparkle. XD

I thought the creature would make for an awesome mystery story, too. A girl reported missing but a body that can never be found. :3
I imagine too many awesome plots that I never carry out in writing. v.v

I can't get into the Twilight hysteria...Maybe I've just never been big on romance anyways.

I have that problem too. >_<;; I started writing a bunch of short stories just so I can tackle most ideas. They kind of link together...just in case I'm able to put it together into one...*fantasizes* novel....series...8D

When I was in 8th grade, I would dream of becoming some famous writer. But then I found out how difficult it was to finish a story. >.<
Short stories sound like a quick solution! =D

I tried writing a novel in 6th grade...then my dad and uncle reformatted our harddrive and I lost all of it. Hundreds of single spaced pages. T_T

I don't think it was very good anyways. *can barely remember it anymore* Probably a good loss. xD

I actally only ever finished 1 story. 100 pages, I believe, from 9th grade. It was really good...but a week later my computer died and my mom basically burnt the thing before the files on it could be recovered. My beautiful story is gone. =O

I've updated the front. All the entries should be in. Thank you for your lovely stories! =D

@boobookittyfunk:
If you wish to submit an entry, you have to use the form which could be found on the 3rd post of this thread. Otherwise, I will not able to accept your submission. :yes:

@KageShio:
If it is just for descriptions, it is okay. I will not add it to the word count.
And be careful of double posting (posting more than once in a row), as they are not allowed here in Menewsha. I have merged them for you, but take care in the future. ;)

@Paper Face Parade:
There is still time! But don't stress yourself too much, you are supposed to have fun writing your entry as well. xD

I really want to write something for this, but I haven't gotten around to it.