Bi-Weekly Competition: Raise the Standard!

Jazzy Jinx

The deadline to submit for the next bi-weekly is September 27th.

Fallupface and I had a conversation recently and we decided, "You know what, man? Life be hard. A dude trying to get his write on and ain't nobody give a bit of damn. We needs like… motivation. We needs like... to do something big, son." And so here I am, about to feed your face with something big and don't take that the wrong way because you want this and you want it hard.

So here's the plan. We're going to knit a big ass ball of... Actually nah, I'm just screwing with you. The plan is quite simple. You tell us, "Hey, I'd like to submit my work for this bi-weekly", and then we take things from there. Our panel of three lovely judges will review your work and tell you how close you came to meeting your quota and the overall quality of said work. From there, we can pull a winner, so to speak, from all of the submissions and endorse their work until the next bi-weekly rolls around.

But don't get too sucked up into all the glamour (laughs) of this competition, it's all in good fun and in order to provide a mutual benefit amongst the writers. Those benefits being that you'll become more motivated to work, nab some free reviews, and gain exposure. You should write with the intention to want to improve and keep an open mind as you receive criticism. Everything falls on mutual benefit as I'm sure the judges enjoy reading your work and would like to help you out in return. So just remember not to get worked up.~

Competition Organizers

Cuddles the Dark
Dervish
Kitsune Inferno
Uncle Kenny

Mistress of Ceremonies

RPGJay

Alright, it's official. The "standard" panel members for judging are: Gekko135, Dervish, and __________. Though ~~Chrissie~~ may be busy for the first few as may Gekko. If it comes down to it, I'll fill in a spot and if we need to fill two spots then I'll try contacting CCC.

The grading scale will be your standard "Out of 10" with a maximum possible score of 30 pts. Each judge reserves the right to review your story as they see fit based on their own criteria for good characters, pacing, story, etc. This is to allow your story to be viewed in many different perspectives and angles which can highlight your strengths and weaknesses where you may think to have none.

Also, now might be a good time to mention that, though everything is graded on a 30 point scale that doesn't necessarily mean the highest score wins. To the contrary, the judges all band together and decide for themselves who deserves the victory. If you care to know why this is it's because anyone can meet the 5,000 character quota but it takes some nerve to go above and beyond it. Someone that puts in more work shouldn't have to be held accountable for a lower score when the person that did less work gets graded higher (from lack of material).

So enjoy those 30 points, slackers.~

RPGJay (W2/L0) vs Uncle Kenny (W0/L2) (super chain death pact)

TIME FOR SOME MAJOR AND IRRELEVANT BADASS ADVERTISEMENT.

Now you guys know how I'm unmotivated, right? Well the black list is cute and all and you can all still use that but my good friend, RPGJay, and I have decided to take that bitch to the next level. We've entered a super chain death pact that seems like an absolutely cruel survival game. Here's how it goes:

– Each week one of us submits something (Kenny (1st week) > Jay (2nd week) > Kenny (3rd week) > etc.)
-- If you fail to submit then sucker, you have to change your avatar and sig for the entire duration that the chain lasted*
-- At any point during the punishment, the winner can change the avatar and signature for constant humiliation

So say that we successfully maintained the chain for 4 weeks and then one of us fails on the 5th, then the winner is allowed to change the avatar and sig of the loser for 4 straight weeks. I'll be going first and submitting a new chapter of either Tellus or Thriller Blend on September 4th at midnight, central time.

How is this relevant to any of you? It isn't, that's why I said it wasn't at the beginning of this post. But this seems like something that should be advertised. Perhaps you want in? Perhaps you want to make a bet? Who will outlast who? How long can we keep this up? Are we absolutely crazy?

Hell yes.

Weeks Without Failure: 1

–-

Now that the mission statement is out the way, what are the guidelines? It's pretty simple stuff, actually. I'll outline it for you right here:

! - Minimum of 5,000 characters per submission; Maximum of 40,000.
! - Please do tell us if you believe something may be inappropriate in your work as we're not intending to judge your character or anything but it would be better if our judges don't get surprised or offended. You should always maintain a level of tact within your submissions or at least give us a head's up as that is also an act of tact.
! - In order to get your work reviewed for a bi-weekly, come here and tell us which story it is of yours you would like to have reviewed. We'll link back to each of your stories and keep a record of it here so in the case that you have more than one story going on, please inform us which story it is you would like reviewed for which bi-weekly. You can also tell us which stories you would like removed from here if you choose to withdraw indefinitely. Keep in mind that simply missing bi-weeklies doesn't erase you from competition, it's perfectly fine if you skip a few as this is an optional, on-going competition. We won't pester you or anything so don't fret.
! - Each judge will review your work at their discretion based on their own criteria of what makes a good character, story flow, etc. If you submit, please understand and don't expect them to break away from their criteria. Instead, if you'd like them to give a more in-depth look in certain areas then tell them that and if they're willing, they'll give you an analysis in that regard in addition to their standard review. But also please understand that it is a courtesy and does not affect competitive standing.
! - Please do not pester the judges either. I'm not insinuating that anyone shall but just in case you have any questions then come here and post it and if it's a more private matter then simply PM me about it. Understand that the judges are simply here to look over your stories and provide writing help and that they don't actually manage the competition. If you would like individual help then I suppose it would be alright to PM them but they may be busy with other things and if that is the case then I ask you to please not push them or try to coerce them into believing that it's their responsibility to help you, it's not.
! - Also, to our readers, do not presume to be a judge unto yourself. I do encourage readers to critique and such but I do not endorse elitism and I beg you to retain your own beliefs and tastes. Do not take the judges' criticisms as the standard for all writing as new perspectives are always welcome to the table. Which brings me to another point: If you're a writer, don't get detered by your reviews and if you're a judge, don't become elitist. Just always keep in mind that this is in good fun and we're attempting to improve on a whole. That includes as people. ^^
! - The Black List: If you have problems with commitment and want to motivate yourself to enter a bi-weekly then you can place yourself on a "black list" for each competition. Once you've agreed to be put on the list, you're bound to its conditions until that bi-weekly ends. Here are the conditions:
! – You MUST submit an entry for the bi-weekly.
! -- In the event that you do not make a submission then you'll be subject to a punishment.
! – You may clarify your own punishment (thread/forum bans, avatar/signature punishment, etc.) as long as its appropriate.
! -- If you don't clarify a punishment then the default is to allow each participant of the bi-weekly you missed to decide what avatar and signature you must wear for 1 day. Each participant gets a day where they can change your set. The order is determined by highest score to lowest score.
! * Naturally this is all done on the honor system and meant to motivate/condition you into participating. The black list can be viewed under the "Submissions" tab.
! - Finally, as was said before if you have any questions or comments then just post about it here and enjoy the competition. The goal of this is to improve as writers and gain exposure. And for our readers, their goals should be to help us help them to have a good experience. We're all mutually circle-jerking here.~

Submissions:

! Cuddles the Dark - ("Yukino")
RPGJay - ("GREASER")

Collective Works:

! Badass SnoCone - ("The Water Bug")
CharmedWard - ("The Mutiny")
Cuddles the Dark - ("Bound: The Book of Sloth") , ("Yukino")
Insider2000 - ("The Rise of the Kidd") , ("The Show Must Go On" & "Destiny of the Pet") , ("Reflections of Sin")
Kitsune Inferno - ("Concerto di Ali") , ("Spirit Wolf")
Kylor - ("A Dastardly Two")
LaCaSiNa - ("Drowning in Identity") , ("Garbled Sanctuary")
Mastello - ("Night at the Station")
MDL - ("Misplaced Fortunes")
No Maam - ("Fishes")
piratemarimo - ("Pink Elephants") , ("The Marvelous Adventures of Mr. M") , (Working Title 1) , (Working Title 2)
RPGJay - ("GREASER")
Sakonosolo - ("Sand Sharks") , ("Sunflower")
Shuhan1288 - ("Two Brothers: The Crystal Promise")
THE SEA - ("Ashina")
ultimateclima - ("Trials or Tribulations")
Uncle Kenny - ("Thriller Blend")

–-

Reviews & Commentary

! March 31st, 2011 Bi-Weekly
April 19th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
May 6th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
May 20th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
July 13th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
August 13th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
August 27th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
–-

A Call For Bi-Weekly Chronicles

Data

!

Kitsune Inferno

Submissions:

! CharmedWard - ("The Mutiny")
Cuddles the Dark - ("Yukino")
Insider2000 - ("The Rise of the Kidd")
Kitsune Inferno - ("Concerto di Ali")
piratemarimo (Working Title 2)
RPGJay - ("GREASER")
ultimateclima - ("Trials or Tribulations")

Collective Works:

! Badass SnoCone - ("The Water Bug")
Cuddles the Dark - ("Bound: The Book of Sloth") , ("Yukino")
Insider2000 - ("The Show Must Go On" & "Destiny of the Pet") , ("Reflections of Sin")
Kitsune Inferno - ("Concerto di Ali") , ("Spirit Wolf")
Kylor - ("A Dastardly Two")
LaCaSiNa - ("Drowning in Identity") , ("Garbled Sanctuary")
Mastello - ("Night at the Station")
MDL - ("Misplaced Fortunes")
No Maam - ("Fishes")
piratemarimo - ("Pink Elephants") , ("The Marvelous Adventures of Mr. M") , (Working Title)
Sakonosolo - ("Sand Sharks") , ("Sunflower")
Shuhan1288 - ("Two Brothers: The Crystal Promise")
Uncle Kenny - ("Thriller Blend")

–-

Reviews & Commentary

! March 31st, 2011 Bi-Weekly
April 19th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
May 6th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
May 20th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
July 13th, 2011 Bi-Weekly
–-

Data

!

ChesCa

Cool.
I have to write something for my meeting tomorrow, so I'll give it a shot here as well.

trappedolphin

Cool thread. Looks like this will be interesting.

(You never said who the judges are, Kenny-boy.)

Mrs. Iceburg

I don't know if I'll have time to write much, but I'd like to be in!

Jazzy Jinx

@trappedolphin:

Cool thread. Looks like this will be interesting.

(You never said who the judges are, Kenny-boy.)

That's because not all of them have gotten back to me yet on whether or not they'd like to participate. But one of them did respond so I can officially say that one of the judges is the lovely lady, Dervish. ^^

Kitsune Inferno

Yay, Dervish~~~

Just to warn you all, I don't plan on losing, so you better write with the intent to kill, lest you wish to consume dust particles. sips cocoa

kmohyudin

I take it we are not allowed to submit unfinished work? Even if it does surpass the 5000 word limit…

Jazzy Jinx

Of course you can.

Akumu

Holy smokes. I read that as 5000 words at first and my draw dropped. Then I read it again and was greatly relieved.

I should be able to participate some weeks. Depends on school and all.

And just to clarify, bi-weekly as in twice a week or every two weeks?

Jazzy Jinx

Every two weeks.

Jazzy Jinx

Alright, it's official. The "standard" panel members for judging are: Gekko135, Chrissie, and Dervish. Though Chrissie may be busy for the first few as may Gekko. If it comes down to it, I'll fill in a spot and if we need to fill two spots then I'll try contacting CCC.

The grading scale will be your standard "Out of 10" with a maximum possible score of 30 pts. Each judge reserves the right to review your story as they see fit based on their own criteria for good characters, pacing, story, etc. This is to allow your story to be viewed in many different perspectives and angles which can highlight your strengths and weaknesses where you may think to have none.

The deadline to submit for the first bi-weekly is March 31st.

Kitsune Inferno

Just to let you guys know, I already met the 5000 character mark.~ It's really not all that hard, you know.

Akumu

Of course it's not.
5,000 characters is like a paragraph for me :P

I should be in for this first one, I just got to buckle down and write.

Insider2000

Might do this, but I have a lot on my plate.

Are there any specific details on WHAT I have to write, or can it be anything?

Jazzy Jinx

As long as you have a coherent idea and follow a stable structure, go crazy.

Insider2000

@Uncle:

As long as you have a coherent idea and follow a stable structure, go crazy.

Say I submit my work for March 31st, would the next deadline require that I follow up the story I submitted on March 31st?

Jazzy Jinx

Nah. We'll save a link to all of the works you've submitted here but it's up to you to specify which work gets reviewed for which bi-weekly.

Kylor

Would it be alright if I were to submit installments of a story I've already been writing and posting here? Or do the installments have to be entirely original to the competition?

! Some of you might be asking: Kylor, you lazy ass, are you just going to submit chapters of that stupid story you're taking way too long to write? Well the answer is yes. That's exactly what I mean. Is it okay if I do that?

Kitsune Inferno

The point of this whole competition (when Kenny and I first proposed it) was to light a fire under our asses so we would finish our existing stuff :P

So yeah. My submission will be an extension of an existing work.

THE SEA

If anything I will post the script of Ashina. Or can I?

Kitsune Inferno

I'd assume it has to be narrative in nature. But I'm not fully certain. You'll have to clear that with Kenny.

THE SEA

Of course it has narrative.
"The aging city of Paresa, lit in the merry flame of festival atmosphere, is reliving its youth to celebrate the King's birthday."

Kitsune Inferno

I meant your description.

THE SEA

@Chucklepants:

I meant your description.

Sorry, I mean the script. Since Ashina is originally a manga, by description I mean script.

Jazzy Jinx

@Kylor:

Would it be alright if I were to submit installments of a story I've already been writing and posting here? Or do the installments have to be entirely original to the competition?

! Some of you might be asking: Kylor, you lazy ass, are you just going to submit chapters of that stupid story you're taking way too long to write? Well the answer is yes. That's exactly what I mean. Is it okay if I do that?

As Chucklepants has stated, the original intent was to get us motivated to finish our current works. So though you may submit old work for review, I recommend you instead continue said work and submit the new installments for review. Unless of course you wanted some reviews for your old installments which is perfectly fine. Still, I strongly urge you to continue writing and at least attempt to edit previous work for the better.

@THE:

If anything I will post the script of Ashina. Or can I?

I'm unfamiliar with said script, mind clarifying? I will say that whatever you submit should be original in nature, even if it's a fanfiction. By that I mean that you have done the work and written it, giving it an original spin and not just copy/pasting someone else's work. But if it's not fanfiction and you mean a script from one of your own mangas then sure, go for it. Just make sure to surpass 5000 characters and stay coherent, being mindful of the reader.

ChesCa

I have the opening to my proper story 'Bound: The Tome of Sins' typed up.
It is more than 5,000 characters. Can I submit this as a story to be reviewed?

Jazzy Jinx

Absolutely.

Excerpts, incomplete work, installments, whatever. The only requirement is that it surpasses 5,000 characters and follows a stable, coherent structure.

ChesCa

My submission, then:
http://www.apforums.net/showthread.php?p=2184016#post2184016

Jazzy Jinx

Added.

I'll go ahead and take this time to inform you all of my splendid color system as well because… colors, dude. Green means that you're set for the current bi-weekly (specified submission that's already completed) and red means you're NOT set for the current bi-weekly (no specifications or a submission).

It's that easy.~

Kitsune Inferno

Hmm… I'm debating whether or not to post this excerpt or the whole thing when I finish it...

Kitsune Inferno

http://apforums.net/showthread.php?p=2185961#post2185961

I'm submitting this excerpt from Concerto di Ali.

Jazzy Jinx

Added.

Also, I'm doing the list in alphabetical order because fuck it.

Insider2000

http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=2186090&postcount=1

My submission. It's two chapters (unrelated) touching into two different villains and a minor character (Natasha).

"The Show Must Go On" and "The Destiny of the Pet".

Jazzy Jinx

Added.

Now each person's work have some cute little parenthesis surrounding them.

Sakonosolo

I'm going to post something I've been working on here but it's not very far along.

Sand Sharks (Working Title)
[hide]
“And all around is the desert; a corner of the mournful kingdom of sand.” - Pierre Loti

“Don't you ever get tired of writin' in that book day after day, Andy?”

The lantern that hung from the ceiling of the cramped room moved away from the man, and his face was covered in shadows. The man that spoke was leaning up against the wall beside the door and addressed Andrew, a man that sat in a chair just a foot or two in front of him. Andrew sat at a small table and furiously wrote in a plain notebook that lied open on the table. He lifted the pen off of the paper and dipped it into a jar of ink in the corner of the table. The lantern swung back and lit up the man's face.

“I thought I told you enough already. My name isn't Andy, it's Andrew.” He went back to scribbling in the notebook but continued speaking. “It's important to keep a record of what goes on around the ship on a daily basis and I'm the only one willing to do it. Everyone on this ship except the captain and I are are pretty much useless.” He put his focus back onto writing.

“Now hold on a second! Just 'cause you're the captain's little pet doesn't call for you to insult everyone else on this ship! The only reason you an' him are so close is 'cause he was a friend of your father's. And I ain't gonna stand here and take your accusations. You're lucky the captain of this ship is who he is or I'd throw you overboard!”

“Yeah, yeah. If you want to prove me wrong then go and do something besides watching me write.” The door had slammed shut in the middle of his sentence. Andrew wrote for a few more minutes and reached the bottom of the page when a commotion picked up above deck. This sudden noise out of silence caused him to smear ink all over the paper. The notebook was closed in frustration and Andrew exited his cabin to see what was going on.

Andrew was halfway up the stairs to the deck when a fellow crewmate, who Andrew recognized as one of the men in charge of the rigging, burst through the door and almost knocked him over. The man was breathing incredibly hard but he managed to speak after a few seconds.

“Sorry sir. Please excuse me.”

“What the hell are you doing? You damn near knocked me back down these stairs! Why're you in such a hurry?”

“I need to get my rifle, sir, you see…”

Andrew cut him off. “Why do you need your rifle? We should be at the city in just a few hours.”

The man pushed Andrew aside and ran down the hall. Without turning around he answered all of Andrew's questions with a single word: “Pirates!”

He burst through the door to the deck and into a crowd of people. The captain was standing on the upper part of the deck and spoke to all the men below. His voice was strong and enveloped the entire ship, it captivated every man that was on the deck. Andrew looked around and saw that every man in sight has holding some kind of weapon, be it a rifle, a pistol, a sword, or an improvised weapon. They occasionally raised their weapons in the air to the captain's speech. After the captain finished his speech, Andrew went up to the upper deck and approached him.
“Sir, that was a great speech you gave. I heard from one of the rigging boys that there are pirates close.”

“Aye, the ship is right on the horizon.” He pointed to a ship still a distance off. From the mast hung a skull and crossbones. “From my estimates I guess they'll be here in an hour. Maybe less. I suggest you get prepared for a fight.”

“Yes sir.” replied Andrew.

The air on the ship was so tense it felt like it could snap at any time. All the crew could really do was wait for the ship to approach them. The merchant ship they were on had no defenses save the swords or firearms of the individual crewmates. Andrew leaned on the side of the ship and focused all his attention on the pirate ship growing ever closer. Half an hour had passed since he had talked with the captain and it looked like the ship was going to arrive like he had said. He noticed something odd, though. It should have occurred to him sooner. He continued to watch the ship and rose off the siding of his as the pirate ship slowly turned off to his left. In less than a minute the side of the ship was facing him and he started to run as fast as he could to where the captain was pacing back and forth.

He reached the top of the stairs to the upper deck when he happened to glance sideways. Five flashes occurred simultaneously and Andrew only managed to get the word “Captain” out before the cannonballs struck. Only two of the five actually struck the ship but it was enough to do serious damage. Andrew fell to the deck in the impact and so did the captain.

“Those damn pirates can't aim!” The captain rose to his feet in a fury. “Tossing cannonballs into the sand is just going to attract sharks!”

He helped Andrew to his feet and they both looked towards the ship, so close now that you could see the people on it. The crew on Andrew's ship prepared for battle as the ship grew closer and a man from the pirate ship flipped up a plank and connected it for use as a bridge. Man after man crossed from the pirate ship to the merchant ship and all out battle ensued. Gunshots went off like fire crackers and swords clanged together, the entire thing was earsplitting. As the crew clashed on the deck below, Andrew and the captain watched from the upper deck.

“Do you think we have a chance?” Andrew asked the captain, unsure.

“I'm not sure to be honest. It could go either way if the sharks show up.”

Andrew unsheathed his sabre as one of the pirates caught on and ran up the stairs to the upper deck. He swung at Andrew and he stepped aside before plunging the sword into the pirate's shoulder.

“If you can help it, try to keep the bodies on the ship.”

“Aye aye.”

Andrew glanced down at the lower deck where the battle was raging. About a dozen bodies from each side lie dead and probably more that fell into the sand. Four more pirates climbed up and the captain took his sword out as well. The pirates didn't stand a chance, the captain was the best Andrew had ever seen at swordplay. Before they could do anything the captain rushed in and cut one of their throats.

“You take one and I'll take the others.” He said. Andrew knew better than to argue.

He heard the rapid parries of the captain's battle as he faced down his own. The pirate lunged and Andrew parried the strike off to the right, catching him off guard. He swung but the pirate jumped backwards and the sword cut his shirt. Without hesitating he came back in with a thrust and Andrew easily avoided it, responding with an elbow to the pirate's face. He clutched his bleeding face in pain and Andrew impaled him.

The captain's battle was still on. He easily avoided and countered the two pirates' simultaneous attacks but hadn't managed to get a clean strike in. Andrew turned and watched his mentor. One of the pirates struck downwards and the captain slid his blade up the pirate's and cut his arm, effectively disarming him. He finished by digging the blade into the pirate's side and didn't lose momentum as he spun and matched the last pirate's blade. They stood like that for what seemed like hours but was less than ten seconds. Andrew could see the perspiration on his skin. The pirate backed away, turned, and ran. But the captain wasn't going to let that happen. He unholstered his pistol and shot the pirate in the back of the head.

The captain turned and quickly reloaded his pistol. “Are our guys doing all right, Andrew?”

“Yeah, I think we have more men now.”

“Hopefully this is over soon.” He faced Andrew and saw a pirate that somehow managed to get behind him. After finishing the reloading process he raised his gun and fired. Andrew felt the bullet move through the air right next to him. It struck the pirate at heart level on his side and he stumbled towards the edge of the ship.

“Grab him!” Screamed the captain and Andrew got a hold of his shirt as the pirate hung off the side of the ship. He threw him to the floor, dead. He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping off of his face as he turned to the captain. They both erupted in laughter and Andrew thanked him. They then both became conscious of something they hadn't heard in awhile. There was no sound.

In unison they turned to the lower deck. “Is the battle over?” asked Andrew. Everyone on the lower deck was frozen, looking back onto the pirate ship. A repeating thump sound was issuing from the ship and both Andrew and the captain froze as well and watched. A man, all by himself, was slowly walking across the bridge between the two ships. He had a large, black coat on, it must have weighed quite a bit. A black tri corner hat was perched on his head and his large boots were the source of the loud sound. He reached the ship and began to whistle. It was something that Andrew had heard as a small child and it brought back so many memories.

The captain was the one to break the silence. He walked to the railing separating the upper deck from the lower. “You must be the captain.”

The pirate captain turned and looked up with a smile. “So I am. And you must be the captain of this little ship. Why don't you come down here and we can have a little chat.”

“I've got nothing to say to the likes of you. If you want the cargo on this ship you're going to have to go through me first. Call your boys back and we can duel for the fate of this ship. Just no more senseless violence.” The captain began to descend the stairs. Andrew followed.

“You're a brave one. A duel you say? I accept.”

On the lower deck the captain turned to Andrew and smiled. He reached into a pouch in his shirt and brought out a small black book.

“If I don't make it out of this I want you to have this.”

“What is it?” asked Andrew.

“Don't worry about that right now. I don't want you to read it unless I die in this duel.” he responded.

The captain turned away with a smile and all Andrew could do was stare down at the small book. He obeyed the captain's order and put the small book in his pocket.

Both captains squared off while the crew of each watched them. “Name yourself.” demanded the merchant captain.

“I am Alexander.”

“I am Marshall.”

“That name sounds familiar. Where could I have heard that at?” mused Alexander.

“It doesn't matter. Prepare yourself. En garde.”

Both captains drew their blades and sidestepped in a circle around each other. They formed a full circle and then stepped closer, touching the tips of their blades. Alexander attacked first. He swung overhead, aiming for Marshall's scalp. He raised his sword above his head and blocked it easily. Marshall twisted his body and moved inside Alexander's guard, using his shoulder to push him back. Without hesitating he moved back and grabbed his sword with both hands for a side slash. In the last second, Alexander moved his sword into position and blocked the strike. The metal made a loud grating sound as both men's arms shook from the impact. Marshall withdrew and the captains matched swords again.

“You're quite good. I'm having trouble keeping up with you.” said Alexander in between heavy breaths.

“You're much better than I imagined.” said Marshall.

Marshall attacked this time and the two men exchanged strikes multiple times before it quieted down again. They sidestepped, swords crossed, for a few seconds before Alexander backed up, to the surprise of everyone present. He drew his sword up and grasped it with both hands.

“You're going to use all your strength in one attack?” asked Marshall, astonished.

“I don't think normal swordplay is going to get either of us anywhere.” He smiled and tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword. He lunged in, it was obvious he was going for a side attack for Marshall's neck.

In the middle of the strike the ship rocked violently. Marshall's guard fell for a split second and that was all that Alexander needed. His sword sliced through Marshall's throat and stopped when it hit his spine. Andrew immediately jumped forward and screamed as if in agony, but there was nothing that could be done. Alexander looked at him strangely, but it was only for a split second. Another impact hit the ship and sent multiple people falling over the side into the sand below.

Alexander swore under his breath and spoke to his crewmates. “It's the damn sharks! Get back to the ship!”

All at once the ship was engulfed in chaos as the pirates funneled over the small bridge back onto their ship. Andrew chased the captain as he ran towards it but yet another impact shook the ship and he fell and struck his head on the deck. He lost consciousness and was left with the screams of those being eaten in his mind.

I was up in the crows nest like always. The warm, crisp air traveled along my cheeks and threw my hair around. We haven't seen land in quite a long time but if I'm up here I don't mind all that much. The only thing I wished more of this is that the spray of the water reached this high. It's always so relaxing. I tapped my foot on the wooden floor of the crows nest. Something passed by my head and it took me a second to register it. A white bird, a seagull, landed on the railing of the crows nest. It faced away from me and I just stared at its feathers for a while. I didn't dare reach out to touch them or it would fly away. All of a sudden it turned to me. It wasn't frightened in the least. It cocked its head to each side a few times. Its black eyes looked into mine and I looked right back. I must have lost track of time.

“Captain! It's a seagull! We must be near land!” The voice came from the deck of the ship and snapped me out of my daze. “What the hell are you doing, William? Just staring at the bird?” He gave a laugh and went back to his duties.

I turned my attention back to the seagull. It was still in the same place. I wish I could be a seagull. Just flap my wings and fly away. The crow's nest is fine but being on a ship all day... it gets kind of old. Just then the seagull rose from the railing and flew away.

I then looked out to sea. We were near land but I still didn't see any. Except a shadow. It was a large shadow beneath the ocean but I couldn't make anything of it. It was upon us before I could say anything. The ship rocked violently and I grabbed onto the side of the crows nest to keep my balance. I could hear shouting from below. The hell was that!? We're gonna sink! The rocking was too much and the ship slowly tilted to the left more and more. The sea water was practically right in front of me and I jumped for it.

It was nice to be off that ship.

Andrew jolted upright in a cold sweat. Immediately he was blinded by a bright light in front of him and after his eyes adjusted he saw that it was a fire. There were five or six people sleeping on the other side of the fire from him. A moment of regression caught him as the feeling of something being strange hit him. His captain had been murdered in a duel and the ship was being attacked by sharks. He had been chasing after the pirate captain and then... that was all he remembered. He should have been eaten by the sharks and he wond-

“So you're awake, eh boy?”

Andrew nearly leaped off the floor at being so suddenly addressed. The voice came from his left and slightly behind him and he slowly turned to look. It didn't register immediately who it was that Andrew was being addressed by. He stared at the face for quite a few seconds before it finally came to him. It was the man that had killed Captain Marshall. Andrew must have worn a distressed look on his face.

“Now now, there's no need to be scared. We wouldn't dream of doing anything to you. Now please, have something to drink.” He motioned to some water near the fire but his words did nothing to calm Andrew.

He looked around quickly and saw a faint light coming from the direction opposite Alexander. Andrew took his chance. He quickly jumped up and moved around the fire, dashing towards the light. He exited the cave into the moonlight to a disheartening site. As far as the eye could see was nothing but sand. He fell to his knees and, sensing Alexander standing behind him, spoke.

“Why did you bring me here?” This came out as a whisper that was difficult to here even to the man standing behind him.

“Well I couldn't just let you die. I wouldn't have been able to confront your father in the afterlife if I had.”

“My father...?” Andrew slowly rose to his feet and turned to face Alexander. “Who are you?”

“If you had read that little book given to you by ol' Marsh you would know.”

Andrew suddenly remembered the book and reached into the pocket he had put it in only to find nothing. He looked back at Alexander, who was holding the book in front of him with a smile.

“Come back by the fire and we'll talk.” What choice did he have?

“Your father and I were great friends quite a long time ago. We both served on the same ship, along with Marshall.
[/hide]
Where's my smiley face :ninja: ?

Jazzy Jinx

Put it in your thread and I'll add it.

Sakonosolo

Okay, though why exactly is that necessary? Also, it looks so short in a hide tag :cwy: .

Edit: The deed is done.

Jazzy Jinx

Added.

Because I don't want to clutter up this thread with reviews.

Badass SnoCone

I should be able to write something in time to get into the next Bi-Weekly competition. When would the deadline for the next one be?

Jazzy Jinx

April 14th, 2011.

Badass SnoCone

@Uncle:

April 14th, 2011.

Okay, I should be able to do something by then. Thanks.

Akumu

I probably won't make this one, as I am I do a lot of revisions and generally write about 3 drafts before I release something to the public eye.

I might get something in depending on how long I'm able to work, but I don't like sharing incomplete work, especially since the majority of my work is horror. I feel like submitting something incomplete would really kill the suspense of the story…

Kitsune Inferno

Only four?

For shame, guys… for shame!

Insider2000

Almost didn't manage this, myself.

Shocked I managed that second story during all the stress I've got going on.

Akumu

I'll be in the next one, Kitsune, so don't you worry.

Jazzy Jinx

I'm going to submit before midnight, central time as well.

Which, btw, is the deadline guys.

Insider2000

I might not be able to reach the next deadline. I'll try, but we'll see.

Jazzy Jinx

Done with my submission.

Thank God.

Jazzy Jinx

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED FOR THE MARCH 31ST DEADLINE.

By the by, purple means that you're in the reviewing process. Don't dispute my excellent color system, things can only be categorized through specific spectrums of light. Also, when you see that your name is in red, that means that the reviewing process for you is done and you're free to start writing for the next bi-weekly. If you don't submit anything then your name will stay red and the judges will just glaze over you.

See!? I had a plan for it!!1!