Good Morning, Prosers,

The way publishers find new authors might have just changed forever.

We are pleased to announce that we have joined forces with publishing giant Simon & Schuster, whose legacy includes Ernest Hemingway, Carrie Fisher, and Stephen King.

Simon & Schuster’s editing team hopes to discover the next generation of great authors by utilising our challenge feature and our social community, initially through a 500-2000 word writing challenge that ends June 1, prompting you to, “Write a story, chapter, or essay about whatever you like. The 50 best entries will be announced by Prose and read by Simon & Schuster’s editorial staff for consideration.”

This challenge stipulates a minimum of 500 entries and a maximum of 2,000.

We will announce the top-50 entries on June 21, 2017.

Here is the challenge URL: https://theprose.com/challenge/5367

We hope you are as excited about this as we are. If you know people who would like to get noticed by Simon & Schuster, spread the word(s).

Until next time, Prosers,

Prose.

I woke up once again to the smell of mold and in an enveloping darkness, but it still feels like I'm dreaming. It's been what I can only guess has been a day since I've been hiding in my basement with an old padlock keeping the door shut tight. I've considered myself lucky to have lasted this long, but now I see no point in carrying on. I don't know when, I don't know how, but I can remind myself one thing: I'm going to die down here.

I've heard footsteps upstairs and pounding on the door. On multiple occasions someone, something, has been trying so desperately to get in. I've wanted so badly to open that door for many reasons. I need to eat, I've been starving for days. I need to drink, I can't wait any longer. It could have been another survivor, searching for anyone to help them, and perhaps help me in return. Or, best case scenario, it could mean the release of death, waiting for me to open up.

Once, when the footsteps and pounding stopped, I quietly climbed the stairs and leaned down to look under the door and glance through. What I saw, I wish I could erase from memory. I saw a face, contorted and lifeless, it's body just out of view. It's eyes opened and seeming almost desperate, staring into mine. I remembered this face, I remembered this person, I remembered the day I lost them. My brother, my closest friend. He had risked his own life to protect me. And, like a coward, I had left him and fled, locking him and that... thing that attacked him out of my hiding place. He may have took a stand for me, but I can't help but torture myself with the fact that I betrayed him. I left him in the end, I let him meet this fate, and now his pleading eyes were here staring into mine, reminding me of what I've done. 

I can't take this anymore, I don't deserve this. A coward like me doesn't deserve to survive when a hero like him will step forth and give his life. Today, I'm ending this. The world has met it's doom and now I'll be meeting mine. If or when the pounding returns, I won't curl up and quake in fear. I'll open the door and welcome whatever destiny stands behind it. Our world has ended, most lives have ended, and I'm joining them as soon as I can. I leave this first and final entry of mine as my final accomplishment on this dead earth. This was my story, and this will be how it ends. My final stand, my final breath, will be here and now.

So you'll admit these three days past you've been a failure.

You must be joking if you thought you could succeed.

And now you crawl back to my lair,

The horrid news you have to bear,

Though you know I am aware, oh yes indeed,

You see,

I can fortunately tell our deal has ended,

Because you lost the boy for whom you would obsess.

Oh dear lady please don't cry,

All you had to do was try,

To win a kiss that would have ended all your stress, how pathetic...

You poor unfortunate soul!

Out of time, you're mine!

Serves you right for really thinking,

Such a man could have been yours.

So idiotic,

You fled to me,

You poor unfortunate soul!

I win! You lose!

I can see it in your eyes now,

"Why did you do this to me?"

I tried to help you,

Yes it's true,

And maybe once there was a day,

I may have gotten in the way,

But you should know by now that's how blackmailing goes!

I broke your heart and made you weak,

Now if only you could speak,

You poor unfortunate soul!

And I've seen how you believed he was enamored.

You thought he'd fallen head right over heels.

Perhaps a lover sure to be,

But in the end he'd chosen me,

But after all, I just don't feel the way he feels.

Come on, this all was just your fate waiting to happen.

There was no chance that I would ever let you win!

Now you cry, you beg, you scream,

But now I'm living out my dream,

The ocean fell to me, Oh where do I begin?

Such a poor unfortunate soul!

Lost my bet,

Made your choice!

I've got business to attend to and it's best for me to start,

Thanks to you I can rejoice!

I've reached my ultimate goal!

Too bad, you fool!

You thought you could be rid of me,

But I won't let you go!

Say goodbye, say your prayers,

Give just one last kiss to blow,

Every creature, every feature will be

Under my control!

My poor unfortunate soul!

Let's get started

My schedule's bombarded

Things I surpass

Before I pass

Everything done wholehearted

"I was young and stupid!" She would say

She would make up any lie to push those thoughts away

Their love was doomed right from the start

She won't admit he broke her heart

"Young and Stupid?" She's just bluffing

Because now she feels like nothing

Death is fear.

The most hated word among or kind

The thought etched deep into the mind

The day all that you know and love

You suddenly become rid of

No matter how, no matter why

All people are afraid to die

Death is release.

Our mortal shell is left on earth

Our souls proceed to new rebirth

The stress and anguish in our lives

We now can give our last goodbyes

We’re gone from what was one our home

But in a better place to roam

Death is punishment.

Seen by the eyes of heartless souls

Think justice lurks through bullet holes

Or at the end of a sharpened knife

The end of an unworthy life

When red is spilled the deed is done

Worthless lost, and vengeance won

Death is equality.

Wherever one may come to be

Our judgement is done equally

The greatest thing all people share

Is the fate we all must bear

Whatever life we’re coming from

The same place we have yet to come

Death is the end.

Life is coming to a close

Darker and darker the world now grows

Each breath becomes a crucial need

In life’s struggle to succeed

Now death your essence shall allow

Everything’s all over now

Death is the beginning.

A brand new start, a brand new world

The mystery at last unfurled

Mortality came to an end

In death we no longer descend

Any view that one may see

Shall begin the same regardlessly

Though wherever I may be,

I’ll spread my evil legacy.

Above the earth, above the sky,

Where angels sang notes low and high,

We all were born to rise and fly,

And then of course there was I,

Lucifer, not quite in sync,

What’s wrong with her? I’d feel they’d think,

When they’d rejoice I’d fade and shrink,

Now I’m the missing link.

They saw me full of vanity,

Appearance of profanity,

Their views of inhumanity,

Had brought me to insanity.

The fairest of the angel chain,

The “perfect” reason to be vain,

As said before beauty is pain,

They don’t realize the strain.

He said I was accepted here,

For evil we would not adhere,

The light He’d made chased off the fear,

And kicked things into gear,

He’d made the world both pure and good,

Then why was I misunderstood?

Where He said there was brotherhood,

I didn’t see what He could.

His Earth had barely come to be,

When I’d seen that He had lied to me,

Though very few had to agree,

They all soon would see.

Now held before all angels’ eyes,

They’d see rebellion soon to rise,

With raging minds and angered cries,

We swore we’d take the skies.

To see how so betrayed He felt,

I’d thought my heart would start to melt,

But with mistruths I’d thought He dealt,

Now louder cries I’d belt.

One may think it wasn’t smart,

To lead this darkness in my heart,

But without it I’d be torn apart,

A new era I would start.

But His power outshines mine,

Only with evil I’d align,

From heaven He’d make me resign,

Hell He thought would confine.

Then I was falling, falling down,

Beneath the earth, beneath the ground,

So far beneath you’d think I’d drown,

In Hell I’d take the crown.

I rose again but just to stand,

To observe the molten land,

The place forever I'd be banned,

And than looked down at my hand.

And what am I to see from it,

A demonic form has come to fit,

Because to evil I commit,

Former angel cast to the pit.

I see fallen allies crowding me,

Shifted looks surrounding me,

Their darkened essence drowning me,

Loyalty astounding me.

Away from lands of sky and cloud,

Of earth, and tree, and life and ground,

The demons under cheering loud,

Their leading mistress proud,

Though in Hell I now may be,

I’ll spread my evil legacy.