Morning, Prosers,

It’s the fifth round of the Prose Challenge of the Week, and we have been getting great responses to all of our prompts, they’ve all been great to read! Thank you all.

Before we move on to announce the winner of last week's challenge, along with announcing this week's prompt, we’d like to address a concern some of you, our Prosers, have had. As a company, we will always listen to feedback, and where possible, apply changes to make your experience here as awesome as possible. It is because of recent feedback, that we are changing the way we judge our Challenge of the Week.

Prose is a place where we all share a common passion. Words. Whether that be reading or writing them. Words make our world go round. It is only right that the winner of the Prose Challenge of the Week is the entrant who really went ‘all out,’ pushed boundaries, used impeccable language and grammar, and showed the Prose community their skills as a writer.

We want to see your fire, your passion for your craft. We want to see you perfect your form. We want to see your creative edge, that very edge that knocks your competition out of the water. We all take words seriously, and words have never been more important.

From this day onwards, Prose will be judging the entries to each and every one of the challenges we post. Bookmarks and shares will be taken into consideration but will not be the deciding factor. The criteria that we will judge against are: fire, form, and creative edge.

With that being said, here is the next Prose Challenge of the Week:

In no more than 500 words, continue this sentence: The land was barren, the sky was black… The winner will be chosen by Prose based on a number of criteria, this includes: fire, form, and creative edge. Bookmarks and shares will be taken into consideration, but won’t decide the winner solely. Winner will receive $100. (link, as always, will be put in the comments)

On to the winner of last week's challenge, and the lucky recipient of $100. After reviewing all of the entries, and discussing as a team, the winner of the Prose Challenge of the Week #4 is @Amna with “The Girl Whose Ballet Shoes Were Taken.” Congratulations, we will be in contact shortly to organise the transfer of your winnings.

Think you've got what it takes to be our next Prose Challenge of the Week winner? The get writing, now! 

I remember the moment when being hungry made me feel ashamed. It was after the 7th time he said I ate too much.

Seven, the number of perfection. I suppose it was some kind of twisted fate that I was given to a man who thought everything and everyone around him needed to appear perfect. I could be rotting inside, organs failing, but as long as I was thin and smiling - I was perfect.

Anytime someone asked if I was hungry, I would say no. To be hungry was to be weak. Weakness didn't belong on a perfect girl, and that's what I was trying to be for him. Really, it became my own special way of keeping my sanity. My special way of attracting all the perfectly imperfect. My way of telling the world that I was okay, when they could look into my eyes and see that I was not okay at all.

That was another shame I had. No one ever looked into my hungry eyes, only my "perfect" body. My skin has always been more intriguing than my soul.

I remember the first time I told someone I loved that I was hungry, and how he didn't hesitate to get me something to eat. He was not upset. He didn't look at me any differently. I was the same person he thought I was. He didn't seem to think I was weak or imperfect. I was still his, and that is all that mattered. From that moment on, I ate. I fed my skin, I fed my soul, and I began to starve the shame that ate away at me for so long. -AshleyAnne

Morning, Prosers,

Happy New Year to you all, we all hope you had a splendid time.

With the Christmas and New Year festivities over the last 2 weeks, we thought we'd announce both the Festive and Star Wars themed weekly challenges, along with the New Year challenge from last week all together.

Before we do that, and to build some suspense, we'd like to announce this week’s Prose Challenge of the Week:

“Write a piece of poetry or prose continuing this sentence: “He watched her in her deepest sleep…”

The winner will be determined by the most bookmarks and shares once the results have been reviewed and verified. Winner receives $100.”

Get writing for this and get your hands on $100. Remember, the more you share your words with your friends, family, and social networks, the more chance you have of winning the cash prize.

So, with that out of the way, let’s get on with announcing the winners of the last 2 weeks' challenges.

The winner of the festive themed challenge is @wakethatode with HLDYS

The winner of the Star Wars themed challenge is @wakethatode with When. The force is strong with this one.

Now on to last week’s challenge whereby we asked you to continue the sentence "The clock struck midnight". We had some really awesome entries and have enjoyed reading them all. But there can only be one winner, and that person is @emilyreads247 with Tales.

We will be in touch with both winners within the next day or so to arrange payment of your winnings!

I had raised my banner,

And fought bravely until the end.

I broke down their defenses.

Pushed their will,

Until it was broken and bent.

I cried out in victory,

Unaware of the damage I sustained.

The warmth of life escaped me,

Betrayed by a gap in my armor.

Fallen I have,

To my enemy's blade.

The lights and sounds around begin darken,

As I begin to fade.

I do not think about the past,

Or the sacrifices that I had made.

But it all comes rushing back,

As I have come across my end of days.

Remember to come back for me.

Let my death speak of the life I lived.

Of the oceans I had crossed,

Of the exotic lands that I've been.

Point out the wounds and scars strewn out,

Like stars up above,

Infinite across my body and soul.

Allow it to be a reminder,

Of all the pain and hurt that I've seen.

Lift me up,

Carry me back upon my shield,

Cross my arms across my chest,

And in my hands the sword that I wield.

Tell those that I love,

My death was not in vain.

And in my dying breath,

It was my love that I spoke of by name.

Let those who question this crusade,

Know this is where my heart has led me,

This is the result of the choices I made.

Death did not linger,

It was swift like the blow in which it came.

Comfort those who do not understand,

Why it is I left them all behind.

Because love allies with no one,

Love is more cruel than she is kind.

I replay my last dying image,

Eager to see the face,

Of the one who was my equal,

The one who had ended my chase.

I lift up the visor to expose my assailant,

To look upon their face...

...

And what I found left me with no anger,

With no desire to ever place blame.

The face I looked upon was all too familiar.

Her beauty matched by no other.

The reason my desire went untamed.

It belonged to the one I came for,

It belonged to the love I spoke of by name.

It's become so hard,

So hard to miss,

Where it is your mind goes,

Where it is your heart drifts.

I see you looking,

You caught me looking too.

You won't say a damn thing,

You know the words I speak are true.

Keep fighting that urge,

To cast off those lines,

Because you know damn well love,

If you come my way,

I'll be calling you mine.

So play your games,

Careful not to show your hand.

Push me aside,

Black out my name.

Ignore those signs,

Ignore them while you can.

Cause who are you fooling?

Time to be honest,

Just like "A" and "J" ,

"You are mine, I am yours,

Let's not fuck around."

There's no arguing about what we have,

There's no denying what we found.

You know no one is quite like us,

No one has what we share,

We're just too damn good,

It almost seems unfair.

So why resist?

Play hard to get?

Because love there's no need,

To live in your constant state of fear,

Not when it's you and me.

Not when what we want is so near.

So take my hand,

Step off that ledge,

And just fall,

Fall with me.

Trust when I say,

That I'll catch you in the end.

So open those eyes,

See what I see,

That limitless potential,

Of what it is we could be...

you carry sternness on your facial demeanor

stilted smiles, repressed gestures, awkward glances,

concealment of your true pain and misery

in the face of your children

that they might not see

i only know 

though i did not see

your worn joints’ stapled by arthritis pain 

yet you move; you do what you must

for those you love

squeezed tears’ flow in secret

revealed only to your steering column

i only know 

though i did not see

tears dripped off corners of your mascaraed eyes

slow streaks like a snail’s trail down your cheeks

your body like a working machine wearing out

squeezed tears’ flow in secret

i only know 

though i did not see

after 60 years

your organs inside

your uterus removed after two children

narrowly escaping dysplaysia of your cervix

’til its removal eight months post their birth

i only know 

though i did not see your tears’ fall

your breasts’ narrow escape from cancer’s cells

i only know 

though i did not see your tears’ fall

your skins’ inner layers concealing growing tumors

discovered insidiously by strange internal feelings

within your being

i only know 

though i did not see

because when i called,

through the years

and today again, 

as you were speeding away

to your obligations, responsibilities,

your duties,

through all the years

though i did not see

i could see your tears 

by the sound of your voice

it cracked at times 

as i asked,

it broke at times 

as i spoke,

it paused during all those times 

when i said,

“I’m concerned about your health;

I want you to come home;

I will attend to your obligations today.”

Morning, Prosers

We hope you had an awesome Christmas.

With 2016 fast approaching we thought we’d bring you a New Year inspired challenge:

“Write a piece of poetry or prose following on from this sentence: “the clock struck midnight”

The winner will be determined by the most bookmarks and shares once the results have been reviewed and verified. Winner receives $100.”

Get entering now for your chance to win. (Link to the challenge is in the comments.) 

We are currently reviewing the entries from last weeks challenges, and will notify you of the winners once the results have been verified.

Now, lets get some writing done, shall we? 

I sat there in your room,

Prepping for my demise that afternoon.

I barely had you,

Now our goodbyes were happening so soon.

You laid in my arms,

Unaware of what was to come.

I drowned in the heaviness,

Of what had to be done.

Unaware of the choices I made,

You finally opened your eyes,

I watched as you began to fade.

Tiny fingers grasped my hand.

The thought of you being scared,

Is a thought I just can't bear to stand.

Tears fell down your cheeks.

Your dying breathe,

Played on in my head for weeks.

I just can't let go.

So many questions,

With answers I'll never know.

I cursed his name,

For taking you,

Instead of taking me.

Now I search for anything,

To help numb this pain.

My prayers thrown out in vain,

In hopes of seeing you again.

I struggle to remain a good father,

Knowing in my heart,

That I am incomplete,

Missing one of my daughters...

open on:

Her worn white sneakers lie on the floor.

Two bent tongues loll, empty eyelets stare out blankly.

The untied torsos spread wide –

corpses peeled, poised for dissection.

zoom out

Her stocking feet sway lifeless just above,

winding and unwinding lazily – a rope swing over a river,

a pendulum coming to rest.

end scene.