My Writers Group is awesome. I have finally found the place where I can enter competitions! Without further ado, this is the link to the competitions page:
Looking down the list, there was this one that closes on the 15th September, in 4 days. It is a simple quick email to enter, with free entry. It's a 'finish the story' competition, so I decided to give it a go. This is the story you are given to start with:
Chicken Soup Ice Cream
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
This specific story start leaves it so open for anything to happen. Me? I've made it take a darker turn. Instead of doing what I think so many other people would do, and make it end as a misunderstanding Hans said, I made it end chillingly. Here is the completed story I came up with. Exactly 300 words, which is the limit. I'm happy with it, but I want to see if I can come up with a different-feeling for an ending. You can enter as many times as you like. Here's mine!
Chicken Soup Ice Cream
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
Sharon stopped her reply. “Wait. When did your English get so good”?
He smiled wickedly. “Once we were alone.”
Before she could act, he grabbed her and hustled her out of the ice cream shop.
“Hey!” She stumbled on the uneven path as he half-dragged her down the deserted side street. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere no one will find us.” His dark eyes darted furtively towards a copse of bushes. Pushing her in first, he surveyed the street once more before following.
“I lied about being an exchange student. I am German, but I was raised here. It was easy to slip in and lure out an unsuspecting woman.” Hans whispered to her. The distance between them was intimate.
Sharon’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you going to do to me?”
Hans wickedly curved his lips. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
A car came down the street. Hans shoved her out of the bushes and straight into the awaiting vehicle.
I am so happy I found this! Oh, here's the link to the finish-the-story competition.
Chicken Soup Ice Cream
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
This specific story start leaves it so open for anything to happen. Me? I've made it take a darker turn. Instead of doing what I think so many other people would do, and make it end as a misunderstanding Hans said, I made it end chillingly. Here is the completed story I came up with. Exactly 300 words, which is the limit. I'm happy with it, but I want to see if I can come up with a different-feeling for an ending. You can enter as many times as you like. Here's mine!
Chicken Soup Ice Cream
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
Sharon stopped her reply. “Wait. When did your English get so good”?
He smiled wickedly. “Once we were alone.”
Before she could act, he grabbed her and hustled her out of the ice cream shop.
“Hey!” She stumbled on the uneven path as he half-dragged her down the deserted side street. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere no one will find us.” His dark eyes darted furtively towards a copse of bushes. Pushing her in first, he surveyed the street once more before following.
“I lied about being an exchange student. I am German, but I was raised here. It was easy to slip in and lure out an unsuspecting woman.” Hans whispered to her. The distance between them was intimate.
Sharon’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you going to do to me?”
Hans wickedly curved his lips. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
A car came down the street. Hans shoved her out of the bushes and straight into the awaiting vehicle.
I am so happy I found this! Oh, here's the link to the finish-the-story competition.