[ALL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25]

If your story is listed in the top 5 below, congratulations, you are among the 125 writers moving on to the 2nd Round kicking off at 11:59PM EDT this Thursday, April 11th!   Congratulations to everyone that submitted a story, narrowing down a top 5 in each heat was incredibly difficult and everyone should be proud for rising to the challenge and creating a story outside your comfort zone from scratch in 8 days.  We hope the challenge was inspiring and hope to see you in our next challenge!

#1 'Ocypete' by Margaret Collins SYNOPSIS - In the 19th century, a ship's physician is drawn into the captain's sorrow, and into the mysteries of 'that bourne from which no traveler returns.'

#2 'Dying' by Amy Zipperer SYNOPSIS - A new ghost ends up in the apartment of a suicidal young editor and tries to convince her not to kill herself.

#3 'The Deadliest Sin' by Helen Rossiter SYNOPSIS - The desire to become like a man he admires leads a young man deep into the Amazon rain forest, where his dreams take on a deadly and frightening reality.

#4 'The Ghost of the Great American Novel' by Kelly Wilson SYNOPSIS - A man finds the apartment of his dreams, complete with a ghost right out of his nightmares. But when he realizes the ghost has a literary gift, he realizes this might be his ticket to greatness.

#5 'Among the Animals' by Susannah Carlson-Lagunas SYNOPSIS - Dwelling among the animals takes on a whole new meaning for one sleep deprived Tucsonan.

#Honorable Mention 'A Shade of What I was' by AnneMarie Boeve SYNOPSIS - A man learns the secrets of his own survival on a supply mission in a post-apocalyptic world haunted by soul eating ghosts.

#Honorable Mention 'Brand New Eyes' by Sarah Kahn SYNOPSIS - Kara is a ghost. She can't remember how she died thanks to a little GPTSD (Ghost Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). She's minding her own business, watching her boyfriend, Aidan, in her old apartment when a new neighbor, Jessie, comes knocking on the door. Aidan isn't the only one interested in Jessie because Jessie can SEE Kara. Will Jessie be able to solve the mystery of Kara's death and get her into the light? Or will Kara be forever in the dark?

 
#Honorable Mention 'File#2306: Blotner, S.A.' by Adam Ross SYNOPSIS - Summary: Suspect is being evaluated by forensic psychologist to determine mental state and involvement in a crime. Conclusions and suggestions will be made at the end of this transcript.

---