[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 'Devil's Ridge' by Justin Travis Woodside SYNOPSIS - A blind man takes his guide dog out on a short wilderness hike. Problems arise for the pair after the dog drinks from a puddle of water.

#2 'Blood in Water' by William Harris SYNOPSIS - November 22, 1963, becomes a special day, but it doesn’t start that way. For some people, it’s just another killer day in paradise.

#3 'The Vanishing Mrs. Rosen' by Leah Rachel Berkowitz SYNOPSIS - Dog-walking is easy work for Maddie, until she meets Mrs. Rosen, a nervous Upper East Sider who seems afraid to leave the house. When Maddie returns one day to find her employer gone, all signs point to a sudden move, until one important clue reveals that something sinister is afoot.

#4 'Her Easy Smile' by Megan Cox SYNOPSIS - A young couple experiences a rough patch in their marriage, and each deals with it in a unique way.

#5 'Dog Walker' by Elise Barrett SYNOPSIS - When his tribe crosses the desert for an omen of fresh water, a boy with a broken foot finds himself and his dogs in danger beyond anything in all the stories and nightmares he has ever known to fear.

#Honorable Mention 'Dog 772' by JJ Eagleston SYNOPSIS - All of the dogs on the planet are threatened by a mysterious illness. Will the world be able to save man's best friend or is he headed to doggie heaven?

#Honorable Mention 'Everything in its right place' by Clare Fletcher SYNOPSIS - After a breakup, a woman begins to notice things being moved around her apartment and starts to suspect the dog walker she has never met.

 
#Honorable Mention 'The Scheme Below' by Elizabeth Heald SYNOPSIS - A man on the verge of losing his memory and his mind fears he is being pursued by something as he walks the neighborhood dogs through a trail in the woods. Henry tries to remember who he is at the same time he tries to keep track of the thing that is following him.
 

---