Submissions close on February 14th.
All submissions must be under 1,500 words.
No chatter in this thread, please.

Please submit your story in the following format:

Author Name:
Genre:
Style: (poetry, short story, etc.)

Title:

Submission

Author Name: Juliet Nicole Lauser
Genre: Sci fi
Style: Short story

Title: Harm

Our eyes were locked as I moved across the room, to my seat. His were gray, just plain gray. But they were fuller of soul than any others I'd seen...except his sister's.

The speed graph ticked steadily as we waited together.

“You know I didn't mean any harm,” he said in a barely audible voice. His eyes searched mine.

“Yes, you never mean any harm, not really, blasted little thing.” I stroked my forehead slowly and held his gaze.

“What are you going to decide?” he said finally.

He knew that wasn't a question to ask. But I was tired of reproving him for one day.

“Justice,” I said.

“Captain – ” He cut himself off with a flinch and let out a pant, his fists gripping the seat. Maybe the word had made him realize he might go too far.

“You know what that means...” he said in a whisper at last.

“So did you, Mackenzie – you knew it too, when you did it.” I rested my hands on my knees and looked at the floor. Those eyes were wearing me out.

I didn't look up, so she was right beside me before I knew who it was that rustled into the room. She dropped her handful of skirt and lowered onto her knees beside my chair, lifting her face to look at mine.

“Captain – what's going to happen?”

“Justice,” said Mackenzie from across the room, his voice snapping a little.

Gail raised her hand, but there was no chair arm for her to hold onto like she was used to from earth, and she had to lay it on the margin of the seat instead, just touching me. She was a strong girl....she was a good girl. Her mouth was as firm as ever. I turned my head away from looking at her, at her gray eyes.

“Will you show mercy, Captain?” she said quietly, with just a shadow of personal emotion in her voice.

“To who?” I said. I moved my hand, laid it on hers – my voice was harsh, I didn't want her to feel like I was angry with her. She was alright. It was just me and Mackenzie I was angry at. “To Mackenzie? Or to the hundred lives he risked needlessly yesterday, and the thousands more he will continue to risk if he does not learn self control and obey orders?” I raised my eyes, straight at Mackenzie. “What do you say, Mac? What's right?”

He held my gaze admirably for five seconds. Then he lowered his head, and slid one hand over his eyes, bowing in his seat.

The door opened, and the other members of command filed in. I felt Gail jerk her hand out from under mine and rise in one quick motion, a fragment of a gray glance thrown at me as she moved a few steps away. It was a good glance...sweet, like she always was, serious. She understood, and a pain I didn't even realize I had loosened inside me.

Author Name: Juliet Nicole Lauser
Genre: nothing in particular
Style: Drabble

Title: At the End of the Day

Silas stretched, tried to loosen. He was paralyzed into stiff knots. He stared at the stars, trying to forget about pain.

“Si?” A small figure pattered out of the shadows. Silas sat up.

“Si!” Arms flew around his neck, and he smelled milk and dusters.

“Amy?...”

“Old Stickers was lying, even father knows it now!”

He gazed at the spare shape of his father, standing up against the stars. Silas's arms went around his sister.

“Home?” he murmured.

“Silas, you know – all I wanted was justice.” He hesitated, then his deep voice continued. “I see that that means home, yes.”

I decided I wanted to write a submission on Justice, and I wanted to write something close to my heart. However, I didn't want to pattern the story off of anything specific. I wanted anyone to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the victim. I wanted the story to be identifable. So I kept it as generic as possible, while still adding detail and trying to stir up empathy.

Author Name: Kaitlyn Emery

Genre: Nothing Specific

Style: Short Story

Title: Two Victims


I have done all that I can do; my fate is no longer in my hands. I have given my testimony, spoken the truth, and now I must wait for others to judge the genuineness of my words. Whether they believe me or not has yet to be seen.

As my eyes scan over the crowd, I know it doesn’t look good for me. They want me to be guilty. I can see it in the eyes of those who will look at me, and I can see it in the countenance of those who will not hold my gaze. Not that I can blame them. If what they accused me of were true, I would probably feel the same way.

But I didn’t commit the crime. I am innocent. I crave justice; but so does everyone else in the room. If only these people could understand that the justice they seek will not be achieved through indicting me.

A door opens. One by one the jurors file back into their seats, glancing my way. My eyes beg them to believe in my innocence, even though I know they have already made a decision. The courtroom waits in silence for the verdict.

Will I be found innocence, or will I be found guilty? Closing my eyes, I tell myself that no matter what they decide, they cannot change my innocence. I did not do it. I am not the man. I am not guilty.

Slowly, and with a sense of finality, the man appointed to read off my fate rises, verdict in his hand. A mixture of dread and hope collide within me. This is it. This is the moment in which my fate is decided.

So many thoughts run through my head. What if they convict me? As much as I want to trust in the justice of the judicial system, I fear the evidence that is stacked against me. What will I do if the verdict is not in my favor?

I stand there with my head held high, eyes trailing the man who holds my future in his hands. I keep telling myself over and over again that the jury may have the power to decide my fate, but not my innocence. I have nothing to fear—nothing to be ashamed of—but I do fear. I fear what others will think, no matter what that piece of paper says. I fear the looks and the whispered words spoken by others. I fear the stigmatism that that verdict could brand me with.

I, along with the rest of the court, wait with bated breath, my heart telling me they will rule in my favor while my head wrestled with the facts.

“We the jury find the defendant guilty of-“

Guilty. That was all I heard.

Guilty.

The word is like a dagger twisting in my heart! And yet… I cannot feel it. My mind is reeling with the implications of that one simple word. Guilty.

Justice has failed me.

An officer of the law comes up beside me, prepared to take me to my new life as a convicted man. I do not struggle. I am prepared to go, even though I know this is a verdict I can never recover from. My life, as I know it, has been stolen from me, but I will not be ashamed. I cannot. To be ashamed is to admit guilt, and I am not a guilty man. I am a victim; the victim of a crime that can never be made right.

I am not ashamed, but I am full of regret. My regret is that I am not the only victim today, for the real criminal has gone free. Justice was not served to anyone today.

It failed.

Author Name: Ardyth DeBruyn
Genre: fantasy
Style: folk tale

Title: The Story of the Three Sisters and the Wicked King

Once there were three sisters who did everything together. They loved each other so dearly that if one wanted to go somewhere, the others would go with her, or if one wished to do something, they all wished to do it. So, they decided they would all take a long journey together and swore to always help and care for each other until they reached the end of it.

As they traveled, far ahead, they saw a star falling across the sky. The middle sister was filled with a great longing at the sight of it and cried, "Let's chase it!"

Although it was not on the path they had planned to take, the other sisters were caught up with the idea and eagerly agreed. They all raced after it, considering it great fun, although the eldest and youngest didn't actually expect to reach it before it fell to earth. But the fastest of the three, the middle sister had a speed they lacked and a determination that was unequaled, and she reached the place where the star would land just before it did, and caught it.

The star burned so bright, it burned right into her, making her full of starlight, blazing out across the countryside, and her sisters came to a stop gazing at her. Filled with its splendor, it became part of her, and the girl rose up into the air, rising like a star herself to heaven. But when she realized this, she cried out to her sisters to catch her, for she suddenly knew that it would take her up into heaven forever and they would be parted.

So, they grabbed her by the feet and held onto her.

"Sister," said the eldest. "The star has given you a gift. Everyone longs to reach heaven. Go on, and we will follow you eventually when our lives are finished."

"Yes," said the youngest. "We love you so much, we are only happy for you! We will finish our journey and someday find you again."

"No! I want to stay with you," wept the middle sister. "Keep hold of me, and I will find a way all three of us can go to heaven together by the end of our journey."

She kept rising though, pulling the two other sisters up into the air. For a moment she thought that she could take them with her, but they started to loose their grip on her legs, and she realized they would soon fall back to earth. So, desperate to stay with them, she reached out and tied the strands to starlight coming from her to each of them. When they fell back to the ground, the strands held and the middle sister was pulled back to stay with them.

All three were shaken, but after a brief rest decided to continue their journey. And soon the starlight within the one sister began to shine out of all three of them, for how close they were, how much they loved each other, and how they had been tied together, although the middle sister's feet never quite touched the ground.

Now, soon they passed over the border into a new country, one ruled by a wicked and greedy king. When he saw the bright light coming from the sisters, he was drawn to it and coveted it for himself. So he sent out his servants to capture the three sisters.

Unaware of the danger, the girls did not notice the servants until it was too late. They were tied up and brought to the king. The king then tried to bend them to his will, but they refused to tell him where the starlight came from or give him any of it. To try and make them, he first killed the eldest sister, then drove the youngest sister away, into exile, but still the middle sister would still tell him nothing. She only wept, while he cruelly tried to force her to tell him.

But with her both her sisters now gone, there was nothing to hold her to earth, and so despite the bindings and chains he had put on her, she started to rise again, still weeping.

"Hold her!" he cried to his servants, but the girl realized what was happening and made her decision. She flashed with bright light and the servants fell to the ground either dead or unconscious, the bindings fell off of her, and the wicked king was momentarily blinded.

Only one thing held the girl to earth now. So, she reached out and touched the wicked king over his heart and said, "I forgive you," and took a piece of the star inside of her and put it into his heart. And then she rose up to heaven and was seen no more.

The piece of star in the wicked king burned brightly in his heart and the king was filled with shame at what he had done. Heavy inside him was the knowledge of what he had done not only to the three sisters, but every wicked thing he had ever done before that as well, and his guilt was so heavy, that he sunk right into the earth and his people never saw him again.

But the once-king kept sinking and sinking, deeper and deeper into the earth, until he found himself in a cave-land far below full of strange little creatures lived there in the underground. They all came and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" they asked. "And where do you come from?"

But the once-king was too ashamed to answer, so he only shook his head at them.

"You are so bright," one said. "Like the jewels we dig out of the earth."

And the once-king looked down at his heart and saw there the bit of star, what he had wanted so badly and had done so much evil to get. Now he had it, but did not deserve it. What was he to do? The three sisters were now gone forever. He had no way to repair what harm he had done them.

"I am not bright, but an ugly thing," he told the little creatures.

But he shown still with the starlight, so they did not believe him. "Come and live with us," they said. "You will be our good luck charm."

And as he had nowhere to go nor felt worthy to try to find his way back above the earth, the once-king decided to stay. At first he was quiet and sullen, and the light that came from him only made him feel more ashamed, but one day he saw one of the little creatures carrying a heavy load and he felt sorry for him, so he reached over and carried it for him, and a bit of the star came out of his heart and into the little creature, so it too began to shine. And later, when he saw that one of the little creatures had a rock fell on him and was hurt, he bandaged him, and another bit of star left him to be given to the creature. And when he saw another who had accidentally dropped her basket and had nothing to eat and gave her some of his own dinner, with it he also gave another bit of star. Until, bit by bit, all the little creatures also shown with the star, until they made their underground caves glitter with light.

And it was then that the once-king understood what he had truly been given and what his task was, and so he set out to finish the three sisters' journey and give starlight to all those he met on the way.

Author name: Aubrey Hansen
Genre: nonfiction
Style: blank verse narrative

Title: Impartiality

Justice is not
a code of honor,
a system of order,
or even
an unbiased rule by which to identify good and evil;
but rather
a humble testimony
that God
alone
is righteous.

Thank you all so much for your entries. I am now going to lock these threads for judging. Winners will be announced in 2-3 weeks. Meanwhile, anyone interested in helping to compile the book can please go back to the main announcement thread to come up with a plan of attack for that project.

Thank you!

Author Name: Faith Blum
Genre: Science Fiction
Style: Short Story

Title: Zane's Consequences

I should have listened with both ears instead of one. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened. I suppose I should explain what I mean. After all, this wouldn't be much of a story if I didn't start at the beginning.

My name is Zane. I've always been a bit of a loner, but I do have some family: Gramps, Aunt Beulah, and Uncle Tad. I was named after some author from a long ways back. Gramps loved reading his books. I never read them since by the time I got to reading age, books were obsolete and books about the Old West weren't available for our tablets.

Mom and Dad died in an accident when I was three and I was raised by Gramps. We led a decent life. I never was one for making friends, but I liked it that way. I studied hard at the Academy, learning how to build ships and how to fly them.

Flying is the best thing ever invented! I could fly all day if I was allowed. Of course, I'm only allowed to fly in simulations and only for an hour at a time for a maximum three times a day. Something about losing touch with reality if you stay in the sim too long. Whatever.

So, anyway, I was going to tell you about my ears. Or rather, why I'm in so much trouble. It's only fair, really. I should've known better. I knew the consequences for what I did, but...I'm getting ahead of myself again. Sorry. As I said, I'm a loner, I don't talk to people much.

I had just graduated from the Academy and just finished my flight training in real ships. The instructor told me to listen close because I was going to take my first solo flight the next day. Well, I'd been in the simulator every day at least two times since I turned six. I knew exactly how to fly any ship the sim had. So, I only listened with one ear.

My flight started out smooth and I did everything perfectly. Apparently one of the things I missed when I listened with only one ear was a list of rules of dos and don'ts. When in flight I was supposed to do certain maneuvers. Those I actually did. I knew that much without being told. It was the don'ts that were the problem.

One of the don'ts was to not do anything fancy. No showing off. Well, on my way to the landing, I did a little bit of showing off. It worked perfectly. I rolled around three times and made a perfect landing. The instructors were not impressed. As soon as I got off the ship, my in-flight instructor gave me a dressing down.

“You had yourself locked into the number one position! You did a perfect flight. Until you did that stupid roll! Did you not hear what I told you yesterday? No fancy stuff!”

The instructor stalked off while I stared at him blankly. What did it mean? I hadn't obeyed the rules. I failed the flight. It will take me years to work off the damage I did. Not to the ship. To my new reputation as a daredevil who doesn't listen to instructions.

Author Name: Faith Blum
Genre: Historical Fiction/Western
Style: short story

Title: Justice is Served

Submission:

Elizabeth stood at the edge of the crowd next to Ruth. They clutched each other tightly, gathering strength each from the other. Elizabeth felt Ruth trembling. “It'll be all right,” Elizabeth whispered. “It'll be all right. Jed is going to a better place now. He'll be happier there.”
Ruth shuddered. “I know that, but I wish...I know he deserves what he is getting, but I still wish he could have somehow been pardoned.” Ruth turned to face Elizabeth. “He's a new man now. He deserves to have a new life.”
“He does have a new life. It was only for a few days, but he said it was the happiest three days of his life. “
Ruth smiled. “Did you know he even wrote to his family?”
Elizabeth looked at her in surprise. “No, I didn't.”
“Yes, he wrote to them asking for their forgiveness and telling them about what Jesus did for him.”
Elizabeth's smile broadened. “I''m glad he finally had the courage to forgive his father for all the terrible things that man did to him. Can you imagine? A father beating his own son for no reason, just because his mother died giving birth to him?” Elizabeth shuddered. “I can only hope and pray that his family is receptive.”
The crowd suddenly hushed their talking. Ruth and Elizabeth turned and saw Ruth's brother, Sheriff Joshua Brookings, leading Jed to the gallows.
“God, give him Your strength and peace,” Elizabeth whispered.
“Amen,” Ruth said.
Elizabeth kept her eyes on Jed's face. He seemed peaceful so far. There was a flicker of fear and dread as his eyes caught sight of the gallows. Thank You, God, for forgiving Jed and for leading him to You.
Jed slowly climbed the ladder to the platform. The judge stood at the top waiting for him. He motioned for Jed to stand next to him. Joshua stood just behind and to the left of Jed. Judge Parker took a piece of paper and his eyeglasses out of his shirt pocket. He put the eyeglasses firmly on his nose and held the paper in front of his face.
“By the power vested in me by the territory of Montana, I hereby sentence Jedidiah Michael Stuart to hang to death for various crimes, including, but not limited to, rustling, robbery, and murder.” Judge Parker turned to Jed. “Do you have any last words?”
Jed nodded.
Elizabeth tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. God, give him the words to say. She watched as Jed blinked his eyes rapidly and swallowed two or three times before speaking in an emotional, but firm voice.
“Most of you don't know me as I never stepped foot in your town. You only know about me. You know that I'm the one who rustled your cattle, or that of your neighbor or friend. You may even know that I'm the one who robbed the stagecoach that Joshua and Ruth Brookings were on and then chased them through the woods to kill them. You may also know that they escaped my grasp.”
Jed dropped his eyes to the wooden boards holding him up. “All these things I'm now ashamed of. Four days ago, I was proud of my prowess at not bein' caught for so many years. Three days ago, my outlook on life changed. Through the influence and prayers of those who knew me best. Because of those who knew my faults best, I came to learn about and to know God personally. Three days ago, I let God take control of my life.”
Jed looked up and searched the crowd. He made eye contact with Elizabeth and nodded slightly. A sad smile lit on his face. “I have never felt more free than the moment I surrendered my life to God's control.”
Elizabeth watched as Jed turned Joshua's direction. She saw them whisper for a few seconds, then Joshua walked over to talk to the judge. Joshua's eyes were expressive as he argued his case to the judge. The judge finally relented and Joshua gave Jed a quick nod before he spoke.
“Ladies and Gentleman, last night, my family and our guests, the Harris's spent the night with Jed praying and singing hymns. During that time, we taught Jed one of our favorite hymns. Judge Parker has granted Jed one final request.” Joshua turned toward Jed. “You may make your request.”
Jed's eyes gazed at Joshua in deep gratitude. “Would Elizabeth Harris and Ruth Brookings please come up here?”
Elizabeth looked at Ruth. Ruth's eyes were as wide with astonishment as her own. Elizabeth grabbed Ruth's hand and they walked to the gallows together. Elizabeth let Ruth go up the ladder first. When Elizabeth reached the top, Joshua stood next to Ruth waiting for her.
“Jed wants to sing the first three verses of 'A Mighty Fortress' with us and then he will stop singing and go to be hung while we sing the last verse.” Joshua's voice was raw with emotion.
Elizabeth stared at him. “I'm not sure I can do that.”
Ruth clutched onto Joshua's arm. “I know I can't do that. I won't be able to sing that last verse.”
Joshua looked at them. “I know it will be hard. It may very well be the hardest thing any of us ever do, but it is Jed's last request.” Joshua took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “God, give our voices strength and give us the courage to grant Jed this last request.”
Ruth stifled a sob as Joshua hooked his elbow into hers. Elizabeth held onto Ruth's other hand and they walked to the edge of the platform to stand next to Jed.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and waited for Jed to start singing. His slightly off key bass blended well with Ruth's soprano and Joshua's baritone. Elizabeth sang the harmony in her clear alto.
Elizabeth kept her eyes closed until the end of the second verse. When she opened them, she let her eyes wander among the crowd. Not one eye that she could see was dry.
The third verse ended and Jed's voice dropped out. The singing faltered slightly as all three of them swallowed the lump forming in their throats. Even while they sang, Elizabeth could hear Jed's boots walking toward the noose.
She kept her eyes fixed on a lone bush growing in a front yard. She knew if she closed her eyes that the only thing she would see was the hangman's knot slipping over Jed's head. God, keep my voice strong!
Jed's footsteps stopped. Elizabeth heard the swish of a rope falling. There was a moments pause before the trapdoor snapped open and Elizabeth had to force herself to think only about the words as she sang the final phrase of the hymn that would usher Jed into heaven:

“Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.”