A dark and mysterious night has fallen across the Library. Shadows dance in the lantern light while the Library's nocturnal residents rejoice for the annual time cycles of perpetual darkness. You find yourself lost as the once familiar halls of Wing One twist and turn into unfamiliar shapes, leading you down strange paths you didn't know existed here. Eventually you find yourself in a clearing - one that's taken form as an odd combination of what you can only describe as a ballroom and a circus tent.
You spy a lone figure standing at the center of the clearing - Patch, as you've heard him referred to as - who is currently in the process of setting up decorations. This version of Patch seems different; however, as the nervous jester energy you typically associate him with is gone, replaced with a cool confidence and mischievous grin instead.
"Welcome, welcome!" Patch exclaims as he turns to face you, giving you a small bow. "I see you've received my invitation! The Promenade is just about to begin - shall we find you a dance partner?"
Dance partner? Invitation? You're about to ask for clarification when Patch takes you by the hand and leads you deeper into the room. As you look around, you come to realize that the once empty space has now filled itself with specters, all of which are wearing carnival attire and masquerade masks. Closer inspection reveals that each is dressed - and perhaps therefore a representation of - various horror genres you've seen around the Library. Did Patch make them come to life?
It doesn't matter - you don't have time to ponder that. You are surrounded as the specters grow closer, looming over you and inspecting you for all that you're worth. They stop within mere feet of you, waiting, as the silence hangs heavy in the air. You look to Patch, who gives you a small smile before gesturing back at the various specters. As your attention turns back towards them, you see that each is offering you a hand.
Who do you accept as your dance partner for the night?
The Contest
Welcome to the Phantom's Promenade! A Halloween themed contest where each contestant is randomly given a horror prompt to work with! And, similar to ComboCon, this contest will also feature a nomination system to decide upon winners.
The Process
If you are entering this contest, comment so on the discussion thread of this page. You have until the start of the posting period to enter. There will be a grace period of one day after the posting period opens for last minute sign ups. Contest Marshals will respond to your comment with a randomly assigned prompt (each prompt is given a number, then a random number generator is used). You have to use the prompt assigned. If you really can't figure out what to do, you are allowed one reroll, but you must take the new roll. If you'd like to reroll your prompt, reply to the contest marshal's comment and they will assign a new prompt. Prompts will be assigned within at MOST 24 hours of commenting. If you do not recieve a prompt or your reroll within 24 hours, please message a contest marshal directly.
Your task is to create something based on the prompt you are assigned. Prompts can be interpreted as broadly as you want — you could choose to take a word literally, or as inspiration for a setting, character, etc. And while this is a halloween themed contest, your entry does not necessarily need to be in the horror genre, but it is encouraged!
The Prompts
| Haunted House |
Gothic Castle |
Consumption of Flesh |
| Analog Records |
Alone in the Woods |
Last One Standing |
| Bodily transformation |
Skeleton in the Closet |
The Witching Hour |
| Devil Speak |
The Stranger |
Built Different |
| Dream Paralysis |
Dead Men Tell No Tales |
What's Behind the Door? |
| Existential Dread |
Game Show |
Deus ex Machina |
The Dances
↬A Silly Habit, danced by IronShears
↬Habi's Soup, danced by Din-Bidor
↬The Call, danced by Guaire
↬Emperor, Defined, danced by FleshMaddAvalon
↬Knell, danced by Snapdragon133
↬Judecca, danced by zipzipskins
↬Some Fell Meniscus, danced by Vishardsh
↬Field Dressing, danced by AKAM80
↬Miraculous Child, danced by Maxyfran73
↬Drywall Hercules, danced by Spoddetman
↬Masque of the Red Death, danced by DocBubbles
Dates
Writing Period: Now to 23:59 GMT October 21st
Posting Period: 00:01 GMT October 22nd to 23:59 GMT October 28th
Nomination Period: 00:01 GMT October 29th to 23:59 GMT November 4th
Rules
- Every author may only submit one entry.
- Collaborations are allowed for this contest.
- Pick one of the prompts to write about if doing a collaboration.
- If you have an idea for a combonation of some sort, pitch it to a contest marshal.
- Galleries are allowed.
- Entries will be tagged with phantomprom2024.
- Entries must be written with the prompt in mind. Pre-existing drafts are allowed to be repurposed as contest entries as long as the majority of writing is done with the prompt in mind; retrofitting prompts to an already complete draft is grounds for disqualification.
- If you ask to reroll your prompt, you must take the new roll.
- Spelling and Grammar edits are allowed, anything more is not.
- Shenanigans will not be allowed. Breaking rules is grounds for immediate disqualification. Contest marshals may disqualify individuals at any time based on their behaviour. Shenanigans include:
- Selectively downvoting/upvoting based on who you want to win, rather than the merits of the article alone.
- Excessive plugging.
- Acting in bad-faith.
- Spamming people with PMs about your work.
- Shenanigans rules also apply to non-entrants; your nominations will not be counted should you be found engaging in such behaviours.
- If you're not sure if something counts as shenanigans, then it probably does, but feel free to ask one of the organizers.
- The prompts shall be interpreted very broadly. So long as you can explain how your work relates to your given prompt, in any interpretation, it'll likely be accepted. The goal is to inspire, not constrain. If you're not sure if it'll count, feel free to ask one of the contest marshals listed below.
- All questions should be directed to contest marshals:
destinysday, 
UncertaintyCrossing
How to Win
Winners will not be decided by upvote total. Instead, at the end of the posting period we will be opening a nomination thread where users will post their top five favourite entries, ranked in order. Contest winners will be calculated via users' nominations. The link to the thread will appear here at the end of the posting period.
NOMINATION THREAD
There will be a first, second, and third place winner. Each winner will recieve one front page feature, which will be shared during either the November or December monthly feature period. Additional bonus awards will be given out for funsies.
Happy writing!
AKAM80 with Field Dressing
Vishardsh with Some Fell Meniscus
Snapdragon133 with Knell
destinysday used a random number generator website, while
UncertaintyCrossing used a d20 (with 19 and 20 being rerolls).