Welcome to the first activity of

Yes! The moment we have all been waiting for (takes a dramatic pause).

Welcome to the very first stage of Project Pen Season II contest, The Blinds/Veiling.

(Cues in applause and a standing ovation)

Yes, I know we are all excited, nervous even, but don't lose guard because what is ahead is huge.

This is the first batch of the first five contestants' entries with the Judges' review.

Before we go ahead, here's the list of contestants we will be seeing in Batch one:

Biz 001

Dew drop 003

Maeta_ah 004

Mara 005

Whistleblower 007

Without much further ado, let's begin.🔥

STAGE ONE

THE JUDGES REVIEW

001 Biz

Prompt: "Everyday, the same thing keeps happening."

Story Input:

Everyday, the same thing keeps happening. The monotonous routine has become a never-ending cycle of predictability. The office, the meetings, the deadlines - it all blurs together into one monotonous blob of boredom. But little did anyone know, behind the scenes, a whirlwind of chaos was about to be unleashed.

In the heart of the city, nestled among the gleaming skyscrapers, stood a small office building. It was like any other office building, filled with employees engulfed in their daily tasks. But within these mundane walls, a series of unconventional events was about to take place.

The day started like any other. The junior officer sat at his desk, sipping his morning coffee and listening to the daily chatter of his colleagues. But then, out of nowhere, a loud commotion erupted in the hallway. Confused, he looked up to see what was happening.

To his astonishment, a cow had somehow wandered into the office lobby. "Where did it come from?" he wondered. The office manager, equally perplexed, demanded an explanation from the bewildered junior officer.

The cow seemed unbothered by the chaos it had caused, casually munching on a nearby potted plant.

As the news of the cow spread throughout the office, curiosity and amusement filled the air. People gathered around, taking pictures and laughing. The accountant, known for his dry humor, made a witty remark about the cow's presence, earning chuckles from his colleagues.

However, the situation quickly escalated when the cow decided to take a stroll through the office hallways. Chaos ensued as employees frantically tried to guide the cow back to the lobby.

The assistant, in a desperate attempt, offered the cow some twigs to entice it back. The cow took a quick sniff but promptly spit them out, much to everyone's amusement.

The office guard joined in the pandemonium, attempting to wrangle the cow with his baton. But his efforts backfired when he inadvertently angered the cow, resulting in an unfortunate accident.

The cow retaliated by urinating on the assistant's shirt and leaving a trail of dung on the luxurious red carpet.
The sight of the manager lying in the cow's mess only added fuel to the already chaotic situation. Laughter echoed through the office as the cow calmly made its way out of the building. It seemed to know its way around, as if it had orchestrated the entire event with a mischievous grin.

The aftermath of the incident was nothing short of amusing. The manager, embarrassed and covered in filth, could do nothing but flail on the floor. The assistant, ever quick-witted, suggested blaming mice for the destruction of a file, resulting in a spontaneous agreement between the two.

News of the cow's antics spread like wildfire. Sensational headlines adorned the newspapers, with phrases like "Cow in Chewing Gum: British Company Insults Hinduism" grabbing everyone's attention. The incident even sparked a public outcry, with protests against the foreign company responsible for the alleged insult.

In the end, the office building was left abandoned. The managing director fled, leaving behind a trail of unfinished business. The cow, however, found solace near a temple, happily devouring an abundance of grass.

And so, everyday the same thing kept happening - a series of unpredictable events, turning the mundane into moments of chaos and laughter. Life, once monotonous, had transformed into a whirlwind of unexpected surprises. The cow had become an unlikely symbol of rebellion, reminding everyone that sometimes, amidst the routine, extraordinary moments can unfold. From that day on, the office was never the same again.

Commentator: Wow! That was unexpected. Let's see if the judges agree on that.

THE JUDGES REVIEW.

Judge Jk Rowling

I can see you are a professional in writing. You know how to use your words and how to play around with them. Your punctuations too seem alright. However, this work lacks substance. There's no solid plot and there's nothing that keeps me wanting more. Truth be told, I'm not impressed. You're a good writer, I can tell, but I am not sure what I think about this work.

Judge James Hardley Chase

Nice story, by the way, the cow drama got me laughing, especially because I didn't see that coming. I wouldn't say I was impressed because I wasn't, the story is okay, but you can do much better. You are a good writer, but that's not just enough. I want to see that creative side of you. I want you to shock me in stage two. If you make it to the next stage, do sit up.

Judge Karen Kingsbury

I don't know how to feel about this piece if I'm to be honest. Especially towards the end. It was just weird. Well, your punctuations were on point and your spacing was done properly, good. But the plot. . . it seems like it wants to have K-leg. I get what you were going for but it just left me with a weird impression. That aside, I noticed some things I would love to point out.

This statement 'Behind the scenes a whirlwind of chaos was about to be unleashed' contradicts with the use of 'has' at the beginning of your work. In the sense that it seemed like you were going for present tense, First POV, and then you abruptly switched to past tense, Third POV.

Also, you used the word 'Monotous' twice in the same paragraph and it somehow ruined the flow in my head. This is the reason why synonyms exist. Okay? Similar words that convey the same meaning.

Likewise, the word 'amusing'. I don't know how many times I read that word in your work. You want to tell us it was humorous, fine. But you didn't need to use the same word to convey it. This is where synonyms come in, again. Very important.

See this 'Was about to be unleashed' and 'was about to take place' you shouldn't have added the 'was about to take place' part. It felt so repetitive and the tension or whatever you tried creating in the first paragraph was ruined here. Because, at this point, I was like, "Get on with it!" And not in a good way.

That's it. I don't just know.

Judge Arundhati Roy

Your piece did not grab my attention at all and if it wasn't an entry in the competition I'm judging, I'd have stopped reading right from the third paragraph. This is a competition, not a writing you're doing for fun, you need to be really creative and come up with beautiful entries.

Judge Jane Corry

I definitely did not understand this piece. First, the prompt was nowhere related to the title given. You were clearly given a title that said "Every day, the same thing keeps happening." Not about the office not being the same. Like I was seriously waiting for you to write about the Cow coming again and again. Apart from that though, your punctuations were on point, and your grammar too.

Judge Williams Shakespeare

Valorous writing. But this plot is something i und'rstand not.

Good writing. But this plot is something I don't understand.

Judge Acton Bell

Hm. Okay, your punctuation, grammar, spacing, arrangement and what-not were okay. But ma, to me, your story gave off "magazine article". Emphasis on the article. Expository essay. It's just like you were telling us about a cow: How the Beloved Cow Changed the Monotony of the City. And yeah, too much telling. Maybe you were trying to do something different, but your execution was not it. You need to improve on your plotting and stuff. Plus, there's lots more you need to learn.

Judge Maya Angelou

Your piece was okay, but it didn't grab my attention. I feel you only started it with the prompt, but then dumped it there. Your work has absolutely nothing to do with it. That prompt is meant to be metaphorical and not literal. How you decide to interpret it is up to you, but there was no interpretation whatsoever in your word.

Your piece was also quite bland and lacked emotion. I guess you wanted it to be humorous but it honestly wasn't. You know the words to use to make your story seem professional, but you don't know how to use them. And this idea of a narration is a big No for me. As a writer, you are meant to be descriptive but all you did was tell, not show. I am honestly underwhelmed.

Judge Jane Austen

Omo, what in the name of tasteless is this? Like cooking a savoury stew with only tomatoes, you have words, but you don't yet have the hang of putting them together. This reads like an anecdote I'd find in an 80s newspaper. The storytelling is terrible. It doesn't feel real. In fact, it doesn't feel like anything, and that's the worst a story can be, to not feel like anything. You just plopped the prompt at the beginning of your story and forgot about it from there.

Commentator: The judges have spoken. Let's meet our next contestant, shall we?

003 Dewdrop

Prompt: "Everyday, the same thing keeps happening."

Story entry:

~TISHE~

Every day, the same thing keeps happening. It was hard to discern at first, like a distant memory, brushing my fingertips, but never fully settling in my grasp.

It started like a dull flicker within me, but eventually became so hard to ignore the fact that the same moment was playing out the same way, the same day, every day.

At first, it felt like a fairytale, one I was thoroughly consumed by. But then, the sense of awareness began kicking in, and every experience came with a strong sense of familiarity.

I know this day. I remember this place... so much that it felt like I was stuck in an endless loop, where time was frozen, which propelled my need to break this cycle. It felt like I was reliving my favourite scene of us, straight out of a movie.

My eyes were fixated on the legendary Eiffel Tower in all its golden glory, which was so far away, sucking me in with its charm and elegance. The tall, giant tower beamed with a warm, golden hue, exuding a magical glow that was in sync with the city lights.

It absorbed the city in its enthralling element. It was so breathtaking that it brought tears to my eyes, as always.
"You have seen this view many times, yet it still manages to evoke emotions in you like the first time." His rich, deep chuckle filtered into my ears and his strong arms slipped around my waist.

And there it was, that nullifying ache striking repeatedly against my head. My eyes snapped open instinctively.

"Doesn't this feel weird to you, Folarin?" I asked him, and that rendered his body motionless against mine. His grip turned lax around me.

I found myself sucking in a breath at the richness of his complexion, which shared a striking resemblance to his brown eyes.

He pressed a kiss to the finger that housed my wedding band. I caught sight of his silver band that glittered under the lights.

"No, everything is perfect the way it ought to be." He smiled at me.

There was something hypnotic about his tone that just compelled me to believe what he was saying, but there was also that sense of awareness like a memory was struggling to resurface.

"But..." I trailed off in confusion, looking around us.

"Why isn't the day breaking? Why is it always night? Why do you always say the same thing? Why are we always on this rooftop? Why do my emotions feel the same?" I wasn't stopping to catch my breath, and my voice was beginning to rise an octave higher, thick with frustration.
"Why am I always wearing this dress?!" I was frantic. I needed answers. I was losing my mind in this endless loop.

"Tishe-"

"Don't Tishe me!" I snapped.

I searched Folarin's eyes desperately, for any switch in his demeanour that would convince me that he was just as worried as I was about our situation. But, there was nothing. His eyes merely softened, and he drew me closer, kissing me softly.

I eased into it, allowing the pleasure to engulf me. He slowly broke it off, urging me to look at him.

"I love you, baby. We can finally be together. Don't you like that?" He asked me in a whisper, the electrifying hold of his eyes seizing my speech.

It dispelled my need to know more.

"Do you trust-"

Out of nowhere, a loud, incessant beeping overpowered his voice. The sound was deafening, registering a banging headache around my skull. His voice became so distant. I could only see his mouth move.

"Do you hear that?" I mumbled. The change in his demeanour was evident. An emotion, which I recognised to be fear, crossed his eyes, and it plunged me into confusion.

His hold on me became desperate.

"Baby, look at me!"

"Don't think. Just shut it out. I am here. This is all you need." I didn't know how he was able to do it, but his voice broke through the incessant beeps that felt like a barrier.

"What's that sound?" My voice seeped with confusion.

"It's not important, Baby. You are happy, remember? Do not pay attention to anything else." The despair in his voice hung in the air, conveying the fear in his eyes.

My vision slowly became hazy. The pounding headache increased. The beeping resounded louder than ever.

"Look at me! Don't think about the sound! Just focus on the sound of my voice!" His voice quivered. "Baby, you can't leave me here!"

"I can't lose you again!"

His voice sounded so distorted. The ache intensified, bringing tears to my eyes. I wanted to hold onto him, to his voice, but the more I tried, the harder it got.

Folarin held on to me like his life depended on it. His screams and the loud beeping collided, their mixture bringing out an ear-splitting screech that amplified the ache in my head. His face was reduced to flashes, morphing into an obscure surface as he tried to communicate with me.

The sharp strike that rammed against my head had me giving in to the black dots that appeared in my vision, sucking me in until everything went black.

My eyes fluttered open. But, it went shut almost immediately. I struggled to keep it open. When the fluttering ceased, the bright lights that filtered into my eyes had me blinking rapidly. The constant hum of a machine filled up the entire space.

When my eyes adjusted to the brightness, a wave of tiredness engulfed me. I tried to use my voice, but throat felt hoarse. My eyes lazily took in my surroundings in bemusement. I could only make out white walls that seemed to get under my skin, spiking my irritation.

The creaking of the door gained my attention, and I saw a feminine figure, clad in blue scrubs with a notepad in her hands. Her eyes flashed with surprise, brightening even more as she sauntered over to me.

"You are awake!" I winced at how loud she sounded.

I squinted my eyes at her frame, examining her. As I tried to make sense of who she was, it felt like a fog was clearing off my mind, but her voice cut through it.

"Tishe?"

I assumed that was my name, given how it struck a chord in me.

"Why am I here?" The hoarseness of my voice was so evident. The question itself sparked a noticeable change in her demeanour. It lodged a ton of questions within me. All of which I was struggling to get out, but she beat me to it.

"You had an accident on your way from the airport with Folarin." Her voice croaked, breaking bit by bit.

That name. It was like a jolt within me. Fragments of memories crossed my mind like flashes, all of which I was struggling to piece together.
Paris.

Our honeymoon.

Folarin. Folarin.

Waves of laughter echoed in my head.

They sounded so familiar. Too familiar.

Shattering of glasses.

There was so much blood.

Agonising screams resounded in my ears, deafening me.

Like I was whipped with a mental whiplash, I gasped, and my heartbeat quickened in pace, hammering against my ribcage. Hot liquid pooled at the corner of my eyes, soaking up the entirety of it.

"Where is he?"

"He's dead." She responded, knocking the breath out of me.

Commentator: Wow! That was a gripping one! Let's see the judges review.

JUDGES REVIEW

Judge Jk Rowling

Chills! Chills! Chills! Wtfff! Goddamittt! The chills I had reading this! The plot was top notch, the execution was perfect, everything was flawless!

Wow! I felt chills at the end, especially, and it all made sense why Folarin seemed so desperate to keep her. The entire atmosphere, the chills, the creepy effect, everything! Wow, DewDrop!🔥

You have a bright future ahead of you in this writing thing, DewDrop. I'm looking forward to more of your entries! Personally, this one is by far the best I have read in this Stage!

Judge Karen Kingsbury

Firstly, I like the arrangement of your work. Neat work is a very attractive something. Your plot is beautiful and the way you went about it showed you knew what you were doing. I didn't see it coming so that means you executed it well. ❤ Now, your story flow was good. I mean your first paragraph made me smile because of how it was worded but the ending, I feel if you have done away with the other words and just left 'he's dead' it might have been more impactful.

But other than that, your grammar was lovely. And honestly, Folarin is wicked small. I'm happy for Tishe that she did not listen to him and stay because that would have meant she would die. And see? I got that from the work without you telling us but showing. Showing in a very wonderful way. Well done. ❤

Judge James Hardley Chase

It was a good read, keep it up. I didn't expect Folarin's demise.

Judge Arundhati Roy

Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant👏👏 you did justice to your piece and I'm really amazed. Like it's really beautiful, how you were able to portray everything, how you made us feel everything, the desperation, the suspense, and all. You're one impeccable writer✨

Judge Jane Corry

Do I love this piece? Absolutely. I love the fact that you executed the prompt very well. Although I was a little bit confused at the beginning oo, but I'm good now. I sha wanted to cry small, poor Folarin, he died. I bet he was a fine man 😭😭😭.

Your grammar and punctuations were on point, and I indeed flowed well with the story. Rip Folarin 😔😔😔

Judge Williams Shakespeare

Oh mine own heart! And wast newly did marry! i wast tishe and folarin f'r a did split second. I hath felt folarin's teen of not wanting to loseth his lief jointress, and then tishe hearing yond h'r one and only wast dead. Mine own heart! this is absolutely splendid. Dewdrop, Keepeth on dropping m're bangeth'rs!

Oh my heart! And they were newly married! I was Tishe and Folarin for a split second. I felt Folarin's pain of not wanting to lose his dear wife, and then Tishe hearing that her one and only was dead. My heart! This is absolutely splendid. Dewdrop, Keep on dropping more bangers!

Judge Acton Bell

You're a good storyteller. Your execution is beautiful. And, although I didn't get it at first, your entry was pretty creative. Took a different and unique turn. The imagery you created with your description was mad. Like, I could picture the scenes perfectly in my head. Your grammar and punctuation were also good; only your dialogue punctation needs to be attended to, and there isn't much that you need to do. But in all, I liked your story. Don't relent.

Judge Jane Austen

Now this is something. You obviously know what you're doing, and I'm gonna allow you to pass here. I want to see how far you can go. Your storytelling is beautiful, but it got a little too descriptive, bordering on purple prose. Cut back a little. Say more by saying less. Task your readers a little. You also italicized way too much, especially on some words you had no business italicizing. In addition, I think your story should've stopped at "Where is he?" Something like:
" 'Where is he? Where is Folarin?'
The silence told me all I needed to know. Folarin was gone."
Or something along those lines. Having the nurse answer watered down the impact on the readers and didn't bring as sharp a closure as you need for flash fiction.
But on the whole, this is really good. I look forward to seeing what you'll do next.

Commentator: The judges have spoken, Cribbers. We are just getting started. Let's meet the next contestant.

004 Maeta_ah

Prompt: "Everyday the same thing keeps happening."

Story entry:

Everyday the same thing keeps happening. It was a daily routine at this point. I didn't mean for it to get this far. But it did, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I worked at a 24-hour café, night-shift most of the time. So, of course, it just made everything easier. Thinking back on it now, I regret nothing. I don't regret following her home that day.

She was perfect. Everything I needed. Everything I wanted. And she was mine. Well, she wasn't mine yet. So I've to make sure she ends up as mine.

See, Danielle was a ray of sunshine. Right from the moment she stepped into the café and ordered a mint latte (extra milk and only a cube of sugar), I knew she was the one for me. And I knew that she wanted me too. I could tell from the way she smiled at me, her alluring caramel eyes taking on a perfect crescent shape. She saw beauty in everyone, even in my shit coloured orbs that held nothing but disgust and unworthiness.

She was nice. And maybe a tad bit naive. Naturally, I took it upon myself to make sure she got home safely. It was meant to be a one-time thing. But, like everything else in my life, it escalated.

I ended up following her to her house the following day. Maybe I should've stopped when I accidentally saw her naked through her thin curtain. But, I was simply a whipped man in love.

Yes, that was the reason. I was in love. And there was nothing I could do to stop those feelings. So I simply embraced it. I let it take over and before I knew it, I followed her everyday. Not just to her house though, I followed her to school.

I knew basically everything about her. Her shoe size, her favourite makeup brand, how many birthmarks she had and where. I practically knew her more than she knew herself. And, fuck, was I proud of myself. Following her everywhere became my daily routine. It did cause some setbacks at my job though, so I did the most rational thing I could think of and quit. But it didn't matter, because I could spend all day watching over the love of my life.

The only problem though, was her stupid boyfriend, Jared. What kind of parents still name their kid Jared? Ew.

I was convinced Jared was the only reason Danielle and I weren't together. He wasn't even that great of a person. He was pathetic and didn't even last that long (I may have watched them fuck a few times). And I was bigger! Clearly, Jared was just confusing her. They needed to break up, and I could help.

So that led to my next decision. And here I was, in Danielle's apartment, covered in the blood of a disgusting addict all in the name of love. I would stab Jared over and over again.

He came to get back together with Danielle after their last argument the previous night. But, she had early morning lectures, so her apartment was empty and Jared just let himself in. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I regret nothing.

The exhilarating relief I felt when his heartbeat slowly came to a halt made me feel good about myself. But that wasn't the problem here.

There was a dead body in the house of the woman I'd literally kill for. She had nothing else scheduled for the day so she would return in about two hours. And I couldn't take the body outside because I didn't come with my car.

I was fucked. Okay deep breaths. One step at a time. I just had to clean up the stains then find a place to hide the body. No big deal, right?

* * *
* * * * *

Yeah, it was a very big deal. Why the fuck was Jared so heavy? What was he, a damned cow? Fuck my life. God, why didn't I just kill him in his house or something? That way, hiding his body wouldn't have been this tasking.

I didn't even do it with a glove. Fuck. I had to boil his body or something, anything to get my fingerprints off, in case the body ended being found. Even dead, Jared was still a nuisance.

But, it'll be worth it. When I finally get with my angel, it'd be as if none of this ever happened.

I sucked in air through my teeth, preparing my body to continue the gruesome work of lifting the human cow and carrying him to the garden at the back. However, due to my excellent luck, I was interrupted by a high pitched scream that I was all too familiar with.

I sighed and turned to look at Danielle. She had a kitchen knife in one hand, clearly pointed at me, and in the other, she clutched onto her phone.

Her thumb hovered above the call button, ready to call the police at any moment. She glanced at Jared's body on the floor, at my bloody hands and then at me. She gulped and I could see her bottom lip tremble.

She was scared. Cute.
"Who the fuck are you? How did you even get in my house!?"

Okay, ouch. She didn't even recognize me. Whatever. That was about to change anyway.

My gaze flickered to her hands and I discreetly adjusted my stance. I had one chance and I couldn't blow it.

"I-I said who-"

I cut her off, swiftly grabbing her wrist and turning her around as she reflexively let go of the knife and phone. I positioned the knife against her throat from behind, kicking the phone to the other side of the room.

"I heard what you said, darling. Now be good and shut the fuck up, yeah? You don't want to have your pretty little throat slit open, right?" I threatened and she whimpered lowly.

I could feel her trembling in my hold and I felt bad. I didn't want her to be scared of me, that was the last thing I wanted.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Danielle. I just need you to stay still. Can you do that for me?"

Her breath hitched, probably at the mention of her name. But she subtly nodded nonetheless and I smiled. Maybe this would be easier than I thought.

I reached for behind a nearby shelf where I knew she kept bundles of rope. I never knew what she needed the ropes for though, but it didn't matter.

I skillfully tied her hands behind her back, using another bundle to bind her legs. I threw her over my shoulder and mentally sighed in relief. She wasn't as heavy as the dead cow on the floor.

I carried her to her room and threw her on the bed, mouthing an apology when she winced slightly. She was crying her eyes out at this point, trembling and whimpering, whining for me to let her go. I rolled my eyes and searched the drawer that she kept handkerchiefs in. She was lucky she was the love of my life.

"Be quiet, baby. Just be patient, okay?" I cooed as I secured the handkerchief around her pretty, plum lips. She looked so beautiful, all tied up and gagged just for me. If only she would stop struggling.

I walked to the door of her room, removing the key and putting it on the outside so I could lock her in. Afterall, I still had a body to dispose of.

I smiled at her trembling form and keened at how gorgeous she looked. I would treat her like a goddess, I just had to make sure she wouldn't try to attack me again.

"We're gonna have so much fun together, love. Let me just take care of your stupid ex-boyfriend downstairs."

I mumbled an 'I love you' and left her to continue crying on her own, locking the door after me. She needed to get used to this. It would be her lifestyle from now on anyway. I'd take care of her, she wouldn't need to leave the house ever again.

I didn't have any friends, anyway. It'd be just the two of us from now on and forever. I'll make sure of it.

Commentator: Now, that's an interesting read.

JUDGES REVIEW

Judge Jk Rowling

Damn, that was a read!🔥 Some of y'all here are really stars, to be honest. I loved every piece of this. I was gripped to my screen from beginning to end and didn't want it to end. I forgot I was judging!😭

Wow, again!

And the line 'She was scared. Cute' took me out. 😂🔥 I love how everyone has so much personality, even the stalker too! Oh God, I had to stop reading to give my reviews. I honestly didn't want this story to finish; can I ask for more? 😭 Like, can this stalker feature again in a later story from you? I find him strangely and disturbingly attractive. 😂🤲🏾

All jokes aside, your story flow is insane! Your arrangement and breakdown is neat and you know your story and exactly HOW to execute it! It was not exactly A class execution, but everything else made up for it! You're a born writer! ❤️

This story is a work of Art! Can't wait to see more from you!🔥

Judge Karen Kingsbury

Okay! I was wondering where you were going at first but in the second paragraph, I knew. This was different, the way you went about with your story, but it was screaming 'You'! And it will not be right if your work is screaming another writer's work, would it?

I liked the plot, really, and the little bit of humor but you didn't play around with your words. This would have been spectacular if you did. Back to the 'You' stuff, the scene on how he tied the girl and all felt extremely familiar. I've read the book and watched the film and it almost felt like you, I don't know, used his thoughts? I might be wrong but, in the future, you have to be careful.

I did notice some mistakes though. It was with the use of tense. I'm very particular about tenses. They play a large role in your work even though, most of the time, people don't realize that. Like now, the word 'I've' should be in the past tense. Same goes with 'May'. Luckily, yours wasn't much but look out for it next time.

Overall, I like 'You' so this, I like.

Judge James Hardley Chase

First and foremost, the dude is creepy, lol. He might have watched them do it, tf!
Also, I love the name Jared. Honestly, I didn't expect what came next, it reminds me of a series called "You" on Netflix.

Boil his body? Lol, the dude is scary.

Psychopath! That's all I can say. That dude is sick.

Okay, the story was a good read, reminds me of a particular movie, it's also unlike the books I have read so far today. Personally, I feel you would have executed the storyline better. You have a creative mind, and I love that. It was a good read.

Judge Arundhati Roy

God! You have an enthralling way of writing and I love it 👏

Judge Jane Corey

First of all, DUDE ISN'T INLOVE! THIS IS A BLOODY OBSESSION, AN IRRITATING ONE. Like what the fuck! Why the fuck would you kill your fellow human cause you are obsessed with a girl, with a girl that can't even remember you. Like she doesn't even know who he was, or remembered. The piece was nice but annoying. That Danielle sha is mad. She was too weak abeg. Omo I love this. Keep it up.

Judge Williams Shakespeare

What in the ordinary? First off, oh mine own God. Secondly, i love 't. I very much love how 't did wend from a zero to a hundred very apace. I did expect but didn't expect 't at the same time. Most wondrous job.

What in the world?? First off, oh my God. Secondly, I love it. I really love how it went from a zero to a hundred very quickly. I expected but didn't expect it at the same time. Great Job.

Judge Acton Bell

Okay, wow. I was blown away by how you executed your creativity. Jesus. I love how you portrayed the MC, and how you were also able to tell us about the other characters even from a biased POV. Your punctuation was on point. Grammar, also on point. Although, I'll advise you to read more short stories, so that you'll know how to give your own stories a perfect ending. I'm honestly impressed. Good job, and don't relent.

Judge Jane Austen

Idk, it's meh. The first paragraph was a total mess. Fortunately for you, redemption came later, like our Lord Jesus Christ. But it won't fly next time. Your opening has to be solid, or I'll simply sign you a no, no matter how good the rest of your story is. I liked the psycho twist to your story. The thrill of the stalking and alladat. It's actually pretty good. You painted an excellent picture of an obsessed person. Your command of the English language is also solid. Do keep it up.

Commentator: The Judges have said it all. We are just getting started ooo!

005 Mara

Prompt: "Everyday, the same thing keeps happening."

Story entry:

Every day, the same thing keeps happening. The same pattern of murder, the same murderer. Every morning, the headlines of the community newspaper blare the particulars of yet another gruesome killing, each one more bone-chilling than the previous. Every victim bears the same distinguishing marks as the previous one.

The town is gripped by fear, and the streets are eerily quiet. Ghostly shadows flicker across windows, while mournful winds whistle through the trees. A nauseating sweetness hangs in the air, a scent of fear. The people walk with their heads low, their footsteps echoing eerily on the cobblestones. The sun is barely visible, a feeble light struggling through the darkness.

The wind howls as a lone figure approaches the door of the church. The silhouette of a woman in a cloak is barely visible in the gloom, but she presses the bell and waits. Finally, the door opens, and a warm light spills out into the night. A clergyman stands there, a kindly, reassuring figure. He welcomes the stranger into the warmth of the church, and they sit down in a confession box.

The confession box is a small, dark room with a wooden bench and a small window. The woman takes a seat. The bench is hard and uncomfortable, a reminder that confession is not meant to be easy. The room is dimly lit, with only a small light above the window. The window itself is covered by a black curtain, so the woman and the priest cannot see each other, only their reflection.

The woman brings out an enveloped letter from her cloak and slides it over to the clergyman, her eyes defiant as she stares at him. He removes the envelope and reads the letter, his eyes widen and his jaw drops to the floor.

"You're the one responsible for all the murders?" The clergyman asks.

"You're right," The woman says as she meets his gaze, her eyes are hard and unyielding like cold steel.

"How could you do such a thing?" The clergyman asks, his voice shaking with disbelief.

"Because they deserve it!" The woman says as she clenches her fists together. "My father was a good man," She continues, her voice growing more determined. "He never did anything to hurt anyone, he fought for justice for the whole town. But he was killed. And the people responsible for his death got away with it. And they keep getting away with all the horrible things they do because no one is holding them accountable. I'm not going to let that happen anymore. I'll take them out, one after the other, till there's no more left."

The clergyman gazes at the woman, his eyes shimmering with sympathy and his heart aching for her loss and her pain. "I understand that you're hurting," he says, "but this isn't the way to deal with it."

The woman looks at the clergyman, her eyes hard and unyielding. "You don't understand," she says, "you've never been through what I've been through. You don't know what it's like to lose everything, to feel so alone and powerless. This is the only way I can get justice for my father. It's the only way I can make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

The rain is still coming down hard, and the wind is howling like a wild animal. The woman's hair is blowing in the wind, and her cloak is flapping around her like a dark shadow. The sky is a dark and ominous gray, and the clouds are swirling overhead like a stormy sea. The air is thick with tension and despair, and the woman's eyes are filled with deep and burning hatred and contempt.
"I can't let this keep happening," The clergyman says after a moment of silence. "It is wrong. Very wrong."

"It is?" The woman asks, her voice dripping with condescension. She narrows her eyes, her gaze icy and penetrating. "Let's make a deal," she says.

"A deal?" The clergyman asks, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"A deal." The woman confirms. "All the higher-ups, I mean, the ones in charge, they attend this church, right?" She asks.

"I don't understand," the clergyman says.

"Let me go straight to the point then," the woman says, her voice steady. "I'll stop killing people if you expose the rich and influential people who come to this church, confess their sins, give offerings, and then continue to do the same evil acts. I want you to bring them to justice."

The clergyman feels himself freeze. The words of the woman hang in the air, heavy and oppressive. The weight of her request pressed down on him, suffocating him. The sanctity of the confessional is sacred and inviolable. He feels sweat beading on his brow, his hands trembling. He wants to say no, to tell her that it was impossible. But the look in her eyes is like a knife in his heart. Still, he strengthens his resolve.

"I cannot do as you ask. You must understand that the seal of confession is sacred. What is said in the confessional is between you and God, and I cannot break that trust. It is an oath I took when I became a priest, and I cannot violate it, no matter what."

"Okay," she casually says and stands up. "Since the seal of confession is sacred, nobody will know what we discussed here, right?"

"What-"

"It's simple, really," she interrupts him. "Since you can't expose them, that means you won't expose me either, so why should I stop?"

"This is not right," The clergyman says, his forehead damp with sweat.

"Of course, it is not right. What is right or wrong doesn't matter anymore." The woman says, her face is like stone, set in a mask of determination. Her eyes are cold and hard, blazing with resolve. Her lips are pressed together, her jaw clenched tight.

As she rises from the confessional, she feels a sense of resolve. She knows what she has to do. She takes a deep breath and reaches into her cloak pocket, pulling out a wad of new notes. She places the cash in the offering box, feeling the crisp paper between her fingers. The sound of the bills rustling in the box is like music to her ears. It is a reminder that she has the power to make her own choices, and she won't stop till she is done.

Commentator: Okay, let's find out what the Judges have to say about this piece.

JUDGES REVIEW

Judge Jk Rowling

I LOVE a story with a solid plot, a powerful female lead, and a well executed delivery! Good one, Mara!

Judge Karen Kingsbury

Wow! Your opening/first paragraph drew me in like what?! It was written so well, and it was intriguing. That's a good thing because it will give your reader a reason to continue. Your plot was nice, and I believe you executed the prompt. The story flow was smooth but something threatened to ruin it.

Look, here it was written "The woman's hair is blowing in the wind, and her cloak is flapping around her like a dark shadow" but there seems to be a problem. How? How is that possible? This cannot happen because they're in a confession box, no? And from what I've seen, confession boxes are enclosed so there's no way the wind will reach there. You mentioned a small window but I want to believe it's the one between the Priest and the Woman, not any random window ingrained into a wall.

Plot holes like this can bring down a work. Be on the lookout for it next time.

Also, "resolve" was mentioned too close together in your work. Other words will replace it just fine. Again, SYNONYMS. Lastly, the ending, the link between the money and her making choices eludes me. I just don't see it. Wonderful description and nice last line though.

Judge James Hardley Chase

Lol, I love it when she told him, since you can't expose them, you won't expose me either, so why should I stop? This was a good read.

Judge Jane Corey

Hmmm. The beginning paragraph really got me hooked like... something is she telling me that the Clergyman is one of them, or he gets profit from them.

I love the statement she made "Since you can't expose them, that means you won't expose me either, so why should I stop?" The statement sweet me 😌😌. How you go expose one leave the remaining? Mtcheeeew. I loved the story. Good work.

Judge Williams Shakespeare

Pow'rful

Judge Acton Bell

Well, well, Mara. What can I say? From the beginning to the end, I saw the story. Yes, it played out like a movie in my head. The description, the pacing, the dialogue, the use of present tense and third person at the same time, wawu! Mind blowing. Bravo. Don't relent.

Judge Jane Austen

It's an alright story. Doesn't pack a punch for me, but it's alright. I did like the conversation with the clergyman though. Since you can't expose anybody, why will we stop what we're doing? There was a little too much describing at the beginning, what with the trees whistling and the kettles boiling and cats catting and dogs dogging and eggs egging. You see how boring that got? Exactly. Reduce the urge to say every single thing. Use similes and metaphors.

Commentators: Well, the reviews were quite fair. Let's meet our last contestant for this batch.

007 Whistleblower

Prompt: "Everyday, the same thing keeps happening."

Story entry:

I think I might have a new petition for the world Government to sign; Weekdays should be replaced with Weekends.

We have just two days for weekends and five days for weekdays which to me is another definition of Evil-Sheer wickedness!

Forgive my comparisms but that's the only thing I can think of now.

I'm not even sure I batted an eyelid but the next thing I knew, I was up at the very early hours of the morning, preparing for school so I couldn't miss the school bus which came extremely early to pick us up.

And School, that's another problem on its own and you could refer to it as hell on Earth, but Mondays, Mondays were hell, pure hell!
Teachers have been trooping in and out of our classrooms to teach us because they believe they were prepping us for the Senior school examination, even though I believed they were just looking for a way to teach us.

And maybe I might've gotten a little rest because of the break right? But no! Those teachers decided to bombard us with too much assignments that kept us busy all through the little weekend we had.

_Omo, I don tire abeg!_

"Omo, I'm tired of all these lessons! How much is needed to learn Mechanic again, biko?" Sarah, the most _Unserious_ person I've ever met asked.

"Why not learn tailoring sef? Your grandmother in the village would be glad to teach you the trade." I replied her back with a whisper.

Sarah hissed and rolled her eyes while she stomped her foot on the floor. Sarah looked so tired and stressed, her eyes had bags underneath them and the only thing saving her looks this morning was the lip gloss she wore.

You could already tell from the description that Sarah had done her assignments overnight, if we choose to overlook the fact that I took a picture of them and sent them to her yesterday night.

But people like me? We dare not do our Assignments overnight. We used textbooks and not the internet for our answers to questions and our mothers had to cross check them every single time to be sure that we wrote the right thing.

I am that student who wrote assignment for students to copy in the morning, basically for my friends alone and for a brainard like me to complain about it, you should know that the stress was too much.

I was basically tired of the cycle but there was nothing I could do about it. I could only allow the same cycle to continue, because there was nothing I could do and law wouldn't read itself.

The bell rung and immediately our Government teacher walked into the class. For a minute, I was glad that I could have a breathing space from Calculations for today when a stupid voice said "Sir, you haven't given us assignment."

Murder looked a bit attractive to me at that moment but I just had to keep my cool and watch him dictate the questions to the class.

"This girl really needs some _first class beating_ to be honest. She does this every single time and she never gets tired. I mean we are in Ss3 now for God's sake!" Sarah groaned as she glared at Nanya, the girl who asked our Mathematics teacher for an assignment.

"She didn't get the title as the Class 'Oversabi' for nothing. We are all tired of lessons here and she's asking for assignments! I don't like her at all!" I whisper-yelled.

Sarah turned to me as she heard my statement and looked at me with a Side- eye.

"Sis, I never knew you could be tired of school oo. I didn't perceive you as that kind of a person," Sarah replied with a laugh.

After our Mathematics teacher left the class, The government teacher quickly wiped off the board and started copying a new note.
I picked up my pen and started copying the notes too, just like every other person in the class and that was the cycle. The same thing kept happening.

But I was tired, because everyday, the same thing kept happening.

Commentator: Hmmm, that's quite a read.

JUDGES REVIEW

Judge Karen Kingsbury

Whistleblower, why? Why did you choose this path? A fellow contestant did the same thing but honestly, theirs compared to yours seems like gold. The opening sentence did not even 'show face' till paragraph 14 (if we skip a line). And even there I managed to see a shadow of it. Shadow! If that was the only problem, wouldn't that have been slightly manageable? You now went ahead to write a story with a weak plot, no creativity, flat character, and the ending? I don't even know what you were trying to do in the ending. Whatever it was, it didn't work. The narrative voice wasn't even engaging. To be honest, if your work was over ten, you wouldn't want to know what I would grade it.

Judge James Hardley Chase

"Murder looked a bit attractive to me at that moment" I smiled while reading that. I enjoyed your work, but let's learn how to keep to simple instructions. You all were asked to begin with "Every day the same thing keeps happening" and you didn't. Honestly, to survive in Project Pen, you need to learn how to take simple instructions and abide by the rules.

Judge Jane Corey

How do I laugh in the way that pleases the Lord? I wanna know! I know no one is perfect, even I am not even close to perfect. But dude, you had one thousand and one mistakes in this write-up. First, this in no way executed the title of the prompt, you were given something to write and you wrote a totally different thing. Haba. I don't even know what kept on happening in this piece, was it the school, or the assignments, or what! It was freaking confusing me 😭😭

You wrote about the Government teacher walking in, how did the government teacher change to a maths teacher please 😭😭😭. In conclusion, the piece was very weak. *cries*

Judge Williams Shakespeare

Thither is nothing interesting or intriguing about this. 't is bland. Nay spice, nothing. 't's like i'm eating a meal without seasoning.

There is nothing interesting or intriguing about this. It is bland. No spice, nothing. It's like I'm eating a meal without seasoning.

Judge Acton Bell

Nawa oh. First off, try dey follow instructions. You were supposed to start your story with the prompt, but you didn't. Second, there's a way to make clichés appealing. Suffice it to say you did the exact opposite of that. I saw something else, too. In one part, you wrote, "You could already tell from the description..." Lmao, what? Don't do that, ever. What description? Familiarize yourself with what it entails to tell a good story. Need I say more? I think not.

Judge Jane Austen

Before I say anything, for not following instructions, I'm gonna give you a no and leave your promotion or the lack of it up to chance. Should serve as a lesson if you do manage to scale through. Now let's move on.
Why do you capitalize so much? You can't just capitalize every other letter and call it a day. Why are you capitalizing the first letters of common nouns that don't begin new sentences, nwanne?
Next up, it's _comparison_, not _comparism_
You're not even sure you batted an eyelid? If you're trying to say you didn't sleep a lot, that's not what batting an eyelid means. Look it up.

There are a lot, like a whole lot, of grammar and syntax issues in this piece. And unfortunately, there's no reward for making it through this maze of errors unscathed. The storyline in itself isn't catchy or impressive. I feel like I braved through a thorny bush only to find gorillas bathing in my favorite spring.

Author's note: So there we have it, our contestants have written their best works and our honourable judges have given their honest reviews.

Which piece was your favorite?
I already have mine ooo

This is just the 1st batch. Stay tuned for more. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this.