Date:         Wed, 4 Sep 1996 15:09:53 MDT
From: Robyn Meta Herrington <rmherrin@ACS.UCALGARY.CA>
Subject:      SUB: Halloween...

        A chill creeps over the land.  Trees, tired of their
summer vestments, shed them leaf by leaf, yellow tears on the
damp green grass.
        A lone woman looks up, closes her dark eyes and sniffs the
air.  Damp.  Grey.  Tinges of decaying vegetation.  Oncoming Winter.
        Halloween.
        She smiles wickedly.  Ah.  Halloween.  *That* time of the
year, when ghosties and goblins run rampant, when sane thoughts
turn from the sublime to the horrific, when THE THIRD ANNUAL
WRITERS HALLOWEEN SHORT STORY CONTEST takes places.
        "The rules," she said, to no-one in particular, "are
simple.  First, your story must be no longer than 4,000 words.
Poetry, songs, all accepted, but no longer than the 4,000 words."
        Her eyes take on an autumnal, unnatural glow as she
continues.  "Secondly," she said,"you must mail them TO ME.  Not
the WRITERS, for then They Shall Know Your Name.  And my address is:

                rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca

I will watch for you Halloween children.  I will guide them on
velvet wings to a resting place."
        She heaves a sigh, runs a pale hand through her ebony
hair and whispers,"The submissions MUST have a fitting theme for
Halloween.  They must be submitted no sooner than October 1st, no
later than October 15th. Voting, and there shall be voting, will
take place until October 30th.  Then, on All Souls Day, October
31st, the winner shall be announced to all."
        The wind stirs a fury of leaves at her feet.  "A prize,"
it says.  "A prize."
        "Of course a prize," she answers.  "A glass orb, hand
made by these very hands," as she looks at her own, "touched and
tinted with the colours chosen by the winner.  For second and
third, something delightful, something. . .wicked."
        The wind laughs, its cackles mixing with the cracking of
the bare branches.
        She sits.  She waits for the contest to begin.

Mad Queen of the Frozen North West.

RH

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   Robyn Herrington                     Operations Manager
   Email: rmherrin                      Microforms Services
   Phone: 220-6903
   Homepage: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rmherrin
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