(Apologies if this is a duplicate; I crossposted it over at "Mystery Stories.")

Do you enjoy exercising your brain by unraveling mysteries, as well as exercising your muse by writing stories? Then there could be cash and prizes in your future!

I've just released a one-shot story titled The Last Dreams Of Pony Island, which centers around the doomed Equestrian colonial town of Myinnkyun. An old merchant named Peridot has just vanished under suspicious circumstances, and accusations of murder are tearing the town apart, so a Nightmare (a Lunar special agent trained in dream infiltration) peeks into the heads of the area's prominent residents to discover the truth of the matter. The story is an anthology of 16 short, poetic chapters, each from the point of view of a different individual, illuminating both Peridot's final night and the drama of the colony's last days.

I've got a blog post written up with complete contest rules and prizes, but the gist of it is: Your job is to read the story, assemble facts from the contradictory recollections and worries of the townsfolk, and then write one final chapter, telling the Nightmare's tale and giving the best explanation you can of what happened.

First through third place will each choose a prize (in cash or work-in-kind), and first place can win up to $35.00. The winning submission also becomes an official chapter of the story. Not bad for writing less than 1100 words!

If this sounds like fun, I'll see you over at The Last Dreams Of Pony Island!

Best,
h