Oooo... Interesting plot... I'll get started later today, as it is 12:34 am where i live.

I can't wait to see what you dish up

^^ Haha. Nice pun. I'll get started later.

Yeah, I'm very punny like that. I might watch Harry Potter later, for the hex of it.

Haha. :)

This contest was such a great idea. After five or ten rounds, there will be something very special

^What, five tickets to Disneyland? :P

Nope, not that. You'll have to wait and see.

Props?

Nope.

This is pretty awesome...but who is the winner of the 2nd Story Starters?

The winner of Round 1 was Blind Faith. Voting for Round 2 is still open

oh okay thanks.

No problem

Be a Lifesaver

Hi, my name is Tomas. Tomas Pedraskis. I own a seafood restaurant on Boothbay Harbor, in Maine. I always have help boiling the lobsters. You know, I can't stand the thought of those poor creatures being killed, just for food!!! I mean, we have other ways we could eat. It's not like, it's death for everyone if we don't eat animals. I'm not vegetarian or anything though, don't get me wrong. I believe that the practice of eating animals like lobsters, crabs, clams, etc. is cruel and inhumane. Oh well, I have to hit the sack now, so I'll talk to you tomorrow morning.
Good morning...well, actually, I had a pretty horrible night. So, it's actually a bad morning in my opinion. I dreamed that lobsters, crabs, and all kinds of creatures were in the ocean the other night, and they were crying. They were begging me to let them go, to eat vegetables instead, or...I would suffer the consequences. I didn't know what the consequences were, but I sure wasn't in the mood to find out what. So, I decided to offer more vegetarian options rather than "animals." I called my restaurant "Save the Animals." And, more people came, business boomed, and I was a top hit in Maine.

Curious. Not what I would expect

Title:Claws of Nightmares

Misty Shurburu, one of the top chefs at the Eating Claws Crab Shack in Maine, is a bit different from the rest of the chefs there. You see, she has this odd secret that nobody knows about. Not even Kathyrn Hopkins, one of her friends and co-workers.

Misty looked at the lobsters and crabs. The lobsters were in this huge tank, while the crabs were not in water. They were in this huge box-thing, where you can grab a set of barbeque tongs to pick them up. The cashier yelled,"Crab special! Table four!" Oh no! Not another crab special! Why can't anyone order a veggie platter or anything?

She yelled at Kathyrn and asked,"Hey Kath? Um, could you like help me again with the boiling the crab? You know how my doctor says that to keep my hands from drying out from overexposing myself to extremely hot water." Kathyrn sighed and replied,"Mist, how many times do I have to tell you? You can use the tongs! For the last time, I will help you, but I have to get back to fixing my seafood delight!"

Misty cringed when Kathyrn picked up those tongs, lifting an innocent crab from the huge pile of them, and submerged it into the pot of boiling water. Misty felt like crying. She wondered why she even got this job in the first place. She's tried and tried to get another mortgage on her house, so she could open up a new vegetarian restaurant.

Kathyrn looked at her and asked,"What's the matter with you? Afraid a wittle bitty crabby wabby is gonna pinchy winchy you? Man, you can be such a fraidy cat, you know that?" Misty wanted to tell her, but she was afraid that her boss with fire her, then word will get out that she's a lousy chef, and then she'll go back to the fast food world and she swore to herself and her mother that she is NEVER going back!


After work that day, one of her co-workers, Ed, pinched the back of Misty's upper left arm, causing her to yelp with pain. He pinched her with the same tongs used to help pick up the crabs and boil them. The other workers laughed, as he said,"Ooh, scared of getting pinched?" Kathyrn hit him over the head and replied,"Hey! It's only okay when I tease her!" She walked away muttering,"Rookie." She caught up to Misty and said,"Hey." Misty jumped and replied,"Don't do that!" Kathryn replied,"Honey, you've been acting weird lately, so how about I treat you to a movie? I'll pay for everything and you can get anything that you want there."

Misty shook her head,"No thanks." Kathyrn replied,"C'mon! Go see a movie with me! I'll make it a Matthew McConaughey movie! I know you like him!" Misty replied,"Sounds very tempting, but no. There's a lot of bills I have to pay and I'm very tired. We can try next weekend, okay?" Kathyrn went to her car and replied,"Okay, but I AM going to take you out some night! One way or another!"

Misty shook her head, as she went to her car and drove home.

That night, Misty had difficulty sleeping. She was having those reoccurring nightmares again;

She had difficulty picking up one of the crabs, as it said,"Hey! Put me down, lady!" She dropped it, as it fell to the floor dead. She burst into tears, crying,"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Then, all of the crabs from the box crawled out of it, as she backed up against the stove. The pot, used to boil the crabs, spilled on her, only except it wasn't water. It was crabs! All of them pinched and poked her, some caught in her hair as she screamed,"Get off of me! Get off of me!"

She screamed herself awake, waking up in cold sweat. She sighed, as she tried slowing down her heart rate. She said to herself,"That's it! Tomorrow is the last straw! I'm going to do something about this!"

She walked into the restaurant, stood on a table and said,"Everyone listen up! I have something to say!" Kathyrn looked at her and asked,"What are you doing, Misty?" She replied,"Something I should have done a long freakin' time ago!" She looked at everyone and said,"I have a confession to make! I don't boil the crabs or lobsters because I think it's cruel and unjust! I am a vegetarian, and I have nightmares every night, hearing their squeals as they drop into the boiling pot. Not anymore! First and foremost, I quit! Second, Kathyrn, help me out with the box full of crabs."

Kathyrn looked at her oddly and asked,"What?" "You heard me! Come and help me!" They both picked up the box full of crabs, both picking them up. Their boss came out and asked,"What are you two doing?" Misty replied,"Stickin' it to the man, that's what!" They both left, with their boss screaming obscenities at them. They drowned him out, as they put the crabs in the back of Misty's car and drove off.

Kathyrn asked her,"Where are we going?" "To the ocean to free these poor animals." Kathyrn replied,"You are so crazy. I like that about you." Misty smiled, as they pulled up to the beach.

Misty replied,"On three, we'll pick them up again. One, two, three!" They groaned at the heaviness of the box of crabs as they walked towards the ocean. When they got close enough, Misty replied,"This is close enough to where the wave will pick them up." They dumped them into the ocean, all of them safe and not killed. Misty asked,"You know that bakery that shut down?" Kathyrn nodded, as Misty replied,"Wanna help me open up my new restaurant?" Kathyrn replied,"Of course."

Few Months later:

Their old boss walked into the restaurant "Veggie Shack" and said to Misty,"So, this is the new hot place, eh?" Misty replied nervously,"Y-yeah." He smiled and said,"My daughter's a vegan. She wants a birthday party here." "Wonderful!" He looked around, patted her shoulder and replied,"Good job, kid! I knew you always had somethin' in ya!" He left, leaving Misty feeling proud of herself and Kathyrn. And never again did she have nightmares of crabs pinching her.

End.

Pretty good. Longest entry yet, but still good

The Crustaceans

My name is Brooklyn Clemmons, and I own the popular seafood restaurant in Maine, The Gill Grill. I'm no vegan or vegetarian, but I certainly do get squeamish having to cook the poor lobsters and crabs! I know I'll sound like a HUGE hypocrite, but I can eat it just fine if I don't think about who/what it used to be, but if I'm the one cooking it and killing it, I... I... I just can't do it. Just watching them drown.... It's so cruel and inhumane. I don't even know why I opened this restaurant. I always have to have the help boil them. At night, though, I have dreams... and not the good kind.

There's this one dream I have where I am a lobster, and a big pair of tongs coming towards me, seperating me from my lobster friends, who are crying in despair, but not quite as much as I. The tongs start to lower me towards the pot, and all of the sudden my screams wake me up. That's why I dread going to sleep each night.

When I walk into work the next day at 5 p.m., I was horrified by how many people were already there to feast on the poor creatures. Today is the day I take a stand... I hope, I think to myself. I march in and head straight for the tank. I admit, I'm really strong. I can lift over 100 lbs by myself. I pick the tank right up and carry it back to my car, customers gawking and whispering as I passed by. I decide to drive to the rocky shores to release them.

As I carefully maneuver through the rocks, tank in hand, And slowly poured them out, making sure not to hurt them, and put the tank back in my trunk. I went back to work, put the tank in its place, and informed the employees that work was over. Forever. That I was shutting the place down and turning it into a bakery.

I had always wanted to own a bakery my whole life.... it is now one of the single-most popular bakeries in the nation. I no longer have dreams, and I sleep sound. I now live in Virginia with my husband. My small bakery has turned into a chain, and is now being sold across the nation. I not once have ever regretted releasing the crustaceans.

Interestingg. All the entries thus far feature the same elements: free the lobsters, open a bakery.

^^ I never quite got the vibe from the other stories that they opened a bakery. I truly myself have always wanted to own a cupcakery.

I caught references to a bakery several times. It really is curious that every entry frees the lobsters, yet that isn't mentioned anywhere in the prompt.
I wonder if there will be any horror stories. I myself have a vague idea that I might post, depending on how many other entries I get.

Cool! i don't really like horrors/mysteries...

That's what I thought a lot of people would do

Hmm....

Yeah...I should be more creative and do something strange the next time XD

You can post another entry, you know

Can I still post tomorrow? It's late here and I just got back from camping.

It is pretty late here but I can't put this off.

A Dish Best Served Cold

I'm too rich and too powerful to do anything like fry or cook or bake or whatever you do to the lobster. Just too rich to do that stuff. I do think it is unfair but it is the only way. Everyday around the diner rush I lie and say I am going to do that thing you do to lobsters. No one questions it because I'M THE BOSS. Instead of that I sneak off to my office where I have my ten pound cake waiting for me. I don't like sharing so I keep this delicious cake inside of my office and everyday I stuff my face with that half vanilla half strawberry cake. I may be getting a little heavier but it is all worth it. Anyways this one day during the dinner rush I must have fell asleep while eating my delicious cake. I had a horrid nightmare. I was in the valley, running in slow mo through the grass. The wind was slapping my face and my arms were wide open. As I was running I thought for sure I would be running into the arms of cake but instead what waited for me was . . . the lobster. His big claws were snapping. It was too late to turn back. He was already heading in my direction. We came colliding into each other. I awoke screaming. A lobster was in my face and I continued to scream. When I realized what was really happening, the staff slamm my face into what was left of the cake and through the cake on the floor where they stomped on it. Then I awoke from that dream to find that I was alone in my office. I now have a cake phobia and a lobster phobia. Why am I working in the food industry again? I give the remain 5 pounds of cake way to my staff. I shiver at the thought of cake and lobster.

Did i follow the prompt? O can barley tell you what I wrote about. GOD I'm tired! I gottadleepppppppp.

I think so.

THIS ISD THE LAST DAY TO POST YOUR ENTRIES. VOTING OPENS TOMORROW.

LAST DAY TO POST ENTRIES
VOTING STARTS TOMORROW

Haha sorry for repeating what you said dragonsmemory. I was just a little bored.

As long as the point gets across. (I really hope there's more than eight entries)

Yeah I know. I'll try to get the word out.

Good idea

(Okay....here's my attempt.....)


It's A Fish Eat Fish World.


"What the?....where am I?" I woke up to find myself in a strange watery area. Or, I think I woke up, I might still be dreaming, it was definitely more likely. I looked around the room, it was the same room I saw every day. I owned a small seafood joint down in Maine, by the Wharf, not much usually goes on around there. We get the occasional dinner rush, but mostly calm days, and calm nights.
Or so it was. Lately my "Calm Nights" had been disturbed by terrifying dreams. These dreams originally faded when I woke up, completely forgetting about them until the next night, but slowly and surely, I have started to remember my dreams for longer periods of time and with more and more detail. Eventually it was forever in my head. I always had these dreams playing throughout my mind. Day in and day out, as I opened the shop, as I welcomed the staff and guests, as I made increasingly elaborate excuses to not have to deal with helping to boil the lobsters, a extremely cruel and inhuman practice. All of this, with those dreams in my head. I looked around at the scenery, the restaurant was in perfect working order, I could see a clock nearby, it was less than a few minutes to opening time. I reached down and pinched my arm as hard as I could, It hurt, but I didn't wake up. Does this mean that it's real? A noise from behind startled me and I saw a giant lobster, no, several giant lobsters, were staring at me a couple yards away. I saw them at the same instant that the bell at the door opened, signaling that her second in command had come. "HELP! HELP!" I shouted, my voice muffled by the water. My coworker did not hear and continued his duties, as the lobsters inched closer to me. When one reached stiking distance, it tried to attack, but it's claws were tied. My coworker came and picked the lobster up, with me shouting at him for help. Didn't he hear me? He began to boil the lobster, but only then did it hit me. The lobsters weren't giant, I was small! And that means....that means... I looked around and confirmed my fears. I was in the tank that we kept the lobster! Slowly my coworker boiled the lobsters, one by one, until they were all gone. Was this my fate? To stay here forever, watching my own restaurant kill the lobsters, day after day?
Then I woke up.


(That was oddly depressing....)

Mildly depressing, I'd say

X) Anyways, YAAAAAYYY!!! VOTING IS TODAY!!!!!

found this to late oh well I will do the next competition

There's still time! Just do it quick.

nah I need time to do it because I am new to writing and my stories are never read much by people so I will wait for a new one to come out so I can prepare myself for every type of comp I can

Okay!