At the completion of the initial draft we announce a new contest

YOU COULD WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ETIENNE DE MENDES' NEXT BOOK

The Theater of the Lost

The Heart Deprived

OUR FIFTH CONTEST REFERRENCES GASTON LEROUX’S NOVEL, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CHAPTER 6 “A VISIT TO BOX FIVE”. IN THIS SEGMENT OUR ILLUSTRIOUS AUTHOR PAINTS A MACABRE PICTURE OF AN EMPTY DESERTED THEATER, A STAGE AKIN TO A STRANGE OCEAN ON WHICH THE NEW MANAGERS OF THE PARIS OPERA HOUSE STAND ALONE, PEERING UP AT BOX FIVE. WHAT THEY SEE THERE STARTLES AND FRIGHTENS THEM. ASSUMING THAT WHAT THEY SEE IS ACTUALLY THERE, ELABORATE ON THE ELUSIVE SIGHTING. TAKE THE BRIEF APPEARANCE OF MADAME GIRY AND THE NOTORIOUS PHANTOM IN ANY DIRECTION YOU LIKE.

CONTEST RULES

1. THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A HARDBACK, AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THE THEATER OF THE LOST AS SOON AS THE BOOK IS PUBLISHED.

2. ENTRY SHOULD BE 300 WORDS OR LESS. ILLUSTRATIONS OR ANIMATIONS ARE ALSO ACCEPTABLE.

3. ANYONE WITH INTERNET ACCESS CAN ENTER. YOU CAN SUBMIT AS MANY ENTRIES AS YOU LIKE.

4. EMAIL YOUR ANSWER TO ETIENNE@RETURNOFTHEPHANTOM.COM.

XXXPLEASE INCLUDE HOW YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR ENTRY TO BE IDENTIFIED. (NAME OR NICKNAME, STATE, ETC.)

5. BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU LIKE, FELL FREE TO BE SERIOUS, HUMEROUS, GHOULISH BUT PLEASE NO FOUL LANGUAGE.

6. THOUGHTFULNESS AND ORIGINALITY WILL BE USED AS DECIDING CRITERIA.

7. ALL ACCEPTABLE ENTRIES WILL BE POSTED ON THIS PAGE.

8. ALL NAMES AND ADDRESSES WILL BE KEPT IN CONFIDENCE, NONE WILL BE GIVEN TO ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE.

9. ONLY ETIENNE WILL SELECT A WINNER FROM THE ENTRIES.

10. CONTEST VALID FROM JUNE 27TH 2013 THRU FIRST PUBLICATION DATE OF THE THEATER OF THE LOST.

* * * CURRENT ENTRIES * * *

1. MARK IN THE U.K. - A SKETCH IN SHADES OF PURPLE

2. JULIE IN TEXAS - THOUGHTS FROM MADAME GIRY'S PERSPECTIVE

View previous contest entries in the Writer's Forum - The Fifth Cellar