The calibre of entries into this competition varied.  Some of the pieces were very strong, others less so.  In some cases, we offered advice on aspiring writers on how to shape their work into something more likely to win.  Not all of the writers took the advice, and after all, why would they?  After all, it's not like I'm the creator and judge of this competition.  All that being said, we did it fair and square, read and marked each entry, and using a strict criteria, judged each piece.

There were nine entries, though at first glace, it appears that there were mine, given the length of some of them.

The following people entered: William_Pratt, Revenant, Oblivion, Peter_Bishop, Luc-DiCaptio, ErrantKnight, OrianaMontini, SeanCallan, Destro

Firstly, the runners up.

LUC-DICAPRIO - this was actually discussed as the winning entry for a time, but because you're from the same city as me, we felt it wouldn't be fair to award you the prize, so instead, we're giving you THIRD PRIZE ($75,000 to spend on BlackJack at the Las Vegas casino)

SEANCALLAN - Second place for you my friend.  An interesting piece of work.  Your prize is ONE CREDIT to be sent to any member of your family that you nominate here on the Streets.  

But before we announce the $40,000,000 WINNER, a couple of other notifications. Revenant, your story had some potential, but unfortunately, you needed to give it a good editing.  William_Pratt, somewhere in there,  there *was* a good story, but I had to read it in three shifts if was so long, and I lost the thread.  Try next time (COMPETITION TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY).

So, for now, it only leaves me to announce the  $40,000,000 WINNER...

...  Are you feeling SUSPENSEFUL?  Yes, well get read to feel even more so, because Destro's suspenseful story THE ROBBERY is the $40,000,000 WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A compact, punchy, suspenseful story, with a clipped, spartan, concise style that had this reviewer gripped for just the right amount of time.  The logic and motivations of the gunman remain somewhat unknown - would it be out of step to request a follow-up story?  Or does Destro want to leave us with suspense?

Either way, THE ROBBERY has earned Destro far more than the robber earned from killing the poor, innumerate store clerk!!

As well as winning FORTY MILLION DOLLARS, Destro has been tipped almost $10M as well!  

Is he the richest new author that this thing has ever seen?

Maybe he will tell us what he plans to do with the money in his acceptance speech?  And we'd like to hear from the other authors, too.

How has the experience been for you?

PS - I forgot to voice my thanks in public towards Shannon-Whelan for her kind donation to the prize fund.

SeanCallan has had his prize and award CANCELLED due to him alleging "conspiracy."

SeanCallan has had his prize reinstated, following a discussion.

I would like KellyC to receive the credit, please?

I mean...can you blame him?

The winner submitted his entry a good five hours after the deadline. Kinda defeats the purpose of a deadline.

Just saiyan.

Viktor, Destro requested, and received, special permission to submit his entry after the deadline.  Maybe if you'd asked about that instead of shooting your fucking mouth off, then you'd have been in possession of the facts and more able to compose and regulate your thoughts and feelings out here, on the streets.

Now, "Viktor" inasmuch as you feel you have contributed to this discussion, I'm going to ask you nicely to withdraw your spurious and unfounded allegation.

Will you be man enough to admit that you were, and are, wrong?

Generally, in a competition such as this that is open to the public, such an exception would be made public, one would think? Perhaps an extension for any other parties who had missed the deadline would then be applicable, adding more entries.

Since it was not made public, naturally people were curious. I am simply the one raising the point, because I can. You could have been much clearer informing the public, and kinder in informing me.

Perhaps you should reconsider who is shooting their fucking mouth off.

Or I'll reconsider letting your past transgressions slide, and put you in the ground.

Viktor, did you just, like, threaten to kill a Capo from another family?

Like, yes. You see, Capos are not immune to repercussions from insulting people who not only outrank them, but run a city. 

It's one of the perks of inheriting big dick energy.

I'm going to advise you to stop, before this descends any further. I know that you know what I am talking about. Go about your business and remember your instructions.

Well now Viktor, I'm curious, very, very curious, to see just where you will take this.  So, here I am, standing in Philly, with all of my BGs.

I'm armed, of course, as are they, but here's the difference: I don't threaten people.  I don't threaten people because there are rules in this society.  Rules that, if broken, have consequences.  And there is no way  that I'd shoot you, or any of your people, neither would I threaten to.

Now, you accused me of running a conspiracy.  I correctly pointed out that I did not.  I used a cuss word as part of a sentence that implied you were speaking out of turn.  And then, you presume to threaten to take my life.

And then you advise me to stop before it descends and further?

I'll ask you to consider your position, your responsibilities, and your honour and retract the threat you visited upon me.

For I am not, in any way, being disrespectful.  I stand here with dignity and grace.  And you, well, you stand there a man who has threatened to kill another for defending his honour.

No, of course you wouldn't shoot me. You wouldn't be able to, anyway. You'd just use stolen money to place hits on random leaders in a half cooked extortion scheme, then backtrack when you learned who they were and who they were connected to.

I made no accusations, I simply pointed out that others, who had assumed there was a conspiracy, were not wrong to be suspicious. I could care less about the competition or who won, but when a number of people come to me with complaints, I generally look into things. 

Perhaps I was a bit rash in threatening you, but as we are both aware, I already had reason to kill you before any of this happened. You have, forgive me, a rather tainted past, and that's ignoring all the things in your ancestry. I was merciful then, against my better judgement of course. 

To be quite honest, I don't want to kill you. You have come quite far, and until recently had many of us convinced you were an asset. But you seem determined to be some sort of martyr, so I will, once more, advise you to stop.

Well, Viktor, suffice to say I am not completely or entirely sure just what you're talking about, what I will say is this: it takes a big man to admit that he is wrong, and I admire you for, albeit not enthusiastically, acknowledging that you were "rash."

So what I propose is this: you formally withdraw your threat to kill me, and I will acknowledge that I should have addressed you differently.

We can then continue as, if not comrades, then at least not as enemies.

What do you say?

We are from one motherland, I see no reason why we cannot do as you propose. I should not have threatened you so freely, but as you are well aware, we Russians tend to be a bit hot headed. Must be all the radishes.

Maybe the real winner today was the friends - or at least, not enemies - we made along the way. 

I forgot to add the part where the owl and I are now friends, as per CoconutRandy's eloquent statement. My apologies. 

Congrats to the winners!

Congratulations everyone who won as well as participated!  And thanks for hosting the contest, OP!

"Truly well done by you all and congrat to the winner for a victorius story that really were good to read and so was also many of the other"

Tutte sits down and says "vuf voff"