Anton leave his favourite coffee shop, collects several suitcases of money and heads to the Streets to address the budding writers in his midst...

NEW WRITING CONTEST

TOP PRIZE - $6,000,000

2ND, 3RD, 4TH PRIZES: VARIOUS PERKS!

ALSO - EVERY QUALIFYING ENTRANT MAKES $100K FOR YOUR BOSS!

Yes, my friends, we have a new writing contest!  

The winner will make himself $6M, with a range of prizes for 2nd, 3rd and 4th place!

Each qualifying entrant will have $100k to sent to his boss from me, on their behalf!

Recite a piece of writing relating to the world that we live in - can be fiction or non-fiction.

Make it at least 178 words (no more than 346).

As soon as I have received enough qualifying entrants, I'll have the entries judged, assessed, feedback prepared, and then announce them.

THIS IS A RETURN TO BIG MONEY CONTESTS, SO BRING YOUR A GAME!

WE PARTICULARLY WELCOME ENTRANTS FROM THOSE WHO HAVEN'T PREVIOUSLY ENTERED WRITING CONTESTS.  

WE ARE HAPPY TO OFFER SUPPORT TO NEW WRITERS - FINANCIAL, EDITORIAL AND MORAL - JUST GET IN TOUCH!

SO, TO RECAP, RECITE YOUR STORY OF AT LEAST 178 WORDS HERE AND YOUR CL GETS $100K AND YOU GET ENTERED INTO A CONTEST TO WIN SERIOUS MONEY!

Now this is a story all about how
My life got flipped - turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, 
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Chi-Town.

In western Italia, born and raised
In the hood was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin', all cool
Shootin up some young punks outside of the school
When a couple of guys who were mob'd up real good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my Don got scared
He said, "You're movin' in with Anton. In Chi-Town; the loop."

I begged and pleaded with him day after day
But he bought my ticket and he sent me away
He gave me a gun and he gave me my ticket
I put my fedora on and said "I might as well kick it"

Wheeler, well, let us know what it was, but submit your own speech as well.

If TommyDonnelly gets his finger out of his ass and gives a speech, I'll send him a large sum of cash.

Life Goes On     

He awakes in the morning, sometimes rested, sometimes not.  Restless nights are filled with worry about the future, concerns about family, and regrets from the past that seem to haunt the mind when most vulnerable.

He stands in the shower, allowing the hot water to rinse away the previous day and the remnants of demons that stand on the edge of his thoughts, always bringing doubt and despair, yet the water provides a boundary they can not penetrate and the day is filled with optimism.

As he steps into the workplace, memories, both positive and negative, flood his mind.  The new guy with a young wife that replaced a senior worker that had a heart attack in his sleep.  The ever present dispatcher that now had bloodshot eyes from a hard night of drinking after his wife had left him.  The list goes on an on, yet he doesn’t let it clutter his mind.  He must focus on his job and keep the demon at bay that haunts his mind daily, hourly, and every minute.

As the clock hit’s 5 pm, the workplace begins to wind down from a long grind, yet there is energy in the voices.  Some are saying good byes, while others are planning a night out on the town. United by a common effort, the crew now disperses like a shattered glass.  He is simply one of those pieces, fractured and useless as he leaves the only activity that keeps him sane.

He pushes open the front door to see an empty house.  No loving wife to give him a greeting, no laughter from children, just a black vacuum of sound and color.  The demon in his mind lead him down the wrong road and now they were gone.  Dreams had been crushed, hearts were broken, trust forever gone.  He had asked himself many times how a single night of weakness could have such an impact on his life, yet the damage was done and everlasting.

Life Goes On

Tony's escape from reality
 

Every morning, Tony wakes up and he watches the cockroaches march across the ceiling above him... if he listened close enough he could hear the echo of domestic violence, drug abuse, rape, prostitution, and murder. Before he's even hopped out of bed, he could feel the anguish of his people, the mistreatment of his race! it was written all over his face. You see, he wasn't your average Joe... for some odd reason, he carried the weight of the unfortunate, the forgotten ones, the class clown, the underachievers and last but not least, the undesirables. In a way, he could see himself in each of those positions. Tony had the potential to do many great things -- all of them did! It wasn't that Tony was lazy or lacked ambition to go far... you see, when he was young he would leave for school every morning without fail with a smile on his face and a can-do attitude, ready to conquer the world. However, underneath all of his charms, a darkness grew in him. Not many people knew much about him or his situation. Tony had a little brother that he had to cater to, little Joey. Tony had to wash his clothes and help him with his homework even though he was illiterate himself. Tony would make his lunch, get him to his bus and pick him up afterward, every single day.

The sibling's parents were smackheads, or more commonly known as Cocaine users... in other terms, fucking junkies, eh. They were too far gone by the time Joey came into this word. Tony was his mother and father and in turn, Joey was everything to Tony. He didn't mind a single bit that he had to do everything, it kept him grounded from everything that was going on around them. They had nothing to start with and only everything to gain.

Ennio had that feeling again, like he was outside his body, watching his life on a TV screen. Those days usually didn’t end well. He glanced over at his crew leader, Rick Dalton, slowly finishing his cigarette, its soft glow the only light around as they sat quietly in his car.

Sometimes they post a guard on the weekends. It usually means they are holding money before banks open Monday. We could grab the money first and go, Ennio offered.

We don’t need the money, we’re here to send a message to our Vegas friends. Hit the guard, then hit the windows. Our boys in the vans behind us will light up that tailor shop.

Ennio stepped out into the quiet street and placed one round in the middle of the chest of the sleeping guard, whose chair was propped against the door. Then sprayed the windows. Glass scattered over the expensive suits lined up tight inside. Immediately several men stormed out of two dark vans easing down the road, hurling their gasoline fiery bottles through the broken opening. Their laughter was soon joined by hissing flames and loud screams of neighbors discovering their evening rest interrupted.

Ennio, get in the car, Rick shouted over the loud noise. Ennio walked back towards him.

Enn nooo, the guard mumbled. Ennio turned his head to look at the fallen guard on the steps. The long German blond hair searing an image in his mind. He froze. Bergetta’s son. The vans drove ahead to the meeting point. Even from across the street, Ennio could feel the heat press on his skin.

Oh kid, Ennio sighed as he lunged back. Three quick pops from his gun rang out. Ennio heard, nor felt nothing as he walked back to his car. 

More than a rival’s shop was lost tonight.

Shyly standing off to the side, Ricky scanned the room, watching the other kids play while his mother talked with the teacher.  A few minutes later, his mother came over and bent down before saying “Be good and I look forward to hearing all about your day when I pick you up this afternoon.  Love you!”

Lost in thought, Ricky returned to the present from his daydream when the bell rang.  Loud voices were coming from behind a closed door, but he could see his mother shrugging her shoulders and holding up her hands in a gesture of submission as an older man wagged his finger, first in her direction, then in his.  His mothers face was red and her voice filled with anger as she said “Get up Ricky and follow me!”

Ricky followed his mother, half running to keep up as she quickly walked down the hallway and out the front door of the school.  Once outside, she turned, with tears in her eyes and took a deep breath.  Her voice quivered as she said “What happened?”

Ricky, filled with excitement, replied “Mom, I had a great day.  I laughed so hard.  Jeffery fell down in front of the class.  Becky got some gum in her hair and was crying.  And James dropped his lunch in the dirt.”

Ricky’s mother listened and held a hand over her mouth with a shocked look on her face.  After staring at him for several minutes, his mother said in exasperation, “Ricky, you tripped Jeffery.  You put the gum in Becky’s hair and they had to cut it out.  And you knocked the lunch tray out of James’s hands.”

Ricky just stared back at his mom, then shrugged and smiled at her.  Shaking her head, she abruptly turned and as walking away says “Who in the hell gets expelled from school on their first day of 1^st Grade?”

(Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.  The below story is exactly 178 words, which falls within contest guidelines.  Please include the closing "The End" towards my word count.  Thanks and I hope everyone enjoys my crime story)

Fat Tony approaches his fellow mobster Deaf Jeff with a plan to extort a local business owner.

"Hey, what do you say we extort this local business owner?" says Fat Tony.

"What did you say?" replied Deaf Jeff.

"I said what do you say we extort this local business owner?" Tony repeated

"Say again please?" Deaf Jeff asked politely

"The local business owner... you want to extort him?" Fat Tony asked again

"Say again?" said Deaf Jeff, leaning forward this time.

"Do you want to extort the local business owner?" Tony repeated, this time a little louder.

"I'm sorry I still can't hear what you're saying. What's this now?"

""Do you want to extort the local business owner?" Tony said patiently.

"Can you write it down on a piece of paper for me?" asked Deaf Jeff.

Tony pulled a pad and a pen from his break pocket and wrote down the words "Do you want to extort the local business owner?"  

Deaf Jeff nodded and the two left the headquarters.  They extorted the local business owner.

The End
 

Where is my $100,000, Mr. Anton ?

yeah mine too

Zebbers has had a long weekend drinking and starts to sober up

I didnt' write anything did I?

Kindly refrain from telling a general and a fellow CL what kind of tone to speak in, Mr. Anton.

Anton, please elaborate on your profound question.