Where the Dreamwalker Treads Challenge Results

Things have been crazy busy for us here at ViM, and at Vocal too, over the last few months! Things have been absolutely topsy-turvy everywhere, to say the least! For us Vocalites, though, many have had their worlds ripped out from under them by the glitches Vocal's IT staff can't seem to work out, yet...

Some have been able to log on and write their stories, poems, and articles, though. Whether or not they are reading remains to be seen.... Many of you with no issues may have even fleetingly wondered why we at ViM haven't announced the winners of the Where the Dreamwalker Treads Challenge.

Well, let me assure you all that we haven't forgotten that we still have to judge and announce the results. All the judges have honestly tried to do their jobs and do what was right by each of you, the entrants and the readers! We even extended the vote to ensure the challenge was judged fairly.

All of our patience and waiting still haven't paid off, though. As many issues are still ongoing with the Vocal site and are hindering some of ViM's judges from opening and logging into Vocal, we have decided to proceed with the results. So, without further prompt, I'm here to announce the winners' circle and who will be made infamous.

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First Place:

Mark Gagnon

An act of protection. An act of betrayal. Charged with a crime, but never allowed to put the past to rest. Not all memories are meant to be relived. Sometimes the Dreaming creates a whole new prison for us.

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Tied for Second:

Stephanie Hoogstad

A story of attempting to lock away another's life-changing memory. Can the attempt be made before the dreamer is aware of the walker? Will the Walker be expelled before they complete their task?

AND

Paul Stewart

Entering someone's mind doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes, you have to plan for every contingency. Both in the Dreaming and the Waking.

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Third Place:

Mike Singleton

What if you made your living from stealing? But not something normal, stealing the dreams of others. Follow along with Mike's story to see how this one goes.

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Runner-up:

Harper Lewis

Rivers, trees, deserts, oceans, and love. Follow along as Harper takes you on a dreamwalk after midnight through fantasy.

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Each entry was wonderful in its own right. It was genuinely hard to pick a top one out of these great entries. If you haven't read the ones I've listed here, then I encourage you to do so now. Leave each author a little love when you do so, for each one deserves a little for the hard work they put into writing their challenge piece.

Here's hoping that Vocal fixes its issues and glitches soon!

We'll see you again, real soon.