Halls of Pandemonium

In May 2026, Lord Devereaux and his distant cousin, Viscount Valegrave, invite you to step through the gates of a realm defined by chaos and inspiration. Enter a challenge where every day brings a new prompt and new possibilities across genres. Join multiple scoring brackets and compete with similar-sized publications as you navigate The Halls of Pandemonium, where anything can happen...

Dates: May 1, 2026 - Jun 6, 2026

Prompt drops: Daily at Noon, Eastern/US time.

All deadlines and scoring are based on America/New_York

Join us in May for a daily prompt event hosted by Lord Devereaux and his distant cousin, Viscount Valegrave.

The event is now closed.

Event Objectives

Finishing Out Strong

May 31 - Jul 7

Engagement is the answer

17660/17000

Complete

Finishing Out Strong

May 31 - Jul 7

Engagement is the answer

May 22, 2026

The Man from Taured — May 22

May 22, 2026

Word Limit: 1500

Write a story or poem about a man who gets detained at an airport after presenting a passport from a country that doesn't exist. Where did he come from? Where is he going? Explore these things in your entry.

Genre: Open

Responses

"An Unexpected Stopover Between Mars And Atlantis" — Leeron Heywood : Ok, you got all sorts of lousy japes pulled at a major spaceport like this, but this was something else. “Atlantis, huh?”

"The Traveler" — Gregory Blair : Not all journeys are the same…

"The Man From Taured" — Bradley Hurt : A mysterious man engages authorities in a strange encounter after being found in an airport with a passport from a fictional country

"The Man from Ruritania" — J.M. Gooding : Late one rainy night, airport security detains an elderly traveler carrying a passport from a fictitious kingdom and a boarding pass from1958.

"Defying The Empress of Half the Universe" — Richard Pack : She doesn't want you to know about Swedlovia, the last bastion of resistance to her rule.

"Agnes Blythe-Harrow & the Administrative Republic of Vaul" — Wendy Russell : A minor customs irregularity involving extinct jurisdictions, eldritch bureaucracy, and Wellington Airport responding with unusual initiative.

"Conditions of Entry" — Sarah Tinney : A backpacker arrives in Australia only to discover his island nation no longer exists. Trapped in airport limbo, he helps create a new country in Gate 3.

"Wurstland" — Gary L Taylor : A familiar face is detained at the airport.

"Light's Gate" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : The reader has been transported into Pandemonium by the Held Note with the assistance of Vonnie's dog, Cooper. The reader must be transformed so that they may become the hero of the story.

"BLORT, REGINALD THE THIRD" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem humor: The passport read in crooked ink: BLORT, REGINALD THE THIRD, From: The Land of Goblitzerland, Occupation: Bird

"The Archivist" — L.G. Wells : The author realizes the static isn't a malfunction... It's a message.

"The Entonian" — Nimita Kaul : Ents are real, from a country called Entonia near the Caledonia mountain range. An Entonian lands with a unique passport and coins and disappears without a trace, as if he was part of a tale.

May 23, 2026

If you Build It... — May 23

May 23, 2026

Word Limit: 1500

You saw it in a dream. A machine, built from readily available parts, but unlike anything you've ever encountered. When you woke up, you wrote down all the plans, and then you got to work. Write a story or poem about what this machine is, and what happens when you finally turn it on...

Genre: Open

Responses

"Flesh Consumed" — M. Brandon Robbins : The machine hungers.

"Stephanie's Wish" — Leeron Heywood : Stephanie had been making the same wish at every opportunity since she was three years old to the lofty age of seven. And now, it might have been answered…

"Dream Machine" — Bradley Hurt : It looks frightening and sounds grotesque, but this machine is like no other lifegiving apparatus

"The Nightmare Build" — Gregory Blair : Some dreams should never come true...

"Static" — J.M. Gooding : While cleaning out his late mother’s study, Danny repairs a strange unfinished machine and discovers it can pull voices through the static.

"The Endless Cycle" — Sarah Tinney : Exhausted by endless laundry, Stella invents a mysterious machine that could change family life forever.

"Don't Be Angry" — Gary L Taylor : A dream leads to construction of something that could really do good.

"Dreaming Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : A planet is made into the vehicle necessary to lift a fallen god back into deity.

"Red Racer" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem: “What makes this pile of scrap move fast?” One soot faced goblin softly said Old Snib just tapped the crimson paint “The speed lives here inside the red.”

"The Deed Was Already Done" — Every Root, Every Thorn : When fascists take his neighbors, a father builds a machine from dreams, scrap, and fear. The neighborhood rises but every savior has its own idea of salvation.

"Eco-dreams" — Nimita Kaul : I dreamt of a machine to replace plastic from art supplies and craft materials :D

May 24, 2026

Wiki Roulette — May 24

May 24, 2026

Word Limit: 1000

Go to the website Wikiroulette.co and choose a random Wikipedia page that catches your eye.

Now, write a short story or poem inspired by it and include a link in your post.

Genre: Open

Responses

"One of a Kind" — Gregory Blair : Say "Hello" to my little friend.

"The Friendly Spinetail Steve" — Bradley Hurt : If you find ever yourself in the Andean forests, just know that you’ve got a friend in Spinetail Steve

"Ménage à 11" — Leeron Heywood : “She’s clearly gone insane, Your Honour. I formally rescind my accusation of her trying to sabotage my work…”

"Cost of Liberty" — Mina Howell : There's a trigger warning for war on this bad boy - based on the Shock Tactics wiki page.

"Giving In" — M. Brandon Robbins : When you don't want to fight anymore.

"The Sweet Science" — Gary L Taylor : A look at boxing, my thoughts on it and what it means to me, after it came up on Wikiroulette.

"Hildegarde & the Moth" — Wendy Russell : An ancient entity trapped in the body of a tortoiseshell cat reflects on moths, theology, and the unfortunate moment Agnes Blythe-Harrow decided not to destroy her beneath the Sistine Chapel.

"Terpsichore Created a Mass Casualty Event at a Rave. Kira Showed Up." — J.M. Gooding : At a packed warehouse rave, Terpsichore mistakes collective ecstasy for transcendence and turns the dance floor into a mass casualty event. Then Kira arrives.

"The Song That Never Ends" — Sarah Tinney : A rookie worm working for the Network Of Inner Sound Engineering discovers that some songs are impossible to escape in this strange and humorous flash fiction story.

"Hemileuca chinatiensis" — Rebecca Watson (ReBe)

"Nafs" — Nimita Kaul : Nafs- the self, journey from baser instincts to the divine and the life amidst the chaos that these extremes confine

"Goblin Gold" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem: He licked one thumb and turned the page, His ears stood sharp and high. “If rich folk think their riches here, Then so,” he said, “shall I.”

"Comforting Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : A goddess, her reverse harem court, and a radical Frenchman collide on an alien world.

"Jester" — Daniel Coates : The creature, known as Vanity now, corners Jester and much truth is revealed!

"The Lover's Art." — Hazel : A story about two gay men on a date that becomes something more.

May 25, 2026

Putting the Pieces Together — May 25

May 25, 2026

Word Limit: 100

Write a microfiction story inspired by the following three words: Storm. Home. Compass. You may include other elements, but those three words must appear in your story.

Genre: Open

Responses

"Rainfall" — M. Brandon Robbins : A hiker makes a very bad decision.

"Bracing the Storm" — Nimita Kaul

"Home" — Kirti Schoener

"Storm" — Gregory Blair : A tale of Fire and Storm...

"A Mariner’s Trial" — Bradley Hurt : A veteran of the seas digs deep when his circumstances seem most bleak…but is it enough?

"Steered By The Heart-Compass" — Leeron Heywood : Everyone knew the tale - stick a compass needle into someone’s heart, lash them to the wheel, and you’d be steered safely home no matter the weather. Nobody had ever wanted to test it, but…

"Food, Storms and Consequences" — Gary L Taylor : A sausage-based origin story/poem.

"Rats Don’t Drown at Sea" — Yorviing : Families can make a pilgrimage, though few find God. Some find hunger, others lose morals.

"Storming Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : Someone pissed off a goddess and she tears the house down.

"Let Her Come Home" — Wendy Russell : Stormhill House prepares itself for a storm... & welcoming someone home.

"The Eye of the Storm." — Hazel : A father makes one final decision to save his kid’s life.

"Broken Compass" — J.M. Gooding : A man watches his relationship collapse during a storm, realizing too late that the person he loved had been the only thing guiding him home.

"Treasure Compass" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem: Young Brindle crossed the swamp at dawn Through rainstorms fierce and waters drawn. He held a compass bent and old, And dreamed of buried cups of gold.

"Chasing Rabbits" — Sarah Tinney : A curious dog follows his nose too far from home and finds himself alone beneath a stormy sky, waiting and hoping for familiar footsteps.

"Lost" — Mina Howell : A love poem?

"I am the Storm" — Daria : A poem

"The Solar Sailor's Rhyme" — Daniel Coates : An old rhyme of warning for any spacer sailing across the stars.

May 26, 2026

Do I A-muse You? — May 26

May 26, 2026

Word Limit: 3000

By now, your muse has probably become inconvenient. Distracting. Emotional. Opinionated. Maybe a little too real to fit back into the safe little box labeled “creative exercise.”

Sorry about that. But it's for the best, love.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: muses are not permanent. They can stay, or they can go home.

So this week, write the conversation where you decide. Maybe your muse wants to leave. Maybe you’re the tired one. Or maybe neither of you are ready for each other.

You do not need to make the “correct” choice. You only need to make an honest one.

And if you send them back? Be kind about it. They were borrowed, not owned.

-- Kira

Responses

"Parting on a Roll" — Gregory Blair : It's hard to say "Goodbye"... (Don't hate me for this one!)

"The Letter" — Bradley Hurt : All good things must come to an end

"In search of Pabulum" — Nimita Kaul : While I search for ways to redefine my life, my muse is being invited to decide her next steps.

"Back To The Archives" — Leeron Heywood : Sad though I am to bid farewell to my oldest creation, every story needs to end - and Pois’s adventures are far from over.

"After Careful Consideration" — Hallie Jules : That time I tried to resign, and my muse beat me to the punch.

"Always Around" — Mina Howell

"Y’all Are Making Too Much Work for Kira" — J.M. Gooding : Kira takes a late-night work call about failing muse assignments while Chuck eats drafts in the background and Daisy decides cosmic supervision is none of her business.

"Cocktails on the Beach" — Sarah Tinney : A tired writer discovers her muse packing for a beach holiday in this whimsical short story about creativity, burnout, rest, and learning it’s okay to simply exist sometimes.

"Sleeping Muse" — Verdant Butterfly : Fairy Poem: I swore one day I’d write the tales That burned behind my eyes, With ivy climbing castle walls Beneath enchanted skies.

"Grown-Up Discussion" — Gary L Taylor : A discussion on whether it's time for my muse to move on.

"Fleeing Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : A giant six-legged dog called Cooper rescues you, the reader, from two monstruous goddesses and an entire continent being destroyed around you. He then tells you that you are a drunk and a thief.

May 27, 2026

The Same Damn Dream — May 27

May 27, 2026

Word Limit: 1500

Write a story or poem inspired by a recurring dream or nightmare that you have had over the course of your life.

Genre: Open

Responses

"The Hounds that Stay in War" — Yorviing : Sometimes dreams seek us like dogs. This is one of those dreams.

"Pandemonium: day 24, week 4" — Mercedes de Santiago : A man is sent to a village near the Italian Dolomite Mountains to sell whatever his boss wants him to sell

"Just a Feeling" — Gregory Blair : No escape from this nightmare ...

"The Great Suburban Cossack Invasion of 1990-something" — Bradley Hurt : Night after night the foreign troops attacked relentlessly, unaware that they didn’t belong in this country…or century

"A Gap In The Joists" — Leeron Heywood : “Hello, this is ‘Haunting & Hexes Helpline’, what’s your magical malady?” “Is there a way to tell if you’re being haunted? There’s this dream I’ve always had…”

"Trusty Trousers" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem: The chair sat empty by the fire, The washing line stood bare, No trusty trousers could be seen They simply were not there.

"Waiting Room" — J.M. Gooding : A writer waiting for a car inspection is interrupted by a recurring “dream” in the form of his exhausted muse, fresh from a catastrophic day of cosmic HR reassignment reviews.

"Hold the Door" — Hallie Jules : A woman experiences a dissociative episode before boarding an elevator.

"Only in Her Dreams" — Sarah Tinney : A woman repeatedly returns to her childhood home in her dreams, where memory and impossible moments blend together in a quiet, reflective short story.

"Steering Clear" — Gary L Taylor : A dream that I've consistently been having since I was in school, taking the form of a poem.

"The Trip" — Lee D. Gibbs Horror Author : A trip turns into flight.

"Inside Again" — Mina Howell : A very special dream of mine

"Nightmare that never left" — Nimita Kaul : I have seen all of these vividly in my dreams, but nothing prepared me for the nightmare I had while awake.

"The Shooter" — Hazel : CW//being chased by a potential school shooter in my dreams.

"Vast Ocean" — Lila Cave-Park

"Salt and Mango 🥭" — Sarah Salem - Autofiction : Salt and mango

"The Drowning Heat" — Muirae D Kenney : A childhood nightmare returns on the eve of a life-changing job interview.

"Departing Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : You, the reader, are in a scotch-soaked dream ruining the very life you cannot afford to ruin, your son’s. You… are also a tree.

May 28, 2026

Can we talk it out? — May 28

May 28, 2026

Word Limit: 1500

Write a story or poem composed entirely of dialogue. No exposition is allowed.

Genre: Open

Responses

"Grocery Store Tater Talk." — Hazel : Seems like the taters at the grocery store were quite conversational today...

"Departure" — J.M. Gooding : Two people discuss chargers, taxis, and hotel calls while carefully avoiding the real conversation.

"A Conversation on Taste" — Gregory Blair : A poem about dialogue...told in dialogue alone.

"Strictly Speaking" — Laurie MacIntosh : Explaining the inexplicable

"But, you left" — Mina Howell : An argument with myself

"Careless Words" — Verdant Butterfly : Poem: The human scuffed the dusty road, His cheeks grew warm and red. “I never thought that words like that, Could wound your heart,” he said.

"Skulkers Rise For Sundown" — Leeron Heywood : “Well EXCUSE ME for worrying about my buddy in the middle of a MONSTER INFESTED APOCALYPSE!”

"Clandestine operations" — Bradley Hurt : Two criminals quizzically discuss their latest heist

"Crawling Tongues" — Yorviing : In what we speak, we sometimes find truth. In what we hear, we sometimes feel lies. Sometimes it’s both. Sometimes it’s neither. Words reveal some things, but not all. Or so they?

"The Tortured Writer's Department" — Hallie Jules : An emotional conversation with my inner critic, Wanda. Based on a true story.

"Hildegarde & Edgar Allan Poe" — Wendy Russell : Imagine Edgar Allan Poe spending three days in a graveyard trying to write philosophy only to discover his harshest critic is a demon cat.

"Tales From a Wilted Rose" — Coral Evermore : A tale about a woman at the deathbed of her very special friend

"On the fence about it" — Nimita Kaul : A top secret mission and a dialogue between a grumpy snowy owl and a clueless raven/ crow :D

"A Chat and a Drink" — Gary L Taylor : A coffee shop scene and a chat between friends.

"The Negotiation" — Sarah Tinney : Two strangers meet to complete a transaction. Neither fully trusts the other, and both suspect they're being taken for a ride.

"Naming Dawning Fig" — Vonnie G. Clemens Jr. : A royal court of trees has a reverse harem orgy.

"A Fresh Cup of Coffee" — M. Brandon Robbins : It takes work to make the perfect cup of coffee.

"Thoughts Before the Storm" — Daniel Coates : Everything has gone wrong: but there is time for one last desperate plan, right?