FROM THE EDITOR

In the lead-up to Christmas last year I was plagued by some of the worst dreams of my life. Fires and volcanic explosions, grim discoveries, murders and divorces – and no, unfortunately it wasn’t a case of drinking too much eggnog before bed!

I’m sorry to say – I think it was actually your doing! You see, last year we ran a shortstory competition, and in December I took home entries each night to read before

I hit the hay. Big mistake.

Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed reading through each one and many times I was hanging off every word, but your creativity certainly took me to some interesting places. While many of the stories ranged from heartwarming to hilarious, a big portion leaned towards murder and darkness – with a handful of downright terrifying ones thrown in (the one set inside a Salvador Dali painting was particularly nightmare inducing! Well done).

Well, I’m saying farewell to pleasant dreams for another month, as we’re bringing it all back again. Although, this year, I might just change up my routine and read before dinner to save my sleep sanity! (Also, feel free to send me a happy story.)

As you’ll see on the next page, entries are now open for another year and this time round you can win cold hard cash for your efforts. So please do put pen to paper and give it a go! I look forward to reading your tales. Enjoy your week!