Hi, guys! After receiving some pretty AWESOME submissions of poetry and short stories for the 250K contest, I've got the winners... but ALL the entries were wonderful!

As I read through everyone's stuff, I could not believe how much attention you all pay to detail. Plus a lot of you had some AMAZING plot twists that I want to give standing ovations to. I've taught you all to be a little demented and twisted when you write lol.

For the month of February 2016, I will be posting winners in this order every Saturday: 3rd, 2nd, 1st, Honorable Mention, and everyone else with the Special Recognition. Look forward to your entries to be posted in their own Enhancement chapters, winners! Don't get anxious if you don't see your name yet.

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So without any further ado, the winner of THIRD PLACE in the 250K Contest is...

AnotherGinger11 !!

Congratulations!! Your short story was pretty darn epic! My video message won't link to here, so I'm just going to leave it out. My favorite parts of your entry were the direct quotes you borrowed from Enhancement, the use of children as main characters, and the PLOT TWIST YOU THREW AT ME WITH THE WHOLE HYBRIAD THING!

Plus I adore that last line you wrote. It speaks LOUDLY about the heartless, cruel aspects of the Enhancement world. Combine that with the plot twist, and you really understand some of the core bits of fear and excitement that make Enhancement unique.

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Here is AnotherGinger11 's short story:

Thomas

I ran down the sleek hallways in my grey sweatpants and V-neck, eager to get my make-up done. I had woken up later then the rest and it was thanks to my ginger friend Tabitha that I had woken up at all. She told me that we only had 4 hours until the bad people came for inspection and to take back the two new arrivals that agreed to be spies for Pod 14. I skidded to halt once I found a short line. I looked around me as I tried to recover my breath; all around me were children my age and adults with bruises, cuts, black eyes and yellowed skin laughing and talking to one another like normal.

There was only one person in front of me when I looked back, someone who looked like...

"Tabitha!" I giggled excitedly. The ginger turned around and smiled her goofy smile.

"Well well Thomas, I see you found where we all were, I was almost certain you were going to get lost again!" I felt my cheeks flush red and I looked away in embarrassment. Tabitha was only a year older then I, 12 years she was. She got a screening at my age for not cooperating with a Screener when her parents were taken away for rebelling against the government.

"Yeah well, I didn't because I'm here!" I grinned. She grinned back and ruffled my short brown hair and looked me in the eyes.

"Now do you remember what I told you when I woke you up?" She asked, suddenly getting serious.

"Do you mean when you said that we will be sent back to our cells after we get our make-up done and cleaned up?" I replied, unsure if that was what she meant.

"Yeah, and it seemed like you remembered so good job!" She ruffled my hair again. I stared into her green eyes. They were filled with excitement, as if this were just a game for her. Oh well, pretty sure it'll be over.

"Next!" The make-up lady said. Tabitha sat on the stool and stayed still as the lady made it look like she hadn't been eating. She pulled out a jar out of her metal case and started putting cuts on Tabitha's face and arms. It looked so real, so real that it made me feel terrified.

"Citizens of Pod 14, I present to you the catalysts or our rebellion: Holland Renner and Stephen Moore!" Everyone around me clapped and cheered, looking at the two spies and the man, Commander Liad who was leading them. I just stood there with a blank face, could those two really infiltrate the government?

"Next!" The lady said. Tabitha hopped off the stool and waved me goodbye, disappearing into the crowed. I stepped forward and sat on the uncomfortable stool before the lady started on my face with a brush that had some sort of yellow liquid on it.

"Operation Catalyst will be our biggest success, but we all must work together. After the make-up teams finish, we need the premises cleaned and Screeners ready. In approximately three hours, all Campers will be locked into their cells."

"It is imperative that all inmates act fatigued and injured until you receive your cue to come to the atrium. Then everyone will watch Stephen and Holland complete their task on the screens. In the meantime, our catalysts will prepare for the mission. Campers, you are now prepared and ready to strike!"

"Rebellion for the sake of freedom!" Roars erupted in the crowed as fist were thrown into the air.

"We will win this fight!"

"Rebellion for the sake of freedom!"  The crowed chanted again, fist pumping the air.

"We will all benefit and reconstruct our lives!"

"Sit still please or I won't get this done," the make-up lady warned. I snapped to attention and sat perfectly still with an emotionless face plastered on. The crowed kept repeating 'Rebellion for the sake of freedom' over and over again before erupting into a loud applause. I saw Holland thrust her hand into the air, making the crowed roar louder, then Stephen did the same and I swear I was about to go deaf at that point.

"Thank you, Holland and Steven, for committing to being the catalysts of our revolt." Liad said before the crowed cheered again. The catalysts started hugging and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I had had enough of this 'revolt' nonsense and I could not wait for it to end, whatever the outcome.

"Ok, you're finished, now please do not try to rub it off, I've had enough of people coming to me about that stuff," The lady said. I copied what I saw Tabitha had done earlier and hopped off the stool. I stubbled slightly but I recovered quickly, running down the maze of hallways soon after.

I needed to find somewhere to hide until the bad people arrived, the toilets perhaps? I kept running down the halls, the sound of my bare feet slapping against the floor echoed all around me as clear and glass. I ducked into a door that had been propped open with a mop. I grabbed the mop and shut the door behind me, retreating into one of the clean cubicles. How long did I have to wait in here? How many hours until I could walk these halls again knowing I couldn't be harmed?

After what felt like an hour, I pressed the side of my face against the crack in the door, straining my ear in attempt to hear something, anything! I heard whines and groans from the Campers (who were probably back in their cells now), accompanied with the distinct sound of heavy boots stomping down the halls. I grinned and walked over to the basin, turning the tap on and sticking my head under the tap, letting the cool water run over my face and wash off all the make-up that was applied to my face.

I turned off the tap and stumbled over to the door, the blood rushing to my head from getting up to fast. I creak open the door and step outside. I reach into my deep pockets and pull out my ID card, hiding it in my hand as I walked past cell after cell, they all eyed me up, obviously they were confused as to why I wasn't in my own cell. I chuckled to myself.

Rebel scum.

"Halt child! What are you doing out of your cell?!" A stern voice demanded from behind me. I stopped in my tracks and turned. It was a screener, a proper one. A smirk grew on my face. I flashed my hand towards him, giving him a full view of my ID card.

"Oh, Thomas Hybriad, I apologise. I was not informed about the president's son was doing infiltration work here!" He saluted me. Only then did I notice that we were next to Tabitha's cell. I shot her a sly grin, making her retreat into a back corner, her ginger hair bouncing as she did so.

"At ease," I commanded. The Screener followed his orders.
"You are to take me to where the government representative is located, I have concerning information that needs to be passed on to my father. Have the subjects been escorted to the vehicle?"

"Yes sir, subjects Renner and Moore are being taken to back to the Enhancement Project testing lab as we speak. Us Screeners are just finishing up our final rounds of inspection before we follow. Now, Stein is this way sir," He reported before leading me in the direction I was walking before. Stein was a good friend of my father's; they had grown up together and Stein was also one of the leading scientists directing the Enhancement Project so it was logical that he was sent.

It didn't take very long to reach our destination. The doors slid open, revealing a room filled with medical equipment and several people, most of whom were Screeners but there was also Liad and Stein talking in the corner. I spotted in the corner a pile of clothes unlike those that should be in a hospital wing.
"Professor Stein!" The Screener saluted the grey haired man. Stein looked at the Screener and then to me.

"At ease, now go back to your duties. You will be rewarded for bringing Thomas here." Stein commanded. The Screener left the room.

"Ah Thomas. I see you have completed the mission then?" The professor asked while brushing down his white lab coat. I nodded.

"Yes sir, I have made some..." I glanced at Liad who looked scared out of his wits, shaking his head as if discouraging me to continue.
"Intriguing discoveries..." Stein gestured me to continue.

"Pod 14 is a rebel base, those people in the cells have had make-up applied to them to make it appear that Pod 14 has been doing it's job when it's actually been quite the opposite for a while now," Liad's eyes went wide. He had been busted and now he would pay the price for leading a rebellion against the government, against my father.  

The professor turned toward Commander Liad.

"Is this true?" He asked.
"Certainly not sir, this child is-"

"You would dare defy the word of President Hybriad's son?" Professor Stein cut in. I didn't know how it was possible, but Liad's eyes went wider.
"I see, now Thomas, do you have anything else to report?"

"Yes. Holland and Stephen are acting as catalysts on the rebel's behalf, they have tracking devices planted on them and their memories have in turn not actually been wiped." Stein nodded and made a gesture towards the Screeners who walked over to Liad and whipped on cuffs around his wrists.

"Liad, you are here by under arrest for treason, you have the right to remain silent and anything you say will be held against you in a court of law," Stein said. The Screeners dragged Liad out of the medical room and down the hallway kicking and screaming. Stein turned towards me.

"Good work Thomas, your father will be alerted immediately and the rebels will be abolished. I will see to that you have a safe ride back," The Professor told me, he tapped away at a device in his hand before two Screeners walked in and escorted me off the premises.

A short while after, I found myself in my father's office debriefing him on all the details that occurred while I was on my mission.

"Very well son, I was in my right mind to send you there after all," He said, I nodded.

"Am I dismissed sir?" I asked hopefully. The President nodded and I walked out of the sliding doors.

Sorry Tabitha, this isn't personal. Just war.

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Comment HERE your thoughts/comments about AnotherGinger11 's short story!