Trophy Hunter
by Ristyz

Comment:
He lay there, on his throne (cats don't sit, it is beneath them), and proudly displayed his latest kill. For him, it was a conquest, a trophy that cemented his name and legacy among all the Kings of old. For him, it was a testament to his cunning and strength and prowess. To him, it proved the status of his rulership and set him up for a regency unmatched.

To his subjects, however, secretly snickering behind his back, it was just the latest practical joke that their poor clueless "king" had succumed to. The bumbling fool! They spoke in whispers, Can't even tell a toy mouse from the real thing.

Thus the kingdom went on, with the puppet on the throne lost in self-congratulations while the real masters ran things from the shadows, as ever it had been.

Fly Away Home
by Lydia

Comment:
He thought he'd heard something. Walking out onto the patio, he looked around. Nothing was there. He stood for a moment and listened closely. Still nothing. Odd, he was certain he'd heard someone, or something, out here. Had been fairly positive. Frowning a little, he took one last look over the edge, at the traffic below and shook his head before walking back inside and taking his position by the glass door, while his boss finished the deal.

Outside, silently, Spider-Bug crawled back out from under the overhang. That had been a close one, but it was time to finish this...

Linked in ice and links
by Glanni

Comment:
After a bloody war that lasted decades, the evil that had spawned it had finally been subdued. A band of warriors had finally brought the monster down, and the greatest sorcerers of the age worked to lock such evil in a prison that they thought could never be penetrated.

For millenia, the evil rested in that prison, encased in iron, chains, and ice. There it stayed until it was utterly forgotten, and the magics that held it there began to fade.

It was a time of peace and happiness in the world, where good and light prevailed. It was a day of warmth and celebration, when that unnatural sound echoed through the land. The sound of a sheet of ice breaking.

The sound of the failing of the bonds that held the monster.

The sound of the end of all of existence.

Evil Self Portrait
by zondance

Comment:
When Dorothy returned to Oz, she once again found herself in audience with the disembodied head of The Wizard. She knew his secret, but had decided to respect his love for theatrics. This time, however, something was different. Something was wrong. The Wizard did not seem himself, and the floating head was more ominous and frightening than it had ever been before.

With a sudden feeling of unease, she slowly approached the Wizard's ghostly countenance and began to speak. Before she could say a word however, his voice overpowered her and the face began to scream. With a shriek of her own, Dorothy decided to hell with decorum and ran to the booth in which the Wizard ran his little show. Ripping open the door, she started to demand an explanation, but was struck dumb with shock. There, in the booth, was the dismembered remains of the goofy little man she once knew as The Wizard of Oz, and standing among the gore was another.

Then, when this other turned to her and grinned, she began screaming herself. That grin was full of madness, and it broke her mind.

The Darkness of Oz had begun.

Mystic Operahouse
by brumer0

Comment:
In a world where time moved along a different path, the story of a King and his Elven Queen would unfold to reveal the destiny of a legend. Born to a simple people, he would find himself entwined in a battle for a land on the edge of darkness. He would find himself put in control of a power over time that he didn't understand, with the balance of the lives of an entire peoples resting on a struggle to learn and control that power.

Against him, not only time itself, but an evil that knew no mercy. An evil that desired only destruction, death, and controlling the power wielded by the boy. Chased endlessly by the minions of this evil force, and chased by time and destiny itself, he desperately sought to discover not only the secret of the ultimate weapon, but the secret of the hero that hid within himself.

Could he master himself and this power, or would Evil reign over all the lands?

The Little Match Girl
by faery

Comment:
I think the expression on the girl really makes this shot jump up beyond the others. Not technically perfect, but far surpassed in raw emotion and sense of presence. It is a wonderful change for front page images.

Carousel girl
by Melethia

Comment:
Yay front page!

Posing Amphibian
by robst

Comment:
It's official. Frogs are the new water drops.

A Body in Motion
by tate

Comment:
Man, I forgot about this image until now. Got a 9 from me, just because it was so different and fun and pure.

Slipped Discus
by klkitchens

Comment:
It's definitely curved, and in places a little perpendicular, but not really seeing much twisting going on.