quarter of a century is a long time to exist in the world. And in all that while, Angel has acquired many stories that are yet untold. Countless battles and confrontations lost in obscurity. However, one prominent piece of evidence etched on his very body, his tattoo, still remains a mystery to those who know of its existence. The Gryphon, inked upon his right shoulder is a symbol of his past, of memories too grisly to tell; deadly deeds and horrific assaults upon the innocent have stayed buried while the pains and sufferings of his own anguish have become his comfort. Now, Fred has enlisted the help of Lorne's Anagogic abilities to secretly delve into Angel's mind and uncover the origins of his tattoo. By conveying this story you can help the team of Angel Investigations piece together yet another event of Angel's dark and enigmatic past. What will be revealed? A mysterious lover, a demon dimension? Only you can tell us . . .

"Alright Sugar, time this bizarro act hit the proverbial stage,” Lorne began reluctantly. “Pass me that bottle on your right, would ya?"
"A sedative for Angel?" asked Fred quietly, looking over her shoulder.
"No-no Hon, vodka for my Spritzer. This is gonna be one hell-a-va ride!"

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

1. OBJECT : Write an original story speculating on the events which led to Angel getting his infamous tattoo. Timeline is not essential, although we know Angel had the tattoo prior to meeting Buffy, we don't know when, where, or why he had the artwork engraved upon his body. That is for you to convey.
   
   You must have the following elements in this order:
   
   · Title
   · Summary (150 words or less)
   · Story (2,000 words or less - this includes the 150 used in the summary)
   · Word Count
   
   
   example:
   
   Title: Needles of Despair
   
   Summary:
   Angel meets a strange occultist in an alternate dimension. The only way for Angel to get back to his own world is by conforming to their traditions, a painful tattoo whose meaning will haunt him through existence. Angel is specific about the artwork he chooses, allowing him to return, but there are consequences he did not imagine.
   
   Story:
   Imagine the above story arc explained in detail HERE with no more that 2,000 words combined . . . and no you can not use the above idea as your story! ;)
   
   Word Count: 1,395
   
   
   NOTE:
   The Winning entries will not be used in any future storylines of the actual Angel series. Any similarities to future storylines that may occur are purely coincidental and not a direct reflections on the knowledge of the series writers and/or producers. This is for entertainment purposes only, for your enjoyment and to win Free Angel related products from CoA.
   
   
   
2. BEGIN: The start of the Contest officially opens on Wednesday September 4th, 2002. You will have the entire month of September to write your story. Entries will be submitted via the Entry Form (in a copy & paste manner). If for some reason you are unable to do this, we will accept attachments via email. Email CoA for further instructions when the Entry Form is opened.
   
   
   A CoA panel will judge the Entries on:
   
   · Originality
   · Imagination & Detail
   · Composition
   · Angelness
   
   
   
3. ENTER: The Entry Form will open on Monday September 23rd, 2002 and will close at 8:00pm EST on Friday September 27th, 2002. You will have the entire week (5 days) to submit your entry. Winners will be announced at 10:00pm EST on Sunday October 6th, 2002 after the Season 4 Premiere of ANGEL here in the U.S.
   
   · The Entry Form with your Story (and personal information) is your official entry.
   · Only One (1) entry, per person, per household will be permitted. All subsequent entries will be omitted from judging.
   · This Contest is open to all ages, all countries and all demonic realities.
   · The 1st & 2nd Place Winning Stories will be posted in a special feature on CoA for public viewing.
   
   
   
   Before you begin, you MUST read all the rules on the Rules Page.