The Wristband - By Mohomed Naushard Haniya

Written By: Mohomed Naushard Haniya

Category: horror and gothic fiction

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the haunting narrative of "The Wristband," Mohomed Naushard Haniya invites readers into a world where the struggle for identity takes a monstrous form. As part of the horror and gothic fiction category in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this piece captures the unsettling duality of human and monster within. Haniya's storytelling grips the reader with its exploration of secrecy and self-control, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

About the Work

"The Wristband" delves into the complexities of identity and the fear of exposure. The narrative weaves a gothic atmosphere, employing vivid imagery to create a chilling sense of suspense. The protagonist's internal conflict is mirrored by the physical manifestation of a bracelet, which serves as a poignant symbol of their monstrous nature. Haniya's work is a captivating exploration of the monstrous within us all, revealing a deep, underlying fear of being truly seen.

The Wristband

Original Submission by Mohomed Naushard Haniya

The Wristband

"Ugh! Why is she so good at studies?! She's literally perfect at everything!" "I wish I had her life!!"

"At least-Hopefully, she's leaving"

"Wait-what?!"

"Didn't you guys get to know? She's moving to another state,"

"Finally! Less competition for us!"

Whispers are all that I heard- everything about me.

Everyone thinks I'm a girl with perfect grades, a rich family, happy with life, BUT the truth about me, and my family will always remain a secret....

And we dare not say it...

I'm half Human, and half Monster. Controlling myself equally for both sides, until I'm a fixed 50/50 is what I need to achieve.

We-as in my family, all of us own a bracelet, which determines how monstrous or how human we are, by two colors, and as for me, blue represented my human side, and beige for the monster in me.

My family had to move states because the neighborhood was getting a lot crowded, and it was too loud to ignore the agitations to devour them whole. And yes, there was no escape for me from the storm, way brutal than you think, to control myself and not bite some random kid like a zombie in the middle of the hallway.

The new neighborhood was peaceful and quiet, a place to feel like myself, a monster.

Everything was perfect until one Sunday evening, while I was munching on my favorite snack, eyeballs in a bucket. Walking in the backyard, I saw something - an eye, staring at me, through the tiny hole in the fence.

“No, no, no! This can't happen!”

Freaking out, I spat out the eyeballs back into the bucket, flesh and blood dripping with saliva stretching and snapping like slimy cobwebs. A human's eyes would beg for mercy just to unsee that.

Trying to peek through the tiny opening, I saw a girl - almost my height, pale, with freckles smeared across her cheeks, blonde-like brown wavy hair reaching her knees. She was staring at me, but what I didn't understand was that she looked like nothing close to being afraid of me, nor disgusted about what she just witnessed. She stared at me with a blank look which honestly scared me a lot more than she was afraid of me!

I went back inside, peaking through my shoulders to get a glimpse of her staring at me like as if she didn't catch me red-handed, munching a bucket of eyeballs.

Back inside, my grandma visited us. Well, she's half monster too, but she had complete control over her monster side, so the bracelet is a fixed 50/50 of pink and green.

She saw me, and something caught her eye off-guard, she saw my bracelet...

I looked at her with a confused face, only to face my bracelet, every hint of color shrinking out of my face until I was paler than a white wraith. I wish I was able to evaporate until I completely disappear from this world!

The bracelet was blue. It must have been the girl. This never happened before; I have met a thousand pure humans, and this was the first time, and I'm already risking my life in a new chapter where I'm supposed to feel like myself, a monster.

Panicking, I couldn't think of anything but, 'I'll be a complete human is all I could imagine.

I turned my wobbly hands facing the palm side, and I could feel a slight sense of relief washing over to me. A hint of beige remaining, I'm still a monster.

Grandma shot me the dead eye; she definitely knew something was wrong.

I felt like my entire soul left me and came back after the incident - especially after grandma left right after what happened.

But I knew I had to hunt down the truth, no matter how twisted, tangled or buried the puzzle gets....

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates the power of words and creativity. Welcoming diverse voices from around the world, the competition serves as a platform for poets and writers to share their unique perspectives. This event continues to foster a global community of enthusiasts dedicated to the craft of writing, showcasing talent across various genres and styles.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mohomed Naushard Haniya for sharing "The Wristband" with us in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Haniya's exploration of identity and the monstrous within is both thought-provoking and haunting. We look forward to witnessing more of their creative journey and the compelling stories they have yet to tell.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.