In the Summer of 1816, Mary Shelley had left her father's house in England to run off with Percy Shelley. With her step-sister Claire Clairmont, they reached the shores of Lake Geneva, where in the Villa Diodoti they joined Lord Byron and John Polidori (Byron's physician). On one stormy night, June 16th, Percy and Mary couldn't return to their own lodgings and had therefore to stay in Villa Diodoti with Byron and Polidori. Together they read aloud German ghost stories from Fantasmagoriana. In one such story, a group of travelers related their encounters with supernatural beings. This inspired Lord Byron to challenge his guests to a ghost-story writing contest. The results were Polidori's Vampyre, the first modern vampire story, a story fragment by Byron, an insignificant story by Percy, and Frankenstein, by Mary.

Here's your chance to take Lord Byron's challenge and create a ghost-story of your own. Make it terrifying, significant, and romantic. The winner will be featured here on October 31st, Halloween. Send all ghost story submissions to c0126184@hotmail.com with "Lord Byron Ghost-Story Contest" in the subject line. Contest ends October 30th, 12:00 AM Pacific.