I had no idea just what I was in for that day

that I decided to run a little contest - challenging the imaginative powers of all you fabulous steemsters and steemstresses out in Steem Land. Here's a link to that challenge:
https://steemit.com/contest/@onceuponatime/the-end-of-the-road-and-behind-the-mystery-door-contest

Just how many budding talents

would give my contest a try?

I was completely overwhelmed!!!!

I have described that in my last post. If you like,
you can read all about it here before we go on with the awards:
https://steemit.com/contest/@onceuponatime/and-the-winners-are-but-first-a-25-sbd-bounty

Let's face it,

if you take the time, effort and trouble "to try"

in Steemit, you are already a WINNER!

Because eventually your efforts will pay off!!!!!

Long story short..........

So many super creative steemers

replied with so many super creative stories and ideas
as to what might lie behind this mystery door:

photo credit: Hive account@twiceuponatime

That I was completely blown away!

And,

Now......

you followers of these posts of mine (bots excluded)

know that, being of at least semi-sound mind,
and strong will (stop your snickering Hive account@twiceuponatime!!),
I was quite ready to tackle the arduous and near impossible task of deciding on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries (me being the sole member of the Distinguished Panel of Judge - although Hive account@twiceuponatime does try to grab my chair every time I go for a coffee or piss break)

But I faced a conundrum!

It was:

By the time I had read through all the entries,
I could no longer access them under the #behindmysterydoor tag!

They seemed to be gone!!!

Swallowing my pride,

I asked for help, and offered a bounty:

"Twenty-five SBD (steem backed dollars) to the FIRST person who is able to help me get the list of all entry posts under the "behindmysterydoor" tag up until this, my contest post, paid out 7 days after it was posted"

and,

"In the interests of fairness,
I also offer a 25 SBD bounty to any suggestion...of an alternative and more fair solution (as judged by me) to my conundrum."

And so, the FIRST AWARD of 25 SBD goes out to:

Hive account@aamirijaz

who was first to present a viable solution to my conundrum!

And I have decided to split the 2nd bounty of 25 SBD

between two other hard working, clever, and good looking steemians who did a lot of research and hard work to go above and beyond the call of duty and present refinements that helped in my quest for a solution!

12.5 SBD goes out to Hive account@diebitch

and

12.5 SBD goes out to that notorious bounty hunter Hive account@awakeningartist, who even did his own post on a solution!!!

https://steemit.com/behindthemysterydoor/@awakeningartist/a-list-of-entries-for-the-behind-the-mystery-door-contest-hosted-by-onceuponatime

Thanks guys!

As I said in my last post,

This is soul wrenching!
(Trying to choose winners in a contest that has received quite literally HUNDREDS of magnificent entries! How will I do it without tearing myself apart? - pulled in divergent directions by fabulous responses incorporating countless variant themes?)

So many super creative steemers
have replied with so many super creative stories and ideas
as to what could lie behind the mystery door.

And so

in order to lessen my burden of rewarding only 3 entries, when so many of you fabulous steemers had put in the extra effort to write their own post with tag "behindmysterydoor" as a reponse, I decided to send 10 SBD to the authors of every post done under that tag up until my contest post paid had paid out. (entries on my original post almost always got an upvote, but here I am awarding the extra effort of those who created their own post in response). (And, not to spoil the suspense, but the first place winner, as you will find out soon enough below, is actually being awarded to quite a short comment on my original contest post!)

HERE WE GO!

10 SBD each is going out to:

1: Hive account@jet-line 2: Hive account@rlt47 3: Hive account@intelliguy 4: Hive account@alexandraioana26 5: Hive account@mindtrap 6: Hive account@zizymena 7: Hive account@elisea 8: Hive account@anna-mi 9: Hive account@evimeria 10: Hive account@diamondrich 11: Hive account@roselyn208 12: Hive account@vanessahampton 13: Hive account@mumin007 14: Hive account@unshakeable 15: Hive account@xabi 16: Hive account@jemmanuel 17: Hive account@nsbachurin 18: Hive account@obaidb2 19: Hive account@nikosnitza 20: Hive account@aafra 21: Hive account@johnartist 22: Hive account@jelumanao 23: Hive account@tiempoyesp 24: Hive account@princefizzy 25: Hive account@bluemoon 26: Hive account@diebitch 27: Hive account@morbyjohn 28: Hive account@chinyerevivian29: Hive account@ruth-girl 30: Hive account@josediccus 31: Hive account@francisk 32: Hive account@geke 33: Hive account@kamchore 34: Hive account@salmanbukhari54 35: Hive account@rjunaid12 36: Hive account@seesladen 37: Hive account@hrissm 38: Hive account@sakura1012 39: Hive account@alinak15 40: Hive account@skapaneas 41: Hive account@lordneroo 42: @wiralhoekeesumawe 43: Hive account@skiponline 44: Hive account@karenmckersie 45: Hive account@djoi 46: Hive account@awakeningartist 47: Hive account@pricasso 48: Hive account@old-guy-photos 49: Hive account@olivia08 50: @iz zynaveda 51: Hive account@allesia 52: Hive account@madushanka 53: Hive account@tkappa

That's 530 SBD folks!!!

(now a word from our sponsor)

Please upvote and follow Hive account@onceuponatime!

photo credit: Hive account@twiceuponatime

OK - The Big Moment Has Arrived

But first let me say that there were so many really good entries that this is more of a lottery than anything else!

And choosing winners has been soul wrenching indeed!

Believe me,

I know all the effort and creativity some of you
have put in to your entries!

But, decisions have to be made

to bring potentiality in to actuality!

The impossible must be done!

And winners must be chosen!

So, in no particular order.............

3RD Prize of 15 Steem goes to:

Hive account@elisea gets 15 Steem!

For her entry entitled "The Door"
https://steemit.com/behindmysterydoor/@elisea/the-door

And for the absolutely absurd reason that these words from her post:
"The woman is sitting in a pool of treasure: silver, gold and gems. Jonathan smiles at her."

triggered in my mind, what would not go away all day,
Bob Dylan's
Subterranean Homesick Blues

Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues
.

Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It's somethin' you did
God knows when
But you're doing it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin' for a new friend
A man in the coonskin cap, in the pig pen
Wants eleven dollar bills, you only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin' that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone's tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D.A. Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Don't tie no bows
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

Oh, get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Hang bail, hard to tell
If anything is goin' to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You're gonna get hit
But losers, cheaters
Six-time users
Hang around the theaters
.

(READY FOR IT?)

.
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin' for a new fool
.
Don't follow leaders, watch the parkin' meters

Oh, get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance
Learn to dance, get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't want to be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles

Thanks Hive account@elisea!

2ND Prize of 25 Steem goes to:

Hive account@vanessahampton gets 25 Steem!

For her entry entitled Unclad: Behind The Mystery Door
https://steemit.com/behindmysterydoor/@vanessahampton/unclad-behind-the-mystery-door

Because I really enjoy good writing

and because I was reminded of a classic, this oldie and goldie:
Escape (The pina colada song)

Thanks Hive account@vanessahampton!

And the Grand (1ST) Prize of 50 Steem goes to:

Hive account@lordneroo gets 50 Steem!

for his brilliant comment:

[-]lordneroo (59) · 17 days ago
I believe that Hive account@twiceuponatime is hiding behind that closed door. Just sayin' :P

[-]onceuponatime (71) · 17 days ago
Oh my God! That's frightening!

Because it so perfectly illustrates the undeniable fact that............

.

..............wherever you go, there you are!

A strartled Hive account@twiceuponatime caught in a mirror by Hive account@onceuponatime

.
Hive account@lordneroo also made a long post entry, but because only one entry per contestant was allowed, it was disqualified from consideration :-)

Thanks Hive account@lordneroo!

Thanks to everyone for playing with me.

ouzo and out,
Hive account@onceuponatime

photo: Hive account@twiceuponattime

• all images are from https://pixabay.com except those specifically attributed to Hive account@twiceuponatime
• as (almost) always, no animals were harmed in the production of this post.

Your upvote and follow helps encourage these posts!

( 90 Steem and 580 SBD are being given away in this contest)

Disclaimer by Hive account@twiceuponatime: I disavow any responsibility in the choosing of the winners. My criteria would have been entirely different!