You guys realize that 3500 words is over 6 pages, right?
This is a neat idea! I look forward to the stories. I might have volunteered to judge, though I'm a bit busy at the moment so I don't think I could really devote the time to it...but I'm still curious if there are any sort of criteria or something for judging these stories? (Maybe I missed it somewhere?)
Don't close the contest just yet, since I'm working on something myself.
But I do believe that 3500 words minimum is a bit heavy if you want to guarantee maximum participation.