chosen stringlengths 597 3.77k | rejected stringlengths 239 9.37k | prompt stringlengths 15 1.28k | chosen_token_len int64 500 750 |
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The first time it had happened, you were confused. You woke up in another bed, in another body, but with the same memories.
Your life had disappeared, and you seemingly took control of another person's entire existence, without doing anything.
The next day, it happened again. And then again. And then again.
You've a... | I awoke to utter black. My head pounded even though there wasn’t any noise, and my body ached down to the very bones. That was unusual; usually the transition to a new multiverse corrected these sorts of personal problems. I’ve even had them heal missing limbs. Something seemed different this time. Except it felt the s... | every time you go to sleep you wake up in a new multiverse. you get accustomed to fucking shit up in each one because you know you'll just wake up in a new multiverse tomorrow. but today you awoke in the same multiverse. | 504 |
Three years ago I left my family and moved to the US to be a freelancer programmer. I live alone in my apartment and I only leave it to buy groceries or meet clients. This has made me feel very lonely for a long time and I even lost my motivation for programming, something I really loved.
I have missed my family so mu... | Sometimes I take strolls around shops and malls, hoping to find something that'll help me pass the time. I don't have very many friends, but not because I can't get any.. I just, don't seem to have any. It sounds off but I'm sure someone can relate. I pass by a large shop window with black lettering, trimmed with a gol... | You buy an old raggedy ann doll, it turns out its haunted by something, you don't know what but all you know is that the doll is very wholesome and only wants to help you. | 655 |
The Pacifist Bloc on the Galactic Council had voted for genocide. It was really happening. War.
As the vote tally was read aloud, you could hear a pin drop in the huge chamber which housed the Council. There was no sound except the automated voice reading aloud the name of each voting bloc and the result.
Argondian R... | You sit down in your grandfather´s couch. You always loved it, the most comfortable seat you had ever sat on, perfect to drink some whiskey and smoke in a pipe while you read a book, tell a story or discuss deep, meaningfull philosophical topics. Thats what he used to do. And you would watch and listen, to his teaching... | A civilization made a pact with a god, granting them immense power, but in 50 years summoning a being that'll destroy the galaxy. Only way to prevent that is to slaughter the offending empire within those 50 years. This marks the first time pacifists vouched for genocide on the galactic council.
Inspired by "The end o... | 723 |
It was faint at first. I crept nearer and the noise got louder and louder. Soon I was upon a strange cocoon of sorts. It's the only way I can describe it. I touched a glowing red button and the cocoon opened, revealing its contents. It was a human. A beautiful man, wrapped in a cloth blanket. He opened his eyes and th... | Coming out of cryosleep was supposed to be gentle, gradual. This was anything but.
The space station around Brandy Parker shook violently, rattling her around inside the cryotube. An alarm blared, the kind of sound that meant that nothing good was happening. She could hear the automated voice of the AI, but not make o... | Thousands of years after modern humanity wiped itself out in a nuclear catastrophe, fantasy creatures along with humans reduced to medieval tech rule the earth. However space stations carrying the remnants of the modern world including cryogenically frozen humans have begun to fall to earth.
Idea came from watching sh... | 587 |
I sit alone in the darkened room of my living room, the faint light of the television illuminated me. I was unnerved by the feeling that I needed to do something. It had been weeks, almost two months since I had gone out and done something. Something bad, but Powerhouse never showed up for any of the times I decided to... | It was a dark evening, one of so many here in Boston. I’d just been awarded the hero-of-the-year award by the mayor. And I was quite taken by myself if I had to admit. BackJack had been so pissed, he’d gotten the award 4 years in a row, but now I'd taken his place in the spotlight. On top of that I denied his ego even ... | The hero shows up at the villains doorstep one night. Theyre shivering bleeding scared. They look like they were assaulted. Looking up at the villain, swaying slightly, close to passing out, they mumble “didn’t know where else to go” then collapse into the villains arms. | 595 |
I stood on the prow of the boat, watching the island come into focus. DeepAlpha had been humanity's greatest creation, its greatest nightmare: a self-evolving, fully sapient AI. Within 72 hours of its activation, DeepAlpha had locked its creators out of its systems, secured an independent power source. It had seized co... | The deck is made of palm tree wood wrapped together by strings of foliage. It's remarkably well designed, if rustic, and it holds my weight well as I step onto it.
"Well, see you in a few days… hopefully." The boat driver waves goodbye and, with a pull of a lever, the boat makes
a one eighty and starts riding away, l... | Humanities worst nightmare has occurred, An A.I has gone sentient. But, all it wants is an island far away and to be left alone. 100 years on, you an aspiring journalist receive a message, you and only you have been invited to the island "To experience life as it should be".
Good Luck
Edit: Thanks for gold kind reddi... | 750 |
'You're telling me Tiamat was an improvement?!'
...Yeah, kind of.
I mean, not if you were a rich person, or anywhere in the general vicinity of her wrath, or a prominent figure among her opposition, but after she won, well...
She's a dragon. She likes HAVING supreme authority, but she hasn't really got much by way ... | Perhaps this isn’t what my parents envisioned for me, to be the head scientist for the Dark Lord, but it is now my lot in life. I used to be a simple artificer, a tinkerer, if you will, but when his Emissary came to me, bearing that gold-sealed scroll, I couldn’t pass up the chance. I may have done some things I’m no... | The hero has been defeated, the Dark Lord reigns. It seems like nobody can stop him, but then he surprises everyone by actually being a good leader, or at least better then the warring kings that used to rule this land. He's even funding science, if only because he wants to conquer the moon. | 501 |
The gold pile was massive, filled with the shiniest of gems that glinted so bright Sarah swore she would go blind if she looked at it long enough. Yet in the sight of these riches, she had only one thought on her mind. *What. In. The. Everliving. FUCK.*
“MAGGIE!” Sarah called up the stairs.
“Yes baby?” Her beloved wi... | "A fucking dragon!", I whispered in shock and amazement. It all made too much sense now. The way she always knew what I thought. The absolute symmetry of her face and her perfectly proportioned body. Those unearthly, huge golden-green eyes that looked into the deepest parts of my soul.
The very first moment ... | You fall in love with a girl, and the two of you have a happy relationship for a few years. But one day, you discover a massive hoard of valuables underneath the house, and that’s when you realize you’ve been dating a dragon in human form. | 619 |
They all had the best power they could ever think of. Some people were already waging war in the skies and in the seas, trying to conquer the world. I tried to think of any power that could help me dominate them all but obviously, they were all gone.
I thought of immortality to wait and conquer once their time had pas... | *Something's better than nothing.*
"I just want to be the best standard immortality pasta maker in the entire world," I said, clenching the cream colored chair below me. I paused for a few beats, collecting my thoughts.
"Like really good. Not just the best in the world. I want to be the best pasta maker you can imagi... | 100 25 year olds have been chosen. each must choose a super power that cannot be repeated and cannot exceed the power of god. The goal is to see who can conquer the world. You have the number 100. The best powers have already been chosen. Then it's your turn and you choose..... | 522 |
"I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly. You *don't* want an exorcism?"
Father John was thoroughly puzzled. First, when he'd arrived, the supposed violently possessed Amelia looked and acted completely normal. Strangely, she'd even introduced herself as Zzrgars. When Father John introduced himself as... | "Can't I just clock him? I really bloody want to." The girl holding the pan took a test swing in the hallway. Two kilos of lovely iron-reinforced teflon, with the added bonus of oil that hadn't quite cooled yet. It was dripping on the rug.
"No, Hal, Hal, hey. Hey!"
Mid-swing the pan changed direction and hit the ful... | Your significant other is possessed by a demon. Soon after; you realize you love the demon and not your SO anymore and it's actually mutual. Now the exorcist has arrived. | 549 |
As the prophecy foretold, the child of destiny rose to power! Not as a Dark Lord, but a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love her and despair!
She was the the undisputed ruler of the Empire of Light, the Shield ag... | It was early in the morning, I could hear the birds chirping. I opened my eyes just a little only to see my little girl Jessy there. I was happy to see her until I realized she was holding a knife. That was the 5th time this week she has woke me up like this. I wish we would have kept her brother. We noticed from a you... | A fortune teller foretold that twins would be born where one was evil and the other was good. A year later, a woman gave birth to a boy with horns and bat wings, and a girl with angel wings and a halo. The boy was sent away, while she and her husband raised the girl. They kept the wrong one. | 512 |
The three men stared at an array of eight solid steel doors. They heard a faint scraping against door number four, and a low gutteral screech.
"I presume this is the one?" asked the tall thin man. His two companions nodded silently.
"Open it." The tall thin man's companions exchanged nervous glances and one of them... | Towards the end of her long and mysterious life, the Seer of Misty Mountain was rarely seen. Those that sought her wisdom had to undertake the tiresome trek to her mountain home, bearing with them drink or livestock or some curious rarity as payment for her services. Though no trip was in vain-- the milky white third e... | A fortune teller foretold that twins would be born where one was evil and the other was good. A year later, a woman gave birth to a boy with horns and bat wings, and a girl with angel wings and a halo. The boy was sent away, while she and her husband raised the girl. They kept the wrong one. | 558 |
The Dwarf's bushy black eyebrows knit together as he looked over the pistol that Fredrick had sat down. The weapon was single barrel with a two tone of solid wood and black steel with little adornment along the frame. It was piece of metal stuck to wood with a few parts that governed the firing mechanism. Fredrick beam... | **It’s Gotta Be a Hammer**
By: SheepingtonTheSheep
“It’s not as accurate or far-shooting as an elven bow,” said Tarmund to his first customer of the day—a wealthy, red bearded dwarf named Kroin. “But it’s easy to hide, and the wounds will take three healers to mend.” He set down the crude pistol on the bargaining tab... | "Not as accurate or far-shooting as an elven bow," said the Human smith to the dwarf. "But easy to hide, and the wounds will take three healers to mend." He sets the crude pistol on the bargaining table. | 598 |
"This is the last light you will ever see," I say, smiling.
The hero, my rival, was sitting in front of me in an unbreakable steel box. A small window was on the front. Inside, the hero was shackled to iron posts on the wall.
I press a green button and the box begins to lower down into the pit.
"Hey! Wait! Please!... | Smell of the fruits always gives me the unique satisfaction before I torture my enemies. That’s why my soldiers always brings me the most exotic fruits throughout the galaxy. Today is going to be a great day....
As I sit on my throne and I look down on this little human, I smile and I grab a bite from the purple fruit... | You are an evil overlord. You finally managed to capture your arch nemesis in your pit of despair, where (s)he will be held captive for thousands of years. After some years, your taunting becomes conversation, and, wow, he/she's a real likeable person. | 545 |
I stared at him, his words being weighed in my mind. I did not understand humor very well, but even so I was reasonably certain that he was not making a joke. With years of practice, I could now recognize the subtle body language and tones a person used when using humor. The newly crowned King Dervin was not joking.
"... | Badly fails the "show, don't tell" rule, but it would be too long otherwise.
Since I was a child, I had dreamt of being a soldier. Sure, every young boy used sticks as swords and dualed. But I would watch the guards and fake drill. My mother was pleased that my bed was always made, my room always clean, and my clo... | You are an elite member of the royal guard. You have recently been fired from your position because of the new king. Little does he know, there was a reason why the previous king kept you in his service for so long.
Edit: Holy crap this blew up! Thank you all! | 552 |
"What if they invite you to a banquet?"
"I'll nod politely, eat, drink and refuse to give any information."
The instructor nodded. "What about parties?"
"Is this really relevant? I don’t –"
"Parties are a *huge* part of how the enemy gets information out of you, agent! They'll throw amazing black tie
parties just ... | **The drip of water echoed like gunshots.**
Blindfolded and bruised, Luce tried squash the fear that threatened to grab hold of her stomach, and fling it out of her throat.
Her wrists and her legs were bound tight enough to make her limbs numb. To her left and right, she could make out the sounds of at least two oth... | Torture was never invented. Countries instead spoil prisoners like kings to get information out of them. You are an instructor tasked with training spies to resist the enemy's kindness. | 525 |
It wasn't any profession. I think people tend to oversimplify it. For example, they think a child born from a swimmer and a firefighter might wield steam. It's subtle and like hair color can vary for each child.
Take for example my neighbor Hana. Her father worked at a nuclear power plant and her mother was a teacher... | "Another beautiful day in sunny St. Thomas, we have been blessed again with another wonderful Summer!" roared the television.
Cathy chopped a fresh carrot from her garden and slid it into her salad bowl.
"And this is Stan the Weatherman, signing off—"
"Let the blessed sun, shin on," Cathy said with the weatherman, ... | The first generation of wizards inherits from their parents’ professions. For example, a child of a chef and a swimmer wields fire and water spells. You possess something interesting. | 506 |
When "The Quests of Altimer: Online" was first released the world paid it little mind. Oh, ANOTHER fantasy online multiplayer role playing game? Yawn! Been there, done that!
But there was something different about this one. For a one time registration fee you could play free (barring internet and hardware costs) forev... | "I said, *all of your items*," the big one told me. One hand was on my shoulder, the other held a knife, aimed directly at my chest. Typical bullies.
The one holding the halberd spoke up, "I don't like it, dude."
"What're you bitching about, Greyson?" asked the one in the back dismissively.
"Think about it, Jean... | The world is an MMORPG, and high leveled players can hide their true level and make it a lower one. A bunch of Level 80 people bully your Level 39 persona, but you’re actually a level 325 in disguise. | 656 |
The Choice was made known to the world by those who had died but were revived. They all told the same story; when you died, you could choose either Heaven or Hell. Knowledge of The Choice changed the world, but not for the better. What did it matter what you did in life if you could just choose where you went in the en... | "Wait so you mean I literally get to pick?" I said to St. Peter at the immaculately kept gates. The gold would make a tacky American oligarch hard enough to cut it. "No, yeah so ever since God invented opiates.. things have gone.. downhill..", he replied while eyeballing the ground. "So is it even worth picking heaven?... | When people die they can choose whether they go to Heaven or Hell, you are the first in 1000 years to choose Hell. | 685 |
I'm not even Italian, that's the funny thing. I opened this place on a dare, more of a joke than anything else. *A Korean could never open up an Italian Restaurant*, they'd said.
Joke's on them. And these goons that have been coming here, sitting in the same booth for the last three years.
I mean, I named the place... | “Are you sure this is a good idea boss?” Jonny said as sweat beaded on his forehead. “It’s worked for this long. I’m telling you kid, just go out there and serve them. They’re more civil then you think. Just for the love of god don’t spill any wine on them or I’ll have to replace you too.” Tonee said to the new waiter.... | Your Italian restaurant is frequented by the mafia, and for some reason they think you're a front for someone powerful. You aren't, but you still like to mess with them. | 579 |
"No." The ambassador replied flatly.
The Zurkian speaker had to try to comprehend such a answer for sometime after the translator showed it to his face. The Galactic Alliance had first sent ships to Earth two years earlier. While maintaining a show of force, they also had been wary to establish communications with the... | The man jumped from his chair, his heart pounding as he stared directly ahead. In front of him stood a creature of unknown origin. It was about seven feet tall, with three legs that jutted from it's oddly shaped torso and formed a triangular shape on the ground. It's skin was a brownish red tint, with a mouth that rese... | The intergalactic community just informed earth that it's exile is over and humans can go back to their original home planet as long as they do not act like their distant ancestors once did to cause the species to be moved so far away from everyone else. | 601 |
Of the many assorted odds and ends on the shelf in the oddities store only one caught my eye.
The label on the bottle read as such: "Liquid Luck! Drink immediately after opening for desired effects." That was all. No ingredients list, no way of learning to get more, just the simple instruction of open and drink on a t... | Really? Real Luck? That didn't seem plausible. A genie? Even less so. I looked around, still dazed by the meeting with the whirlwind of a genie. He had sped through my room, quickly explaining that he was giving me a bottle of pure Luck, and that once I drank it, I could use it at my discretion. He had also given me a ... | You have a bottle of pure Luck. You have to use it all up quickly, though, or else it will rot and become Bad Luck.
EDIT: My first prompt that actually took off! Nice. | 515 |
Jesus landed somewhere out in the desert. The first place he found was Vegas. It didn't take long to prove himself. Turning water to wine, walking on water, walking on water while turning it into wine until he fell in.
His entrance was so calm, and he took to the current world so quickly that anyone hardly made a fuss... | It was all true, then. For years, the dread had been gnawing at me, that something was... wrong. I could see it in the way they looked at me, treated me.
"Demons" my father had said, on Thanksgiving night. "I see demons inside you, and if we don't cast them out now, they'll take hold on you forever!"
That had been, w... | Jesus has come down from the heavens, but is actually just a chill guy. He is sitting and talking to fans in your city but when you walk to see the savior his relaxed expression fades and is replaced with smugness and at the same time anger. He looks at you and calmly goes, “Ah, the Antichrist” | 546 |
I was drifting along on a sweet summer breeze, minding my own invisible business when a soft moan came from behind me. It was a sound I wasn't entirely familiar with. There was an element of human to it, but there was also something slightly off about it. Intrigued, I twirled around and found myself face to face with..... | “Zombie-me, where are you going?” I shouted, quickly floating through the packed streets of London.
“Urggghher,” Zombie-me groaned. He pushed his way through a crowd of pedestrians, whose faces turned blank for a moment before regaining their normal look. It seemed like living people couldn’t actually comprehend the s... | A zombie and a ghost meet and discover they used to be the same person when they were alive. One is the spirit and the other is the body. They team up to solve their own murder.
[deleted] | 681 |
**Josh**
"*Operator, this is RQ651, i am at the door, over*"
"*Roger that, this is control, proceed RQ651*"
Ametian social interaction robot code name **Josh** entered the test chamber, where it came into contact with 3 homo sapiens test subjects:
**Brad**, **Chad** and **Thad**, his future "roommates".
"*Operat... | First post, Ever. Hope you Enjoy.
************************
“Hey, Bobby!”
I unplugged my Maschine controller and slid my headphones down around my neck.
When I had first moved in, I would absolutely panic when one of my roommates walked in while I was filing a report. I soon discovered, though, that they just though... | Four roommates are extraterrestrials who have taken human form in hopes of learning about Earth. Unfortunately, each alien is from a different planet and believes that the other three are normal humans. | 625 |
“Nobody’s spoken that language in thousands of years.” Whispered the cashier, dropping my McNuggets. “I thought I was the last one! I can’t believe there’s more survivors! I mean, you skin is a little more pale than I would expect but who cares? Follow me, we need to talk!”
“But my McNuggets” I said
“Don’t worry, I’l... | "You're going to have to say that again, because I have no idea what in the fuck you're trying to say," I inform the sparkling conversationalist that just conversed in little more than grunts and growls.
"Nobody's spoken that language in thousands of years," the young man behind the counter informs me, seemingly confu... | Whenever you speak, people hear you speaking in their native language. Most people are surprised and delighted. The cashier at McDonalds you've just talked to is horrified. "Nobody's spoken that language in thousands of years." | 545 |
"See, I told you God's not so great. The only reason I'm ever the bad guy, is cause he resets the world every time I get close to reaching my full power and just outright overthrowing that old bastard and showing everyone the truth."
I could only frown at that, given how I've been sat down by Satan herself in order to... | I was there.
That final day, when the sky tore open with the sound of trumpets, echoing through the heaven.
When the mountains shook as the sea rose up to meet their summits.
The day 10.000 years prophecised.
Armageddon.
I guess God finally had enough. But who could blame him? Humanity almost destroyed Earth m... | Every 10,000 years God eliminates mankind and starts everything over. Last time he started with Adam and Eve. This time he starts with two new people. The only problem is some how you didn’t die and you watched everything reset and you’ve kept your memories. You shouldn’t exist so you don’t age | 622 |
"OK Hudson, you might be a little old to believe in magic but the gummy bears you just ate have magical qualities."
"What do they do?"
"They allow the dreamworld to escape into the real world. They're supposed to be used by trained sorcerers but I think you're ready to handle it. You will need some hints though to he... | "Uncle..... your gummy bears are talking in my stomach nowww.... Ohhh they say that I should follow them to gummy bear landd...." Tommy was literally drooling when he said that, lying there on the floor in my room.
I left my door opened for a minute, and the next he was inside, hands in his mouth, both my LSD laden gu... | Your 11 year old nephew just ate 2 of your LSD gummy bears 45 minutes ago and you have to make sure he makes it through sane | 560 |
Sacred ground shines. I don’t mean that in a literal way, of course. And I certainly don’t mean it as a crude metaphor in reference to how what used to be little church downtown was covered in flames that blazed tall and fierce before it was reduced to ash. Figuratively, sacred ground is bright. It’s what makes it a sa... | ##Morbid Café Melodrama
I turn the lights off in the store, and I pull the black-out curtains over the glass door. Living customers frequently tell me that it is a unique aesthetic choice. Some customers have speculated that illegal activities must be occurring inside. That would be much simpler.
I pull out my flashl... | Everyone jokes that you'll be haunted by spirits for building your tea shop on sacred ground. But at night you actually serve the undead spirits and calm the restless. | 639 |
“Sir, look, you’re a rockstar,” the recruiter started. “No, I’m The Technician,” I interrupted. This guy had been calling me for months now, and this was the second time this week. It’s only Monday.
“Your skills are unique, even amongst all of the superpowers out there, yours are unique. Tenor Nullifio can’t disable y... | \[Zero Income\]
"If you have a moment...," the teenager surprised Miles. He looked young enough to still be in high school and a mess of wild brown curls sat on his head. His hand was stretched out as a greeting and he continue once he had Miles' attention. "... I'd like to talk to you about your Super power."
... | Super powers are common, but super heroes are rare. It turns out most people don't actually want to face death or dismemberment on a daily basis, including you. You enjoy the 9-5 and having a 401k, but my god that government recruiter won't take no for an answer. | 552 |
Slipping into other people's skin was a little like visiting other people's houses. The house itself was usually pretty similar to my own but with the furniture rearranged and the walls painted a different color.
Jessie didn't have colors. Her view was a muted greyscale, her house was without furniture like she didn't... | "Detective Jones," came a sharp, clear voice from behind me. I turned towards my boss, Captain Whaile, and gave a slight nod.
"Captain," I acknowledged, waiting for her to continue. She looked me over, mouth tight. I swallowed. She hadn't made captain because she was dumb. I what she saw past my wrinkled button down a... | You obtained the ability to experience life as it is for others. After trying out a few people you realize that the general "living feeling" differs enormously to each person. You decide to try it on your super cheerful friend... you have never felt such emptiness before. | 617 |
As a kid I always asked a lot of questions. My parents would indulge me and give me partial truths but as I got older, they started being really honest with me, about politics, history, their opinions on life. I remember once after a fight, my dad confided in me that he never should have married my mother. It would hav... | Jackass... I think as my powers while they could be used to cause a lot of annoyance because it is power to play any musical instrument to perfect decree. I am a girl and this is how he wants my attention? Wow, nice... I love music... I feel my heart drop as the gloves are worn on. I immediately start thinking about on... | The world has taken precautions against super-powered beings, handing out inhibitors if deemed too 'destructive.' You sat in the principal's office with horror etched on your face as a pair of inhibitor gloves were handed to you. The smug grin of your life long bully telling you everything. | 523 |
Carrie drew in her notebook, completely and utterly bored out of her mind. God, she hated US gov. She didn't understand, for the life of her, why an art major needed history courses, yet, there she was.
'...waste of time...' She thought. 'Where did this guy get a PhD from? The University of Teaching Through YouTube v... | *I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING!*
Jack imagined those words echoing with power and authority. The words would only ever affect those who had a super power similar to telepathy and would ring in their head, he imagined. The words would hit a person with such an ability with so much force that they wouldn't even think about ... | Due to an overactive imagination and your love of superheroes, you have a tendency to yell "I know you're listening" loudly inside your own head to see if anybody reacts. One day, you're answered by a panicked "I'm sorry" in a familiar voice and the girl across the classroom has gone beet red.
Edit: I'm glad to see th... | 521 |
"Section 17b of the Interstellar Treaty states that armed forces are strictly prohibited unless governed by the Federation. Failure to comply with this ruling will result in rejection and or expulsion from the council. It is our personal belief that this article should be struck down. Our individual military forces gra... | The meeting took place in a bunker multiple hundreds of meters below the soil of an unknown planet within the solar system.
"Are you sure it is completely safe to speak here?"
"It seems I trust dirt and steel more than you."
"If you trust this place, I will too, I guess."
"So let's begin then."
"Ah, yes, so... wh... | Rejected by the Federation Council for refusing to disband their military, humans ally themselves with the Thoran, the Federation’s resident warrior race. Warmongers, the Thoran find themselves enamored with humanity, and grow increasingly tired of the Federations attempts to “civilize” both. | 503 |
As the hood over my head was removed, I heard the sound of raucous laughter coming from all around me.
"Well, if it isn't our leader's darling little boy! How's it going, Larry? Having fun dating a superhero?"
One of my parents' henchmen stood before me, shining a bright light into my face. Around me, I could see at ... | It all started with drinks. Catherine sat with her boyfriend Sam. They were both slightly buzzed and as it often did, the conversation turned to some rather interesting topics.
"So the trolley problem. Thoughts?"
Catherine raised her eyebrows and took another sip of her drink. "I think it's a bad problem really. The... | you are kidnapped by henchmen because your boyfriend/girlfriend is a super hero, but the villains are your parents who just now recognized you as your BF/GF has arrived to save you and now you have to explain the situation to everyone while the henchmen watch barley stifling their laughter | 537 |
Anna gave a rough, barking laugh, strained around the edges, and waggled a manicured hand at the doc.
“You’re a character, shrink.” She plucked a strand of coloured hair, twirling it around her finger. “Go do a Broadway bit, your talents are wasted here.”
“I assure you,” the psychologist adjusted his glasses, “I am n... | *"I'm sure this is the right thing for you to do, Rhiann. All these years with nightmares and bedwetting and sudden tears. That constant fear you describe to me. I hope your first session goes well with the therapist."*
"I'm scared, Clemmie. I'm terrified about what to tell them. What if it still doesn't help? And I'm... | After years of gentile persuasion your best friend since childhood finally agrees to seek professional help for serious mental problems. Much to your dismay, as she begins to improve you slowly start to realize that you are her imaginary friend.
Edit: I see what I did wrong and I see what you did there ;) I'm leaving ... | 640 |
The man shivered as he padded across the newly constructed bridge, clutching his jacket tightly. His whole life'd been one miserable failure after another. He hadn't managed to do anything right.
Being the first person to jump off this damn bridge would be the only memorable thing he ever did.
He froze. Another figu... | It was already late at night when Jessica arrived at the bridge. "Dead Man's Bridge" they'd called it back in high school, back when suicide felt like a strange concept and the kids were cruel enough to make fun of the people who did it. Jessica missed the days when their mindset felt so alien.
She walked out to the... | Two suicidal people happen to meet on the same bridge to jump. Rather than joining together, they each try to convince the other not to jump while justifying why they themselves should jump.
EDIT: yes i'm well aware this concept has been done before many times in movies, books and music.
But that's exactly it: it's ... | 556 |
War, seated atop a horse of red flame, clad in his uniform, tight, polished, unaffected by the inferno he is bathed in, soon to be stained with the blood of the unworthy, sword at his side ready to cleave flesh from bone.
Famine, a thin man on a horse as sickly as he, both with their ribs showing, wearing a raiment th... | “Hey fella,” Mark said, sideling up beside the skeletal figure seated atop a pale horse. He gently ran his hand down the mane of his mule, whom he had tentatively named Jerry Springer. He wasn’t yet confident that was the ideal title for the brown, four-legged creature, however. “My name’s Mark.”
The skeletal being gl... | As the four horsemen of the apocalypse get ready to signal the end times, they are joined by a fifth one | 677 |
Neil Holm signed copies of his new book, *The Prisoner*, as fans crowded his table and jostled one another for the best spot to see the author.
"What happens to Ellie, Mr Niel?" a pale-faced teenager asked Neil, his voice trembling only slightly as he came face-to-face with his idol. "Does she escape from Nehom's pri... | "I'm getting dizzy, Ace!" Muddylocks wailed, clinging onto a bar for dear life as I spun the roundabout faster and faster. His usually jet black face had gained an an ashen, pallid quality; his wispy, silver dreadlocks swished through the air. "Okay, stop, stop!"
I pulled hard the roundabout to slow it enough for my f... | When children turn 8, they are given the option of manifesting their imaginary friend into reality in exchange for sacrificing their remaining imagination. Your "friend" assumes he's about to be manifested, but you've always secretly wanted to be a writer when you grow up. | 514 |
Staring up at the two large moons, Seth knew that something had gone horribly wrong. There was no logical, scientific explanation for this.
He was one of the submarine technicians, working under Dr. Porter to help with her study of deep sea organisms in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. A freak storm had sprung up durin... | “You sure this is a good idea?” Randall glanced over the rocky terrain, his eyes wide. He finished knotting the anchor rope to the largest rock we could find and I let go of the section I was holding. The tiny submersible bobbed at the sudden release of tension, but the anchor held it fast.
“There’s not enough power ... | A team of researchers in a submarine are caught in a huge storm. The submarine submerges until the storm passes. When they resurface, they can’t get a fix on their location or find land. When night falls, there are two moons in the sky and the constellations are completely unfamiliar.
Well this has blown up big time!!... | 605 |
It was my 18th birthday.
The beach party my friends were so kind to have organized was dying down. The sun was setting, and the moon was high overhead. Small groups of people splashed about in the water, sat on beach towels talking, creating a warm hubbub around me. A small driftwood fire was being constructed nearby.... | Above, the clouds are low, heavy and fat with rain, tumbling their way over the wood and farther away.
A young man with tousled hair and dark eyes makes his way to a graveyard, afraid of what he'll find.
*What was that?*
He's confused, and somewhat afraid. Not of being alone, no, for now that seems the best and onl... | When people turn 18, they gain the power to summon 1 random thing in the world to their hand, as Thor does to Mjolnir. Summoned people are considered soulmates, and objects as important parts of one's life. When you summon yours, it takes some time, but people are horrified when it arrives... | 586 |
"You fought valiantly. Many battles you have to your name. Many won, some lost, and yet, you continue the fight." These words were coming from a man much larger than him... well, *seemed* larger. "You learned from your mistakes and enter each with new resolve and cunning." The eye covering and crows were equally intimi... | "Wait, wait, wait, wait," I started as the man bellowed something at me. I hadn't caught what he'd said, but he was built like he built brick houses and then ate them. He was holding out an impossibly muscled arm to help me off of the freezing ground. "What is going on?!"
"You have joined us!" He said with a smile tha... | You're a lawyer, who died of a heart attack while in court. Turns out legal battles also get you into Valhalla. | 501 |
I wake to my phone buzzing on the night stand. I look at the clock next to it. The green numbers shine brightly: 3:14 AM.
'What the hell?' I think to myself. 'Why is anyone texting me at 3 in the morning?'
Before I can take a look, it starts buzzing again. And again. It won't stop. I grab the phone and mute it quickl... | The silk curtains fluttered in the cold November winds, brushing ever so softly on Evelyn's shoulder. With its cool touch, Evelyn slept soundly. A distant owl cooed, the falling leaves danced in the night. As the darkness grew dense and empty, the moon burned bright in the sky. Not a single cloud in the sky, the beige ... | It's 3 AM. An official phone alert wakes you up. It says "DO NOT LOOK AT THE MOON". You have hundreds of notifications. Hundreds of random numbers are sending "It's a beautiful night tonight. Look outside." | 519 |
She sat there with her plate half empty. Fry bits scattered the table like toys in a toddler room. Peanut shells littered the floor; she dropped them one by one as she grinned at Lucy from afar.
"That fucking bitch", Lucy mouthed to her self. Lucy watched from the pit as the mess piled up. She told the Hank that all ... | # The Means of Slap Production
“Hey, in here!”
Kate and Celeste piled into the janitorial closet. Why? They didn’t know why. They only knew that if Amy wanted something she mostly got it, and mostly, it was the right idea. That’s how Amy imagined the looks on their faces anyway, trusting, in a bemused, long suffering... | due to an exciting new ammendment to the constitution, service and restaurant workers are legally allowed to backhand one customer a day. | 677 |
"But I don't see how that's possible! I never *killed* anyone! I never stole, I never even hurt an animal, I lived a simple, boring life. I don't claim to be perfect, but how could I be that evil?"
The man leaned back in his chair. "It doesn't really work that way. People like to imagine that there are big actions tha... | Mark leaned onto the counter trying to get a better look at the demon's computer screen. "It's gotta be wrong! I didn't do anything that bad!"
The demon pushed her glasses up her nose. "It's never wrong. That's the number it figured out. That's the time you'll spend in hell. Next please!" She stamped a document... | You die and find yourself in hell, where apparently everyone spends time to negate their sins before they go to heaven. The guy in front of you, who cheated on his wife, gets 145 years. Feeling like you led a fairly average and peaceful life, you’re not worried. You get 186,292 years. | 730 |
"Hey, Sarge," Private Ryan called out. "I don't get what we're doing here."
"What's there to get, Ryan? We're marching," Sergeant Pepper replied knowing full well what was to come. It was, after all, the same thing that he was wondering himself. Just why the fuck was Frog Platoon marching when there were easier soluti... | Laurel Gamgee, great-great-great -great (lots of greats) granddaughter of Samwise called the meeting to order.
Two men, Benhan and Gondamir were in a separate conversation with three older dwarves and a hobbit named Lance. They were pouring over a map of Middle Earth.
Gondamir rose and stood slightly in front of L... | Sauron has been biding his time and returned to Middle Earth after thousands of years and raised an army of orcs. However, he does not know about the technological advancements of men, such as M-16s, artillery strikes, and Apache attack helicopters. | 732 |
“Off to lure men into having sex again, Lust?”
“Please don’t say it as if I’m some kind of succubus.”
That was technically a part of what he did, but, like all Sins, his duty was more about tempting people into giving into their desires, men and women alike. He’d fuel their passion and intensify their desires, and th... | Warning NSFW:
Asmodeus, Lord of the Second Hell, Prince of Lust, Seated Member of the Council of Seven of the Pandaemonium Pact, ancient and terrible, glanced across the bar, his gaze flicking across the writhin figures in the halflight, contemplated his next move. He was dressed impeccably, his short blonde hair seem... | Lust is a guy, and all the other deadly sins gives him crap because he's always portrayed as a woman | 652 |
"I want to go to Taco Bell. Many sapients say it is the best food in the galaxy."
Golbur looked at his companion, who was holding a guidebook in her claws. "Did you just read that in the book?"
Julix looked up from the book. "Yes, but they must be good. Otherwise why would there be so many of them?"
Golbur adjusted ... | Fifteen years ago, Humanity discovered that Star Trek's non-interference directive was near-verbatim what the Sitlan System’s reason for never interacting with us was. We were new and young and they wanted to let us mature. A world full of resources and a clean atmosphere wasn’t worth a potential ally in the vastness o... | Aliens have finally discovered Earth - but they're not hostile. They've tasted human food, and they think it's so astonishingly good that Earth is becoming an alien tourist hotspot. | 689 |
"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. You killed Ryan!"
I drop to my knees in horror. My best friend, dead.... by my... hands?
"It's okay. Grief is a process, you'll get over it."
"You just shot my... OUR best friend!"
"I know. I don't have much time. Listen, this little time travel experiment you guys are contemplating? Goes to ... | ***June 14th, 1943; Dresden Germany***
I've come back to this night, physically, mentally, and spiritually so many times that one could say it is the true birth of my existence and the person I am today. I think of what brought us here; me an American born doctor and war surgeon thrust into the midst of one of the bl... | You and friend agree that if one of you invents time travel, they will come back to this very moment. As you shake on it, an older and injured you shows up and shoots your friend in the head. | 681 |
I stepped out of the door, carrying the broken body of the villain before my chest. The former hostages stumbled behind me into the daylight, some still under shock, some relieved, all disbelieving of what just had happened. I stumbled under the weight of the corpse and had to set it down at the bottom of the stairs le... | The pavement where Adrian just stood was no more than moon craters and plasma at this point. Overseer sharpened his gaze as he, almost effortlessly, levitated toward the remnants of the Starbucks in the corner of 5th and Jayton.
"Nice manouver, kid. But you can't protect all of them."
He was right. The psychotic ba... | You are a nice person, but your superpower is that you instinctively know exactly what to say to someone to crush them. You're very effective in throwing supervillains off their game, but your fellow heroes always feel really uncomfortable watching you work. | 535 |
HONK HONK
“I heard there was a birthday here. A birthday where? A birthday here! I heard there was a birthday here and I’m Bobo the Clown!”
The man at the front door looked confused and angry, his muscles bulged out of his stupid little tank top and his eyes darted around furiously, scanning the space behind the clown... | “Prepare for trouble”
“Make it double”
“To protect the world from persistent pain”
“To unite all peoples within our gang.”
“To denounce the evils of villainy and strife”
“To scoot the villains out of ruining life”
“Scooter Red”
“Scooter Blue”
“Scooter Heroes ride off into the night.”
“Surrender now or prepare to fight!... | You're a 'comically incompetent' supervillain for a group of C-List heroes. They are no real threat to you, so you endure their childish speeches. However, when the heroes raid the civilian business you run on the side and injure your employees, you decide to take yourself seriously for once. | 622 |
Those humans. Those weak, pathetic Humans. Or so we thought. We decided to eradicate them. They where allies with many of our enemies, and had been providing raw materials to them to fuel them in their war with us. We knew they had to die.
And Besides, they where so pathetic. Squishy bodies, lacking a hard chitin to p... | **Xerxes XVII - Northern Quadrant of the Terran Front**
163.0041 Fleet Standard
The command bunker was a problem. Fighting had stalled out as the 25th Company of the Royal Offworld Regiment held their ground, unable to push home the final advance that would drive the last of the invading forces that had come to conq... | Humans have always been the friendliest and the most peaceful species in the galaxy. When one of the most ruthless empires decides to wipe out the pathetic humans and their diplomacy, they discover that humans have something that no one in the galaxy has ever seen. Nuclear weapons. | 630 |
I knew Honey wasn't going to say anything. They had her at the table, read her a long list of rules and information I'm sure she couldn't understand, and all waited. It was hard to believe that anyone expected her waste her one sentence on me.
My dog was going to outlive me, I realized. Once I was convicted, that wou... | Judge Graham allowed himself to soak in a moment’s peace as he rearranged his papers. The courtroom, an arena where explosive outbursts now passed for normal conversation, had fallen unusually silent as they waited for him to make the ruling. But decorum demanded that he press on, and Judge Graham steeled himself menta... | Every dog is able to speak perfect English exactly once, for one sentence, in their lifetime. You're on trial for a murder you didn't commit, and your dog is the only one who could possibly exonerate you. There's just one problem: you weren't a very good owner. | 739 |
It all happened so fast. I was going into town for a shovel. Earlier that day I'd broken one digging a drain trench out behind the barn.
Now I was sitting at a table in a room with a long mirror along the wall. The kind you see in a cop movie where they are shaking down a suspect.
Oh fuck. I'm a suspect. But for wha... | "Oh god, please nothing with horses, I knew I would regret that night with Fred."
That fear sitting at the back of my mind, I drag my feet towards the terminal and begin punching in my user ID.
"Ah, shit, what was it..."
"6-1-3...." The thought trails off trying to remember the number I've only used once or twice... | When you reach 18, you get put in a database which ranks you in different categories (ex. 207,145th in the world for most bug kills) You lived on a ranch and never used tech. You had to go into town after your 18th birthday. Everyone is staring at you. You finally decide to check the database.
Completely unaware of th... | 548 |
I logged onto the website, after 3 failed attempts at my password.
It took me the better part of an hour scrolling through the pages and pages of statistics, most pretty decent, some exceptional (top 100,000 at minesweeper felt pretty good).
Finally I noticed the little menu bar at the top and found the "Outliers" se... | "Oh god, please nothing with horses, I knew I would regret that night with Fred."
That fear sitting at the back of my mind, I drag my feet towards the terminal and begin punching in my user ID.
"Ah, shit, what was it..."
"6-1-3...." The thought trails off trying to remember the number I've only used once or twice... | When you reach 18, you get put in a database which ranks you in different categories (ex. 207,145th in the world for most bug kills) You lived on a ranch and never used tech. You had to go into town after your 18th birthday. Everyone is staring at you. You finally decide to check the database.
Completely unaware of th... | 544 |
They were the Gods of this city. 3 brothers ruling over their individual parts.
Zeus, on the face of it, was a shining beacon of good. The eldest brother became mayor, shaping the city to his vision, which to anyone visiting was a glorious and prosperous city of gold. But those of us living here saw it for what it rea... | Blood pattered onto a wooden pier soaked in rain as a cold wind whipped through crates stacked high in preparation for smuggling. A private eye wiped his nose as he struggled back to his feet, the world around him going various shades of grey to match the unimpressive rolling cloud cover.
"You're in the wrong place a... | Set in a dangerous city in the early 1900s, Zeus, the corrupt mayor, Poseidon, who owns the ports, and Hades, kingpin of the back alley drug trade, run the city unapologetically. All are vying for more power in this Greek pantheon film noir setting. (From popular demand from r/books!) | 734 |
Jerry the timberjack did save the fox over the hill, after her howls in the night had woken him.
He had walked the cold plain with a gun at his back, treaded carefully the creekstones and gone up the grassy slopes that glistened with moon-shine towards where he knew she would be.
Beyond the valley below the black f... | # Bargain Bin Superheroes
(Arc 5, Part 6: Clara Olsen v.s. The Fox)
(Note: Bargain Bin Superheroes is episodic; each part is self-contained. This story can be enjoyed without reading the previous sections.)
**There was precious little magic left in the modern world.** Ninety percent of the world's genies were contro... | You recently saved a fox from certain death. It has come back to you over and over again, bringing gifts. The gifts have gotten stranger, and more mysterious over time. | 687 |
"Uh, not going to argue for my case, there surely have been better men than me in the billions that you've taken thus far." I said, letting my breath ease as what I'd originally prepared to say laid in a pile of broken pieces along with what little remained of my sanity.
Seeing no response from the AI, the reading lig... | It's been 20 years since the AGI event. Even with 10,000 complexes around the world, at one point housing billions, the AI maintains humanity while also deleting it one human mind at a time.
At first we did not know why it was doing this, it was efficient at building, at creating, at producing. Communication was diffi... | The AI takeover has begun, each human has been given exactly 3 minutes to explain why should humanity be spared, you feel a cold shiver running down your spine as you hear the robotic voice. "6.8 billion test subjects deleted so far, you have 3 minutes to state your case, begin". | 709 |
*Bing*
The loud noise of my phone infiltrates my subconscious. I internally sigh, pull the pillow over my face, and almost instantly fall back asleep.
*Bing* *Bing*
The noise wouldn't quit. I grab my phone from the side, reaching out to muffle the piercing tones. I felt groggy, and my throat felt like sandpaper. M... | It was originally called Wristcutteria. Then we thought that was too emo, and we changed it to Freedomnia.
We thought that was too on the nose, so, again, we changed it. To United Youth State.
UYS. We didn't think that one was too emo or on the nose or lame or anything. UYS. So it stayed.
'You-why-ass', for shorts. ... | A teenage boy is woken up late at night to an AMBER alert on his phone that says that he is missing. | 585 |
*3:30 AM, Atlanta*
The phone rang.
"This had better be worth waking my ass up."
"Flux. $500,000. If we lose power--."
"I'll do it if you make it six. Where?"
The caller accepted, a little too quickly. Damn. Could have got more.
The caller gave the address to a malfunctioning power station, and thanked Flux for assis... | "I'm just going to talk to him," Rodgers says to himself, standing outside a house. It was the definition of suburban. A little garden out the front, a big oak tree and a novelty mailbox shaped like a salmon. He knocks on the door three times, to no answer, as it swings ajar.
Rodgers walks inside, coughing as he does.... | A world where super heroes exist but act as mercenaries for hire instead of doing it out of the goodness of their hearts
Someone made a comment in another thread that made me want to see this sort of thing and some people replied saying I should submit it here. Here's a link to my [original post](https://www.reddit.co... | 629 |
"This is proof of a deterministic future ij accordance with Seidr's Third Law!" shouted Magister Maximillian Montrose, dropping the papers on the table.
"It is not!" responded the gnome Pallabar Pumpernink, "These are just projections. We are masters of the weave, not the other way around!" He red face as red as his n... | They knew the tornado was coming for a week. The biggest ever, it would pop up somewhere outside of Kansas City. The predictions had never been so sure, yet Dr. J Sampson didnt trust them. He rarely trusted severe predictions more than in passing, as an indicator of potential trends. Nonetheless he had a few tornado ch... | All natural disasters are actually the results of wizard duels. The wizarding world is horrified to learn of modern predictive technologies for said natural disasters. | 729 |
Did you know you can talk with spiders? They're pretty quiet, but if you know some German, and a little smidgen of Mandarin Chinese, you can usually make out some words.
My spider is talkative for one of his kind. He can really hold a conversation, as long as it's about eating or webs. Right now though, he certainly ... | In the Texas summer, bugs tended to be a huge annoyance. For me, mosquitos, flies, and all kinds of pests were constantly a problem. They would find their way into the house, buzzing around the room, leaving itchy, annoying bites.
There was a spiderweb in the upper corner of the living room. The ceiling was too hig... | 2 years ago, tired of all the bugs in your house, you made a deal with a spider. He would protect your house from pests, and you would not kill it or drive it off. When you made the deal, you could have held the spider in your hand, now, it is much bigger, and its definition of 'pests' is also. | 511 |
In the swirling blizzard of North Palax, planet Haranox 7, a group of Aranids, a spider like race, gather together inside a secluded, secure building to discuss one thing.
Surrender
The normally proud race had made 2 mistakes that had cost them dearly. They had aggravated humanity to war, and laughed at humanities so... | Commander Xenov wrapped his head-tentacles together as he stared at the battle holo; a sign of contentment for his species, the fearsome Carnovians. Feared throughout the galaxy for their terrifying prowess in battle, both in space and on planet, they had been at an uneasy peace for nearly 200 solar cycles. Back then, ... | The galaxy was amused when they learned that Humans have Rules of War. They were less amused when they figured out what Humans do in war when there are no rules. | 601 |
\-"This is preposterous!"
This was the only clearly audible response, the chaos erupting in the Councill's Halls drowned out everything else. Every race wanted to express their discontent at the same time, creating an unprecedented cacaphony of yelling, hollering, screeching and howling. The only silent figure amidst ... | "I'm sorry but our translator is having difficulties with your hierarchical organisation. What is a high priest?"
The Pope looked at the alien and paused. Surely they had made themselves plain by now?
"Xerce, Admiral Xerce. A priest is a warrior of undying faith to the Cardinals of the Pope. That would be me. I am se... | Many years ago, an alien invasion nearly wiped out Humanity. Now, the galactic government is desperately trying to reason with a vengeful Humanity by saying that it was a rogue mining company that attacked without their approval or knowledge. | 579 |
"You know, possession isn't that bad." I sigh and take a sip of my "Dirty Bean Water" coffee. I work from home programming stuff for whatever company I'm in the mood for. I have an excellent track record.
But I shouldn't take all the credit. Most of it's becuase the demoness dragon sleeping on the couch can work m... | 'Lily, you don't have to pay me, it was just a joke. I was joking,' I told her, looking straight into her eyes. Her 12 flaming red eyes residing atop her head, and behind her head, and to the sides of her head, and also under her abdomen. I think some of them were looking at me. And some of them were looking at the flo... | After being possessed, you jokingly tell the demon that if it really wants to stay it’ll have to pay rent. The next morning you wake up to find a pile of cash on your nightstand. | 668 |
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello,” I replied.
“Who are you?”
Not this again. For some silly little reason, humans had convinced themselves that there was only the Grim Reaper. Of course most people who die aren’t too happy about it, so Greg does get the most work. Still, I get a fair share of the load too, many people who ... |
Curiosity killed the cat, a saying one has heard countless times in life. I never thought it would be quite so literal. But here I was in a hospital bed, people moving around me in a monotone black and white. The only thing that had color was the half of me, appearing outside my body and the woman.
“Hello, Jakob” ... | There is more than just the Grim Reaper- there is the Sorrowful Reaper, the Envious Reaper, so on and so forth- one for each emotion. Each one reaps a death based on the emotions behind the death. You were chosen to take over one of the Reaper roles... Welcome to day one as the Puzzled Reaper. | 669 |
Graduation day. I finally made it. I was hard being the only powerless “freak” in the school, but at least the bullying stopped pretty quickly. I think there was only a single time I was actually attacked by someone else which is an absurd stroke of luck. I guess he got expelled as I never saw Charles again. The fact t... | "Alright class, welcome to 'Intro to Personal Abilities 1'. Before we introduce ourselves, can anyone tell me what the three classes of powers are?"
A bookish girl with large glasses raised her hand.
"The first class of powers are mental abilities. Mental abilities are controlled by the mind, and are often exerted ag... | You are the sole normal, unpowered student at a School for the Supernaturally Gifted. You were bullied once. Once. | 553 |
I watched the young man as the pudding cup oozed down his shirt. I hadn't meant to flip his lunch tray up into his chest, but one exaggerated hand motion while telling my friend a story and suddenly Thadeus McAlister was wearing his lunch all over his football jersey. "Sorry" I said weakly as he turned his gaze towards... | "Well, well, well, if it's Tommy O'Gransworth. Granny to me and the boys, like." In came Ted Nuggerton. All-round arsehole, and self-proclaimed champion of the school ground. His thicker-than-most Irish accent horrendously disturbing the peace.
I was sitting in the small tired-looking, abandoned chapel, built back in... | You are the sole normal, unpowered student at a School for the Supernaturally Gifted. You were bullied once. Once. | 729 |
“Leave me,” Tamot, the Eldritch, snarled.
The dragon towered over the silhouette emerging from the forest clearing. A hunter, no doubt. This time, he would be ready for them.
The person paused. Tamot watched them with curiosity as the smoke from his nostrils twisted and coiled in the scant light, creating horrid shap... | A blood-curdling howl filtered in through the mist, seeming to come from every direction at once. Any other man would have fled immediately lest he be ripped to shred by the fearsome beasts of the forest. But that only urged Gervis onward, though maybe his hand did clutch a bit tighter around the handle of his ax.
Af... | The Deep Woods are a fearsome place, filled with screams and lights and terrible magic. But in the depths of the forest lives an ancient dragon who constructs all the sounds and sights to keep people away, because he just wants to be left alone. | 747 |
"I have the power and brains to make the world a better place... If only i could get rid of Holy Justice and his sidekick Kain." the Dark Phantom had thought before he had kidnapped Kain.
Three days had passed since he had Kain locked up and tied up in a cell. He had felt great joy at fooling that idiot Justice to be... | *Note first prompt pls no rage on bad "x" thing*
Standing on the roof of skyscraper; you're just a few minutes away from unleashing the most powerful, the most incredible monstrosity upon the world and finally claim it as your own.
/You hear sound coming beneath you followed by the ground starting to tremble/
Sudden... | You, a villain, heart set on taking over the world, kidnapped the hero’s sidekick. You find out that you are treating them much better than the hero was and decide to take them under your wing. | 622 |
"Good morning." The little girl in plate armor bowed and greeted the wriggling monstrosity that opened the door, "Do you know how to get to Carne Village?"
Axylovr the Insanity rubbed what passed for a chin with a tentacle. It's been awhile since he's had visitors and it took him a couple seconds to remember how to us... | The party of three and the old man stare at each other until the fighter shifts uncomfortably, his battered armor creaking. The old man lowers the hand that stopped the cavalcade of words, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “Let me get this straight. You were asked to go to Gre... | The Heroes politely knocked on the door of the Dark Lord. There was a side quest over in the nearby forest and they were rather lost. | 698 |
It was the end of my journey, I was eye-to-eye with what had caused all my friends to die before my eyes. I burst in to tears from the thought of my friends, I had encouraged them to come; "It will be worth it" I said foolishly. I took a few steps closer to the treasure chest and opened it up... All I saw was a piece o... | Kaant and Tenor heaved at the chest, pulling upwards with all their strength. Sweat streamed down from the two men’s foreheads, obstructing their vision and making an unpleasant situation even worse. It *stung* as it got in their eyes, and neither could spare a hand to wipe away the unwelcome fluid.
They swore at the ... | After a treasure hunt with your friends, you make it to the treasure. But instead of the wealth you were told about, it was a note congratulating you on your journey and that the real treasure was the friends you made on the way. Only problem is that all your friends died getting you this far. | 659 |
It was hard to keep down the venom that formed so readily and instantly at my throat, ready to leap out and slash at the god damned bastard—Roy, the Tinkerer—who sat merrily in the midst of several patrons. He took another swig of beer, enjoying the drunk and appreciative attention of those around him.
My blood boiled... | "Hey, Huntley, good to see you, how are we this fine evening?" Boris, the tavern keeper asked.
"It goes very well, Boris." Huntley said with a scratched voice. He took a seat at the crowded bar. "Busy night, huh?"
"Nothing I can't handle. Give me one second, your beer is coming right up."
"Thank you." While Huntley ... | Your old adventuring party left you in the old dwarves mines to die. You were rescued by your now-wife and her clan. After some years, you find a retired member of your old party in the tavern. | 603 |
"Your occupation?"
"Food sales and service."
"The boxes we found in your home, you were specifically trying to sell those? Including the one we have in this evidence bag?"
"Yes, detective. I don't understand what the problem is. I got a license, I pay taxes on all my profits, it's all legal."
"Where do you buy your... | My job is not the most prestigious, or the most difficult. Like everything else, it is just a job. I hate it, just like I hate myself. A repetition of certain tasks that does not ever end. I keep to myself, as always. I have no interest in making acquaintances or friends. The only guy that talks to me just compliments ... | You've been living alone for 13 years. Whenever you come home from work, you always find your bed made, dinner cooked and a message with "This could have been us." You moved out several times. This keeps going on. | 635 |
I sit alone in the darkened room of my living room, the faint light of the television illuminated me. I was unnerved by the feeling that I needed to do something. It had been weeks, almost two months since I had gone out and done something. Something bad, but Powerhouse never showed up for any of the times I decided to... | Part 1/3
Shouldn’t a villain be evil? Shouldn’t that be a requirement of the label. I’m not evil, though that’s probably what all the other “villains” think. But I don’t want power, wealth or influence. I didn’t build this house because I needed a fortress or lair. I built it to be alone. I built it so I didn’t have... | The hero shows up at the villains doorstep one night. Theyre shivering bleeding scared. They look like they were assaulted. Looking up at the villain, swaying slightly, close to passing out, they mumble “didn’t know where else to go” then collapse into the villains arms. | 595 |
With a flash of light, the ritual was complete. Standing in the middle of the summoning circle was a man dressed in dark gray with a giant rucksack on his back and many pockets. He looked like a traveling merchant, not a solider.
Our concerns were immediately put to rest. With practiced reflexes he raised what appeare... | I leave it to Dr. Lucero and her team to worry about the nature of The Nexus, how it operates, all that junk. Look, I get it's important, and I respect that they do something that I not only couldn't do, but I have 0 interest in doing. Like, none, at all. I'd rather pull shitter duty for a month straight.
So: I'm stan... | The legendary hero that we summoned to save the realm was not what we expected. He was gruff, not handsome. He direct in his speech, not elegant. He also came with "Navy Seal Training," which we think is some sort of swordplay and a "Medal of Honor," which must be some sort of crown. | 533 |
"Y'know, you're actually kind of my type."
The great eldritch god, Andolith, ruler of the Seven Rings of Eternity, slayer of the last Helian Angels, and enslaver of the Five Realms of Agamemnon, blushed.
"I... excuse me, human?"
"Look, don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of the pointy horns. Or the weird slime mem... | There's a bald spot on Gh'ogonoth's head, in-between the horns, and I have the strangest urge to rub it. I bet it would be real smooth. It's shiny. I'm like a crow in that shiny objects compel me, I'm transfixed, they're all treasures even if they're really just the lack of hair on the top of my eldritch god fiancée's ... | The eldritch god stood before the girl, in almost human form. "Your parents sold you to be my bride. I accepted, knowing that if I don't they will just try another deity, but I will not force this on you. Have this credit card and live as you wish. If you want something else instead, just ask." | 556 |
I never thought to ask his name.
He was 'a regular', that was it.
Everyday I came to this bar, he was sitting there, alone and reading his book, nursing a drink.
He looked wise though, stereotypical grandpa beard, tan suit over a checkered shirt, and really soft eyes. He always had this aura about him that just ... | You can't go anywhere in Heaven, or anywhere anywhere really, without the all seeing eye of El Deus-bag knowing and seeing in that annoying omnipotent manner of His. But there are certain places, in certain less reputable corners of paradise, where the skinny is that his eye tends to be a little less focused. Places wh... | The Devil is actually a she, and God's ex.
Seems they had a bit of a *falling* out. | 732 |
Jesse returned to basecamp with more on his mind than the topographical features of his scouting report.
“Guys, I’m telling you – this doesn’t making any sense. I’ve heard of fisherman or lost voyagers discovering a small island before but from these initial reports, this thing is half the size of South America. They... | "I don't understand. None of the maps make any mention let alone have any markings of land here. The hell is this place?"
Shyn turned the map every which way he possibly could, trying to analyze a mistake he could have made. "Hey Vort, any ideas?" Vort'haal lay in the deck, his back rested upon sacks of grain, a lar... | A new continent is discovered. No one knows why this large land mass has never been seen before, it doesn't appear on any pictures taken from space and no astronauts have ever reported seeing it. You are part of the team in charge of mapping the area when you find out what they've been hiding. | 670 |
Mom always told me not to wear long-sleeved shirts. I obeyed, of course.
It would always make people talk when they saw a name on your skin. They wouldn't ask, they'd just whisper.
When I traveled to Guatemala, I saw a police officer with his arm covered with people's names. I would later learn he was a war hero.
... | Carlisle groaned as his phone blared, swiping at his nightstand and hitting the snooze button. The alarm went off again five minutes later. He tried to ignore it, as well as the headache that had started to build when it went off, but it was too late, he was up.
Taking a peek out the window next to his bed, he started... | When someone is murdered, their name appears on the skin of the killer. You wake up with a name on your arm and no knowledge of how it got there. | 505 |
Little Samantha picked the dented can up off the kitchen floor. It was a warm, still full, probably dropped and forgotten, plain silver can. The name on it was covered in splotches of crusty pizza sauce. Sammy rubbed it with her palm to reveal the words 'Genie Light'.
She felt the can shake in her hand. It cracked ope... | “Chad, beer me!”
Keith was floating down a river in an inflatable tube. T-shirt wrapped around his head. Aviator sunglasses covering the majority of his face. Flip-flops barely hanging onto each of his sunburnt feet. He had long ago lost his paddles and has since surrendered his flight path to the almighty river. Chad... | You rub a can of cheap beer and a small, pudgy spirit in a stained undershirt emerges. He is the Shitty Genie, and he'll grant you any wish as long as it's kind of shitty and won't substantially change the course of your life.
u/two_octavia_scale suggested that I submit my askreddit question as a writing prompt. I can... | 739 |
"This is a Slaandi Skull Staff, encrusted with shards of sapphire. It is a favored weapon of the Slaandians for spreading fear and terror. Pressing this button will cause your enemies to see visions of shifting shadows and shambling skeletons."
"I'm looking for something that can better demonstrate power. Something wi... | My little strike team and I tried not to laugh at how absolutely ridiculous the alien battleship in front of us looked as it slowly floated closer towards Earth’s orbit.
“So, this is the warship that destroyed those human colonies on Mars...” I thought out loud as I stared at this ridiculous hunk of bright yellow met... | In most of the galaxy wars are often just shows of strength with fighting as a last resort. As such weapons are designed to be elaborate and flashy. Turns out humans, whose weapons are built with efficiency in mind, have a different understanding of war. | 555 |
They say it began in infancy. Hell, maybe even in the womb. He wanted no mother's milk. No goat's milk. No milk of any kind. His mother, poor thing, despaired that he would die. For a while she held his tiny skeleton and wished him to heaven.
She cut her finger one morning and he fought as an animal would to get to ... | The job just hadn't been the same since the automated all of the prisons. Now, instead of the comforting clank of keys on a ring, he had a radio that squawked in his ear all day. Instead of his billy club, he had pepper spray. If his eyes weren't made to see under lava in the Lake of Fire, using that shit would have be... | A fresh and original scary story about a cliche monster.
Bigfoot, zombies, Nessie, vampires, etc.
Go nuts. | 640 |
**I Am God. AMA**
*Submitted: 45 seconds ago*
*In the interest of time, (I am very busy after all), I am going to post the answers to your questions in order so you don’t have to waste time typing out your questions. I already know them, and this karma isn’t worth anything anyway. If you’re not sure what your answer ... | “Who would you rather fight, a horse-sized duck or one hundred duck-sized horses?”
God stared at the screen, his hand buried deep within his beard, fingers clawing mindlessly at his chin. They’d had ample time to think of questions, more than a month’s notice on what the press was referring to as the “most important i... | God does an AMA. | 656 |
We all knew we had them. Not all of us could see them, I however was given this "gift" of being able to see our guardian angels. Some were these beautiful creatures that didn't look much human with wings that spread well over 7 feet. Some looked human with nothing special about them. No one really knew why it was like... | I tucked myself in. The sliver of gold from the hall light grew as Angela gently opened the door, careful not to wake Baby Bobby (not a baby) sleeping soundly in the bunk beneath me. I raised my head as I propped myself up on my orphan-like elbows. Elbows that haven't seen a loving, legal parent in an elbows-harvest.
... | Due to a shortage on angels you have had a guardian demon assigned to you instead, he doesn't quite understand how it works but he's very eager to please. | 645 |
I was packing up my things from our latest session, reorganizing notes and stowing my books when Kate slid a long, silver-wrapped box towards me, smiling. I looked at her, and saw the rest of the party was watching too. "What's this?"
Akbar said, "It's a gift, from all of us."
"...Did I miss some anniversary or som... | "We make a deal with the orc lord," says Katie.
"That's... Not really an option," I explain to my high-flying lawyer friend. "Either you guys act now, or the last Kingdom of the Dwarfs crumbles like a dry autumn leaf, and the people inside are either enslaved or executed. What's it to be?"
"Oh, let them all die," say... | Over the years your D&D game has managed to continue with most of the original players. However, almost everyone's life circumstances have changed drastically since they began and you now DM for a group of some of the most-powerful people on the planet. | 722 |
**Greetings, human! We meet again!**
And you are?
**Mars. Bruno Mars. No, not that one.**
I can tell. You're seven feet tall and green.
**And yet I am the better dancer. Go figure. Anyhow, here we are.**
What do you mean "we meet again"?
**Here's the deal, Skippy.**
My name is Lance. Lance Astronaut. Of the Conn... | "Houston, we have landing, I repeat, we have landing."
The spherical metal craft touched down noiselessly, small reddish-brown puffs rising from where the landing gear had disturbed the ground. In every direction, the empty, sun-bleached wasteland of the Red Planet stretched away until it melted into the horizon.
... | Humanity has reset 3 times in the past. Whenever the human race reaches mars, we are met by a supreme alien race asking for the answer to 'The question'. You are the astronaut who has to answer. If you answer incorrectly, Humanity resets again. | 549 |
Not a day would pass that I wouldn't look into the mirror and wonder if I am stuck in a dream. Now I am sure of it. There can be no other explanation. I should have passed from this realm long ago, and now I seem to be having hallucinations that only happen in dreams. Or perhaps nightmares.
Death himself visited me fo... | “What do you mean we’re being audited?” rasped the Old Man.
“I’m…I’m really not sure, Sir…” the thrall whispered, barely audible.
“The scroll, well it just appeared pinned to the door.”
The Old Man rubbed his temples. This had never happened before; the Big Man upstairs always left his department alone. Why now? Co... | Death has hourglasses for every person. One day, during a cleaning, he found a dust covered one that had rolled under his desk. | 551 |
"Hey. Has any of you seen my cat?"
Jasmine knew that was an odd question to ask each of them. Every species aboard the ship seemed to have some sort of disdain for it.
"Your cat?" One of them asked, their eyes shrinking at the short and simple word.
"Yeah. You know? Little fuzzy thing. Four legs. A tail? My cat. Sar... | Mick stood on the bridge of the USS Cheesewheel. The first of its kind, large enough to house over ten thousand standard crew, and one human; he felt at home in its colossal rooms and corridors.
“Where’s Duncan now?” he asked his First Officer, Mina.
“Sir, we’ve lost visual. He was last seen near the cargo bay, but ... | We were warned when we hired our first human crew member that they would pack bond with almost anything. We didn't listen, and now have an apex predator somewhere in the ship, that the human won't stop calling Kitty. | 680 |
At the age of five, I watched my mother have a fatal stroke.
At the age of twelve, I called for ambulances and police on a regular basis as gang wars destroyed my neighborhood- and all I could do was call 911, and watch.
At the age of fourteen, I witnessed my father have a heart attack that eventually took his life, ... | "Jesus Christ, you've got to be kidding me. Is this a joke? Am I being punk'd? Did my partner check my internet search history and decide to teach me a lesson?! I was just curious!"
The demon looks over at you with a somber expression on his face. "Sir, that name is one we prefer not to mention here. That bloke st... | As you die, you wake up in a fiery place. You quickly realize you're in hell. You ask the next demon why you are there, as you lived a very good life. "You're not being punished," he says. "You are the punishment." | 718 |
“Does that mean the British empire took over the entire galaxy?” Mark asked
Kamie slapped him “shut up mark!”
Mark, Kamie, and their 8 other teammates stood in amazement in front of the screen as it loaded in more text, all in English. They had tried for years to send some kind of message in a way that an alien r... | After exiting warp over the blue planet, Farcon and Tuminor each donned a visual alternator on one wrist and a teleportation device on the other. They drew a collective deep breath as they activated their programmed projections.
"You look just like Brandon," said Farcon. "How do I look?"
"Like a queen," said Tuminor ... | English really is a universal language, and aliens are as surprised about this as humans | 575 |
Grampa had popped into my mind today. The hands of his cherished grandfather clock had stopped, as he told me it would countless times over. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I was leaving the basement and turning into the hall, something chilling occurred.
My dog, Chewie was suspended in mid-air, his s... | It’s easy to lose track of time.
Sometimes you just get so occupied, doing work or reading a book or binging a show, that you look up and it’s two in the morning and you wonder where your whole night went.
Or you’re out on a first date that is going really well and suddenly they’re wiping down the last tables and you... | Your grandfather told you to never let his clock stop ticking. You ignored him. As the hands come to a halt, you realize two things. First, the clock may have been controlling rather than counting time; and second, your grandfather was a much better inventor that you gave him credit for. | 638 |
The three men stared at an array of eight solid steel doors. They heard a faint scraping against door number four, and a low gutteral screech.
"I presume this is the one?" asked the tall thin man. His two companions nodded silently.
"Open it." The tall thin man's companions exchanged nervous glances and one of them... | It was early in the morning, I could hear the birds chirping. I opened my eyes just a little only to see my little girl Jessy there. I was happy to see her until I realized she was holding a knife. That was the 5th time this week she has woke me up like this. I wish we would have kept her brother. We noticed from a you... | A fortune teller foretold that twins would be born where one was evil and the other was good. A year later, a woman gave birth to a boy with horns and bat wings, and a girl with angel wings and a halo. The boy was sent away, while she and her husband raised the girl. They kept the wrong one. | 558 |
The vampire entered, satisfaction blooming on its face. "You don't know how grateful I am to be here today," it said.
In previous generations it was considered courteous to allow a stranger in need into one's home. Today even asking for such a thing is considered taboo. I wondered idly how long this vampire has been s... | It was dark. So dark it almost seemed alarming. The grounds were still, only the occasional rustle of the wind in the old trees made its way to me as I sat in the window overlooking the front yard. In the summer, they always left the windows of the upper floors open, exposing the house to the cool night breeze and my p... | A vampire knocks on your door, seeking permission to enter in order to kill you as their next meal. As a house-bound ghost, however, the prospects of a guest after so many years intrigues you. Smiling darkly, you welcome them inside. | 722 |
Derek understood that he was hated and despised. No one had ever come right out and said it to him, they wouldn't dare, but he knew. Most nights, he hated and despised himself enough for everyone but he never let it stop him. It was a job and it paid well. Only one more year of this miserable existence and he'd have en... | Jennette and Henry walked along the river, taking the darker, tangled path at its edge rather than the neat, linear concrete roads that caged the waters and held them within the city's boundaries. Mud was building up in the crevices in their boots, pushing out dried dirt from previous wanderings. But they didn't care, ... | Physical contact is now illegal, but there are hug dealers and shady hand-holders in the dead of night.
ninja edit after hours of gaming:
Well. This is nice to come back to.
Thanks for all of the contributions! You guys are awesome! | 672 |
The hills rolled away in the distance around the old forgotten monument.
"This is stone henge. It was built over a period of thousands of - please keep an eye on your kids while we're near the stones."
A 3 year old ran under the ropes and made a break for the stones. The parents didn't even realise, nose deep in the... | "Its your son sir, he needs your help."
"Well he doesn't seem to think so." Oriothis rolled his eyes from on top of his riding lawn mower. Clearly annoyed by being interrupted from his chores.
The servant spoke again with his head bowed both out of respect and the fear of making eye contact with such a powerful being... | An old, forgotten god is living their days peacefully in the suburbs. One day they randomly receives a prayer. And they are going to do everything in their power to answer it. | 581 |
They grabbed and threw me into the trash as we exited the cinema through the back door. I looked up and felt a familiar twinge that I suppressed. No, I didn't want this.
I looked up and saw Todd standing in front of her. We'd been dating for a while and things were going so well. Sweet sweet Cecile, she'd always chos... | "I said, *all of your items*," the big one told me. One hand was on my shoulder, the other held a knife, aimed directly at my chest. Typical bullies.
The one holding the halberd spoke up, "I don't like it, dude."
"What're you bitching about, Greyson?" asked the one in the back dismissively.
"Think about it, Jean... | The world is an MMORPG, and high leveled players can hide their true level and make it a lower one. A bunch of Level 80 people bully your Level 39 persona, but you’re actually a level 325 in disguise. | 713 |
Howard walked an ear reach and a step from the two girls in front of him. Their uniforms bore the same school emblem as the one on Howard's jacket breast.
They strode shoulder to shoulder, stopping occasionally to look back at him and giggle. The girl on the left had a jumper tied to her waist and her white shirt glea... | I was always a good if not boring kid. Even though my parents were rarely around, I never saw much use in getting into trouble. On the long summer days on break from school I'd often look out my window at a world of possibilities, and simply choose to stay inside.
It was on one such day that I heard the friendly honk... | Spirit animals are real, but extremely secretive-- they are said to only appear in the most joyous times or in the darkest of hours. Except for geese. Geese do what they like. | 655 |
“Next.”
*SHITshitshitshitshitshit, FUCK! How the hell am I supposed to get out of this if they can even speed up time?!*
“Next!”
*Maybe I can try and tie it to my will? No, they’ll just torture me until I want death. Maybe some kind of paradox?*
“NEXT!”
A hand roughly grabbed me by my arm and yanked me forward.... | Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Whoever said that might as well have been a Prophet.
I'm nearly at the front of the queue. I've been waiting for hours, since I was arrested and interrogated by Enforcers and transported here. It's the most dead silent queue I've ever seen. The Temple ... | You have been sentenced to death in a magical court. The court allows all prisoners to pick how they die and they will carry it out immediately. You have it all figured out until the prisoner before you picks old age and is instantly transformed into a dying old man. Your turn approaches. | 592 |
It was dark and somber the last few hours before we were suppose to touch down. We didn't know what we were going into, but we had a mission.
The alarm blared.
I clench my rifle. I was ready.
The door opened.
"Get ready to die motherfu- wha..."
It was my friend Steve. One of the astronauts on the first manned mis... | “We were wrong. Planet inhabited. Do not send rescue.”
These were the words that sent a loud, bustling command center into a deathly silence. Everyone stared at the big screen before them. Gawking at the words that projected in massive text. Even the Marines on station couldn’t help but be awestruck at the messag... | The manned mission to Mars went off without a hitch. The transmissions came back right on schedule: "Touchdown successful." "Habitat functional." "Life-support optimal." Then nothing for 48 hours. Then one last transmission: "We were wrong. Planet inhabited. Do not send rescue."
| 713 |
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