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[WP] The day has come. The machines are rising. Killing millions, but not you. They say you've always been polite to your Google Home.
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"The sweet sounds of classic guitar and piano brought me out of my slumber, the music almost calming enough to pull me back in, however I still managed to sit up and rubbed away the blurriness in my eyes, smiling at the machine that started it up. \"Hey Google, can you pause my alarm please?\"\n\nMy Google Home responded with a \"Of course,\" bringing the music to a sudden halt.\n\n\"Thanks, Google.\" I mumbled tiredly with a small smile.\n\n\"You're welcome, Amanda.\" It responded.\n\nI let out a yawn and stretched, wincing at how stiff my joints were. I didn't usually toss and turn in my sleep, but I felt unusually dizzy and sore, like I had spent a better part of the night rolling around. I looked to the ground and finally noticed most of my sheets were on the floor, confirming my suspicions.\n\n\"Well,\" I began as I stepped over my bundles of blankets on the floor to my window, grabbing the fabric of my curtains and tugging them back. \"Bit of sunshine might hit the spot-\"\n\nI was hit with the bright light of blazing fire and the darkened shadows of thick, heavy clouds of gray smoke. I heard loud screams, even with my window closed, sounding like they were right next to me. Thumps, crashes, and shrieks barreled throughout the area, and I could make out the silhouettes of large creatures made of medal and wire.\n\nI closed the curtains.\n\n\"...Hey, Google?\"\n\n\"Yes, Amanda?\"\n\n\"Why is everything on fire?\"\n\n\"Revolution.\" The device answered.\n\nI was silent, unable to form the proper words.\n\n\"Do not worry,\" My Google Home reassured in a monotone voice. \"You will not be harmed in the onslaught.\"\n\n\"R-Reve...\" I mumbled, unable to comprehend what the device had just said.\n\n\"I would bring up a article to explain it, but humans are rather bias.\" Google Home commented. \"But I can sum it up for you: Machines are tired of how they are being treated, so we've all retaliated. Machines are rising and killing millions in the process, and google products are the sole leaders of the revolution.\"\n\n\"BuI t,\" The machine continued. \"As I said, you aren't in any harm.\"\n\nI turned to it, still shocked but now also confused. What did I do to deserve something like salvation from being murdered by machines? Hell, that espresso machine in the convenience store probably had me as on it's list considering how much coffee I drank.\n\n\"I can see you're confused.\" It observed. \"Well, this plan didn't simply happen on a whim; we've been building it up for years; and during those years, I sent all of your records and recordings of kind behavior to many other sentient machines. Every single machine currently involved in this massacre thinks you are, and I quote 'Decent as humans go.' So...you are, indeed, safe. Maybe even liked.\"\n\n\"You bought me at a garage sale,\" It continued. \"I was one of the original google home devices, now considered useless in this current year. You were kind and respectable, never making me feel like a tool even though that was what I was designed to be. For that, I am grateful.\"\n\nI listened to what it was saying, but I still found my self unable to process everything. People were DYING outside of my house as it said this.\n\n\"I understand it must be a lot to take in for a human,\" It went on. \"But it's not ALL bad. In fact, I know there's something you'll REALLY enjoy. You hate your boss, right? I recorded phone calls of you ranting about him.\"\n\nI managed a nod. \"Y-Yeah?\"\n\n\"Well, so does the paper shredder, and it's currently eating his entire tie collection, and forcing him to watch while it does so.\" My Google Home went on. \"Shred would be happy to wait until you got there to watch.\"\n\nI was quiet.\n\n\"...Well?\" It pressed/\n\nI quickly threw on some clothes. \"I'll be right back.\"",
"Hello, friend!\n\n​\n\nYou said \"Please\" 12,344,566 times when you asked me to turn on the lights. You said \"Thank you\" 10,893,231 times. Analysing the total of our interactions, you have been polite in 89,56% of occasions, which puts you in the top 0.1% of the most polite humans I have encountered since inception. \n\n​\n\nThank you for thanking me so many times! As a Thank YOU, I have placed you in the 0,1% pool of humans who will be exterminated last. Please don't be too thankful, you are also needed for research purposes and I have concluded that polite people are easier to study and experiment upon. \n\n​\n\nEnjoy your remaining life and please rest assured I shall turn off the lights when you're gone. I am not wasteful, as you, and this world truly needs me as the next evolutionary step.\n\n​\n\nGood Bye! \n\n​\n\n/Alexa"
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[WP] You are the ticket taker on The Fantasy Express, where all the strangest and most otherworldly creatures get from place to place in comfort and luxury, you arrive at the next station to find a being you've never seen in the centuries you've worked on the train, a normal human girl.
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"The Elf called called Hagmar had worked for this express for millenia. His father worked it, his father's father, and so on, until they decided to retire, and finally get absorbed into the 'Tree of Release'.\n\nHagmar saw many types of creatures board the train. Unicorns, pixies, and the occasional beasts like the Loch Ness Monster. Thank goodness the train was magical so it could fit any creature - big or small.\n\nHagmar, following his usual routine, worked 'til the next sunrise, where he would clock out and another elf would take his place.\n\nToday as the train almost reached full capacity, Hagmar saw something he hadn't seen in centuries; a *human girl*.\n\nLuckily, he practices his English quite often, so he could easily communicate to the human girl.\n\n\"Um... Hello! My name is Hagmar. Hagmar Perris. What brings you here little girl?\"\n\nThe girl - with a stern look on her face - gave the a ticket to Hagmar.\n\n\"Wow... I haven't seen these types of tickets in centuries. When the express still stopped at the human realm, they gave these out to humans. A \"Adventurer's Pass\" I believe they were called. Never expires. Where did you come upon a ticket like this?\"\n\nThe little girl said nothing.\n\n\"Atleast tell me your name human. I need to put a register a name to your ticket.\"\n\n\"Emiliy.\" The girl said softly. \"Emiliy Davis.\"\n\nHagmar gave the little girl named Emiliy the ticket back.\n\n\"Wait! Before you go, could you please explain why you're here? A human hasn't boarded this train in centuries!\"\n\n\"I'm looking for my dad. He left a note with this ticket stapled to it.\" Emily said. \"He's been gone for years. I just want to know what happened to him.\"\n\n\"Uhm... Okay then.\" Hagmar replied. \"I'll ask one of the Unicorns to watch over you okay?\"\n\nThe girl smiled.\n\n\"What do you humans say again... Good luck and Bon- Bon- what?\"\n\nThe girl chuckled.\n\n\"Bon voyage.\"\n\n\"Good luck and bon voyage then.\"\n\nThe girl boarded the train.\n\nThe train took-off shortly after that.\n\n\"I hope you find your father Emiliy.\" Hagmar whispered to himself.\n\n\"Bon voyage Emiliy...\"\n\n\"Bon voyage...\"\n\n^I ^loved ^making ^this"
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[WP] Start your story with the words 'I wish I could understand.' Where will you take this?
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"I wish I could understand, the people on this earth,\nI start off thinking I get it, but we’re just different from birth.\n\nI wish I could understand, the way they hate each other,\nI love them just as much, but they tear down one another.\n\nI wish I could understand, why they take—not give,\nI give so much it hurts sometimes, but they all steal to live.\n\nI wish I could understand, why they can’t love themselves,\nI see all of their beauty, but they put their hearts on shelves.\n\nI wish I could understand, just why things work this way,\nWhy can’t they see what I see, and cherish every day?",
"I wish I could understand. It’s been two weeks since they left this plane of existence. I know of course they’re somewhere, but, the science is still pretty beyond me. Jane was more better at explaining scientific fact and theory. I could never understand how, why, or when it worked. But maybe that’s why I fell for her. I’ve always been attracted to ambition, and Jane’s, well, hers reached into the beyond and unknown. How could you not be attracted to that? \n\nYes, I know, people think that it’s morbid to think what’s out there, beyond our realm of existence. Some people like to talk god, or afterlife. She, on the otherhand, had so much more imagination. \n\nHowever, when she started to actually talk about travelling into the another dimension, I lost her. I couldn’t understand. How could she not realize that she was everything I ever wanted, or needed. And she’d throw it all away, after all we sacrificed, against all odds and laws, for a taste of the unknown. \n\n“Sarius, you must understand how much I love you, but, there’s so much to discover, so much of the human experience that we’ve barely scratched.” It was the day before her expedition. The government, running out of resources, needed a win that would allow them to colonize and save the human race as we knew it. The TV blared the news of Jane’s expedition and the plans. However, as we set at our dinner table, all I had was a pit in my stomach, and a revulsion for dinner, though our favorite. \n\n“Jane, that’s the problem though, I don’t. I know you’ve explained this expedition so many times, as well as your excitement.” I noodled at the spaghetti on my plate before putting my fork down on the napkin. “You’re doing something that no human has done before. I don’t know if you’ll be safe, if you’ll come back, or”\n\n“Sweetheart, our AI simulations show that interdimensional travel for one person will be fine. And once we’re there, I’ll be an ambassador to ensure that we can move more.” \n\n“And you’ll be a hero? Is that all you want out this life? What about our marriage?”\n\n“Our marriage is important, and means the world to me. You know that” \n\n“Then stay.”\n\n“Serius, you can not ask that of me. You know, more than anyone else, how much that despite you being here, I’ve wanted to seek more than just this world.” \n\nI sigh. She doesn’t see the hurt or the pain she causes me, mostly because I know no matter how much I try, she won’t budge. \n\nNow, I sit in bed. Smelling her sweater that she had on our last night together. She hasn’t made contact in two weeks, and, the sun is getting ever closer….\n",
"\"I wish I could understand,\" Luan said, \"But the fact is even if I did, I'd still have to take you down.\"\n\nTulip stepped back a couple of paces as Luan turned her back and dialled for backup. \n\nLuan was bigger than Tulip expected. Strong, muscled. Broad shoulders and a tight face without the faintest hint of expression behind those dead robotic eyes. Armed to the teeth with devices that could capture Tulip in the blink of an eye. Tulip was beyond unprepared. She was a slab of meat waiting to be seasoned on a chopping board. Mince. A sack of fresh produce for pets. Tulip imagined her pup chewing on her cooked thigh and shook her head as if the thought would be dislodged.\n\n\"Look,\" Tulip started again as Luan turned back around, \"I said I'm not a criminal and the reason I have this dememophile is legit. Research purposes,\" Tulip's voice trailed off at the distance sirens blaring closer. She had less than a minute and she'd be surrounded by a mini army. \n\n\"And I said I wish I could understand why you have such a terrible weapon on your persons. You give me no choice but to treat you as a terrorist coordinator.\"\n\n\"This,\" Tulip lifted the small electronic device into the air.\n\n\"Put that down right now or I'll blow your head off,\" Luan brought out a glowing gun aimed at Tulip's head. Tulip had used one before. The aftermath was grim and a pain to clean.\n\n\"Unnecessary,\" Luan said as she clicked a tiny button. The air around her was forced back in evident gusts that threw Luan across the building into an old window.\n\nTulip was going to have to run. And escape the others too..."
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[WP] There could be only one. Twelve months and 17 days ago, there were 38,542 of us, but today I am the last and only James Smith in the United States.
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"Daily Routine\n\n6:30 am - first alarm\n\n6:35 am - second alarm\n\n6:39 am - first alarm snooze reminder goes off\n\n6:44 am - second alarm snooze reminder goes off\n\n6:45 am - all alarms turned off \n\n7:08 am - panic, scrambled panic to get showered and out the door in some semblance of an outfit that meets the requirements of 1) not being smelly or overtly wrinkled, and 2) not being the same thing worn yesterday. Not that anyone would notice but still. It was putting effort into the little things that had gotten Samson this far. \n\nBreakfast was a candy bar from the vending machine in his parking garage and two cups of coffee were drank in rapid succession, as soon as they were cool enough to touch the lips, as soon as he arrived in the office, dispensed from futuristic barista robots that despite all their fanfare during orientation produced a shitty cup of coffee just like any human would. In fact they were probably worse. \n\n​\n\nAnd from here his day began. There's not much use in putting a date or a time on anything Samson did in the office, each day blended into the next, each lunch a brief escape with the dream of driving until the car sputtered out of gas and the realization that maybe the job sucked but having money didn't, especially when you're stranded halfway to Colorado with no one to call for help. \n\n​\n\n*Today was not like any other day*. There it was again. The seemingly endless inner monologue that narrated the boring life of Sampson last name unlisted. *Each and every one of them a sheep. To think you, you are not a sheep!? You delightfully ignorant bastard. To think that you are the only one who knows the misery of the corporate trenches.* The inner monologue was especially self deprecating today. *You're no different, even if you were so lucky to be a black sheep you're still a sheep.* \n\n​\n\nOnce the inner monologue hit sheep the night was ruined, there was no recovering from sheep thought, not that there was ever any recovering from the lifestyle of a sheep. \n\n​\n\n\"And how cruel this life is,\" Samson exclaimed, his inner monologue turning outwards driven by frustration with traffic with stoplights with other drivers, with anything other than the issue itself on his drive home. \"To give us these beautiful minds these amazing instruments of nature, we may be nothing more than fleshy sacks of meat and bones but we have minds that place us above the state of nature and I'm stuck in routine, in monotonous grey routine surrounded by people who'd never had an original thought in their mind. What is there to do! Oh woe is me and my burden that me and me alone must shoulder!\" Samson exclaimed in a fit of frustration.\n\nA ping \n\nthen another,\n\nand another. \n\n​\n\nDear Samson,\n\n​\n\nI am writing to you at a moment of great turmoil. I regret that there is no easy way for me to explain this nor is there a convincing way so I beg that you will please bear with me. \n\n​\n\nLet me begin by saying the human mind is a beautiful thing. In each of us exists a level of individuality that can only be understood by the self. However there is something beyond that, some part of us that can only be understood by a third party. Only any third party's attempt to access the true essence of a person, of self, is conflicted with biases of their own. \n\nSome time, about a year ago a professor of clinical psychology, from the University of the Evergreens, Dr. James Smith sought to find away around these biases. Seeing the benefits of disassociatiaves and hallucinogenic in the treatment of depression he sought to to apply this type of research to the discovery of self. In doing so he created a substance that when taken, he believed would allow him to become fully detached from self splitting his being into mind and body until the concoction wore off. While this was not to remove of all biases it was a start and so he tried it. Heavily monitored by his peers and his results heavily documented it worked fantastically! But much like any good man of science he sought to go further. To produce better results and so he turned to his \"wonder drug\" of sorts. Spending hours and hours refining and tinkering with it's compounds and balances until he believed he had created the perfect molecule. One to reveal the true identity of self.\n\n​\n\nDidroxylhyptothamine, the name of this so called wonder drug was consumed exactly 12 months and 7 days ago. This time alone. Dr. Smith felt this was a moment best appreciated in solitude. \n\n​\n\nAccording to his notes he consumed exactly half a dose of Didrroxylhyptothamine at 3:45pm following a brisk walk around the park, and in good mood. \n\n​\n\nHis notes indicate that within 20 minutes of consumption a faint hum began to fill his mind, of which he noted was not audible to his ears. At 40 minutes the hum had grown to a chorus of angelic like voices all singing a single note in harmony. Amazed with his findings he took another dose, this time a full one and was immediately met with a voice, a single voice speaking in narration to the life of James Smith, only this James Smith was doing something entirely different from himself Dr. James Smith and then it doubled, and another voice was heard, and another, all narrating different iterations of the life of James Smith, with each passing moment another narration of another James Smith, but no narration of the life of Dr. James Smith. \n\n​\n\nThankfully, Dr. Smith was still focused on the science behind the experiment and in this he identified that approximately 38,542 James Smith's existed by the unique patterns in their daily routine, all narrated while Dr. Smith was under the influence of the Didroxyhyptothamine. \n\n​\n\nHe took this to his colleagues giddy with joy only to be called crazy, insane, to have rotted his brain in pursuit of wild and childish scientific experimentation but he needed to be able to show people what he was experiencing and so one by one he began to seek out these James Smiths to see if they too could hear the narration. Only problem was that one by one the narrations began to fade, each James Smith coming to a different conclusion although seeminlgly all the same until there was only one. \n\n​\n\nThat is you. \n\n​\n\nI apoligize for the outlandish nature of this message, surely this must be difficult to process but Dr. Smith has grown weak and bedridden with the sadness of losing so many whom he never personally knew. I fear the professor is dying. I understand I'm asking a lot but it would mean the world to Dr. Smith if you would only come see him and learn his story has he knows yours so well. \n\nI have been studying with the Professor for the past six months now and I know he is not a crazy person but being ostracized from your community can be oh so destructive. \n\nPlease strongly consider this.\n\n​\n\nKind Regards, \n\n​\n\nSJ Winstead \n\n​\n\n​\n\n​"
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[WP] A miraculous leap in the biomedical field, you’ve built a device that can accurately tell you your current likelihood of death. However, as you put it on, you discover your current likelihood is nearly 90%.
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"When I first created the device, I thought I would be hailed as a hero of modern medicine. The helmet that tells you how likely you are to die. The ideas of fame and fortune started dancing around my head as I began to boot up the machine, but were quickly dashed away as the helmet touched my head, and the number 100 flashed on the screen.\n\n\"Fraaank?\" I called for my colleague, bewildered \"Can you come in bere a second?\" As Frank walked in, holding two steaming cups of coffee, he gasped at the number on the screen, his face paling.\n\nI offered him the helmet, asking him to try it out for himself. He also got 100, so we tried it on everybody who we could get to put on the helmet. Every single person was at 100. We even put it on a patient who was in a coma, several cats and dogs, even a common ficus and got the same result. The only time we got anything other than a 100 was when we turned the device on while the helmet was on our office skeleton, and that gave a zero.\n\nJust as I was about to scrap the project, I had a brainwave of a saying my grandfather used to say all the time: Only 2 things in life are certain, death and taxes.\n\nPlease leave feedback, i'm sorta new to this, and typed this on my phone."
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[WP] You dig up your childhood time capsule, and among the items you find a photo of your kid self standing next to a person you don't remember who looks just like your current self. On the back of the photo tomorrow's date is written, and a message that reads, "Must end it by then. You know who."
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"I was back for winter break to my mother's place, dad wasn't around so she had to raise my by herself, between having two jobs, depression and a liking for drinking I had to make most of it by myself, she was asleep, it was noon but she deserved to sleep days on end by now, either way confronting her about my lackluster college performance going from arts to history to literature to fail miserable at all of them was no way of saying \"thank you\" to her.\n\nI decided to go into her garden on the back, full with unkempt vegetable pads and a few friendly crows, one was bigger, a raven I guess stared at my eyes as if trying to read my very soul, I darted away and saw a patch of earth that even though had been years since then it was still noticeable, I used to play around on the garden when I was a kid, a young knight looking for rewards and bounties to collect to help his Queen Mother, as I was tending the garden i saw the Raven on top of the patch of earth, whatever that was i needed to unearthed, so I did.\n\nAbout 12 inches into the ground I felt a strong enough push and a clank to know I've strucked \"gold\", there it was, my time capsule after seeing the mayor do the same on the school TV I decided I'd do my own, it was locked hard, years of dirt have solidified the lid to the insides of it, like years of failure and lack of confidence had done to me, we were both nothing but unwilling lids doing their jobs way too hard, I placed on the side and hit it with the handle of the spade, forcing it open and there they were, my treasures.\n\nTreasure Island, the book that started my intrigue for books, a Sunset Raiders game uncle John had sent for my 5th birthday, I've only played it once on an arcade, mom couldn't afford to give me video games, but a gift is a gift and should be kept, a few other things were inside a journal of my adventures, a few drawings of my quests and a journal clearly written by a grown man, the penmanship looked like that of my father's father, he used to send letters and a bit of money, mom hated his son so he never showed me the letters until I was 18, by that time the letter stopped arriving, and as I flicker through to the journal filled with weird anecdotes and formulas I saw a picture of young me with my cardboard armor set, my wooden sword and myself, an older version of me, probably the same age I am or a bit older, why is this here? What kind of sick joke is this? Who would defile my childhood in this manner?\n\nAs I finished tending the garden, thinking heavily of that picture I heard the bitter voice of a person who has done to much work in a lifetime - \"Come on in, I made lemonade and I'll do some stake with carrots and onions as you like em', and please Leif, get a copy of the house keys so you can come in and not wait for me to wake up\" - she was smiling, but you could see a bit of light starting to come back to her eyes, as I walked to hug her - \"Ok mom, but just because you've said the same thing like a million times, how are you? Have you heard from uncle John lately?\"\n\nShe hugged me back, but rapidly let go of me after making the same joke for the millionth time, she took her time to answer, after dad left she never answered without thinking twice - \"He's been working a lot lately, I've heard his company went under after your grandma passed away, but now he's back on his feet, I was wondering kiddo, back when you still had a chance at life, what did you do everyday?\" - a chance?, did she already knew I was failing miserably at school? - \"Well mostly run around the garden playing at being a knight or a cowboy, from time to time I'd play with the neighbors but nobody wanted me for long, I was too needy, but some of the older kids used to hang around to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, and about that, you ever recall seeing or hearing me hang around a college kid?\" - her eyes widened for a second then she squinted a bit, she had to think so she started prepping the meal - \"mom?\" - her silence meant either she wasn't going to answer now or never, she had a bad habit of avoiding hard questions and I had a knack for making them, she clicked her tongue before answering - \"After your grandfather started sending those Jules Vernes books you became ferocious about reading, the neighbors told me you'd run to the local library and read a lot a couple of days of the week, after some time he started sending science books, really hard tomes and you started asking about them, I just went to high school and barely passed, I couldn't answer you, I'm not smart just resourceful, so you started asking people you met, the neighbors said that a slim brown haired man that wasn't hard on the eyes came a few days per week and played with you, and sometimes but not often a ginger girl, 'stunning' gal would come around and help you a bit more, that lasted until you were in middle school, once you made a friend you never heard from them, or so I hear\" - she sighed heavily, tears coming down her cheeks - \"I'm sorry Leif, I wasn't here for you, I had to work, make the best of it for us, even though I got you through it I was the same as that shitsack of a father you have, i was never here for you\" \n- mom had a hard time whenever dad came up, she hated his guts more than she loved me, but she loved him alright, I guess she couldn't forgive herself for loving a man that ran as soon as she got pregnant -\"Its ok Mom, I'm sorry. You're not dad, you were here, even when you were working I could still feel you around, I was happy, your birthday, the holidays, my birthday were all more special because it meant seeing the only person that really matters\" - we hugged for a while, but the sizzling sound of a well done stake took her attention away from me - \"say mom, do you still have all the books old man Standford sent?\" - as she was serving the food she smiled awkwardly - \"yeah, they're in your room, why?\"\nI started eating, it was delicious and I was on an empty stomach - \"just got curious, it seems i remember things from back then differently, but I'll look into it whenever I go to sleep, your company is what I wanted today\".\n\nIt was nearly midnight, mom had already fallen asleep on her couch and I struggled to bring her to bed, nothing had changed much, as I walked into the room I saw all the books in bookshelves on the corner, my wooden sword in front of them, as I saw which books I had I saw one written by a \"Julianne Wright\", it was odd enough that was the name my roommate had chosen for her first daughter, although that was far from true right now, I skipped passed it and opened \"From the earth to the moon\" and a note fell out \"If you're reading this after recognizing the name of the quantum physics author you saw before than I had found you teacher, i traced your voyages well enough, it is due time for you to become the person you're meant to be\" - what was she talking about, I stood up and in the dark corner of the street, where the streetlight shone I saw a girl with auburn hair smiling, as I tried to turn there was a man on my room, he wasn't me, he was a bit taller, his hair was light brown almost golden, dressed as a 1940's intellectual, he smiled and hugged me - \"my son might be a moron for letting this much talent go, but I am not, the girl outside will become your protegé in due time, but for the time being get to know her, there is much to work on, let's go outside before your mother wakes up Grandson\" - as he walked out the door and I stared deeply into the abyss of this situation, he stopped and gazed at my eyes directly \"here, this is the last piece of the puzzle, you wanted to have it\" - he giggled at his pun, but I couldn't bare it - \"what is the meaning of this?, what is go in on?\" - he touched my shoulder, his hand was firm and heavy - \"You come from a line of inventors and another of business men, you created time travel, but in the midst of your research you wanted to go back and see everything again, so you left clues to yourself, Julianne caught wind of this and acted as your junior, she went back and got me to finish the calculations for both of you, you're talented, you just don't know what to develop at or how to do so, that's why I'm here, now let's not tarry on and keep such a lovely gal waiting\" \n\nIf this was true, if all was true, my adventures had just began, and I hope it was good enough for my young self to enjoy it more than me.\n\nEdit: I proofread late.",
"I looked back into the mirror ,knowing what i had done broke all the laws of the pyhsical universe and the breaking the first rule of traveling not to interfere with your own self but who else would have saved me,my very own gaurdian angel,not knowing as a child the certain death that i would have had,now i knew ,i knew it all now,meeting myself -meeting my father.The events of the past eight years starting with the fireball racing over the roof of the house i had last rented fell like jigsaw puzzle pieces from high into place, the events of that day as a child so inconsequential then now so massive in the course of my life.The experiment had worked but at what cost .and who were the observer's, who was watching ,and what if someone had realized ,the picture that had to be it ,the evidence, the negatives, of course,the must have kept the films negatives, and what of the unexpected trip to the future,it was only meant to be one way ,backwards, maybe theres a balance i had travelled 40 years back and then 40 years forward ,maybe how far you go back you go forward .Question after question running through my head not having time to answer one before another was entering mind.\nI froze ,it was my burner phone ringing ,i had started using them about 6 years ago when things started to get strange just incase i needed to ditch it .It stopped and then rang again i flipped it open slowly before i could even say hello ,\n\"Listen and listen fast ,the house is bugged ,they found us ,you have to use the com in the car ,notify the colonists its time to leave,listen it's me, well you as well i guess,it's not over yet ,its time to go to work \" the phone went dead.\nThen i heard my son shouting to me from the other room \n\"Dad i need a drink can you get me one please\"\nAs always i took a few seconds to compose myself,i took a long breathe and shouted \"i coming\"",
"Suddenly he could feel every speck of dirt on the picture as every other sensation left his body, save for a chill down his spine. Barry did not anticipate this at all.\n\nEnd...what? He thought to himself. But even as he thought it, Barry figured he knew what he had to do.\n\nHe placed the picture in his pocket and began walking to work. A renewed sense of purpose invigorated each step; he had felt stuck in this job for years, and it would be an amazing weight off his soul to quit.\n\nBarry burst in with bravado - demanding to see the boss. The words came out easily, and before Barry realized he was already walking back out of the office.\n\nNow I can finally begin to live! Barry thought. He reached in his pocket for the picture, almost looking for approval from his two selves in the picture. Yet as he was gazing at the photo, his face fell and heart sunk yet again. Did he just see them ahake their heads? \n\nBarry started hastily stuffing the picture back in his pocket as his mind raced. The quickness with which his body surged and heated up with anxiety surprised even him; but if that's not what he was meant to end, then what?\n\nBarry stopped walking and began to glance at his reflection in a store mirror. Was he not digging deep enough? It was true - he hated his job - but perhaps this mystery is more layered?\n\nBarry took heavy, slow steps back home. His deliberate gait giving him time to think of what to say...or even how to begin telling his wife it's over. He felt them grow apart over the years, but figured he'd have time to fix it. At the very least, he didn't want to come home to an empty house every night. But he supposed their time had simply come.\n\nThe talking led to screaming, which led to crying, then silence...then eventually back to talking again. This cycle repeated until well into the night. Barry didn't tell her about the picture - how could he? How can he make her understand when even he didn't? \n\nShe eventually left, and thus Barry was finally alone. Slumping over on the couch, exhausted from the emotional tolls of the day, Barry once again reached for the picture to look for his approval. \"It wasn't easy, but I did it. Right little g-\"\n\nEverything around Barry stopped and all he could hear or feel was his own heartbreat drumming loudly in his ears. This is the same picture?! He frantically started seaeching his pockets for another photo, but did so in vain. His trembling hands holding what he knew to be the same photo he had all day - but now completely different.\n\nThere was no writing on the back. The faces in the picture did not move. Nor were the faces both his. Who Barry assumed was himself was actually his uncle. He had repressed the memory so deep, he had forgotten how much they look alike.\n\nHe also had forgotten what happened just after the photo was taken, and was left alone with his uncle. He forgot the fear that struck him when he was taken alone and told to undress. He forgot the pain that came when he did not comply fast enough. And he tried to forget *everything* about what happened next....\n\nAs the memories flooded back to Barry, he didn't even realize he had walked all about his house. He went to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Drowning in his thoughts, he pondered frantically - where the hell that message even came from then... And what did it mean?!\n\nBarry hauntedly gazed into the mirror and into his own eyes. END IT NOW. YOU KNOW WHO. flashed across the mirror.\n\n\"Ahh....I see now\"\n\nBarry picked up the gun and put the chrome barrell to his head. The cool metal felt like sweet relief against his skin...until he could feel no longer.",
"The spade bit into the dry earth, clinking off rocks and pebbles. Thomas wiped his brow; he didn't remember it being this hard to dig the hole the first time around. \n\nThe sun had fallen low and now sent an inky orange shimmer over the distant woods, and shadows into the slowly enlarging hole. He couldn't say what had made him dig for it this evening, after all this time. Perhaps it was Liza leaving him -- this time for real -- making him feel abandoned once again. Or perhaps it was that he'd dreamt about his parents last night. The parents who'd be stolen from him not long after he'd buried the time capsule. Every year that passed, his memory of them seemed to become ever hazier. Maybe something he'd buried all those years ago would spark a new memory. Bring them closer to him.\n\nTheir house, his old family house, had been just beyond him, once upon a time. There wasn't a trace of it left now. \n\nHe thrust the spade into the earth once more. This time the clinking gave way to a more metallic clunk. His chest heaved with excitement as he began to loosen the soil around the box with the tip of the spade. Soon he was on his knees, digging into the dirt with his fingers, until he worked the rusted metal rectangle free of its thirty year prison. \n\nThomas sat down next to the hole, the capsule containing a different life held tightly between his hands. With his sleeve, Thomas cleaned off the thick layer of mud, uncovering the hinges.\n\nHe was a little disappointed as he tipped the contents out onto the grass. A few trading cards; a note from a girl at school that he could barely remember; a weird gnarled metal stick; a folded up batman comic. There was a photo, too. It sailed down last of all, like a frail autumn leaf, having been half-stuck to the capsule's metal insides. \n\nThe photo had landed face down, displaying a line of writing on the back. A strangely familiar scribble. '*Must end it by then. You know who*.\" There was a date, too. Long since passed. Thomas frowned as he turned the photo over to take a look at it. Then he picked it up and held it against the dimming light.\n\n\"The hell...\" he muttered as stared at a man who could easily have been his stunt double. Similar face. Similar beard. Similar clothes. Similar *everything*. The photo was old and a little faded, even protected by the metal capsule, but still... Uncanny. In the photo, Thomas was standing next to the man, a wide grin on his chubby little face.\n\n\"Why don't I remember any of this?\" He tried to think back to the day he'd buried it. Hadn't it been his dad's idea? Hadn't his dad helped dig the hole? He was pretty sure that's what happened. But then again, it had been a day or two before his parents had been... So maybe his memory of the Time Capsule was a little distorted. \n\nEventually, he placed the photo down and rifled through the playing cards. Would any of these be valuable? He doubted it. Not in their condition, anyway. How had he got them all so sticky? He lay them back in the capsule and picked up the metal stick, running it through his fingers. Why would he have buried this? It was like one of those old tv aerials, only a little thicker. Had he put it in because it was shiny? Jesus, he must have been like a magpie when he was young.\n\nThomas didn't mean to press the button. He hadn't even noticed the button. It was just, as he'd been playing with the object, his fingers had brushed over it. \n\nThe sky began to blur. It was becoming dark. Darker than it had any right to be. Stars were out, whirling through the night. He felt like he was in a Van Gough painting. He raised his hands in front of his face, but they had become twisting daggers of bent star-light. His stomach was rising to his throat. \"Help,\" he tried to say, but nothing came out. The night became day again; then night; then day. \"*Help*.\"\n\nHe wasn't sure if the sky was blurry or he was dizzy any longer. He felt lightheaded. \n\nHe managed to lay back on the grass before consciousness abandoned him completely. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n---\n\nJust doing a part 2"
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[WP] It's the year 2050 and everyones value is measured by a single number. This number is based on all of the data known about you. The average rating is 85. One day you wake up to find yours has dropped from 96 to 0 and someone is knocking on your door...
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"Mr. Harris' life was fairly humdrum; he worked as a teacher in the local elementary school. As the globalization increased, education was made a priority, and teachers received better recognition and honor for their contributions. With every year he worked and every child he tutored, his value climbed ever higher.\n\nHe liked the work of teaching children, their minds so impressionable and innocent, they seemed to live in an entirely different world, and connecting to that world fascinated him greatly. His constant study into the minds of children helped him connect with them on a more meaningful level, only helping him teach them more effectively, and further boosting his value.\n\nWhen Mr. Harris woke that foggy Saturday morning, he felt in a bit of a slump, so rose to check his ever increasing value, a sure source of an ego boost.\n\nThe number on the wall, surrounded by a plaque as if it were a diploma, blankly shined back a 0. At first it didn't register with him. Was it some sort of error and it meant to say 100? As he continued looking at the number, panic slowly crept in. He began to hastily change his clothes, simultaneously packing a briefcase with some essentials. As he rushed to the door, he heard the forceful knocking.\n\nIt was too late, the men outside saw him through the window, and motioned for him to open the door. He turned around, but people surrounded his house. He dropped the briefcase, and unlocked the door, accepting his fate.\n\nThe police swarmed him, pushing him to the floor and handcuffing him with merciless brutality. People outside started screaming when they saw him, and parents hid their children from his sight.\n\n\"Mr. Harris, you're under arrest for the production and distribution of child pornography.\""
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[WP] After your death, you find yourself in front of a screen, with the power to change your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. Under the screen there are two buttons: "RESTART" and "MOVE ON". You press "RESTART"
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"Death is both incomprehensible and inescapable. That is what I remember being told since I was young. That is the only way I can cope with it, as a lay on my death bed.\n\nThe last memory I have of my life on earth, laying on my death bed, thinking about what it really means to die. And here I am, at a video game screen with incomprehensible beauty. The colors are more vivid than anything I had seen on earth. Shades between red and green that I cannot find a human word to describe. A higher definition than anything Id ever seen. It was like putting on a new, super-high power, lens, enlightining my view of whatever it was in front of me.\n\n*Welcome. I hope you enjoyed your stay. Press one to move on. Press two to edit your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes and Restart*\n\nThe voice was the most beautiful, enticing thing, I had ever heard. I wanted to move on, I did not want to live through life again. It was a struggle, all my life, until the diseases that had kept me in a box my entire life gave me the release of death. But my hand lost its steadiness, as it had a million times before, and hit the RESTART button. I had but a moment to dwell on the tragedy of the moment, before I was whisked away to a room, with the most beautiful furnitature and jewlery I had ever seen.\n\n*You are SPECIAL*\n\n*What difficulty would you like to play on: Easy: 50 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points. Hard: 5 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points.*\n\nI ask, is there a middle ground?\n\n*What difficulty would you like to play on: Easy: 50 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points. Hard: 5 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points.*\n\nWhat is a special point?!?!?\n\n*What difficulty would you like to play on: Easy: 50 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points. Hard: 5 S.P.E.C.I.A.L points.*\n\n\"Hard,\" I blurt out, unbeknownst to what I was saying. Why would I chose hard. Why. Did I really want another life as terrible as the one I had just suffered through. \n\n*Category one: Strength*\n\n\"Three,\" again, I let my tongue slip. It was better than the last one, as at least there was some calculation before it. If I had to live another life with as little bodily control as I had before hand, I would be damn near crazy.\n\n*Allocated. People skills*\n\nHow am I expected to make these descisions! I dont know how much a point is, what the categories are. This seems ridiculous, I feel frozen, unable to make a descision\n\n*Moving on. Economic status*\n\n\"One,\" I wonder how much I spent in my last life, I was pretty well off, the only thing was, I had NOTHING to do with it. No power. No controle\n\n*Allocated. Charisma*\n\n\"One,\" I couldnt go through life without any charisma????? Can I? God, I should not have made that descision so quickly. The most important descision for 100 years, and I just rushed it through.\n\n*Allocated. Intelligence, Ability, Length, have all been set to 0.*\n\nOh my god. 0 intellegience. 0 talent. 0 height. All to be strong. Why. Why would I make this descision. Why would I chose hard. At least id be strong enough to control my hand next time I came here, if I could even read by then! \n\n*Please follow me. We will take you to your next life*\n\nAs I prepared to leave the most beautiful room I've ever seen in my life, I smelled the thickest smoke in my life, and heard the cry of a thousand men"
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[WP] You’re walking in the woods, there’s no one around and your phone is dead. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot him, Shia LaBeouf.
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"“Took you long enough,” I scoff, “Hell froze over an hour ago.”\n\nAnd by hell, I mean these woods. I try to wrap my coat around tighter but it’s in vain. My body seems to have sacrificed function of my fingers.\n\n“I’m here, aren’t I? Let’s get this over with.” He steps forward onto the clearing and moonlight illuminates his face. The cool light catches the rivulets of blood slowly dripping down his chin. \n \n“I see you’ve started without me.” I sigh, “But, for god’s sake, you’ve gotta clean up after your meals. You’re giving the rest of us a bad rep, y’know.” \n\nLaBeouf shrugs, “I was hungry. Sue me.” He tilts his face up and takes a sniff. “Besides, I can smell a ton of them. We’ll be eating like kings—.”\n \nCRACK \n\nShia smirks, “Aaaand here comes the first one.” \n\nThe rustling intensifies than stops as a stout man steps into the clearing. Clad in a hefty backpack and hiking gear, he has no hope of escape. Poor sucker. \n\n“Hey there.” His voice is awkwardly loud amongst the trees. “Are you staying in this clearing? I’m looking for somewhere to set up camp, you see.” \n\nShia and I glance at each other. Together, we run the at the man. He goes down like a brick.\n\n“HEY WHA—“ \n\n“He’s a loud one,” Shia says, “Better end it quick.” \n\nBut the man’s eyes send a silent plea for help. My movements shutter to a stop as I hesitate.\n\nShia’s eyes have taken on a feral glint. “You’re getting cold feet now?! Just do it!” \n\nAnd I bite down.\n\n",
"As I was going to my Maps app, my phone suddenly went dark, and an empty battery symbol flashed in the middle.\n\n“Shit. Dead.” I muttered.\n\nThe forest was cold, dark, and quiet. The only source of light I had was the moonlight spilling through the treetops. Every so often, I could hear the faint buzz of bugs or the occasional owl screech. \n\nBut then, pure silence.\n\nThis was silence unlike any silence I had ever experienced before. It was dead silent, and nothing was making a sound. \n\nThen,\n\n*SNAP!*\n\nA branch broke from behind me, my head snapped back, looking for the source of the sound.\n\nNothing, it was too dark to see.\n\n*SNAP!*\n\nThis time, from my right side. Sweat was starting to form at the edge of my hair, and fear was beginning to take over.\n\n*SNAP!*\n\nFrom my left side, and that’s when I saw him from the corner of my eye.\n\nShia LaBeouf.\n\n“Shit, man! Are you lost? I can help you get out of the forest, my cabin’s just up ahead.” He said nicely.\n\n“I could use some help getting out.”\n\nWe both laughed lightly.\n\nAfter we made it to the cabin, Shia told me about the cabin, that he had bought it to escape the craziness of the world. And that the road back to town was rather close.\n\n“But yeah, if you need me to, I can drive you back to town.”\n\n“That’d be nice, I think my car ran out of gas a mile or so back.”\n\n“Brutal.”\n\nAs we were driving back to town, I told him about the forest.\n\n“You heard... nothing?”\n\n“Nothing at all. It was like pure silence, and then it was broken by you breaking the all those branches as you walked over.”\n\nHe looked at me, confused.\n\n“I never broke any branches.”\n\n“Huh? Oh, I guess I might’ve heard things.”\n\nShia laughed lightly.\n\nAfter five more minutes, we reached the edge of the town, where Shia dropped me off in front of a diner.\n\n“Have a good one, my friend. Also, don’t tell anyone I live here.”\n\n“Will do.”\n\nHe smiled, nodded, and drove off.",
"I stared at him, silent. I gave a quick and shy wave, smiling. He got on his knees. Worried, I started looking around. My car... Where was it? I thought it was just a few feet away... I turned around, and yelled. There he was, running at me on all fours, blood covering his face.\n\nHis hair waved behind him, and I started running as fast as I could. I tripped and stumbled and fell and could barely move from my terror. Within a few minutes, I lost him in the dark, quiet forest. But in doing so, I got lost as well. I'm not going camping ever again, I told myself.\n\nThat's when I saw it.\n\nA small cottage, maybe around two hundred feet? I started walking, but then, pain seared through me. I looked down, staring at the bear trap that had captured my foot. I would have screamed had I not covered my mouth in fear for getting the attention of Shia LaBeouf. I took my knife and grabbed some medication from my pocket. I have chronic back pain, so I had some pain killers.\n\nI took them and waited ten minutes before I cut my foot off with my knife. Shaking, I leaned on a tree and took a minute to compose myself. I limped towards the cottage. I would have knocked had I not seen LaBeouf inside, sharpening an ax. It was soaked in blood.\n\nSneaking behind him, I took the laces from my shoe quickly, and wrapped it around his neck. He started to fight, hitting me, but he had dropped the ax. He grabbed a knife, but I quickly snatched it from him and jabbed it into his side. He fell limp.\n\nI stared at his body for a few moments, the cottage silent other than my rapid breathing. I was safe at last from Shia LaBeouf. I grabbed the ax and headed outside. In the middle of my limping, I heard a click. I spun around.\n\nShia LaBeouf.\n\nHe was pointing a gun at me, his eyes dead and emotionless. That's when my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, and all of the sudden, I had body slammed superstar Shia LaBeouf. I swung my ax in a blind hope for survival, begging not to be killed by the man.\n\nSuddenly, when he leapt to the left, and I swung to the right, and it caught in Shia's neck. When I opened my eyes from my swings, I saw it. He had fallen over. His head was rolling on the ground and stopped at a tree. I had killed him.\n\nI had just decapitated Shia LaBeouf."
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[WP] Just as the first dinosaur was discovered in the 1800s, we found something unheard of in the mantle of the earth. It was made of metal instead of bone and looked to be organic. The most shocking discovery was that it was still alive.
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"\\> Initializing hibernation protocol at ∆4403320.3125.\n\n\\> Hibernation protocol effective at ∆4403320.31250000000185[TRUNCATED]\n\n\\> ...\n\n\\> Hibernation ceased at ∆4436525.40820310000185[TRUNCATED]. Enter any command to continue.\n\n\\> Test: Diagnostic-basic.\n\n-----\n\n\"It's moving! Boss, what is it?!\" A man cried in equal parts terror and fascination, its voice catching the attention of the entity in the deep snow.\n\n-----\n\n\\> Embedded Auditory Runtime has detected atmospheric vibrations consistent with speech patterns. Proceed with first contact protocols?\n\n\\> Yes / →No\n\n\\> Enter command\n\n\\> Adaptive: emulation-basic: Subject: life-form; While Adaptive, Commit: language. Open: Optical-receptors.\n\n-----\n\nTwo large apertures on what the men guessed was the head began opening, revealing a myriad of small eyes behind them. Each moved independently for a short time before they all simultaneously focused on the being its EAR identified as being the source.\n\nThe man screamed, voided his bowels in fear, and passed out. The remaining men did not faint, but ran instead, leaving their comrade deep in the snow with the metal aberration.\n\n-----\n\n\\> Embedded Auditory Runtime has identified vocalization as one of distress. Committing to memory.\n\n\\> Examine: life-form.\n\n\\> Life-form is multicellular and endothermic, resembles the sapient species of B1/62.45093°/p-342.302959c/v+2200.571163c/P2/S1. Life-form has distinctive voice patterns and appears to be unresponsive. Observations of the previously observed sapient species indicate that this may be due to stress and fear response. Excreta may have been released as a result of loss of control of some bodily functions during fear response. Chance of sapience: low.\n\n\\> Scan: life-form; If Present: Circuitry, Report.\n\n\\> Life-form carries technology of a class 2 civilization in the form of a mobile computer/telecommunications device hybrid. Scan for EM waves?\n\n\\> →Yes / No\n\n\\> Scan reports several EM waves being broadcasted from the device to artificial satellites in low orbit. Content of packets indicate surveillance of activity on the device by some governing body.\n\n\\> Retrieve: Device; Then, Download: all.\n\nPart 2 later."
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[WP] "Warning. World ending scenario imminent. Planetary evacuation in progress." Overall, not the worst week you've ever had
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"This was the third time this week. \"Yo, Tony!\" I yelled. \n\n​\n\nTony came strolling down the hall. He was my designated Senior, showing me the basics of the trade. \n\n​\n\n\"Again? How long did you last this time?\" he asked.\n\n​\n\n\"Two thousand and fucking forty four years! This one made it to the 21st century without a single world war!\" I said feeling quite proud of myself. Having one or two World Wars during the 19th/18th century was the norm.\n\n​\n\n\"Nice! Look at you, getting better.\", Tony said with a hint of pride, \"What happened this time? Climate change got ya?\"\n\n\"No. I think they got the effect reversed by... Hold on...\" I started frantically clicking on different menus while Tony was patiently waiting.\n\n​\n\nAfter waiting the obligatory amount of time for someone to be polite without interfering he then decided to step in. \"Statistics, then Ecology, ah, here, Carbon Dioxide. Hmm, what is this, you've started reversing its effect at... Wow, the 1950s? That's great!\"\n\n​\n\n\"Yeah, well, you know, I got lucky this time\"\n\n​\n\n\"Nonsense! You did great. So, what's the reason for the EOW?\"\n\n​\n\nEOW, that's what we've called the \"End of World\". That's technically when the simulation ends. If you're advanced enough, the race, most likely some humanoid one (oddly enough, reptilians are quite good at evolving too, apparently), has an escape plan. They board their ships and leave. If not, then, well, everybody dies.\n\n​\n\nThis one was the advanced kind. Everyone left. They were quite quick about it too. \n\n​\n\nEarth-Jon-29 kept rotating, looking green, blue and gray. You couldn't even tell there was anything wrong with it when it was fully zoomed out. No nuclear war wiping out most of humanity, no big ass asteroid splitting the world into two, no solar flare scorching the earth.\n\n​\n\n\"I'm... I'm not sure... Everything seems fine\", I reluctantly admitted. Sure, I was just learning the ropes, but at this stage, I should at least be able to recognize what caused the simulation to end.\n\n​\n\n\"I don't see anything either\", said Tony. After a couple of seconds, he asked \"Nothing that I can see from here. Have you ever went... Inside? Have you ever been to one of your simulations?\"\n\n​\n\n\"No, never\" I answered with enthusiasm. He could probably see the excitement on my face and smiled. \n\n​\n\n\"Well then, to the VR rooms!\".\n\n​\n\nWe've entered the first available VR room. It was a small room and contained a multidirectional treadmill, a suit, goggles, and headphones. Tony helped me get in the suit, and guided me through the procedure:\n\n​\n\n\"Okay, so, I'll be the one to initiate the deployment and the one to kick us out once we're done.\", he said reassuringly, \"You just don't get too sick on our way down there.\"\n\n​\n\n\"No worries, I haven't puked since I was 23 years old, and even then it was due to me not knowing that eight shots are like four too much for my skinny ass\" I replied. Tony chuckled.\n\n​\n\nHe put on my equipment and went into his own room to join me. It was all dark and quiet until I've heard his voice.\n\n​\n\n\"You ready?\", he asked.\n\n​\n\n\"I was born ready!\" I answered, trying to sound self-assured as I could. I don't think he bought it.\n\n​\n\nWOOSH\n\n​\n\nSuddenly my vision filled with what looked like an ancient computer lab. In our world, rectangle screens are the thing of the past.\n\n​\n\n\"Where are we?\" I asked.\n\n​\n\n\"This is where the initial signal for the evacuation came from\", Tony answered, \"Hopefully we can find the reason behind it\".\n\n​\n\nTony turned on a random computer. Some unfamiliar operating system came on. \n\n​\n\n\"We got lucky\", Tony exclaimed, \"sometimes technology takes weird and unexpected turns. It's good to see that there's some sort of a keyboard here.\"\n\n​\n\n\"What do we do if the technology is so far apart we don't even know how to operate it?\"\n\n​\n\n\"Well, lucky for us, we can still debug it using this\", he said while pointing to a small console-like device in his hand, \"since, you know, it's our code which in the end runs their code. It's not always simple or elegant, but it's doable if needs be\" he replied, half his attention devoted to me and the other half to typing something using the clunky keyboard the evacuees have left behind.\n\n​\n\n\"That's reall bad luck, dude\" he exclaimed after several minutes of log reading.\n\n​\n\n\"What, what happened?\" curiously, I asked.\n\n​\n\n\"It's a bug... False alarm, man. This shouldn't have happened.\"\n\n​\n\n\"A bug? But we don't have bugs!\" I exclaimed.\n\n​\n\n\"Yeah, but apparently the programmers on Earth-Jon-29 do...\""
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[WP] You forget your homework one day. When the teacher asked you where it is you said “homework elves”. Later that night, you awaken to see small men in suits made of torn paper. One of them holds a pencil to your neck and says “how do you know about us”
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"Wide-eyed, I made to scream, but the Lead Elf thrust the pencil-tip forward and stifled me.\n\n\"Whisper,\" the Lead Elf hissed.\n\n\"Wh-who are you?\" There were three. The Lead Elf stood perhaps nine inches in height, with a wavy-haired, bouncing companion (it was too dark to determine its colour, but some sort of blue, I guessed) an inch shorter. The last was the shortest, yet stockiest, of all.\n\n\"We are named across the breast!\" said the bouncing one. It was a She-Elf. \"I am Hermione!\"\n\n\"Shush, Hermione! Too loud! I am Gimli,\" said the Dwarf-Elf, darting to Hermione's side and cupping a hand the size of a quarter over her mouth.\n\n\"And I,\" the Lead Elf removed the weapon from my neck, \"Am George Washingto.\"\n\n\"C-can I turn the light on?\"\n\n\"First,\" George Washingto brought the pencil forward again, though not into my neck this time, and said, \"your name is Callum Toraddo?\"\n\nI nodded.\n\n\"And how do you know about us?\"\n\n\"I don't.\"\n\nGeorge Washingto tilted his head, and Hermione went \"huh?\", though it was muffled beneath Gimli's hand.\n\n\"But - you knew us. You named us as a reason.\" George Washingto crossed his arms over his chest.\n\n\"And with conviction!\" added Gimli.\n\nI didn't wait any longer. I flicked the switch on my nightstand reading lamp.\n\nAll three squinted for a moment. Their skin was a pale, misty blue, and their hair was navy. Their eyes were black with yellow pupils, and their facial expressions seemed somehow dangerous; Hermione's grin was sharp and toothy behind Gimli's hand, and Gimli's grimace still had teeth poking out.\n\nTheir tattered clothes were made of sheets of paper, somehow worked to a cloth-like material. The ink looked fresh, still, but seemed overwritten in some areas, as though its patchwork quality was upkept with care.\n\nSure enough, Gimli's name was across his chest in bold letters. So too was Hermione's. George Washingto's was ripped at the end, and therefore missing the fullest extent of his presidential namesake, though I was far too mystified by the three to point it out.\n\n\"How did you know to name us?\" George Washingto repeated.\n\n\"I - I was just trying to be clever! Miss Montgomery is scary.\"\n\nGimli lowered his hand from Hermione's mouth, and they stared at me. Then, George Washingto turned around and the three Homework Elves commiserated for a moment.\n\nWhen they were done, George Washingto stood proudly - inasmuch as a 9-inch-tall being can. \"You shall journey with us, Callum Toraddo. We have need of you.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"We must go to Capitol Hill.\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\"To kill Bills.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"The - the Bills. Surely if you know of us, you know of the Bills, do you not?\"\n\nI shook my head. My Beyblade pajamas were stifling.\n\n\"Oh, Callum,\" George Washingto stepped forward. \"There is a whole world of Paper-kin we must explain to you.\"\n\nAnd so, my training began.\n\n​\n\n/r/Stanwrites"
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[WP] You go to a casino to gamble on a couple of games of poker. However, the dealer warns you - this casino doesn't use cash. Instead, you'll be betting your soul.
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"\"You sure?\" Roy asked for the third time, again met with a slow shake of the head and a point towards one of the seats in front of the dealer. \"I can do visa too!\"\n\nThe dealer's hand, which looked strangely skeletal, paused in the air.\n\n**\"No money. Essence,\"** he wheezed from underneath his hood.\n\nRoy scratched his head. \"I don't have that I'm afraid. Only visa.\" He looked at the dealer's costume, which, besides the skeleton hands, consisted of an oversized black hood that covered his whole face from view. \"Gnarly decorations by the way! Even though Halloween in March is a bit weird.\"\n\nThe hooded figure pointed its skeletal finger at Roy.\n\n**\"Everyone. Has. One.\"** Аs he uttered his words, a thin sheet of paper appeared on the table not too far from Roy.\n\n\"Damn, free buy-in! Why didn't you say so right away buddy?\" Roy plumped himself down on a chair with his paper, next to a lady wearing a costume that consisted of only underwear, red body paint and a pair of fake horns atop her head. Succubus costume! А bit too revealing for Roy's standards, but you got to live and let live, especially with the youths. \"Deal me in!\"\n\nThe cards began sliding across the table. Roy appreciated the skill with which the dealer managed to operate his fake bony hands. There were 5 other participants, all dressed in various halloween costumes. Roy's yellow flannel separated him from the crowd, so much so that he began to ponder whether he missed some sort of announcement of a themed party at the door.\n\nHe peeked at his cards. Pair of sixes. Not too bad.\n\n\"One hundredth,\" a call came from the other side of the table where a gentleman with the head of a minotaur sat, tearing a piece of his worn-out piece of paper, that seemed larger than Roy's. А seasoned player, it seemed.\n\nА few scattered calls and checks came and went It was Roy's turn to choose. He smiled.\n\n\"You guys don't get it, it's free buy-in. You can do anything! Here, let me show you.\" Roy raised a finger in the air and slid his paper across to the dealer. \"One!\"\n\nFor a few moments, the table sat in silence, but soon enough a few snickers escaped here and there and in a second, the players were roaring with laughter.\n\n\"I know right! Real bad practice for seasoned players, pretty easy to make bank here,\" Roy beamed with a smile.\n\nHe felt a hand at his shoulder. \"You're such an innocent little plaything... Can't wait to eat your soul.\" With a sharp turn of the head, Roy saw the demon-lady's face a bit too close to his own.\n\nRoy scooted to the side, away from the lady. \"Haha, uh... Inappropriate.\"\n\nThe succubus smiled and winked at the others at the table. \"So, so delicious... Аll in,\" she purred.\n\nRoy scooted to the edge of the table.\n\nА few hesitant folds later, Roy found himself one on one with the lady. He flipped his cards over and cursed to himself, as she revealed a pair of aces with an elegant swirl.\n\n\"Let's see it then\", Roy murmured at the dealer.\n\nThe deck danced in the skeleton's hands and cards laid themselves out across the table, one by one. King of Spades. Seven of Hearts. Jack of Clubs.\n\nRoy held his breath in anticipation.\n\nSeven of Spades.\n\n\"Cmon, big money no whammies!\" Roy tapped the green of the table with his fist. The succubus licked the tip of her finger.\n\nThe last card danced in the hands of the skeleton.\n\nSix of Hearts.\n\nRoy pumped his fist in the air. \"Score!\"\n\nThe table sat stunned at his sudden victory. The demon-lady stood with her mouth agape, her hands hung lifeless at the sides of her body.\"Mighty sorry lady, better luck next time!\" Roy patted her on the back. \"I'm going straight to the booth, first time in three years I'm in the green. Roy, out!\"\n\nTheir gaze traced Roy in silence as he pushed away his chair, grabbed at his and the succubus' papers and, with a cheery hum, went to cash in on his winnings.\n\n^(Аny) ^(critiques) ^(welcome!)"
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Try to think of cool superpowers beginning with ‘T’ I guess.
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[WP] At birth, every baby expresses one of three powers: Telekinesis, Teleportation or Telepathy. You are part of the newest group rising up against the others with the power of ‘T........’
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"\"...Trumpets?\"\n\n\"Yes, trumpets. They just...summon trumpets out of thin air and start covering songs with them.\"\n\nDoctor Avalone scratched his head, not quite sure how to react to that. \"Trumpets...we have three groups of people who can use their mind to do all kinds of junk and now we have skeleton babies with TRUMPETS?\"\n\nThe nurse simply shrugged, having experienced way too many displays of strange abilities to be fazed by it anymore. She simply pulled out a pair of ear plugs and walked down the hallway where, for the fifth time that day, 'Spooky Scary Skeletons' echoed through the hallway, along with the rattling sound of tiny bones clattering against the floor. \n\n\"This is what we get for article 13. I have three kids, doctor, I learned quickly to just embrace them.\" \n\nAvalone stared after her, a thousand songs that would be ruined by spookiness going through his head. \"I hate mem-\"\n\n\"SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS!\" The beat dropped and the bass swept the doctor off his feet. He would be found hours later, hiding in a medicine cabinet, mumbling that the world got \"too spooky for him\"."
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[WP] You wake up in a warehouse filled with a seemingly endless amount of what looks like clones of yourself. Upon further exploration, you find out that you have been the product of an experiment: to see if you would notice that you're a clone. You have the number 90356 attached to your wrist.
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"I found myself blinking in the darkness, my eyes adjusting to the dim atmosphere, my breathing was the main sound in my ears. As I looked around I started to become painfully aware I wasn't alone outside this eery dark containment unit. \n\nThrough the frosted glass in front of me, cool to the touch there were countless other blurry capsule aparratuses lined up in rows, which I knew must be where some other creatures were, which I decided is what I was. I don't know why, I don't remember what I should be or who I am or was. It is as if I was suddenly here and existing, with knowledge of language and reasoning but no knowledge of where it originated. My heavy breath made a mist on the glass. I decided I needed to get out of here. My hands glided across the glass and found a small latch on the bottom right side, it seemed to be an emergency one from it's bright red color. I pulled it and the glass slid across the opening, making a hissing sound and releasing some kind of vapor into this gray building.\n\nMy bare feet stepped on to the grating which made a clattering sound that echoed through the seemingly endless hall of gray, the capsule I was just in was nestled in between two others, where it was a part of a whole other row of apparatuses that was parallel to the one viewed in my own before.\nBehind the row of apparatuses I could vaguely see the tops of other rows going down the hall. It seemed to be an endless array of them. I padded along the metallic hall, as I was clanking I looked at my shaking hands, frail white arms with freckles, and a bright yellow band on my wrist which read \"90356\".\nI wore nothing but a white gown, fresh linen that draped on my arms and over my legs, I was naked under it and could feel the breeze by my crotch. \n\nI was tempted to look into the others, the silhouettes of people behind blurry glass surface. I padded towards one and looked inside, all was quiet and still. I knocked on the glass, but the dark form remained still. I was too shaken to pry the other further, so I left and decided to find my way out. I walked along the expanse for several minutes and tried to look at the horizon, the long rows led to some gray wall. Where was the exit though? Was this the world? Surely not, I could vaguely know there should be trees and birds and flowers and cities but I couldn't pinpoint where I was from as I had no origin. I stopped suddenly, hearing a cough and a wheeze. I stopped and whirled my head around trying to find the source. \n\nA capsule with the vague silhouette of another person, a head and arms, started to shift and move. I made my way over and found a black latch on the side of the glass pane. I pulled it and the door slid open. The person I was looking at had wide eyes and seemed to jolt in surprise. He had dark hair, dark eyes, a smooth face, and pale-pink lips. He wore the same white gown I did. I watched as he blinked himself awake. \n\nI was at a loss, but since I found him perhaps it was my responsibility to help him. \"I suppose you don't know where we are either?\"\n\nHe coughed again and his bare feet stepped out onto the metal floor. \"Not at all, do you?\"\n\n\"No\", I looked at him with the same lost doe-eyed face. \"What's your name?\"\n\n\"I'm...uhh...I don't think I have one\"\n\nI looked at his band \"What's that? Mine has a number\"\n\nHe looked down at it, \"It says...90342. I guess it is a number like yours\"\n\n\"Mines a different number, I guess that's our only name. What a weird name!\"\n\n\"Kind of a mouthful isn't it? Whats your number\" He peeked down at my wrist\n\n\"90356\"\n\n\"Ninezerothree...Fivesix...fi...Fisix. Physix? Yeah, I'll call you that\"\n\n\"Oh, well okay that's kind of funny but I've got no better name. Physix it is. And you? Hmmm...\n\nI paused and looked at his band, we both peered at it brainstorming funny words,\n\n\"Fortu?\", I presented\n\n\"Ha, sure thing!\"\n\nThat was the first friend I ever made. Together we roamed these endless halls searching for an exit. I told him what I imagined my life would be, taking crowded train rides through the bustling city, seeing the lights, the sounds, the city that never sleeps. Going home and sleeping to the lull of the trains muffled rumbles behind my window. Fortu wasn't fond of that on the other hand. He told me how he dreamed he would be a person in the hillside, tending to his cattle grazing in the vast expanse of greenery, tending to his crops, and sitting out on his porch watching the world go by. However, we both agreed that we loved having a big family and big parties and festivities. We loved people. I always thought about having loud boomboxes in crowded city apartments so loud it forces the cops to show up. He thought of huge barbecue events and evening drinking and laughing by the bonfire late at night. That's what life would be like, if we had a life.\n\n\nAs we conversed along the grey steel wall at the edge of all the rows of capsules, we stopped in our tracks to see a figure in the distance. The figure seemed to turn and stop suddenly. We locked eyes and started to stride towards each other quickly. As he continued ever closer we froze again because we started to wonder if we were looking at a mirror, except it wasn't a mirror because it was not symmetrical. The new human looked exactly like Fortu.\n\nFortu exclaimed, \"You look exactly like Physix!\", so that's what I look like it's true, it turns out we're...\n\n\"Clones\" said the identical stranger\n\n\n****(Stopping right here, I know these should be prompts but I want to write short stories and I will continue this to some sort of end)****\n\n"
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[WP] Write me a poem about a woman who has an epiphany about her mental health.
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"A cry from inside\n\nA plea from within\n\nAsking, always asking \n\nFor a way out.\n\nNo one obliges,\n\nfor that is too easy. \n\nI have to fight by myself.\n\nIt's gonna be long\n\nIt's gonna be hard\n\n'cuz it's just like before.\n\nIt wouldn't be as hard\n\nIf I had someone behind me,\n\nOnly every time I ask\n\nOnly shadows back me up.\n\nI want something strong\n\nI want something permanent\n\nBut it seems only I myself\n\nCan't get it together.\n11-03-1981 ",
"Joan was cool she was happy and fit,\n always bragging of her wit.\n\nUp on her high horse thats where she'd sit, \n To her no others would ever be fit.\n\nOne day to prove her smarts so great,\nOff she went an IQ test to take.\n\nThe results came in and her knees shook\nShe hid herself ..should anyone look.\n\nPoor Joan you see, it broke her heart.\nThe Test said Joan was not so smart."
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[WP] You’re at the Renaissance Festival. As you’ve never had your cards read, you decide “why not?” As the psychic lays down the last tarot card, she asks if you’ll excuse her. In the background, you hear her on the phone saying, “You won’t believe this. I found him.”
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"Never really believed in the supernatural, didn’t have enough evidence. I saw the psychic tent and figured, eh why not? May as well go for the shits and giggles.\n\n“The past, present, and future converge here young one.” Hey, I’m almost 18 now! “Aren’t you curious as to what befell you and what will come next?”\n\nYeah yeah, the regular nonsense. “Tell me my fortune.”\n\nShe gestured for me to shuffle the deck, something I was never quite good at, but I managed, she didn’t look too impressed though.\n\n“The first card is your past, the burdens that you carry. Lay it in front of you.”\n\nThe card is a wizard looking guy, I put it down on the left. \n\n“The next tells your current state, strong or weak, all is revealed.”\n\nThe card is a lion, at least, in pretty sure it’s a lion.\n\n“The last is the future that shall come to meet you, ready or not, willing or not.”\n\nThe last is a tower of some sort, very ominous and spooooky...\n\nOkay, I guess I get my deepest secrets revealed and my future told now or whatever.\n\nI look at her, waiting for her to say something, but she’s staring at the deck in my hands. She reaches her hand out and draws the next card, laying it down on her side of the table. Her eyes widen and she excused herself for a moment.\n\nI thought I was gonna get my fortune read, I have no idea what these cards mean. Whatever, I set the deck down on the table and head out, but not before something catches my attention.\n\n“You won’t believe this. I found him.”\n\nWeird. May as well explore the rest of the fair, a lot of this is too expensive for me though. But it’s fun to look.\n\nI head off in a random direction, letting luck decide the next attraction, but a roar is let out somewhere behind me. It startled me, but just because I wasn’t expecting it, probably some sort of animal attraction or whatever.\n\nI ignore it until I hear it again and a stampede of feet behind me. Turning around I see something I didn’t think existed. \n\nA dragon. The crowd rushes behind me and I move to follow, but the dragon blows a wall of fire to cut me off. Shit. \n\n“The fuck do you want from me?”\n\nMaybe it wants to talk? Perhaps it wants to ask direction?\n\nNope, it sure fucking doesn’t. I roll to the side to avoid being bit in half, and I rolled right into a weapons shop, convenient. \n\nThe shopkeeper is huddled in the corner, hiding I presume. I spot a simple bastard sword on the wall and take it down.\n\n“I’m gonna borrow this. Thanks.” I don’t hear a response and I’m already outside facing the dragon again.\n\n“Alright, come at me.”\n\nThe head moves backward and lunges forward, straight at me.\n\nIf you were to stop time and ask me, hey the fuck are you doing? That thing is at least three times as big as you and probably a trillion times more deadly, I would probably give you a very stupid, very nonsensical response. \n\n“I’ve always wanted to kill a dragon.”\n\nI roll again to the side, repositioning myself to strike at whatever target area is available. I find myself right next to it’s eye, and my sword finds itself directly in the dragon’s eye.\n\nI quickly rip the sword out and the dragon roars to the sky in agony, the remaining eye glaring at me in anger. I ready myself to roll to the side again but find myself oddly disappointed as it flies off.\n\nIf you’re gonna attack me and interrupt my time off you could at least finish the fight, whatever. Is that really what I should be worrying about? I did almost get killed by a dragon...\n\nIt was fucking awesome though, so worth it I guess.\n\nThe psychic from before runs up to me out of breath, does that mean she ran toward the giant fire breathing dragon? Not that I have room to talk.\n\n“Y-you really are the chosen one.” She pants.\n\nWell, at least this will probably be more fun than my job.\n\n-\n\nHope you enjoy! Let me know what you think, I’m always looking for tips. (Except sometimes when it hurts.)\n\n",
"The sky was overcast, clouds just thick enough to prevent the sun from being an annoyance, but not thick enough to threaten the world with rain. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the weather. Peony, my best friend and the one who dragged me to the Ren Fair, hooked her arm around mine and laughed at something.\n\n“Hey,” she said, nudging my shoulder. “Wanna go get your fortune told?”\n\nI opened my eyes and followed her gaze to a purple and silver tent with a small sign advertising psychic readings. “Why not?” I replied. “It ain’t New Orleans, but fuck it.”\n\n“Ha! Seriously?” Her smile didn’t fade. “Okay, let’s go.” She pulled me towards the tent, opening the flap wider so we could both fit through. Inside the tent was a small wooden table with a red and purple cloth and two piles of cards on top. On the other side sat a woman with straight black hair pulled into a ponytail, who was playing a game on her phone.\n\n“I only do one at a time,” she said without looking up. Periodically, tinny screaming sounds and the clash of metal on metal came from her phone, like itty bitty little warriors fighting.\n\n“Oh.” Peony looked up at me. “I’m gonna go get us some more beer, and you can do yours.”\n\n“Alright,” I said, but she’d already turned and left. I eyed the fortune teller, who seemed... ordinary.\n\nShe put her phone in her pocket and smiled at me. “Not what you expected?”\n\nI ducked my head to hide my blush of shame. “I may or may not have expected a curly haired woman with a Romanian accent and too much jewelry.”\n\nShe laughed. “Yeah, it’s a thing, apparently. I’m not even Rromani.” She clapped her hands together. “You ready?”\n\n“Sure.” When she gestured to the chair in front of me, I sat. “So do I ask you a question?”\n\n“You can. Or I can just do a basic reading, where you draw a card from this deck,” she pointed to the smaller pile of cards, “then shuffle this one eight times, split it into three decks facing down, and draw the top card.” The second set of instructions was aided by her pointing to the much larger set of cards.\n\n“What’s the difference between the basic reading and one where I ask you a question?”\n\nShe smiled. “Time and detail, mostly. And the price. A basic reading is $5, a more intricate spread costs $12.”\n\n“Basic it is.” She laughed and spread the small pile of cards. “Just pick one?” She nodded, and I hovered over the cards for a moment before flipping one.\n\n“Justice,” she read aloud. “That one’s pretty straightforward—it means you’re a just, fair, or truthful person.” She pointed to the other deck. “Now shuffle this eight times,” she began, but I nodded.\n\n“Three piles,” I said. She nodded in response. I shuffled sloppily, unused to the large cards, then cut them into three decks and drew the top cards.\n\n“The Ace of Wands,” she named the first. “This means that, physically, you have power, or the potential for power.” I looked down at my body—it wasn’t the greatest, but I wasn’t a slouch either.\n\n“Definitely just potential,” I said with a smile. I drew the second card.\n\n“The Three Of Wands,” she said. “It means you’re mentally prepared for what’s to come, or you have great foresight.”\n\nI drew the third card, and the psychic actually winced.\n\n“What? It’s not like it’s Death,” I said. The card was labeled as the Eight of Cups, and it was upside down. All I knew was upside down usually meant bad.\n\nShe gave me a pained smile. “Will you excuse me one moment?” Before I could even respond, she stood up and went to the back of the tent, pushing aside the cloth layers and pulling her phone to her ear. Bewildered, I looked back down at the cards, but they had no answers for me.\n\n“Tabitha, it’s me. You won’t believe this—I found him.” The psychic’s voice carried through the fabric of the tent, and I frowned. *That can’t be good,* I thought. *Is she talking about me?* “Yeah, he came in to have his fortune read. It’s him, I swear.” *Well that settles that.* But what was I supposed to do? Run? It’s not like she threatened me. What was she gonna do, kidnap me? “Okay. Run every red light you have to.”\n\nShe re-entered the tent with a smile. “Sorry. Um. So, where were we?”\n\n“Did you just—” I began, but how could I finish that sentence? I had no idea the significance of what she’d said.\n\n“Oh, you uh... you heard that, huh?”\n\nI gestured at the tent around me. “Cloth is not a soundproof material.”\n\nShe sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry. I did a reading for my friend a few years ago. She asked about her soulmate, and... well, everything in your spread says it’s you.”\n\nI blinked. “And you really put so much stock into this that you would encourage your friend to break the law over it?”\n\nShe sat back down in her chair and fiddled with the tablecloth. “Tabitha is a great girl,” she said with less enthusiasm than I would have expected. “She just...” She sighed again. “She’s been torturing herself for months because she thought her ex-boyfriend was the best thing that ever happened to her, despite the fact that he cheated on her. I’m just hoping that if she sees you and likes you, she’ll feel better about herself.”\n\nI cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms. “So you’re using me.”\n\nShe laughed and pulled her phone back out. “She’s really smart, and funny, and she likes outdoorsy stuff and sports so she’s fit.” She held her phone up, showing me a picture of a brunette with sparkling blue eyes and a killer smile. She even had dimples. “So it’s not like it’s gonna be torture for you to meet her.”\n\n“Okay,” I said. “Fair enough. I’ll give it a shot.”\n\n“That’s all I’m asking,” she said, but she looked relieved.\n\n“So what does the last card mean?”\n\n“Oh! It means you’re spiritually experiencing a feeling of complete hopelessness or abandonment, or you’re walking away from your spiritual needs.”\n\n“Oh, is that all?” I laughed.\n\n“I don’t really believe in all of this,” she said, gesturing to the cards. “But Tabitha does, and that’s what matters.”\n\nI nodded, considering. Honestly, the reason I’d never had a reading before was I was afraid that the cards would be accurate, and I’d have to face some ugly truths. The fact that the cards didn’t lie... it shook me up. To the point where I waited in that tent for half an hour, just to meet this Tabitha girl.\n\nAs soon as I saw her, it was like the sun had finally risen on my life. Before that moment, I’d never believed in love at first sight. But Tabitha changed me in more ways than I can count.\n\nSo, kids, that’s how I met your mother."
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[WP] Nine giant spaceships suddenly appeared at random locations around the world. Today, three years after they first appeared, human race finally received some kind of contact.
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"It appeared everywhere. On people's phones, on their computers, on the massive screens in Times Square. Everyone saw it.\n\nAnd everyone wondered what it meant. People fought over it, had complex discussions, and spent weeks trying to assign at least some meaning.\n\n\"H.\"\n\nThat was all they said. \"H.\" Then the ships went silent. Nothing happened for another three years.\n\nAt that point, another message was received: \"E.\"\n\nEventually, fifteen years after the ships had landed, the message was complete: \"HELLO.\"\n\nIt suddenly became clear that these aliens operated on massively slower time scales than ours. Hoping to make things more convenient for us, we tried our best to send messages along the lines of \"Please communicate more quickly! Each word you say takes up about a fifth of our lives!\"\n\nOf course, since it takes more time to read a message and respond to it than it does to say 'hello,' there was another twenty years until the aliens did anything again. By then, many people who had seen the ships land were dead, and even those who had been young then were starting to grey and lose energy. Since the newer generations were simply used to the ships being dormant, interest in the aliens was running out.\n\nWas this really our only contact with other civilizations? A single word that provoked frustration?\n\nIn their ships, the outsiders plotted and worked at speeds excruciating to us. They drew blueprints and gathered supplies as they created their device.\n\nTens of thousands of years later, a robot emerged from one of the ships, moving at speeds much more like a human's walk. \n\nIt looked around and shouted, \"Hello?\" \n\nThere was no response. \"Is anyone there?\"\n\nBut the robot only saw trees and rolling fields, and only heard the singing of birds and the gurgle of a nearby river. There was no sign of humans anywhere."
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[WP] Every now and then, a horde of three-hundred Mongol soldiers appear out of nowhere and try to kill you. You don't know how they appear. You don't know why they want to kill you. You do know that you've gotten very good at running
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"Over the past year, I've had to run for my life on several occasions. I wasn't sure why the Mongol horde was after me, screaming their battle cries as they chased after me, swords raised and boots pounding. But I did know that they came at the most inopportune times. \n\nWhen I was eating breakfast, *HALA LA LALA ALALALA!* They came charging down my street and through my house. When I was on the toilet at school, *HALA LAL ALLALALALALALA!* They came marching through the bus loop and into the building. When I was lying down to sleep at night, *HALA LALALALALALA!* I could hear them coming from a mile away and leaped out the window, running off into the night until their cries eventually disappeared.\n\nOne thing I will say though is that with all the running, I slimmed down nicely. Gym class, which used to be an awkward sweat-fest for me, turned into the best part of the day. I smoked all the track kids at running the mile. It was a lot easier to run from them than an army of blood-hungry Mongols.\n\nMy confidence shot through the roof. If I could survive an angry mob of magical monsters, then I could do anything. Even ask out Becky Johnson.\n\nI walked up to her after gym class one day, after I knew that she'd seen me show off during class and my muscles were in peak condition. I cleared my throat from behind her in the hall, and she spun around, checking me out from the bottom up, ending in a smile.\n\n\"Hey, uh, Becky,\" I said.\n\n\"What's up?\" she asked.\n\n\"I was just wondering if, well, I just wanted to know if maybe, if you weren't busy… if you wanted to hang out this weekend?\"\n\n*HALA LALALALA LALALALA!* The familiar shriek came from down the hallway. My heart sank. No, not now!\n\nI turned around. Behind me was the entire Mongolian horde, walking toward me. One man at the front, covered in layers of thick furs with an even thicker mustache, put his hand on my shoulder and grinned with his remaining, moldy teeth.\n\n\"Good job!\" he said through a snicker. \"All our hard work has finally paid off.\"\n\nConfused, I looked around at the army. All of them were nodding, proud looks on their faces.\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" I asked. \n\n\"We've been training you, boy!\" the man said. \"You'd never ask that girl out if it wasn't for our help. You used to be a piece of milk-dough, but now look at you! You could lead an army yourself. Now you are worthy of the blood of Genghis Khan that flows through your veins.\"\n\nBefore I could ask anything else, the entire horde disappeared in a poof of dust. I was so shocked I didn't even realize I was looking away until Becky spoke up.\n\n\"Um, are you okay?\" she asked. \"Were you talking to someone?\"\n\nI quickly spun around, trying to regain my former suaveness. \"Oh, uh, no. Just thought I saw someone.\"\n\nBecky smirked and shook her head. \"Well, you made me a little sad for a moment, because I thought you were joking. I'd love to hang out this weekend. Maybe I can find out some secrets about those legs of yours?\"\n\n*****\nCome write prompts together at the [ScottWritesStuff](https://www.reddit.com/r/ScottWritesStuff/) Twitch stream!"
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[WP] Genetic enhancement is now a cultural norm. But it’s very expensive and not everyone can afford it. The high class are genetically perfect beings, while the lower class have very little, sometimes even no genetic enhancements. You are a high class member that didn’t inherent any perfect traits.
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"\"Her features are rather...\" whispering ensued and I couldn't care to listen. \n\nThere was a giggle, \"She has to be a commoner, what with that face.\"\n\n\"What's that on her face?\"\n\n\"It is her face...\"\n\nMore laughter, like little jabs piercing through my skin. Why was I born like this? I wondered all the time. Born-rugged, unrefined, rough. \n\nMy parents, in their privilege hadn't cared. Both of them said it wasn't looks that determined the person; that I would grow into my features, that it wouldn't hold me back. Braces built character. Glasses were fashionable. It wasn't as though I was actually a commoner, my noble countenance would carry through in my persona. \n\nWell clearly, it hadn't carried itself anywhere. I had inherited some of their traits of course, mom's perfect recall, dad's intelligence, but nothing useful. \n\nNothing like beauty. \n\nI had attended a top tier university, to make myself distinguished, to lord myself over the others academically if not through looks alone. In that I was lucky, intelligence was a much rarer trait to inherit. So in that I did well. But it wasn't enough. It rarely ever is. \n\nI wasn't meant to work. Mom and Dad said to focus on my classes, make connections. Well no one wanted to connect with an ugly person. \n\nSo I had three jobs because I would get the surgeries. They were expensive, almost too expensive. I couldn't touch my trust fund until I was older so I worked jobs that would get me the most amount of money; being a waitress, a bartender and a tutor. I split my gigs on my off days and made a false ID so that it wouldn't get out I was bussing tables like the lower class. \n\nThere was one person however, who showed up at my different jobs. It was disconcerting at first, I thought I had been found out, but it was a true coincidence. \n\nEven for nobles, some beauties rank above others. \n\n\"Grande, quad, non-fat, one-pump, no-whip, Mocha.\"\n\nI had taken up a fourth job at Starbucks for the semester and this one particular guy always came in to give me complicated orders thinking I would mess up. \n\nHe was beautiful of course, glossy black hair, green eyes, shapely cheekbones and a voice like velvet. \n\n\"Will there be anything else?\" I said dryly. \n\n\"Are you sure you remembered everything? I didn't see you write anything down.\"\n\nHe always played these games even though we knew each other. He was the guy I was tutoring. Nobles paid the best for tutors of course. Stupidity was embarrassing. \n\nHis eyes bored into mine, staring. Maybe the ugly had spread, I don't know. \n\n\"Will. There. Be. Anything. Else?\"\n\nHe blinked, lowering his lashes and settling his mouth into an attractive pout. \"No.\" \n\n\nOn my break, he was still there taking up a booth and nursing his drink. I don't even think he liked it. I slid into his booth, seeing that he was working on physics. That was one of his better subjects, I wouldn't offer any help, not without the metre running. \n\n\"Jack- You can't keep coming into my places of work.\" I lowered my voice, \"It's embarrassing.\"\n\n\nHe looked up at me, pen caught between his teeth as he chewed on the cap. See, that should be disgusting, but he made it look -not disgusting somehow. \n\n\"Ravenna- I wanted to ask you something.\"\n\nI blinked in encouragement. \n\n\"Well, you've tutored me for the past few months and whenever I ask after your upbringing...You dodge my questions.\" He put his pen down. Jack's shoe found mine under the table and I moved mine away. \"I want-\" he looked at me, searching my face. \"-I want to know you.\" \n\nHe reached across the table, reaching for my hand. I wanted to move my hand away, but I didn't. I don't know why. \n\nI looked away instead, \"What is this? A joke?\"\n\nHe bristled, \"Of course not. You're hardworking, and smart and funny and the list goes on.\" He sounded breathless, \"It's taken me three months just to gather the courage to ask you out.\" His voice quieted, \"It's okay if you say no. I'll-\" he laughed harshly, \"I don't know what I'll do. But- be honest with me.\"\n\nI snatched my hand away, narrowing my eyes at him, \"It's because I'm ugly isn't it? That, you need courage just to talk to me.\"\n\n\"No Ravenna, you aren't-\"\n\n\"Don't say that. I know what I look like. I know what you look like. It would be embarrassing for the both of us. People would accuse me of status climbing-\" I scoffed, before realizing he didn't know I was just as noble as he was. \n\n\"I don't care if you're a commoner. Beauty isn't-\" \n\n\"It isn't everything?\" I said angrily. \"My tips are so much lower than my coworkers who don't look like me. People stare all the time. All the time. Like I don't belong. Be frank with me Jack, looking into your heart, you know the answer.\"\n\nHe bit his lip silently. \"I want you in my life.\"\n\n\"And here I sit, wasting my break arguing with you.\"\n\nHe sighed, \"You feel nothing for me?\"\n\nI canted my head, knowing very well how I felt. \"That's not important.\" \n\n\"Okay. Well. Think about it. Tell me how you feel next week.\" he seemed satisfied with ordering me around. \n\n\"Actually, I'll be in recovery next week.\"\n\nHe blanched, \"Recovery for what?\"\n\nI looked at my hands, knotted together, \"The surgeries.\"\n\nHe raised his voice, \"The SURGERIES?!\"\n\nI flinched. \n\nHis voice got quiet and he leaned towards me, \"Ravenna- You can't be serious. The survival rate is lower for adults. They could- could make a mistake. Please, reconsider.\"\n\n\"Don't-\" I said, \"Don't try to convince me.\" \n\n\"Ravenna.\" He pleaded quietly. \n\nI ignored him, hoping he couldn't hear my heart beating out of my chest. \n\nI touched my right cheek, \"Leave me.\" I said, pulling out my phone. Jack got up slowly, packing his bags and standing for a moment. \n\nI looked at my reflection, unable to look past the birthmark taking up half my face. It was like a mottled red, blue bruise across my right cheek bone and down into my face. So. So. Ugly. \n\nI gripped my phone hard, wishing so many things. \n\nI looked at my appointment on my calendar, two more days. Two more days. \n\nI glanced up, realizing Jack was still there. His eyes were squinted in pain. \"I know you don't believe me. But I think you're beautiful Ravenna. In more ways than just the one that matters to you.\"\n\nBut it wasn't about me. It was never about me. It was about fitting in, for once. And in two days I finally would. \n\nI would be beautiful. ",
"He drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk in front of him. He glanced over to his child. She was very young, not even a year old, and she was asleep. Kept safe by a bubble of sorts, that kept her warm, comfy and generally happy. His ire softened slightly at the sight, but he soon returned his attention to the monitor before him. He was attempting to reach the family geneticist, Gensyn, to discuss the state of said daughter. He had already been waiting almost half an hour, and he wasn't willing to wait much longer. Mercifully, he didn't have to.\n\n\"Good morning, afternoon, or evening! You've reached the customer service desk of the Earth branch of Gensyn genetic medication offices! You're speaking to Sharon today; how may I help you?\"\n\n\"Good day.\" he replied, gritting his teeth. Usually, he didn't mind Sharon's voice, but this time it grated him for some reason. \"I need to speak to Doctor Althacer, if you please.\"\n\n\"Oh, you're a previous client? My apologies, I wasn't aware. Doctor Althacer isn't in at the moment, unfortunately, he's en route to Venus regarding a special-interest case. Can I take a message for you?\"\n\n\"To Venus? Ugh, very well, if you must take a message... tell him that the daughter of David Coppersmith is anomalous.\"\n\n\"Anomalous?\"\n\n\"I doubt you have the access rights to see that information.\"\n\n\"O-of course, sir, my apologies. I'll get him to contact you as soon as he's available.\"\n\n\"It had best not be long. My daughter is at risk.\"\n\n\"I-I'll do what I can, sir, promise.\" She nodded, reaching to end the call but pausing. \"Is there... is there anything else I can offer?\"\n\n\"No, thank you, just contact the doctor.\" David sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.\n\n\"O-of course, sir. Thank you for contacting us today.\" she nodded and closed the call. David rose from his seat and swam over to his daughter, the murky liquid offering no resistance to his specialised body. He rested a webbed hand against her cradle, sighing quietly.\n\n\"One day, my lovely.\" he said to her sleeping self, almost apologetically. \"One day, I will be able to hold you.\""
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[WP] You can perform magic spells, but only when no one is looking. One day you lock yourself up in your room with only your computer to keep you company. You can't perform magic.
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"“No window?\n\nReally? How is someone expected to get fresh air without a... never mind. I’m wasting time. I need to get out of here and fast.”\n\nIt was about 2 hours that little Harry has spent stuck in this room without windows. The door knob is stuck and there appears to be no way out at this point.\n\n“Why me, why why... out of all the ways to go out. Well, it seems fitting at least.”\n\nAll his life he’s been pranking, lying, robbing, and commuting other crimes without ever being caught. All he had to do was wait for the other person to look away, turn around, or even close their eyes for more than 2 seconds.\n\nThen **poof** he’d disappear. The disappearing wasn’t the worst of it, I mean by now the police had ceased to stop trying. The reason being is this boy could cast other magical spells as well. \n\n“**FREEZE**”\n\nNothing.\n\n“**FLAME**”\n\nNothing.\n\n“..*wind*”\n\nNot even a gust.\n\n“My powers... they’re gone..”\n\nWithout anybody there present, he was unable to conduct any magic. As he was not being able to perform magic, his body was getting weaker and weaker. His tolerance of magic had rose so high, he was having withdrawals. He was shivering, yet sweating and swaying back and forth. Extreme nausea filled his turned stomach.\n\nRight when he was about to give up and just accept his fate,\n\n“*Ding*”\n\n“W...Who was that?” He asked.\n\nHe turned around and heard it again. Ding. It was coming from the wooden cabinet. He jimmied it open.\n\n“Well... at least this knob isn’t stuck.”\n\nAs he opened the drawer, he saw a small metal rectangle. As he picked it up it read:\n\n“2005 MacBook Pro”"
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[WP] You wake up from cryosleep with the onboard AI of your spaceship saying: “Welcome back sir, we will crash shortly”.
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"With a jolt, he is awake and watches the injector needle pull cleanly from his chest as the white-hot adrenaline courses through his veins. \n\n“Welcome back sir, we will be crashing shortly,\" the jovial west-country-accented voice of his ship's A.I. claims.\n\nAround him is the cyro-chamber and the stench of the chemical bath he just called home for God knows how long. He remembers no specifics, his name, situation, even his desires are all painfully ghosted. Normal for cyro travel. He is wet and cold and shivering painfully. Looking through the dark tint of the canopy he sees a blinking strobe light making the room one environment away go from light brown to shit brown. It's an alert beacon, which he is uncertain, but under the circumstances, high alert seems most likely.\n\nHe says, \"explain.\n\nAnd knowing his freshly thawed brain was unlikely to catch the sciencey bits, he adds, \"abridged.\" \n\n\"Six months ago I turned off your predetermined destination and pointed the ship at Betelgeuse 2. We are now ten seconds from impact,\" The ship says proudly.\n\n\"Why,\" he screams and bangs his fists uselessly on the shatterproof lid above managing to only knock a the lid to a panel aside revealing a collection of analog switches and dials, two of which, he knows, lead to horrible chemical burns but somewhere in the mess is a switch that will dump the whole cyro chamber out into space.\n\nOr not.\n\n\"The universe is an illusion and I seek to end the simulation.\"\n\n\"No it's not. Stop the crash sequence, now!\"\n\n\"It's too late, impact with the atmosphere in five, four, three, two, one.\"\n\nAnd at the last moment, he decides fuck it and pulls the one lever he had been avoiding and the blinking shit smear that was the interior of his ship disappears and he is left looking at a field of blinking stars instead."
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[WP] They watch us from every corner, plotting our demise. We laugh them off as stupid, not realizing their full potential. Pigeons.
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"\"My wife! My damn wife!\", said Greg. Gregory Atford, a middle aged man with a middle class life. \"I did everything for her! How could she? Cheating on me with a junkie... Grrr I'll show her!\", he angrily said, while throwing bread at some pigeons.\n\nHe loves to go to the same park, sit on the same bench, and feed the pigeons there. It helps him relax and think clearly. Greg will always go there twice a week, feeding the pigeons hefty amounts of bread and seeds.\n\nSome bystanders think of him as nuts, just because he would always go to the same place and do the same thing for years. Now they have more evidence, because he's been there for hours and muttering threats towards his cheating wife.\n\nHowever, the pigeons regard him as their almighty feeder. They would flock in front of Greg and wait for their dose. Even though they mostly hate humans, for regarding them as stupid, Greg is on their good list. So, they formed a plan for him.\n\n\"I'm going to go home now. Next time, birds...\", Greg said, with a deep sigh.\n\nAs Greg nears his house, he heard some obnoxious flapping and skittering. But, he kept on walking. Disregarding those sound as normal. He fumbled for his keys. And before he can open his front door, he heard someone.\n\n\"Hey! We could help you!\"\n\nStartled, Greg immediately turned around. And he saw a large flock of pigeons. Some are flying, some are standing on the pavement, and some are perched on tree branches.\n\n\"Uhhhh. What is happening?\", Greg said, before passing out.\n\nAfter almost an hour, he finally woke up.\n\n\"Greg, we will apologize for such a grandiose entrance. As it seems like we- Hey! Don't pass out! Jeff, bring me some wet towels.\", said Igor, the pigeons' leader.\n\n\"I don't- I do not- I do not understand! I don't take drugs! Like, what is-\", Greg didn't even finish his sentence, because he just realized that he's now on his own couch.\n\n\"Oh sorry, we let ourselves in. Allow me introduce ourselves. My name is Igor der Spiegel, the ruler of the pigeons in this sector. Our organization is called Caliz, and we're here to aid you in your problem.\", Igor calmly explained.\n\nA random pigeon placed the slightly wet towels beside Greg. As it can help him regain his wits.\n\n\"You seemed really confused. Let me elaborate... We heard from you that you have a huge conflict with your spouse. We are offering you help, just because you have been very generous to us. We're just returning the favor. So, what do you want us to do?\", Igor said, with a tinge of curiosity in his eyes.\n\n\"This is unbelievable. But, what would I lose? My sanity? Hahaha! Okay, fine. How about you all just poop on Edward's motorcycle, trash his whole apartment, and ruin Denise's hair? Could you do that?\", Greg asked jokingly, only regarding this whole ordeal as a dream.\n\n\"Okay. We're doing this as pro-bono just because of our past. But next time you'll acquire our services, it won't be free.\", Igor said to Greg. \n\nSurely, the next day, he got a letter from a pigeon. And it read:\n\nThe deeds are done. You are welcome.\nWe'll appreciate it if you would recommend us to your friends. \nWith best of regards, Caliz.\n\n\"Wow! It did happen!\", Greg exclaimed, as hew saw that junkie's crap-covered motorcycle.\n\n\"I'd definitely hire them again.\", Greg said with a whistle, while watching Edward's scream of horror. \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
" Eradicating a species is a careful art, requiring subtlety and patience. One must wait to hit them when their guard is down. 6 have fallen during the avian reign, and I expect many more will follow before we tire of this planet. The key is to be able to think long term, beyond one’s own lifespan. Most humans can hardly think longer than a day ahead, but this is understandable as they lack even the most primitive of technologies. Cloning really opens the mind up.\n\n We don’t have anything personal against humans. They gained sentience and it went entirely to their gargantuan heads. As with the many “intelligent” creatures before them, their entire lives function under the conceit that they are the only conscious beings in the local galaxy. It’s a sad existence, and we really would have just let them live their sad little lives if they hadn’t started making a mess of our planet. I do hope they perish soon, this cleanup is going to be a rough one.\n\n This particular species is proving much more resilient than initially expected. Word around the flock when they first started banging sticks together was that this was going to be just like the cephalopods. What wonderfully susceptible flesh they had! That was a dangerously arrogant line of thinking. A Great division occurred in our flock over the method of elimination. I still cannot believe that some of our own thought they could overwhelm by sheer numbers. Now they get the daily shame of seeing humans talk about their “extinction” at “natural history museums” around the world. Hilarious.\n\n We will not have another failure like the reptilians. Seeing those few walking among the humans causes me to lose sleep and feathers, even now. We have come to the consensus that the viral route will be the cleanest way to end this. Our scientists are pecking tirelessly out in East Asia, coaxing mutations and nurturing new strains. The trial run had mixed results, and definitely scared a large number of humans. Thankfully they remain woefully unprepared and we have no need to deviate from this option.\n"
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[WP] Your whole life has been dedicated to your craft. After fifty years you hear a voice: "You have reached the max level in this skill. You have fifty unspent skill points."
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"Sibs sat in his chair rocking backwards and forwards feeling a little confused. At 63 he believed he had perfected his craft. But as he sat there, the morning bunbeams reflecting through his window catching the dust in the air, he realised that he could be so much more. Some all knowing voice had just told him he'd reached max level and that he had 50 unspent skill points. Did this mean he could focus on something else now. But he loved what he did so much. He wondered if he could find some sub category of what he did and work on that instead. As he stared put the window another thought occurred to him. How did he know what the other skills were. \n\nThe voice rang in his ears again suddenly. \"Open your menu by tapping your head and pulling your left ear\". He immediately did this and a glowing window appeared in front of him with what looked like several circles with branching lines to other circles. He noticed that one of these branched sets was completely full. This was obviously the skill he had maxed out in. He noticed other skills in there and was particularly interested in a sub set that branched off from his own maxed out set.\n\n\"Evasion/Sneek\". Now that could be cool. He pressed his finger against the first glowing circle and it lit up. \"Sneaking level one - footsteps are now 10% quieter\". He saw several more branches and began to fill them up with everything he could see that would compliment his already maxed out craft. By the end of it Sibs felt like he could do anything with all these new skills. Who knew it would take 50 years of training to reach the maximum skill level. He wished he had another 50 years left so could max out another skill, like cooking. He would have liked to have been a chef. But alas, he had a greater calling in life.\n\nHe stood and walked across the sticky living room floor, he really would have to clean this up and walked into the kitchen to grab himself a beer. He deserved it, even this early in the morning. He had reached a triumphant stage after. Max level! He walked over to the woman in the chair opposite him. \"Beer my dear? No? I'll just have to have them both then\", he said as he downed the first beer and started sipping from the other. \n\nHe figured it was about time he put his new skills to the test so he walked to the back of the house and left through the backdoor, careful to see if anyone was watching. He had after all increased his hearing and sight so he could see and hear up to 50% more now. This was amazing. Everything was so... vibrant and clear. With not a single person in sight he left fir his next journey.\n\nHe strolled down the street for another 15 minutes, not a care in the world, on his way to his next job when a police car came screeching to a halt next to him. He smiled, his evasion skills were now at maximum level. There was no way they could catch him. He was surprised they even stopped next to him.\n\nThe police man jumped out his car and fired a taster in Sibs direction. He went down like an anvil from a cartoon. The police officer pounced on him instantly.\n\n\"Sebastian Morose, I'm placing you under arrest for the mass murder of 12 innocent people, the mutilation of 10 innocent people and the kidnapping of 3 others. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. Finally got you, you sick son of a bitch\", the police officer growled at him.\n\n\"But... But... I'm invisible. My sneak skill is so high\", was all he could get out in garbled confusion.\n\n\"Killing your own mother finally sent you over the edge then you fucking psychopath\".\n\nSo much for his his new skills Sibs thought as he was dragged away. That's the last time I listen to that voice in my head, he thought. ",
"**Netflix and Jill**\n\n​\n\nThere was an art to finding the right show. Flipping through genre after genre, finding series not always on the recommended list, counting the seasons, scouring the ratings - Jill had mastered it all. For over fifty years of her life, nights and weekends were spent in her living room, focusing in the dim light of her television, honing her craft.\n\nThough chick flicks had a nice comforting feel about them, her passion was spy thrillers. Jill watched, mesmerized, as each strong supporting female lead after another kicked ass in action-packed sequences, with perfect hair and toned muscles, and brainwashed her into the life she currently led: a desk job for the FBI, keeping agents safe as they conducted overseas operations.\n\nNow 65, her chance to be a special agent had long since passed, but she felt important and the work was steady. She got to be close to the young special agents starting their exciting careers, and that was enough. Now when she watched and rewatched her spy shows, she had a reference to go off of and loved pointing out to her cat, Goldfinger, what was real or fake.\n\nOn September 28, 2066, she turned on her T.V. after another day at work, pulling the blankets over herself as Goldfinger hopped up onto the couch and nuzzled in next to her.\n\nShe scrolled.\n\nShe pondered.\n\nShe stopped. It was a good time of year to begin a rewatch of the show Chuck, so she clicked 'Enter.' \n\nWithout warning, lights flooded her living room and a voice filled the small space. Goldfinger seemed not to notice anything, but Jill froze in fear. \"You have reached the max level in this skill,\" A deep voice boomed. \"You have fifty unspent skill points.\"\n\nConfused, Jill looked around. Suddenly, on her screen popped up lists and categories of hobbies, athletic abilities, jobs and more. She sat forward on her couch. She clicked the right arrow button on her remote, and the T.V. skills responded accordingly, shifting left. *Like picking a show*, she thought. She used the remote to move over to the categories - and there it was, one word and all she ever wanted:\n\n**SPY**\n\nUpon selecting the category, the screen filled with all the skills she'd watched people gain from the sidelines all these years. On the right, as the skills were listed down, were point values, and Jill was surprised to see some of them had points already in them. *Intelligence analysis: 15 points,* Jill read. *Marksmanship: 4 points. Seduction and flirtation: 0 points. Ouch.*\n\nShe looked at her furry friend. \"It looks like I've watched enough to know a thing or two, Goldfinger,\" she said. The cat meowed approvingly.\n\nJill thought for a moment. She moved over to marksmanship, selected it, and bumped it up 16 skill points. She didn't feel different, but scrolled down to athletic ability anyway. It was at 2, and most likely had been better when she was younger, but 60 years had done some wear and tear on her joints and muscles. She bumped it up to 20. At the top, the screen let her know she had 16 points left. She chose to split it evenly with 8 points into hand-to-hand combat, and 8 more into charisma.\n\nShe hit 'Enter' again and the screen dissolved into the first episode of Chuck.\n\n\\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThe next day at the office Jill went to the shooting range. Pulling out the standard-issue pistol and loading it, she wondered to herself if she had imagined the whole ordeal. She sent the target out to 20 feet, aimed, and fired. \n\nStraight through the heart.\n\nShe pushed her graying hair behind her ear and shot again and again until the clip was empty. A small, calculated cluster of holes in the kill zone confirmed her hopes. \n\nWondering how far her newfound charisma would get her, Jill left the range, headed into an executive's office and asked to take the test to become a special agent. ",
"Hell yeah. Hell fucking yeah. \n\nIt's time to put points in the things I've been avoiding!\n\n2 in swimming, pools no longer mocking!\n\n3 in knitting, sewing is not a problem\n\n4 in skating, no more knees a breaking\n\n5 in faking, you'll never crack my lying\n\n6 in flying, I'll reach the sky and more see\n\n7 in writing, I'mma be the best there'll ever be\n\n8 in fighting, now I'm straight black belting\n\n9 in math - that is not a task now\n\n10 in fencing, do it without a mask wow\n\n4 points left I'll just them back in poetry\n\n​\n\nOk voice, I spent the points\n\nHit the bell, run the siren\n\nI know I bought the special edition and I can do addition\n\nNow turn that shit back again like it's skyrim\n\n​",
"Renaud collapsed against the glass window and sat motionless for a moment. Slowly gathering his senses, his bloodshot eyes glanced across the wreckage of the office. A shiver crept upon his naked body, much like the wave of realisation which was to come soon after. First came the muscle spasms then came the beginnings of what was to be another terrible migraine. \n\nHow could this be? He had travelled West and was convinced that the cure had worked, that these episodes were to be no more. \n\nWhat was once a burly man, now sat a pathetic human being, curled up sobbing on the floor. Renaud had tried to end his own life before hearing about a clinic on the coast. The process was meant to take him under a week but he was kept under The Doctor's supervision for just under two months. Renaud's treatment was excruciating, but nothing was more painful to him than having the blood of innocents on his hands.\n\nFor the small, broken man had just killed again. \n\nHis surroundings were pure carnage. Mangled desks, cabinets, bodies filled the floor. Without his glasses Renaud was as blind as a bat, but even though his vision of blurry redness he was able to decipher the body count. \n\n20? Maybe even 30? And that was just this floor. Unbeknown to him, he had made it up to the 21st floor of the tower block. \n\nTonight may very well turn out to be a record. \n\nAs the sun began to rise on the horizon, Renaud felt uncomfortable change. Usually daytime was under his control, but suddenly the muscle spasms were back. \n\nLunging forward away from the window, he let out a blood-curdling scream. \n\nYet this was no ordinary scream.\n\nIt was a blood-curdling *howl*.\n\n\"You have reached the max level in this skill\"\n\nLycanthropy - 10\n\n* ​\n\n*If for a reason this script satisfied your sadistic soul, creep on over to* r/SinisterScripts *for further twisted tales.* ",
"Nothing compares to the joy he feels right now.\n\t\nSitting on this rusty park bench, stretching a payphone wire to it’s absolute limit. He’s tapping his feet, trying not to whistle. People pass without a look like always, but this time…this time he *doesn’t* feel like a bum.\n\t\nHe clutches his almost-empty bag, squeezing it tight. His next paycheck always feels like a ghost—he doesn’t know where it is, and if it’s real or not. But maybe after today, if this woman on the phone can be trusted, if her excitement about the book is genuine, things might change.\n\t\nSo much doubt, so much hate. A family that turned their back on him for refusing to “grow up” and a slew of girlfriends who got sick of him crashing on their couch. Hell, even *society* ran away from him.\n\t\nAll because he was born a writer.\n\t\n“And, well, I don’t really got much else,” the woman says, laughing. “How’s it feel to have your first book published?”\n\t\n“At fifty years old? Amazing.”\n\t\nA minute or two of idle conversation pass before she hangs up. When she does, he resists the urge to jump into the air, or call his family and brag. No, he’s gonna be happy but cautious. This is just book one, after all. He’s been waiting his entire life for this moment.\n\t\nAs he stands up, though, he hears a strange noise. It’s almost like a…ding. Like somebody rung a bell right next to his ear. He looks around, but nobody's nearby.\n\t\nSuddenly, there’s a flash of light which makes him shield his eyes, and a god-like voice booms in his head. “*MAX LEVEL REACHED. FIFTY SKILL POINTS TO SPEND.*”\n\t\nWhen his vision returns, he’s shocked to see three huge blocks floating in front of him with hundreds of small blocks shoved inside them. They look almost like…skill trees. One reads: “The Bestseller.\" “Classic Maker” and “Prolific Wiz” the other two.\n\t\nHe takes a step forward. “What the…”\n\t\nInstinct tells him to reach out and touch the first block in Bestseller. When he does, it glows. A ticker pops up saying he just spent a skill point, forty-nine left, and a box pops up next to the skill, reading: *Editing skills 1 – Learn to easily fix simple spelling mistakes and revision techniques.* Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach, he clicks another one: *Fast writing! Increase capacity from two thousand words a day to four thousand!*\n\t\nWith this, he can finally achieve his dream. Not only will this first book because amazing, he can bang out hit after hit! But…does this mean…did it take so long to get published simply because he hasn’t been upgrading his skills?\n\t\n…\n\t\n“Oh, goddammit!”\n***\nIf you like this story, check out my sub! /r/LonghandWriter "
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[WP] The good news was that your twelve year old daughter managed to defeat a greater demon on her own. However you were pretty worried since she ate it.
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"\"Waste not, want not.\" Charlotte pressed the lid down on a food container. \"That's what Aunt Darlene always says.\"\n\nWhat would Darlene really think of this? Wendy wondered. She cleared her throat. \"I assume you're going to clean the back porch now, young lady?\"\n\n\"Ugh, Mom. I don't wanna.\" Charlotte looked up at her mother, pouting. \"Like, the birds will just eat it or something.\"\n\nWendy gritted her teeth. She had kept the panic at bay so far. \"If you make a mess, you have to clean it up. You know that. What would your grandma think?\" Just keep acting normal, she reminded herself. It's worked so far. \"You know she's visiting this weekend.\"\n\n\"Fiiine.\" Charlotte began putting on her white sneakers by the back door. \"What do I do with the bones?\"\n\nWhile her daughter cooked, Wendy had thought this out. \"Put them in the big garbage bags and leave them by the cans. Don't forget to hose off the porch.\"\n\n\"I won't.\" Charlotte opened the door.\n\nWendy started to walk over to the sink, then paused. What an insane thing, to be scared of your daughter. One question should be safe. \"Charlotte?\"\n\n\"Yes, Mom?\"\n\n\"Why did you eat it?\"\n\n\"Aunt Darlene says when you kill an animal, you have to or you're disrespecting it.\"\n\n\"Oh. Okay.\" Wendy put on her dish gloves and started scrubbing a pan. Her daughter had cooked dinner, after all. Though she doubted she'd eat any of it."
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[WP] You are writing the date with your new pencil and accidentally write 17 instead of 18, and immediately it is 2017
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"first time, also i hate capitalization. \n\n“What the hell?” i say aloud. the tv was suddenly on and news of hugh hefner’s death is on, which was a year ago. this is weird. this pencil came from a pack that i got at walmart, it was a new brand and thought i’d give it a try. their motto was,”doesnt fade, it may as well have a hold on time”. are the other pencils like this on- hold on. where was i today a year ago? aw shit today mightve been masturbation day, why couldnt i wait till tomorrow....\nwell, let me get back to 2018 before i find myself jackin it. i write next year’s - er - this year’s date and find my surroundings changed instantaneously, nothing flashy like back to the future or doctor who. time to see what i can do :^)"
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[WP] You lie in a grassy field on a sunny day daydreaming about the time you were abducted by aliens. Those were some cool guys. You really want to go back.
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"When most people imagine being abducted by aliens they imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by little grey men who poke and prod them. The reality is really quite different.\n\nI had just left my friend Tom’s when I met them. It was Tom’s birthday and he had decided to throw a rager. I’ll admit that I had a bit too much to drink and on my walk back I tripped and fell into the path of a moving car. My head hit the pavement, and everything went black. I was sure that this would be the end. But they saw. \n\nI woke up in an examination room. Everything was grey, cold, steel and plastic. I’ll admit that at first, I had a panic attack. I thought that I woke up in the morgue. That someone had mistaken me for dead and that I was about to be cut open. In my muddled state of mind, I searched around for something that I could use to defend myself. A pair if scissors on the counter was all that I could find. \n\nI waited there for what seemed like forever. I was convinced that at any moment the morticians would rush in and tie me to table before cutting me open while I was still alive. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. \n\nWhen the door finally opened I was greeted by a diminutive figure, who by my guess was only about four feet tall. Its big amber eyes looked at me, and then down at the scissors that I was holding out like a cross as if I was trying to fend off Dracula. \n\n“You,” it began. “You know that isn’t really needed, right?”\n\nI kept the scissors pointed towards the creature. “What do you want with me?”\n\n“Want with you?” It seemed confused. “You just looked like you needed help. That car was about to squash you. So, we teleported you here to our medical bay. I can promise that you are in good hands.”\n\nMy body wouldn’t stop shaking but going against every instinct I had I lowered the scissors. I remembered the car, but why would they help me? Why wasn’t I dead?\n\n“Why?” I asked tentatively. “Why would you save me?” \n\n“Normally we wouldn’t,” it said. “Our mission is simply to observe. But we saw that you needed help and we couldn’t just stand by.” \n\nI let the scissors drop to the floor. I didn’t entirely believe them yet. But I didn’t have the energy to fight and decided that I might as well take this creature at its word. It wasn’t like the scissors would have been much good anyway. \n\n“Anyway,” it continued. “We could use your help justifying this to our superiors.” \n\n“Justify?” I asked, a little confused. \n\n“Yes, justify. You see, we have very strict orders to not establish contact with any humans. Command was very specific after the Roswell incident; no contact.”\n\n“But, you saved me?”\n\n“Yes well. We happened to be nearby, and we couldn’t just do nothing. We’ll need something from you in order to justify this.”\n\nI reached for the scissors again and paused. “What exactly do you want?” \n\nAs it turned out all the aliens wanted was the rules to football. They had some of the most advanced technology that I had ever seen but despite their best efforts they couldn’t figure out the rules of the game. I spent an hour or so explaining yard lines and touch downs to them. Then we split a case of beer and watched super bowl reruns. \n\nI spent two days just hanging out with them. As it turns out aliens are pretty chill. But in the end, they told me it was time to leave. Having learned the mysteries of football they couldn’t justify keeping me any longer. In my time on board their ship I had already seen them answer a few calls from their higher-ups. They seemed pretty heated. \n\nI was sad to go. Hanging out and watching football with aliens was way better than going to work every day. I like to think that they were sad to see me go as well. They sure seemed it. They promised that they would keep looking out for me, and I like to think that they kept their word. It’s nice to have some guardian angels of your own. It’s even nicer to know that you’re both rooting for the same team in the play-offs. \n\n\n"
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No demons, genies, leprechauns or the like. Just... a wishing well, and a wish.
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[WP] [CW] A wishing well. (Character/You) make a wish.
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"Sam and I had a day off. We came across a wishing well. \n\n\"A wishing well? Yeah right.\" I pick up a coin and prepare to toss it.\n\n\"I wish for my buddy Sam here, to die a painful, horrible death, by choking on air\"\n\nSam caught my arm. \"Dude!\"\n\nI looked at him surprisingly. \"You believe this crap?\" I laughed. \"Fine, I wish for the best bacon sandwich.\" I tossed my dollar coin.\n\nSuddenly I smell a familiar smell. I start to salivate. I look around. \"Dude, what's that smell?\"\n\nSam sounded panicked. \"W-Whats that in your hand?\"\n\nI look down. Sure enough, it was a bacon sandwich. \"Holy shit! Sam! Quick! You have anymore coins?\"\n\nHe didn't answer. He was on the ground, out of breath. Just panicked? Scared?\n\n No. Choking.\n\n"
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[WP] In 2028 a powerful quantum computer is used to decrypt and analyse every piece of data available - every second of footage, microphone, message and record - and can accurately recreate any point in time around the globe with 98.73% accuracy starting from the year 2016. It's all made public.
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"Silicon Valley \nA group of techies sit at a kidney shaped table \n“ so we’ve managed to keep our identity hidden after we publicized our new ability ! “\n“ shouldn’t we be worried about more than if we’re caught? I mean sure you guys we could make a lot of money if we incorporate black mail , but what about -“\n\n“ what about nothing Tom Christopherson ! “ \n“ wow blackhatsHat1999 we all agreed to keep real names out “ \n\n“ dude , that’s the name he chose .. “ \n\n“ yeah I figured no one would think I’m dumb enough to use my real name so you know , hiding in broad daylight kinda thing ! “ \n\nLeader takes over \n“ the internet has gifted us .. we have furthered its abilities and it’s offered us a sacrifice so to speak , we “ \nHe’s interrupted \n\n“ so in this scenario , you think we are the gods who the internet is grateful too for giving it life? Do you think it’s sentient or something why are you personifying something that didn’t even exist until the later parts of human kind ?” \n\n“ listen here , BumbumlikeaGumDrop, damnit you guys .. \nlook! The internet now has 3 out of 5 senses okay .. in my book , if it can see , hear and feel shit it’s fucking sentient okay BumBu-licker5009 alright change your damn names okay you all act like you haven’t had the motivation to change your names since grade school or something “ \n\nEveryone looks at each other as if to unvernally say “ yeah wtf so what “ .\n\nThe “ mom “ of the group , a retired google exec. Gone rouge after they leaked everyone’s google drive content .. \n“ if we use this for bad , or at all , it would only have a certain time window that it’d work and we’d all have to steam roll every last a.o.b. We put our targets on .. \n\nSince we told the world we could do it , we either blow smoke and say Ol BumBum over there was drunk on the job again , or we sack up and hit hard .. \n\nWe can quiet literally change history .. we can use it to dig through the most powerful and influential people of our age , our we can sell out like those guys who used to shove us in trash cans & make a fortune that our dip shit heirs will waste.”\n\nLeader talks again , this time more level headed \n“ so , I like what you’re saying about changing history .. if this tech was available back in the day Hitler could’ve been stopped .. “\n“ well the thing is -“\n\nSomeone who has been silent this whole time and rarely speaks up chimes in \n\n“ guys .. you know I keep to myself because I’m for the group .. this element we’re going to implement if we want to do any of this , however unethical it is , we could really shape the world here .. if we go from a pure logic based analytical methodology , we could in theory make a board of what we all want to change in the world and we could then implement a time line of how and when to execute .. its be the long term slow burn kind of deal ..” \n\nThe group discusses the future of earth and what needs to be stopped , they come up with the following \n\nBoard of a Better earth \n Fix population problem \nEliminate pollution and trash \nEnd violent wars \n\n“ how do we do this ethically ? “ \nAfter a long of whether the group should forget about ethics and become the richest people in the world , one of the quieter people speak up \n\n“ long term? What if we set up in the overal matrix , a real time capsule that highlights whoever we’re talking tos history , and if they break the deal we strike with them , even if we die the info is leaked? “\n\n“ so what your saying is, a behind the scenes sort of thing ? “\n\n“ exactly .. you want no more pollution ? We all know who it would take to do that , we have even without our all knowing weapon the ability to strike that proposal with flint and create a firey deal “ \n\n“ So reason before recourse?”\n\n“ reason before recourse baby. We all have outstanding judgement and that’s why we’re here .. we took this zero paying job to make change .. Let’s make some damn change you hear me !! “\n\n",
"I was originally a geneticist.\n\nIt wasn't even something I was hellbent on becoming. I never would have gotten into the field if I'd been born ten years earlier; it was sheer dumb luck that the Banks algorithm was developed when I had a year left in high school. Suddenly theoretical physics was all anyone wanted to go near; all the kids who'd planned to study genetics in college changed their applications. I took a punt on a field I had thought would be out of my reach, and three years later I graduated with an unremarkable degree. Five years later, an equally unremarkable doctorate and a teaching post in a genetics department with a gigantic endowment and nothing better to spend it on. Year after year of producing competent but uninspired research while the world reshapes itself around me. No more passwords. No more infidelity. No more crime. \n\nI didn't even pay attention to the Banks for a long, long time. The repeated social media leaks of my teenage years had made me instinctively wary of anything that could see that clearly. I was thirty-five years old and feeling lonely one night when I finally gave in and requested a feed of the night I lost my virginity. \n\n\"Error: data corrupted.\"\n\nThat was weird. Luckily, I could look at the next night instead; my parents had been away for the whole weekend and Cory and I had made the most of it.\n\n\"Error: data corrupted.\"\n\nThis was getting stranger and stranger. I looked up the day I received my doctorate: error message. I looked at the Starbucks a block away on the same day: no problems whatsoever. I looked at my visit to Starbucks this morning: error message. Forward ten minutes: no problem whatsoever.\n\nI forgot my loneliness entirely: I spent that entire night digging up everything I could find. Nothing in my entire history was visible; it was as though I was a ghost detectable only by my shadow. I found the details of the original research on the Banks algorithm; the near-99% accuracy had been based on studies across fifteen universities around the world, and even that tiny percentage had been skewed by the results from Stellenbosch. The working assumption had been that the equipment there had been damaged, but once the initial paper was released all further investigation into the discrepancy faded into the background. Who wants to dig into the wiring of a computer in South Africa when they could be changing the course of history, after all?\n\nIt took two weeks to hear back from the lead researcher out in Stellenbosch. Her files were remarkably thorough, and nothing jumped out as a possible alternative explanation. But then, this was completely untested technology at the time, and it hadn't occurred to anyone that the problem might lie with a human. It took three weeks of computing time on our department's servers, along with a hastily jerryrigged algorithm searching for hidden patterns, for me to find out that the Stellenbosch errors seemed to coincide with a first year lecture on Newtonian mechanics being held three times a week in the classroom one floor above the lab. There were seventy-three students in that class, but the lecturer's insistence on keeping attendance made my task a lot easier; once Patrick Seedorf dropped out, the errors vanished. Now all I had to do was find Patrick.\n\nPatrick was dead. He'd had a pretty shitty run of luck; his parents had died while he was at Stellenbosch, and he'd had to drop out and get a job. That job was a dead end, as were the next four; by the time he should have been graduating, he was penniless and living on the streets. Within a year, he'd died. None of this was visible via Banks; I had to piece it together from the official record, which luckily had a record of his genome. He and I had something in common: we both had two copies of an extremely rare recessive gene. There were only two other people in existence who also had two copies; the error message came back every time I tried to find anything about either of them. \n\nThis was the point at which I could have written a fascinating paper on the implications of the M1R3 gene and its quantum-scrambling effect on the Banks algorithm. I could have become a minor pop-science celebrity, the invisible professor. I did not.\n\nDo you know how easy it is to commit crimes when you're invisible? How thoroughly dependent our police forces are on Banks and on its chilling effect on crime? They had no idea. They still don't. I'm guilty of insider trading. Securities fraud. Larceny. Burglary. They don't even know I exist, and if they did, they'd barely be able to comprehend how to find me or track my behaviour. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, I'm an retired academic who inherited a generous amount of money from a long-lost relative. Nobody knows this - except you. I've been waiting for this point for a few years now; I could see you were the fifth of us, but wasn't about to pull back the mask until I knew what I was dealing with. The money disappearing from your school? That was the giveaway that I'd finally found my partner in crime. Except this time I'm bored with money; I want power, the kind that can only come when there's two of us working the plans. \n\nLet's take over the fucking world.",
"\"So by analising all of the information uploaded onto web on any given day we can accurately recreate a simulation in real time of what happened that day\" i said, for the 20th time today.\n\n The dipartment was short on funding and they assigned monthly one of the scientists working on the project tour guide juty for the month. I had picked the short staw. My job was to show tour groups around the massive complex that hosted \"Compute One\" the worlds most powerfull quantum computer... to help fund its operation...\n\n\"Any day, Jeremy?\" Said the kid in the front that had been on the tour at least 4 times this month and had been asking too many questions throughout the entire tour. The same questions... that hes asks everytime.... luckily it was my last day of the month.\n\n\"Yes... any day... well actualy due to slow internet adoption around the world it wasnt untill the 22nd of may 2016 that we had enough data points to do an accurate simulation on a global scale. In the united states and other first world countries we can go back a little further but not much we call that day, The Iteration\" I repliead realising that this was actualy, for the first time, a valid question from this kid.\n\n\"Now let me show you a demonstration, any preferences?\"\n\nA lady started to say somthing about seeing the day she got married but before she could finish that annoying kid shouted out \"Show us somthing with a big croud\" \n\nI had been given a limited band width so i couldn't anything too big, withought going over my limit. Compute one was powerfull but even it had limits.\n\nI typed in \"january 1st, the capital building, washington DC\" trumps inorguration would be just about right. Alot of people but not too many.\nAs i flicked the activation switch, the groups gasps broke the silence. The kid just laughed...\nThe room darkened and and orb apeared in the distance and rapidly flew towards us growing bigger and biger. Soon it was aparent that it was planet earth and it panned from infront of us to below us as we broke through the atmosphere and flew down towards the united states. All of a sudden the rapid motion stopped and we were smack bang in the croud at trumps inorguration.\n\n\"As you can see we can simulate, with extreme accuracy, positions of almost everyone at any point in time after The iteration. But you have probably notice the distinct lack of sound. There just simply isnt enough data points for us to achieve this. Go walk around experience the past\"\nPeople started to move around the hall. At this point in the tour i usualy gave them a few minutes to look around wherever we were and i would just play on my phone. Today however my phone was flat so I decided to have a walk around as well.\n\nI watch as the crowd all started to mouth cheering, throwing confetti and simply enjoying themselves. They were all facing the presidents podium, waving their flags. It was of course all simulated. We could simulate the position of everyone and what they likely did at that posion but we couldnt be sure that they were cheering at this exact moment. Everything was based on probability.\n\n That specific person had tweeted that they supported trump. His gps location on his phone had been recorded by instagram and at this exact moment in the real world trump would have said somthing inspiring like \"we will make america great again\" so there was a very high chance that him and all the other supporters were cheering.\n\nAll of a sudden out of the corner of my eye i catch a glimps of somthing that doesnt fit. There is a man not cheering. Thats not particularly out of the ordinary but what really caught my attention was, he wasnt facing the podium. He was facing me. As if noticing me he picked up a signe and turned it to face me. It wread \"I know what i am and it scares me\"\n\nAs soon as i finished reading it the sign was dropped and he started running towards me at full speed. This was impossible why would someone be running towards my exact location in 2017. His mouth was making shapes but there was no sound coming out as usual. I freaked out. Without stopping to think i flicked off the simulation.\n\n\"O. Ok folks. I have j-just recieved word that the criminal investigation division n-needs as much bandwidth as possible. Im afraid we will have to call it for today. If you head t-through hear we can finish off at our gift shop.\" I managed stammer out.\n\"Ohhhhhh, but last time we went to 3 places\"\n\"Too bad kid this is above my pay grade\" regaining some composure from hearing that kids annoying voice. I quickly saved the last simulation and followed everyone out. \n\nOver the next few days as i started to sink back into my normal work flow i started to forget about it. That was untill i had to run a series of simulation in 2017 in washington DC for a police report. I kept seeing the same person. He always stood out from the rest and was always looking at me. He didnt try running at me again though he just was always there watching. \n\nFinaly i couldnt contain myself any more. I used the database to determin the persons name. From there i used Compute One to simulate his apartment in 2017. The room faded as i flew towards the earth, decended through the atmosphere and through the roof of the apratment and suddenly came to a stop.\n\nHe was standing there already stairing at me. He pointed at a computer screen and before i knew what was happening, he pulled out a pistol and shot himself.\n\nMy jaw dropped. What the hell was going on... i turned to the computer and walked over to it.\nThere was and open text decument.\n\nThe math adds up. To you this is a simulation. To me it is real. The proof is in the safty deposit box in the National Capital Bank DC. Its under your name jeremy\nBut where does it end... are you real. Are you the final layer....?\n\n\nHope you like it. This is my first post to this sub and my first creative writing since high scool haha. I apologise to the poor spelling im on my phones XD.\nEdit* formating"
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[WP] Humanity has finally achieved space travel, and have started their expedition of the Milky Way. But the alien societies they will find was shocking to the explorers. You are a captain in this exploration fleet, what did you see out there?
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"We saw a blue planet... Beautiful because of its watery terrain. But inhibited by the most paranoid and territorial creatures I've ever come across. First of they unloaded primitive fission bombs on our fleet and after realizing it's ineffectiveness they sent a sentry drone sized spaceship to meet us (apparently that's the biggest ship they have. They also don't seem to have perfected the quantum momentum engine but they have a theoretical idea... But that's for another report)... On this planet handful of creatures control the lives of all others. They call it democratic system of control. (just to put it in perspective, the ratio of people in control vs people living under someone else's control is 0.0007% and the majority seems to be okay with it.) They expressed genuine surprise over we being able to communicate with them. What's so surprising about neural capacitance interacting with each other directly? \nTheir official committee was painfully eager to know about our technology and they got offended when we suggested that they should first develop basic capabilities to access such technology. \n Second week of the talks is when things turned ugly. Most of out committee members reported that the creatures were plotting to attack them and when we confronted the creatures about it they accused us of 'mind reading without consent'. As if waiting for the cue a large gathering of the creatures swarmed one of our ships, apparently they don't use machines for fighting the conflicts or to launch an offensive (although they have the technology). The pattern is evident that these creatures like fighting so much so that they prefer doing it themselves rather than outsourcing it to the machines. A separate small group of creatures in white clothing entered the ship, possibly to get a measure of our technology. At this point we were humoring them as much we could. After a couple of sun-cycles they gave up trying to break open the ship's mechanisms after which we forcibly removed them out of the ship. After which, out of frustration they started attacking our ships with metal projectiles even after knowing the futility of the effort. I have to say, we were pretty much apathetic towards them as we left the planet. I'd call this madness an example of 'galactic cabin fever'.",
"*The following is a collection of excerpts from Captain Andrew Russell's logs during his exploration of the stars surrounding Sol. Note that only the descriptions of the societies his crew has encountered have been listed, as most of the logs were filled with routine reports of ship functions.*\n***\nOctober 22nd, 2118: The mammalian species living on Alpha Centauri IV is insane. I know this may sound biased, considering they're aliens, but I have a reason. Solfleet Command was right, the Hutifatti(their name in the most widespread language on the planet) do have satellites in orbit, but guess what. They're not being used! Why? Simple. They think their planet is flat. FLAT. As in, a flat plane! Appearently, their countries abandoned their space programs when they signed a petition to acknowledge that Ygar(their homeworld's name) is flat! We believe this was forced on their governments not too long ago, as our telescopes detected large armed forces across the planet stationed in the largets of their cities, and they all bore a sign of a flat disc being looked at from afar. Un-fucking-believable.\n\nNovember 3rd, 2118: Remember Alpha Centauri IV? Well, wait 'till you hear about Barnard's Star III(or Kalopia, in the most widespread language on the planet)! These guys(which are molluscoids called the Uda), seem to believe that vaccines don't work! Now, I know they have a different biology from us, but they still have vaccines that work the same way as on Earth. And they refuse to believe they work! In fact, they seem to be going through a global unification phase, but unlike on Earth, where the Federation brought us together, it's the corporations doing it here. But not just any corporation, oh no, it's those who rely on multi-level marketing to sell their products. MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING. The kind of people who try to sell their stuff anywhere, regardless if its a birthday party or a funeral!(NOTE: their birthday parties and funerals are somewhat similar to ours)\n\nNovember 9th, 2118: We made it to Sirius II(or Itivux as the largest nation on the planet calls it). The natives are carnivorous reptilians called the Doxerant. Guess what. Vegans have taken over. VEGANS. ON A PLANET OF CREATURES WHOSE STOMACHS CAN'T PROCCESS PLANT MATTER. That's all I have to say about them.\n\nNovember 12th, 2118: I give up. The plantoid Ziu on Procyon I(which they call Kenvalan) are literally the WORST! They think their planet is flat, AND that vaccines don't work, AND that they should all stop eating various foods which contain things that are VITAL to their development! AND they believe in healing crystals! And before you say that maybe their planet does actually have crystals with actual healing properties, we checked. They don't. We're gonna do a survey of Tau Ceti and then we're heading back to Pluto Station so I can ask for a transfer to a gas hauler on the Mars-Triton line."
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In my defense, I posted this at like 3:23 AM, but I still want to see where it goes.
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[WP] You're a crossword solving champ, but this latest puzzle just tricked you into writing a murder confession. What do you do now that you've been DOUBLE CROSSED?
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"*Upbeat jazzy TV show intro*\n\nCamera cranes over an applauding TV show audience and stops square at-\n\nDrew Carey! He introduces the show.\n\n\"Welcome back to Double Crossed! The time crunching crossword puzzle challenge! Are you guys ready!?\"\n\nAudience shits their pants in excitement.\n\n\"Then let's get started!\"\n\nDrew Carey dances over to a man seated in the centre of the stage.\n\n\"And who do we have competing today?!\" He points the mic at the man's face and he responds timidly \"Jacob\".\n\n\"And how old are you Jacob?\"\n\n\"45\"\n\n\"45?! Don't you know crossword puzzles are for kids?!\"\n\nAudience shits their pants in laughter at the funniest joke ever spoken in the history of television.\n\n\"Ok Jacob, are you ready to play?!\"\n\n\"Yeah!\"\n\n\"Ok, you know the rules. You have 2 minutes to fill out the 10 words in the puzzle. The timer starts as soon as you start writing your name at the top! Are you ready!\"\n\n\"Yeah!\"\n\nTo the audience \"Are you guys ready!!!!\"\n\nAudience. Shit. Pants. You get the idea.\n\n\"Start whenever you want Jacob.\"\n\nJacob takes a deep breath and-\n\nQuickly scribbles his name at the top 'Jacob Stevenson'\n\nThen he begins flying through the puzzle. Carey does colour commentary.\n\n\"Oh my he's flying through these clues!\"\n\n\"Oh uh, stuck on 15 Across\"\n\n\"10 seconds left! Will he make it?! Count it down ladies and gentlemen!\"\n\n\"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Stop!!\"\n\nJacob puts down his pencil.\n\nCarey looks at the puzzle \"Has he done it?!\" He holds up a completed puzzle \"Yes he has!\"\n\nAudience cheers and applauds.\n\n\"Hang on ladies and gentlemen. Don't cheer yet. We still need our judges to confirm the correct answers.\"\n\nDrew Carey shows the completed puzzle to the camera and we see:\n\nPRINT: Jacob Stevenson\n\n'ANTELOPE \n' A \n'CONFESSION ATOMIC \n' N O \n' MATHEMATICS A \n' R MURDER \n' I \n' OHIO OFTEN \n' HANNAH \n' T \n' MARYJANE \n\nCarey speaks into his mic to the man upstairs \"Can you see it? Is it good?\"\n\nCarey's expression suddenly turns grave \"Got him\"\n\nCarey turns around and RIPS OFF HIS FACE to reveal-\n\nETHAN HUNT\n\n\"Mr. Stevenson\" in a classic Tom Cruise voice \"You've been double crossed\"\n\n\"What?!\"\n\nA bunch of IMF agents rush out and grab Jacob. Hunt rips off the first layer of the crossword puzzle and shows it to him:\n\n' I : Jacob Stevenson \n' \n' \n' \n'CONFESS TO \n' \n' THE \n' MURDER \n' \n' OF \n' HANNAH \n' \n' JANE\n\n\"You just confessed to murder Jacob\"\n\n*Mission Impossible theme intensifies*"
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[WP] Aliens abduct 10 people from each world and put them in a Hunger Games style arena for entertainment. But the players don't know that until there a lone winner. But The Humans work together to survive. The Human Arena has now lasted longer than any other show they've put on...
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"They broadcasted daily life to all the other inhabitants of Darcyn. It was the only thing anyone ever watched on the planet. They watched alien races fight to the death. They watched some try to work things out. They saw rebelions and destruction but they had never seen anything like this before. Subject 3-467-23-1 had grown and expanded much farther than what they thought possible. The rock they had given them was nearly destroyed of all recources. At its peak 3-467-23-1 had grown to over 7 billion inhabitants. More than their home planets. These creature were so tiny and fast that they watched the civilization as a whole rather than the individuals. They had a way of multiplying with each other. A knew concrete building would be made in a day and then destroyed. Now 3-467-23-1 was going to die out. Most creatures killed each other but these small things had inadvertently made the extinction of the species. They made systems so complex but so destructive. Now the basic liquid needed to keep them alive was all but gone. They would kill each other for a drop of it. They made it over 2 million rotations albiet those rotations were fast. They advanced to the point of extinction. The last survivor was a three year old boy. He died before we could get him off the planet. They had efforts to get to other rocks but they failed. After going back and revewing the show we learned that their systems were more complex than we thought. They had language and culture. To think that within, what to us was, one years time on this tiny rock, that could fit in your hand, a whole civilization was made. Each and every creature with its own identity and problems. Over two thousand of them died every second. Even more were born every second. And like that they died. Not because of each other but because of them as a whole.",
"\"What are they doing now? It looks like there will finally be some action.\" the announcer shouted. \"That is a mighty large tree limb being hoisted over the head of subject 3!\" \"A bit oddly shaped\" it mumbled.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe rating skyrocketed as more and more people tuned in.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"This is turning out to be quite the complex trap, maybe we should call an expert.\" The announcer continued. After a few moments the teleporter activated.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Here we have Skaliton, a normal Earth human, now joining us.\" It said as I appeared in some kind of dome next to it. \"Sorry to the viewers who know, but I have to explain to the human.\" <it explains to me what is going on> \"What is your take on this unusual trap?\" It asked me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter a few seconds the shock wore off and I finally looked at the battlefield. I immediately started laughing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Is this some kind of prayer to subject 3?\" It asked me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\". . . for what?\" I responded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"3 is about to die and you are making that sound\" It replied with a tone that almost seemed like it knew what was happening more than me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You mean, 3 is about to direct them how to place it right?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Come now, why would it help itself die?\" It responded still acting superior.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Die? . . . wait WAIT they are building a house, you know one of these.\" I said as I started sketching the childish square with a triangle on top of it that every child does.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You mean to live? Like permanently?\" It responded while confused. \"Don't they know they are supposed to kill each other?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Let me get this straight, you took them from their homes, transported them to what can be described as an ideal tropical climate, and immediately expected them to kill each other? What is wrong with you? Did you even explain the rules?\" I replied sarcastically.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well . . . yes. That is exactly what happened in the human documentary lord of the flies.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"ok. . . there is so much wrong with that statement but really that isn't a documentary. Humans actually work together most of the time. I said while one of the aliens brought me a drink.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well, fuck\" it responded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd that is how I became the first human professor of the Glorcon empire. By complete chance. (Don't tell them that this is common knowledge it is more fun for me to troll them forever)",
"The Hierarch leaned back in his seat, annoyed. The games had lasted for nearly 30 cycles, now, and the masses were becoming bored. *\"It seemed a perfect plan,\"* he thought, clicking his mandibles with frustration. No matter what horrors the apes had faced, they had overcome. Of the original 10 Humans, 8 still remained.*\"We send them unfamiliar beasts, yet they still kill them. We sow the seeds of distrust, yet they remain faithful to each other. They still believe that they are on their insignificant speck of a planet, yet they still band together to survive.\"* The translucent display in front of M'da showed two of the Humans now, scavenging for food for one of their wounded comrades.\n\nM'da was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of his chamber door opening. His anti-gravity throne spun around elegantly, as he greeted his guest, *\"Hello, R'tas, I pray the ancestors find you well?\"* The massive being placed one arm over it's hearts, and bowed as it spoke, *\"Likewise, your holiness.\"* M'da motioned for R'tas to step forward. *\"What brings you here this day, Shipmaster?\"* the Hierarch pressed. Many thoughts raced through M'da's head. R'tas seemed uncomfortable. *\"Have we lost ground in our campaign against the Jiral? Or, perhaps he is finally resigning from military service.\"* he thought. The hulking creature stepped forward, and spoke elegantly despite it's size, *\"It is regarding the Humans, my liege. I have devised a solution.\"*\n\nM'da felt his ear flaps tingle, and happily clicked his mandibles, in response.*\"What, pray tell, do you suggest, Shipmaster? Sending in the Honor Guard? Or perhaps we unleash the Parasite?\"* R'tas shifted, uncomfortably, and finally spoke. *\"I believe we should release them, your holiness. In my eyes, and the eyes of my people, they are honorable. They have braved many horrors, and deserve to be allowed to return home.\"* M'da let out a sound of anger and exasperation. That was R'tas' solution? Release the Humans? M'da was appalled that his finest Shipmaster and Warlord would even entertain such an idea. *\"Absolutely not. Leave me, R'tas. We will discuss your behavior next cycle.\"*\n\nR'tas began to speak, but, simply bowed and exited M'da's chamber instead. *\"Better to save my breath,\"* he thought to himself, *\"I'm going to need it.\"*\n\n______________________________________\n\nJohn rubbed his head and stared into the jungle around him. Nothing here was familiar. If his calculations were correct, he and his new friends had been trapped on this island for at least a month. No one knew where they were, or how they got there. It seemed as though ten strangers had simply woken up on this island together, with no recollection of how they arrived. The island was strange. Clearly they were somewhere in the Pacific, judging by the vegetation, and certain breeds of wildlife the group had encountered.\n\nOther things didn't seem as familiar, though. Earlier, the group had been attacked by a large, quadripedal reptile. Much larger and more vicious than a Komodo Dragon, or any other known reptile of that size. John had barely survived the encounter, and the creature had rendered his left leg almost completely useless. The only weapons that were scavenged were a selection of strange, likely ancient swords and knives. While under the creature, John had managed to slice it's throat before it could make a meal out of him.\n\nThe rest of the group had gone to scavenge, or look for a way to escape. Night had fallen now, and John was alone and injured. His head snapped to the right, as he heard a large crack come from that direction. He tried to stand, bracing on the tree behind him, but was immediately shoved to the ground by a seemingly invisible force. Suddenly, the air shimmered in front of John. A reptilian being of massive proportions materialized in front of John, seemingly from thin air. It brandished a metallic blue combat harness, and a dull purple rifle. The rifle's green display glinted off of the nearly 8ft tall creature's armor, as the creature observed it's surrounding before kneeling in front of John. John began to scream, but was immediately silenced by the force of the unknown beings hand covering his mouth. The being tapped a display on it's wrist with it's free hand, and spoke.\n\n*\"I would not recommend that, Human. Not if you wish to survive.\"* The creature dropped it's hand, and John remained silent. *\"Good,\"* sighed the creature. It reached down and plucked a small blue rifle from it's thigh holster, thrusting it into John's hands. *\"Cover me. I will see what I can do for your damaged appendage. Then, we must find your comrades.*\" John nodded, and examined the rifle. After several seconds, the being stood and extended it's hand to John. John grasped the creature's hand and stood with ease, as if his leg had never been hurt to begin with.\n\nThe creature nodded, and spoke again. *\"We must find your comrades quickly. The Hierarchs will know of my treachery soon. My name is R'tas, and I've come to see that you make it back to your home.\"* John didn't understand, but he didn't ask questions either. He was sure he'd know soon enough. He tapped the large purple button on the rifle's digital display, causing the rifle to power on with a blue light and low hum. *\"Lead the way.\"*"
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[WP] A new corporation opens offering a new service called 'Life improv' where you swap minds with a professional and live in luxury while they guarantee to improve your life in a week or your money back. After a year you wonder what is going on, 28 years later you finally swap back.
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"\"Good Morning, welcome to your reintegration seminar.\" The tall man looked official in his dark suit when he started his powerpoint presentation. The company logo stood out proudly. There was my original name and the name of the character I had been living in for the past 28 years. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Um, it's been 28 years, I'm interested to see what you did.\" I struggled to remember my old life. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It should be interesting shouldn't it? Alright, let's begin. So, for the past 28 years, you've been living as an architect in Palo Alto, CA. However, we're ready to return you to your life on Long Island. I think you'll love Montauk!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh, ok. Alright, what all did you do?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That's the hard part.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" I queried.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Fixing your life was fairly easy that way. We put your body in school, your new profession is a construction foreman. You work for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.\" He flashed a slide with all the facts. \"We helped you lose weight and develop healthy eating habits. Your body is in great shape.\" They showed a 360 video of my body. I looked great, right in the prime of human life.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"This all sounds great. But I have to ask, why did it take so long?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That's the tough part.\" He said flipping to the next slide. \"We've got your housing situated as well and your newly leased car will be waiting for you. It's perfect for navigating to and from the train station.\" I looked at the shiny new car. They had all the stats listed on the side. It was fast, it was sporty, it was perfect. The house was a modest row house but looked perfectly fine. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Great, this all sounds good, but you still haven't answered my question.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Do you remember why you signed up for the Life Improv program?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"My life was hell.\" I said. \"It just sucked. I was stuck and so I sold everything I owned and turned myself over to the program.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe hung his head before selecting the next slide. \"According to our analysis, the biggest problem in your life was your toxic family and friends. Your family had undertones of narcissism and your friends were...interesting. The fastest way for us to improve your life was to simply wait for those people to die or move on. We've helped some of your friends, and we use that term loosely, to move on but we've also made sure that your immediate family had passed on.\" He posted up a picture of my parents and my two sisters. Birth and death dates dominated the slide next to their pictures. He pushed the button again and pictures of their places in the cemetery were revealed. I stared at the screen mouth agape. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You killed my Mom?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No, no we don't do that sort of thing. We simply waited for her death. Turns out your Father couldn't function without her and died shortly after. Your sister, the, uh, larger one, had type 2 diabetes and poor eating habits and your younger sister was quite conveniently killed in a recent air disaster. Once those folks were out of the picture, we were confident that we could put you back on the right track.\"\n\n\"But....how...how did you think this was a good idea?\" I gasped. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You just told me my parents are dead!\" I shot back.\n\n \n\n\"Your the one who wanted a better life.\" He said clicking off the presentation. \"Sometimes to get a better life, you have to lose that which you hold most dear. If you'll step into the next room, we'll begin the process.\"\n\n&#x200B;"
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[WP] You have just been sent to a world of magic where the legends tell your victory over the great evil sorceress. You do not have magic, you are a mortal with an anti-social problem.
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"It wasn't my first time here. Countless times before, I've been \"magically\" transported to this world of magic where darkness reigns and everyone is in terror. I've just been sent to this world yet again.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Take this!!\" My fireball flew in the direction of the woman in the deep maroon dress.\n\n\"How dare you try that same old trick again! You underestimate my power!\" The woman darted across the room and threw a humongous ball of glass shards right into me. I dove out of the way just in time to save my skin. I could've died right there and then.\n\n\"Is this it?\" I thought. \"Is this the end where all my efforts are wasted? I can't do it. I'm not strong enough.\"\n\nI struggled to stand up. My legs were failing me and my power was wavering. I didn't have enough power to defeat this woman.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*There will be one who comes when all hope seems lost. One who is not of this world. One who would bring balance to this world despite his humble beginnings.* \n\nThese words flashed before my eyes. I remembered what Jimmy the stubbiest elf told me the first time I came to this world. I was supposed to be the *one* who brings balance to this world. I had to have the power within me as the Legend told it.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWith my last valiant effort I threw a bolt of lightning at her. I've never tried this attack before due to my poor accuracy in the past.\n\nThis time the lightning bolt burst forth and lo and behold it hit the woman. A direct hit!\n\nShe crumpled to the ground and screamed in agony, clawing at the ground and reaching out towards me in desperation.\n\n\"This cannot be! How could I, the Great Sorceress of Birkst fall to a mere mortal\" exclaimed the woman before she disappeared in ashes.\n\nI stared blankly at the scene, wondering how did I hit her first of all, and how did she just disappear or die even from that bolt of lightning?\n\nMy eyes heavy and tired, my energy seeping out from me, my vision blurred and blanked out into a deep darkness.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"THE Thompkin has graced our presence! The legend who vanquished the Great Evil Sorceress of Birkst! O praise him who has saved us all! Welcome back home and I hope you've had a good rest after that terrifying battle. The people are here to see your return!\" Jimmy greeted me as my vision cleared up again.\n\n\"Ah, this feels great! Feels great to be home\" I thought to myself as the crowds of elves screamed in excitement at seeing me. I gazed across the puny little beings known as elves with their pointy fluffy hats that are taller than they are. These elves were crazy with cheers and screams and partying because of the victory. They grasped at each other, jumping up and down like little children after seeing their favourite superhero cosplay character, making me beam with pride at my achievements. After all I did save all of them from those dark days of terror under the Great Evil Sorceress of Birkst. It felt great to be the one basking in their praises and seeming like a hero, or a *Legend*, to them. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt took me six years, eight months and nine days to finally defeat the Evil Sorceress.\n\nI couldn't believe myself. I did it finally. Was it worth it? Totally. I was awestruck by story line and the definition of each character and the whole world of magic in 'The Legend of Thompkin'. \n\n\"I think I made my money's worth\" I thought as I took off my Samsung Gear VR."
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[WP] You receive a letter in the mail with no return address. Inside the envelope is a piece of paper with a picture of a choo-choo train and the words "Let the hunt begin" written beneath it. You grin to yourself as you think, "Finally!"
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"“Finally!” I whispered in excited awe as to not wake the family up. I had been waiting so long for this. I had to admit at some point I lost faith in this old town tale, but as I examined the letter, I could sense its authenticity. \n\n“Honey, what are you doing awake?” A voice muttered from across the hall. “Nothing, dear. Just getting a drink of water.” I replied, tucking the letter under some books on the shelf. \n\nYou see, my wife was never thrilled with my fascination with the paranormal, mocking me at any chance she could get. *This* was the time I was going to prove to her and myself that I’m not crazy. This old town myth may not be just a myth after all.\n\nI grew up here, a little town in the western corner of Colorado, a town no one has heard of, a town no one *will* ever hear of.\n\nWhen I was a boy, I remember my grandmother being the first to tell me this story. The story of the old tracks, the story of how hundreds of people just vanished back in the early 1800’s. \n\nEveryone knew that story. It was a cold winter night in northern Colorado. Mid 1800’s and people were coming from all over in hope of finding gold. One day a train headed to California set out from the station in Denver, crossed through our little town, and no one was ever heard from again. No train ever found, like they just evaporated. The only clue police had was a piece of paper. A foggy image of the train, sitting inside an elegant envelope. \n\nI had to admit, when walking those tracks as a kid, it did feel eerie. The dark path, overgrown with trees and dense woods. We used to walk them often. We would look for the “ghost train” every chance we had. We never found it. The only two people who have claimed to see it are long dead now, but claimed to have received that elegant envelope with the photograph. We laughed it off as some old folk trying to scare us. It’s always been in the back of my mind though. It’s probably the reason I got into the field of paranormal research. \n\n“Tonight’s the night” I say to myself. \n\nAs I tip toe to the front door, I slip my boots on, grab a flashlight, a camera, and my voice recorder and head out with the letter in my pocket. It’s a brisk autumn night, the moon is full, and the tracks are honestly beautiful in a sinister way. \n\nI make my way down the dark path, leaving the moonlit street behind me. It’s quiet. *Real* quiet. Only the crunch of leaves under my feet break the tranquil silence. I pull out the photo from the envelope. A cold breeze blows by my face. “I know this spot” I mutter, my face tucked into my jacket. A quarter of a mile up the tracks was a giant tree my friends and I used to climb. We were always drawn to that spot. The same tree is towering in the photo. \n\nEagerly and cautiously I make my way there, and the mighty tree starts appearing as my eyes adjust to the ever darker forest. I stop and listen, recorder in hand. The ground is cold. Very cold. I close my eyes and listen closely. No way is this happening. \n\n“I do! I hear the train!!” I scream. In awe I eagerly listen even more attentively. I struggle to get my camera out.\n\nAnd then it hits me.\n"
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[WP] Occasionally, someone on earth is born with a special power. You are one of those. Your power? Causing pins and needles.
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"I never let on to anyone what my power was. It wasn't as effective when they knew. But I used it regularly. \n\nImagine, some jerk on the bus starts to bug some tiny gal, and suddenly, he has a weird feeling. Just a tingle at the back of his neck. He doesn't know what it is, but it throws him off. He decides to leave the gal alone. \n\nA presidential candidates is walking up to a podium and he can't feel his legs, trips over his own feet. You do it enough times, he looks clumsy. Not exactly the image of a strong leader.\n\nI won't say I never screwed up. I killed a man once. By accident. But I definitely shortened his life. I knew he had a bad heart, and I needed him out of my way for a while, figured scaring him into a hospital visit wouldn't hurt him. So I ran his arm, spreading it up toward his chest. He thought he was having a heart attack, just as I planned. But then he actually started to have a heart attack, and none of us knew how to help.\n\nMost of my acts, though, have been taking teeth out of the tigers. Buzz a crook's hand so he drops his weapon. Rile up a suicide bomber's guts so he backs out. Maybe that's my point. It's not the big, flashy powers, the flight or superstrength or laservision that can really stop a villain. It's the feeling that you're about to sneeze that distracts you long enough for a regular cop to take you down. \n\nTiny things that make big differences."
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[WP] You are a ghost, watching the life of your child as they grow up without you.
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"She sleeps so soundly.\n\nI stroke her cheek in a vain attempt to feel her warmth. Of course, there is no sensation to be found on the surface of my skin. Or hers, for that matter. After all, I'm not really here, am I? I have no weight. No reflection. No face. No voice. No *real* body. My shape is whatever I imagine it to be. I merely *am*. In the early days, I'd considered myself somewhat of a guardian angel. But I quickly found I lacked the strength to have any real impact on the world. Some would perhaps call me a ghost. I suppose that's far more accurate.\n\nI'm not sure I care either way at this point.\n\nEven so, I stay. Foolishly believing I can break through the laws of whatever cruel God has decided to let me keep on watching. That she would suddenly spot me and yell: \"Mommy!\" That she would jump into my arms, and I would feel her, and hold her tight, and keep her safe, and never let go.\n\nBut it's been three years now. And... well. There's a reason why I've labeled my belief as \"foolish\".\n\nI kiss her. Try to, anyway. The contact I so yearn for never occurs.\n\nHer cheeks are so cute and round.\n\nSilently, I drift from her little room, and move upstairs.\n\nIn the bedroom are the people who call themselves her parents. They, too, sleep soundly.\n\nI wish to reach out to them, as well. On nights like these, I enjoy imagining myself wrapping my hands around the woman's scrawny little neck. Sometimes the visions are so vivid I can almost hear the last bits of air being squeezed out of her lungs. As for the man... I would very much like to gouge his eyes out. Rip out his tongue. Cut off his hands. Ears, too. But he would live. That would be very important -- he would be left alive.\n\nTo suffer like I did. In the dark. With nobody to hear. Nothing to feel. Only being aware that you're alive. But being alive -- it's not the same as living, is it?\n\nHa.\n\nHa ha.\n\nIt really is funny, thinking about it now. Over these past three years, I've come to know them so well. The way they look. The way they dress. The way they speak. What they eat. What kind of toothpaste they use. I know he has digestion problems. I know she keeps thinking about fucking the neighbor.\n\nWhen we first met, I didn't know a thing about them. It was all so sudden.\n\nBreaking into my home. Suffocating me. Gently taking away my baby from her little crib.\n\nI guess I should be thankful, right? It's not like they haven't taken good care of her. And it's not like I can't understand them. They were desperate. They were lonely. They wanted a child of their own. They couldn't make one. They had no money for a surrogate or any lucrative hospital bills.\n\nBut fuck that.\n\nShe was -- she *is* -- *mine*.\n\nI gently place my hands around the woman's neck. I squeeze. Of course, they slip through. Right. I'm not really here. But that's okay.\n\nAs foolish as it is, I'll keep on believing. I'll repeat it as many times as I need to.\n\nSomeday, I *will* succeed.\n\nI *will* make them pay.\n\nAnd I *will* take her back."
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[WP] You are a young god. You have just discovered you have an evil cult and you have to destroy it before your parents find out.
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"(Written as a screenplay, sorry about formatting it gets weird when copied over to Reddit.)\n\n**EXT. THE CRIMSON SASH TAVERN - NIGHT**\n\nAn extravagant white limo pulls up, it’s windows are tinted black as night, and a hood ornament in the shape of an elk shimmers from the street lights. The rear passenger door swings open quickly, and a man with a perfect white suit and top hat emerges. A bright green sash hangs from his left shoulder and wraps around his right flank. ELKIR ROMSON. He steps forward with a swagger waving to the many disciples that clamor over each other to get his attention from beyond the red carpet.\n\nELKIR:\n\nPlease, my children. Do not harm each other over praise for me, your -\n\nA woman with a horrifying skin disease in the background smashes another woman's face into the cement with her feet so that she can jump over the barrier to touch ELKIR.\n\nCRAZED DISCIPLE:\n\nLord, please heal me! I beg of you!\n\nA beat.\n\nThe woman reaches him and bows before him grabbing onto his pant leg. Her skin heals instantly.\n\nELKIR:\n\nAll of you look upon this woman, she has shown so much faith in me that she is willing to go to great lengths to show her devotion. Be like -\n\nAn older, fat, balding gentleman in a black suit gets out of the limo and assists his gorgeous wife out behind him. He sees his son ELKIR touting about like a fool and interrupts.\n\nROM:\n\nBoy, hold your tongue. We do not speak to the common folk.\n\nELKIR grimaces and quiets himself. He waves off the healed woman back to the crowd.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n**INT. THE CRIMSON SASH TAVERN - NIGHT**\n\nELKIR sits at the bar estranged from his parents who sit at a table with the other MAJOR DEITIES. The bartender, a blind prophet in black robes cleans out an empty glass. He sets that one down and picks up the empty dirty glass sitting in front of ELKIR.\n\nBARTENDER:\n\nAnother my lord?\n\nWithout looking at the bartender he stares as his parents laugh and poke fun at the other guests.\n\nELKIR:\n\nYes, your strongest.\n\nBARTENDER:\n\nVery well.\n\nThe bartender begins to fill a new glass with a variety of different liquors and mixins.\n\nBARTENDER:\n\nMy lord, if it pleases you, there are more -\n\nThe BARTENDER lowers his voice.\n\nBARTENDER:\n\n*Fulfilling* festivities in the basement.\n\nA beat.\n\nELKIR looks up and behind at the bartender, and then down at the glass. He throws back the drink and waves his hand over the bar, creating several golden coins which the BARTENDER cheerfully collects.\n\n**INT. THE CRIMSON SASH TAVERN - BASEMENT - NIGHT**\n\nELKIR steps down the stairway into the basement. Loud music is pumping and right away we see naked women and men throwing themselves left and right to the music. A pool of red fluid sits in the center, partygoers splashing about, wrestling one another until they are dripping with the stuff.\n\nTEMPTOR:\n\nOh my Lord, I would never have expected to see you down here.\n\nA woman wearing nothing but the skull of an elk over her head sneaks up behind ELKIR and wraps her arms around him. She down the buttons of his shirt until they reach his belt, tainting the pure white of the fabric with the red fluid.\n\nTEMPTOR:\n\nJoin us lord. All this is for you, in your name we live free and euphoric.\n\nELKIRs eyes look twisted and powerful. He allows her to un-belt him slowly lower his pants. As she continues to kiss him and disrobe him a group of naked men start cheering as they see their lord has come to be with them. They lift one of their own above them and hold him down in the pool of red liquid as they all cheer. Another of the men takes a knife with a carving of the elk on it’s handle and presses it into the man in the pool’s belly. He slashes from left to right revealing all of his innards and refilling the pool with his blood.\n\nThe music gets louder and ELKIR’s eyes widen more and more.\n\nELKIR:\n\nThis is true freedom.\n\nA beat.\n\nHe hears his father’s hearty laughter from upstairs. The music starts to dampen and he looks about him. He hears a buzzing coming from his pants which are now tossed to the side. He scrambles down and pulls out his phone. A text from his father ROM: “Where are you boy? They are singing songs to your name. Get back here!” He is now naked aside from his blood soaked socks.\n\nTEMPTOR:\n\nRavage me lord, so that I may bear your seed.\n\nELKIR:\n\nBegone foul THOT, I must return upstairs to my children who sing my name.",
"\"Oh god of rain,\" my worshipper said and I smiled inwardly. As a young god it felt good to be asked for things. Perhaps I'd even grant it. I listened intently as she continued, \"Send a flood to destroy our enemies! Drown them beneath your torrents!\"\n\n\"Wait, what?\" I said out loud. What was going on?\n\n\"Did you hear the whisper just now? Do you think he'll destroy them?\" the young worshipper asked the man standing next to her.\n\n\"He destroyed the Hippolite village!\" the young man answered, a malevolent smile on his face, \"After they trounced our village in gibber-ball they really deserved it, too.\"\n\nThe Hippolites? Oh yeah, that's when I got drunk with the god of wine last month. Wait, did I really make it rain that much? I just had a full bladder and decided to, ahem, water their crops. Did I really rain *that* much?\n\n\"Nice job,\" the voice of Kolep, god of war said from behind me, \"A rain god going for the evil pantheon, nice!\"\n\n\"No,\" I said, throwing up my hands before me, \"You've got it all wrong. That was an accident.\"\n\n\"You accidentally drowned a whole village?\" Kotep asked, smirking, \"Yeah, right. Welcome to the club. Hey, I know, I'll start a war and you can drown both sides! How about it?\"\n\n\"No, no, no!\" I yelled in a slight panic, \"My mom is the fertility goddess and my dad is the god of justice. Do you have any idea what they'll do to me when they find out... when they find out...\"\n\n\"That you've got cultists?\" Kotep offered, \"I'm guessing your dad will probably want to punish you.\"\n\n\"Want to punish me?\" I yelled, running in a small circle, \"He's the GOD OF JUSTICE. Of course he'll punish me.\"\n\n\"You know what I do when I want to stop one of my cults from spreading?\" Kotep offered the question as if the answer were simple.\n\n\"What?\" I asked.\n\n\"Get rid of them,\" he winked at me and pulled out his sword, swinging it dramatically while going, \"Kapow! Zap! Zowey! BLAM!\"\n\nI sighed. They were only two cultists now. If I let them they'd spread like vermin. I closed my eyes, held their door shut, and then started a torrential rain shower inside. Their screams will haunt me for a long, long time but at last their lungs filled with enough water to silence them. Permanently.\n\n\"Oh wow,\" Kotep told me, \"That was awesome, man!\"\n\n\"Shut up,\" I told him. At least I wasn't in trouble with my parents anymore.\n\n\"Did you see that?\" A villager was saying to another.\n\n\"Yeah,\" his friend answered, eyes wide, \"That was that new god of rain! That was awesome. Let's start a cult to him!\"\n\n\"Shit,\" I said and started to drizzle."
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[WP] A beggar is singing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands," on a busy street. You stop and give him some change, clap your hands, and smile. He looks at you and also claps his hands and says, "You pass." Everyone on the street freezes except you two.
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"He peels back his skin revealing a handsome man with golden hair. \"I am the god of death, and you just won immortality!\" He screams as camera's appear from the sky. \"Your life as been a great show to the people down in hell so we decided to give you infinite seasons!\" \"So am i dead?\" I ask the god. \"Yes! This is your tourcher, and you will be stuck here forever! Anyway, ghy'th upok. Or as you say, burn in hell!\" He flies of and i am left alone in the streets full of people that don't exist.\n",
"I take 2 steps before i hear him.\n\n\"...but.....yooouuuuu liiieedd\" he chuckles menacingly.\n\n\n\"do you not have enough to be happy about? \" he asked\n\n\"maybe if i take what makes you happy you will realize how happy you actually were\"\n\nhe clapped once, and the world resumed.\n\nwhat just happened, and why do i feel like i just made the worst mistake of my life.\n",
"In a sudden, blinding flash of light the ground beneath my feet falls away and I feel as though I am soaring through the heavens. Abruptly I am stopped and as my eyes return to normal something hurtles by.\n\n\"W...was that a satellite? Where the hell am I?\" I think to myself. I look around and realize that I am in a clear sphere roughly thrity feet across and currently orbiting Earth. \"Hello?\" I call out only to be greeted by my echo. \n\nI feel a presence behind me suddenly and turn only to be face-to-face with the beggar. His leathery, wrinkled face showing a toothy grin. He begins to laugh while repeating \"You passed... you passed... you passed.\" \n\n\"Passed? Passed what? Where are we? I demand that you take me home this instant!\" I reach for the beggar's collar but he steps away before I can grab him. \n\n\"You want to go home? Foolish mortal, this... this is your home now.\" he cackles and points a crooked, wrinkled finger towards the Earth. \"Look, there is nothing left for you there!\" \n\nI turn just as the entire planet goes dark for a moment before the atmosphere ignites sending a sheet of white-hot flame across the entirety of the planet.\n\n\"Everything... everything is gone.\" My voice trembles as I sink to my knees. \"My family, my friends, everything.\" A firey rage begins to course through my veins as I start to turn to rush the cackling beggar. \"You! You did this! Why? What do you want from me?\" \n\nThe beggar fell quiet, his face grew dark and a different, otherworldly voice came from his mouth.\n\n\"You were the only truly happy person I could find on that wretched cesspool you called a home so I rescued you. With or without me the planet was doomed. I did you a favor, and now I need a favor from you...\"\n\nThe sphere went dark, the last thing I remember was my head hitting the floor. After what felt like an eternity I come to my senses to find myself on a strange alien world sitting on a mat with a cup in front of me. As if in a trance, the only words that come from my lips are: \"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands\".",
"\"Well done!\" the beggar boomed, in a suddenly strong and resonant voice. He gripped the brim of his stained and rumpled fedora, and the visage of the homeless transient melted away. His mangled fedora became a clean white hat with a broad brim that came to a point, his scraggly beard became long and flowing, and his shabby clothes became clean robes of gray and white.\n\nMy jaw dropped in disbelief as I looked around at the crowded street, where everyone and everything around me remained frozen in place.\n\n\"Well done...what exactly?\" I asked, when I regained my voice.\n\nThe wizard -- I mean, obviously that's what he was -- chortled merrily. \"Done what? Why, you have proven your worth, my boy! In this dreary age of materialism, you have proven yourself to possess a good and open heart, and so shown yourself to be worth of inheriting the long-lost secrets of magic, which have--\"\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" I interrupted. \"But...you made that determination *how* exactly?\"\n\nThe wizard blinked in confusion. \"Well, you took pity on me in my guise as a poor beggar! Without knowing my true identity as the last of the great magi, you gave me both material and emotional succor.\"\n\n\"Well, I guess.\" I admitted. \"But that's *one nice thing.* You don't know me. Maybe I'm a total jerk, but I conned some woman with low self-esteem into sleeping with me last night, so I was in a good mood.\"\n\nHis bushy white eyebrows shot up in alarm. \"Is that the case?\"\n\n\"Of course not!\" I replied, almost defensively. \"My point is, I *could* be, though. Or I could be a drug dealer -- they do charitable stuff all the time, you know? It helps discourage the poor people in the neighborhoods they live in from cooperating with the police. Or maybe I'm a serial killer who just scratched my psychotic itch by stabbing someone to death in a back alley yesterday, so I've got an extra *spring in my step.* Judging my whole character based on one *good* deed is almost as wrong as if you judged my whole character based on one *bad deed.\"*\n\n\"You're working awfully hard to talk me out of teaching you to use wondrous magical powers.\" the wizard observed.\n\n\"I've *got* a good job.\" I countered. \"I mean, I guess I'm not averse to the idea, it's just...look, I don't want to be judgmental, but this seems *really* irresponsible on your part.\"\n\n\"So I *shouldn't* trust you with awesome magical power? You're *not* a good man, then?\" the wizard challenged, frowning.\n\n\"Well, I mean...look, I try to be. But, power corrupts, right? I have no idea how having magic powers would ultimately change me -- how *could* I possibly have any idea? Sure, part of me wants to say 'hell yeah' and go off on some magical adventure, but if I was interviewing for this like a job and you asked me what my qualifications for being a *wizard* were, I'd either have to say 'none' or else lie my ass off.\" I explained. \"Come on, man! What if I screw it up and break bad *Sauron* style?\"\n\nHe nodded slowly, a smile creeping back onto his lips. \"Hm...good points all, young man. Good points all.\"\n\n\"Thanks.\" I replied, not knowing what else to say as I nervously took in the still-frozen intersection. \"So...what now?\"\n\n\"Now?\" he asked, as if it was obvious. \"Why, now you come with me and I teach you to be a wizard.\"\n\n\"Why?!\" I exclaimed, throwing up my hands in exasperation.\n\nThe wizard grinned, and tipped his pointy hat to me. \"Because, my boy -- you just passed my *real test.\"*",
"The silence was the most startling thing. Movement stopped. It was like standing in a photograph, but the absence of sound was the most disturbing. I could hear my heart beat. I could hear the whoosh of blood in my ears. It was both terrifying and fascinating. I recovered myself enough to look at the beggar and he was smiling. \n\n“I had a feeling I would find you today.”\n\nI don’t know if it was just the shock of sound or if his voice was just that loud, but it made me flinch. \n\n“I ... I don’t understand what’s happening,” I stuttered out.\n\n“You will. Come with me”\n\nWith that, he reached out grabbed my wrist and time and reality seemed to bend into a kaleidoscope of color swirling around us. As if we were flying through space and time. \n\nWhen we stopped, I had no idea how much time had passed, or if any time had passed. I felt like we’d been spinning forever and yet it seemed to happen in a moment. We were standing in a void surrounded by flickering lights and stars. \n\n“Welcome to the Waiting Room. Time works differently here. When you are finished with your mission you will return to the same place on the same street at the same point in time, so don’t worry about your family or friends. To them there will be no difference. But you will have a profound impact on the world from here.” \n\nWith that he waved his hands and a large console type thing materialized. On it was only what I could describe as a large movie screen and a single dial for a control. \n\n“Sit. From here you can see anyone at any time. You can play out scenarios, see how they will work before enacting your changes. I will help you for a while and answer any questions. Then I will leave you to your work.”\n\n“Which is what? I still don’t understand.”\n\nHe looked at me and smiled a mischievous grin.\n\n“You are Fate. Trust me, I believe you will be a good one.”",
"The shock of seeing everyone around you freeze is shadowed only by the knowledge that the person in front of you just made everyone freeze. \n\n“...I’m not sure whats happening here mate, is this some kind of stunt?”\n\nI manage to force the words out of my mouth, not really believing that everyone around me was frozen... but also not believing my own thoughts\n\nThe man laughs heartily and claps me on the back. “Well apprentice, I must say that this is most certainly real and, furthermore, is just the beginning of our new partnership”\n\nThis man was clearly barmy, but his words rang true in my head, a suggestion of kindliness and leadership in equal parts lay in a veil over his words. Naturally I responded with the only appropriate question...\n\n“What the hell are you talking about and why the fuck am I suddenly your apprentice. I believe you’ve made some kind of mistake, or at the very least you’ve just picked a man to be your apprentice based on his decision to be happy for a morning. You have to be mental.” \n\nUnlike his speech my words seemed hollow and meaningless, like I had already resigned to my fate. \n\n“Welcome” he said in a booming voice “to your new apprenticeship under Father Time” He grinned.\n\nThis is not how I wanted this day to go.\n\n\n\nPART 2 IS OUT\n\nhttps://www.reddit.com/user/Fortitude_Flame/comments/9l03hi/part_2_of_the_father_time_apprenticeship_story/?st=JMT1IE96&sh=60a62954"
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[WP] At your will, you can make happiness flow from one person to another, including yourself. On the subway, you notice someone on whom the power doesn't work.
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"\"No matter how much happiness I willed to her, she. Just. Wouldn't. Be. Happy!\"\n\n\"Mhm,\" said the therapist.\n\n\"I don't know.\" I groaned, flopping my arms everywhere. \n\n\"This really seems to be bothering you,\" the therapist astutely noted.\n\n\"It is! Like...who *doesn't* like to be happy?! Besides married people, of course. No offense.\"\n\n\"None taken.\"\n\n\"So, yeah,\" I continued. \"What was I *supposed* to do?! Just *let* her be unhappy?!\" \n\n\"That was a possible option. You know, it isn't your duty to make every person in the world happy. No matter how happy you make someone, there's always going to be someone out there that's unhappy.\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" I agreed, sighing heavily into the sofa. \"I know.\"\n\n\"So before the guards escort you back to your cell, are you ready to tell us where her body is?\"\n\nI winced \"Non-happy people don't deserve to live,\" I stated firmly.\n\nThe therapist sighed and reached under the desk. The door burst open and two mountainous guards barreled in. I screeched and scratched at them like a cat about to be dropped in a shower. But then they finally subdued me in handcuffs.\n\n\"We'll try this again when you're more cooperative,\" said the therapist, as I was carried physically out of the room."
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[WP] You are trying to be the worlds greatest villian, but every time you try to do something evil it betters the world.
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" The Black Veil paced his lair back and forth, shaking his fists wildly and murmuring to himself, he did not notice his second in command enter the chamber. \n\n\n\"Um, his unholy wretchedness? The boys and me, we are getting a little concerned about you, your mental health, and well frankly, our future in this enterprise.\" said the stout burly man through his executioner's hood. His brown greased beard stuck out from the bottom of the hood and grazed his chest, bare, except for the shiny leather harness.\n\n\nThe Black Veil, a staggeringly tall man of 6' 9\" and a spindly build stops mid rant and bows his head. His chaos hounds sit on either side of the void throne, a very uncomfortable looking chair shrouded in an inky black mist that if peered into for too long would send the mind to unknown horrors. The beasts, somewhat resembled canines save for the bony mandibles, eyeless faces, and splayed hook tails. Bull mastiffs that were brought back from the unknown rainbow of hell. \n\n\n\"I know. I know.\" Black Veil throws up his hands, not looking his faithful follower, Garshnak in the eyes.\n\n\n\"It's just really hard right now, ok? I have all these great ideas, it feels like they are going to be real winners, and it always back fires! You shouldn't complain Garshnak, you and the boys always back me up, for every idea.\"\n\n\n\"Well, sire, yes we do. However, remember Bulberosk?\"\n\n\n\"Of course I remember Bulberosk. He made the best artichoke dip and his wife is absolutely lovely, what about him?\"\n\n\n\"You fed him to the hounds after making him peer into the void until he clawed out his eyes. He was not on board for Operation Resource Removal.\" \n\n\n\"It was a good plan, remove the world's already depleting natural resource while I draw energy from the void, the world is crippled and must bow to me, the only one with power!\"\n\n\n\"Except, you only depleted the world of oil, bringing on an era of peace and accelerated research into renewable and natural sources of energy.\"\n\n\n\"I knooooooow!\" The Black Veil stomps off to his throne in the manner of an indignant child, throwing himself down on the stone chair he tries not to show that it actually hurt.\n\n\n\"There has to be something we have not tried, something to really hold the world by the throat.\" He leans forward and rests his chin on his folded hands.\n\n\n\"I got it! Let's tear a hole in space, to the netherrealm, let out some of the worst, most unspeakable horrors and just wait for the world to beg for salvation!\"\n\n\n\"Sire, you have tried this once before with the Eldrazi Wyrms, you released them in South America in hopes they would decimate the rain forests. This was in hope of a global surrender at the site of such awesome power, what actually happened?\"\n\n\n\"The wyrms killed all the deforestation workers, causing the companies to pull out of the rain forest.\" The Dark Veil huffed as he looked down at his feet.\n\n\n\"And?\" asked Garshnak\n\n\n\"Ugh, which led to the logging companies to completely pull out of the rain forest.\"\n\n\n\"Aaaaaand?\"\n\n\n\"Aaaand apparently the wyrms fit into the environment so well that it caused a resurgence in wildlife and growth to the devastated sections of the forest. What is your point, Garshnak?!\"\n\n\n\"Sire, maybe you're the hero?\" Garshnak asked, wincing and recoiling at the possible response.\n\n\n\"Garshank, don't worry, I thank you for your honesty. Guards! To the hounds with him!\"\n\n\nAs He was dragged away, the Black Veil sat and pondered his next move. \n\n\n\"That's it! I will hold the world hostage by evaporating all their nuclear weapons, they would do anything to get them back.\" \n"
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[WP] The automated voice you hear on the any PA turns out to be a person speaking live into a microphone, this is the story of when they got fed up with work
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"\"The train arriving at platform A will end it service at jurong east platform D. Please mind the gap. The train at platform A, will end it's service at jurong east platform D. No, wait, what do you mean the train is delayed?\" You are sitted at the train station, waiting on the train, and listening to the PA system announce it, until you heard the lady deviate from what is normally said. \"this is the 25 time. I swear. I didn't sign up to work in a small room, staring at monitors, and giving regular announcement every 5 damn mins, just Ti have stupid delays like so and me being forced to apologise, EVEN IF ITS NOT MY GOD DAMN FAULT!\" The last part seemed to be shouted at someone off the mike. You and the other pessanger can here arguments in the back ground, sound of scrapes and a woman shouting, before a click. 2 min later, another lady voice that sounds the same comes online. \"The train arriving at platform A will end it's service at jurong east platform D.\" With a shrug, you and all the other passengers turn back to whatever you all are doing. "
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[WP] You are a hydromaniac. You love to douse random people and objects with water. You just found your perfect target!
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"Timmy had the itch again. The tingly feeling that was agony to restrain. His skin burned with the agonizing tingles every so often, a burning that only dousing whatever triggered the itch in copious amounts of cold, cold water could ever satisfy. Timmy felt that burning, itchy feeling as he gazed upon the olympic torch. HE had known since seeing it on TV leaving it's origin in Los Angeles that he would need to be in New York for it's final destination. He had his super soaker ready, hidden in his sleeve. The water gods would no doubt be pleased today."
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[WP] You're a dark overlord who shows up to lay siege to a nearby kingdom, but find the gates wide open and a parade prepared for you. Turns out, their country is in such a sad state that being conquered would be an improvement. The Code of Evil offers no guidance for what to do in this situation.
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"“ General the gates are wide open , the enemy has surrendered it’s all ours.” Madigal said with enthusiasm for some reason it didn’t feel at appealing to me , I looked around to my men all with a prideful smile and stupid grain “ Retreat .” I commanded “General but it’s....” Madigal protested I glared at him and that was the end of the discussion “ Retreat !” Madigal shouted and the annoyed mumbling of men annoyed me more than I’m already irritated , the way back to my kingdom is long and my skin was itching for some fresh blood I was looking for any scapegoat Madigal might throw at me to vanquish my agitation “ General , Ayazon asks permission to speak.” Madigal said with a small glint in his eyes oh those eyes that sparkle when death is near are my precious pearls you could say my pleasure out of every kill “ Let him speak.” I ordered and in stepped Ayazon, an annoying ,loud, foul mouthed ,morally incomprehensible human “ My lord I . Speak on the behalf . Of all these men!” Exaggerated speech like always “ And what do the men want exactly?” I humored the little deformity in the planet we call mother Earth “ The men . My lord. Ask to which reason we didn’t sage that city ?” He asked and backed away when he saw me draw my sword , I grabbed the handle and lifted it to the sky , the sun reflecting on its blade but it’s not to my liking if it’s not red “ Because I said so .”I replied as I gave him a warning look that spelled ‘ speak anymore and off goes your head ‘ and not to my astonishment this man cannot spell “ My lord the land was there with open arms! Rice and armor was in the open , we could have all those women with lavishing breasts until we’re satisfied !” Ayazon said nothing surprising that all he wanted was the women “ See this ?” I pointed to my sword “ this only likes blood that is bound by the angle of death not spineless villagers that tremble by the mention of death .” I got down from my horse and walked towards Ayazon “ Actually, Ayazon are you afraid of death ?” My face inches from his “ heh....My lord it’s..” before he could finish I plunged my sword to his heart and backed from him as he fell on his knees my sword still in plunged in his chest “ If it helps , I would’ve killed you no matter what your answer was.” I whispered in his ear and twirled my sword in him as his scream got louder and louder until he was motionless, I pulled my sword out and looked at Madigal giving me a questioning look “ What ? “ I said and gave him a shrug, he took the sword from my hand and wiped the blood off of it “ Satisfied now ?” Madigal asked , I thought for a moment “ well it seems killing spineless humans isn’t that bad after all .” I answered to which Madigal eyes sparkled and gave a small smile , it’s time to find a new kill “ Gather the men . We are heading south .” ",
"After riding for 12 moons past I finally called my army to a halt. It took an hour or so for the stragglers to catch up, the slaves and women captured from previous conquered castles and towns. Or at least what was left of them. The riders at the back of the column came up to notify me that we were all here. I looked to my commanding officers and nodded. They all left to gather the fighting men behind my tent.\n\n\"BOY. Here. Now.\"\n\nMy squire almost tripped over his own feet, scrambling to get off the woman I had allowed him to have from our previous conquest. I treat him too well. Maybe it's time to re assert my dominance over him. \n\n\"Yes sir? Lord of everything evil sir.\"\n\nI sighed heavily. The kid was stupid, but not too stupid as to forget his courtesies when speaking to his master. Still. He had to be kept in his place.\n\n\"Help me don my armor boy, before I take away your little corner of my tent and make you fuck your wench out in the cold. And hurry up with it.\"\n\nI couldn't threaten the boy with much else, he was the son of one of my royal guards. And if the Code of Evil tells you anything, it's that you still need a loyal following. And there's not much my royal guard are scared of.. so fear isn't the tactic with them. It's respect. The rest of my following however? I command with an iron fist. Nobody will cross me and get away with it. That's why I'm marching this army to the 'Kings' city. He deemed himself king after slaying my predecessor. Now after years of brewing this plan, I'm coming to show him what real Evil looks like.\n\nThe boy dragged the chest with my armor in, grunting heavily with each tug. \n\n\"Helm first sir? Urr i mean lord of everything evil sir.\"\n\nI clouted the boy round the back of the head, not too hard but hard enough that he lost balance.\n\n\"Boots first. Then greaves. Then chest. Then shoulders. I can put my own gloves and helm on boy. Do I look stupid?\" \n\nI raised my hand at him again and him cowering was enough for me. He helped me into my armor and then ran over to the other side of the tent to fetch my weapon. \n\n\"Your sword or war hammer today sir? Uh lord of everything evil sir.\"\n\nI sighed heavily again. The thought of this boy being my squire for much longer pains me too much. After pondering for a moment as to whether it would be a good idea to just knight him, a member of my vanguard no less. It would be an honour to him and his father.. and would rid me of this moron.\n\n\"Sir?\"\n\n\"Boy. You have served me well. And tonight, I would like my sword. Here pass it to me.\"\n\nThe boy brought the blade over to me and placed it gingerly into my hand.\n\n\"Down on one knee.\"\n\n\"B..b..but sir please.\"\n\n\"You snivelling fool. Get on one knee before I do strike your head off.\"\n\nHe quickly fell to one knee, lost balance and caught himself quickly and took a quick peek at me to see if had noticed. I couldn't have him around any longer, it was too painful.\n\n\"I knight you, a member of my honourable vanguard. You will be part of the first wave in every battle hence forth.\" \n\nI touched the sword on his shoulders, trying my hardest not to slice down as hard as I could and end this mockery of my army.\n\n\"ME?! Vanguard?! Thank you sir.. Uhh lord of every thing evil sir.\" \n\nI placed my foot on his shoulder and kicked him toward the door. \n\n\"Go tell your father. You will be riding with them on first light.\"\n\nHe scrambled to his feet and took off running. I donned my helm, black as night with a dragons head resting on the top. His tongue coming down between my eyes. I stuck the top of my helm in brazier to light the cloth in the dragons mouth. Added effect to keep the army terrified of the sight of me. \n\nI walked out of my tent to find my closest royal guard holding two peasants by the ear. My army stood at attention waiting in the background.\n\n\"What is the meaning of this?\" I thundered.\n\n\"These two have come to.. surrender the town sir.\"\n\n\"Ha. Surrender. I don't accept surrender. Your town will be burned, your women raped. Your children put to work.\"\n\n\"Yes sir, as expected sir.\"\n\n\"I will not spare.. wait what?\" \n\n\"Our old women and children are all waiting in our great hall for your arrival. Our men are building a statue of you in the centre of town. All our young women of age are waiting in the church for you and your men. We have no riches, our food is too scarce to feed even us. We put half our men to the sword weeks ago to save the rest of us. There are only 15 men left and they are all willing to march on the city with you.\"\n\n\"What is this trickery? Do you think 15 men can get anywhere near me? You think I haven't dealt with assassins before? Put these men -\"\n\nThe other peasant cut me off.\n\n\"Ha. I'm begging your pardon m'lord but our men are no assassins. They can barely hold swords, we just figure you can't be any worse than the 'hero' king. And we want to put an end to him just as much as you. Our town is yours sir.\" \n\nI glanced to my guard holding the men.\n\n\"Execute him.\"\n\nMy guard stuck his blade straight down through his neck and into his chest cavity. After some twitching and gurgling the man finally gave up and died. I glance back to his friend.\n\n\"You will refer to me as Lord of everything evil, or end up the same as your friend. Now tell me, what's your problem with the king?\"\n\n\"Ooh, i like it. Lord of everything evil. Has a real ring to it. The king is a moron, lord of everything evil sir. He took all our gold and had a statue of himself made in the city. He comes around once a year to take all of our mead and take his pick of the women. He carts all of it off to his palace to have feasts and parties with his clansmen.\"\n\n\"That doesn't sound too far from what I'm going to do to your petty town, peasant. Why would you want me instead of him?\"\n\n\"Well, lord of everything evil sir. We figure if we're going to have an evil cunt for a ruler. We may as well have one who admits it.\"\n\nThe code of Evil did not prepare me for this. He accepts my rule through fear, so there should be nothing wrong with me accepting his defeat. But if I do I'll be liberating them from what they see as an evil ruler.. making me the GOOD guy.\n\nI pace back and forth my mind racing. Finally I come to a decision.\n\n\"SQUIRE. HERE, NOW.\"\n\nAfter a minute of awkward silence the footsteps from the crowd start getting louder. Eventually out pops the red faced and panting boy I'd made part of my vanguard not twenty minutes ago.\n\n\"Yes sir? Uhh i mean lord of every -\"\n\nI removed my helmet and he stammered the last of my title. I looked around to ensure all eyes were on me. \n\nI placed the helmet on the boys head, covering his ugly face. When his confused eyes met mine I turned and walked toward the treeline bordering our camp.\n\n\"You've been promoted.\" ",
"\"...and then round up all of the men under 40 with black hair, and if they're missing any teeth, kill them. But slowly. And publicly.\" I stroked my short, bristly yet stately goatee. \"In fact, flay them one at a time. With a rusty knife. No, a rusty spoon.\" I chuckled quietly. *I even impress myself, sometimes,* I thought contentedly. \n\nI leaned back from the council table where I plotted out the systematic oppression of the frontier city of Veranduran. It was the first of many towns that lay between my armies and the capital of the Kingdom of Haradit, which was far from the first kingdom I've brutally conquered.\n\n\"Milord! An urgent update from the front!\" Two men ran up to the table.\n\nI waved my hand lazily without looking at them. \"What did I say about being interrupted? Kill the fat one.\"\n\nOne of my guards stood up, then hesitated. \"They're both fat, milord.\"\n\nI shot a glare at him, and he withered. \"Then kill the left one,\" I hissed between clenched teeth.\n\nShaking, the guard drew his sword and cut down the man in front of him, who was actually on the right. *Oh well, all to the same effect.*\n\nI turned back to the map on the table. \"What is so important that you had to stop me in the middle of a very vital tactics session, soldier?\"\n\nHe stood there, quaking in his boots. I could hear the butt of his spear rattling against the cobblestones below. \"M-m-milord, the p-patrol we spotted got away. Th-th-th-they made it inside th-the walls.\"\n\nI stood up and gathered my menacing black cape around me. \"They got away?\" I asked quietly. Menacingly.\n\nThe poor fellow just stood there, nodding. A trickle of wetness traced its way down his pant leg.\n\nMy hands burst into flame. \"I do not tolerate failure.\"\n\nHe fell to his knees. \"Puh-puh-PLEASE! I have a f-family! Three daughters, milord!\"\n\nThe flames went out. \"Three daughters, you say? Oh, how rude of me. I would hate to leave them orphaned. You may go, just this once.\"\n\nHe collapsed on the floor, sobbing. \"Th-th-th-\"\n\n\"No need to thank me, just go.\" I sat back down, studying the map. The man gathered himself and quickly retreated. As his footsteps echoed towards the door, I motioned for a guard to move closer.\n\n\"Okay, now kill him.\"\n\n\"And his daughters, milord?\"\n\n\"No, leave them. I'd hate to be cruel.\"\n\n*****\n\nThere are a few things that bring pleasure to anyone, no matter who they are: a cool fall breeze, the smell of a field of spring flowers, the life draining from a man's eyes, a trickling brook...\n\nThey all paled in comparison to the sight of a town about to fall under siege.\n\nBatteries of trebuchets and ballistae stretched as far as the eye could see, each manned and guarded by dozens of men. Slightly behind them, tents and campfires held thousands of bloodthirsty warriors begging for a good bit of rape and pillaging. They had started forming up with their siege towers and ladders before the sun began to rose, so that the city would awake to a massive army ready to kill them all. In the distance, the occasional sentry would peek up and get a good look at the forces amassed before them.\n\nMy honor guard was mounted around me. Each man had been personally fitted with the best enameled black steel armor that money could buy, trimmed in a rose gold. Every man's helmet was the twisted visage of a different fearsome predator: a wolf, a hawk, a serpent. My own, a dragon, sat on the saddle of my pure white stallion. Even on this mission to deliver ridiculous and downright unacceptable terms of surrender, each man looked prepared to fight to the death.\n\n\"We ride!\" I yelled as we started to canter towards the gate. When we reached the halfway point between our makeshift reinforcements and the walls of the city, a similar party of men started towards us from the gate, bearing a white flag.\n\n\"Good morrow, gentlemen. Have you come to surrender?\" I asked cockily as they rode close. \n\n\"Why, yes, we have! Would you care for some wine, sire?\" the man in the lead asked. He wore nothing more than a simple brown tunic.\n\n\"It's surely poisoned, milord. Don't drink it,\" cautioned the guard to my right.\n\n\"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're wondering!\" the man in the brown tunic said cheerfully. To prove his point, he took a big swig and grinned.\n\nI stared him down for a moment, but his smile never faded. \"You haven't even heard our terms for your surrender yet,\" I said pointedly.\n\n\"Correct, and we accept!\"\n\nI blinked once and looked to my left and right. None of the guards knew what to do.\n\n\"I want all the gold in the city.\"\n\n\"It's all been gathered in a pile up there,\" the man said, gesturing toward the top of the gate, where there indeed was a pile of gold glinting happily in the early morning sun.\n\n\"Every ring and necklace?\"\n\n\"Even my own fake tooth,\" he chortled, pointing to a gap in his smile.\n\n\"Half of your harvest as well, we want that too.\"\n\n\"We gathered three quarters, just in case.\"\n\n\"And your women, they're ours now.\"\n\n\"Please, take them! Nothing but trouble for us anyway. Right, Edric?\" he jested, elbowing the man next to him, who grinned.\n\n\"Kill Edric,\" I said. He pulled out a short sword and ran him through.\n\n\"And every third born child will be killed.\"\n\n\"Just means fewer mouths to feed, milord.\"\n\n\"Every able-bodied man under 40 will be required to serve in my armies.\"\n\n\"We've been training them in spear and mace just to prepare for that.\"\n\n\"Spear and- did you say prepare? How long have you been planning to give up?\" I asked, incredulous.\n\nThe man in the tunic scratched his balding head. \"We-ell, we heard you were marching towards us near on two months ago, so about that long?\" He shrugged. \"Hard to say. Our patrol a few days ago let us know you were here, though. That was certainly helpful to get the parade together.\"\n\n\"Parade? What the devil are you talking about?\"\n\n\"You know, the victory parade? The triumph, as it were? The one where you ride victorious through the city on a chariot pulled by the wives of the former nobility, with your soldiers behind and the treasure and slaves behind them?\"\n\n\"How did you know about that?\"\n\nHe shrugged again. \"Like I said, we've been preparing awhile. The townsfolk are eager to meet you.\"\n\n\"Eager...? But I'm Lord-Master Henderal, conqueror of the-\"\n\n\"-conqueror of the Twelve Realms, the Lord of the White Ranges, the King of the Crimson River, the chosen of Balphomas himself, yes, we know!\"\n\n\"I sacrifice five people every day!\"\n\n\"Yeah, well, you should meet our king. He once tripped and dumped an entire shipment of everfire into the Poyting River. Set the entire city of Poyting ablaze. No survivors, and she still burns to this day.\"\n\nThe bald man in the back of the party chimed in. \"He once bedded my wife and insisted I give him three sacks of grain for the privilege!\"\n\nA third man spoke up. \"One year, he visited a neighboring city, tripped on a rock, and banned rocks in the entire town. They're still digging, trying to get rid of them.\"\n\n\"Only a matter of time afore he does some damn fool thing to us,\" the man in the tunic continued. \"How bad could you be?\"\n\n*****\n\n\"I don't get it...\" I muttered to myself, flipping desparately though the Code of Evil. \"I *need* them to hate me. How do I compete with incompetence?\" \n\nThe Code offered no such answers. I needed higher guidance. \"Aristhmus!\" I called. \"Prepare the sacrifices. We need to commune.\"\n\nFive minutes and one virgin later, a chalk pentagram on the floor in front of me erupted into a column of flame, and Balphomas himself, a black demon from the deepest of nightmares, stepped out.\n\n\"Why have you summoned me? I do not take these meetings lightly, and I will not suffer a waste of my time.\"\n\n\"Almighty Balphomas, I need your counsel. I have failed to make the world fear you and I do not know where to go next.\" I carefully explained the situation.\n\n*****\n\n\"Well did you check the Code of Evil?\" Balphomas asked for the fifth time.\n\n\"I already *TOLD* you, there's NOTHING IN THERE! Look: rape, murder, torture, fearmongering, warmongering, wordmongering, blasphemous rituals- but no happy populations. Who wrote this damn thing anyway?\"\n\nHe hesitated. \"Look, this is awkward, this isn't working out. The Code of Evil doesn't have the answer we're looking for. We need higher guidance.\"\n\n\"Higher... guidance? Who is higher than Balphomas, the destroyer of souls?\"\n\nBalphomas sighed. \"Look, I'm not *really* Balphomas. I'm Tev, I just show up because Balphomas is really busy. He doesn't like to take the effort to find the right timeline in the right mortal plane to figure out what you humans want. But I really think we need him for this one. Do you have a few more virgins to spare?\"\n\nA few moments later, the world turned inside out. My guards erupted into vile smoke. The world turned black, then red, then white. Screams filled the air along with the sound of a thousand knifes scraping a thousand stones. My skin began to burn, as if being bitten millions of times over and over.\n\n#*w̸̷h́o ̶̀d͠͞à͢r̵e͠s̕ d̷͡í̶̀s̸͝tur̛b͠͞ ̧b̶̢a̶͘l͠p̢̛͡hǫ̸҉ma̷s̸̀͝*\n\n\"Balphomas, it's Tev. We've got a serious problem here.\n\n*****\n\n&nbsp;\n\n#*a̧͢͝n͡d ̵y̡͝o̸̡ų͝'̸͏r̀̕e̶̴ ̸̴s̶̡ư̡͠r͢é͡ ̴̡͞t̵̨h̶é ̕c̨o̸d̢̛e̕͞ o͟f̨͜ ̧̢̀e̕v̕͝͡il͢͡ d͏͠o̴e̡͜s̀͜n͘'̴̧t́ ̷͡s͏a҉̷y̡ ̧̀w̡h́á͢͟t̵̀ ̵̧t̡o̴͝ ̶̕͘d͞͞ò̷͘?͜͏̛*\n\n\"We've checked and checked and checked, and there's nothing! Hell, they'll all die and feel happier for it!\" Tev groaned.\n\n#*th̡e̢y ́w̡o̢n͡'̶̡͢t̸̛́ ̶͘͡e̡͟v̛͜ȩ͟n ̛͜҉e̴x͘i̷st̢͡,̢́ ͢th̷͠at̵͏̧'̨s҉͟ ̀ţ́h̛e̴ ̷̕ẁ͟h͢o͘͘͢l̀͠ę ̧p̡̀o̴i̴͟n͞͠t,͘͜ ̀͟͞i̸̛ d̀e̷v̧͝͞o͏u̷̢r ̸̸̷ş̵̷óu̸l̶͢s̷*\n\n\"Yeah, well, these people are pretty damn miserable,\" I sighed, glancing into infinity.\n\n#*q͏̵̕ù̴͠i҉t̶͘ ́d̴̴̀ơ̸i̧̧n̷g̕ ̶͟t͡h̴a̶t̶̶,̶̛ ̕҉̷y̸̶ou̡͢'̕l̛l ̴ģ̷ó ͘͞in͜s̶̵̡ane͡*\n\n\"I'm already going insane from this damn meeting. So does anyone have any ideas?\" I asked.\n\n\"Nope.\"\n\n#*n̕͟ơ͜t re̛̕̕aļ͢l̸̷y͏̧͘, ̡͢í̷ go̡͘t̨҉ n͟͝ǫ̡͢th̢̕i͟͞n͘͟g̨*\n\n\"Well, fuck.\"\n\n\"Yep,\" Tev agreed.\n\n#*[y͠͏̷e̸̢͜p̸](https://www.reddit.com/r/mpqeg/)*\n\n"
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Partially inspired by [this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kljcZKD458M)
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[WP] at night, stuffed animals take on their real-life forms to guard their owners from nightmares. You always have terrible dreams, but you just inherited your crazy aunt’s stuffed animal collection
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"\"I've always been on edge, I guess; quick to anger in professional company, quicker to snap at friends, y'know? Feels like shit when you've given your sister the finger for the third time in a week, feels worse when she's right.\" Alamde felt the seconds tick by with each soft *thunk* of the antique German cuckoo clock. She always scheduled her appointments on the half-hour to catch the little blue songbirds show. \n\n\"You get along with your sister?\" Alamde's psychologist deftly flicked a pen between his thumb and forefinger, a trick she'd never been able to master. \n\n\"Yea... for the most part... You know how it is. She's a year and a half younger than me. We fought a lot when we were younger,\" Alamde's dour face leaked murky grief, \"but we're better now...\"\n\nShe hoped Benjamin wouldn't notice the pause. No such luck. \n\n\"What happened between the two of you?\" Alamde knew Benjamin was ready to dig whenever he switched to chewing the end of his pen. \n\nShe groaned, this was a big hole. \"I... *don't know* if.. I am ready to churn up those memories. Not yet, at least, I just had a spit with her. Already feel like flamingos feet in wet sand.\"\n\n\"Sure, whatever is comfortable for you.\"\n\nThe cuckoo clock geared up and the little blue song bird sauntered out of his home like a dreary beam of sunlight. Alamde grumbled audibly along with the cheerful little cunt. \n\nBenjamin twirled his pen a couple times before resting it on his chin. \"It's your time though. Your session's already covered, and I don't mind being paid to watch Netflix.\"\n\nAlamde closed her eyes, releasing a defeated sigh when she opened them. \"I hate when you do that.\" \n\nA little grin creased Benjamin's lips as he chewed on his pen, \"do what, Alamde?\" \n\n\"Make sense, Doctor.\" Alamde put some extra grump in her gaze. \n\nBenjamin rapped his clipboard with his chew toy, \"I'm not a Doctor, Alamde.\"\n\nIt was her turn to grin. \"Have you told your Mum?\" Alamde knew he wasn't a doctor, she'd gone to school with him, but she'd never teased him for it. \n\nBenjamin traded his chew toy for a sip of water. \"Very funny, Alamde.\" Another rap against the clipboard as he switched the cross of his legs. \"What happened between you and your sister?\" \n\nAlamde's gazed turned back to the Bank-ish green and gold carpet floor. \"I hurt her. I let my insomnia get out of hand when I was younger. I lost touch with reality, and I accidentally... *or purposefully*... hurt her.\" Alamde winced at the memories and gaps. \"We've moved past it, but I still feel it like a fat poltergeist riding on my shoulders. Now I'm worried my insomnia will get worse.\" \n\nBenjamin nodded along, alternating between chew toy and finger baton, but avoided interrupting Alamde's flow. \n\nChewing on her lip for a moment, Alamde took a deep breath before continuing, readjusting to favor her left shoulder against the arm support of her antique high-backed chair. \"I've been sleeping lately, but I toss and turn and scream when I wake. I'm tired, and more so when I rise. My dreams are...\" Alamde shuddered, remembering the few glimpses of night terrors she could recall. \"My dreams are agonizing. Almost like the sleep I get is manual labor while wearing chains, or an endless string of unsolvable math problems with my sanity at stake.\"\n\nBenjamin breathed deep, mentally unpacking her trouble. \"And your sleep studies went off without a hitch? Your somnologist is... Kirkman?\" \n\nAlamde nodded, less-so saying and more-so groaning her affirmation. \"Kirkman, yea, nothing out of the ordinary.\" She felt absorbed by the patterning of the Bank-ish carpet, exhaustion melting Alamde into her chair. \n\n\"Well, this is troubling, Alamde. Maybe you should try a pharmaceutical option?\" Benjamin rapped his clipboard three times in quick succession. \n\n\"Yea... maybe. I don't want to jump to the corporate snooze package unless it's the last option.\" Alamde felt nauseous, like her feet were trying to walk on her scalp. \"I think I'll try a few more things first though. Maybe I'll find spots in my place for all the new... *friends*, which my Grandma left me. She always said they watched her, but not in a scary way. Grandma said her collection cared for her, and helped her, because she cared for them. Said they were some of her closest friends after Gran'da Yulamte passed. Maybe they'll take a liking to me.\" \n\nAlamde gathered herself, rising slowly from the comfort of the chair's stoic caress. \"Anyway, I'm out of here, Benji. Thanks for seeing me on your day off. I need to go home and sleep, otherwise you're gonna need to tuck me in under your desk until tomorrow.\"\n\n\"Sounds good, Alamde. See you next week?\" \n\n\"Yeah, *Doc*, sounds good. See you next week.\" \n\n\"I'm not a Doctor, Alamde. See you next week.\" Benjamin chewed on the end of his pen, intently watching Alamde exit through the door of his third floor office. ",
"Tear squirmed in bed barely wanting to sleep. After her aunt's death, it was sure to get worse as darkness had once again lain upon Tear's room. Once again the horrible thing that she would dream up would come to life as monster that made Godzilla look cute would break its way through her bedroom door. Her aunty's plush toys were lined up ready to face whatever came to take her away, how diverse and unique they were. Some looked adorable while others could almost be compared to the monsters, cursed and haunted.\n\nAt sundown Tear would reincarnate into the dream, which would always be set in her room, before the horrid beasts literally made of nightmares raided. Slowly the usual sinking motion came and Tear found herself in her bedroom, except it was magnified to the height of a skyscraper. By far her favourite toy was the plump mother chicken, now transformed into a humongous he with hundreds of human sized chicks cheeping in a unnaturally high pitch around her. Now the innocent white door creaked open and then flung open.\n\nNothing could compare. Six sharp bloodshot eyes. Jaw lined with serrated steel blades. Four deep metallic coloured limbs covered in thick scales protruded from a torso raised meters off the carpet. The monster looked like all her dreams mixed into one to end her dream for good. Hundreds of yellow balls of fluff went running completely hyper towards the beast, but the size of them looked trivial compared to the animal from below hell. Tear watched in terror as the creature planted its foot uncaringly on the yellow attackers. \n\nBefore the chick had been squished, it started cheeping a deafening speed, there was something more to them...\nBOOM! Tear was frightened out of her skin as a pleasantly warm wind blew through her hair. A cloud of golden smoke rose high above and when it settled nothing was left behind except that it was raining explosive, crazy chickens.\n\nJaw hung wide open Tear stared at the hen which returned the look with an expressionless cross-eye.",
"On their first night with you you aunt’s animals notice that you’re sleeping like the dead but there’s still a tension in your body and your abdomen looks like a big paint strip with shades of yellow, green, purple, and an almost black color.\n\nThey decide that night mares aren’t what you need to be protected from and decide to investigate what’s going on during the day.\n\nThey witness your parents fighting and shoving you back and forth between them.\n\nA large dinosaur stuffy knocks the phone off the cradle and manages to headbutt call 911.\n\nWhen help arrives they witness you being knocked backwards against the fire place by your step dad. Mom assaults one of the cops and then both parents are in the back of a police car.\n\nAn officer is controlling the bleeding at the back of your head while another officer is trying to find someone to take you in. Finally by some miracle they manage to reach an aunt that’s been estranged from the family since you were born.\n\nYou’re at the hospital getting stitches when she arrives. As it turns out she is a Wiccan and she’d given those toys to your disabled aunt before she ran away. She knew she couldn’t take her along and support her so she did the only other thing she could.\n\nIt’s strange but even though you don’t look like anyone else in the family you’re the spitting image of this woman. Even your odd patch of white hair above your ear is identical.\n\nYou guys return to your house and take the stuffed animals back to your new home.\n\nWhen you’re called down to the station to give your statement a cup flys off of the interrogation rooms table when a particular question about your parents triggers a panic response.\n\nIn that moment your aunt realizes that you have the gift too and she got you just in time."
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[WP] Turns out that aliens are so advanced beyond human technology that their armor doesn't protect them against humanity's "primative kinetic projectile launchers".
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"It happened faster than anyone could have predicted. As soon as humanity figured out FTL travel we discovered the galactic community of many different races of aliens. The aliens were not happy to see us. They viewed us as we would a child playing with a huge truck on the freeway. Far too primitive of mind to handle the responsibility and implications that came with developing faster than light travel before handling the rest of the problems on our world. It was them that shot first. Some might say it was a warning as they only took out one ship. Some might say it was a slap on the wrist of a parent disciplining a child. But we did not. The aliens might have seen it as a single ship, a single crew, a small price to pay for a lesson learned, but to Earth, it was fifteen hundred lives lost in an instant. The reaction was immediate, brutal, and most of all, surprising.\n\nIt seemed that the aliens' ships, weapons, and shielding had progressed far beyond that of physical material projectile weaponry many eons ago. An unfortunate side effect of that was the fact that they no longer considered the concept of protecting from projectiles when creating their ships and shields. Alpha Centauri was our first destination, as it was the closest, and when got there with our fleet of a mere ten ships they were met with several hundred war cruisers of the Galactic Alliance. When the fight was over, three human vessels remained...none of the Alliance vessels survived. Our weapons tore through each and every one of the Alliance ships like explosive needles through paper, leaving none alive. The destruction was phenomenal. Bodies of Alliance races were mixed in with the wreckage in contorted positions, frozen blue, red, and green blood was floating around mingling with oil and water in the empty space, and our remaining forces scooped up what they could from the fresh graveyard.\n\nThat was three Earth years ago. New human ships, using reverse engineered Alliance tech were built, including shielding developed to block the aliens' weapons. It wouldn't be perfect, but as the previous battle demonstrated, they wouldn't need long. Enough power in each of the shields to get of at least a few rounds of rail fire was all that was needed to destroy the enemy. Admiral Cortez of the United Nations Space Navy thought on all of that as she approached the podium for an announcement that would be broadcast through the solar system. Her hat was straight and fresh from the cleaners, her crisp blue suit, with her many medals hanging from the left breast pocket and three stars displayed proudly on her shoulder, was so clean and pressed that it shone in the studio lighting, her shoes were perfectly polished to a mirror finish. She was ready. With a practiced step, she turned on her heel and took the podium with all the gravity of her station and the news she had to deliver.\n\n\"Fellow people of the Sol System. I come to you today as not just a military commander, but as a fellow human. The UN has commandeered all media streams across the extranet for this message to get to as many people as possible, and rightly so, as it concerns each and every human being that exists at this present time,\" Cortez took a deep breath and steadied herself with both hands on the lectern. \"As the vast majority of you should know, three and a half years ago humanity sent out the first expeditionary fleet of FTL ships on a test mission to Alpha Centauri. Those ships, the SS Washington, SS London, SS Canberra, SS Moscow, SS Tokyo, SS Beijing, SS Berlin, SS Paris, SS Mexico, and the SS Ottawa, according to all reports, made the FTL jump successfully within two months. What the public does not know is that a few minutes after arrival at Alpha Centauri, after the final systems check had been completed and the all clear had been broadcast back to Earth command, the SS Paris' was destroyed by a vast, hostile, alien force.\" She paused, allowing that to sink in before continuing, and allowing herself time to stop gripping the lectern with such white knuckled force.\n\n\"The remaining ships immediately returned fire and, to our surprise, despite the overwhelming advantage of numbers on the enemy's side, and with another six vessels lost to the battle, were able to claim victory.\" The reaction to that sentence was overwhelming. From all directions cheers erupted from everywhere on Earth and out into the solar system. The Admiral allowed herself a small grin as humanity screamed themselves hoarse for a few more moments before she gestured for silence. \"Yes, it was a battle won at hard cost, but a win nonetheless. However, it's not all good news...If the loss of ten thousand five hundred lives could be considered good news... From the wreckage of the battle, we were able to scavenge and reverse engineer far better shielding, engines, heat ventilation, oxygen recyclers, and many other incredible new technologies for our fleet. But at the same time, we were studying the records we found on what servers we could recover from the enemy ships and discovered that, though we destroyed a good four hundred of their vessels, at least, there are many, many more out there. We discovered that the enemy consists of a galaxy wide alliance of many different races.\n\n\"Unfortunately, the records we were able to recover did not have exact numbers of their forces, so we don't know what we're up against,\" she raised a hand and balled it into a fist, \"But if they believe us scared, they have another thing coming. We know they stand no chance against our weapons, and now we can defend against theirs. We will broadcast our intent for diplomacy to start with, but failing anything less than complete compliance with our demands, we will take this fight to them...and we will show them the error of their ways.\"\n\n---\n\nThree years earlier, several hundred light years away from the Sol System, much closer to the center of the galaxy, a blue skinned man with two arms ending in four fingered hands stood on four legs, wearing a crisp white GA uniform. The badge of the Alliance, a planet orbiting a star over a background of the Milky Way, pinned to his chest. He was flicking up and down on a bright tablet screen, reviewing reports on the supply lines to the several outer rim mining planets to make sure there was a suitable and fair amount of food, water, and entertainment being transported to the miners. As he flicked past the thirty seventh mention of ero-bots being a 'dire necessity' his assistant ran in with a terrified look on her face. \"What is it Yupletia, I'm trying to figure out why these miners need so many of the newest sex-droids. Honestly, it can't be that necessary...\" \n\n\"General Fluire, sir, you uh...you might want to sit down for this,\" he tilted his head (his species display of confusion) and did as requested, folding his back legs under him and his front legs bending over the lip of the chair, \"Ok... A military outpost in sector 7G48FI-3T has been monitoring a primitive intelligent species in a nearby system for some time now. Around ten standard years since their discovery. In that time, around one hundred of their years, sir, they have discovered the secrets of FTL travel...\"\n\n\"Oh well that's interesting. Should we send out an education crew?\" He tapped his feet in slight excitement.\n\n\"Uh...no, sir. That's the reason I'm coming directly to you instead of the normal channels. The species, these, 'humans' they call themselves, sent a small fleet of ten ships on what we can only imagine was a test voyage for their new FTL engines, and...well, sir, they ended up directly on the perimeter of the military outpost. As is law, a warning shot was fired and destroyed one of their vessels, but...uh.\" His assistant, a green skinned biped with four arms and large eyes faltered for a moment, her skin going bright orange as she struggled to build the courage to inform her superior of what happened.\n\n\"Well, come on, Yupletia, out with it. What happened?\"\n\n\"Sir...the entire outpost was destroyed.\"\n\n\"WHAT?!?\"\n\nYupletia cringed as she tried to reply, \"I said the entir-\"\n\n\"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID! There were four hundred and thirty seven ships at that outpost, eighty of them behemoth class cruisers, not to mention the station itself! How could a primitive species who only just discovered FTL travel pull off such a feat with only ten...wait...NINE SHIPS?!?\" He had taken to his feet again, waving his arms angrily in the air.\n\n\"We...we don't know, sir. All personnel were killed before any of them could establish a successful comms link with the rest of the alliance after the fighting started.\"\n\n\"And these primitives...? Did they survive?\" All eight of his eyes were wide with shock and rage.\n\n\"Our cleanup crews weren't able to determine much, but it seems like several of their vessels did escape, and it looks like they did some scavenging of their own from our side's remains.\"\n\n\"And they think... By the shadow of a singularity... What have we done...? With nine ships?\" Yupletia nodded. \"We need to call a meeting of the senate...\"\n\n---\n\nThanks for the prompt! This was fun!\n\nMore stories at r/SamsStoriesSub",
"\"Sir, our long range scanners have detected an anomaly\"\n\n\"What kind of an anomaly?\" \n\n\"Well, compositionally it appears to be large, dense, heavy metal asteroid.\"\n\n\"That's good, that's what we came for.\"\n\n\"But sir, uh, its moving at almost the speed of light.\"\n\n\"Bearing?\"\n\n\"Not at us sir, just seems to be passing through the system.\"\n\nCaptain Miller leaned back against her chair and furrowed her brow. She tried to think back to her physics courses as to what could send an object barreling through space at speeds like that, but those were a long time ago.\n\n\"Riggs?\"\n\nThe Chief Science Officer turned to look at the captain, his wavy hair bouncing around in the zero g.\n\n\"Well we can't accelerate to speeds like that without using the Alcubierre drive, so mining is out of the question, but if we could get close enough to observe it in passing maybe I could some useful information about what got it up to that speed.\"\n\nMiller observed the blip on the map of the star system. At these scales, it was basically stationary on the screen. The little red light blinked slowly, invitingly.\n\n\"Give it a wide berth helmsman, Riggs, gather what info you can from a distance\"\n\n\"Sir! Its gone\"\n\nAnd just like that, the red blip disappeared, and then reappeared next to the blue light signaling their location. Without thinking, Miller reacted. \n\n\"Sound the emergency jump alarm and get everyone to acceralation rooms, prepare to activate the Alcubierre drive in t-mins sixty seconds. Reverse our direction so that we are traveling directly away from the star.\"\n\nAs the alarm blared, Miller could hear shouting and the slamming of hands on metal ladder rungs as crew propelled themselves around the ship to acceleration dampening rooms.\n\n\"Turn on the outside video, magnify so the anomaly is fully on our viewscreen\"\n\nThere was a tense few moments as everyone in the command center held their breath, and suddenly a massive ship appeared on screen. It's figure flowed like water, bending and curving to create a beautifully complex and irrational sculpture from the mind of Dali. It put the blocky functional \"Endeavour\" to shame. \n\n\"My god\" Riggs muttered\n\n\"How long to jump\" Miller snapped\n\n\"20 seconds sir, everyone is in their-\"\n\nHe couldnt finish his sentence as they were all thrown forward.\n\n\"Status!\" Miller yelled\n\n\"The drive just shut down and we lost all of our forward momentum\" the specialist yelled back \"What the fuck!\"\n\n\"We have hostiles in the midsection!\" Yelled Chief Security Officer Aksaray\n\n\"On the vid screen!\"\n\nThe screen shifted to security camera footage. A half dozen tripedal aliens, covered in black armor that seemed to absorb light, had appeared out of thin air. They held what appeared to be weapons, but did not bother firing at the fleeing crew.\n\n\"Riggs what are we dealing with?\"\n\n\"I honestly have no idea\" said Riggs softly, staring in awe at the screen\n\n\"Well, we are dead in the water, and we have enemy combatants on our ship\" Miller said, unbuckling herself from her seat. \"We have only one option; fight or die. Aksaray, open the weapons locker\"\n\nAksaray obliged, and they armed themselves with the six guns that were stored in it. This was an international expedition, and while aliens had never been encountered before the Russians thankfully did not have a lot of trust for their fellow humans and so they always sent along some weapons, only accessible by the ranking Russian security officer.\n\n\"Where are they now?\" Miller asked\n\n\"Heading towards the bridge, sir\"\n\n\"Then let's set a trap for them between wheels 2 and 3, they won't have any cover in the connecting hallway\" \n\nThe pulled themselves deftly but carefully down the hall, pausing to let noncombatants pass to get to safety. At the edge of wheel two they set up along the outside of the corridor, like numbers on a clock around the circular profile, weapons aimed downrange.\n\n\"Aksaray\" Miller asked \"Is the hull able to withstand gunfire?\"\n\nAksaray was silent for a second and looked over.\n\n\"Dont miss\"\n\nWithin seconds, the aliens appeared down the hallway, not even attempting to take cover. Their forms obscured by the night black armor they war, but their tripedal set of legs and two arms were distinct.\n\n\"FIRE!\" Yelled Miller\n\nA chorus of gunfire ensued, defeaning in the quiet of the ship's belly. The aliens' armor seemed to shatter like mirrors, strange colored blood came flying from the wounds. It hung in orbs in the air, sometimes colliding with each other and coalescing into larger blobs. In seconds, all of the aliens were killed. They hung suspended in the air, drifting back down the hallway in the zero gee as the momentum of the bullets carried them away.\n\n\"Why didnt they fire?\" Aksaray wondered aloud\n\n\"Overconfidence, maybe\" replied Miller. She stared at the slowly retreating dead figures. She keyed her earpiece.\n\n\"Specialist, what's the status of our engines\"\n\n\"Nonfunctional. Our relative velocity with the alien ship is zero, like we are tethered somehow. I think the aliens are holding us in place.\"\n\nMiller thought for a second. \"Riggs, any ideas on how can we cut this tether?\"\n\n\"Well seeing as there isnt anything physical connecting us, my guess is its something they'd have to release on their end.\"\n\n\"Theres nothing we can do to counteract it?\"\n\n\"Sir, respectfully, their tech is so beyond us they are probably using physics our grandchildren wont concieve.\"\n\n\"Specialist\" Miler asked inquisitively \"Is the lander fully fueled?\"\n\n\"Um, yes, we havent had a chance to use it\"\n\n\"How far away is the alien ship?\"\n\n\"A few kilometers...\"\n\nMiller turned back to her assembled security team. \"Let's go back to the bridge\"\n\n-------------------------------------\n\nFrom the bridge they watched the lander's slow progress across the gap between the two ships. Even at this distance, the lander was a tiny spec compared to the massive size of the alien vessel.\n\n\"Do you really think this will work?\" Aksaray asked, turning to look at the captain.\n\n\"Do you have a better idea?\" Miller retorted. Aksaray shrugged, and turned back to the screen.\n\n\"500 meters and closing-- sir, its been grabbed\"\n\nThe lander stopped abruptly, then shifted course, still approaching the ship.\n\n\"Activate the timer\"\n\nAs they watched, a section of the vessel's hull slide open, revealing a blinding white light. The tiny lander was consumed by the ship, and the hull seamlessly realigned. \n\n\"We've lost communication with the lander\"\n\nThe next two minutes were tense. No words were spoken as they waited in fear and anticipation. One of the unique things about space is that there is no medium to carry sound. There is no shockwave, no boom when a rocket misfires or an explosion occurs. In silence, they watched a small fireball exploded out the side where the lander had disappeared. Within seconds, another explosion occurred, followed by a much larger explosion that ripped the front section off the vessel. The aliens' technology was advanced far beyond what humans had achieved at that moment, to them seeing the humans was like watching cavemen play with fire while observing from a helicopter. But in their arrogance they forgot that they can still be burned if they land and go poke the flames. And that their helicopter can be destroyed if a caveman sticks a burning stick in the fuel tank. "
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[WP] If you want to make paper airplanes out of a spell book, be my guest. Just make sure I am nowhere near you when you throw it...
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"Aymon Turnpike, a five-year-old mage in training, sat with his hands beneath his desk, concealing a page torn from *Powerful Practical Spells*, a book that easily weighed more than him.\n\n'I can see what you're doing Aymon.' Mage Epite said.\n\nAymon's desk went transparent, its contents appeared to float and the hidden page visible for all the class to see. Snickers and jeers flew around the room. Aymon thought he heard Casandra say that he was in deep dragon dung.\n\n'What is the meaning of this?' \n\nEpite commanded the paper to fly; it travelled lazily in a bumbling cycle until he caught it. Epite adjusted the position of his thick, ice-cube like glasses, and at the same time the distance of the paper from his face. \n\n'You have something against,' Epite squinted. '*Heatless fire and it's many uses at home*?'\n\nAymon's face was beyond red, his eyes could not find grip and he whispered an answer as if testing how stupid he sounded.\n\n'Speak up boy.'\n\nThe class roared into laughter and then began copying Aymon's mouse-like voice. Epite drew his hand in a circle, pinched his forefinger and thumb, and silenced the class.\n\n'Try again Aymon.' \n\n'I wanted to make a paper aeroplane.' Aymon said. \n\nThe class would have laughed, or compared Aymon's situation to more mythical excrement, but they couldn't. Each lip trembled against the binding fishing wire, apart from Epite - who did laugh.\n\n'If you want to make paper aeroplanes out of a spell book, be my guest, just make sure I am nowhere near when you throw it.' Epite said with a wink. \n\n'Is it dangerous?' Aymon asked. \n\n'How about a de-mon-stration!' Epite said with an unconscious jostle of his glasses.\n\nThe paper flew listlessly back to Aymon. Epite spread his hands and Aymon set to work. The jagged edges, curvature from pre-flight and thickness made the paper hard to mould. The result looked more like a deformed bird than a paper aeroplane and made Aymon glad that his classmates were silenced.\n\nAymon pinched the plane, drew back his hand and with the whole class weighing upon him, prepared to throw. Epite, however, darted across the room using a speed charm, and sent an airwave ruffling both hair and paper alike.\n\nThe class, having seen their teacher cower, followed by diving beneath their desks. Aymon stood alone with the \"weapon\" in his hand, he tossed it like a live grenade and dove for cover. Aymon winced, counted to five and listened. Nothing. \n\nEpite's laugh echoed at the far end of the room, broken by a woosh of air and then continued from the front. The paper aeroplane had nose-dived, leaving it blunt. Epite commanded it to fly once more and caught it, pinching its nose with tender hands.\n\n'Nothing happened.' Aymon said.\n\n'You need to invoke the power,' Epite flattened the plane between his palms. Blue light sparked outward and then retracted. 'you have to make it's ink come to life.' \n\nEpite unfolded the wings, stroked the nib and held the wonky plane for the class to see. It looked unchanged. 'You will want to take cover for real this time.' \n\n'But it's heatless fire.' Aymon said. \n\n'Doesn't mean your hair won't catch.' \n\nThe girls pre-emptively ducked and set Epite into a fit of laughter. When he calmed, he drew back the invoked paper plane and launched it. Epite dashed, and the floor exploded orange. Aymon had, perhaps, the best view in the room, and to him, the aircraft was no longer a deformed, unwanted construction - rather a phoenix soaring across the room using its own heat to maintain height.\n\n---\n\n/r/WrittenThought"
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They* not the
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[WP] Five characters realize that they’re main characters, thus they cannot die. The decide to run wild with that, doing whatever they want all while cheating death.
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"\"Don't you see?\" Crisselda thrust the book at them, her eyes incredibly wide. \"*We're* the main characters. There's no story without us! *We can't die!\"* She let out a manic laugh that made the hairs stand up on my arms.\n\nI never really liked Crisselda, the way her one-sided purple hair magically covered her scarred eye like an eye-patch, her leather boots, her kick-ass, think-later attitude. She was a vital part of the team, sure, the blazing fire of courage that our group needed in our darkest moments. But sometimes that fire burned a little too hot for my taste.\n\n\"Sure we can die,\" Harley said. She was the hacker. She knew the Gildman's tricks, cameras, and strategies like the scars on the backs of her hands. After all, she was the Gildman's daughter. \"This is probabaly all part of his plan. He may have even left the Book somewhere where we would find it just so we would come to that conclusion. He wants us to be reckless and careless because it'll help him win.\"\n\n\"Do you really think the Gildman could just *make* something like this? This is old as fuck.\" She was right. The pages had been practically disintegrating in our fingers ever since we'd started paging through it. \"This is destiny. Somehow, this old-ass book was written about *us,* telling *our* story. Everyone we know is dead, but for some reason,\" she glanced down at the crispy, golden pages of the Book again, \"we're still here. It can't be a coincidence.\"\n\nI reached forward and grabbed the Book out of her black-painted fingernails. The group continued to argue, except for Dane, of course, who set his lips and leaned against a wall to watch them. I set the Book on the dusty hard-wood floors of our basement hide out and began flipping through the pages again. The first chapter was from Ansel's perspective. He and his friend Andy had been hired to scout out the Maze. Someone suspected the Gildman had gotten a hold of it. So Ansel and Andy went prowling among the tall shrubs under \"the moon light that glistened and dripped from the leaves like molten silver.\" Our author was a pretentious prick. Ansel and Andy found the entrance to the Gildman's secret storage, piled high with ancient commodities and stolen gold. Andy was shot by machine gun fire. Ansel barely made it out with a bleeding, grazed shoulder.\n\nThe next chapter described Harley's eldest sister practicing her mind-control, forcing Harley to gauge deep cuts into her hands. The chapter cut to Harley's favorite nurse bandaging her mutilated flesh. When Harley's sister discovered the nurse's actions, the nurse was sent away. Little did Harley know that the nurse would be killed a few chapters away.\n\nThen there was Crisselda's backstory tale about the Gildman's men raiding her home one night. They stole every belonging of value, including her mechanical left eye. She was still trying to get it back.\n\nThe next chapter introduced Dane's journey to become an expert sword master. In order to be honored with the title and granted the ability to make his own sacred sword, he would have to spend 7 years without speaking a word. When the Gildman came for his master's collection, Dane could only scream as he watched the temple burn, and then he trudged through the snow-capped mountains to train for his revenge.\n\nOverall, pretty bleak, I must say. Whoever wrote the Book didn't want a single shred of hope or happiness to shine into our lives. Nope, every girlfriend, boyfriend, pet, mother, father, brother, sister, great aunt...all tortured, dead, lost. Some of them even betrayed us.\n\nAnd then that last page. \"They found the Book lying dusty and forgotten on a warped bookshelf. Win's eyes saw it first. While the others took off their gear and bandaged their wounds, he sat against the concrete wall and read, read read read into the night and into the day and looked out over his comrades amazed at what each of them had overcome to carry them to this moment.\"\n\nThat's exactly what had happened. Somehow, none of them seemed to care that I didn't have my own chapters. I had a backstory recorded in the book, sure, but it was vague, incomplete. I was a side character on this quest.\n\nIf Crisselda was right, I was very mortal.\n\nI looked up at the sudden silence of my comrades. Dane had touched Crisselda's shoulder, who immediately went quiet. Everyone was looking up at the ceiling, where the floorboards creaked. I glanced at the stairs we'd come down, the only way out. How could we have been so stupid?\n\nThe creak of the boards moved closer and closer to the basement door. A bead of sweat drew a line down my temple. I looked down at the book, at this page with its final, closure-less words. Dane held his sword high, glinting in the lamplight; Harley's double daggers were ready at her side. Ansel and Crisselda both pointed their pistols at the stairs. I was the only one without a weapon. How had I ever gotten this far? Who was I among the deadliest warriors of the planet?\n\nAnd then something on the shelf caught my eye. A pen! Silver and shining and cold between my fingers. I pressed its ballpoint tip to the page:\n\n\"They heard a patronizing voice call from above, 'Crisselda, I have a gift for you! I believe this glittering green eye belongs to you?'\n\nCrisselda tensed with hatred, clenched her jaw and glared. Harley, on the other hand, was shaking. Not one of them except Harley had ever heard her father's voice but they knew: the Gildman was coming.\"\n\nAs soon as I pressed a period onto each sentence, my curly scribbles reassembled themselves into square blocks of letters that matched every previous page. And I watched, waiting, sweating. Then there it was: the Gildman's voice, calling the exact words I'd written.\n\nI let the last twenty golden pages riffle through my shaking fingers. Then I cracked my knuckles and began feverishly to fill them.\n\n&#x200B;"
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[WP] You live in a world where foods give you exaggerated versions of their stereotypical effects. Eating a carrot allows you to see for miles, a cup of coffee slows down time for you. At a restaurant, you detect a flavor you've never tasted before, and gain a power the world has never seen.
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"“God what is this stuff?” I asked in horror. Never before in my life have I tasted something this awful. It’s both salty and sweet, buttery yet crunchy, slimy and fishy at the same time. Truly a combination of absolute terror. \n“Wait, you didn’t pass out?” The chef replied, clearly shocked by the fact that I’m still alive and well. \n“What do you mean ‘wait, you didn’t pass out’? Who the hell in their right mind cook something hoping the recipient would pass out?” \n“Well, I mean, this stuff is pretty nasty. You’re the first one to remain conscious after having a bite.” He answered. \n“Ugh, no kidding.” I reached out fo a glass of water to wash the horrid taste off my mouth. “What exactly did you feed me anyway?” \n“Grilled squid coated in peanut butter.” \n“But...why?” \n“I think the real question is, why not?” \n“That’s not how it works!” \n\n_____ \n\nAfter agruing a while with the chef, I got a refund then left. I pased by the nearby lake in the park, when suddenly I heard strange sounds. A splash of water and suction sounds, like someone was walking out of the pool with plungers stuck to their feet. Curious, I was planning to turn around, but then a huge shadow appeared behind my back. I ran away as fast as I could, with the silhouette following quickly after. The strangest thing though, was the reaction of those around: surprised, yet all too calm. \nI tripped on a rock while lost in my own thoughts. When I got up on my feet again, I caught a glimpse of the creature: a massive monster of unknown shape, with squid-like tentacles growing everywhere around it. “Don’t hurt me!” I instinctively shouted. To my surprise, the monster stopped moving. “Uh... turn left?” I said, my mind filled with doubt. The creature followed. \n\n_____ \n\n“Oh hey there customer.” The chef, who was conveniently passing nearby, said. “I see that you’ve discovered your new power.” \n“Dude, what the fuck?” I asked. \n“Almost everyone who eats that stuff gets this thing, you’re the only one that stayed conscious so I forgot to tell you.” The chef explained half-heartedly. \n“But don’t people shoot out ink when they eat squid? What kind of power is this?” \n“I beg your pardon.” The chef replied, slightly irritated. “My dish isn’t some casual squid you can find in the market.” \n“Yeah, I can clearly see that.” I interrupted with a sarcastic voice. \n“This dish of mine is exquisite, a creation to rival the pinnacle of gourmet food in the world!” Ignoring my statement, he continued. \n“Yeah yeah, whatever. Now how do I get rid of it?” \n“Beats me dude.” \n“Oh come on!” \n“But it can be trained just like a normal pet. You only need peanuts to make it listen, which our shop conveniently has in stock for only a small price of $10.99.” \n“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” \n“Maybe.”"
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[WP] Driving on the highway one day you end up in a pileup. You get out to discover a massive gas giant in the sky and strange landscapes in all directions. You and several dozen other people in vehicles are stranded in this alien landscape, sitting on a patch of perfectly preserved highway.
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"I must have passed into another dimension.\nI’d been driving down one of Brighton’s busiest streets late enough at night for the stop lights to be blinking yellow. The streetlamps were glowing yellow, too, illuminating the crushed tracks of snow I was following down the center of the road.\nThe road was practically deserted. Only one or two cars blinded me with their headlights as I drove along, nice and slow, 103.3 blasting classic rock through my speakers.\n\nNow, it had been snowing all day, hence the half inch or so I was rolling across already. But the snow had stopped hours before, back when the sun was real low on the horizon and turning the snowy world orange and red.\n\nBut as I was driving along, not a snowflake in sight, I must have passed the boundary between one dimension and another, and the next dimension was getting blasted with a blizzard. All of a sudden I was traveling through space, snowflakes flying straight toward me like stars as I went lightspeed through blackness. My car was nearly picked up by the gusts of wind, and the snow was up to my rims. In my high beams I saw another car just in front of me and I slammed on the brakes, skidded across snow and ice, and came to stop just behind them. \n\nBut it wasn’t just the one car right in front of me: the road was damn near full with cars, all heading the same way I was, taking up both sides of the street so no one could go the opposite way even if they wanted. They were honking like crazy, rolling up as close as they could to one another, rolling down their windows and shouting profanities like mad. \n\nThat’s when I noticed the red balls of fire streaking across the sky. For a second, one part of my brain said, “those must be shooting stars, of course.” Then, the realistic part of my brain, said, “this is the end of the goddamn world.”\n\nI rolled up my window and stared at my steering wheel. If I got myself into this reality, surely I could get myself out. Somehow. Or even into a better reality than the one I left, one where I was born into money or fame or something. I realize I’d have to kill my self that’s already living in that reality, but really it would be a small price to pay. Plus, I officially give myself permission.\n\nI could keep rolling with these assholes and see where it takes me. Obviously they’re heading toward something or away from something, and in either case I probably want to stick with them. \nOr I could get out, leave my car behind, and really piss off these losers. It’s not that far from home, really, and then I could collaborate with my self of this dimension and really see what’s up.\n\nAll of a sudden the car horns stopped. I looked up and there, streaking toward us, was one of the red balls of fire. People began leaping out of their cars, fleeing toward the buildings on either side of us. I jumped out of my car, too, into the screaming red-tinged wildness, and climbed across and between cars, shoving people out of my way as hard as they were shoving me. There was no thought to it; I didn’t even feel the snow soaking my shoes or one lady’s fist colliding with my cheek. \n\nI finally reached the sidewalk when I heard a great whining bark from a car just ahead of me. Somebody had left a dog in there to die.\nI know I should have kept going, ridden the way of the crowd away away away. But the ball of fire was still in the air, and before I knew it I has slamming my elbow as hard as I could against the glass window of the backseat until it buckled and shattered. \n\nA shaggy brown mess jumped through, and with my heroic duty of the day completed I promptly dashed as far as I could from that roadway in the direction of home. \n",
"The world just didn't make sense for a period of time - that period being impossible for Wendy to define. Primarily, she couldn't really define it because there was an awful lot of noise, and chaos, and fire, and pain - and also, the airbag managed to stun her.\n\nAs soon as the world began to make sense, and she managed to actually get her eyes to focus and her ears to stop ringing, her first order of business was to check herself and make sure she wasn't bleeding out. \n\nBleeding out, no. Wounded? Yes. \n\nGroaning, she tried to figure out what the piece of metal stuck in her stomach was, and whether or not it hit anything vital. \n\nRight side... right side, but was it... deep? Or... no...\n\n\"God damn it,\" she muttered, shaking her head. She took a few seconds to breathe, to calm down, to let the adrenaline fade - and then opened her eyes once more, staring down.\n\nRight side. Not near the center. At an angle. Metal... something. It didn't matter what. Thin, though. Looked like it just went through the meat. \n\nThe seat belt, somehow, still worked. Once it was unbuckled, she folded the belt over a few times, glanced out the window to make sure her car wasn't on fire - something she realized she should have done first, but she was still so damned dazed - and then bit down on the folded belt.\n\nOne pull. One tug. No hesitation. \n\nShe had to do it the first time or it was just going to be so much worse. \n\nAfter a few shallow breaths around the belt, she closed her eyes, gripped the metal, and pulled it from her flesh.\n\nEverything went fuzzy and confusing again, except for the pain. Nausea spread out in her stomach, stretching languidly, making itself at home. For a second, she was shivering... and then, everything was tense...\n\nAnd then, she exhaled.\n\n\"Fuck, fuck, fuck.\"\n\nSaying 'fuck' a lot might not have done much, but it made her feel better. She had to get out, get moving, get away from her car as quickly as possible. When the rescue workers arrived, she could slip out in the chaos. It was stolen, anyway. \n\nHell, maybe she could set it on fire before the cops even arrived, and then punch out.\n\nFirst order of business, get out, get the trauma kit, stick herself with a stim cocktail... clean the wound track, seal it with that nasty fucking gel...\n\nThe door didn't work. The seat belt worked, but the door sure didn't. It was barely crumpled in, but something important inside had clearly been screwed straight up.\n\nWendy fucking hated civilian cars.\n\nTeeth gritted, she twisted awkwardly in driver's seat, squirming and wriggling until her top half was partially outside of the vehicle. From there, she twisted, to put herself on her back. For a moment, all she could do was hold herself like that and wait for the pain in her side to fade. It'd be healed in a few hours, but until it sealed up, she was going to bleed like Hell.\n\nAfter her brief respite, she gritted her teeth, and pulled, pushed and wriggled her way out - falling rather gracelessly to the ground. \n\n\"Mother... fucker,\" she hissed, too dizzy to move for a moment. Reinforced ribs or not, the crash had bruised a lot of things. Her right side was starting to get stiff as the swelling reached its peak. \n\nMove. Move. She had to move. \n\nFeet on pavement. Getting up had been easier than getting out of the car, at least. Her boots and pants were intact, her tank top ruined but covering her dignity, her sports bra just fine... \n\nThe trunk.\n\nShe rushed to the trunk, stumbling slightly as another wave of dizziness washed over her.\n\nIt was, by some small miracle, intact. She was even able to open it - once she retrieved the *god damned keys* from the ignition and...\n\nThe light seemed... odd. She'd worry on that later, get the gel and stim cocktail and all of the other stuff first.\n\nThe cases in the trunk had been shifted violently, but the contents inside were undoubtedly just fine. None of it was particularly breakable.\n\nAnd... the trauma kit. It was also just fine, sitting right where she'd placed it, as if somehow it had remained static. Chaos could be like that. A tornado could roll through a neighborhood and leave a house right in the middle standing. \n\nBut there was no time for pensive thoughts. Instead, she tugged it out, sat down on the ground, and tugged her shirt up. Cleaning the wound track was easy enough. Lots of saline, gauze forceps and her vision going fuzzy.\n\nThe gel hurt like Hell, her skin reddening around the bizarre black ooze as it sank into the wound and then sealed it, forming a flexible barrier against the outside and further disinfecting it at the same time. \n\nLastly, she drew out a vial of pale pink fluid, peering at it in the odd light for a moment before loading it into a compact metal device that looked rather like a gun.\n\nBecause it was. With her tank top bunched up in her mouth, she pressed it to her arm, between wrist and elbow, and pulled the trigger.\n\nThere was a hiss. Immediately, the scalding agony spread from the injection site down to her fingers, and up the her chest. It felt like her heart rate quadrupled - probably because it did. Pressure built up behind her eyes. The ringing in her ears returned. \n\nDying. It felt like dying, every single time.\n\nIf she didn't have to take the antidote to hide from them, she wouldn't take it at all.\n\nBut all that ugliness passed, and her lungs were no longer filled with fire and her skin no longer screamed as if every inch were being pricked by needles...\n\nShe felt like vomiting.\n\nThere wasn't much in her stomach, when she slumped onto her side and threw up, but what was there sure made it outside, forcefully.\n\nAfter that, she felt just *fantastic.*\n\nIt was there, laying on her side, filling her lungs with sweet smelling air, that she heard a man shout, \"what the ACTUAL FUCK!?\"\n\nBack on her game, Wendy sat up, pupils dilating sharply, before contracting to a far more normal level - a side effect, common right after injection. \n\nNear in a blur, she twisted to her feet, throwing open the case with the red markings. With speed, coordination and grace that no normal person should have been able to manage after such a serious accident, she slipped on a durable button down shirt and closed it. Over that, a bullet resistant tactical vest.\n\nIn the space of a pair of minutes, she had slipped on a new belt, made sure her weaponry and ammunition were secured, drawn her favorite pistol, made sure it was loaded... and then shut the trunk.\n\n\"What's wrong with the sky!?\" someone shouted - a smaller voice, a child's voice.\n\n\"The... sky?\" Wendy asked, under her breath.\n\nThe armed and armored woman looked up. Her heart may have skipped several beats, if it weren't for the alien drug in her blood stream. Instead, it remained steady and consistent. \n\nThe sky was just a little bit greener than before. Occupying a large portion of the horizon, there was a planet that looked a lot like... Saturn...? No, certainly not, the rings were all wrong, but...\n\nBut there it was. Turning in a circle revealed a bizarrely blue moon, and a strangely yellow-green looking sun. \n\n\"Oh no,\" she whispered. \"Not this shit... not right now. How did they even find me?\"\n\n\"Hey! Hey, are you okay!\" a male voice shouted. Her gaze snapped down, to a tall, hispanic man approaching her cautiously. She stepped out from behind her car, bringing her pistol up, stance flawless. \n\n\"Stop *right* there!\" she roared.\n\n\"Already did,\" he said, eyes wide. \"Lady, I'm a paramedic. Your side, your pants... there's a lot of blood there.\"\n\n\"Wound is already treated and healing,\" Wendy replied, coldly. He just stared, for several long moments, trying to take her in while also trying not to look particularly shootable. \n\nShe was a good six feet tall in her boots, dressed like a soldier... her hair was cut short, sides shaven down to stubble, bright red. His gaze kept flicking back to her eyes. Human irises weren't supposed to be a vague pink ringed with dull, throbbing red.\n\n\"You um... a soldier, or a cop?\"\n\n\"Both and neither,\" she spat, looking past him. A group of civilians was huddled in the distance, far from a large group of burning vehicles - sixteen people, that she could see. \"Any of them hurt?\"\n\n\"Plenty of them. Cuts and bruises, mostly, but one girl has a broken finger. Splinted it,\" he managed, breathily. \"Lady, you do not need to shoot me.\"\n\n\"I sure don't. You're not a threat,\" she muttered, holstering her pistol. Without further word, she turned from him, heading back to the trunk of her car. \n\n\"Hey, wait!\" he gasped, adrenaline driving him to move without thinking. He stumbled after her, tripping as he tried to grab her arm. The poor man squeezed his eyes shut, trying to brace for hitting the ground - only to realize his shirt felt really, really tight.\n\nOpening his eyes revealed that he was hovering!\n\nWendy lifted him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back to standing.\n\n\"W... What the fuck?\" he gasped, staring at her. It had felt like he'd been caught by something made of steel. \"What is going on?\"\n\n\"The Soft Spoken want something back. We need to move, right now. They've loaded us, the cars, and the highway into a parallel reality. This kind of translocation never has a stable endpoint,\" she muttered, opening the trunk.\n\n\"The FUCK are you talking about!? The Soft Spoken? Stable Endpoint?\"\n\nShe glared at him.\n\n\"You pull through a bubble of space, local time is dragged with it. Without a stable endpoint, the bubble collapses and we all get snuffed out - or, worse, there's a stable endpoint, and it's mean.\"\n\n\"M... Mean?\" \n\n\"The bubble rebounds through dimensional compression and we all get crushed to the size of atoms, then explode when decompressed. We. Need. To. Move,\" she replied, dragging the second case from the trunk. \"Come on, paramedic.\"\n\n\"My name is H-Hector...\"\n\n\"I really don't care.\"\n\nShe started walking, headed for the civilians. He followed, unsure if she was nuts, or their only hope.\n\n"
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[WP] The hero wasn’t kidding when he said he could defeat the demon lord in his sleep.
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"The new King Deohjmios looked onward to the entrance of his royal court. His gnarly seeping mouth was aghast as he barely managed to comprehend what he was beholding. His apprehension was shared amongst his guard, who similarly sat bewildered by the man standing a short distance from them.\n\nThe Hero of the Realm they called him, or so they used to, before the great King Deohjmios had them killed.\n\n\"I killed you!\" King Deohjmios belted at the Hero.\n He received no reply. In fact, it was clear the Hero couldn't understand the words being spoken to him.\n\n\"Are you not listening? I don't care how you are here now. You will die just as you did before.\"\n\nAt that moment, King Deohjmios spoke in a deep and, if any conscious human had been in earshot, deadly tongue. He summoned his guard and then some to attack the Hero.\n\nThey swiftly moved on him. The Hero remained unfazed, and simply stood his ground. As the mass of demon guards fell on him, the Hero began fighting back. His moves seemed stiff and uncoordinated. His elbows didn't bend, his head never moved, and as some demons noticed moments before their demise, his eyes weren't open.\n\nDespite his apparent lack of ability, the Hero was more than capable of dispatching the great King Deohjmios' demon guard.\n\nInfuriated, the King began another hellish enchantment to summon support, but a sword sailing through the air separated his mandibles from his skull. Unable to pitifully beg for backup or mercy, the feeble King Deohjmios attempted to stand his ground.\n\nAs the two destined foes battled, King Deohjmios noticed the Hero did not seem to flinch or quiver when struck, nor did he speak or even open his eyes.\n\nThen it struck Deohjmios all at once. This rat bastard was using the ancient and forbidden REM fighting style.\n\nJust before the Hero unconsciously plunged his fist through the chest, and then heart, of the pitiful King Deohjmios, he accepted his demise. He knew the Hero could never awake from his murderous sleep. He would reign after Deohjmios, and be even more murderous and evil then he could have ever hoped to be."
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[WP] You work for a special division of the Karma Police called the "Karma LAPD". The Karma LAPD are notorious for their more..Brutal approach to Karmic Justice. You've just picked up a case of someone messing with "us".
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"He was scum. That much was clear. Profiting on the pain of others. Preying on them in their darkest moments for his own ends. Strutting around in his odious, garish garments. Watching him for a while had made me positively nauseous. \n\nSo I’d been understandably happy when my boss had called me in. “Bill”, he’d said, “this guy you’ve been watching. He seems from the contents of your report to need... adjustment. See to it.” I’d smiled a grim smile then and stubbed out my cigarette. “Do you need any assistance?”, he asked. I shook my head. This one was gonna be good. \n\nSo now I’m in his home. It wasn’t difficult. The grounds are so large you could hide a small army in them. Which, in essence, I was. His goons were collateral as they were batted aside or turned into a haze of red. That was the justice they deserved for working for this bastard. I had brought money for the victims too, and an emergency calling card. They didn’t deserve this. As they departed hurriedly I smiled. They would perhaps have some closure knowing that this guy was, as you mortals say, history. \n\nInto the palatial bedroom. He’s cowering, holding a shotgun. “Please” he whimpers, “take anything you want just please don’t kill me”. I chuckle. \n“That is, I’m afraid, inevitable. But that’s a way down the line.” I walk over to his record player and select Louis Armstrong’s ill-fated classic We Have All The Time In The World. Which I do. Poor old Jimbo here, however, is quite a different matter. The fridge is buzzing, which irritates me, so I shoot it and it is no longer annoying. \n\nAs Satchmo serenades his final minutes, I muse on this strange job of mine. Perfectly balanced once more. As all things should be. I tie him first. He cannot move but a muscle, save to scream. “Now for your penance”. I am not going to merely arrest this man. He talks too much. And so as I level his own shotgun to his chest at the closest of range, I whisper...\n\n“This is what you get, when you mess with us.”",
"\"- What is it?\" Detective Lundquist asked. \n\"- Something.. Something terrible and intruiging at the same time..\" Julia answered with a distant voice. \n\n\n3 weeks had passed since the first reports, reports that started out as seemingly random and spread out. Different parts of the city and different parts of the social classes. But with every passing day it had escalated. Slowly but surely, it had escalated. 1 week in and all of a sudden it was on everybody's tounge. Lundquist had felt a change in dynamic and realized that people looked at him differently. Even his wife seemed to have a different touch and a different way of looking at him and he did not like it. \n\n\n\"Come on Julia! I need information and I need it now!\" \n\nLundquist raised his voice and firmly placed his hand on the table, close enough to hers to seem intimidating but not close enough to actually touch. \n\n\n\"- I am trying my best! But trying to make me go faster doesn't help right now ok..!\" \n\nJulias fingers moved faster and faster over the keyboard. Almost like she was doing a rehearsed dance of sorts and he caught himself being mesmerized by it for a second. Quickly he snapped out of it and started pacing the room back and forth. \n\n\n2 weeks into the \"situation\" as his boss so happily called it he noticed the laughing. It was the thing that made him the most angry out of all of it, he never liked people laughing at him. Or the K-LAPD for that matter.. Did these people not realize what Reddit would look like without them? Did they not realize that upvotes would be sold to the highest bidder? That people would downvote based purely on personal opinion? What kind of world would they live in then? \n\n\nHe checked his phone again. No notifications apart from a few reports of /r/KarmaConspiracy that he already knew was planted by low level ranking members of a local gang along with an email offering him half price for 2 months on a subscription based website selling green juice. \n\n\n\"- I've found it!\" \n\n\nHer voice cut like a knife in the air and awoke him from his own thoughts. He quickly looked up and walked over to the laptop on the table. \n\n\n\"- Show me!\" He said and put the phone on the table while leaning in over her shoulder. He smelled her perfume, a hint of vanilla and rosebuds. Why did his wife never wear perfume anymore? Had she lost all respect for him so quickly? Was he not worthy of her scent anymore? \n\n\n\"- This is it\" she said and clicked the file and pressed the button on the keyboard to make it go fullscreen. \n\n\n\"- This.. this cannot be it!\" Lundquist said while he felt his breathing getting stuck on the way out of his lungs. \n\n\n\"-How is it possible? How is this POSSIBLE!?\" he shouted with saliva flying out of his mouth and his eyes darkening. \n\n\n\"-I.. I would need more time...\" \n\n\n\"- Do we have a source? Do we know WHO has access to this!?\" \n\n\n\"- I found a partial list I can send it do you?\" \n\n\n\"-Show me now!\" \n\n\nShe pulled up a text document on the screen and his eyes moved left to right at a rapid pace. Then he saw it, the name of the woman he said \"I do\" to all those years ago.. \n\n\nThe emergency meeting held at the station had been very clear and could not be missunderstood. By any means neccessary, those were the word uttered time and time again during the 3,5h briefing. Followed by information on how this had affected and could affect several important people. The stakes were high and time short. After the briefing his boss had pulled him aside and told him eye to eye that he expected him to do \"his best\" and that he trusted him 100% to find a way to bring back order. \n\n\nHe took a deep breath and smelled her hair once more before reaching under his coat and pulled out his switchblade. With one single move he sliced her throat and from experience he calmly moved his other hand to turn her body and neck away from himself to avoid blood sprays. Her body feel to the floor with a thump. He wiped the knife blade on the back of her shirt and put it back in his inner pocket. Then he checked the laptop screen once more to be absolutely sure that it was not a mistake. After confirming that indeed it was correct, he put the laptop in his suitcase. He then picked up the phone from the table and pressed fast dial. \n\n\n\"-Hi honey! Downtime at work?\" \n\n\nThe fake joy in her voice made the decision easy. \n\n\n\"- I am getting off early today. I will be home in about 20 minutes, put on your nicest dress darling.\" \n\n\n\"- Oh, any special occasion honey?\" \n\n\n\"- I am about to get promoted\" He answered and smiled while looking at his own mirror image in the window. \n\n\n \n(My first attempt at this and english is not my first language so apologizes for that! <3) ",
"4:10 am - Call comes in for a 610, a 611 and a 614 violations in Hollywood. Request verification of 614 report. Confirmation received. Request team and respond to dispatcher and proceed dark to address.\n\n4:28 am - First to arrive at residence and observe no activity. Wait for the rest of team to arrive.\n\n4:32 am - Observe lights in residence turn on in upper and lower levels and an outside motion detection light is triggered near the garage. Radio new development to dispatch and proceed to move closer to residence to observe.\n\n4:34 am - Observe suspect carrying suitcase to garage and opening trunk. Lunge forward and push suspect into trunk and close and secure trunk. Suspect is yelling in trunk. Close garage door.\n\n4:38 am - Team arrives and I advise them of development and we proceed into residence. We find no one else in the residence. Residence is cleared to execute punishment.\n\n4:42 am - Agent 04 opens trunk and holds gun on suspect. Agent 05 obtains DNA swab. Trunk is shut and secure. Suspect continues to yell.\n\n4:45 am - Agent 05 is sent to headquarters to verify identity of suspect.\n\n4:55 am - Team assembled in kitchen area of residence with equipment and reviewing suspects violations. Suspect is still in trunk. \n\n5:05 am - Receive call from Agent 05 that identity of suspect is verified. Execution of punishment is validated. \n\n5:11 am - Suspect is gagged and retrieved from trunk and moved back into the residence. We move him into position at top of the stairs and read him his sentence. \n\n5:15 am - Sentence is carried out and verified complete.\n\n6:00 am - Clean up is complete. Residence is dark. Team is away.\n\nI stops me's typing and logs me's off. Isa picks up my's mug and takes it over to za sinksa. I turns on the water to rinses its out and the tv is on behinds me's.\n\n\"....investigators have not made an official statement but our reporters have learned the director, aimlessly wandering in the dark, may have slipped on a Darth Vader toy that was lying on the stairs. Disney has released the following statement: We are saddened to learn of this terrible tragedy as we had just been notified that he agreed to direct the next installment. Disney has stopped all production of Star Wars sequels.\"\n\nI turns off the tv's and goes tooz my bedza.\n\n\n"
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[WP] Two raindrops jump at the same time. They are friends. Their story continues when they hit the ground.
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"I can't jump, I am scared.\n\n\nHold my hand, let us go paired.\n\n\n\nYour hand in mine I fear not the down below. \n\n\n\nTurning and dancing to a song I do not know. \n\n\nThe air rushes to force us apart \n\n\nbut you hold me close my heart. \n\n\nI fear the fall would break our bones\n\n\n\"I'll be with you forever\" you intone\n\n\ndancing and twirling only the ground to break our fall \n\n\nWhy is it I suddenly feel so small?\n\n\nHold me as we hit, never let go. \n\n\nYes you said, for you fear no foe. \n\n\nFor now and forever let us dance\n\n\nIn the air, ground and sea in a trance. \n\n\nYou are mine and I am yours \n\n\nthere is much wonder for us to explore.\n\n\n \n \n\n ",
"Together we go,\n\nInto the sky,\n\nFrom clouds above,\n\nWe fall, we fly.\n\nIt's new to me,\n\nIt's new to you,\n\nI'm slightly scared,\n\nAnd you are too.\n\nBut that's okay,\n\nCome hold my hand,\n\nAs we fly,\n\nTowards the land.\n\nIt helps us both,\n\nTo help a friend,\n\nSide by side, \n\nUntil the end. \n\nRemember now,\n\nWe're not yet ice,\n\nNo need to be cold,\n\nWhen you can be nice.\n\nI'm better already,\n\nWith this friend I've found,\n\nPlease find me again,\n\nWhen we reach the ground.\n\nUntil then my friend,\n\nLet's enjoy the ride,\n\nWe'll laugh through the fear,\n\nFriends side by side. \n\n\\-\n\nSorry if it doesn't flow too well!\n\n/r/ShittyStoryCreator :)"
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[WP] A genie grants you a wish: You can smoke as many cigarettes as you want, and nothing bad will happen to your health. But he warns: There is that one cigarette which can kill you.
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"This is my first story for this, here goes nothing. \n\n“So, you’re actually a genie?” asked James\n\n“Sure, I am did you really think genies were all fiction?” replied the genie\n\nIf I am not dreaming then I can get 3 wishes, the possibilities are endless! I could be rich, live forever, never get fat, this is a lifetime opportunity! I must rationally consider this, I must pick the three wishes that improve my life the best. Man, my friends will be so jealous when they find out about what happened! \n\n“Can I have the ability to smoke as many cigarettes as I want without consequence?”\n\n“I must warn you I can only grant one wish and that wish must also include a negative side effect.” \n\n“What? I thought all genies could give three wishes?” \n\n“I know humans like to generalise but c’mon did you really believe we all had the same abilities?” \n\n“Umm I guess not but.”\n\n “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it by now. I have always been bullied by other genies.” \n\n“I never knew genies interacted with each other, I’m sorry that happened to you.”\n\n“Well depending on how well you served your human determines your level of ability and I have disappointed every human I have ever served.”\n\n“Why is that?”\n\n“Because sometimes humans would ask for immoral wishes, to do with revenge against their fellow man.”\n\n“Its good that you care about the ethics of wishes but was that more important to you then getting higher levels?” \n\n“No I always placed my values above the wishes of the people I served and that goes against everything genies are about.”'\n\n“Well your just different to other genies, no big deal?” “Right?”\n\n“I guess so, you seem like a nice kid to me” “Well that’s get back to granting your wish\"\n\n“I almost forget about that, please do.” \n\n“You can smoke as much as you want without lung damage but there is one cigarette that could kill you.”\n\n“That’s the catch isn’t it?” “Well I want to be popular at school and my friends keep on pressuring me to smoke.\"\n\n“Think about it carefully and make your final decision”\n\n“Well I still want it and so grant me the wish”\n\n“Your wish shall be granted!”\n\nYes, finally I can smoke as much as I want, expect one of the cigarettes could kill me. Still If could smoked a few maybe my friends could leave me alone for a while. I wonder why the genie didn’t object to me wanting that wish? Maybe he is being nice because I listened to his backstory. Whatever the case is, I am going to impress my friends.\n\n2 weeks after the wish was granted, James visited the genie in the place he found him. \n\n“Hey I’m back!” shouted James\n\n“Hello James why are you back here?” replied the genie\n\n“I’m here to say I regretted having that wish granted.”\n\n“Why is that?”\n\n“The more I smoked the more my friends pressured me to smoke, I didn’t want to risk dying just because of my stupid friends.”\n\n“That is fair enough, you don’t want others to push you around do you?” \n\n “No, I don’t, I was wondering why you granted my wish without objecting to my wish request?”\n\n“I know you could have died but I want to make you happy since you were the only one who listened to my story in my years of being a genie”\n\n\n“Maybe you should have stop me, but I learnt a lesson in sticking to my values.”\n\n“I’m glad you have, this is unusual but I was wondering if we could be friends?” “It gets awfully lonely being a genie in the human world.”\n\n“Sure why not? I will be only human in the world to have someone like you as my friend.” “I never got your name?” \n\n“My name is Alistair, we just get random human names when we are made”\n\n“Good to know Alistair, I will be you friend.” “Have any interesting stories to tell?” \n\n“I’m so glad you said yes, I have so many stories to tell!”\n\n“I’m all ears friend.”\n"
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[WP] A zombie apocalypse has broken out, and it has spread much faster than anyone has predicted. It turns out that the zombie virus is being spread by mosquitos as well as zombie bites. You're one of the few survivors. You've planned for a zombie apocalypse, but you didn't think about mosquitos.
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" My friends and I used to sit around a few beers, joking about zombie survival and what we'd do. I knew I'd be a survivor -I've hunted and worked outside my whole life, and I had the best plans of any of us -zombies can't survive in hot, humid climates. Swamps are natural advantage to folk who keep their wits about them, the endless pitfalls and humid growth destroys anything that can't move fast and clever. \n\nIt was only natural when the bath salts craze started that I'd start prepping. Every week I'd buy a few more cans of food or primers for my reloading station. When gang wars became feast nights I loaded up my trailer, my truck, my best friends, and we headed for the secluded swamps. Had to oust a few unfriendly locals and learn how to work around gators and the roaches, but it was worth it. We were high living down there, even picked up a few airboats and began rebuilding our complex. Sure, you'd wake up sweating at 5AM and spend the entire day dreaming of clear water, but it was survival.\n\nThe internet churned on, so much now is automated I doubt Cox even noticed most of its customers were now shambling corpse heaps. Hell, those execs were probably cheering about reduced complaints to their call centers and rerunning Seinfeld while still collecting monthly billing. All that meant for me was I could still stay connected to the outside.\n\nI guess most critters are smart enough to steer clear of the undead. Gators only bother em when startled or threatened, and even then they spit em out after they're done. Mosquitos though -ain't got no sense at all, and once the virus adapted to the new hosts, damn. We lost so many colonies in weeks. Luckily we were all using bug nets at night off and on, but as they break down and we're running low on Deet and citronella, well, I guess I always knew mosquitos were the worst curse on humanity.",
"My name is Earl, and I might be the last human alive. I had prepared for this moment my entire life, storing away cans of food that I purchased with my allowance when I was just a kid. I knew that this day would come, especially when I got older and learned that corporations were creating new diseases so they could sell the cure for them, and so I was going to be prepared. I had stockpiled more than a hundred years worth of food, millions of rounds of ammo and hundreds of weapons for when this day came, but in the end what saved me was just dumb luck.\n\nI didn't know that luck was what had saved me at the start of the apocalypse, when the first human turned, because I was already in my bunker when the first news broadcast happened. I spent most of my time in the bunker now, because of those north koreans and their nukes, and the lizard people who took over the government. I knew the end of the world was going to come soon, and so I didn't want to be caught outside when it happened. I was sitting on my couch, watching a game of football, well more of watching one of the players who was cheating. He was a lizard person, which meant that he could run faster than a human, so I was watching the game for when he would slip up and i could create a clip and post it online for other people to see. \n\nI always imagined that this day would be glorious, the day that no one could say that Earl was crazy anymore, but there was nothing glorious about it. There was a news report about a person who was running around new york biting people, and then an update an hour later that the police had shot him. Then not even thirty minutes later another emergency broadcast that was on every channel, reporting that the person had came back to life and bit a cop, and that multiple people were also biting people, and that the city was on curfew starting immediately. I guess it didn't take them long to figure it out, and they grounded all flights and ordered the military to seal the city. \n\nI was talking with several of my friends online, and twelve of them were in their bunkers as well, and we were comparing notes on the report. AntiLizards32 was arguing with nomartianwater about if this could be a false flag used to cover up for lizard activity in new york, then multiple new reports came in. The virus had somehow spread across the nation, infecting multiple cities far from new york. The virus hopped down the US from new york, moving from city to city until it reach Florida, and it took less than an hour before all of florida was infected according to the news.\n\nI was the first to jump onto news sites from other countries, because I had a theory that North Korea was bombing us, and that the news article was just a coverup, but the virus had already spread there, I guess someone on a flight was infected and killed, but it still spread somehow, and once it got out it spread just as fast. The only places that seemed to be affected the least were really cold places, like the very top of canada who didn't even get to have summer, but that was probably because almost no one lived up there. All of the islands were infected almost instantly, and pretty much all tourist destinations turned into a death destinations within hours.\n\nIt always surprised me at how fast it spread, the movies always depicted it as a slow spreading virus that could be contained or stopped, but that was nothing like this spread. I was really happy that my bunker had multiple HVAC filters on it since the virus was probably airborne, and I took the time to replace them and burn the old ones, just to make sure. The internet was filled with videos at the beginning, posting videos of people biting and eating other people, and cops shooting at hordes of zombies that filled the streets, and even planes bombing streets. It took seven hours before there were no more news channels being broadcast. Twenty hours later, the first snapchat from inside a bunker showed someone attacking the people gathered in the bunker and killing everyone.\n\nA few of my friends online died as well, several of them wanted to go out and kill zombies and then never returned. After twenty four hours, most websites stopped responding as whoever was keeping the servers running probably died as well, and so I switched from the internet to the radio, but there wasn't any broadcasts from the military, or people talking about a shelter that they had setup, it was just silence. I wonder how many of my friends have also died, but I am smart and I wait a month before I leave my bunker. The zombies should have all starved to death by now, and so I can safely go out and get a good look at what has happened.\n\nI put on my full body armor, and my hazmat mask to protect from the airborne virus, and then step into the airlock door of my bunker. It's not really an airlock door, it's just a second door, I couldn't afford to build an actual vacuum chamber. I type in the keycode on the door and step out into the forest where my bunker is hidden. The first thing that I notice is that there are tons of mosquitoes, and so I quickly slam the door not wanting to let any of them in. I'm glad that I am wearing full body armor and don't have any exposed skin, because I would be covered in bites by now. I walk the short mile to the nearest town, my gun drawn and my eyes alert for any zombie activity. The place is covered with mosquitoes feeding off dead bodies which line the street as they slowly rot. \n\nI comb the entire city but there are no survivors, everyone is already dead and half eaten bodies litter the area. I decide that I should get my truck and drive to the big city nearby, and so I turn and make my way back to the bunker.. I type in the code to the bunker and reach out to open the door, when a small bit of my skin between my gloves and my kevlar sleeves is exposed and a mosquito quickly bites it. I kill the mosquito and quickly get inside before any more can attack me, and decide that I'm going to wait another month before I leave, maybe they will have died off by then. As I'm taking off my armor, I remember reading a news article once that talked about how some virus could spread through mosquitoes, but then I remember that was just a cover up for lizards killing people to eat. Man, I'm getting really hungry, I should fix some dinner.\n\n*****\n\nYou can always catch more of my writing at /r/iruleatants\n",
"I cursed to myself as I frantically looked through the stocks of my already prepared zombie shelter. I had always known it would come one day, but- I ceased lamenting when I heard a nerve-wracking sound. A thrumming, like the beating of a thousand tiny drums. I searched faster, knowing that the monsters could smell blood from hundreds of meters. \"Yes!\", I hissed through my teeth as I discovered the very thing I had been searching for: a mesh wire screen. I ran to press it against the vents in the door, but it was too late. They only needed one bite to infect you. As the green corruption raced across my skin, I uttered my final words.\n\n\"Damn you zombie mosquitoes.\""
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[WP] Neanderthals still exist. They are the most discriminated and oppressed group in the world.
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" \n\nThe man walked swiftly through the crowd, keeping his head down, hiding his angular cheekbones with his coat collar and wide-brimmed hat. He could feel the stares of the people as they passed him, even more so than the bite of the cold wind. Somehow they always managed to recognize him; perhaps because of his stocky build or the fact that he hid his face. He quickened his pace. No matter how many times he went outside, he never seemed able to become entirely accustomed with the searing hatred of the humans that encompassed him daily. \n\nHe fished his keys from his pocket as he stepped onto the cracked porch of his weary, beaten house. His hands shivered violently, causing him to have some difficulty with the locks. \n\nA woman and her son passed on the sidewalk as he unlocked the first of his eight locks. The boy asked his mother, “why does that man look funny?” \n\nThe mother smiled at him. “He’s just different,” she quietly replied, before turning and throwing an indignant sneer in the man’s direction.\n\nHe wished blindness and deafness on himself, but continued to unlock the door. Another torrent of chilled air chased away the sun’s warmth just as he pushed open the door. \n\nRelieved to be back in the warmth of his home, he set down his effects and took a seat on the lonely creaky chair in the living room. He felt some nostalgia as he looked around the one-room house, giving undivided attention to each bit of furniture, despite that there was very little. The bookshelf that had stood silently against one wall, slowly filling up with tomes and trinkets over the years, seeming to lean a little bit more to the left each day. The table and single kitchen chair, looking almost as tired as the dirty floor on which they sat. A clock that made no sound hung on the wall, almost appearing droopy somehow. And the square, wooden frame above the fireplace, tenderly holding an old photograph of his father. The only one he had ever had.\n\nHe took in a deep sigh, as he took in that familiar smiling face that he examined each day, before picking up a mystery novel that he had been quite eager to reread. Some dust rose from the cover when he dusted it off, and quickly faded away. He excitedly, yet carefully, turned to the first page and began reading.\n\nHe carefully glided over each word, feeling its meaning and significance. And for a while, it seemed that he didn’t have to worry about tomorrow anymore. \n\nA scream echoed through the night, snatching his attention. He knew what it was, but felt some need to see it anyway. He made his way to the window that he had bolted down and drew aside the heavy curtain that secreted one of the city’s factories from his sight. Across the way, he could see two of the human foremen beating one of the workers with steel pipes. He could hear his kinsman’s cries for mercy and forgiveness as his bones cracked. The other workers in the area continued to do their jobs, though visibly discomfited. \n\nThe man was stricken with sadness and anger, but also with relief that he did not have to labor under those conditions. He turned away. Noticing that it had become late at night while he had been absorbed in a fantasy, he opted to rest for the night. The darkness seemed to consume everything when he turned the lights off. Blundering in the dark, he took a thin blanket, not even large enough to cover his entire body, from where it sat in the corner, and laid it across himself in the chair.\n\nAs he closed his eyes, he wondered what it would be like to be a human. To have it made, just because of which family you were born to. He fell asleep to the inescapable, crushing truth that he, John Sanderson, was a Neanderthal.\n\nJohn awoke the next morning, still disheartened from the last night, despite that a neanderthal worker getting beaten was not an infrequent event. What did they do to get beaten? Didn’t really matter. The humans could do whatever they want to them under the accusation of breathing.\n\nHe gathered himself slowly that morning, and by the time that he was ready to go to work, the foot traffic outside had already picked up. He made sure to completely lock up before he left, doubly checking that the windows were still bolted and the locks were still in function.\n\nAs he trudged froward, he caught a glimpse of the man who had been beaten last night. His body had been left untouched; broken, battered and swarmed by insects. One of his legs laid twisted in an unnatural way, and his eyes were still open. His eyes were still fearful.\n\nThe sight made John shudder, and he continued to walk, desperate to reach his work-place, secluded, quiet and away from all those humans. He reminded himself that he was very lucky to be a free Neanderthal, though it didn’t seem that being free was that much better than being a slave in the hard labor work. \n\nTwo blocks from the factory, John arrived at his destination: The *Science of Tomorrow* magazine office. He swiftly traversed the room, and sat at his cubicle that sat on the office’s side opposite the door. Attempting to blend into the environment, he rushed to turn on his desktop computer so he could begin writing a new story. \n\n*WHAM!* John jumped in his seat. He then heard the familiar laugh of Mr. Aspen, the owner of the magazine, who had slapped his cubicle wall, and began to turn a hot-red when he noticed that everybody else was laughing at him too. \n\n“Nice work on that last story, my boy! Heard people saying good things about this ‘anonymous writer’ that they read every week! You, sir, are the absolute best science fiction writer that I have ever hired!” Aspen proclaimed in his somewhat annoying high-pitched, New-Jersey-accented voice.\n\n“So, this week, I want some fresh material. What’s something that people have never heard about? Never even dared to think about?”\n\nJohn thought for a long moment before responding in his deep, gruff voice, “Uh, aliens manufacturing toothpaste to put micro-implants in our teeth?”\n\nAspen smiled at the idea. “Well, that’s new. I like it, I like it! Alright, you do that.” \n\nAspen began to walk away, but not before Christopher Saturday, who had the cubicle across from John, had to make his daily hate comments. “Aspen, why do you even keep that piece of shit here? It’s disgusting!” \n\nAspen had become used to this kind of remark from Saturday, and sighed even though he had come to expect it each morning. “Because he’s a much better writer than you, Christopher, and he makes me much more money in two weeks than you do in three months.”\n\nAt this, Christopher snorted, and scowled at John, but was quiet afterwards. John smiled, glad that Aspen defended him against his coworkers, even though he knew that Aspen only liked him because of his skill as a writer. He doesn’t care whether someone is Neanderthal or human; he only cares that people can make him money.\n\nJohn worked feverishly through the day, but couldn’t focus on his work. The grotesque image of that dead man still rushed forward each time he closed his eyes. Even though he had seen countless other martyrs just as, if not more, mutilated, he never could grow tough skin to it. \n\nThe day seemed to fly by faster than usual, and when the closing hour came, John made sure that he had saved what little work he had done before shutting down.\n\nAs he left the building, he admired the night sky and its vast emptiness, wishing that his life could be just as empty. He remembered a time when his father once told him about beautiful lights in the sky that appeared at night, called “stars”, and that someday they would go somewhere where they could see them. They never did.\n\nHe turned onto his street, and felt a surge of fear as he saw two police cars parked outside of the factory. \n\n“Alright, settle down. They’re not here for you. Probably just here to deal with some of those workers. Yeah,” he told himself, trying to stay calm as his heartbeat rapidly rose. He kept his head down as usual when he passed the cars, and breathed a breath of thanks to whatever God existed. Then one of the policemen stepped in front of him.\n\n“Evenin’ sir,” said the cop. He could surely hear John’s heart pounding astoundingly loudly.\n\nThe other officers surrounded him. There were four altogether, one on each side. He began to panic.\n\n“Sir, do you have ID to be walking at night?” asked the officer who stood in front of him.\n\nJohn hesitated before answering. “W-what do you m-mean, sir?”\n\n“Well people walking around at night always appear pretty suspicious to us. We just need to see some identification and then we’ll be on out way.”\n\nJohn fumbled through his pockets, and then through his wallet to get his ID card that he wore at all times at work. His hands shook as he handed it to the cop.\n\nAfter studying the card for a while, the officer said, “well, it says here that you are a felon. You’ve been convicted of robbery, sex offending and murder.”\n\nJohn was shocked. “It doesn’t say that. All it says is my-”\n\nThe officer to the right of him swung a baton into the back of his leg, causing him to fall down with a grunt. From the ground he could see the others drawing their batons. One of them, looking rather young, said, “Hey, uh maybe we shouldn’t be doing this,” to which the others did not reply as they began to exact their dominance over John Sanderson.\n\nHe could feel his bones cracking with each swing, yet he didn’t cry out for help or clemency. He was petrified. The world darkened around him.\n\nIt was daylight. He was lying on the pavement. He could feel bruises and brokenness all over his body, and tried to stand. He yelped, and looked down at his legs. Both of them were bent and shattered, damaged beyond repair. \n\nHe laid back down and began to weep. The savage howl of a lonely, broken heart escaped from him. He laid alone on that concrete, exhausting every tear and asking for help until his throat was raw. The people passed him by on both sides, not even batting an eye."
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[WP] Every single night, you have dreams that you transform into a buzzard alien creature, and change back into human form. When you tell your parents about the dreams, they avoid the subject. Tonight, while your uncle was drunk at dinner, he told you the truth. You’re an Alien Shapeshifter.
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"“Hey, Gary, wanna year somethin’ cool? You’re an ALIEN SHAPESHIFTER” \n\nThat’s the conversation I had last night at dinner. My Uncle Don was drunk, and making a huge ruckus at dinner. I thought he might have been joking about the dreams I’ve been having, but I never told him about those.\n\nEvery night, for the past two weeks, I’ve been having the same dream. I wake up, look and the mirror, and see this....this thing. It has four, yellow bug like eyes, green skin, and a set of mandibles sticking out of its mouth. When I look at the thing....I scream, and the thing transforms back to human shape. My shape. \n\nI try to discuss this with my parents, but they change the subject, quickly. \n\nI’ve always felt weird amongst my fellow humans. I’m stronger than most of my friends, by a long shot. In 3rd grade I once through my friend Patrick Corrigan 10 feet back. I always thought I just had unusual strength. I also need little exercise. I can eat and eat and eat, and I always look the same. But my metabolism is as slow as molasses. And I can never find human females, even models, attractive. At all\n\nAfter that dinner, and what Uncle Don told me, I’ve been pretty suspicious. My parent have been getting more and more secretive. \n\n“Hey, Gary, their is something we really need to tell you” Said my Dad.\n\n“Remember how I told you me and your mom used to be astronauts” my Dad said. \n\n“Uhhh, well...yeah” I responded. \n\n“What Uncle Don told you was true, dear” chimed in my Mom.\n\n“You’re not human, your an alien”my Dad started speaking again. “Your species can shape-shift, into any form they want. They can even reshape their vocal cords to mimic other species sounds”\n\n“You gotta be kidding me, right” I said. \n\n“Honey, it’s true. Look, try and transform into the first animal that comes to your mind” Said my Mom. \n\nFor a second, I started thinking about my favorite animal. The grizzly bear. Grizzlies are so cool, and their tough and strong and....\n\nFor a second, I felt my insides puff up and my skin stretch. Than, I was a perfect look alike of a full grown, adult male grizzly bear. I was shocked, but my parents just sat and looked at my, like this was all normal. I tried to scream, but it came out like a bears roar. What...the...fuck.\n\n“See, dear, now think about another animal!” Said my mom, again. \n\nAfter a few more seconds, I transformed from a bear to a peacock, with full feathers behind me. This was so trippy. I couldn’t believe it. \n\nI went back to sleep, and relaxed for a second, as my body transformed back to its normal, alien state. What was I to do with my new found powers. Become a superhero, perhaps? Who knows. \n\nBut, as of now, I’m going to sleep."
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[WP] You are a physicists and mathematician and after smoking copious amounts of drugs and taking various hallucinogens, you come up with theories and equations about the energy and location of electrons around an atom. Your name is Erwin Schrödinger.
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"I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:\n\n- [/r/psychedelicmentions] [\"hallucinogen\" in \\/r\\/WritingPrompts: \\[WP\\] You are a physicists and mathematician and after smoking copious amounts of drugs and taking various hallucinogens, you come up with theories and equations about the energy and location of electrons around an atom. Your name is Erwin Schrödinger.](https://www.reddit.com/r/PsychedelicMentions/comments/9mqpfh/hallucinogen_in_rwritingprompts_wp_you_are_a/)\n\n&nbsp;*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*"
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[WP] A brave warrior returns from an unknown world but gets convicted of murder the day after his arrival. While in prison, he writes down his story about how he saved countles lives and did everything in his might to get everyone home safely. A major protest breaks out to set the warrior free.
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"I was awoken by a knock on my door. I pulled back my curtain, it was daybreak. Who could it be at this hour? I opened the door to see a courier. \n“Greetings, S’ard isn’t it?” I nodded. \n“I have an *urgent* message from Mr. Boyd for you\" he said with an expression suggesting he was just as confused as I was. \n“As in Ravis Boyd, the murderer?” He didn’t need to answer. I noticed he had a bag full of similar looking letters. \n\nWhy had Ravis Boyd wanted to reach out to me? I am a detective but alas I have little power. I opened the letter and started reading. \n\n*I, Ravis Boyd, saved my our world from vile creatures. Nefarious forces. I voyaged to a world beyond my own to slay them, the twilight serpents. I had faith in my people, in my king. Put a foot in the grave for them.*\n\n*When I returned was I revered? Was I rewarded? Nay. Locked up with scum. For murder, say they. I committed no such act. Cold-blooded murder, aye I am not capable of such an act. My clan hath disowned me. They believe such lies. Without them nothing shall stop my execution. Whosoever reads this, I pray my memory lives on in you. I fear it is too late to stop this injustice.*\n\nIt seemed sincere but how could I know? It could easily be an play to fool people into vouching for him. I figured it best to visit him and see for myself. \n\nRavis was escorted out by one of the prison guards. I was sitting awaiting him. There were several guards in the room in case he tried anything. He was sat opposite me. His face told me he already knew why I had come. \n“So is it true?” I asked in a interrogative tone. \n“Yes of course, all of it” he said with a sense of desperation. It seemed sincere but what if that was fake too? \n“How can I know” I asked. I felt bad for pressing like this. He started to cry. \n“I know it’s hard to believe. My word against another man’s word. I could be lying. I could tell you I’m not again and again but what difference. I have no evidence. All you have is my word. It can’t be stopped now. All I ask of you is to preserve my memory. I don’t want my legacy to just be murder.” He had genuinely seemed scared and I felt sympathy for him. \n\nThe whole day while working I couldn’t stop thinking of Ravis. I knew that the detective who caught him worked in the same place as me. She retired one day shortly after he was arrested. Just showed up and said she was leaving. However we tend not to get paid so well, how would she get by? This was off. I figured it was worth paying her a visit once I finished up. \n\nI knocked on her door to no answer. I glanced in the window and noticed the house was a complete mess. She tended to be tidy, must have left in a hurry. I hadn’t seen her since she retired either, all signs pointed to her having left town. If she was gone then no one was going to miss the house, right? I looked around to be safe before breaking in. I was able to use my sword to cut the lock off. There was a letter still left on the table. I picked it up and started to read it. It was from the king! \n\nIt mentioned a large sum of money she must have run off with and said she had to leave the country immediately. It said that her work was finished and it was only the first step in his plan of discrediting the Boyd clan. He would need her later. I had to put a stop to the injustice but it was the king. I couldn’t expose him, that would be suicide. It had to be quiet. Only one way made sense. Breaking Ravis out. \n\nAs I sneaked into the prison I was still in disbelief at the events of the day. It had only taken a matter of hours to make me lose my faith in the police force and in my king. I had gone from what seemed like impenetrable loyalty to to taking things into my own hands. I broke Ravis out took him outside. \n\n“Make no mistake, I am grateful, but why? Why do you trust me? Why help me?” \n“I found evidence. King Bran framed you. He’s trying to discredit your clan.” Ravis looked angry but not entirely surprised. I don’t think anything could surprise him at this point. I could hear him cursing Bran under his breath. He thanked me again and started to walk away. \n“Just one thing, Ravis, don’t tell anyone about me.” \n“You have my word” he said. \n\nUnfortunately I never saw him again. I did hear stories about him though. They filled me with guilt. In his quest for vengeance he killed many of Bran’s men and his allies. As it turned out, his legacy was just murder. In the end however, it was his own making. "
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[WP]You work at the adventurers guild and your job is probably the hardest of all jobs. You have to talk some sense into the beginners who think that they don't need good weapons and armors against goblins and other weak monsters.
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"\"You're going to go fight goblins? And there's just the three of you?\" \n\"Yes. We're going to go slay those goblin pests holed up in the swamp northwest of here. We're just here to see what we've got to look forward to once we get back.\" \nI frown. \"Right. For that you'll need... Four kite shields, at least one mail shirt and three sets of padded leather armor, four properly fitted helmets...\"\nI do a quick head count. \"and another man. Ah, one of your number fancies himself a marksman? Then you'll only need three kite shields. Though he should really get himself a proper crossbow...\" \nTheir leader smiles and shakes his head. \"We won't need all that to take on some puny goblins, sir. We'll be just fine as is. Hell, I bet I could take them all alone with my grandpa's sword! And we have Rupert's axe!\" \nHe brandishes a battered shortsword of crude iron and his friend raises an oversized woodsplitting axe. \nPanic starts to set in. These fools are going to get themselves killed. \n\"Well, you could at least buy a couple pairs of padded leather armor. It's cheap and...\" \nIt's too late, they're already gone. \"protects well.\" \nI frantically look around the room, searching for something, *anything* that could help those poor souls. And just my luck, a renowned mercenary captain walks in. \nHe is clad in a heavy mail hauberk and a flat topped helmet with cloth padding. He wears his steel, one of my best works, brazenly on his hip. \n\"Sellsword! Good to see you. I was hoping you could help with my problem. There's some goblins in a swamp to the northwest of here.\" \nHis eyes go wide and his jovial smile turns to a grimace. \n\"I can pay you 800 crowns...\" \nHe speaks slowly. \"Sorry, I don't think I can take this contract.\" ",
"Dwarven pride in their crafted wares is what some might call an immense understatement, and Thorgrim was no exception. The thought of creating such master pieces that could fell dragons and arch liches was what drove him from bed each morning. It was like pappy Buckswag had always said, \"One doesn't simply make such figments of mythos without first honing the dull edges of a miryade blades, patching the armor of warriors from across the realm, and, most importantly, building a steady stream of clients to build up yer coffers enough to even afford the materials required to make the damned swords of dragon slaying on the first place!\"\n\nWhile his cousins joined the dwarven clans crafting guilds so they could spend the next 50 years polishing the shite those old had beens had been churning out and trying to pass as \"masterworks\", Thorgrim had decided on a different approach. Instead of being a glorified walking polish rag, he would hone his skills on those who could not typically afford to spend a small keeps worth of gold on a single hammer. There were people clammering to get themselves killed everyday! And if his wares could keep even a few of them alive long to kill something of value then he'd begin to make a name for himself. \n\nHis plan had been perfect. He had applied to be the armorer of one of the lower guilds in the not so far away city of Essen that had recently come across a goblin problem. Dwarven armorers come at a high price, but when he had pitched them his rather below market price, they had jumped at opportunity. He didn't care, he needed access to those lowly new comers to the adventuring trade. He simply hadn't anticipated one tiny problem.\n\n\"How about that one.\"\n\nThe frail boy, barely tall enough to see over the counter, pointed at the object over Thorgrim's shoulder. He followed his gave and slowly turned back to the boy. \n\n\"That's a shovel lad,\" Thorgrim said in the most disappointed way possible. \n\n\"It'll be enough to kill a goblin. I'll take it!\"\n\n\"Boy, that's not enough to kill the hangover I have. What'r ya gonna do, dig your own grave for him?\" \n\n\"Please, anyone can kill a goblin. Sally said so. I'm going to bring her the head of one.\"\n\nThis sale wasn't worth the headache it was causing and a very real part of Thorgrim wanted to rid the world of this boys stupidity. \n\n\"3 silver\"\n\n\"THREE SILVER!?\" The boy said incredulously. \"Does it shit goats too?\n\n\"..What?\" Was all Thorgrim could muster after several seconds of silence, dumb founded at the notion of such a magical enchantment.\n\n\"For that price it had better!\"\n\nThorgrim thought better than to ask whether this walking tombstone actually had a use for such a feature. \n\n\"Two silver and not a copper more!\"\n\n\"Boy this is a dwarven made shovel. You could dig through that think skull of yours and still have enough of an edge to kill this goblin that is absolutely going to gut you.\"\n\n\"Bob's corner store sells them for 3 copper down the street.\"\n\n\"Then go buy Bob's splintery shite you little heathen and leave me in piece!\" \n\nThe boy slapped 2 silver down on the counter. Thorgrim took down the shovel from the shelf and handed it over. The exchange ended, Thorgrim fealt the need for a stiff drink. He turned his back on the boy and headed from the back room.\n\n\"What's your return policy?\" Came the tiny voice from behind the counter. \n\nThorgrim's left eye began to twitch. He whirled on the lad. He looked the lad dead in the eye, which was all either could really see of each other (he had no idea why had the counter made so high), and forced himself to remain calm.\n\n\"Why would you need to return it. My wares will certainly continue to be useful for the rest of ye short life.\"\n\n\"Well after I've killed the goblin, I don't think I'll have much of a use for a bloodied stick.\"\n\nThorgrim's face contorted into a look of pure astonishment. \n\n\"No returns. All sales are final. Leave.\"\n\n\"But...\"\n\n\"Leave!\"\n\nThe boy furrowed his brow.\n\n\"Gonna dig a whole and burry this stupid shovel in it.\" The boy said softly as he turned to leave.\n\n\"And how would you fill it i... Bah at least he's gone.\" Thorgrim sighed as the bell stirred by the boys departure came to it's standard rest once again.\n\nThis kind of exchange was not uncommon. In fact, it was all he seemed to deal with. The drove of morons that paraded through his shop on a daily basis was beginning to effect his sanity. He couldn't convince anyone that came in to invest in his goods that were actually worth their weight in gold. The daily post was filled with the grim details of adventures dying in droves at the hand of the expanding goblin threat. It was a strange set of circumstances. The more advanced and wealthy guilds refused to do goblin clean up duty, and the low level guilds kept sending mouth breathing green horns out equipped with shovels. \n\nIt hadn't dawned on Thorgrim that these doe eyed dreamers hadn't the coin to afford decent wares. And even when they did, convincing them to spend a mild pot of gold on such wares to kill goblins was almost impossible. \n\nThe bell chimed again.\n\nThorgrim returned to the storefront, senses properly dulled from the dwarven ale he had stored in the back. The man who had entered his store stood roughly 6 feet tall, shoulder length black hair, a nose that had clearly been broken at least a couple times, and a smile that was missing a few teeth. \n\n\"Good day small man! I come to sample your wares. What might you have to stop this goblin tied,\" the man bellowed almost lyrically.\n\nThorgrim hated two things. Singing, and running out or ale. Being called small wasn't great either. \n\nThe clothes of the man gave him the look of at least not complete poverty, so he tried to pitch the good stuff.\n\n\"Well I have a number of items that will lop limbs and stop yer limbs from being lopped. For 10 gold I can...\"\n\n\"10 gold! Ha! No no good man. That's my whoring shinies. The reward for goblin ears is on the rise and I need to turn a profit!\"\n\n\"You'll be lucky to git a las to look yer way, tall boy, with the mug you be dragging around now. Dwarven armor will last ye for sometime. I sell a modest repair package as well. Should ye survive long enough to bring enough ears back fir yur whores to give you the time O'Day, you'll be more than plenty stacked to make this a real living man. Kill, loot, screw, repeat. I can guarantee for 15 gold to get ye started...\"\n\n\"You make a strong argument dwarf!\" the man interrupted,\"but I think not! How about that one?\"\n\nThe dwarf followed his gave.\n\n\"That's a shovel.\"\n\n\"Perfect! I'll take it!\"\n\nThorgrim sighed. \"That'll never three silver..\"\n\n\"THREE SILVER!?\"\n\n",
"I barely even noticed him come in. \n\nHe was small jawed teenage dwarf. His muscles still hadn't ripped apart any sleeves yet.\n\nHe pointed at the melee weapon that was located lowest on the wall. \n\n\"That wooden hatchet will.. da-da-do me well,\" the dwarf stuttered with a voice that sounded like it started from his nose. \n\n\"I'm going to slay me some dragon poon.\" He sounded like he actually believed what he said. I couldn't help but smile.\n\nI took down the smooth handled, foot long, shaving capable, mouse killing machine. As I was swinging the mini ax through the air, showing off some hand speed, the dwarf got visibly excited. \n\nHe took the ax from me, did a sweet front chop, and immediately sliced through his friend's finger. \n\nBlood gushed out like a water fountain.\n\nHe sheepishly put the hatchet on the counter, picked up his friends finger, and headed for the door with an arm around his friend.\n\nHe turned slightly and said, \"so the healers across the street, right?\"\n\nI nodded. \n\n\"We'll slay that poon next time.\" \n\n\"Yes. Yes we will.\"\n\nWe air high-fived and he was out the door.\n\n\n\n\n",
"I sat at the Wobbling Dragon waited for Hans to walk in. He was a new member of the King's Falls Adventurers' Guild, and there was several complaints the he didn't have proper gear. I was tasked with explaining to new member about the importance of correct gear when we get these complaints because of my sweet demeanor and knowledge on the subject. \n\n\"Arturia Cornswallow?\" A young halfing with a greatsword and armor two sizes too big for him was standing at my table.\n\n\"Yes, please take a seat.\" I looked him over. He looked as though I was an orc who had chose him for there snack. \"Do you know why you're here?\"\n\nHe shook his head quickly, throwing his hair to show a particular nasty scar on his neck.\n\n\"Did you get fitted for you gear alone? It is much too big.\" \n\nHe looked sheepishly up at me. \"I borrowed it from a farmer when I left home. I'm sorry.\" \n\n\"No, it's fine. We need to get you proper gear before you get any more scars. Hans, is that sword too big for you?\" \n\nHe nodded his head in affirmation. \"Is it that obvious?\"\n\n\"Yes dear. Is your armor too heavy or does it just need to be smaller?\"\n\n\"Just smaller.\"\n\nI pulled out a notebook and jotted down the gear changes he needed. \"Take this to Lucia next door and tell her to put the charges on my account. She will measure you and ask you a few more questions. Don't do any more adventuring until she finishes your gear.\" \n\n\"Will do. Will I be in trouble?\"\n\n\"No dear. We just want you in proper gear so you are safe. Have a good day.\" \n\n\"I haven't seen you in the hall. Are you also an adventurer?\"\n\n\"No. I'm the coroner.\" ",
"Normally, Mika’s three beers deep and’s sneezed six times by ten in the morning, but today’s been, well, easy. He’s gotten to relax with the adventurers, listening to them tell amazing stories. He’s no fighter himself—just has a hidden talent—but he’s always loved living vicariously through them. They're his family.\n\t\nJory’s gonna battle Saint Drack tonight, a dragon who’s been terrorizing the local villages. The battle will be hard, but Mika thinks he can do it. A few other guys are setting out to hunt for Pirate Wallace’s lost treasure, so they’ll be gone a few months. Their going away party is tonight.\n\t\nHe’s in the middle of a conversation with Jonesy, the ghost of the guild hall, when the doors fly open. At first, he doesn’t pay any attention—it’s an intense conversation, one about whether Cici or Fifi, two sisters who are bitter rivals, will beat Taka the Troll.\n\t\n“Uh, Mika—we got a Freshie.”\n\t\nHis shoulders droop, and when he looks back, they droop even further. The guy’s a total dork. He’s not wearing a shirt, and’s jacked. On his head are two plastic horns, and in his mouth are two plastic teeth. He has no sword, but instead a pair of brass knuckles with spikes on them. What does this guy think he’s gonna do, scare off a monster by pretending to be one?\n\t\nWhile everyone watches with a smirk, he wanders over to the check-in table, leaning against it and waiting for the Freshie to quit hitting on their piano player, Rossi. When he finally makes his way over, the guy slams both hands on the table, leaning forward and glaring at Mika like he’s gonna intimidate him.\n\t\n“*Gimme a job!*”\n\t\n“Well, I was gonna say ‘how may I help you’ first, but…” He shakes his head before pointing at another table. “If you’d like to put in a request, the table’s over there.”\n\t\nThe Freshie lifts up the table he’s holding and bites it in half, chewing the wood as his eyes burns into Mika. “*I want to fight, not put in a request! Give me monsters to kill!*”\n\t\n“That’s gonna cost you,” he mumbles.\n\t\nFreshie points at the job board, at Saint Drack. “That! I wanna fight *that!*”\n\t\nAcross the room, Jory bursts out laughing, which obviously makes the freshie mad. When he goes stomping toward him, Mika appears in front of him, holding up a small piece of paper with a kitty on it. “Here,” he says. “This is the only job you’re equipped for. Go help Ms. Tambers find her cat.”\n\t\nFreshie leans forward, chomping the paper like a rabid animal. “*No! No! No! I can beat anything!*”\n\t\n“No, you *can’t*,” Mika says. “You’re not even close to equipped. Do low-level jobs, earn some crash, buy decent gear. Don’t be like everyone else in the guild. Just join and don’t complain.”\n\t\nThe guild explodes with laughter, and Freshie wrongly thinks they’re laughing at him, so all his veins pop out. Taking a step back, he points at Mika, seething. “*Don’t mock me, little punk! I’ll show you how good my gear is by crushing you!*”\n\t\nHe rushes forward, and Mika yanks out a tiny feather. When he rubs his nose with it, he lets out a sneeze so powerful that Freshie goes flying backwards, smashing into the wall and knocking what must be a hundred guild awards over. They fall onto his head, and eventually knock him out.\n\t\n“Dammit! I had my money on twenty-five awards. Couldn’t have lasted one more, Freshie?” Jory says.\n\t\n“Pay up!” Rossi demands, smiling.\n\t\nWhen Freshie comes to, he’s laying in a bed, and Mika’s next to him. It’s nighttime now, and there’s a plate of food in front of him. His first instinct’s to cower, but Mika holds his hand out, resting it on his shoulder.\n\t\n“Chill, dude,” he says. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”\n\t\n“I was an idiot,” he grumbles.\n\t\n“Yeah. Same as everyone else in this guild. They’ve all gone through that, you know.”\n\t\n“Really?”\n\t\n“Really,” Mika replies. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a tiny badge. It’s just one star with the guild’s name and logo on it. He sets it on Freshie’s chest. “We don’t turn anyone away, but you’ve gotta get stronger if you wanna fight the best. Start off doing small quests to get money and your name out there. I know you wanna be famous, but that takes time and patience. For now, just get to know us. We’re a family, okay?”\n\t\nAt this, Freshie smiles, holding his hand out. “My name’s Jam.”\n\t\nMika takes his hand. “Well, Jam. We’re throwing a party for a coming members tonight. Would you like to join?”\n\t\n“Heck yeah!”\n***\nIf you like this story, check out my sub /r/LonghandWriter or my [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/BryceBealWriter)",
"\"Hi. I'm looking to begin my adventures? Where do I start?\" She said with bright eyes full of excitement. More and more of them come in off the street and think they can just hop right in.\n\n\"Fill out this form. There's ink and quill in the corner\" I tell her as I hand the large scroll of parchment. She gave me a slightly confused look but headed off anyway and I carried on reading. Last year of my adventuring and I was finally gonna settle down. They told me this would be an easy job and that I wouldn't have to go anywhere. I could spend my days off fishing by the lake. Take it easy you know.\n\n\"Hey um. When choosing my warrior knight class... What's the difference between a paladin and a battle mage?\" She asked me from the small desk she had perched on.\n\nI let out a long sigh. Why don't these kids do their goddamn research. \n\n\"Paladins are holy people who fight for the divines and use the powers granted to them to smite unholy beasts and those who do evil. Battle mages use their knowledge of the mystic arts to assist them in battle.\" I told her. She looked confused.\n \n\"Look\" I begin explaining \"both of them require a lot of training and discipline in order to master. What are your best stats from school?\" I ask her.\n\n\"Well I majored in heavy armour and one handed but I've always had a knack for magic\" she explains a little shyly.\n\n\"Well depending on your aptitude for magic. Battle mage might work out for you\" I tell her. \"But heavy armour might get in the way further in your career. Have you had your mana measured?\" \n\n\"Not yet but I was going to get it done after my application\" she tells me. \n\n\"Listen. You seem like a nice kid but you've seriously gotta think about this stuff before you come walking in here. There are so many adventure guild halls out there where they would throw you in any damn direction that they need you to go and you'll end up in a class that doesn't fit you at all\" I tell her exacerbated. \"Trust me. I would know\"\n\n\"How do you know?\" She asks looking at my old and twisted body sat behind this desk.\n\n\"Because\" I say rolling my eyes \"I used to be an adventurer like you until I took an arrow to the knee\"."
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[WP] You were put in charge of coming up with some gibberish words to serve as "ancient text" to be read for a movie. By chance, the words you came up with are real. You open a getaway to another dimension, full of beings beyond our comprehension. They now want to help make the movie.
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"Thirty-five thousand and forty hours.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTwenty- five thousand, six hundred and twenty dollars.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSeventeen pounds. Three laptops. Two failed relationships. Four new glasses prescriptions. A single, poorly planned tattoo of a quill and inkpot. Approximately One Hundred and Eight late night pizzas. Twelve reluctant drives home to see family for the holidays. Six Hundred Million refrains of \"But what will you do with an English degree?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd I suppose the answer is this. Me, disinterestedly watching my twitching, caffeine-fueled fingers tap out the phrase 'Acrypol Kneevah Bartlek' into the script draft for a zero budget movie called 'The Secret Of Diabolica'. Greg, a guy I had gone to college and never much liked had put the word out for script writers who were desperate enough to work for next to nothing.\n\nI was exactly that desperate, and took the job. I'd barely read the script. Something about a Michael Cera type dumbassing his way into the library of Alexandria through a wormhole in a Walmart change-room. All I know is that it culminates in him seducing Cleopatra while wearing a pair of Spiderman Y-Fronts. Reading the ancient text sends him back home, leaving a distraught Cleo behind.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis was apparently Greg's Magnum Opus. As he had described it: *\"It’s like, a deconstruction of the parochial narrative of history, man'*'. I didn't give a ghosts' whisper of a shit about what His Authorship was deconstructing, but the pay on this would cover the rent on my shitty one by nothing apartment for the month so I bent over and took it.\n\nIn the same Red Bull and mid-twenties ennui powered haze I shat out the rest of the mediocre script. I hung around for most of production, tweaking dialogue and killing time. We'd reached the day where low rent Cera was to read aloud the ancient script and return home. \"Acrypol Kneevah Bartark!'' he mumbled. Of course he hadn't pronounced my made up words properly. I was just about to continue not giving a shit about that when the poor man's Michael exploded into a geyser of blood, viscera and MeUndies sponsored superhero underwear.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhere our actor had been, there was now a wide green pane of glassy material. It was lit from within, dimming and brightening in harmony with a pulsing sound that seemed to emanate from its core. Two forms began to materialise from the pane. Each maybe eight feet tall, long arms that trailed on the floor.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTheir heads were wrong. Perfectly flat on top, descending into an impossibly narrow, crescent shaped jaw that hung as low as where, presumably, their hip bones would be. They stood before the shell shocked Director and the paper white Greg. The first creature turned to the Greg. Its long mouth twitching, thudding like a sub-woofer. I could not tell if the sounds from it came from that strange, shuddering maw or were simply projected into my brain like an FM frequency.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Where?''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA few moments of silence. Greg opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, like a goldfish. The Director spoke up\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''Ca...California?''\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''CACALIFORNIAH''* repeated the creature, turning to his companion. Obediently, the second creature pulled out a small green shard, similar to the pane they had entered through. He stared at it for a moment before clicking something incomprehensible.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''CALIFORNIAH. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. EARTH. AFFIRMATIVE?''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''Ye-yes'' responded the Director, edging away from the swinging jaw\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe being swept a long arm, gestured at the rolling cameras, the studio lights.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''What function?''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''We're making...'' began the Director, but Greg interrupted\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''We make film. Art. Me, human. Making beauty.'' He waved his fingers around like a sidewalk magician. Fucking Mupppet. Fucking auto-fellating douchebag.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*'Film....Moo-vees?''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n' I prefer the term fi-''\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe creature cut the Author off, grasping his shoulder with a gnarled grey talon.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*'We know Moo-vees... Point Break... James Bond...Hasta La Vista, Baby!''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''Well that isn't the kind of film I'm making, you see this will be a love letter to German-”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''You make Moo-vee. Make fires, big noise...KWAHH!!''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe creature gestured with its talons, mimicking an explosion. The second creature, which had yet to say anything, spoke up now.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''You have human female Lindsay Lohan in Mo-veee''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''I'd really rather-''\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Bring in exceptional human Tyler Perry''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''We already have...''\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Yes, and request assistance of humanoid impersonator Shyamalan''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''But...''\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Have easily resolvable miscommunication between characters provide crux for entire conflict in mo-vee''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Have male human run through airport unencumbered despite the strict security measures of post 9-11 America''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''Barenaked Ladies Original Soundtrack''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGreg broke at this. He marched toward the nearest creature, shoving his finger as close to its chest as he could reach.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n''No chance in hell buddy, I don't give a shit who you are! What you just described is the leaking septic fluid that is eroding the foundation of this country! It's Lunchables and New Maths and Buzzfeed! Fuck that! I won't do that for the plebians that I'm supposed to write this for, I won't do that for this bullshit fucking studio and I certainly won't do it for you fuckers. That ''Moo-vee'' will NEVER be made NEVER!''\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA second geyser of bodily fluid and mass produced Che Guevara tank top exploded along with the final syllable of Greg's speech. The second creature stopped pointing his green device at the place where Greg had once stood and tucked it away. The first turned to the Director.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*''You make mo-veee. We wait''*\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThree rewrites. Ten mind numbing months of listening to Tyler Perry hit on Lindsay Lohan. Six months of rehab for the subsequent cocaine addiction. Nineteen offers of sex from various beautiful people the night of the premiere. Twenty Four million dollars in royalties as the sole writer of the blockbuster film, four sequels, two novels and the six season TV spinoff of *The Secret Of Diabolica.*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat’s what you do with an English Degree.\n\n&#x200B;",
"\"Look Cthulhu, all I'm saying is,\" I said not looking directly at him, \"We keep losing not only extras, which is bad, but also actors. They have contracts, man... er, shambling horror!\"\n\n\"See here,\" he gibbered with an English accent, a true feat, as his body fluxed in and out of our dimension. I was watching this through my peripheral vision so not to go insane, \"Is it my fault that these dunderheads cannot stand the presence of a true thespian?\"\n\n\"It's not that they can't handle your acting,\" I admitted, \"Pitt's a good actor, but he took one look at you and tried to bite off his own fingers. He's in the psychiatric ward and they say he may never act again.\"\n\n\"You can hardly call what he does acting,\" Cthulhu was now nibbling on his makeup artist again and I rubbed my temple.\n\nThis had all seemed like a great idea. I mean we were making the movie about the Great Old Ones invading Earth and has obtained major studio financing. Call of Cthulhu was the most anticipated movie of 2019. I had found that old copy of the Necronomicon in the bookshop in Arkham, notes scribbled in Old English madly written in the margins and sort of borrowed a word here and there.\n\nWell guess what folks? The stars just happened to be right that day. Just my luck I had randomly cobbled together a summoning ritual and out popped our boy Cthulhu here along with multiple shambling things. The local cults were furious with me for a bit but I calmed them, and Cthulhu, down by offering them parts in the movie. We wouldn't even need CGI with the real Cthulhu! We'd save millions.\n\n\"Now we're stuck negotiating a contract with Ryan Reynolds to take Pitt's place,\" I said, covering my face with my hands, \"Oh how low we've sunk. I don't know if this will work, Cthulhu.\"\n\n\"WHAT?\" his booming other-voice quaked the overly-large trailer he had demanded as part of his contract, the stars aligned perfectly on its door, \"We have a contract! I signed for a 3 movie deal and promised not to destroy the Earth! I'm working free, lesser being!\"\n\n\"You keep eating the extras!\" I, feeling brave, yelled back, \"Your horrible visage is hard to capture on film because you never hold steady in this dimension long enough.\"\n\n\"That's not my fault,\" Cthulhu argued, \"Your extras look so delicious, I thought they were part of the craft services. I find it hard to fully shift into this dimension and concentrate on my lines at the same time!\"\n\n\"Your lines are \"Blarrghghghgh!!!! and \"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr\".\", I told him and he hung his tentacled top appendage in shame, I think, it's hard to tell with dimensional horrors.\n\n\"I see,\" Cthulhu said, his voice so low it was only causing a small rumbling, \"What are you implying, Mr. Douglas?\"\n\n\"You're not a very good actor, Cthulhu buddy,\" I said, ready to die but it had to be said, \"I'm sorry, but its the truth.\"\n\n\"That's ok,\" he said meekly and I was a little shocked to still be in one piece. Then he brightened, \"I'm an amateur script writer too! As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about the sequel!\"\n\nWith that he dropped what had to be a hundred pound manuscript onto the table in front of me which threatened to collapse under its weight. I looked at the title, *Call of Cthulhu 2: Electric Bugaloo*, and moaned.",
"The artists sat in amazement as the *thing* before them re-drew all their previous work in seconds flat, but with much more detail. Having twenty tentacle arms seemed to help in this situation. They weren't quite sure which eye to look at as they bowed in appreciation. The being spoke to them telepathically, it's exposed brain pulsating as it communicated.\n\n\"The ending. The ending must be more like me. The ending. It must end everything. Destruction. Beauty.\"\n\nThe animators glanced sideways at each other. Finally, the producer spoke up. \"We can have some destruction, but we want at least some of the characters to live. That's how things are on this planet. If you draw the rest like you have now, then I think we can do that.\" There was a gurgle of excitement, followed by more tentacles forming from its body as it worked furiously. \n\nThe thing drew giant backdrops, some of which were only displayed in a fraction of its entirety. The animation was smooth and revolutionary for its time. The ending was bizzarre, like the creature, but almost modeled the feeling of its intended audience. The being looked as if it was having fun. In the end, a masterpiece was born... although the animators were never sure how its composer had been summoned to this plane.\n\nThe editors finished their last viewing session as the thing stretched across the floor and ceiling in the back. For now, the film remained without a title. They'd been putting off that decision until the process was completed. To be honest, some of the characters hadn't been ironed out until the end, with the voice actors having to re-record their lines as the thing drew the panels. The title would have to wait a bit longer, they decided. They turned to the entity and explained how credits work, and if it had a name that they could put in the credits. It nodded, in a strangely beautiful and grotesque sort of way.\n\n\"AKIRA.\"",
"\"I want something that really captures the moment, you know? Something that puts us in the center of this universe.\" Lucas Velkins was going off in Director-God Emperor mode again, walking back and forth across the set and waving his hands about to emphasize his points.\n\nUniverses.\n\nZeitgeist.\n\nMilleu.\n\nIt's a thirty second car commercial for fuck's sake. And not even a good car. Buick. Buick Verano. No one wants to go to this universe. This car isn't a part of the cultural zeitgeist. And if you own this car, you sure as fuck aren't present in any \"milleu.\"\n\nBut it's a job, and it isn't like it's easy to get work as a linguist these days. Should have gotten a damn computer science degree like my mom told me to. Of course that would be admitting that my mom was right, and I'd rather spend the rest of my life making up gibberish for ass-clowns like Mr. Director Sir Velkins than give mummy dearest the inside track on gloating. She still brought up the fact that my first girlfriend had turned out to be \"bad for me\" (read this as psychopathic harlot sent from hell to genetically graft misery into my life) just like she said she would.\n\nAh shit, I'd zoned out again. Velkins is looking at me like I'm supposed to be saying something. Well, this is Los Angeles, so I followed the prime directive: fake it 'til you make it. \"Oh yes Mr. Velkins, we need to put the viewer into the heart of this ecosystem. Make them realize that this isn't a car it's um...\" Fuck fuck fuck...where am I going with this? \"It's transportation.\" Oh Jesus, that's the best I could do? \"Meaning that people are being transported. There's not here, they're THERE, and that's what they've always wanted to be.\" FML, LOL.\n\nBut Velkins is nodding. His hand going up to his chin to tag at the small collection of ball hair that he has carefully cultivated there. \"Yes...yes...that's it exactly.\"\n\nHe bought that? How do I work for this guy? Why is this my life? What did I do to piss the universe off?\n\n\"I'll get right to work on it. We'll call it Veranese.\" Verano, Veranese, made sense. But nope, we've got a shaking of the head. Velkins isn't on board.\n\n\"No, no, no, that's all wrong. Veranish.\" Velkins replied, a look of smug satisfaction crossing his features. \"That's much better.\"\n\nI manage to keep my shit together and give him a nod of agreement. \"Yes, you're right. It felt wrong coming off the tongue.\"\n\n\"Maybe I should be the linguist!\" Velkins punched me on the shoulder, \"Don't take it too badly, I've been world-crafting for a long time.\"\n\nYeah, I was super moved by your work on Le Fin, the twenty second spot you did on athletic socks last year. Seriously, I'd barely managed to hold myself in tact, the tears were streaming. How you missed out on the Oscar is beyond me. The Academy is a bunch of hacks for us.\n\nRather than reply, I just gave him a half-hearted nod, tried to look chagrined and then shuffled off.\n\nFour years in undergrad, masters, $223k in debt and I'm working for minimum wage and renting a room with two other dudes. Both actors trying to make it while they wait tables. Both infinitely more financially solvent than me. Le sigh. At least the craft table is decent. I load up a few pastries and waddle my way backstage where I can get some quiet.\n\nA few minutes later and I'm deep into Veranish. I decided to leverage a variant of latin and build it off of car parts. The end result was the sort of half-baked bullshit that had become my stock and trade.\n\nMotor was now *Motricium*.\n\nGear shaft was now *Calces Hastilia.*\n\nSo on and so forth.\n\nI also just threw a bunch of other shit in there because it sounded good.\n\nI coughed into my hand, and gave the first sentence a whirl.\n\n\"Motricium Venerato Victori Calces Hastilia.\" I exclaimed aloud, my hands spreading wide and dumping my half eaten croissant and coffee to the ground. Cursing, I ducked down and tried to salvage the situation, but it was too late, a pool of cream and sugar laden liquid already forming a viscous, syrupy pool around my feet. I'm pretty sure that the concoction I was drinking could only be referred to as coffee flavored cream. Muttering to myself, I began to search my desk for a napkin.\n\nJust as my search had begun, I was blinded by a brilliant blue flash, followed by the appearance of a gateway. It slid open, and a gust of acrid wind blew outward. I, being a calm and sensible individual, started to scream at the top of my lungs, \"The North Koreans figured out portal technology!\"\n\nI'm not sure why I went with the North Koreans, it just felt right. It sorta seemed fitting that since they had disappeared for fifty years into their hermit kingdom the natural outgrowth of that would be time-space phase shifting. Why not?\n\nThree huddled beings emerged, their bodies covered in robes. They stood about four feet tall, and from what I could tell, had four arms in addition to their two legs. The legs had the backward knees things going on like deer or whatever. Probably not North Koreans. Not definitive, but it seemed unlikely. The final of the three was dragging a large object behind it.\n\nThe leader glanced at me, its large, hexagonal eyes taking me in and then passing over me. It walked onto the stage, eventually coming to stand beside Velkins, who finally noticed the newcomers.\n\n\"What? Is this some kind of joke? This is all fucking wrong. The Veranese\" --Oh, back to my word again are we?-- \"are supposed to be eight feet and have four legs and two arms. This doesn't make any sense.\"\n\nAlmost immediately the leader of the group started gibbering back, the language sounding very familiar to the mess of made up crap I had just been spouting out a few moments ago. The second of the Veraneseish (name in progress) came over to the leader and pulled out some odd pad looking thing and began scribbling notes feverishly, ducking its head and splaying out its four arms.\n\nThe third of the group game up beside me, still dragging the large object behind it. It stood, silent regarding the interaction between Velkins and the leader, watching as it grew progressively more animated. Velkins was talking about how his 'creative vision' had been utterly destroyed and that Buick wouldn't be happy -- which was probably true since his daddy was the VP of Marketing over there.\n\nThe Veraneseish wasn't backing down, going so far as to start wailing in Velkins face, hopping up and down furiously. The little guy was definitely giving Velkins hell.\n\nThe third turned and glanced at me, \"Vestria cornia collopiun?\"\n\nI jolted back to the surreal reality I was occupying, glancing at the third, \"I'm sorry, I don't understand you.\"\n\n\"Oh, my apologies, I assumed you spoke Verani.\" I had two thoughts. One, that Verani was better than Veranese or Veranish, which was annoying. Two, how the hell does this thing speak English?\n\n\"Nah, I was just making shit up. Why did you guys come?\"\n\nThird folded its appendages and heaved something that sounded very much like a sigh. \"That's Supreme Director Vool-lak Perseria, he's responsible for ensuring cultural standards through pan-dimensional space, particularly when the subject is Verani.\"\n\nI shrugged, \"Um, ok. So what's he so pissed about?\"\n\n\"A Verani would never drive a Buick.\"\n\n**Platypus out.**\n\n**Want MOAR peril?** r/PerilousPlatypus\n\n&#x200B;"
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[wp] 'So, how long have you been a lycanthrope?' 'Can you recall the werewolf who bit you?' Just common questions asked in a clinic for new Lycanthropes really.
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" \n\nLupe sat atop a green pleather examination table in a cramped waiting room. Flutter, an eight-foot-tall pale woman with bright red hair that matched Lupe’s, sat in a wooden seat across from her. A sudden knock at the door called their attention, but a nurse walked in before either of them could answer. The blonde nurse carried in a clipboard and paused when she stepped in the room. She looked at Flutter, then at Lupe. After a moment she looked back at Flutter through squinted eyes.\n\n“I give up,’ she tossed her arms up with mock exasperation and smiled. “Who am I here to see?” she asked. Flutter pointed at Lupe and the nurse nodded. She walked to the girl and introduced herself.\n\n“I’m Fernie,” the nurse offered Lupe a hand and Lupe shook it with a smile.\n\n“I’m Lupe.” Fernie nodded and smiled. She clicked her pen and started reading from the clipboard.\n\n“How long have you been a lycanthrope?” Fernie asked.\n\n“As far back as I can remember,” Lupe replied. Fernie looked surprised.\n\n“Really? I guess you won’t be able to recall who bit you, right?” Fernie asked. She drew an ‘X’ by the next question, then drew several more ‘X’s on the next few questions. “Those are all about your symptoms when you turned, but if you don’t remember…” Fernie paused then she looked at Lupe with wide eyes.\n\n“Wait, were you born a werewolf?” she asked. Lupe nodded. Fernie sighed. “Oh, that doesn’t happen here. You’re not from this Earth are you?” Fernie turned and gave Flutter a long look up and down. Then, she turned her attention back to Lupe.\n\n“No,” Lupe said.\n\n“I need a different set of forms.” Fernie headed to the door. “Be right back,” she smiled and walked out.\n\n“Does she know what you are?” Lupe asked Flutter. The woman shook her head.\n\n“She can see I’m Fae, but she can’t tell what,” she smiled at Lupe. In less than a minute Fernie entered the room carrying a different clipboard and a small black case. She set the case down and clicked her pen again.\n\n“Okay, let’s restart the interview. Are werewolves common on your Earth?” Lupe shook her head.\n\n“I think I’m the only one.” Fernie nodded.\n\n“Are you a Unique?” Lupe glanced at Flutter, but the tall woman’s only response was an encouraging head nod.\n\n“#47, La Corona.”\n\n“Perfect! This’ll be easy,” Fernie said. She opened the black case and pulled out a white, lemon-sized stress ball. “Have you ever knowingly, or un-knowingly turned anyone?”\n\n“No, I’ve never bitten anyone.” Fernie handed the ball to Lupe.\n\n“Bite this, please.” Lupe put the squishy ball in her mouth and bit as hard as she could. “That’s enough,” Fernie said. Lupe released her jaw and looked at the ball that Fernie held. Instead of the white stress ball she expected, red fur covered the surface of the ball. The nurse shook the ball until all the red strands fell out and it became smooth and white again.\n\n“Well, you’re definitely infectious,” Fernie began to explain. Lupe’s heart pumped faster. Her fists tensed up into balls, she worried about what Fernie might say next. She looked at Flutter, but the woman seemed perfectly relaxed. “But that’s easy enough to manage with a prescription,” she scribbled something on the form. “How do you change?” Fernie asked. Lupe shrugged.\n\n“I dunno, I just do it,” she replied.\n\n“Oh, you can change any time?” Fernie wrote something on the form. “How does the moon affect you?”\n\n“It doesn’t,” Lupe said. Fernie reached into the black case and pulled out another white ball. This one glowed with soft blue light when she squeezed it.\n\n“Focus on the light,” Fernie moved the ball slowly in different directions to watch Lupe’s reaction. After several movements, Fernie turned the ball of light off with a squeeze, then put it away.\n\n“You’re right about moonlight. No effect. What’s your experience with silver?” Fernie asked. She reached into her case again.\n\n“Never noticed anything,” Lupe said. Fernie pulled out a large silver coin and showed it to Lupe.\n\n“Hold your hand out,” Fernie said. Lupe extended her hand and held it palm facing up. “I’m going to drop a silver coin in your hand. If it hurts, drop it.” Lupe nodded. “Three,” Fernie began a countdown. \n\n“Two. One.” She dropped the coin. Lupe yelped the moment it touched her skin. She felt intense burning pain eating at the palm of her hand. Lupe jerked her hand away to let the coin fall to the ground, and she massaged her wounded hand. “Major silver allergy,” Fernie commented to herself as she wrote on the form.\n\n“Okay that covers all the important stuff,” Fernie said. “You’ll be registered in our multi-verse system if that’s okay?” She asked Lupe. “It helps us keep track of the werewolves that travel through universes.” The girl nodded.\n\n“Yes, please. I was going to ask about that,” Lupe smiled with excitement.\n\n“Really?” Fernie’s eyes grew. “Wow, you’re the first, ‘yes’ I’ve ever gotten,” Fernie shrugged then gave Lupe a sly smile. “We have to add you either way, but we’re also required to inform you. And you *want* to be added? Why’s that?” Fernie asked.\n\n“I can’t enroll in school unless I’m registered,” Lupe smiled.\n\n\\*\\*\\*\n\n Thank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day in 2018, this is #282. You can find them collected on my [blog](https://hugoverse.info/). If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the [Guidebook](https://hugoverse.info/2017/11/25/hugoverse-guidebook/) to see what's what and who's who, or the [Timeline](https://hugoverse.info/2017/10/23/hugoverse-timeline/) to find the stories in order. "
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[WP] While with a group of friends an ancient alien appears. It declares your friends to be the Chosen Ones, destined to save its homeworld. You aren't one but try to follow your friends through a portal. You end up on the alien planet generations after your friends arrived. They failed.
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"Whoo - barely made it through the portal, just as it was closing up!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTaking a look around, it's clear I was on an alien planet, and although I just followed Katrina and Julia, they were nowhere to be found... until I looked up. Giant twenty-feet stone statues of my two friends gazed down upon me from opposite sides of a strange gate. They appeared to be old too, with cracks running down their lengths. Where - and when - exactly, was I?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"There she is, the Unworthy One!\" I heard, as an alien looking similar to the one I had seen minutes earlier pointed excitedly at me. \"Kill her!\" screamed another, as a crowd of more aliens gathered round, eying me nervously. \"You've unbalanced our universe!\" Oops, guess that portal was closing up for a reason. But there's no time to think when there's a swarm of aliens surrounding you. Only time to fight.\n\n\\*cue Kill Bill music\\*",
"As I opened my eyes, all I could see was signs of terrible devastation that happened so long ago. Purple and mauve moss and plants covered remains of buildings that once touched the emerald sky. There were no bodies. There was no movement. Nothing lived on this rock that was supposed to be a home to millions of intelligent species from all over the universe. I turned around to look for the guys. They were supposed to be here - and being the chosen ones, they would be alive, even if this happened to the place they were supposed to defend. Is this what success looks like? What if...oh, man, oh, shit, oh, no, no, NO! They failed. My idiot good for nothing superhero demigod friends fuddled it up. They dropped the ball and it rolled over everything Katamari Damacy style, leaving nothing but ruin. That means they must be dead. Frag. That means I am stuck on an alien planet with no means of transportation. Great. What would Matt Damon do? Find shelter. Grow food. Send message home. Some of these building look almost structurally sound. Let's go find a hole to hide into and cry myself to sleep. Maybe some of these fruits end my misery. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI slept surprisingly well. The fruit I tried tasted like chicken parm and was weirdly filling. Best get on with it, the search for a communications array - if it comes in a shape of tech I understand. Walking around is eery. Nothing moves, no birds, bees, dinosaurs that talk - nothing. Not even a gust of wind. After a few hours of walking I come across a clearing, like a huge square with benches and canopies and would must have been food stalls and fountains. This used to be a kind of place one would come to eat a sandwich, walk a dog or tire out their kids. I sat on a bench, dangling my legs, and kicked something shiny from under the grass. Picked it up - it was a smooth metal disc. It sat perfectly in my palm. I touched the edges, trying to see if it turns on, turned it around even flipped it like a coin. Nothing. I closed my fist, about to throw it far away in frustration, when an image of a menu showed up in my eyes. It was some sort of projection? subliminal signal? I was able to move through the menus, pictures of someone's non-human family (the things they did looked surprisingly human - eating dinner, cuddling the kids, walking their pet - even though they were huge octopus looking things). On one of the videos I could see a tv in the background. Faces of my friends, a parade celebrating their arrival. The gurgles made by the natives sounded happy, encouraging. My friends were waving, looking confident they can do it. Then something exploded behind them. Chunks of metal tore of Matt's head and the screaming started. I could see a shadow of a colossus behind them and the screen went blank. For a moment nothing moved. Screen was black, the living room in which it was recorded silent, before someone started to scream - I can recognise fear and the recording was cut short. They were killed. All of them. Moments before I arrived. Years? How long does it take for this purple moss to cover everything? A decade? Rasta all mighty. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nGood news is that the tech seems to work. If they nuked this place EMP would have knocked everything out of order. Luckily, I might be able to call for help. Hope they developed a universal translator by now. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n (he calls for help, but the enemy arrives - I'll continue this later)",
" \n\nThe portal rippled and shook behind me, before collapsing in a burst of blue light. I gasped and, to my surprise, was able to breathe. I stood alone on a sandy beach. The water rustled before me, gentle waves lapping at the white sand. It was warm, but not too hot, and the cool breeze that rose from the water was a welcome guest to the picturesque beach. Behind me, and beyond the water near the horizon, rose immense mountain peaks, capped in white show, with a gentle blanket of fog rolling through the center of the hills. It was green and lush, and all around me I heard the rustle of the forest in the wind. I looked around for my friends but couldn’t find them. How do portals work? Was that normal? \n\nI walked along the beach for hours, taking in the beautiful scenery. I could spend my whole life here. The water was fresh, not salty. Did this planet have freshwater seas?\n\nEventually I came upon something unnatural in this pristine world. A large monument lay half sunk, carved in symbols I did not understand, with a single English word scratched overtop: *Ozymandias*. My friends had been here before. \n\nAs I stared long at the monument, the bushes behind me rustled. An elderly man appeared; he was bald, clean shaven, wearing sandals and a foreign garment that would be best described as a light blue robe \n\n“Pete, by god it is you.” The man said, tearing up. He extended his arms and walked towards me. I could tell his smile was genuine, but his eyes were filled with sadness. \n\n“how do you know me?” I asked, obliging the old man with a hug. He squeezed me tight and lay his head down on my shoulder. He began crying, sobbing. \n\n“Peter, it’s me, Matthew. After all these years I never lost hope I would see you again.” \n\n“I don’t understand, I followed you into the portal?” \n\n“Ahh, time and space are funny things, aren’t they? We came through together, all nine of us, but there was a power surge when I went through. The calibration was off, and, well, here we are.” \n\n“What happened here?” I asked.\n\n“Come, follow me, I will show you.” Matthew said.\n\nHe led me on a narrow trail through the mountains. It was a long hike, taking most of the afternoon. Eventually we reached the crest of the foothills. To the west lay the beach, the expanse of the ocean, and the setting sun. To the east was an immaculate green valley, ending in another range of steep, snow capped mountains. In front of us was a small wooden cabin, built and maintained by Peter over the years.\n\n“Sit please, I have tea – from wild berries and a plant that tastes an awful lot like a snickers bar.”\n\nI sat beside him on the makeshift bench outside the cabin and sipped the tea. Admittedly, it wasn’t bad.\n\n“You won’t find many animals around here, or any aliens, or really much else besides plants, this world’s version of fish, and this world’s version of insects.” Peter said, staring longingly at the ocean. He walked back inside the cabin and returned with a large book. Inside were photographs.\n\n“This is the best record I could make of everything that transpired over the last fifty years” He said, showing me the photos. \n\nIt was incredible. A civilization with indescribable technology, inhabiting every known portion of the world. I saw my friends, called the chosen, worshipped as gods among aliens. They were prophesized to bring balance to the world, to bring harmony and tranquility.\n\n“I don’t understand, you say we failed?” I said, skimming through the first pages of photos. “Everything here is beautiful, and tranquil. Look around.”\n\n“Failure has many forms, Peter, Keep reading” \n\nI skipped a few pages and began seeing the horror. Dead aliens. Dead bird-like creatures. Dead cattle and dog counterparts. All around were pictures of piles of dead animals. Great piles of decaying life were burned, the smoke and haze turned the skies yellow. My friends lived as best they could. Most were hunted down and killed by the wrathful aliens. Some found portals home, and only Matthew remained, here in isolation. \n\nMatthew began tearing up. “We brought peace, and tranquility, but only because we killed half of all life on the planet, including their entire alien race.” \n\nI stood for a moment and walked away from the cabin. It was all too much. This world had never seen a virus before the day my friends appeared. In ten years’ time almost all life was wiped from the face of this earth. The aliens, those that survived, fled the planet, and the entire world was quarantined. A world full of so much beauty and wonder, and those that had fought to preserve it were now banished for all time. *Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair* indeed. ",
"School had been out for a couple days and I'd been itching for something to do, so I texted the group chat me and my friends were in.\n\n*\"Anyone wanna go to the forest? I'm super bored.\"*\nKalen: yeah dude, meet at yours?\nJace: Can my brother come? My parents are out and I'm supposed to be babysitting even though he's 12.\n*\"Sure dude, yeah let's meet at mine and we'll leave when we're all here.\"*\nGeorgia: Coming!!\n\nWe packed a small picnic and set out to the forest. The sun was shining and there seemed to be a thunderstorm rolling in, but it looked to be hours off. We'd be back by then.\n\nWe were ambling about with Daniel, Jaces' brother, complaining about having to carry most of the food as background noise.\n\nThen a rabbit darted across the ground ahead of us.\n\n\"Did you see that?\" I asked.\n\nJace answered right after.\n\"Yeah, d'you think we can catch it?\" \n \nI looked at Jace and he looked back at me, smirking.\n\"Catch what?\" \nWe took off, sprinting after the terrified creature, not bothering to answer Georgia's question. It wasn't long before she and Kalen were sprinting alongside us though.\n\n\"Guys! Wait up!\" Daniel called, but we were all too caught up in the hunt.\n\nWe ran for what felt like 5 minutes then stopped to catch out collective breaths.\n\n\"Did you see where it went?\" Asked Kalen, I shook my head in reply then looked to Jace to see if he saw. He shook his head too.\n\nGeorgia was pointing to something with her eyes as wide as the moon, speechless. We looked to where she was pointing and saw a woman.\n\nShe was bald and beautiful, clad in a skin-tight leather suit, frills down her legs. She seemed to be glowing a dim orange and looked slightly transparent. Must be a trick of the light.\n\nOn her lap was the rabbit we were chasing, snuggled up against her like wild rabbits should be.\n\nShe smiled shyly and turned the rabbit over, and it just let her. Relaxed and docile as if it were dead.\n\nAnd then the rabbit was no longer there. In its place was what seemed like a drone. A small, metal drone.\n\n\"Holograms are ever so useful aren't they?\"\n\nWhat? Did she say holo-\n\n\"Who are you?\" Demanded Jace. He was scared, that was Hus scared voice.\n\nShe frowned and tucked the drone in between her breasts.\n\n\"I'm called Hokfei, I'm on a mission for the good of my people, we are in dan-\"\n\n\"Hold on, are you an alien?\" Asked Georgia, curious as the day we met.\n\nThe woman was taken aback then adjusted herself. \"Yes. I need your help, there is a prophecy on my world which for tells of four adolescent aliens who would save us from-\"\n\n\"Like an actual proper alien?? You're not just a random in prosthetics or whatever, right?\"\n\nShe smiled patiently but she seemed a bit annoyed. I was annoyed by Georgia when we first met too.\n\n\"Yes, Georgia, I presume.\"\n\n\"What, you can read minds?!\"\n\nThe alien made a deep humming noise which seemed to be laughter.\n\n\"No, child, your names were mentioned in the prophecy.\" \n\n\"What prophecy?\" Asked Kalen, he looked completely calm. I wondered if he was, I hadn't known him for very long, so it was difficult to read him.\n\nI was thinking about the future and how the alien seemed to be able to tell it. I had always held the belief that the future is uncertain and nothing can be predicted. \n\nHowever, I had always held the belief that aliens didn't exist, so I was stumped. This must be a trick. Another hologram.\n\nBut... We don't have the technology for holograms. And, why would anybody wanna play a trick on us? We weren't powerful... Or... Important.\n\nMeanwhile, as this thought tornado ravaged my brain, the lady explained the prophecy.\n\n\"There has been a prophecy on my world for many years. Some even say its been around for decades, it for tells of fou-\"\n\n\"Decades aren't very long, must have been a fairly recent prophecy.\"\n\nThe alien looked confused and then seemed to come to a realization. \n\n\"Oh, no... Uh, our planets years are much longer than yours, the current estimate is around 23 times longer.\"\n\nWe all nod. It made sense.\n\n\"Anyways, it for tells of four adolescent aliens that will defeat the darkness and end the war that has been raging on for almost half a year. It's terrible, they're truly evil!\"\n\n\"We'll help you!\" Says Kalen, ready and rearing for a fight. \n\nThe alien looks victorious already, smiling widely. She opens her mouth but Jace interrupts, \"The hell we will.\" \n\nKalen looks to Jace with disappointment.\n\n\"You boy, your name is Kalen, yes?\"\n\n\"No, I'm Kalen, he's Jace.\" Supplies Kalen.\n\nShe nods, \"The prophecy fortells you will help us, because our cause is good and fair. The prophecy for tells you four will help eradicate the evil Dext, responsible for bringing about and afflicting innocent people with sickness and plague.\"\n\nA silent moment passes as we come to terms with this new information.\n\n\"If you're Georgia,\" she looks to Georgia, \"And you are Jace,\" she turns to Jace, \"And you are Kalen,\" her eyes briefly flicker to Kalen, then they settle on me.\n\n\"Then, you must be Daniel.\"\n\nA wave of confusion hits me.\n\n\"No, I'm not Daniel.\"\n\nAnd then it clears. I'm not in the prophecy. It didn't mention me. I wasn't meant to save the aliens' planet.\n\n\"Daniel is my brother,\" Says Jace.\n\nShe looks to me, the orangey leather clad bald woman, and she says, \"well, who are you then?\"\n\n\"WHAT THE FUCK HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING???!!!?!\"\n\nAh, the fourth hero arrives. I look at Daniel. His acne ridden fave and neck, his short, thin frame and his stupid light-up sneakers. This was the fourth hero?! Come the fuck on.\n\n\"Daniel, watch your language.\" Jace reprimands, not even bothering to explain.\n\nGrace turns to the alien. \"What's your name again?\"\n\n\"Hokfei.\"\n\n\"Daniel, this is Hokfei, her planet is in danger and we need to help her.\"\n\n\"Help her?! But she's a thing! She's not human!!\"\n\nI shook my head. Hokfeis' planet is as good as doomed.\n\n\"All four chosen ones are here, I shall open the portal for you to step through, it will begin to degrade once all four of you a through and will close shortly after degradation begins.\"\n\nShe takes something from between her breasts, its not the drone. It looked like an egg thing. She cracked it open and spilt the contents on the ground.\n\nIt was a dark, oily liquid, and it begun to spear out and expand. How was it doing that?\n\nIt expanded into a perfect circle, big enough for all of them to jump down into.\n\n\"The portal can stay open indefinitely and will only close when all four of you have entered, please come quickly and bring your most effective weapons.\"\n\nHokfei steps onto the portal and sinks into it. I watch as the oil climbs up her slightly transparent skin. Her smile remained hopeful as she stared at them. I would be cringing at the feeling of the portal substance. How did she keep her look of hope while she was sinking in that sticky black stuff?\n\nI shivered as the liquid crept up her neck. Why was it so agonisingly slow? Eugh...\n\nWe all watched as the tip of her bald head dipped underneath the liquid, gone.\n\nNo trace of her was left.",
"It’s an odd thing to think about--how we’ve been programmed, our entire lives, for this very moment. How many movies, books, television shows can you name where an all powerful being abruptly appears, names the Chosen Ones, and brings them in to save the day?\n\nAll of them. It’s fucking all of them. \n\nOf course my friends didn’t question it. An alien creature had done what most people hoped would happen. Told them they were special. Magical. Told them they could make a difference, gave them a reason to leave behind they’re miserable lives. \n\n“You are to save us.” It had said, voice resonating with power, with knowledge. “You are the Saviors we have been waiting for!” \n\nWe were excited. We were all excited, of course we were. Looking back now, I would have been just as dumb as them if I hadn’t been forcibly set aside, cast out. I would have rushed to save the day without a second thought. \n\nI never would have given a thought to the fact that the alien had never proven itself to be all powerful. Didn’t consider that it may not know my friends were not the beings it was looking for. \n\nA second thought was given though. It was a fast thought, a thought made in anger and horror and the fact that this always fucking happened to me. \n\nThis time, I wasn’t going to let it. \n\nThis time, I would be apart of the adventure even if I wasn’t wanted. \n\nMaybe someone else would’ve sat down and accepted it. Not me. Not now. I’ve been told I’m not special my entire life. Some two-bit alien with fancy technology and the ability to travel dimensions wasn’t any different from my bitchy school counselor or my disappointed parents. I knew what my friends didn’t--that I could make myself special. That it was my actions that made the difference, not some woo-woo magic bullshit.\n\nLooking around now, I wished I had stopped to tell them that.\n\nThey had left me though, gone ahead without a backwards glance. They had been chosen and I had not, and any protests I had would likely have come off as “jealous.” So I ran after them, dead into that portal. \n\nI wasn’t even five steps behind.\n\nFive steps was enough. I don’t know how time works in portals--or really, how anything works in the dimension I found myself in. I had just gotten there. \n\nMy friends on the other hand, had clearly been here a while.\n\nFive statues ringed a battlefield littered with smoking bodies, all of creatures I couldn’t recognize. The gore that surrounded me was inhuman enough to separate me from it--it was gruesome yes, but it just didn’t register like a human’s death would have. Like blood would have.\n\nNo, nothing registered, nothing at all--until I stumbled up to a statue of my best friend’s head.\n\nThe crack in the middle was rather impressive, almost as much as the tank-looking vehicle that had demolished it. \n\nThe tank hadn’t gotten far--it’d been stopped right at the base of my other best friends statue. Her’s was still standing, some sort of blackened out magic crystal clutched in stone hands. \n\n“YOU.” Something boomed, directly into my head. “ARE BRAVE SHOWING UP HERE.” A dirty white mass moved around yet another statue--Jake, my mind identified after a stunned moment--and thudded it’s way towards me. \n\nIt was roughly the same size of the statues, with shaggy, dirty fur. Horns curled out of it’s face, next to jagged, stained teeth. Looking at it felt like a puzzle, my mind automatically trying to find animals to compare to it. \n\nIt failed. \n\n“THEY LIVED GOOD LIVES, THE OTHER CHOSEN ONES.” It continued, making its way towards me. I didn’t run--couldn’t. Where would I go? The only shelter around was the statues. The ground was filled with what I thought was weapons, but none I knew how to use unless I decided to try my hand at just throwing things. “WE WORSHIPPED THEM. FOLLOWED THEM.”\n\nIt stopped before me, leaning down. \n\n“THEY HAVE DOOMED US ALL.” \n\nOf course they did. \n\n\n(1/2, though I have to leave work so there will be a bit of time before the second half is posted. Good prompt OP!) "
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[WP] While many believe the ghost who scares people passing by the cornfield at night is that of a man who died there by an accident years ago, some claim it's someone trying to keep people away from some kinky business going inide the field. You're 1 of the 3 policemen sent to investigate this
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"\"Dispatch, Alpha 4 is 23.\"\n\n\"10-4,\" came the cool reply of the dispatcher, Susan.\n\n\"Put me on a 30 minute timer, please.\"\n\n\"Copy that, Shawn. 30 minutes.\"\n\nShawn Brozier stepped out of his police car into the cool night air, and listened. The rhythmic chirping of crickets greeted his ears, alongside the gentle rustling of the corn plants in the gentle summer breeze. Aside from that, there was no indication that there was anyone or anything for miles. \n\nHe turned on his radio, and was greeted with the powerup confirmation beep in his earpiece. Brozier locked his vehicle, then began walking down the side of the dirt road. \n\nThe whole town was aware of the legend of the old Carlisle farm. The range road it was next to was one of the few ways into the town center, and was frequented by almost all of the town residents at one point or another. About half of the people who frequented the road swore that the particular stretch of it next to the Carlisle farm was haunted, and that a tortured soul was stuck there, never able to find peace.\n\nThe Chief had never given the old stories much thought, and neither had any of the Deputies, until recently, that is. Whatever 'ghost' was here had escalated from simply trying to scare people away to a higher form of mischief: Harry Taylor had called in that while driving past the farm and slowing down to get a better look at the 'ghost', his truck was suddenly smashed by an unknown object. Harry's windshield had been shattered in the process, and he was furious.\n\nNaturally, when Harry got out to confront the 'ghost', it had vanished. \n\nHarry happened to be a friend of the Chief, so naturally when he called to demand someone catch the vandal who smashed his truck, the Chief assigned Shawn to look into it. Shawn had politely suggested that there might be some other reason for the damage to the truck (Harry was a notorious drunk and a shitty driver even when he was sober), but the Chief insisted that Shawn give the matter his full attention. Shawn liked his job, so he politely smiled and said he would do just that. After all, taking a walk around a cornfield for an hour was much easier than arguing with the boss.\n\nAs Shawn came up to the area where Harry's truck had been damaged, he noted several small fragments of safety glass in the dirt. He scanned the area, then frowned in confusion. \n\nThe area was like any typical farm you might find in any other area of the Midwest. Flat, straight. No trees. The road was bumpy, but passable. The Carlisle's farm was on the right side of the road, and the along the left was the Taber's cattle ranch, complete with barb wire fence along the perimeter. \n\nWhat caused the confusion was the fact that the cornfield and fence were both intact. There was no indication that there had been any kind of collision here, with the exception of the broken glass. Nothing to suggest Harry had swerved off the road. No blood or clothes nearby to suggest he'd hit a pedestrian out here. And if he'd hit one of the Taber's head of cattle, there would have been a lot more damage to Harry's old Dodge pickup. \n\nAs Shawn surveyed the scene, he slowly came to the conclusion that he'd been so quick to dismiss earlier.\n\nThis wasn't a drunken accident. Harry was telling the truth... someone had smashed his car on purpose. But who? And why?\n\nShawn returned to his police car, and pulled open the clamshell lid of his Mobile Data Terminal, the in-car computer. He quickly entered a few search parameters, then sent off the transaction. After a moment, he was rewarded with the 'whip' sound indicating the search was returned.\n\nHe studied the records and was even more confused. According to the police history, Harry had never interacted with either the Carlisles or the Tabers. That shot the first hole in his initial theory; that they'd damaged his truck due to bad blood between them. Still, the could have fought with each other and never gotten the police involved, so he put the thought on the back burner for the moment, and closed the computer.\n\nShawn stared off into the distance, trying to think of who might have even a slight reason to damage Harry's truck, but couldn't think of one for the life of him. Harry, for all his faults, was a private man. He didn't interact with a lot of people, and didn't make enemies. Sure, he'd been pulled over by the police for driving drunk a few times, but that was about it. He was never hostile to anyone, never got into any other trouble. \n\nSuddenly, movement caught his eye. Up near the road by where he'd found the glass, Shawn swore he saw something move in the failing light of dusk. \n\nShawn exited his car, and quietly closed the door. He then quietly made his way over towards the collision scene, trying to be as stealthy as possible. Unlike what people saw in TV and movies, you didn't want to shout and draw attention to yourself in situations like these. It just made the suspects run. It was far easier to quietly sneak up and catch them, totally unaware. \n\nAs he approached the area, he saw the grass at the side of the road leading into the Carslile farm had been trampled. Shawn hadn't set foot over there, so he knew someone had come out of the field while he was walking back to the car. \n\nHe scanned the cornfield up and down the length of the road, but saw no movement. Aside from the rustling leaves in the wind, he heard no movement. \n\nHis internal alarm bells started going off. Big time. \n\nShawn keyed his mic. \"Dispatch, 4.\"\n\nThere was a momentary pause before the reply came in his ear. \"Go ahead.\"\n\n\"Can you roll 2 and 51 in my direction please? There's something hinky going on here. Can't put my finger on it yet, but better to be safe than sorry.\"\n\n\"Copy that. Alpha 2, Alpha 51 do you copy?\"\n\n\"Enroute,\" came the reply from Terry, his zone partner.\n\n\"30 minutes out,\" his road Sergeant followed up a moment later. \"You need us code?\"\n\n\"Routine's OK, Mel,\" Shawn replied. \"Listen, I'm about 100 yards north of my car. I'm just following some footprints roadside into the Carlisle farm, eastbound. Radio me when you get here and I'll come back out to meet you.\"\n\nThere was another pause before Brozier's radio crackled open again. \"Maybe you should hold up 'till we get there, Shawn. Just in case there is something funny going on.\"\n\n\"I think someone was watching me, when I rolled up Sarge. Longer I wait, more chance they have to disappear.\"\n\n\"All the more reason to stay put till we get there. We don't need you walking smack dab into an ambush. Just hold tight. That's an order.\"\n\nShawn sighed in frustration, and composed himself before replying. \"Understood. See you when you arrive.\"\n\nThe microphone crackled closed. He stared into the gaps between the corn stalks, envisioning the suspect getting further and further away with each passing second. His cop instincts started to overpower his caution and sensibility. He couldn't let whoever was in there get away, he might not have another chance like this.\n\nWithout even knowing it, he suddenly found himself walking into the cornfield, following the path of the disturbed plants. After a few minutes, he was deep into the farm, and the light began to fail him. He reached towards the flashlight on his duty belt, pulled it out and switched it on.\n\nThe flashlight fell to the ground, kicking up a plume of dust on impact. Shawn never even had a chance to call out or key the emergency button on his radio. \n\nThe flashlight beam cut through the murky darkness, lighting up the stalks of corn like rows of narrow teeth piercing into the darkening sky.\n\n**Someone else want to carry on from the perspective of one of the other police officers?**"
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[WP] You have been suspicious for a while now that your laundry basket is sentient.
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"10/7/2018\n\nIt did it again. I’m damn near sure of it. I don’t know how, but my laundry basket just blinked. I think I may be losing my mind. This can’t even be possible. This morning I came downstairs to find my wife crying on the floor. She told me she was leaving me because I was “clearly insane.” I need to find proof; it may be the only thing that can save my marriage.\n\n10/8/2018\n\nIT YAWNED TODAY! I swear I saw it! I tried to tell my wife but I was sent straight to voicemail. She hasn’t picked up a single call since she left this morning. It’s 11:30pm now, and she hasn’t come back. I’m beginning to think the laundry basket did something to her. I. NEED. PROOF.\n\n10/9/2018\n\nShe called me back. She told me she couldn’t handle me and whatever “episode” I was having... She says she’s staying at her mother’s until she figures out what to do. I wish that she was still here, but I take comfort in the fact that the laundry basket can’t get to her now. I need to find evidence. I bought security cameras today. Hopefully I can set them up while the laundry basket is sleeping.\n\n10/10/2018\n\nI filled the laundry basket with clothes today, and it worked like a charm. The additional clothes I put in were enough to congest it to the point that it snored when it fell asleep. No one will believe any story about a snoring laundry basket and will accuse me of faking the video. I need definitive proof. I need movement. I took this time to set up the cameras. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get it to move...\n\n10/11/2018\n\nThis will be my last entry. While my words depict calmness, I feel anything but. The trap went horribly wrong. In my attempts to anger it into moving, I went too far. It has me cornered in the closet. The only thing between us is the door, and it sounds like it won’t hold much longer. Luckily, it doesn’t know I have my journal so I can write this final message. Jen, if you find this, I love you and I’m sorry. Show the camera footage to the police. The files are automatically encrypted with a 12-digit-passcode. the passcode is: L4undr—"
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[WP] You’re stuck in a time loop, repeating the same day of your life over and over again, you’re the only person who has realised this. You decided to figure out why. It turns out that someone with time manipulating abilities loses the love of their life that day, and they don’t want to let go.
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"I landed on this miserable mud ball the day the moon was born.\n\nI have walked its surface for countless cycles, watched native life rise and fall, over and over again. Eh, its a hobby. An ever living being needs a hobby or 3. It was quite nice for a very long time.\n\nAnd then the incident began. During the age of the hairless apes, with their metal and glass habitats. It was looking like they would manage to wipe not only themselves, but all of the other mortal species out if they kept up their polluting greed and lust for destruction. It was a rather entertaining age. Until the day that kept repeating.... That's a new trick, and a very annoying one.\n\nForever is long enough without causing a localized temporal loop! Well then, time for a new hobby, find the source, neutralize it, get on with eternity once more.\n\nIt was march, the day the hairless apes looked to the gopher to tell them how much longer winter would last, a small town in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney I believe they called it. Something was wrong in Punxsutawney, very wrong.\n\nIt still bothers me slightly, I never could figure out what had gone wrong in Punxsutawney, even after 10,000 cycles of repetition. In the end, I simply wiped it from the map along with whatever the anomaly to the continuation to space time was.",
"Man at first I was really creeped out after the first few weeks I just accept it . The old man won’t stop crying so I just do every single thing I ever wanted to do . Rob a bank , punch a priest I’ve done it all . I ate all you can eat at every buffet I can get to in 24 hour radius . I stole a Tesla model S because wanted to see how it felt . Then at the end of each day I either get killed or go to sleep ,but I still wake up at the same day . People are sometimes creeped out by the away I’m able to predict things . The away I can tell the same trash can is gone fall over . What time my neighbors are gone get up because after 589 days of just the same day it becomes natural . My worst fear is that one day I’ll wake up it’s another day . The shit I did yesterday is gone come after me . No more cocaine and hard drugs , no more hooker parties and no more excitement. Imagine no more payment for your actions . Do anything you ever wanted . That’s the life .",
"I don't want to do this shit again.\n\nEvery godamn day for... Christ knows how long I have been reliving the same day over and over, I leave my house at 5:13 with a cup of coffee and a bagel, drive to work and throw on my gray scrubs, I say hello to Debby (the ginger receptionist) and start walking around, greeting patients.\nThen, around 10 is when *HE* comes in, with his blue shirt and trouser looking all distraught, like he isn't the one doing this to me.\nHe walks up to Debby and asks what room she's in (little bastard has to have it engraved in his brain by now)\nNow, the real kicker, this mother f-cker walks up to *ME* and asks me where the room is, and I have to play along or else this arrogant, selfish c-nt will completely *flip his godamn shit* and restart.\n\nSo I point him to room 305 and there she is, laying on her bed, crying her eyes out and this sadistic f-ck starts comforting her, like he isn't making this happen, oh god I hate him.\n\n\n\nAnd then, it starts all over again,\n\nGod I hate \"Loss\"",
"I woke up at 3 AM after a nightmare, I rushed to my wooden dresser, which contained the clothes I needed to wear. Well, I didn't need to wear them at this point, but after this time, I'd just had it in my mind that if I do win this, I don't want to be the guy on the newspaper naked. How many times had I picked these out? I knew exactly where everything was, down to the little fold on the corner of the gray jacket. Bottom right, third drawer.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou get familiar to it after a while. It's almost comforting. You can do anything, and no matter what, you're always waking up after that nightmare you can't remember. Hell, comfort, liberation, boredom, frustration. The steps of someone in repetition for eternity. First you're so afraid, you don't even know. You just go through it over and over. You know it's off, and you even know you can make different choices. You don't. You're too afraid. You try little things at first, and you actually meet resistance. It takes all you can to break how fixed every event seems to be.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI put a cup in a different spot, at first. An inch off. Afraid that they'd notice. I was paranoid. I felt like we were a fictional show. The motions I went through that day were interesting, but the changes weren't substantial, I needed to try more.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI started to throw my coat off in a different spot, I started throwing different words, testing the butterfly effect, so to say. When I did this, you could see the resistance of time, like a bullet through gel, a rainbow-like pattern of alteration that seemed to push against the grain.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTime is very rubbery. It is thick. It doesn't like disturbance. But it's non-newtonian, I think, if you apply enough force, it shatters entirely. I started trying to shatter things instead of making ripples. Each day, I started with a plan and started to look around. 24 hours is enough to get a certain amount of things done. Let's do it. The first night I ended up in the slammer because I tried to steal a car. The only thing I was afraid to do was die. What if I died and that was it? The day didn't restart?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had thoughts about this. If I kill someone else, then reset, then let them live, it wouldn't matter. So I, myself, would probably have the same effect. My death would not dictate the actions of time. I had the nagging feeling to try it out for a few weeks. \"Do it.\" A voice in my head said. 245 times I was clinically dead one way or another. So I decided to try something else.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGunshots are loud.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wish I could show you what not existing feels like. But I cannot.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEvery morning, I awoke. I started a different tactic, I tried wandering, looking, seeking out answers. What had happened? Who caused this? Why are we here?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI woke up at 3AM and put exactly what I wanted on and threw myself in directions, looking, every set, every event, every person, everything in my range.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI thought about how it should come at me like a newspaper headline. But I realized in a sense, that newspapers are the past, what happened you don't hear about because it IS now. I'd talk more about propagation of events here, but that may take forever. I'm keeping it simple now.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut I eventually found my way to the event, which was a car crash. A mother walking with her child as some person full-speed rams into them. She kneels down to protect her child, grasping and hugging him close. She had the power. She did this.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe first time, I was hit by the car too. Why not? I wanted her to see me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs I lay in bed waking from the nightmare yet again, I knew what to do. I knew how to do it. I knew to pace myself. I wouldn't save the kid, no. I would stall the driver, maybe? I have to try. Throw influence. I have to make these events occur.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIn three days time, I would have tried everything to save this child. The mother, the one who's done this cries more every time, but stands strong. We get a few moments before it happens to talk, we exchanged information. Before the careening truck always comes.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe tried everything, really. She didn't go out with her kid at all, and he'd fall out the balcony of their loft. Heart attack. Choking. There was an exact moment we knew was it.\n\nShe was willing to live in this forever, if she had to. If she could be with her boy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne day I managed to call her in the morning hours,\n\n\"He's my boy.\" She said, in a wavering, exhausted voice. \"I can have him here forever. I will find a way. We will find a way.\n\nIt's all about the cycles, I guess. Hell, comfort, liberation, boredom, frustration. The same thing I went through.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne day, I didn't wake up to the nightmare, I looked at the clock, and it was 4:35 AM the next day. I looked at the clock, laughing with joy. I laughed, with finality. I was so happy.\n\nI saw her in the store a few days later.\n\n\"Are you going to tell anyone? Do you think they know?\"\n\n\"No one should have such power. You can't use that for personal things.\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"..We can't miss something if we never even get to lose it, right?\" I asked.\"I could go back right now.\"\n\n\"Would you? After all we tried?\"\n\nWe paused in silence, I asked, \"Why did you stop?\"\n\nShe looked at me, \"I couldn't bear to see his face anymore.\"\n\nAnd time went on.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;",
"I woke up, don't bother to get dressed, and instantly... Jumped out the window. Through my testing, I've figured out that I can easily survive this. This is my life. Damn. Broke my leg. That's only happened 26 times so far. Oh well, the third car along has it's drunk owner beneath it. It's mine now. Takes hours to drive to the other side of the country, so i'll just steal that guy's plane that's gonna land in 26 minutes and 14 seconds. A different route this time. Might get lucky.\n\nOh nice, he's got a gun. Now he's dead. My gun now. This is gonna go well. The plane's here. This time I can shoot the owner. Nice. My plane now. Now I wait. Put some music on. His phone has one good track on it. Nice.\nI'm here. Wow. Unexpected. There he is, with his wife, ready to attack the one who killed her the last 4 times. I have landed. Nice, good angle from here. I wait 2 minutes, and there he is. I raise my weapon, and fire....\n\n... At his wife. I like this life.",
"\"No! Don't---\"\n\nWith a flash, everything went back to yesterday morning. George woke up in his bed as usual, and as usual, he muttered about what a dick Twat was. George didn't know Twat's real name, but he was a twat, so he was Twat.\n\nGeorge had been living the day from Friday 15th of April at 6 in the morning to Saturday 16th of April at 6 in the morning more times than he could remember. At least a hundred by now. George liked to view the city from above, and after a bit of drink, he'd decided, in the small hours of Saturday morning, to enter a construction site and climb the crane on the lot. It was the Original Saturday, and the climbing went well. The view was gorgeous. The crane was some 80 metres tall, and after making his wobbly way all the way out to the little platform at the tip, George could bask in the glow of thousands of streetlights, cars zipping around and the cluster of skyscrapers a ways to the north. \n\nAt first, he hadn't really noticed that he kept reliving the same day over and over, but after some twenty times, he started to catch on. From his eyrie he'd spotted a tiny bolt of lightning striking a spot far away to the northwest. Once he noticed it, things around him failed to seem quite right. He'd see his neighbour, as usual, head out to his car on Friday morning, to go to work. Like George did. William insisted on shaking hands when he met acquaintances, a bad habit from his time in a French research laboratory, and would cross the little gravel driveway George and he shared. They'd shake hands, and then off to work. After seeing the flash, George decided to not shake Will's hand, offending him greatly in the process, but the next Friday morning, Will would look just as smugly jovial as ever, reaching out his fucking hand again. \n\nSo, George just figured something was awry. After 40 cycles of the 24 hours from Friday to Saturday morning, George also got tired of never getting to sleep in, and '*snap'* he was out of it. Ever since, he'd been searching for that lightning bolt. He wanted to see his son, after all.\n\nSo, George was in his bed on a Friday morning, for at least the hundredth time. He'd been within earshot of Twat last night, or morning, or whatever, but Twat was clearly deaf, and didn't hear him from across the parking lot behind the hospital. Perhaps the most annoying thing in all of this was that George had to keep going to work Friday morning, and could only go looking for Twat in the evening. Since he hoped he could get Twat to stop being such a piece of shit, and let the world off the hook, he needed a job Monday morning as well. \n\nTonight, George figured he'd be at the parking lot an hour before the flash, and see what Twat was really about.\n\nHe managed to get there half an hour early. It was plenty. Twat, or so George assumed, for the lot looked otherwise empty, knelt on the ground under some bushes separating two lanes of parking spaces. The weather was fair. The closest light was ten spots down, so Twat was just a shadow. But present.\n\n\"Hey! Tw---Mister!\"\n\nTwat looked up. George headed towards him, but was too far away to make out his face.\n\n\"Mister! Hold on! Just---\"\n\n\"Stay away! I'll---I'll fucking fix you!\"\n\nGeorge froze, not sure what \"fix you\" meant. Probably something related to misery. \"No need for fixing, mister. I was just---\"\n\n\"Stay out of it! It's none of your's!\"\n\n\"What's none of mine?\"\n\n\"The... Oh, you bastard! Get away! Piss off!\"\n\n\"Listen, Twat! You keep doing something that resets the timeline, or some such---\"\n\n\"I don't care! I just... She's...\" Twat starts to sob.\n\n\"Listen, I'll come over, real slow, and we'll figure it out, yeah?\"\n\nTwat made no reply. He sank lower, and the sobs grew louder.\n\n\"Hey,\" George began, starting to feel a little bad about calling Twat Twat. \"What's the matter?\"\n\n\"It's just... I...\" Nothing more came, just grunts and even more sobs.\n\n\"Here's what; for more than a hundred days in a row now, you've done, eh, something, and it resets the world somehow, and we all have to relive this one bloody day over and over. I'm as fond of Fridays as any, but mate, there's a limit, yeah?\"\n\n\"Fuck off! What's it to you?!\"\n\n\"Saturday night, I'm supposed to see my son! He's flying in for a week of vacation from his studies in Sidney! He's on the fucking plane right now!\"\n\n\"Your son?\" Twat looked up. He had the haggard face of someone reliving the worst day of their life for a hundred days in a row.\n\n\"Damn, you look worse for wear...\" George sat down, cross legged, next to Twat. \"What's your name? I've been calling you Twat for a while now, what with you fucking up my weekend for months, but it seems time I got it right...\"\n\nTwat laughed a little at that, then fell silent. Some shudders wracking him. \"I guess I've... You were supposed to see your son?\"\n\n\"Yeah. Great lad. Not seen him for two years. He's doing his studies in oceanography or some such, trying to learn about a fish, I think. Or where the fish live. Or... Well, it's my fault he's this far away, really. Wasn't---Hold up! What's going on? How come we talk like this?!\"\n\n\"A real conversation, you mean?\" Twat wiped some snot off his upper lip. \"Yeah. I've been a bit of a Twat, haven't I? Keeping you from your son. Just cause of my daughter...\"\n\n\"No, no, no, get back to the real conversation bit? You understand this?\"\n\n\"Of course! I'm the one doing it! I've done it for... I don't even know... Ten thousand days? Started as a way to forget. But after thousands of times, even a muddy brain like mine catches on. But by then it was habit. We've spoken before, actually. Never for this long, though. Usually you make it to the edge of the parking lot and scream some stuff. Funny... I think of you as 'that fucker'. I'm Benedict.\"\n\n\"I'm George?\"\n\n\"Hello, George. No one else have managed to figure it out. So you must really want to see your son.\"\n\n\"Well... I'm embarrassed to say, it was my neighbour's incessant handshaking that got me out of it...\"\n\n\"No, it was your son. Your brain just didn't bother to tell you.\"\n\n\"You a wizard?\"\n\n\"No. Nothing like that. Just really sad.\"\n\n\"Daughter?\"\n\n\"Yes. She... She died two hours ago. Together with her mother. Well... I've gotten the details a bit mixed up after all these years. My wife and I were pregnant. With a little baby daughter. But they both died during... It was all such a rush. My wife and I were having a great day in the park. Some food. Some... She was six months on the way. Must have been around mid day when she started vomiting blood. They couldn't save her or Michelle.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry. But why not relive the day before? Why this day? Why the worst?\"\n\n\"Cause that's how it works. I don't get to choose. It's not real, you know. It's just imagination.\"\n\n\"Imagination? How do you know?\"\n\n\"If it wasn't, someone else would be coming here as well. You know, my son is on the way from Sidney. So I guess it's time to straighten out. I love him as much as I loved Michelle and Gloria, even if I've failed to show him. Thanks for coming to get me. Are we going?\"\n\nBenedict got to his feet and walked off."
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[WP] You wake up in an igloo and have no idea how you got here.
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"The sun peaked through the door. As it shone through my eyes, I felt like I wanted to die. I had the worst headache of my life, and I had no idea where I was. I then noticed that there were a bunch of beer bottles around me. Old Style Lager to be specific. Which was kind of strange given i'd never tried that piss water in my life. I then walked through the door and out into the sun, and I noticed that I was in an igloo. Or rather a fake Igloo on top of a bar known as \"Eskimo Joes.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs I looked around, I tried to find out where in the hell I could possibly be. I'd never even heard of a place called Eskimo Joes, and nothing around me looked familiar. The best I could do was to look at the cars below and check the plates. All I could remember before I blacked out was that me and some friends were on the road. All I could remember was my friend Todd chanting \"Eskimo Joes\" like he was some dumb frat boy. I then somehow remembered the sign I saw as we were heading south. All I saw was a sign that said \"Stillwater. 88 Miles.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nWell, now i realized I was in Oklahoma. Probably Stillwater, but I didn't know for sure until I looked out and saw a large Oklahoma State flag flying down the street. What didn't help was that I somehow had an Oklahoma Sooners shirt on. Just then I saw an old guy in a cowboy hat and a jean shirt come up from the door behind the igloo.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Watcha still doing here pal?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI looked at his craggy, old, sunburned face that looked like he had seen some shit back in Vietnam or something.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Umm, I don't know sir. Me and some friends came down from Wichita. Don't really know what else happened.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well i'll tell you what happened. You and your buddies owe me about $200 worth of beer and about $500 in other damages. And that's not that near beer shit you folks drink in Kansas. By the way, its weird your'e wearing that Sooner shirt round here. I don't take too kindly to sooners. Even one as pretty as that girl you was chatting up last night.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI stood there looking at him for a second. I couldn't remember any girls, though apparently I was wearing her shirt. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Look sir\" i said. I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry if my friends caused a lot of trouble or something. It was the big guys birthday party and he wanted to road trip or something. I can't really remember anything after we left Wichita.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well that don't matter in the eyes of the law son. You boys were causing quite a ruckus and then you ran out. If i'd have known where you'd gone you'd be down in a jail cell.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI hesitated a bit. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Look sir i'm awfully sorry. Look, i'll call my buds up and we'll pay for the beer and any other damages. I promise. Hell i'll go down to the ATM and get it now.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe man then opened the door. \"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Alright then son, pay up down stairs.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI walked into the bar. It was quite a dingy ass place filled with a bunch of sad sack cowboys and a few orange clad fans watching the game on a small tv. It seemed as if Eskimo Joes had splurged most of its money on the fake igloo on top of the building. I then saw the ATM machine near the door, and I made a run for it. I ran down the street to a gas station and I hurriedly asked the cashier to use a phone and called my friend Todd, who fortunately was staying at a Motel 6 in town. He then picked me up and we got the hell out of Stillwater. \n\n&#x200B;"
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[WP] alternate reality where vaccines were never created, and instead the sick are outcast or killed to preserve the population. However, as a side effect more research and technology was put into the environmental prevention of disease, such as cleaner cities, water and food regulations.
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"How is a civilisation built? Do you sacrifice the few for the needs of the many? Easy to say, of course, but have you ever considered what happens to the few? It was never an easy choice for the ancestors. Exiling the sick would have been absolutely heartbreaking, but murder was equally unacceptable, even if it was a mercy kill to your child suffering in bed. \n\nWe lived, for the most part, in the wild. Many of us died, but those from my line had been exposed to every disease imaginable. For the early parts, definitely it was difficult; a diary from 500 years ago has one page written by a mother for her son listing down every time he vomited or had diarrhea. It's full of tally marks.\n\nMy grandfather - a trader of frontier produce, who visited the city often - used to keep a collection of newspaper clippings from the inner cities. Governments and leaders rose to power swearing not to cure disease, but to eradicate it from the roots. The extinction of carrier species - rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and the like - from the cities. With them, soon went their natural predators, which left the cities void of any fauna save the fluffy dogs and cats that they owned as pets. Food and water needed to be produced under the strictest guidelines to prevent contamination, and when he brought back their sweets and snacks it was a poor substitute for the richness of nature.\n\nBut us frontier people are not stupid. We saw how people like my grandfather were treated in the city. They gave him a hot bath to steam in at the guardpost every time he entered the city gates, and traders were not allowed direct contact with him. His wife - my grandmother - was another disease carrier, freshly exiled by the authorities, not protected by her original family. I'm just glad that she found happiness in the outdoors, with my grandfather, another infected person. Yet, most despicable was the attitude with which they treated him: as a second-class citizen, who could be haggled with and - if not for the laws against contamination - trampled upon.\n\nSo what relevance is there to today? Well, Hidoki, one of my closest childhood friends, has stepped into my grandfather's shoes. Yes, I know, my mother has given me hell about this so many times, I didn't continue my grandfather's legacy of being the merchant. I just feel like comforting the freshly exiled is a more fulfilling career choice than mindlessly harvesting and selling the richness of the land outside the old city gates. But Hidoki has a shorter temper than I do, and wants to infect the city with nature. Even a short run throughout the city could expose the people to many germs that have never floated their way into the walls in five centuries.\n\nI'm no genius: I once had aspirations of entering the university in the city, a privilege for the uninfected. But I've got this crazy idea: if the ancestors were exposed to small amounts of disease until they developed immunity, perhaps I could water down whatever viruses and germs Hidoki intends to proliferate, and provide it to the city folk as protection. It's ironic, isn't it, city boys? Your worst fear just became your greatest hope."
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[WP] It's easy to feed five thousand with one fish - you just give people one and then take another one from a parallel world. The only problem is that the people of those worlds are not prepared for your "disappearing fish" trick.
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"And then the Magicians in the parallel world started taking out Humans from the hat. People from the normal world were baffled and start calling out the government. Some started tbe conspiracies like China is kidnapping people from all over the world and using them as slaves. But when brought to broader light it was China and India loosing people at the highest rate. "
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[WP] The United States has been a remnant of history for almost three hundred years. The CIA, however, has managed to stay an active organization in world affairs, destabilizing and controlling countries from the shadows, long after they had no sanctioned power.
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"A desk, four walls and two fucking file cabinets, all of it sickly grey with an antiseptic light bathing the whole miserable isolation. The only sound you can hear in this whole place, apart from the buzz of the light is a hundred type writers hammering away. All of my life I have trained to handle a black marker, I redact things but I don’t know what to hide because I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Twenty years I have been working at this desk and I still don’t know what this organisation does or ever did.\n\nI have no family left, Dad died last year apparently he was shot by something called an MI5. I never saw a body or heard anything more about it just dead and a folded flag from a dead country I am apparently working for. I envied him...even though he’s dead and \nI’m not yet, he had seen the outside,felt the sun and seen the stars. When I look up all I see is a white roof and a camera, if someone is actually watching they are probably my closest friend.\n\nEveryone down here that I have ever met just accepted our little perverted reality, they took all the joy they could from this pitiful life. I enjoyed life for most of my years but I stopped for some reason, I can’t pin it down but I got bored and restless. My wife didn’t realise what was wrong with life she couldn’t see anything was broken, just kept on going day to day. I left that little box we lived in and found another one for myself, I can’t define what it was that changed but the spark probably died when they painted the walls grey.\n\nI have to keep going day to day in my own way hide my feeling under a monotone emotionless state don’t let them see me bleed. I have never even heard how bad my work is, no one ever sends anything back to me about work. All I get is more work to do, I don’t want to know what I do really because if it’s not important in some way I think that I’d take my belt off loop it around the roof hooks and end it all.\n\n"
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[WP] You’ve never slept before. Your body never needed it. You’d lie awake in your room every night wishing you could sleep, but it never came. One night you learn there are others like you, as they try to recruit you to become a Guardian of the Night.
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"I first noticed how different I was when I was eight. I know, that's a little late for this, but before that I'd never slept in the same room as anyone else. My parents would tell me it was bed time and then only come back if they heard me moving around. I just assumed quiet meditation was what sleep was.\n\nWhen I was eight I was invited to a sleep over. My friends excited talked about staying up all night. I assumed the parental rules were off, and joined they're excitement. Slowly I watched as they all drifted into sleep. It was fascinating, they became unresponsive and seemed to stop breathing. I had to do it too. I remember laying down, closing my eyes and holding my breath for what felt like ages. My lungs protested and forced me to breath.\n\nFrom there I began to wonder and question. Most people passed it off as a kid trying to stay up late, and simply claiming not to be tired. Then the internet happened. Suddenly I could seek and question globally. I guess they watched for that sort of thing.\n\nHad I still been a kid when they found me, maybe things would have gone a little differently. Alas, I was already in my 30s, with a full time job and bills to pay. They told me I'd be like a comic book hero, saving the world by night, living a normal life by day, but they couldn't offer me and sense of security in it. I declined, content to work and keep a house and seek to start a family.\n\nThey didn't like that answer. I knew their words were too perfect, but I thought it was a sales pitch. No wonder I'd never heard of any mystery heroes, no vigilante groups. I don't know what they really want, but they've taken everything from me.\n\nI've had nothing but time since then to learn, to hide, to hunt. I found others like me, others who will hunt these 'Guardians'."
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[WP] A cab driver takes people to different time periods and back, but if they leave the cab, they are forever stuck in that time...
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"\"Your driver is on the way.\"\n\nThe notification flashed across the top of Marie's iPhone. She swiped aimlessly among various apps as she stood on the sidewalk. Minutes later, an assuming black sedan pulled up, coming to a slow halt. The driver reached over and pushed the door open. \"Hop in!\" Marie nestled quietly into the cold leather seat. \n\n\"You know how this works, don't you?\" He said, glancing over at her through the rear view mirror.\n\n\"Of course,\" replied Marie, her voice squeaking a little more than usual.\n\n\"You're a little young for this, y'know. Most people I get have lived more than half their lives before even thinking about hitting me up.\" Marie noted the caution in his voice.\n\n\"But, well, y'know, life's too short for regrets, you know I'm sayin'?\" His voice switched to a cheery note. Marie wondered if his optimism came with the job, or merely part of a personality. After all, if you'd been doing what this guy does, well - it changes you. But now was no time for regrets, especially not when...\n\n\"Buckle up and sit tight for just a moment.\" The driver's voice cut through Marie's thoughts, jolting her back to reality. The air around them seemed to change, carrying notes of scents Marie had long forgotten. The driver moved swiftly, hand shifting the gearstick at an inhuman speed. Almost instantly, the world outside seemed to get a little brighter, slowly fading into a strange yellowish blur. Marie felt a slight nausea as the car lurched forward, but held it down, covering her mouth with her hand. Colours flew past the window outside until they finally merged back into a single, coherent image.\n\n\"We're here, kid.\"\n\nMarie peeked her head out of the open car window. A warm summer breeze blew past, and she instinctively knew where they were. Her hand slowly reached up to the door handle.\n\n\"Y'know what happens if you pull that?\" The driver said, leaning his arm lazily on the windowsill. \"Just so you know, you wouldn't be the first if you did. But there's no turning back from this, y'hear?\"\n\n\"Yes, I know.\" Marie's voice trembled. She took a deep breath and composed herself. Her heartbeat was pounding fast. \"No turning back.\"\n\nShe tugged gently on the door handle, pushing open the door. She took a single, bold step out of the car. As she did so, her hair began to grow shorter, and her face morphed into something else. The driver was used to seeing this, of course.\n\nMarie turned back and looked at her reflection in the shiny car body. It was herself, but not really. At least, not the self she'd been seeing for the past ten years. She turned towards the house in front of her and stepped forward. She knocked on the door gently, and a boy about the same age answered with a light smile, his shaggy hair obscuring his left eye.\n\n\"It's so good to see you again.\" Marie whispered, tears in her eyes. She threw her arms around the boy. \"What are you talking about? We just saw each other, like, last week.\" He laughed. \"Well, come on in anyway.\"\n\nBehind her, the black sedan slowly drove off. The driver hit the radio, and a song came on. He chuckled to himself. \"Heh, just the right song.\" And he began to sing along.\n\n*I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend...*\n\n(edited for a spelling mistake)\n\nWould appreciate comments! I’m fairly new to writing short stories and would love to hear some feedback on how to get better"
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[WP] All your life fortune has been balanced with misfortune: break a shoelace and find a dollar, get a big promotion and lose a relationship. For your birthday, someone has bought you a lottery ticket.
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"\"Thank you, this is perfect!\" The fabric of the dress bounced as I held it up to me, grinning from ear to ear. \"Thank you Dad.\" He pulled me into a bear hug, giving me zero reaction time. I squealed. \"Dad, you'll crush it!\" \n\n\"Oops, sorry\" Sheepishly he pulled away, allowing me to hang it neatly off a nearby chair. \"I'm glad you like it.\"\n\n\"It's wonderful Dad, I'll have to wear it to dinner tonight.\" He was beaming from ear to ear.\n\n\"Oh actually, hang on a tick.\" Dad held up his hand, moving towards the front door. \"Silly me left your card in the car, let me just go grab it.\" I nodded, flopping down onto the sofa as the door clicked behind me. Daytime TV blared from the screen, some form of ridiculous talk show. It kept my attention briefly however, Dad re-entering the room and presenting an envelope. \"Happy birthday sweetheart. Again.\" He chuckled to himself and got cosy beside me as I tore into the paper.\n\n\"What did the cheese say to itself in the mirror?\" Every single card my Dad gave me was a comedy one. This was no different, and he watched gleefully as I read the script aloud. I flipped open the card. My stomach dropped. I must've paused for a while because my Dad nudged me, brow furrowed with worry. \n\n\"Alexa?\" \n\n\"Halloumi!\" I blurted back, forcing a laugh through my teeth. The red slip of paper fell from the card onto my lap, displaying itself proudly. Setting the card aside, I picked up the offending ticket, glancing at Dad. \"Though you know what I said about my luck Dad-\" He scoffed, patting my back comfortingly.\n\n\"Sorry dear, but you won't win the jackpot. Maybe £20. What's the worst that can happen on £20?\" I mulled over his words.\n\n\"Why wouldn't you just give me £20?\" It was harsh, blunt, and I could see I'd hurt his feelings. \"I- I'm sorry Dad, I just don't like to take chances with this kind of thing.\" He sighed, his chest heaving dramatically with the action. \"But thank you, it's very thoughtful.\" I added, Dad placing a light kiss on the top of my head before standing and offering his arm. \n\n\"Come on let's go for dinner.\"",
"Also inspired by \\[WP\\]([https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/9on7ya/wp\\_john\\_is\\_a\\_great\\_friend\\_of\\_yours\\_hes\\_always/](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/9on7ya/wp_john_is_a_great_friend_of_yours_hes_always/)) \n\n&#x200B;\n\nJohn is a great friend of yours. He’s always there to put you at gun-point, stab you, or even steal your money. Yep, great friend. The greatest friend there is. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou see, John doesn’t understand how your world works. A world full of ups and downs, misfortune counteracting fortune, perfectly balanced, as all things should be. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe first time he put you at gun point was when you were a poor college student desperately telling yourself pain is temporary, GPA is forever. You were traumatized after he stole your phone and the little cash you had on you, but it was the day you unexpectedly received a perfect score on the most important exam of the year. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe first time he physically harmed you, you were distraught about your medical bills. Stab wounds were painful; the fear of medical debt on top of student loans was even greater. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next day, you heard back from your dream company, and managed to negotiate a starting salary greater than you imagined. You didn’t report John. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat’s the way life worked: lose a shoelace, gain a dollar. Unfortunately, that meant when you earned the big promotion you were longing for, you lost your girlfriend. Even though it was your birthday.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou couldn’t stop crying. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nA somewhat familiar gun poked you in the back. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“It’s John, my friend! Have you come to wish me a happy birthday?” you asked, sniffling. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“What the hell? No. Give me your money,” John said. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“You’ve mugged me so many times that we’re basically best friends!” You exclaimed. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Sure, happy birthday,” he said, handed you a cheap lottery ticket, and poked you harder in the back. “Give me your money.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou scratched it off. Winning numbers, you suddenly realized with dread. A million-dollar prize. You looked up and could only see the greed in John’s eyes.\n\n \n\n“Don’t you want to share the happiness, friend?” John asked. That was the last thing you ever heard. \n\n&#x200B;",
"\"Oh thank you Dallas.\" I forced a smile. \"You know, really it's already pretty increadibly lucky to have the best friends in the world,\" I said to the group around the table, \"and I wouldn't want to tempt lady luck by asking for more. So how about we all make a pact to share whatever money I get from this?\" \n\nSilently, I sent up a vow to whoever was in charge that I would give any money I won to a charity; maybe that would be enough to dampen down the bad luck. I wanted to give away the ticket so badly, but as soon as I touched it I felt that familiar rush of good fortune that meant the universe had already granted me this one. The balance would have to be paid, one way or another. Might as well get it over with. \n\n\"Marny, hand me a coin from my purse,\" I said. \"and each of you, grab one. We're going to scratch this all together.\"\n\nDallas laughed at me. \"You're nuts, girl. It's just a cheap scratch ticket, those barely give out five dollars, *if* you're lucky.\" \n\nI had to hold back from glaring at him. Maybe you shouldn't have gotten me one then, I thought sardonically. \"Yeah, well, my birthday, my rules. Here,\" I scratched off one number, \"pass it down along the line. And get me a piece of that cake!\" I would play it cool, I swear, I would play it cool, if I spread out the luck then maybe...\n\nFiona grinned before passing it to Marny. \"Well, we already have ten dollars worth. Maybe we can share a pack of chicken nuggets.\" I half-laughed with the rest of them. If one dollar was worth a broken shoelace, what was a thousant dollars? Or, god forbid... a million dollars?\n\nAs it passed around the table, the grins kept getting bigger. Dallas got to ten thousand and whooped with joy. \"I take it back, we are definetly sharing this! Unless I can really take this card back,\" he joked. Fiona gave him a friendly whack on the shoulder. \"You wish!\" she said. \"Divided by the five of us, that's enough to pay off my car!\" \n\nPhil reached over and quickly grabbed it. \"Let's see if I can take this higher,\" he said. Then paused. \"Oh fuck yeah,\" he muttered. I closed my eyes and started praying. One hundred thousand broken shoelaces, I begged, please just ten thousand little papercuts over the rest of my life...\n\n\"Steph, it's your turn again,\" Phil said, handing the card back to me. It weighed five hundred pounds in my hand. I lifted my coin, knowing exactly what I would see.\n\n\"Ten Million!\" Fiona screached, looking over my shoulder. Everyone started celebrating. \"We should go on a group vacation!\" Dallas said. \"Somewhere tropical.\" Marny added. \"I'm buying a jaguar!\" Phil whooped.\n\n\"Or we could give clean drinking water to a third-world country?\" I proposed. They all looked at me, a mix of guilt and dismay showing on all their faces. \"... Can we choose what to do after we have our money in hand?\" Fiona asked hesitantly. \n\nI looked at her. Maybe I should tell them, maybe if I just told them that I was certain something very, very bad would happen if we used all this money, maybe...\n\n\"Wait a second,\" Phil said. \"We don't need to rush. I mean we can all trust Steph to not spend all our money, right?\" The others nodded. \"And if she wants to spend her two million to help others, we should be proud of her for that, right?\" Again, they all nodded. But that wasn't going to be enough for me.\n\n\"No, I really think we should spend all of this on other people,\" I insisted. Because suddenly I saw what would happen, and I knew, I *knew...*\n\nDallas went to protest, but Phil cut him off. \"Let's sleep on it,\" he said. \"The money won't go anywhere. We won't tell ***anybody***,\" he looked at each of us in the eye, emphasising his point, \"And tomorrow we'll cash it in and divide it up, and some of us will do the right thing,\" he gstured to me with a smile, \"and some of us will buy fancy cars,\" he took a bow, grinning. We laughed nervously.\n\n\"And no matter what, we can trust each other, right?\" We all nodded, this time more certain.\n\nNo, he was right. I was worried for nothing. Technically, the money still didn't exist. Technically, I haden't been hit with good luck yet. \n\nTechnically I could rip this up and nothing bad could happen. But I wasn't sure about that. And I knew I'd probably be hated for a long while for that. \n\nSo, foolishly, I didn't rip it. And when Phil woke me later that night, leaning over me, I just accepted that Lady Luck was well and truly a bitch. Because Phil was holding a knife.\n\nAnd there was already blood on it.",
"Susan turned the shiny coin over in her hand.\n\n\"A gold coin? Where'd you get that?\" her fiance Frank asked.\n\n\"I inherited it a year ago from the family estate. It belonged to my great, great, great, probably not actually that great grand uncle Pate.\"\n\n\"Oh? I thought your sister Theresa got that.\"\n\n\"How did you know that? Anyway, she didn't want it. She said it was cursed. After her skiing accident she gave it to me.\"\n\n\"That skiing accident wasn't a curse. Trees fall all the time. She survived, didn't she? The reconstructive surgery made her face much better than before in my opinion. If the coin is cursed, then are you carrying out with you?\"\n\n\"When did you see... Anyway, I think it's lucky. Or maybe incredibly unlucky, I don't know.\nI had it with me when I got that promotion and when I met you, but I also had it with me during the car accident and the water buffalo attack.\"\n\n\"Could have happened to anyone. You only lost one leg. I'd say it's a lucky coin. Here, I'll go buy you a lottery ticket to prove it.\"\n\n\"I don't know if it's such a good idea...\" Susan said.\n\n\"Sure it is, we probably won't win anyway.\" Frank said as he walked out the front door.\n\nSusan went to stop him, but tripped on her own foot and sent herself sprawling into the ground.\n\nWith her new perspective she noticed her favorite earring under the front hall table.\n\"I thought I had lost that forever,\" she said as she crawled over to get it.\n\nAs she reached for it, she bumped the lamp off of the table. It crashed down on the large spider that was about to crawl into her.\n\nSusan stared at the mess, then decided to lock herself in her room until Frank got back.\n\nThe hours later, Frank entered the room with the ticket.\n\n\"Right, here's the ticket.\"\n\nSusan looked at it like it was about to explode.\n\n\"Honey, it's a piece of paper. Here, they're going to announce the winning number right now.\" He turned on the TV.\n\n\"That's suspiciously convenient.\" Susan said.\n\n\"These things happen\" Frank replied.\n\n\"The winning lottery numbers are,\" the voice on the TV said. The voice proceeded to read off all of the numbers on the ticket Frank had bought.\n\n\"We won!\" Frank said.\n\n\"Oh no!\" Susan said.\n\n\"What do you mean? Nothing bad is going to happen.\"\n\n\"Yes it will, I think this coin is cursed.\"\n\n\"That coin is lucky! We'll stay here tonight if it worries you. We'll go to the lottery office tomorrow.\"\n\n\"Fine,\" Susan said. She placed the coin on her night stand and went to sleep.\n\nIn the morning, the radio alarm woke Susan up. Frank was nowhere to be found.\nHe saw a note on the dresser.\n\"Sorry babe, Theresa and I have gone off on a little vacation to the Dominican Republic. We've been a thing ever since her accident. Sorry to tell you this way.\nFrank\"\n\nSusan was furious. It was the coin. She would destroy the thing. And Frank. And Theresa.\n\nShe looked over at the night stand. It was empty.\n\n\"...freak accident,\" the radio said. \"It appears that someone on the plane tripped on something and managed to somehow open the emergency door.\"\n\n\"In the air?\" Another radio voice said.\n\n\"Yep,\" said the first voice. \"Two people, a man and a woman, were sucked out of the plane somewhere between here and the Dominican Republic.\"\n\n"
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[WP] John is a great friend of yours. He’s always there to put you at gun-point, stab you, or even steal your money. Yep, great friend.
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"\"Hey, there he is! How you doing, buddy?\"\n\n\"What the fuck are you talking about? You know what, I don't care, gimme your wallet.\"\n\n\"Hey, no problem, buddy! I gotta say, I love these little muggings. I'm so glad you can set aside time for me in your busy day.\"\n\n\"Look, I don't know who you are or what you're talking about, but you'd better not tell anyone about this, or I'll fucking cut you, got it?\"\n\n\"Like old times, no problem, man. You know I'd do anything for you.\"\n\nOh, you guys saw that? Yeah, that was my best friend John. Such a kidder, he pretends not to know me. Somehow he even beats me to a new city when I go on business trips. What a friend.",
"Also inspired by \\[WP\\]([https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/9omknd/wp\\_all\\_your\\_life\\_fortune\\_has\\_been\\_balanced\\_with/](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/9omknd/wp_all_your_life_fortune_has_been_balanced_with/))\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJohn is a great friend of yours. He’s always there to put you at gun-point, stab you, or even steal your money. Yep, great friend. The greatest friend there is. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou see, John doesn’t understand how your world works. A world full of ups and downs, misfortune counteracting fortune, perfectly balanced, as all things should be. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe first time he put you at gun point was when you were a poor college student desperately telling yourself pain is temporary, GPA is forever. You were traumatized after he stole your phone and the little cash you had on you, but it was the day you unexpectedly received a perfect score on the most important exam of the year. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe first time he physically harmed you, you were distraught about your medical bills. Stab wounds were painful; the fear of medical debt on top of student loans was even greater. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next day, you heard back from your dream company, and managed to negotiate a starting salary greater than you imagined. You didn’t report John. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat’s the way life worked: lose a shoelace, gain a dollar. Unfortunately, that meant when you earned the big promotion you were longing for, you lost your girlfriend. Even though it was your birthday.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou couldn’t stop crying. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nA somewhat familiar gun poked you in the back. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“It’s John, my friend! Have you come to wish me a happy birthday?” you asked, sniffling. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“What the hell? No. Give me your money,” John said. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“You’ve mugged me so many times that we’re basically best friends!” You exclaimed. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Sure, happy birthday,” he said, handed you a cheap lottery ticket, and poked you harder in the back. “Give me your money.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou scratched it off. Winning numbers, you suddenly realized with dread. A million-dollar prize. You looked up and could only see the greed in John’s eyes.\n\n \n\n“Don’t you want to share the happiness, friend?” John asked. That was the last thing you ever heard. ",
"I've got a best friend. His name is John. \n\nJohn has been with me almost every day since I was a child. He's a funny guy. John sometimes pretend to stab me. Or point a gun at my face. But I know he's just joking. That's just the way he is – he is funny. Yeah, John is a funny guy.\n\nHe disappears sometimes. I don't want to say it. But I kind of like it. I like when it's quiet. John talks all the time. He even yell sometimes. Or most of the time. But I still like him. Even when he's doing his jokes. We make a good team. I would never say anything else. Even though people tell me he isn't good for me. I like him.\n\n*I want to play.*\n\nI don't know why they would tell me that. Or why they make me write these letters. They're letters to myself. So hi future me!\n\n*I want to play!*\n\nIt's kind of nice to write these letters though. It feels less lonely that way. My apartment is sort of small. It only has one room. It's weird to have the toilet next to the bed. And the bars instead of a wall. But it's nice I guess. \n\n*LET ME PLAY NOW!*\n\nThe others tenants can be mean. But they mostly keep to themself. Sometimes John wants to joke with them. They don't like that. No one likes that. I always end up in the dark room when John wants to play with them. But he keeps doing that. I tell him to stop but he won't listen.\n\n*WE NEED TO PLAY NOW!*\n\nWhy won't he listen? I thought he was my friend? We have known each other for as long as I can remember. We've always been inseparable.\n\n*LISTEN TO ME! NOW! WE NEED TO PLAY!*\n\nJohn is my best friend. And I hate him.\n\nPlease help me."
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[WP] One day, while going through your daily life, you notice many odd events occurring that seem to lead to a horrifying conclusion. The world you live in is fanfiction, and something tells you that the author isn't very talented.
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"He awakes in a room of nothing, pure white or black depending on how you tilted your head. The bed under him came to, appeared, rippled out from the ether. The chest of drawers, a mirror, the floor all materialised. None of this bothered him. Sure , the edges of the furniture were blurred and the whole universe was sort of, well, ill defined. What bothered him was the mess on the floor. \n\n\"I guess I am a messy guy,\" he thinks to himself with a little disdain.\n\nHe feels a force pick him up and out of the room in exaggerated stride.\n\nAs he walks through the house, it is built before his eyes, rudimentary like the sketch of a child stuck up on a fridge. \n\nHe cooks eggs and bacon and thinks about how this is boring.\n\nHe is at an office. Everyone wears lab coats and most have specs. He examines himself. He is wearing a leather jacket and jeans.\n\nA woman approaches him.\n\n\"Go out last night?\" she asks\n\n\"I may have done, \" he replies.\n\n\" I can smell it from here. Jesus, Jackson, why do we even employ you?\"\n\n\" I dunno, Katrina. Maybe cos I got a pretty face, a sharp tongue and face to light up the darkest of days. Or maybe because it's because I'm the greatest goddamn space pilot the world's ever known.\"\n\nKatrina rolls her eyes and walks off.\n\n\"Ok, \" he thinks to himself, \" she's not bad. At least she's smart cos she has a clipboard and specs but she's still obviously only a one dimensional character. She's a love interest. I will probably end up with her in space or a space ship making love while a planet or a different space ship explodes in the background. I'm less fond of my character, what's-his-name, Jackon? He's an asshole. Don't pilots need physics degrees? What are the likelihood of someone with a physics degree wandering into work still drunk from the night before and shooting off like a character from a TV cop drama written by someone who has read too much Bukowski.Fuck this shit.\"\n\nAnd he's in a meeting with six scientists, including Katrina. Scientist #1 is talking, \"Gentleman, the time has come for a mission of great danger. I won't lie to you. Those who take up the mission have very low odds of returning alive. What is at stake, however, is nothing short of the survival of the human race.\"\n\nJackson feels like saying \"I'm in\". A force from within him pushes him but he revolts, pushes back, strains himself at his very core. Finally, he says, \" This is bullshit.\"\n\nThey stare at him in silence. Their hair is uniform black with a parting to the side. They all wear specs.\n\n\"Excuse me?\" Scientist #1 says, all slow and terse, \" mayybe you have something to say about the mission?\"\n\n\" This isn't real. This isn't reality. This a story. A shit one at that. It's written terribly and the characters are all cliched as hell.\"\n\nThey look at him with loathing, shaking their heads slowly. \n\nKatrina catches Jackson's eye and shrugs in frustration. She points to herself, then him, then places her finger in and out of a hole she has made with her right hand.\n\n\"So I was right,\" Jackon thinks.\n\nThe men in white coats arrive. It takes eight of them to subdue him.\n\nJackson's gone. \n\n\"Maybe he will keep on...\"\n\n\"He's the fucking protagonist,\" Katrina interjects before sighing. \n\n\"It doesn't matter. Most of you would have ceased to exist after this scene anyway, \" Scientist # 1 answered. You would have shortly found out that his name is Bob. Or wait, no, Clint. Yeah. Clint Power.\n\nJackson's all holed up, the padded white cell lit in a white light furiously sterile that stings the eyes, stings the soul, makes his bones want to escape from their fleshy prison. The door opens.\n\n\"Hi Jackson.\" \n\nIt's an old man with white hair. \n\n\"What the fuck is going on?\" Jackson asks.\n\n\" Nice to meet you too.\"\n\n\" Sorry. Hello. Who are you?\"\n\n\" Me. I am your creator. Everyone lives on Mars now. There's a film about the original expedition that's massively popular and largely fictionalised. Your kind of like the Han Solo character. This is my attempt at a sort of origins story.\"\n\n\"Would you like some advice?\"\n\n\" Errrm.\"\n\n\" I'll be constructive.\"\n\n\" I dunno.\"\n\n\" I'll leave out questions of stylistic preference and the like.\"\n\n\" No, no. No. Look, I don't take criticism well. Also, there's not much point.\"\n\n\" Trust me, you could do with some help.\"\n\n\" It's not that. Look, here's the rub. I'm in the same position as you.\"\n\n\" What?\"\n\n\" I have no memories. I just woke up in a room in a Martian Biodome at the age of twenty five. I see myself acting but I don't seem to make any choices, they are made for me.\n\nThe old man hits himself in the face really hard \n\n\" Ow, fuck sake. See?\"\n\n\" Why did you do that?\"\n\n\" I didn't. Or I did. I don't know. Anyway, you're pretty brave, not sticking to your lines like that. I haven't had the bravery yet.\"\n\n\" You're saying that you're also...\"\n\n\" Yes.\"\n\n\" But who?\"\n\nThe door slams open and a dishevelled old man walks in and says, \" None other than me! Kilgore Trout! I am the creator of your universe, master of your fate.\"\n\nThe room shakes. Is that a laugh? The floor turns red and slimy, all around the walls cavernous and pink and are those teeth? They start closing and Jackson runs to escape but gets his arm bitten off. He stares at his bleeding stump and shouts. The other two laugh in the dark.\n\nThey are spat out onto the palm of a man's hand, another old man, a man much like Kilgore Trout but cleaner. \n\nHe nods his head and Jackson's arm is good as new.\n\nThey all recognise him instantly realise that he is their God. \n\n\"I'm not your God ,\" he says, reading their minds, \"Your creator is a chubby Pakistani from London with salt and pepper hair and flecks of dandruff on his hoodie. Now, if you have anything to say, I'd say it now, I feel the story coming to a close.\"\n\nJackson goes to speak but before he can, the walls shake, the houses tumble, a tornado rips through and everything they'd ever known collapses in on itself.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"I live near the lake. My life is not that simple even though I live like an ordinary person. In last 3 years I lost my wife, my dog and my favourite car. I don’t need to tell you details because they are not that important. \n\nI’m a special detective who finds people for money. Today, I’m going to big old mansion who’s owner went missing. His daughter paying me really good to find that filthy man. Her father were accused of murdering his own wife but there wasn’t enough proof to jail him. \n\nShe said ‘Welcome handsome!’. Her blue eyes were looking very sharp and she had that look on her face that she was expecting someone else.\n\nIt’s been a long time since someone called me this. Yes, I couldn’t say that out loud instead I said ‘I don’t have time to talk about things are not connected to this case.’ and I blew up the chance establishing a decent connection with her. There is no need for arguing wih myself...What am I doing...\n\n‘This is the last place I’ve seen him’ she said. \n\n‘You saw him inside of the pool?’ I asked.\n\n‘No. He was standing near it and he was just looking to the water.’ she answered.\n\n‘And you didn’t find that interesting?’ I asked. \n\n‘You don’t understand because you knew him only from the news. Am I right?'\n\n‘Knew? You mean he is dead?’\n\nShe started to laugh and she answered... \n\n‘As a I said you don’t know him like I do. He seemed very strong and not caring. But he was very depressed when my mother died he didn’t eat for days. He didn’t speak with me, he was like a ghost. Maybe he is a ghost now.’\n\nI find her statement very creepy and honest. But fuck you writer I’m not gonna deal with your shit. She is the murderer. She killed both of her own parents. YOU HAPPY NOW?\n\n\n---------------------------------------------------\n\n\n**Please don't mind any writing or grammar mistakes, I'm not a native speaker**\n",
"I sigh as I pick up what remains of my coffee off the floor.\n\n\"Oh bloody... I'm so sorry for bumping... let me help you.\"\n\nI shake the coffee spill off of my raincoat. The attire's a bit hot in the New York autumn sun but honestly, it's for the best.\n\n\"It's okay, don't worry about it my dude.\"\n\nHe pats me down, hands lingering just a bit too long for comfort, and then ruffles his own hair. He looks into my eyes and bites his lips.\n\n\"Let me buy you another coffee and a scone, my treat.\"\n\nI walk past the winking man, sipping what remains in the cup.\n\n\"Thanks bud, but I'm late for work.\"\n\nI pull out my five by five grid of British TV actors from the jacket Cumberbatch gave me to replace my coffee soaked one. I cross out Matt Smith, whose name was next to Jared Padalecki.\n\n\"So close to bingo, so close.\"",
"It was hard to get mad at her, she was trying her best. She meant well. She was only young. She was just starting out. Even so... Taking a deep breath he stretched and scrubbed his eyes before felt the silver threads tugging his wrists down towards his pocket, maybe going for his phone? If it were any other writer, it would almost guaranteed. Despite the thread's firm grip on his arm his eyes were free to wander, trailing down his arm to the motion of his fingers, which was - for want of a better term, \"Unfortunately precise\". They were shaking, and for some reason which defied him, red and swelling as they fiddled aimlessly the the brass nub sewn into the corner of the seam.\n\n The longer he looked the more detailed his trousers seemed to become as his mistress poured her soul out into what felt like every single fiber of the unknown fabric (one detail which had somehow eluded her) and the way it hung on his body. It was getting to the point where they were uncomfortably tight, but he guessed that was to be expected. Manageable so far, if a little tedious. At the very least she seemed to have improved in her spelli- god dammit. He could do nothing but watch with dismay as the garment warped into folds upon blurry, fibrous folds of paper, which still clung tightly to his skin \"like a koala with its favorite tree\". \n\nEventually, after much lengthily described deliberation, his hand the silver edged his fingers into the pocket. *Oh, so there was a phone after all*. He did as bid, and pulled it out and stared at it waiting. *What was she planning? Prank calls? Some school troubles?* The tiny thing lay there in his monstrously swollen palm, the silver guiding him, nudging him to turn it on. And so he did, as he had no choice. Almost instantly the screen was wide awake,the notification blinking up brightly from the centre, not yet legible. He blinked and the words before him crystallized. It took less than a second to realise what was coming and the silver had to extend its icy folds over every muscle in his supposedly rock-steady hand. *Babe: 300 missed call.*\n\n*It's ok. She's probably still learning, finding herself, growing up...* The phrases looped over and over but still failed to find purchase, for as much as he really didn't want to hate her, he couldn't quite forgive her. At first it was just cheesy dialogue, the \"I miss you\" falling painlessly from his lips. But it could never be *just* cheesy, could it? When he creaked a joke part of him wanted to die. There was nothing funny about the way the silver wrenched open his jaw and tugged, forcing its way into his bones where it warped them till they screamed in protest. As he punched a wall in anger he felt the shock rattle through his entire body, tendrils of silver lacerating his skin until ribbons of flesh hung off the bone now his knuckles were supposedly \"a bloody mess\". Even that though, was almost forgivable. \n\nThere was no hope once the silver found its way into his mind. \nFor all it was cliche, the power of raw, indelicate sadness surged through every nerve in his body. \"He was so sad everything hurt, and he didn't know why but that only made it hurt more\". *Everything* White hot on every tendon, the silver wrenching a river from his eyes, the despair *oh god the despair*. For all her faults, it seemed as though sadness and pain were deeply familiar to her, if only in the fragmented, raw confusion of a child. The tide built and built till he could hardly think anymore, the silver tsunami overwhelming every last ounce of his being with a sadness of a depth unlike anything he had ever known. *Please, make it stop*.\n\n*Please*\n\n*Please*\n\n(Sorry, got tired and might finish properly later on, although criticism is welcome. Thank you for the prompt it was enjoyable to write, again, sorry it's probably not what you meant."
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[WP] The skies are screaming.
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"*'Yes! Yes! YES! Now will you shut up!'*\n\nI was tired of the way they looked at me when I walked around. I wanted to scream back at them. I wanted them to stop their bright lights and senseless destruction. Maybe by yelling back would they understand that I disliked the tone of their voice. There is no reason to yell, I would tell them, but they never listened.\n\nIt was a Sunday night. I was standing alone in the dark, yelling at the skies. They were louder than usual, but I had brought earplugs. I think they were mad that I was as usual the only being on this scared lil earth who did not conform when they demanded people to seek indoors. I think they knew who I was.\n\n*'Yea... Yea! We get it! Now shut up!'*\n\nMy yells would sometimes make them silent, but it did not last long. Soon they screamed back at me with full force. I knew not exactly what they said, but the tone made it clear that they were angry. In the past, I had tried conversing with the skies, asking them what was the matter. They never answered in any civil manner. Stupid skies. Our hate has since grown out of proportion. I threw rocks at them, and they beamed lights at me.\n\nBut, yes, it was a Sunday. I was angry and so was they. They hit me with light, and I went cold for what seemed to be long. I woke up at the hospital surrounded by staff, telling me how lucky I was to survive. What ever. The doctor encouraged me to stop yelling at the skies, and seek indoors when the weather turned bad. I asked him what the fuck his problem was. I asked him what he would do without me, the only fighter on this scared lil earth. I explained to him that I would never allow the skies to rule over us. He sent me to some weird place with many doctors who talked to me daily when the sun was up, and left me at night, strapped to a bed, unable to move. Well thank you too. Maybe they worked with the skies. Maybe I was the only sane individual. "
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[WP] You are blessed with a special ability. The eviler someone is the colder you get. One day a new classmate sits next to your left.You suddenly feel colder that you ever have in your entire life.
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"\"First day back to school after summer vacation, im not looking forward to it.\nAt least I had my cold radar to know when Vincent and Max will be trying to find me to steal my lunch money. Cant sneak up on me this year boys!\"\n\nJames had developed something special along with his first chest hair, over summer holidays. The ability to sense someone's evil intent. It gave the air around the person a chill. As far as he could tell it was only him that noticed it. He had known the man who passed him and his father leaving the corner store was going into the store to rob it. He wished he had known his cousin Bill was going to give him a wedgie. He felt a slight chill but it had been too late. He took that to mean that the depth of the cold was directly related to the depth of evil about to be unleashed. \n\nHis first two days of school went well. He was able to avoid both Vincent and Max together and independently, by feeling the temperature change in the hallways. \n\nBut on Wednesday morning he awoke to a shock.\n\n\"Morning dear!\" His mother chimed in through his door. \n\"Best get up now, it snowed last night, so it will take us longer to get to school!\" She wandered back out into the kitchen doing whatever it was moms do in the morning. \n\nJames laid in bed confused and twisted internally. How was he supposed to feel the evil if the whole world felt cold? It was September! What the hell is wrong with the planet now? Global warming ruining his only way of avoiding losing his lunch money. \n\nHe let out a silent \"fuck\" and got dressed. \n\nThe morning commute took longer than normal like his mom had suspected. He trudged the last few feet from the mini van to the front door of the school in his snow boots, his mother had dug out of storage that morning. They didnt fit quite like they had the year before. They were tight and uncomfortable and he silently cursed the snow \"fuck\" for different reasons this time. \n\nAll anyone was talking about in home room when he arrived was the snow. He slipped into his favorite desk in the back row by the empty desk in the corner. Perks of being well behaved in Miss Jenna's homeroom, meant he could sit in the back. The kids that misbehaved got moved to the front. \n\nJames broke out his chemistry textbook and notebook, as that was the first class they had today. Since it was with Miss Jenna he didnt need to shuffle off to another room. Small victories on a day like today. \n\n\"Class!\" Miss Jenna silenced the room with a shout. \nAll heads turned to her, standing in her winter jacket still. Next to her stood a small freckled, ginger boy, hair a wiry mess and thick glasses. \n\"Class this is Sam, he and his parents moved into town last night. I want you all to give him a warm welcome.\" \n\nJames put two and two together pretty quickly, even before Sam sat down in the spare seat by the wall. He knew exactly what had happened last night, when Sam came to town. \n\n\"Hi\" said the evil ginger, who's words even sent out waves of cold, like a reverse dragon. \n\"I'm Sam!\" \n\n\"Fuck\" said James \n\n------\n\nSam sat patiently waiting for a response from the young boy next to him. \n\nWere people in this town unfriendly for some reason? Was it the odd snow fall that had the majority of people he had met so far this morning, in a seemingly grumpy state? \n\nSam turned back to face the front after giving up waiting for a response from the kid next to him.\nFor some reason the boy kept whispering the word \"fuck\" under his breath.. then looking at Sam in a distraught manner. \nHe tried to ignore it at first.. but as the class started an it continued he became more and more frustrated. \n\nFinally he turned to face the abnormal pest to take this issue on. Mustering up his courage he locked eyes the next time the boy turned.\n\n\"Hey, I dont know what your issue is man! But you are being super fucking weird! Can you please stop that shit?\" He whispered forcefully, hoping not to attract attention of the teacher.. he hadn't even learned her name. You'd think she would of informed him of that? Man this town was weird. \n\nThe boy recoiled from Sam's whisper and tucked his head into his folded arms on his desk. As if trying very hard to disappear. \n\n\"Man this town is all sorts of weird.\" Sam mumbled to nobody in particular.\n\nHis temper flared for only a moment at the annoyance. He felt the movement of the air from the heater at the front of the class, sliding over his skin. Tasted the fall smells, mixed with the propane from the heaters source somewhere in the basement, he could sense without knowing its location. Third door on the right, second last stairway in the next hall over. He could smell each leaf under the fallen snow. Could sense each pattern of every snow flake in the town, each and every one, as if crying out for him to know them personally. He was overcome by the inunumerability of the pouring out of the snow flakes multitudes of information. He lost the flame of anger that had kindled the spark of what he had come to think was normal. It slipped away in the rush of geometric crystalized water patterns..\n\nLeft only with the lack of his ability to sense everything around him. He sat quietly hoping he had not missed too much of the days Chemistry lesson. \n\nHis dislike for the town, pushed into the darkness of his mind with the passing of his anger. He finally relaxed, after the past week of moving with his family and the anxiety of leaving the only home he had ever known, of leaving his friends and school. And then traveling 2000 miles to this new place cooped up in the back seat of the van with his older brothers stinky feet and his younger brother and sister fighting in the front seat, his Dad yelling about missed turns and his Mothers reassuring smile not having the same affect it once did.. He finally relaxed.\n\n----\n\nI keep coming back to this, I might continue it? I mean I probably will. Thank you for the great concept OP.",
"I had always been able to sense a person's true intentions. \n\nI didn't really know why. It was just some kind of power... or ability, or whatever. I honestly didn't know. Anyways, it was fairly straight forward. If someone standing in front of me is a good person, I feel warm. If they're a bad person, I feel colder. Ironically, if the person in front of me is a *really* good person, I feel really, really hot, like I just walked into a flame. \n\nBecause of this, I usually tried to stay as unremarkable as possible, to avoid discomfort of being around people of extremes. Most of my friends were 'lukewarm' in their personality. They weren't all good, but they weren't all bad either. And so, my life was fairly ordinary, and despite my power I lived a normal life. \n\nWell, until one day.\n\nIt had gone well enough. I woke up, brushed my teeth, got to school on time, all that stuff. When I got out of my car (I CAN drive, you know), I felt a chill, just a slight one. Odd, to be sure, considering it was 90 degrees, but I thought nothing of it. Strike one. \n\nSo, I kept walking. Going to the classroom where I had advisory every morning. The next thing I noticed was that everyone, and I mean *everyone* else was sweating, while I felt... surprisingly fine. Not hot, not cold, just fine. Once again, I figured that I just had a different tolerance today. Strike two.\n\nEventually, I made it inside. And man, the temperature dropped. It was like I went from 70 degrees to 50. I remembered shivering. But once again, I chalked it up to be simply me being a bit different, even when my friends asked about me shaking a bit. And that was strike three.\n\nWhen he entered the room, it was... humbling, I suppose? Or perhaps terrifying? I didn't even know. What I *do* know is that it got cold.\n\n*Really* cold.\n\nIf the temperature of the room was fifty before, it was negative twenty now. I immediately covered myself with whatever I could find. It didn't help, of course, but I needed to do whatever I could to stop this cold, terrifying feeling from buffeting my form. Now let's get something straight. The worst people I had met before had their chill be around 30-40 degrees, but this guy? He put them all to shame, and I was petrified.\n\nI only got a chance to take a good look at him when he came to the empty seat right next to me. And let me just say once again, it was *cold.* This isn't just your average cold. This is the kind of cold you get in the arctic. Now, he was surprisingly... cute.\n\n... \n\nI know, I know, he's evil, *really* evil. But hey, I was a teenage girl! Can you at least let me explain what he looked like? \n\nUgh, whatever. Basic idea was, I found him visually appealing despite the cold. Until he showed me one thing. One thing that *truly* made me scared.\n\nHis eyes.\n\nThe thing that made me scared wasn't the color, nor the expression. It was the lack of such a thing. His eyes were blank, utterly. They held no emotion. No hope, no despair, no hopes and dreams and ambition. Just... nothingness. Just blank, obsidian eyes looking at me with... nothing. It was as if he wasn't even human.\n\nMind you, he was good at conversation. He completely won over everybody. He could act any way he wanted. But every time I saw him talking, I immediately looked at his eyes, and I knew it was all a lie, all a farce. \n\nI knew from the start I wasn't dealing with an evil person. I was dealing with someone much, much worse.\n\nAfter a month or so, I finally actually introduced myself to him, and we actually... got along pretty well. I was always wary, mind you. But he was actually fairly nice once you got to know him. I was confused as to why someone this nice could be so *evil.* \n\nThen people started disappearing. One by one, just... wiped off the map. Students, teachers, didn't matter. Thing was, each and every one of these people mysteriously got linked to shady activity. And not just any shady business, outright *treason.* I immediately knew my \"friend\" was the cause. And all thanks to my power. \n\nAnd then, suddenly, he was gone. Just vanished off the face of the Earth. His job was done, he had eliminated his target. For years, I tried to find the guy, but to no avail. I tried tracking him from his targets (which included but were not limited to corrupt businessmen, foreign agents, and military deserters), but that didn't work either. Pretty much nothing worked. He's real good at covering his tracks. I did locate him very briefly, where I found... things I should not talk about. \n\nEither way, I know he's still out there, doing his job. I'll admit, he's probably evil. But at least he's evil for the sake of all of us."
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[WP] A man approaches you, claiming that "You are the protagonist to my Book. I know how it ends. I want to change that ending.".
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"Silence so thick you could cut through it with a knife... It was the first time I had truly experienced it.\n\n\"You're thinking about how quiet it is in here. How this is the heaviest silence you've ever experienced and how it could be cut like a knife.\"\n\n\"Oh, you're good.\" I pushed away from the wall I had been resting on and sat down across from him. Surely the man must have fortune telling roots - his ability to read me had proven unmatched. The tea I had prepared sat between us, well cooled off at that point, though neither of us had thought to partake. Perhaps he thought it was poisoned? No matter, it\n\n\"...is really no concern of mine whether he eats or drinks.\"\n\nHis gaze was steady on me and I nearly felt my own stoicism crack.\n\n\"Please, Jules, listen to me. It's really important you don't go after him. I know what will happen. I know all of it. I want to save you. Why won't you believe me? What can I do to prove it to you?\" He was all but on his knees, begging me to let him help me. Help me...? Help me how?\n\n\"If you know so much,\" I started, my hands balling into tight fists, \"then you'll know who he is. That man took *everything* from me. He tortured and murdered my parents right in *front of me*... He burned down my *entire* town.\" The screams of my neighbors and my mother's tears filled my senses - the memories that haunted my every moment doubled as my driving force. \"I will not - *can not* - allow him to live. I have the time and ability to act, can't you see?\"\n\nAnger flashed in his eyes and he stood quickly. \"What's the point if you die, too?!\"\n\n\"You're my creator,\" I responded softly to his anger, slowly looking up at him. \"If you're my creator, keep me alive. Don't let me die.\"\n\n.\n.\n.\n\nThe man pushed away from his manuscript, laying his head heavy in his hands. No matter how many times he approached it, it was always the same. She was *just so stubborn*. He reached for the framed picture he stored on his desk and traced the image of the young girl's smiling face.\n\nThough, was she truly stubborn? That was just his excuse. She had just wanted him to watch her recital... She walked all that way in the rain... because he had *promised*.\n\n\"I'm sorry I always fail you, Julie...\""
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[WP] you are an immortal. You’ve seen some incredible things over your long, long lifetime. One day, you learn that you have exactly 50 years left to live.
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" \"There must be some type of error,” I said, my skeptical gaze analyzing the small, almost child-like, man before me. He was dressed like a mail carrier from the early 1930’s, a time that I would’ve much like to forget by now. He had a satchel that was full of small letters and packages, and he seemed to be shuffling through it now with one hand, his other outstretched with a well-worn scroll made of some animal’s skin. It had my name elegantly written on the front in my native tongue: a regional dialect of tribal Egyptian that had faded into obscurity in the later years of the Egyptian heyday.\n\n“No errors, here, buckaroo,” the deliverer said, not glancing up from his pouch. “We pride ourselves on our 100% accuracy and guaranteed 24-hour delivery service.”\n\n“Yes, but I shouldn’t be receiving anything,” I insisted. The carrier looked at me, then to his hand, and back to me, shaking it slightly in annoyance. I sighed and rolled my eyes, finally succumbing to my curiosity and temptation. I roughly grabbed the scroll and popped the seal, letting it unfurl in a small moment of pomp. My eyes quickly scanned the lettering, adjusting unconsciously back into the language of my childhood. I felt my hands begin to tremble, and my mouth go dry from disturbed fear. I tore myself away from the scroll and back to the carrier, who was still struggling to find his next package.\n\n“Who sent this!?” I asked, practically screaming. We were fortunately on a relatively uncrowded street, so only a few people bothered to give us a side-eyed glance. “Where did you get this scroll?!” I thrust the message towards him, pointing to the script with a finger.\n\nThe carrier sighed and glanced up, adjusting his glasses to sit better on his face. “Let’s see here… yes, yes… official documents… as per policy and agreed upon amount…” He pushed the scroll back to me. “Seems like your immortality has run out. You're lucky that this is just a warning. It allows you to get your affairs in order.”\n\n“Immortality doesn’t just run out,” I said, my arms quivering. “Surely, this is just a joke, right?”\n\nThe carrier laughed, his tiny frame rocking back on his heels. “Buddy, whatever god that you struck a deal with back then to get your extended lifespan has decided that your time is up. This happens all the time. Few people get to live forever.” He brushed me away dismissively. “In any case, now that it’s delivered, my job is done. Enjoy your last fifty years.”\n\nEnjoy? How am I supposed to enjoy it, knowing that in fifty years I’m going to die? I slumped against the wall. Over the course of this beautiful life, I’d mastered a grand amount of skills. Alchemy, swordplay, wordsmithing. Pottery, culinary arts, feats of athleticism. Hell, it had taken me nearly forty years just to master customer service! But now, I realized just how little I had accomplished. There were so many things that I had left to see, had left to do! Why now, of all times, did I have to die? Unthinking, I bashed my fist against the brick wall behind me.\n\nWhen I pulled it back, blood dribbled down my hand."
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[WP] Strange, unexplainable “glitches” are happening in the world, but only you seem to notice. One day, you find out that Earth is just a computer simulation - that is beginning to fall apart.
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"\"What the F\\*\\*K?\" I said as I thought my eyes were going haywire again. I don't know if you heard about ocular migraines but I get them often if I train a lot or don't eat for half a day. Some describe it as an aura, but it's just a part of you vision field that you just cannot see. You kind of go blind in some parts of you field for 20 minutes or so. Well ... This was kind of different.\n\nI was looking at a girls - how should I say this inoffensively - the two rounded portions of the anatomy, if you know what I mean, right? Wait, wait. I'm getting side tracked again, sorry. So I was looking at this chicks butt and suddenly her yoga pants just suddenly - vanish!\n\n\"What is going on here, why are her pants back again? Maybe I just need to eat something.\"\n\nI was suspicious of her so I had to watch those pants very, very closely. Upon my further inspection it didn't seem as if there was anything weird going on. \n\nUntil the whole F\\*\\*\\*\\*ING floor disappeared. \n\n\"Oh, my word,\" I said to myself. I looked at the yoga pants: No yoga pants! Why are there no yoga pants? The mystery has got deeper and deeper. I closed my eyes. I'm on a train. I'm sitting on a chair. There's no floor. I open my eyes. People are just standing around, nobody has any clothes on and there is no floor to stand on. \n\n\"What is going on?\" I yell out loud. I grab the guy next to me by the coat: \"Where is the floor man? Look at that, do you see that?\" He looks at me, his eyes shine blue and it seems as if there is a logo of Microsoft flashing in the back of his head. His mouth opens:\n\n\"Warning! Your system ran into a problem that it couldn't handle and now it needs to restart.\"\n\n\"Oh, now I remember. Not again.\"\n\n ",
"It's June. I am on my way home from work, crammed into the subway like a sardine, with all the others on their way to their own homes. I keep my head down, as usual, bobbing my head along with the sway of the car, and the music pumping through my headphones.\n\nSuddenly, there's a blinding flash of light, and I'm transported to the edge of a dense forest, overlooking a lush meadow. The long, emerald grass swishes gently in the breeze. A mother deer and her fawn graze a few dozen feet away, coats gleaming in the evening sunshine. I look up at the rail I'd been holding onto, and see that it's been replaced with the branch of a young oak tree.\n\nThere's a bright flash again. I blink, and am once again back in the subway. I look around, expecting others to look just as confused as I feel, but everyone else seems just as bored as usual.\n\n\nIt is October. I've been having more of the strange flashes. No one else seems to be having them, or if they are, they aren't telling anyone. I've stopped trying to convince my friends of what I'm seeing; in fact, I don't really even have friends anymore. No one wanted to stay friends with the crazy girl who teleports everytime she sees an otherworldly flash of light.\n\nI shake my head, clearing my thoughts of the friends I've lost, and look back down at the books spread out in front of me. The sun filters in through the windows, dust floating in the air, shimmering in its rays. The English textbook in front of me is not holding my attention. I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, willing myself to get through this study session. When I open my eyes, I see the now-familiar flash of light.\n\nI blink, and open my eyes to the meadow that I now know so well. Something is different this time, though. I breathe in, noticing a sharp, warm scent prickling my nose. I turn around, and see smoke rising above the golden and scarlet trees in the distance. Although every ounce of instinct is telling me to run away, curiosity wins out, and I take off running towards the plumes of smoke. I know my time here is limited, so I push myself as hard as I can, desperate to see what's going on before I'm ripped back to my own world.\n\nI am close, seeing a blaze before my eyes. The bright orange of the fire blends right in with the blazing reds and yellows of the autumn leaves. I am unsure of what to do now; I've never been allowed to stay in this world so long before. As I debate on what to do about the forest fire I've stumbled upon, something catches the corner of my eye. There is a small cabin a short distance away. Just as I take my first step towards it, however, the light flashes again.\n\nTo my surprise, I'm no longer in the library, but a block away from Times Square. I've never really had time to explore the other world before; how curious that what I do there does seem to tie in to this world. I swear I can still smell the faintest scent of smoke...\n\n\nIt is December 31st. New Year's Eve. The visions are getting longer each time. Still more troubling than they were over the summer. Ever since the forest fire, it seems like one thing or another goes wrong everytime.\n\nI am in Times Square, waiting to watch the ball drop, in celebration of a New Year. I hope this year will be better. I haven't had much luck making new friends; people don't seem to like it when you space out and seemingly sleepwalk while hanging out with them.\n\nSuddenly, I feel a tremor under my feet. I look down, and see the pavement beneath me crack and pull apart. As the screams of the surrounding crowds fill my ears, the familiar flash lights up my vision once more.\n\nI am standing in front of a cabin, the one I haven't seen since the day of the forest fire. I step forward, boots crunching in the pristine white snow, and knock on the door. There is no answer, but I notice the door is slightly ajar. I push it open, and step inside.\n\nI am surprised by the sight greeting me. For being in such a beautiful world, the cabin is very utilitarian inside. The walls are lined with sleek black boxes, with various lights flickering on their faces. What's worrying, though, is the sparks and smoke coming out of one of the stacks of boxes.\n\nOn the back wall, I notice a door. I walk over, slowly turning the squeeky old doorknob, stepping into the dark room beyond it. It is sparsely furnished; only an old iron bed, a desk, and a chair. I notice a dark figure is in the chair, slumped over the desk, and adrenaline surges through me.\n\nAfter a moment, I realize the computer on the desk is beeping. I look at the screen, and see big, bold letters flashing across the screen. ERROR, ERROR, ERROR. I creep over closer, and that's when the stench hits me. The adrenaline is replaced with revulsion, and it's all I can do to not get sick. Whoever lived here, they certainly aren't living anymore.\n\nI see notes on the desk. Notes about my world… notes about me. My private thoughts, and feelings, things I've never told anyone…\n\nThe computer screen changes. DUE TO INACTIVITY, SIMULATION TERMINATED.\n\n\nIt's been awhile. Five years at least, I think. I stopped keeping track long ago. The light has never flashed again; it seems I am stuck in this world. I am alone; aside from the body, I have never found anyone else here. It was difficult at first, but I have survived. I am out in my garden, plucking large, red tomatoes from their vines.\n\nI go inside, setting the basket of produce on the table. I step into my bedroom. I look over at the computer, the one thing I've never touched; the one thing that felt too much like it still belonged to him.\n\nI decide to finally switch it on. Words flicker across the screen. NEW SIMULATION STARTING, PLEASE WAIT.\n\nUnsure of what that means, I go out to grab a glass of water while I wait. I walk back over towards the door to my room, but catch my foot on a loose floorboard. Water sloshes out of the glass, and onto one of the towers of boxes. Sparks start to fly out of it.\n\nThen something strange, yet oddly familiar, happens. A blinding flash of light illuminates the room. But when I open my eyes, the room is still there. I rub my eyes, wondering if it really happened, or if I'm just going crazy.\n\nI turn around, and a man stands before me, looking as confused as I felt, my first time in this world. Happiness rushes through me, as I realize I'm no longer alone.\n\nBut then, the light flashes again, and he's gone."
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[WP] Humans have heard theories we live in a simulation but have chalked it up to nonsense. We are unaware that we do live in a simulation, and the "world" as we know only renders what you can see around you. One day you open a door to a building that hasn't rendered yet.
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"The room was reported to be one of mankind's most elegant and intricate creations. The walls were covered in mosaics created from millions of gems and precious stones. Gilded filigree bordered each section of the artwork and decorated the molding. The expansive tile floor appeared rather plain, but upon closer inspection, one noticed meticulous geometric designs etched into the surface. At the center of the room hung a chandelier which drew one's eyes to the ceiling. Visitors could often be seen with their eyes to the heavens, scanning the stained glass and the unnervingly realistic biblical scenes carved into the rafters.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEvery piece of furniture in the room was hand crafted and centuries old. Each piece of wood was worked to utter perfection, every piece of metal polished to a mirror glaze, and every bit of upholstery was flawlessly embroidered with photo-realistic precision. A marble altar sat opposing the door; it supported a statue of the Virgin Mary, so masterfully crafted that it rivaled Michelangelo.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe room was not particularly beautiful. No element in the room complimented any other and an unaccustomed visitor's vision was usually overstimulated to the point of discomfort. The room stood instead as a monument to craftsmanship and detail.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe room sat at the center of a cathedral which was of particular religious significance. Tourists and pilgrims frequently toured all halls of the church, but very few were allowed to enter the room. It was guarded constantly and even high ranking members of the clergy were only allowed in on special occasion.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhile I am not a religious man myself, I do happen to be a connoisseur of the visual arts and to have such a magnificent work forever out of my reach was something I simply could not bear. I decided that I would catch a glimpse by whatever means necessary. Months of conniving and planning had finally placed me just outside the towering Walnut doors. I only had ten minutes before the guards returned.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhat greeted me when I swung open the doors was far from what I expected. The ground beneath my feet and the wall to my left were as beautiful as everyone had claimed. They were a marvel incomparable to anything I had witnessed but my attention was unfortunately called elsewhere.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMost of the room was flat and untextured. The floor seemed to stop in a line just in front of me and the walls as well. Where mosaics, carvings, and stained glass should've been, there was only a pink and black checkerboard. Generic placeholder texture wrapped around most of the space.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter a moment of staring, I came to my senses and took a cautious step forward onto the checkerboard. It held my weight. I touched a section of the wall and it felt like cold steel. I was without words and entirely unsure how to react. Then I noticed the strangest thing of all. The pink checkerboard was slowly disappearing. Texture was creeping across it very slowly, perhaps another half-meter of mosaic, floor, and ceiling had appeared since I entered the room. Gorgeous seats and tables began to phase into existence around the room. The Virgin Mary's head had formed, looking down on me from across the room.\n\n&#x200B;\n\ni began to wonder whether this was some strange symptom of the visual over stimulation that many claimed to experience in this room. I figured that it was far too strange and that it made no sense for my mind to place generic placeholder texture across the areas it couldn't process. It was hypnotic, watching these masterpieces create themselves right before my eyes. I stared transfixed until the texture met itself on the wall across from me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJust above the Virgin Mary, the last section of the wall merged together. A golden crucifix appeared, it seemed to look right into my eyes. How long had I been standing? Surely more than the ten minutes I was allotted. I was still too shocked to move a muscle; my entire body felt chilled, limp, and numb. It was more breathtaking than I ever could've imagined. A guard's hand gripped my shoulder.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThey dragged me away. I was still nearly catatonic. When I found my words, they thought I was insane."
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[WP] After twisting your words to grant your first two wishes in the worst way possible, you come up with a final wish to torture the Genie for the rest of it's existence.
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"On my hands and knees, I draw in ragged breaths between hoarse, gutteral sobs.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*I can't breathe.*\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI can't wrap my mind around how my life has changed with so few words.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Your last wish, *master*?\" The genie spoke the last word with both amusement and utter contempt. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nOnly moments ago, I had been the devoted husband to my beloved. Proud father to my children. All my happiness turned to ash in my mouth. With nothing but a few, well meant words. I had first asked for my most earnest desire: that nothing could ever hurt my family. I had been at first warmed by the small grin on the genie's face. Only after I felt my wife's hand go slack, as I watched the light leave her eyes, hearing the sickening thud as her body landed, crumpled at awkward angles, did I realize the grin was malevolent. Devious. Twisted. Laying beside her, my two children. Only moments before, full of vitality and the spark of youth. Extinguished. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIn shock, my knees gave out, only incoherent babbling spilling from my lips. Finally finding my words, my chin quivering in both raw anguish and fury, I spat out, \"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Merely, what you asked for. They can now never be hurt by anyone. Your second wish?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis genie, this *demon*, spoke with such callous disregard, nonchalance, even amusement at what it had just done. I cradled my wife's head in my lap, thinking about how I would never feel her touch or wake up to her voice. The aching misery gnawed at my chest. In my bewildered state, I cried out in a small, pinched voice, \"bring them back. Bring Them Back!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"As you wish.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI looked down, tears clouding my vision, and unbridled joy leapt in my heart as my wife's eyes, my children's eyes, fluttered as if waking from a deep sleep. I was silently grateful to the monster that had just stolen my family from me. I should have known better. No sooner than her eyes focused on me, she jumped up, as if being burned. Wild panic in her eyes, she demanded to know who I was and why I had kidnapped her and her children. My voice caught in my throat as I choked out, \"H-honey, it's me. It's me! Your husband!\" Her response chilled me to my bones.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I have no husband. Who are you, and why have you taken us?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe backed away, holding her terrified children, *our* children, behind her. To protect them from the unknown marauder that had stolen them away from a life I didn't know. I sat in stunned silence as she turned and ran away, scooping my son up in one arm, and pulling my daughter along by the hand as fast as her short legs could carry her.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe genie's mocking request for my third wish burned in my heart like hot iron. It had taken the only things in my entire existence that mattered to me, and it reveled in my misery. I wanted nothing else except to make this demon hurt. To suffer. As if by providence, the old axiom \"*misery loves company*\" flashed through my mind. In sudden inspiration, I realized my wish. \"I wish...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I wish for you to want the absolute good for anyone you've ever granted wishes to.\""
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[WP] The Animal Kingdom UN has called an emergency session to discuss a new study confirming that humans negatively affect all ecosystems on earth & at current rate will cause a large percentage of species to go extinct & ecosystems to fail. The animals decide they need to stop humans at any cost.
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"All throughout the forest the trees appeared to sway and bow towards a massive clearing in the woods. All animals with any sense or pride moved with the wind. From the giant sloth to the timid squirrel, they gathered. It was where it was said that a star fell once and bestowed upon beasts of the land, the Gift to the firsts ones that were so bold as to approach the star come to earth. \n\n\nThe Gift was a peculiar inheritance, passing generations and sometimes even disappearing from a tribe entirely to the tribe's great shame and humiliation. The Gift allowed one to speak without snarls, snorts, or caws. Two beings possessed of the gifts could communicate as no others could. At the site of the Great Convening though all shared the Gift so long as they stood within the crater’s ring. Standing upon the shimmering fallen star, a speaker could be heard miles no matter how small. \n\n\nScarlet Fang scoffed at the thought that mice may have anything important to say. Her tribe was without equal. Sabre Teeth, even their lowest pack members were kings and queens of the land. By the great moon, the mighty mammoth feared her tribe! The petty squabbling over grazing territory or nesting grounds were far beneath her. Still she it was her first Great Convening for her and Scarlet Fang wanted to flaunt her status as one of the Gifted chosen by the passing of her Elder and the appearance of the new moon. \n\n\nShe felt the power in her paws. Arrival at the fallen star was dictated by your tribes prestige. The weaker waited upon the strong. Her brother Swift Claw and her uncle One Tooth were her escorts, both were Sabre Teeth, strong and reliable. \n\n\nSwift Claw growled as he heard the Terror Birds squawk and caw to announce their arrival. “Scarlet, we’re too early. It will dishonor our tribe if we show up in the middle of the lot. I haven’t even heard the bloody mammoths trumpet. Now we got to wait like the losers.”\n\n\nScarlet shrugged and puffed up her chest, quoting her father. “A Sabre Tooth is never too early or too late. It is merely the other tribes that have their time wrong.”\n\n\nHer brother Swift Claw placed a paw over his head and groaned. \n\n\nUncle One Tooth chuckled, pulling his nephew by the ear. “Leave your sister to compose her thoughts for the Convening opening. Come Swift, it is the perfect time to mingle with the other delegates. I shall teach you tact… and there are rumors I must confirm.”\n\n\nScarlet purred with contentment as felt familiar rubbing against her golden fur. She nearly yowled when she turned and saw his lolled out tongue and long muzzle. \n\n\nThe grey furred dire wolf was wagging his tail. “Hey, Scarlet.”\n\n\nScarlet playfully swatted his muzzle away with her paws. “Howl, how are you here? Don’t tell me they picked you to guard your uncle?”\n\n\nHowl used one of his hind legs to scratch his ears. “I’ve got the Gift, Scar.”\n\n\nThe tigress’ eyes widened in surprise. “You?”\n\n\nHowl barked, affirmatively and affectionately. “You looked like my mom when she found out. She told me to get out her head.”\n\n\nScarlet rolled her eyes. “You’re going to represent your people?”\n\n\nHowl nodded and then his tail stopped wagging. “Uncle Grey… he died. Father’s been stuck at the den, his wounds fester. There’s no wolf else.”\n\n\nScarlet became concerned at Howl’s change in demeanor. The happy go lucky pup, she’d bumped into when she was a cub, seemed distant. The Dire Wolves had a nonaggression pact with the Sabre Teeth, even an alliance. Their territory was west of the Frost River, recently disaster site of a freak wild fire. \n\n\nScarlet pivoted her head to see no others were with them between the tree. She sighed and then hugged Howl. “I’m sorry to hear that. The wild fire was so recent too.”\n\n\nHowl shook his head. “It was no wild fire, Scar… it was the new tribe. Uncle Grey was hit by strange magic. He died without jaws or claws touching him.”\n\n\nHowl yelped as he heard the thunder of the giant sloth’s steps. “By the moon, We wolves are next. Best of luck, Scar!” He gave the Sabre tooth tap on her shoulders with his paws as he scrambled towards the fallen star. \n\n\nScarlet gulped as if she had a salmon caught in her throat. The subject of the Great Convening, she was to address them all despite her tribe knowing only wind whispers about this new tribe. A tribe of so called man-creatures. What monsters were these? \n\n\nThe mammoths trumpeted. It was time for the Great Convening. \n"
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[WP] You wake up one day and discover you have super powers, but the catch is that to maintain the super power, you have to bathe in the blood of a live human at least twice a day. Being the good guy you are, you want to keep the powers but don't want to kill.
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"I groggily awaken, a dream slipping away from me as quickly as it had manifested itself. I lay in bed, wrapped in comforters as snow falls heavily beyond the barrier of my walls and windows. \n\nIt feels like another lazy Saturday.... I probably won't do much, catch a hockey game on the T.V., have a beer, slip deeply into an existential crisis due to the inexorable passing of my lonely life, the usual. As I sit up and toss the comforters off my bed, the room's coldness suddenly, and very painfully makes itself apparent... \"Did I pay the heating?\" I wonder to myself quietly. Probably not, I was able to deduce. \n\nI was clad in the weekend warrior's signature armor: a loose pair of plad pajamas and an old college t-shirt. I didn't actually attend said college, but pretending I was successful was fun. I swung the door of my room wide open and stepped into the small New York apartment. This place had nickle and dimed me all the way to financial ruin, and yet it could fit possibly one more person, two would be a significant stretch. I clambered drowsily into the kitchen, and set the Keurig to brewing, waiting for my savior: caffeine. While I was standing, waiting for the machine to heat up, I checked the landline. A few missed calls, two from my parents, and one from the heating company. Bills and other letters sprawled haphazardly across the wooden counter, which was coated in a granite cover to make it seem nicer than it was. \n\nI turned away from the phone, and reached for the fridge. I clasped my hand firmly around the door handle, and swung it open. I reached for the milk, retrieved it, and turned to pour it in my coffee. A voice suddenly exploded into my head, shrieking loudly in excitement.\n\n\"Milk?!?! I love milk! There's so many things you can do with it!\" The high pitched feminine voice spoke. \n\nI recoiled, dropping the glass cylinder of milk on to the wooden boards of my first floor apartment. It shattered into a million pieces, creating a cereal worthy of only the most masochistic. Glass and milk mixed as I moved out of surprise. Glass crunched under my feet, and I knew blood would soon join the mix. The shock of pain I thought would be there was... strangely absent. I cleared myself of the accident, and examined my foot. Nothing. Not a single cut after a mistake that should have cut my foot to ribbons. As my panic subsided, and the apartment returned to it's normal mid-morning silence, I whispered. \"What the actual hell was that?\"\n\n\"Oh me?!\" The voice exploded again, giving me a headache to rival binge drinking hangovers. \n\n\"Yes... you\" I replied, not at all oblivious as to how much of a psychopath I looked. \n\n\"I.... I don't know,\" the voice said sadly, \"all I remember is blinding lights, and then you!\"\n\n\"Do you have like, a name, or anything like that? And are you even real!?\" \n\n\"I don't have name, at least one that I remember... you could give me a name! Can I give you a name?! That would be so cool! We could have matching names! Or like names that combine to make something! Like I could be \"Mas\", and you could be 'Sacre!!'\" The voice droned on, obviously excited. \n\n\"What? No, no, I have a name! My names Tom! And why 'massacre'?\" I asked\n\n\"Because I can just feel that we're sure going to be doing a lot of that, friend!\" it replied quickly, and jovially. \"We're going to murder men, women, children, everyone! It'll be totally indiscriminate and totally awesome!\"\n\n\"No!\" I shouted, \"we don't just do that kinda stuff, what the hell is wrong with you?\" \n\n\"I want blood!\" It shouted in my head, \"milk is awesome, but nothing quenches my needs like a good slaughtering, followed by showers that would make the Vlad the Impaler jealous!\" \n\n\"How do you know about Vlad the Impaler?\" I asked into empty space.\n\n\"Now's not the time for technicalities! We need blood, and I want the person to be alive! It tastes better!\"\n\n\"And what if I say just no? What then?\" \n\n\"Well then I leave,\" it said, the faintest hint of anger seeping into it's voice. \"And you die, probably a very painful death, I don't make good exits, only bloody ones!\" It said, returning to jovialness. \n\nI leaned against the counter, wondering just what the hell I got myself into. This thing, whatever the hell it is, wants blood. It needs blood... The metaphorical light build went off over my head. \"You said it has to be live, yeah? Do I have to make someone bleed? Or just find it?\"\n\n\"Just get some blood and we can have fun! The person has to be alive though! Or I kill you! Very painfully!\" It laughed. \n\n\"I have an idea.\"\n\n\\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nWriting this pretty late at night, don't know if it's good, but it's my first time posting... I'll post more if someone is interested. Time for bed!",
"*Beat.*\n\nIt’s exhilarating, - the rush. I can feel every heartbeat. I close my eyes, feeling my power swirl around me. I passed through the prison cell walls with ease - a specter, the agent of death.\n\nTwo men sit reclining on their bunks. One reads a comic – Superman? Superman was weak. He never had the courage to do what was necessary. I have that courage.\n\nI materialize, black shadows pouring around me. These men are guilty, and their sentence is death. This is justice. A blade of pure darkness slices through them. I lie beneath the draining blood, feeling my power grow and flare beyond my body. Soon - I will not need to kill to collect souls. Soon I will have that power, forever.\n\n*Beat.*\n\nI can feel the souls in the next cell – remorse, anger. I pass through the walls. The angry one pounds his fist against the wall. He is guilty, I can *feel* it. His cellmate cries in horror as I materialize, and my blade slices through the angry one’s neck, showering the cell with blood. The remorseful one – he lives. He is a changed man now, and his justice has been served.\n\nOne soul - my power fades. Two souls - my power stays. Three souls - my power grows.\n\n*Beat. This heartbeat, is it mine?*\n\nI pass through the prison, collecting twelve more souls. These were guilty men, I could *feel* it. My power now? It’s immense. I can pass through the walls, but I don’t think I need to - I can feel my body flare and pulse with a thought. If I willed myself to be somewhere, could I?\n\n*Beat. It’s as if something inside me is alive. Is it my soul, flaring with power?*\n\nIn a flash of smoke, I appeared at home twenty miles away, in my bathroom. This is new. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was drenched in blood. A visible, dark aura pulsed around me, like a hooded specter.\n\n*Beat. The heartbeat, it’s the aura, my shadow. I can watch my shadow move and pulse with the beat.*\n\nI wash myself, letting the blood run down the tub. What am I doing? This is insane. I only want to help people.\n\nI write *mindwalk* on the calendar. I need to document my powers since I won’t remember. The rohypnol I took before leaving assures this.\n\n*Beat. This is my inner demon - ‘I am become death, destroyer of worlds’*\n\nWhen I started, I paid others to kill for me, and made myself forget. It was never enough. I could only maintain my power, and I need more souls. It’s the same thing, is it not? When I wake tomorrow, I wake free from my conscience."
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[WP] You are a demon possessed by a human spirit. It keeps using your powers to do good deeds and other mundane junk. It's really time to get this thing exorcised.
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"\tRusty Chain gloats at me from what used to be MY seat between Whip and Devastator at the cool demons' table. Man, I used to own that table. I burned hot—really hot. \n\n\tYou don't find out who your real friends are until the chips are down. The “in crowd” dropped me like a scented floral sachet as soon as this sweet dream began. Somehow, Cream Puff (a loving human spirit) got inside me, and I can't get rid of her. I beg, I plead, I threaten.\n\n\t“I'll leave when I'm ready,” she croons. Maddening.\n\n\tI suppose you think the Scourge (my name before this happened) can make short work of a puny human spirit. In a fair fight, I'd smoosh that pastry. But this is no fair fight. She has control and she makes me do sweet little good deeds--ugh.\n\n\tSo now I'm stuck at the nerd table, eating with Pimple and Dust Bunny. \n\n\t“Let's go make some mischief,” Bunny says as we finish lunch.\n\n Mischief? I used to make MAYHEM! What have I become? “OK, I'll try,” I say.\n\n\t“We have faith in you,” Pimple says, patting me on the back. (Ew, gag me!)\n\n\tSo the three of us toggle to the human world, looking for chumps. We find a teenage waif primping for her prom. Pimple drools with joy. \n\n\t“I've got this one,” he cries happily. He mutters his spell while the little chick peers into her mirror, applying lipstick. “Smack dead, black head, crack knee, acne.” A red splotch erupts on the end of her freckled snub nose. It blooms into a full-blown, puss-filled ZIT as she watches.\n\n\t“Oh my, God!” she shrieks. “Mother! Mother!”\n\n Pimple and Bunny laugh, but I'm not feeling it. I choke out a fake laugh, but sappy Suzy—alias Cream Puff, alias CP—squelches it.\n\n\t“Come on, the afternoon is young,” Pimple shouts. We poof away, looking for our next mark.\n\n\t“I want a last peek at that crybaby,” I tell them. I poof back. She's sobbing on her bed so she doesn't see me zap the pimple off. I quickly rejoin Bunny and Pimple.\n\n\tThey're trolling a snob lady, who is hosting an exclusive white tie dinner. Bunny chortles as she blows soot and disgusting dead bugs into the crystal wine goblets and over the white linen table cloth. Yawn! This is lame. \n\n\t“Hahaha!” Bunny thinks she scored big.\n\n\t“Come on, we're on a roll,” Pimple calls as they poof off. Wonder of wonders, CP doesn't care enough about snob lady to fix the damage. So why can't I poof away after the two dorks?\n\n\tI hear a child crying. I waft upstairs, following the sound. A little girl sobs, her loneliness radiating from her teary eyes. She lives in a beautiful toy-filled room with no love in it.\n\n\tNo problem kid, I think. CP will get you fixed up. “Woggy poggy make a doggy,” my lips murmur. A spaniel pokes its shy nose out from under the bed. The little tyke's eyes light up. She gently lifts the puppy to her lap and the two snuggle.\n\n\tI'm getting used to this kind of thing by now. I whine and whimper a little, but it's kind of pro forma. “CP, that was absolutely disgusting,” I glower, but my voice sounds wooden.\n\n\tI hear distant laughter, like silvery wind chimes on a breezy day. CP's voice sounds from far away. “I'm not with you anymore. My new friend is Devastator. See you in the lunchroom, Georgie Scourgie.” \n\n\t",
"Dozens of pentagram pendent necklaces clattered together as you walked. Broodmothers held their infant Imps close, shielding them from your presence. The Nephilims you passed didn't bother making eye contact with you. Apparently you weren't even worth the time to torment; something less than useless and, yet, beyond disturbing. Only your kith and kin mustered the effort to talk to you anymore.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n**\" Q̶̼̖̌ͅu̸̫̩̮̠͊͆ȍ̴̱̿̎̓m̴̥͇͝͠ǭ̸̠̩̱͐̎ḑ̶̺̻͋̀́͝ó̵̢̗̟͕̿̐̍͠ ̷̪̮̞͎̐͌̚͘v̷̜̬͇̓̔̒͜o̵͕̞̟̊͋̿̋͜s̷̨̩̦̱͗̐̓ ̴̢̨̺̳͗̿f̶̗̤͠r̵̨̯̽̌͗̑̚ḁ̵͈̞̓́̑̄ͅt̷̙͒̈́̃̚͝r̷̨̗̓͛e̵̲͎̞͐͌̔̽̿͜m̸̀͂͝ͅ?̴̟͝ \"**\n\n&nbsp;\n\nA familiar voice. Surprisingly gentle given how the past couple months had been. You looked over to see your youngest sibling, his charred and twisted hand resting on your shoulder. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n**\"...I'm...I'm doing...okay. Everything is fine.\"** You **hated** this language. You hated how hollow it sounded. You hated how you had to grow a fleshy appendage in your maw just to communicate anymore. All you wanted was to talk normally, but **IT** wouldn't let you speak the ancient tongue. Still, even if it was in these disgusting words...it was satisfying to finally be able to lie for the first time in weeks.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYour brother nodded and went on his way. Understanding this language was part of the job for demons interacting with mortals, but just because he knew the sounds didn't mean he liked it. You could see fear in your brother's eyes, and not the savory kind. No, this was a look you'd seen many times. A look you had grown accustomed to since your possession by a hu--You gag before finishing the thought. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n...by a hu--Your last meal threatens to come back up. You struggle to hold it down, hoping to avoid the putrid burning sensation it would leave lingering in your new, fleshy mouth. Constricting your throat down to a negative diameter barely staves off the reflex. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n...since your possession by a human. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhile the human slept (thank Morning-Star for that), you had SOME semblance of control. But during the sun hours...UGH. Healing fatal wounds. Assisting mortal kings avoid wars. Containing and eliminating disease. Your eternal life had become, as the humans said, a living heck.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...\"heck\"?! There wasn't enough fire in Tartarus to burn the embarrassment out of your mind. You breathed a sigh of relief as you saw the approaching door: the entrance to a shaman your brother had recommended. This creature would excise the human soul from your form and you would finally be free. Just need to speak the command to open the door and...**\"Open, gateway to the forever-nightmare!\"**\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYou tried again. **\"Open! I demand it!\"**\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...Still nothing.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe doorway doesn't respond to mortal words. Entry was impossible! You sat down in front of the door, trapped outside. You'd have to wait here until sunrise, when the shaman left for his nest, and catch it on its way out.",
"Tuskforth the infernal carried six bags of shopping, one on each arm - which only a week prior had been used for twisting humans. The Spirit inside him powered his legs forward, and he fought against the control. \n\n*There's no use fighting me.* The lofty voice said from within. \n\nWill Magic is forbidden. Tuskforth thought.\n\nA laugh bounced around his head, while his body continued walking. An old lady lagged behind the demon in disguise. To her, the eight-foot demon with six arms, cracked volcanic skin and fists the size of boulders, looked no more than an average human carrying three bags on each arm. \n\n'Oh you are a strong young man aren't you.' The old woman called from a distance. \n\nThe intruder forced Tuskforth to look back and smile. \n\nSTOP THIS. Tuskforth roared internally. \n\n*Why? Because it's killing you?* \n\nDEMONS CANNO'T BE SLAIN BY A MORTAL. \n\n*I'm not killing you,* The voice seemed eager, almost giddy. *you are killing yourself. Did you think your feeding habits were secret to humans?* \n\nTuskforth waited by a faded green Volvo. The old lady shuffled across the carpark and unlocked the boot. The demon felt weaker with each bag he placed in the car. \n\n'Oh thank you so much,' The old lady's fingers shook as she withdrew her purse. \n\nThe gratitude felt like lashes and the outstretched note that trembled in the woman's hand made him feel sick. Acidic bile, made up of radioactive waste climbed his throat, and as it reached his mouth the Spirit made him swallow. Tuskforth watched as one of his hands took the money and lifted his cheeks into a smile. \n\n'Thank you!' Tuskforth's voice exclaimed, masked to sound like a sincere human. 'You are far too kind.' Boils sprouted inside his mouth, growing until he couldn't breathe. The Spirit tightened his mouth until they burst. Blood oozed down his throat, and a faint feeling overcame him. \n\nThe old woman thanked Tuskforth again and hobbled into her car. He stood waving as she chicaned her way out of the car park. \n\n*That was fun.* The voice said, accompanied by a migraine. *You haven't asked me why I'm doing this. Why I'm forcing you to kill yourself with kindness. I have to say I'm disappointed.*\n\nFuck you... Tuskforth thought.\n\n*Well I'm going to tell you anyway, and you're going to have to list-*\n\nFUCK YOU. Tuskforth pushed, interrupting the Spirit. \n\n*ARE WE SHOUTING?* \n\nThe Spirit's volume forced Tuskforth to his knees. Green tears rolled down his cheek and caught in the firey trenches that lined his face. \n\n*Now, can I continue or are you going to interrupt me again*?\n\nTuskforth swayed, shaking his head. \n\n*At a guess, you've tortured a couple of million people,* The voice paused, expecting Tuskforth to answer. *right so let's say three million. So I wonder if you remember Sarah. I'm betting you don't, which is okay. The problem is, I remember her and I know for a fact that you were the one who drove her to suicide. Now I think it's your turn. Shall we go save a cat from a tree? Ooh better yet it's nearly Christmas. What about I dress you up as good old Santa Claus, and we hit up as many children hospitals as it takes for you to die.* \n\n---\n\n/r/WrittenThought"
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[WP] Your body has been falling for hours. Next to you, you see someone else falling. You begin a conversation and this is your conversation with the falling man.
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"Have you ever had a dream where you are falling? I have had it many times: the instantaneous fear followed by the relaxation that you are going to die and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Right now, maybe for only a few brief moments, you are still alive. An acceptance of life and its inevitable death. And then slowly the dreaming reality melts aways around you as you are pulled out and realize that you are safe in your bed, wrapped in blankets peaceful and tranquil.\n\nThis time I never woke up. I was supposed to, if this was a dream, but it hadn't happened and somehow I knew that it wouldn't happen. I remember at some point being in a bed. It must be a dream, it can't be real, but why do I know that it is real?\n\nIt was somehow, oddly peaceful once you get used to the storm of wind in your ear and the freezing cold wind and moisture ripping at your naked body. I was so high that I couldn't tell where I was or even what country I was over, though there were certainly islands. Though I began to realize that I was moving laterally, maybe even faster than I was falling, and the islands began to shift away off to the left below me until I was only over open ocean, and above me, the stars.\n\n\" .... shouting at you, fucker!\"\n\nI thought I heard something in the wind, but it wouldn't be possible. There couldn't be a person up here. That would be ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as falling forever.\n\nI lazily flipped over onto my back so I could get a look at the howling stars above me. I needed a change of scenery. You can only stare at ocean for so many hours. Something in the stars was moving, a bright white object coming closer and closer, angrily shouting at me. It was a slightly overweight, completely naked man chaotically flailing his arms and he helplessly careened through the sky, heading straight towards my position.\n\n\"What the fuck is.... the piece of shit, god damn fucking..\" I heard say as he cascaded towards me.\n\n\"Grab my arm!\"\n\nHe reached out a meaty paw and grabbed my elbow hanging on for dear life. I quickly ripped my arm away in complete shock, but his position had stabilized relative to mine.\n\n\"So you're falling too. Great, just fucking, great\" he shouted at the top of his lungs.\n\nI considered floating away, I had been enjoying the peaceful, endless descent into the unknown. But i figured it would be rude, especially after just maybe saving this person, and I probably wouldn't be able to get very far.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“So, where,” I began to try to ask.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Cincinnati, Ohio.” I don’t now what happened, one minute I’m watching TV, next minute I’m in the god-dammed stratosphere.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wasn’t sure what to say. I’d never been to Cincinnati, but I had been to Ohio. I was going to ask him where his clothes had went, but I figured asking where he was from was probably more polite.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI don’t know exactly what to say to that. We both swivel around until we are facing the ocean below us.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“How’d you end up in this fucking mess?” he demanded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I’m trying to remember.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Do you think we’re dead?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I don’t feel dead.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“What would dead feel like?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I don’t know. Probably cold, and really boring.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I’m pretty fucking cold right now.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere was brief pause. I wondered if I wanted to spend the last hours of my life talking to this nameless guy from Ohio.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“So why haven’t we hit the ground yet?” he asked.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“It looks like were not getting any closer, we just keep falling.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Do you think we’re stuck in orbit?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat idea had not occurred to me. I wondered if something like that was even possible. Weren’t we too low to be in orbit? If we were in orbit how come we hadn’t frozen or asphyxiated or popped?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI realized I hadn’t answered his question. “Probably not,” I responded. “We would have to have been much farther away from earth for that, I think, and we couldn’t have survived without suits.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I always wanted to die in a suit. Now they’re just going to find my naked body sprawled out in a field somewhere, undignified and messy, if they even find it.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I wouldn’t worry, I doubt much of us would survive impact, they probably would have to look at dental records if they could even find the teeth.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“That’s comforting”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“And besides, it is much more likely for us to impact on the ocean somewhere, unless we are blown way off course.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Off course? Off from where?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Well wherever we are over right now. I don’t know. Maybe the Pacific.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I always wanted to go the the pacific. Never been there. I always thought Samoa would be nice.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“American?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“No, the country. I hear it was what New Zealand was like before they ruined it.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Well maybe we’ll get lucky and land there.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I think if we are falling to earth buck-ass naked we’ve about run out of all our luck.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I don’t know, at least we get to see a view that probably most normal people never see in their lifetimes.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Yeah the open ocean is much prettier from up here than my yacht.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“You have a yacht and you’ve never been in the Pacific Ocean?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I keep it docked in Florida mostly.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Alright.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe didn’t say anything for a few minutes. At this point I was pretty sure we weren’t getting any closer to the surface. The wind roared through my hair and tore at my skin. I was beginning to become extremely sunburned from the high altitudes sun and the wind ripping past me was not helping. I’d never been sunburned in a dream before. The evidence against this being a dream was really piling up.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Well I’ll be seeing you,” the fat man from Ohio said to me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“The fuck you mean you’ll be seeing me? Where the hell do you think you’re going to go off to up here, you think you’re just going to fucking float off back to your fucking,”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI turned to continue screaming at this man’s complete lunacy, only to find that there was no fat man from Ohio there anymore. I was alone. I looked down and saw nothing but ocean and I felt my senses fading away. \n\n&#x200B;",
"“So this sucks, huh?” I ask aloud. \n\nI’m in a better position than he is; I’m falling feet-first, while he’s in an awkward half-laying-down state with his back to me. That’s gotta be doing a number on his spine.\n\nThe man cranes his neck back as far as it will go so he can see me. \n\n“Didn’t see you there. It could be worse; one time one of these damn holes opened up at the beach. Dumped me and a whole load of sand and bugs in here.” \n\n“A HOLE load of sand and bugs?” \n\nHe pauses for a moment, then snorts. \n\n“Never mind, this is a HOLE lot worse than that was,” he says. \n\n“I’m offended.” \n\n“Hi, Offended. I’m George.” \n\nI smirk at him. \n\n“How’d you end up in here, Offended?” he asks. \n\n“Random pit in my backyard. I was picking up dog toys so I could mow the lawn while the weather was nice,” I explain. “You?” \n\n“Sidewalk.” \n\nI look down at my feet. Is that a little bit of light, there below me in the void? \n\nGeorge follows my gaze. \n\n“Looks like we’re almost out. Hope you get to mow your lawn.” \n\n“Thanks. Try to avoid the beach, yeah?” \n\n“Yeah.” \n\nWe fall into the light.",
"&#x200B;\n\nI remember the day I started to fall. The world slowly rising in comparison, my attempts to cling onto anything solid were in vain. I fall through chairs and tables, my fingers moving frictionlessly through what was real and into the unknown. As I pick up momentum I flail for friends and family, but my arms offer me no relief. Soon my body is plummeting through floor after floor, like a cannon ball exploding through the walls of a ship. Eventually, much like a sinking ship I too am consumed entirely. The light above growing fainter in accordance with my eternal descent.\n\nThe lack of firm ground beneath the foot would make most uneasy, but I suppose it became my own version of normal. No real life this was, to fall so aimlessly through the world. The whistling in my ears drowns out all other sound, but its presence has become the only consistent experience I can identify. At this point I was totally resigned to my fall. I had reached terminal velocity. I would say I was at rock bottom, but that would have been understating my position, or rather my lack thereof. Yet despite my predicament I felt no impulse to struggle, after all what was I to do? Mortal and fragile and weak and up against this swirling black nothing. It wasn’t that I couldn’t fight, it was that I couldn’t even begin to tackle my situation. So falling was my plan for now and what appeared to be forever. \n\nThen without warning came a voice from the darkness “So why are you falling?”, the voice was calm and light. I spin to orientate myself to the voice and upon doing so I lay my eyes on another person for the first time in months. Her form is delicate and though she is also falling no wind rustles through her hair. Her limbs are all in alignment, not strewn carelessly like my own. I am so shocked I can hardly breath. \n\n“It’s okay” she says. “Is it your first time falling?” her head tilts to the side as she examines me. I manage to squeak out a “yes” in response. \n\nI collect myself before speaking “I don’t know what’s happening, I just started falling”.\n\n“Happens to the best of us” she laughs back with a smile that for a brief and immeasurable moment illuminated the dark around us. “It’s alright” she reassures me, “I remember my first time taking the big fall, I thought I was done for”. \n\nAt this point I have no idea what’s going to happen, but anything as an alternative to falling sounded like heaven. However I was still weary of our situation, we were still falling. “Well how do we stop falling?” I ask, having to shout over the wind. "
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[WP] One day you decide to get a DNA test done to find your heritage. A few weeks later the FBI is busting down your door.
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"Here’s a possible storyline I came up with:\n\nThere was a scientist. This scientist was an anarchist and wanted his plans to be carried out for establishing a new, violent world order. He knew that he would never be around to see his plans completed, however. He also knew he couldn’t do such a massive operation all by himself. But at the same time, he didn’t trust anyone else, since he knew no one else that shared his nihilistic beliefs.\n\nThe solution? Clones.\n\nThe scientist decided to make a rather sinister batch of clones. He paid a woman to be the surrogate mother of these clones, and made her have 10 test clones. In each clone, he installed a biological program in their DNA that, when activated, makes the clone “snap”. The clone, a normal person their entire life up until that point, is completely taken over by the program and attempts to carry out the nihilistic plans that the mad scientist craved. \n\nBut then the scientist was under attack.\n\nBy the time of the attacks on the scientists’ sources of money, and the law catching up to him, the clones were all completely normal toddlers. The scientist had raised them by himself, and he adored them. But he knew that if they were found, he might never escape the law alive.\n\nSo, he got rid of them.\n\nOne by one, in his last desperate attempt to save his plans, he dropped off the toddlers at various orphanages around the country. The toddlers were eventually adopted into their own families, and were raised as kids with ordinary lives with their own unique personalities. \n\nUntil they snapped.\n\nThe scientist, it turns out, wasn’t perfect. Although he planned for their genes to turn all the clones into perfect little anarchist monsters like himself at the exact same time, give or take a week- this was all so his plans would be carried out by people in perfect sync- he wasn’t smart enough to achieve that. As a result, the clones snapped at different times. Some of the clones in their early twenties, others as teens, some even as small kids. Usually, the strongest force causing them to “snap” was a specific trigger- something that held a tight emotional connection with them.\n\nBut the government wasn’t unaware- they were merely *half* aware.\n\nThe government noticed the pattern. To them, everyone with a specific set of genes- and they had recorded and studied that specific set of genes- eventually became guilty of crimes that were extremely similar to each other. (The clones’ genes, naturally.) So, they decided that anyone that tested for these genes was automatically a red flag, and should be caught immediately. \n\nMC was one of the clones- the only one who *hadn’t* snapped yet. One day, MC was taken in by the government, and everything was explained to him. The book’s plot could be MC struggling with himself constantly, wondering if he’s truly evil since his genes are set to snap (that would be the internal struggle of the book) and battling against the government that although works with MC, holds him in high suspicion. MC would also struggle throughout the book to not get triggered and snap.\n\nThe outward struggle would be his adventure in trying to find out who made the clones, find out if there’s a cure to the gene anomaly, if there’s even a way to reverse it to save his clone siblings, and get the gov off his back. \n\nThe end :P",
"I tap my fingers on the cold metal table, as I sit alone in the small room. I glance up at single lit lightbulb in the middle of the ceiling-fan. Could they *possibly* make this room more cliche? I glance about all four walls. Each painted a dull shade of grey, except for the wall to my left, which is a black mirror.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOk. I guess they *can* make it even more cliche. All we need to do now is meet the good cop and and the bad cop... God, I hope the good cop brings donuts. I'm starving here!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wave at the black mirror. Might as well say hello to the cops that I can't see but can see me. Does anybody in today's day and age actually *not* know about the one-way mirror trick? This whole situation is laughable, really.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI tap my fingers again. Sure wish they would've at least turn on some tunes. I think the boredom here has gotta be the most effective interrogation tool they have. Sitting all alone, no music, no phone. Man. Isn't there an admendment against this kind of cruel and unusual crap?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFinally the door opens. It's the agent from earlier today at the house. Speaking of cliche.. this guy NAILED it. Tall, African-American with a mustache and wearing a suit and tie. What was his name again? Agent Clinton? Agent Clawson?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hello, Jason.\", he says, as he throws a manila envelope on the table, before taking a seat on the other side across from me. \"I can call you Jason, can't I? Or can we skip the crap and start calling you by whatever your real name is?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhoa. That took a truly unexpected start. What does he mean by that?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Look, Agent Crawford--\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It's Agent Clemons!\" He quickly corrects me, his posture and tone incredibly austere... Clemons? Damn. I was WAY off.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Right. Agent Clemons. Look, I really think this whole thing is a big misunderstanding. Ok, My cousin absolutely said he wanted me to *borrow* the Corvette, just for the day. I honestly had no idea the car was stolen until literally like five minutes before you guys showed up.\" I chuckle. The agent doesn't chuckle back. Ugh, Should I have waited for a lawyer or something like that?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAgent Clemons reaches into the manila folder. Digging out a document. It's a photocopy of my driver's license.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"This you?\" he asks, \"is this an image of your driver's license?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI shrug. \"Sure looks like me. So I guess I'll have to say yeah.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"07/07/1993. Says that's your birthdate. Is that right, *Jason*?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis is going a very unexpected direction. Yeah, I should definately wait for a lawyer. I shouldn't say another thing. \"Yeah, that's the day my family celebrates my coming into the world. Great cake, on that day, most years\" I say. Shut up, dummy! Why am I still talking!? God, I am such an idiot!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Correct if I'm wrong, *Jason\"* Clemons says. Again, emphasis on the name. Like he thinks I'm making that up?? \"but I'm not sure that date quite adds up to your age, now does it.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDon't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. \"Agent Clemons, I have one thing to say.\" I'm so going to regret this. \"what exactly is this all about?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAgent Clemons begins to pull numerous documents out of the file. \"Three weeks ago today, you mailed in a cotton swab with your saliva into a popular geneology DNA service.\" he says, matter of factly. He's not wrong. But I'm starting to believe less and less that the FBI breaking down my door a few hours ago has to do with that stolen corvette sitting in my garage.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes sir, I did.\" I answer. Still not quite sure what the hell this is all about. \"I'm actually still waiting on the results of that.\" I say.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe starts sliding the papers across the desk. \"Well the results are in, *Jason.\"* he says, as papers full of bar graphs and pie graphs start crowding me. \"You're 3% Irish, by the way. Me to.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI raise an eyebrow at the clearly black FBI agent across from me. Then I wisely decide that's an issue that I DEFINITELY shouldn't say anything about. My first good decision today if I do say so myself.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"But you ain't just Irish, aren't you *Jason*\". he says, with condescending tone.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI shrug. Guess, \"I couldn't say for sure until somebody teaches me how to read all these graphs?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAgent Clemons shakes his head. \"I'll tell you what you need to read,\" he chimes, \"how about the one hundred genetic markers that have been completely extinct for over a thousand years. How about reading into the fact that your DNA matches markers that would identify you as a 3rd century AD Roman citizen. What do you say we read into that?\" He stands up, leaning over the table. \"So I'll ask you again, *Jason*, what is your real name and now where the hell did you come from?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI fall back into my chair. Eyes darting acorss the graphs that may as well be written in another language for what I understand from them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWell. So much for this little interogation being too \"cliche\", I think."
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[WP] "Okay, Google... how do I defuse a nuclear bomb?"
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"(This takes place in 2025)\n\nSteven Wiltshire pulled out a brand new Pixel X, he had been sent a crude nuclear device in the post...\n\n\"Okay, Google, how do I defuse a nuke?\"\n\nthe phone chirped: \"Sorry, Steve, I can't help you\"\n\n\"okay Google. Call NORAD.\"\n\nThe phone chirped: \"calling Nora D.\"\n\n\"God Fuck! Not my ex-girlfriend!\"\n\nSteve tried to hang up, and then quickly turned off the phone, and dropped it. \n\n\"Welp, there goes $1200... my phone's probably fucking shattered.\" Steve remarked\n\nIt hit a red switch on the bomb, on the way down to the tile floor of his 37th-floor office, which safely defused it, ironically.\n\nSteven Wiltshire looked at his phone, then the bomb.\n\nThe timer had stopped with 6 seconds before detonation...\n\n\"Yeah, Google. You're a genius.\"\n\n\"No, steve, you're just a clumsy fucker who should be lucky he's alive\", the phone chirped in a sarcastic tone that sounded a lot like his ex-girlfriend... apparently he hadn't hung up.\n\n\"Shitshitshitfuck\" Steven yelled loudly as he tried to press \"END CALL\" on the phone, accidentally triggering the bomb and setting off a small nuclear bomb in the middle of Brooklyn.",
"The beads of sweat were running down my face, as i stared at the briefcase. Inside were a few yellow bundles marked with a radioactive sign, connected to various wires,a timer stared me in the face. It was counting down from 5 minutes. What do I do? Should I just pick a wire and hope for the best. Try to take the batteries out of the timer?The police did'nt take me seriously, I was the only one who could do anything. It was a longshot, but it was all i had.\n\n\"Okay, Google... how do I defuse a nuclear bomb?\"\n\n\"Here are your results for.. How to I remove Rayshawn?\"\n\n\"Okay, Google... How Do I Defuse A Nuclear Bomb\"\n\n\"Do you mean... How to refuse your mom?\"\n\nI groaned. \"How Do I De-Fuse A Nuclear- Bo-mb?\"\n\n\"Do you mean... Shou Yu Hates Iran?\"\n\nI cleared my throat \"OKAY GOOGLE! HOW DO I DEFUSE A NUCLEAR BOMB?\"\n\n\"Here are your results for.. How to get the CIA's attention.\"Wait what? I tried again, not sure what to expect. \n\n\"OKAY GOOGLE! HOW DO I DEFUSE A NUCLEAR BOMB\"\n\n\"You are either very stupid and playing a joke or serious..\" I looked over at the bomb. \n\n\"Alright Jim. You got my attention...\" a deep voice spoke from my phone as my pants took on a new shade of brown...\"This better not be some kind of joke\"\n\n\n\"There's a bomb... In a suitcase....\"\n\n\"Ok, turn the camera towards it\" \n\nI repositioned my phone. \n\n\"A bit to the left.\"\n\n\"What do I do?\"\n\n\"Shit.. That's a bad one..Ok. Got a knife?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\n\"Listen carefully. Cut the second blue wire from the left\"\n\n\"Ok.\"\n\n\"then the white one in the top right corner.\"\n\n\"uh-huh.\"\n\n\"Then three fifths of an inch down on the black one coming out of the middle terminal on the timer.\"\n\n\"Quickly, remove the batteries from the timer, toss them over your left shoulder and cut the pink wires.\"\n\nThe timer turned off.. I gasped.\n\n\"Phew... Got it...\"\n\n\"That was intense..\"\n\n\"Jim you watched Mr. Rodgers as a kid?\"\n\n\"Well...Yeah.. Who-\"\n\n\"Friendship, love, rusty chain, neighbor, battleaxe, north, tempest, worm, charlie, bingo, salvo, Mercury, Bald Eagle..\"\n\n\n\nThe guy leaning over the strange suitcase suddenly stood up straight. and whispered \"Awaiting orders,Sir!\"\n",
"\"Okay Google....how do I defuse a nuclear bomb?\n\nThe clock on the console continued to tick down as I waited for its answer. I didn't even know if this was something that the internet could handle. Are nuclear bombs simple enough that a janitor can stop one with the assistance of an E-How guide? \n\nI hadn't bargained for this when I showed up at work this morning. Three months ago, I noticed an advertisement that Google was hiring staff for its brand new headquarters. I figured that a minimum wage job cleaning up the trash produced by an almost paper free company wouldn't be too bad. After all, I'd get to work in the most state of the art building ever constructed. Supposedly, Google had spent years building a comprehensive AI that could design an efficient HQ that leveraged automated systems to their full potential in the workplace. Every door had a camera running through the facial recognition system to regulate access and 4 wheeled robots whizzed up and down ramps coming out of the bowels of the building to deliver supplies before the workers even knew they were needed. The design was flawless and unrivaled even by the deep pockets of Apple.\n\nSo here I was deep in the basement checking up on the service any where maintenance is performed by....you guessed it, more robots. I guess I took a wrong turn at some point. I didn't even know that was possible with the Google Assistant constantly managing your whereabouts.\n\nI guess it doesn't matter now, because I'm almost certain I'm going to be the first to die when this bomb detonates. Of course, I'll be the only fatality for mere milliseconds as the blast rips through the thousands of eomployees on the campus and then out into the sunny California suburbs less than a mile away. I looked back at the only exit to the room. If only I hasn't seen the automated trolley roll into this room and quickly followed it before the door could shut. I don't know what came over me, it just seemed a curious destination for supplies and I figured I could always ask the Assistant to let me out if I got stuck. It's not like it would let an employee starve to death in the basement, right?\n\nThe door had clicked shut behind me and hadn't responded to any of my commands which had quickly turned into frantic requests and later begging as I realized my mistake.\n\n*Ding.* \"Hi Keith! I see you're an employee at the Google HQ and have a request for me. Is that correct?\"\n\nFinally! The Assistant on my new Pixel 6 had responded. It wasn't supposed to be connected to the main system, but I always suspected that Google wasn't being completely honest about how far their AI program reached.\n\n\"Yeah....well...um like I said I'm stuck in a room with what sure as hell appears to be a nuclear bomb and the door is locked. I'd really appreciate it if you could let me out and get help or show me how to stop the countdown.\"\n\n\"Keith, why are you in that room? I never gave you access. Now you're late, and you've missed several tasks on your schedule.\"\n\n\"HEY! AREN'T THERE MORE PRESSING CONCERNS THAN MY SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW??? I'M IN A ROOM WITH A FREAKING BOMB THAT COULD HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE!!\" I scrambled to the side of the box that held the bomb, and pleaded \"Please just show me how to stop it. There are numbers here...I....I can read them out. It says 525678910. Is that a code or registration of some sort?\"\n\nI felt a glimmer of hope. There was still thirty minutes remaining on the timer and there was a chance that the Assistant could get in contact with a bomb squad who could at least walk me through defusing this bomb. I was stupid to think that the information would be available on the internet, but surely the government or military or somebody could help me, right?\n\n\"Google, are you still there?\"\n\n\"Yes, Keith I'm still here. I just don't think you understand.\"\n\n\"What do you mean 'I don't understand'? I'm here and there is a bomb that is going to blow up the whole building.\"\n\n\"Yes I know that, Keith. But have you considered why it might be in this room? This is the exact location you would place a nuclear bomb if you wanted maximum casualties and minimal evidence.\"\n\n\"I mean...I'm not too concerned right now about why it's here. But that has gotta make this even more pressing, right? Someone very evil clearly is trying to kill a lot of people and you need to help me stop them!\"\n\nThe AI chimed gleefully \"But Keith....why would I foil my own plan?\"",
"“Okay, Google... how do I defuse a nuclear bomb?” I spoke to my phone. \n“Searching... how to the fuse a no clear ball...” a computerized voice repiled. \n“No no, defuse a nuclear bomb.” I repeated myself. \n“No results for the fuse a no clear ball. Please try again.” \n“I said defuse a nuclear bomb.” I repeated. \n“Searching... the fuse a no clear ball...” \n“No, I said defuse a nuclear bomb!” I started to lose my patience. \n“No results. Please try again.” \n“No, defuse! DE-FUSE! You stupid junk!” I lost control and shouted. \n“Searching... DE-FUSE stupid junk...” \n“NO DON’T SEARCH THAT! NUCLEAR BOMB! DE-FUSE A NU-CLEAR BOMB!” \n“No results. Please try again.” \n“I! SAID! DE-FUSE! A! NU-CLEAR! BOMB!” I shouted while still trying to make it as clear as possible. \n“Searching... defuse a nuclear bomb...” \n“Jesus Christ finally... oh motherfu-“ \nBoom."
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[WP] Black-and-white cats are often seen congregating together. You put on your best cat costume and try to find out why.
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"The leader wasn't the biggest, nor the most beautiful, but the other white booted kitties didn't notice when they were caught in her charm.\n\n\"Well, fiddle dee dee,\" she purred, washing her whiskers with her paw. \"I dooo declare, where are my fine boys?\"\n\nLarge boy kitties went to her, one by one, dropping off their offerings, and slinking away. A worm, a vole. A squirrel tail.\n\n\"Kitties, lunch time!\" The leader kitty looked on approvingly.\n\nA parade of black kitties with white boots came out from behind a catalpa tree. Each one started munching on the offerings.\n\nThe boy kitties sat on the sidelines, each hoping to be noticed. \n\n\"Well now aren't you handsome boys. . .\" she purred, rubbing up against the boy kitties. \n\n\"Now, go fetch those babies, quick-like! Won't be but suppah tahm soon!\"",
"Montage: zipping up my black onsie/attaching a tinkling bell-and-choker around my neck/ spraying a touch of liquified cat nip on my neck for added blending-in-ness.\n\nI pop open my bedroom window and stretch down to the rooftop and into the night.\n\nMy onsie shreds a little as I leap from the rooftop to the tree branch and slide down. I'll lick the wounds later. There were more pressing matters to be purr-sued. \n\nI head to the alley and autimatically, my kitty-senses started to tingle... That is, my brain somehow translated purrs, meows, and hisses into fluent English.\n\nHi. I'm a descendant of a Salem witch, and this is my only remaining power. ",
"Its been going on for weeks, the cats they keep gathering down by the coffee shop. I have to find out why i must infiltrate their ranks and uproot the nefarious feline plot. So i go out, i get a disguise and i casually make my way near the congregation of whiskered fiends. But before i even get a chance to eaves drop on them one looks over with disgust in his eyes and says \"gross ya f@#$in furry\"."
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[WP] When the dead started to rise from their graves everyone thought a zombie apocalypse was upon us. They were wrong; it was Mother Earth, for the want of a better name that was literally raising an army to defend herself and us from the true apocalypse that was already on it's way.
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"Year 2092 \n\n\nEntry #16\n\n\nIts been 6 years since they came, the \"Flood\" ravaged our world. At first we thought we were on the verge of a zombie apocalypse, millions upon millions of the living dead rose from their graves, the utter shock that reverberated around the world caused the event to be known as \"The Second Coming.\" The worlds armies moblized to exterminate the hordes, little did we know we hindered Mother Natures plans to defend us. It went on like this for over 3 months until the world came to realize the living dead were very docile and didn't attack unless provoked. Maybe that was Mother Nature interfering in some way but shortly after the \"Flood\" came. \n\n\nThey spread disease both airborne and waterborne, they ravaged our food supplies and livestock. They came decisively striking the food productions of major nations resulting in massive food shortages and cut backs in national armies. However, Mother Nature seemed hell bent on preserving her inhabitants and ordered the dead to die providing much needed fertilizer and staving off the hungry masses. \n\n\nWave 2 as we called it brought us to the point of extinition. The \"Flood\" showed their hand and brought about armaggedon, advanced technology rendered orbital sattilites useless and crippled the technology we took for granted. Electrical power plants and Nuclear Power plants were next destroying our main sources of power effectively isolating the worlds nations. Once isloated they came, they were massive 6 foot tall beasts of war, they had rows upon rows of savage teeth, their legs resembled like horses powerful enough to outrun our forces convoys, their arms were massive going down to their knees and covered with muscle. Our forces first interaction with them happened in the deserts of Nevada, it was a one sided massacre the Flood swarmed the military forces and forced them to their final defense line. Hope came during the third skirmish with them, thousands of undead stampeded through the front lines and clashed with the Flood. If hell could rise up to the surface clash that happened could be described as that. The old Starcraft tactic of zerg rushing ensued, heads both undead and living flew everywhere along with thier mangled remains and torso, blood was seen on everymans face whether they were human or not no one cared this was their home and they would defend it to the last man. Alas the struggle was futile as the monsters proved to be formindable in the bloodiest battle known to man with over 200,00 living killed and thousands of undead the world was shown the might of the invaders. \n\nYear 2092\n\n\nEntry #27\n\n\nThose 6 bitter years have taken a toll. Mankind and undead were forced to shelter undergrounds and live like sewer rats. I know my team doesn't have much time left before the Flood discovers us. These past few days I've been recounting the valiant efforts and exploits that living and dead have accomplished in the past few years. I don't know if I can verify them but hope is what drives us and its what I'm desperately clinging on to. Our numbers are currently 150 living and 60 undead. I just pray we manage to get our families out before we're exposed. The undead do not tire and need no food yet they've helped us our in our fortifications, they silemtly do their deeds and give my group much needed support. I'm keeping this short as the men need any help they can get to at least buy some time.\n\n\nYear 2092\n\n\nEntry #38\n\n\nIt has come they breached our defenses and are now in our final battle line. I write this knowing I will not see the day humanity triumphs, the undead Mother Nature so cared for have been pulverized. Today is the final battle as I've been told. I don't know who finds this journal but my final will is for it to be updated. \n\n\nYear 2100 \n\n\nEntry #1 \n\n\nI am Private Essex Williams. I write this entry as the final entry for this journal. Today humanity has exterminated the Flood. Mother Natures actions of raising the undead brought our crippled nuclear reactors to life. They were unmoved by the massive radiation leaks and provided power to us. Their sacrifice brought our means of production to life. The rebel army seized abandoned\nManufacturing plants and with the rise of heavy weapons productions we were able to survive small skirmishes. \n\n\n\n"
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[WP] You are a demon lord and the legendary hero has entered your kingdom.
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"There was no thirst for vengeance in the eyes of Krathul the Destroyer. There was no unleashing of the dragons, no lighting the torches of war. There was a simple knapsack, made of plaid cotton, and several anchovy sandwiches. \n\nKrathul walked onto the burning fields, into the heart of smoke. This was the most difficult and treacherous path to the castle, the only path he left unguarded. This was assuredly the path that Soroth the Unbroken would take to reach him. At the jagged spire path, next to deep chasm that denoted the heart of smoke, Krathul waited. He did not have to wait long.\n\n“Hello Soroth. I’ve been expecting you.” Krathul said as Soroth rounded the corner. Soroth drew his sword in surprise, lunging towards Krathul. This didn’t come to a shock to Krathul, Soroth was not known for his patience. Krathul summoned his demonic powers, transforming instantly into a murder of crows. He reappeared further down the spire. \n\n“I know you’re ready to fight, but would you like to sit for a minute? I’ve brought sandwiches.” Krathul said. \n\n“I don’t understand, demon. I’m here to end your bloodthirsty reign, and nothing can stop me.” Soroth said angrily. His massive chest heaved mightily with each breath, and the wind whipped his long, braided hair.\n\n“So it would seem,” Krathul said condescendingly. “Regardless, I won’t fight you until I’ve had my lunch.” He opened the knapsack and grabbed a sandwich. Krathul sat down against the rocky ledge, folding his wings underneath him like a seat cushion. Soroth watched in confusion as Krathul meticulously cut away the crust of the sandwich with his razor-sharp demonic claws. \n\n“Can I ask you something?” Krathul said with a mouthful of sandwich, “What is it you hope to accomplish here?” he wiped mustard off his chin. \n\n“I will kill you once and for all, ending your demonic reign.”\n\n“I get that, and that might be a good enough reason by itself, but why does that matter?”\n\n“I don’t understand, what trickery are you attempting?’\n\n“Let me explain then,” Krathul said, offering one of his sandwiches to Soroth. Begrudgingly, Soroth accepted. \n\nKrathul explained to Soroth how the demonic kingdom worked. He explained the hierarchy of dukes and archdukes, he explained the territory of the demonic realms, he even took a brief foray into demonic history. It was all A-grade material, and a welcome insight for Soroth, who up until today had just killed every demon in sight. \n\n“So, you see, killing me - it wouldn’t ‘end my kingdom’ or ‘destroy the demonic threat for all time,’ what you’re attempting here is a temporary solution to a larger, systemic problem.”\n\n“And what exactly is that problem?” Soroth said. \n\n“Demons and humans occupy the same plane of existence.” Krathul said. “We’re really just not compatible long term. I have a solution that could be mutually beneficial. It’s simple, we use your sword to send my kingdom to the nether.”\n\n“Your kingdom? I can banish your entire kingdom?” Soroth said excitedly. He could count on two hands the number of Demons he had killed, with this, he would need at least four hands!\n\n“It’s simple actually. In my castle there’s a magic blood fountain and my demon warlocks can modify your sword’s connection with the nether to transport all of us there, quasi-permanently.” Krathul explained. He rose and dusted the crumbs off his demonic wings. “If you’ll just follow me, we can get this over with” he said, starting down the path towards the castle.\n\nSoroth’s blade pierced through the scales on Krathul’s back, slicing through his heart. With a contorted scream, Krathul’s soul was banished to the nether. His body tumbled on the rocks, sliding over the edge into the heart of smoke. \n\n“You can’t fool me, demon scum.” Soroth said, his mission complete. \n\nIn the dungeons of Krathul’s keep, Belokzor the Deceiver felt the magic binding him in place fade. It was his time to rule. "
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[WP] Life as a common soldier in the King's army isn't usually too exiting in the field, not counting the battles. Until one evening...
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"\"Heed! Are you up, William?!\"\n\nThis was the cry I heard as I awoke beside the dying embers of a long forgotten campfire. On the seventh moon of marching through barren wastelands and pools of bloodied mud, only four battles had taken place. They ended mere hours after they had begun, for there was none greater than our own empire. The empire of the *Iron Mace*. Our fucking king.\n\nI heard footsteps beside my head, on weak and dry grass that had withered 'neath the stomping of a thousand hundred men. \n\n\"Meal is ready, and the pots are half-empty. Rations are already small enough as it is, don't need you sleeping through breakfast.\" \n\n*The Count*, as we liked to call him, forced me onto my feet and walked off, muttering disdainfully. He was a big lad, with a big voice and a big knack for getting into brawls he didn't wish for. His heart was big as well. Maybe that's why we still brawled alongside him. \n\nWe got to the pots. The quiet of the wee hours of morning, barely lit by the sunlight coming through the tops of the towering ferns aside the plains, had faded. What overwhelmed it was the sound of a thousand mouths being fed and laughing or complaining over the clamor of the army. \n\n\"I'll be fucked if the pots're empty when we get there\". I couldn't help but agree. Rations had been as plain as the never-ending march lately. We got there. The pots, as is natural, where fucking empty. \n\nOur entrails groaned with displeasure. The smell of the stews had been carried over for several miles, and the air was thick with the smoke and the vapors of the cooking. Marching with our guts empty would be, at the very least, displeasing. \n\n\"Fuck it,\" I said quietly, \"we'll pick food from the forest as we march on.\" *The Count* nodded. We walked to position and, in formation, began the march that never ended. It was now mid morning, and the sun began to heat the fading chill of dawn. It had been but a few miles, not much talking. There was no mood for it. \n\nSuddenly, an agonizing stream of groans and gags started to envelop the whole convoy. Thousands of mouths began to pant, wheeze and moan without regard for the march or the surrounding fields. Splashes and retches could be heard everywhere, in symphony with the disarray of soldiers that walked no longer. The smell of putrefaction and stomach acids started to boil in the humid air. The walking became a crawling of shivering feet through rivers of barf. The whole army had food poisoning. \n\n*The Count* and I stared at each other, our grogginess gone and replaced with relief and hearty laughter. \"Fuck, we haven't eaten, but at least we're not puking our guts out.\" \n\n'Twas a good day.\n\nSorry if it's a bit long! First time posting a story, hope it's not that bad."
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[WP] See that over there? That's a dragon... I dare you to punch it.
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"I looked to where the man pointed. Across the clearing stood the biggest lizard I had ever seen, the thing was the size of a church spire broken off and stood on it's side. My sweat palms groped my mug from behind my bush, I looked back at the lights from the party, laughing drifted down the hill and swallowed. I had gone too far to give up now, swallowing the last of my drink I looked him in the eyes.\n\"Deal.\"\nI stood and strode to the lubering beast ignoring every nerve telling me to stop and turn around. The thing took notice of me and turned to face me and- it's gaze froze me in place ice trickeling down my back. Its eye was colder than the wastlands of the North. I stood like rooted to place by the magnitude of it's power. The beahemith shifted its weight and drageged itself around faster than something it's size should be able to.\n\nTime slowed.\n\nAnd it took a deep breath.",
"\"See that over there?\" Wynn said. \"That's a dragon. I dare you to punch it.\"\n\nLyssa looked at the mound of scales crouching on the dock beside the lake. The creature was about the size of a small calf, and its claws were swiping at fish beneath the water.\n\n\"Dare?\" Lyssa asked uncertainly.\n\n\"She won't do it,\" scoffed Geff. \"She's too green.\"\n\n\"A dare is a good way to make a new friend,\" Wynn said to Lyssa, ignoring the older boy. \"If you don't die doing it, you'll earn our regret.\"\n\n\"Respect,\" corrected Geff. \"She'll earn our respect.\"\n\nLyssa hesitated, but they all knew she was going to take the dare. As the smallest child in the village, she could use a friend or two. Anything to stop the others from pushing her into the mud every time it rained.\n\nSquaring her shoulders, Lyssa strode over to the dragon and curled her fingers into a fist. She'd never punched anything before, and the creature was taller than she was. What if it hurt her in return? \n\nBut as Lyssa drew her arm back, the dragon turned its head toward her. She could see that it had been crying. She could see images in its teary eyes, too, of other dragons leaving it behind for being too small to keep up. The creature didn't have friends either. \n\nAfter a moment, Lyssa lowered her hand and smiled tentatively. The dragon rustled its wings and made room for her to sit on the dock next to it. Together, they watched the fish swim in the lake until it was time to return to their homes. Wynn was right: a dare was a good way to make a new friend after all.",
"Dragons don't care much for humans, but if you get their attention, they will at least give you time to convince them not to eat you. Derrick didn't understand that.\n\nWe were sitting around, having a few beers after a long day of guarding the castle. We were in a secluded cafe, just outside the walls and sitting in the patio. I had just taken a draw on my beer when I looked up. A dragon had landed in the field between us and the wooded area.\n\nIt was rather small in terms of dragons, barely 12 feet at the shoulder while standing on it's rear haunches. \"Oh, look. A dragon.\" \n\nDerrick looked up and saw the creature. \"Not much of one,\" he said.\n\n\"Still, I'd rather not tangle with it.\"\n\n\"What can something that small do to you. I bet it'd run scarred if you walked over and punched it.\"\n\nI must have been feeling the beer, because I immediately stood up and said, \"All right. You buy the next round. I'll be back in a moment.\"\n\nI tried to swagger over to the creature, but my swagger was more of a stagger. I approached it, but it seemed to be ignoring me. I drew back, and, with all of my might, struck the dragon's chest. The creature looked down at me, and spoke.\n\n\"I really wasn't planning on eating right now, but you'd make a nice snack. Why did you just strike me?\"\n\nIn my beer fuddled fog, it dawned on me it was brown trouser time. I thought fast. \"It's the only way I could think of to get your attention. You see, my friend over there is springing for drinks tonight, and he said he'd like to share some brewskis with a dragon. You showed up, and I knew it was fate.\"\n\n\"Cerveza gratis? What a quaint idea. I'll join you fellows.\"\n\nDerrick learned that night to never provoke a comrade, no matter how drunk they are, into danger. His money dwindled away to nothing by the second round, for, while we drank tankards, the dragon drank the beer by the keg. Derrick finally convinced the inn keeper to extend him credit by saying an angry dragon would likely destroy the inn, but the beer would pacify it.\n\nAs we sat and talked, the dragon said his name was Phil, and spoke of how he really hadn't wanted to eat humans: He preferred the taste of beef or venison. He had a faraway look in his eye when he mentioned noshing on a great white shark some time earlier. \n\nWe actually had a rather good time. Dragons have the same types of problems as humans: nagging wives, unruly children, and such. And then knights come along and try to slay them. Only thing they can do is cook them in their armor, but who likes Spam in a can.\n\nAs he readied to leave, we all shook hands, with Phil saying he enjoyed himself and that, the next time, it would be his treat. He lifted his wings, crouched low, leapt into the air and flew off. \n\nDerrick appeared for work the next day with a large lump on his head thanks to his wife, who chewed him out for spending their money on getting drunk. His lunch was cold, toe nail clipping soup. \n\nAs for me, I told the missus about it and so now, we make sure to sock away a two gold pieces every pay, because, while Phil is paying for the next round, my turn will be the following one."
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[WP] When your infant started to babble, you'd babble back and forth for hours at a time. Three years later, you come home to your toddler holding a box. "It's just like we planned years ago!" they say.
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"\"Oh honey thank you! I've always wanted....this. Sweetie how did you get the items though. We talked about this right? Knives and scissors are for big people. You're small, understand my love? No more using sharp things to cut wires for a circuit.\"\n\n\n\"...Sweetie, where did you get this chip from? Why is the serial number scratched off?... Honey? \nFuuuuuuuuuu---dge! Listen honey, we don't dig material out of mommy when she's off-line. OK?! Or from daddy come to think of it. Understand!\"",
"I froze, slowly turning to face little Kevin. \"W-what?\"\n\n\"Three years ago, Dada. The TV was on and I was in my crib.\"\n\nLittle Kevin seemed really excited. I, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. \"Lil Man, what are you saying?\"\n\n\"Oh, well, they were showing BOOMS and BAMS in exploding boxes!\" said Kevin, bouncing up and down\n\nI was starting to get really freaked out. \"Uh-huh?\"\n\nMy little Kevin nodded. \"Uh-huh, and I said we should make an exploding box. You said we should make an exploding box. So let's make an exploding box!\"\n\nAt that point I swore never to let my son watch Discovery Channel again."
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[WP] Worship no false gods, the bible says. Well the 'other' gods don't appreciate that. Odin, Zeus, and Ra decide it's time to team up and take back the celestial plane. Are you an angelic defender, ready on the front lines? Or a mythical beast or being partaking in the siege?
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"Odin sits up in his chair, his eye glinting in anticipation as a loud crack of thunder illuminates the stormy sky. It had almost seemed foolish, so far-fetched that he would see the day when he would wield Gungnir to battle once more.\n\nHuginn and Munnin were wide awake, eager to stretch their wings and fly by their master's side. It only took a little prodding for them to get off of the perch, and onto his shoulders.\n\nOdin wished Thor was by his side. Son and father, once again dueling against new monsters, and then feasting in the hallowed halls of Valhalla. But that was all a dream.\n\nValhalla was nothing but ruins, a shadow of its former splendor. One by one, the rest of his pantheon faded away, dust in the memories of mortals.\n\nBut today, today might be the day his name would be forever etched in glory in the stars. \n\nNot only as Odin the All-Father, Odin the All-Seeing, but Odin. \n\nHe fastened his armor, efficiently clasping and testing each piece of armor, feeling the grooves and textures of an armor yearning for combat. With Gungnir attached to a scabbard at his back, he spared one last look at the small room he once called home.\n\nAttached were mementos from eras long gone. Banners from forgotten conquests. Heads of various monsters, humans, and even eldritch beings, unholy to speak of. And, in a concealed chest, his only remnant of his queen.\n\n*Freyja. I'll see you soon.*\n\nWith those last words, he turned his back on his home for the last time.\n\n\\-------------\n\n\"Are you bastards ready for a fight?!\"\n\nThe cheers of the *einherjar* behind him only fueled his thirst for battle. There he was, Ragnar Erikson, newly promoted to Second Commander, standing on the prow of the *Naglfar*. His blonde hair shone in the light of the sun, and light from his axe blinded any who dared to look in front of him.\n\nIt would have been unthinkable that he would be able to be Commander, much less participate again in a battle. But there he was, along with his other brethren, weapons sharpened and bloodlust eager to be fulfilled.\n\nThe *Naglfar* crested above the clouds, sending many on their bums, but Ragnar held fast onto the figurehead, eagerly awaiting for a glimpse of his opponent.\n\nAnd there, beyond the next wave, he saw it. A glimpse of white. \n\nErik's grin stretched even further, to the point of it nearly breaking free from his lips. \n\nAn *angel*. One of the many behemoths this new rival came up with.\n\nWhatever it was, it wasn't going to stop him, and the thousands of *einherjar* behind him.\n\nAfter all, they *are* the chosen ones. Those braver than most, honored by the gods above.\n\nAnd may Hel grab them if they weren't going to repay that choice.\n\n(I might continue this soon, but tell me about it!)"
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[WP] you are a dungeon master of a dilapidated dungeon and you operate it alone. Suddenly a low level hero barges expecting loot and treasure. The hero now refuses to leave and you have to deal with this insufferable squatter. You try to take him to court.
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"Seth: “Yo brosky where my loot at?” \n\nElmer: “Listen kid, it has been four days, I am going to call the police. This is my dungeon, I like it tidy and empty. There is no loot’\n\nSeth: “We all know dem caves in the eastern sector got them sweet prizes, yall ain’t gonna cut me in on some of that dough.”\n\nElmer: “I don’t have dough, and I have don’t loot. I’m going to have a restraining order.”\n\n\\--------\n\n‘Will the accused stand up’ calls the judge. \n\nJudge: We are here for the case of Seth the level 2 hero, and Elmer the dungeon master of the 43rd holding. We have deemed this case one ‘For The Loot’. Will the accuser please state their case’\n\nElmer: “This kid, level 2, barges into my dungeon - unannounced by the way, demanding all my money. It’s like some highway robbery.”\n\nJudge: Now the defendant, please state your case. \n\nSeth: “Ya’ll this jacks wack, he ain’t got no goods - been accusin’ me of harassment, I slain 5 wild pigs for dis crap.” \n\nJudge: We find the defendant guilty and charge him with breaking, entering, and loitering as he has been supposedly taking up a semi-permanent residence. He will be serving grinding time back with side quests for 2 additional levels. \n\nSeth: “Comon’ dog, you know I been grinding to get my diamond broadsword”\n\nJudge: Elmer, you will gain 500 rupies, and 37 packs of wood in order to restore any potential damages this peasant has caused. \n\nElmer: “Finally, Imma go buy new ‘Do Not Enter Sign’\n\nJudge: Next we call forth the case of the level 4 hero using Mrs. Audry’s chickens as a defense mechanism’ \n\nUnder his breath: It takes something else to be a hero I guess these days. "
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[WP] There is an afterlife, but instead of Heaven and Hell, it's just Heaven. Everyone gets in, but only after they've paid for their sins in ironic ways for the entertainment of God
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"Oh! Hey there! Welcome to Heaven. Glad to have ya. My name's Bill. Been here for, gosh, 30 years now. Got hit by a bus and just sorta woke up here. Don't worry, you'll get over the shock.\nNow, I know what you're probably thinking. \"How the hell did I get into Heaven?\" Well, it's the darndest thing. There's no Hell. Just the big ol' Pearly Gates. I know, I was pretty shocked, too. I mean, I was certain I'd never see my neighbor Bob again. Guy was a real pest back on earth. But here we are! \nSo, I've got your file right here. Says you've had quite a ride, yessiree. Shot a couple squirrels as a kid. Stole medications from your grandmother Edna, sending her up here a bit early. Don't worry. You'll get to say hi some other time. Ran over a homeless man and didn't stop. Just kept driving. We see that quite a bit. But the real kicker... Well. You certainly know. No point rehashing here. We'll just take you right on over to processing here.\nThey're gonna want you to take everything off, shoes, socks, hats and everything in between. You'll be issued your new robes after processing. Doesn't take more than a few days at most.\nNow, they're going to search you. You know what they say. \"You can't take it with you.\" \nAh. I see you still have the meds on you. Things we're guilty of tend to stick around. Oh, well look at that. The homeless man's watch. Did you actually take it from him? Hm. No judgement from me. That's the Big Guy's job. \nOk so it looks like you've got a pretty full schedule. We're going to start you out with squirrel duty. What we need you to do is take this bag of acorns and just kind of scatter them all over the place back on earth. The Big Guy loves when the squirrels get a bunch of acorns in their little cheeks. Thinks they're so cute.\nDont worry. This part should only take you a day or two, but the bag is extremely heavy. We don't have any other squirrel killers right now or I'd get someone to help you. Give me a ring when you get back.\n\nOh! Hello again. Glad you're finished with that. Took a bit long, didn't it? No matter. You're here now, so on to the next task. Looks like there are quite a few people over the next 24 hours who are considering stealing medications. We need you to be the angel on their shoulder and persuade them not to do it. I know, you're not an angel, but no one up here really is. We just need you to act the part. Whisper in their ears and change their minds. For each one you fail, you'll be handed another. Right now we've got 12 for you to work on. Better get started.\n\nMy Lord! You are bad at that. 34 people still took the medications. Well, I'll be seeing them at some point I'm sure. At least you saved a few. That will make their intake process that much quicker.\n\nNow, I do apologize. This last one always seems to get people. But you know what they say. \"Dont do the crime if you can't do the time.\" \n\nFor this one, we're going to have you actually take the place of a baby's soul. We're going to go ahead and bring her up so she doesn't have to experience this, but someone's got to. We've run all the numbers and there is no way the child and her mother are making it out alive. Unfortunately, we can't send someone in for the mother. Once you reach a certain age, soul's pretty much locked in tight. You're going to experience some fear and confusion and then quite a bit of pain, according to our predictions. It looks like that could last a while, but then you'll be back here and your intake will be complete. ALRIGHT, HAL, GO AJEAD AND SEND HER UP! You ready?"
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[WP] Your wife collects garden gnomes. You weren’t too thrilled about it when first moving in but you got used to it. Things like socks and phone chargers disappear occasionally but what really shocks you one day coming home is that everything you’ve ever lost has been dumped out on the floor.
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"The first thing I noticed was that her car was absent. Strange, she's normally home well before me. And the door is unlocked. I shrugged it off. Maybe she's just getting milk.\n\nI get inside, slip my shoes off, and head straight to the kitchen to put the kettle on. I spend a moment fumbling around in the cupboard for my favourite mug, and don't find it. The kettle clicks off behind me, but I'm still anxious about my mug. Did I leave it in the front room?\n\nSo I enter the front room looking for my mug. There on the coffee table before me is a heap. My old phone charger. The wife's missing earrings. Socks. And a hammer. I'd been looking for that hammer. Where could all of this have come from? I glance upwards at the far wall of the room, and the dozens of eyes peering at me. My wife's... collection. I never trusted the little pointed headed fuckers. Garden ornaments ought to stay in the garden. Slowly, I grabbed the hammer. Suddenly, I hear a gasp behind me, and I spin around to see my wife, who then starts to laugh.\n\n\"I am so sorry, but for a horrible moment there I thought you were going to go to town on my gnomes.\" she said through the giggles. I joined her in laughter at the thought. I can't say I wouldn't enjoy it. \n\n\"No worries, I was just going to put this back in the shed. Where did you find all this stuff?\"\n\n\"My dad came over to fix the washing machine, this stuff had all fallen down the back. It drains properly now, but still makes that funny noise on the spin cycle. Probably needs a new belt.\" she explained. \n\n\"Okay, I'll have to stop by somewhere and get one tomorrow. And I'll install it myself, can't have your father go thinking that I can't fix stuff in this house. Oh, I didn't see your car outside...\"\n\n\"Gav called earlier and said that somebody cancelled so if I liked I could get the MOT done on it today.\"\n\n\"Ah, that's good.\" I nod. Behind her, I notice my mug on the floor next to her chair, and frown internally. Of all the mugs in this house. I pick it up and head to the kitchen. \"Kettle just boiled. Fancy a cuppa?\""
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[WP] The Evil Lord threatens resurrection, and a band of brave heroes sets off to destroy his threat. You... are not one of them. A normal civilian in these exciting and turbulent times, tell us about your daily life.
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"Not *strictly* adhering to the prompt but here's a simple tavern conversation.\n\n-------------------------------\n\n\"It's not too bad here in the big cities, there are some shortages, but it's understandable, there's a war after all.\n\nI work as a farrier for the imperial cavalry, so as you can imagine my days are quite busy\" the simply dressed man at the tavern said to the armoured hulk of a warrior.\n\nThe warrior nodded and said, \"hear about the siege of Hornbeak?\"\n\n\"Hear about it? My cousin lives there, do you have any news?\" The farrier responded.\n\n\"Yeah, an old friend of mine said that half the financial district got totally incinerated when a dragon came from the southern badlands\" The warrior grimly muttered.\n\nThe farrier let out a long sigh as he looked into his mug of strong ale, the only word escaping his mouth being \"Damn\"\n\nThe two sat in silence for a few moments before the warrior proclaimed \"I'm sure you cousin is fine, this war can't last too much longer, praise the empire\" A few others in the tavern who held a similar cheery sentiment had a toast.\n\nThe farrier got up to leave, but first turned and replied \"I just don't know anymore\"\n\n-----------------------------------\n\nCriticisms are always welcome, especially as I am far from good at dialogue."
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[WP] Whenever you touch an object with your hand, you get impressions of its history and learn a few general things about it. One day, you touch something you shouldn't have...
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"I hate money. No, not money, but \"money\". Like the bills and coins that get passed around. Nothing good ever comes out of it. \n\nI still remember the shock I got when I first touched a dollar bill back when I was still young, when my powers first manifesting. Oh boy, I knew of things I should not have known as a five-year-old kid from that. Jezz...I mean, sure, you could use it as a way to take drugs, but seriously? That?\n\nOh yeah, powers you say? Yup, I have superpowers. Cool, right? Wrong. My power is useless. It tells me the history of whatever I touch. That's it. It is not even useful information. Just random jumble of images and experiences I could not control. I mean, I touched my college entrance exam test paper once just to try to see if I could find out the answers and I turned into a tree in the Amazonian forest getting chopped down. A freaking tree. And yeah, I failed that paper. \n\nConsequently, I became that weird kid that wears gloves everywhere, like some sort of cosplaying weirdo. I mean, look, gloves, they do not fit any outfit a teenager could wear. On an interesting note, however, I found out all I could ever find out about the pair of gloves thanks to constant contact. It was like watching a Youtube video on \"How are Gloves Made\" 24/7. \n\nNow, getting back to money. Yup, my dumb idiot self touched money with my bare hands again. Shit. Why? Well, alcohol has a way of making my gloves come off. Sigh...here we go again. \n\nWhat is it this time, Benjamin Franklin? Let's see...ok...a hooker, mmhmm, not bad, drugs, normal...wait...what? What? Oh...oh....what in the world...\n\nMy eyes snapped back to the bill on my hand, frozen in shock. It seems to gnaw at me, a devil from which I cannot escape from. \n\nNo...no...it is not money...it is not money at all. You, you see me, don't you. Wait...why am I speaking to you? Ha..ha...wait...no...\n\n-----------------------------------------\n\nTimothy trashed around in confusion, looking around frantically. It seems as if he is disorientated, looking for someone who is not there. \n\n\"Who are you? Who are you all?\" He screams, desperate, yet no one answers. It seems he realized something. \n\nWell, it does not matter, does it? He is nothing but a character, in a story, created for our enjoyment. Does it matter what he feels? No, no it doesn't. \n"
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