Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] A detective is haunted by the ghost of a serial killer cursed to walk the earth until it helps solve as many crimes as it had committed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Well, Billy? Whadya got?\" Frank asked as he tried to light a cigarette, flicking the lighter over and over to no avail. He was alone in the alleyway but didn't seem at all perturbed. After a couple more tries finally gave him the crimson flame he was after, he took a quick drag and yelled, \"Hey Billy! I'm talking to you!\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah,\" a chilling voice came, seeping like sludge through the gaps in the wall. \"I heard you. I've been looking, is all.\"\n\n\"Well look harder, bucko,\" Frank responded out of the corner of his mouth, fiddling with his phone.\n\n\"How about you help me then, big-shot?\" the voice dripped through the alley again.\n\nFranks eyes never left the screen. His fingers moved like bullets up and down the surface of the phone, swiping in every which direction. \"Hey, I am working. We got these things called smartphones now, buddy. Maybe if you didn't get yourself killed you'd know about them.\"\n\nA white mist suddenly materialized into a humanesque visage beside Frank and peered at the phone in his hand. \"You can see the case files from there? Convenient,\" the apparition seemed to utter, words crystallizing like ice in the air.\n\n\"Hey, hey! Who said you can stop working. I want some answers here,\" Frank snapped, and the figure quivered as if laughing.\n\n\"Calm down, I already got the info. I thought they taught patience in the police force.\"\n\n\"Well that's a clear indication of how long you've been dead. Come on, then. Spill it.\"\n\n\"The victim was stabbed in the alley four times, and then the culprit threw his knife and the body into that bay over there. The police discovered the body, but if they look again, they'll probably be able to find the knife too. According to the soul that lives in that dumpster over there, the murderer was a skinny Caucasian guy, probably somewhere in his 30s. He didn't steal anything, and he probably didn't know the guy either.\"\n\n\"Sounds an awful lot like what you did,\" Frank responded dryly.\n\n\"Way too sloppy to be one of my jobs,\" came the mocking voice of Billy, echoing around the alleyway.\n\n\"You are a piece of work,\" Frank sighed. \"Whatever. Let's get a police team checking that bay again, and try asking the other souls if they saw the guy that did it.\"\n\n\"The culprit probably threw up like crazy at the bathrooms in the park nearby, so we can ask the ghosts there. Hell, he'll probably feel bad about the whole thing and come back here if we wait,\" the voice whispered.\n\nFrank scoffed and said, \"One of the ghosts here tell you that?\"\n\n\"Experience,\" was the only soft word that materialized before Billy's icy presence finally and truly disappeared.\n\n\"Hmph,\" Frank grunted, and he dropped the cigarette on the ground, snuffing the gentle embers with his leather boots.", "The dead body on the floor was barely recognisable. Face bashed in, teeth all screwed up. Every limb broken. Whatever this poor soul did, they can't have deserved this end. The markers on the ground highlight every noted piece of evidence on the scene, CSI doing there job admirably. \n\nUnfortunately, there are no mirrors, nothing with a strong reflection, nothing to contact Ferguson with. So I look at my watch, it's late, almost witching hour, I decide I'll wait. No time for a quick night cap before he shows up.\n\nI try to piece what I can together from the scene. The flood lights cast viscous shadows around the room, the dark blood on the floor is rancid but I'm used to it by now. 3 years as a detective before taking down Ferguson the first time, and nearly a year since he came back to 'reform' his soul. And by anyone's count we've got a whole lot of time together left, but at least he's doing some good with it.\n\nNo criminal informant I've ever known can hold a torch to Ferguson. He's definitely makes my life easier...\n\nSometimes.\n\nIn the quiet I feel my watch ticking - I always liked the sound of a ticking clock, never could stand the silence of digital. I look again, he's late, but after a few seconds the ticking sound is replaced with a mildly louder tap, a set of ghostly footsteps entering the space. \"you're late.\"\n\nThe grumbling response that only someone like Fergy can muster pierces the air, \"I'm here ain't I? Maybe your watch off.\". He sweeps across to the body and looks at its face - or what's left of it. \"So I guess this is why we're here?\" He gestures to the dead body.\n\n\"Yup.\" Ferguson grunts understandingly, not hiding his distaste for being summoned to perform. \" I need you to... You know\" he shoots a scowl at me. His pale face glinting in and out of the light. \"You know what they say, no rest for the wicked.\" The scowl drops into a thin lined grin, a small joke between the two of us. As unlikely a pair of sleuths as anyone could imagine - a detective and the ghost of a dead criminal rival. \n\nFergy nods blithely and stands up, his mild translucence catching the yellow flood lights. The dead eyes floating in his face close gently and the room goes deathly quiet. My hair stands on end, the fibres on my neck clinging to my body's warmth as the room's air drops to a chill. I see Fergy open his eyes, his hands start gesturing as if he is speaking to someone who isn't there, his mouth moves as he glances around the room, his ghostly body fading in and out.\n\nAfter a few minutes, he closes his eyes again, the room warms back up and he becomes solid again... Sort of. \"Well?\" I say, folding my collar back down now that the chill has passed.\n\nFerguson glides over to me, his thin features are blurred and fuzzy as the ghost of his face moves and the sound of his voice reaches me. \"Well, I've got a name for you. Very confused guy, not that that's unusual for the dead.\"\n\n\"Just one name?\" I ask in earnest, hoping for a clean case, which are rarer than you'd think when you have a dead criminal who can talk to the Vic.\n\n\"Just one.\" Fergy says. \"But I did get a description of our perp and murder weapon, as well as a suspect list.\"\n\nI sigh, not the cleanest case I'd hoped for. But at least we've got a head start." ]	3
	[WP] You are Araknev, Lord of the Universe - almighty, all-seeing, all-knowing... and allergic to peanuts.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I am Araknev, Lord of the Universe. The Almighty. The All-Seeing. The-All Knowing. The Father of Time. The Mother of Nature. The Master of Creation.\" with each inflection the creature's voice climbed in volume, and the creature itself appeared to grow.\n\nAraknev. Its body shielded by a mechanical box that distorted space and time in such a way that you couldn't tell for certain where the box began, or indeed where it would end. There was a head poking out of a circular hatch marked: no entry, no free newspapers and no nuts. \n\nThe head itself was sat atop a thin, spindly looking neck that titled with the breeze. Upon the face there were two insectile eyes, a pair of tightly pursed lips, half a dozen trunks that slobbered aimlessly about, and a small flashing light in the forehead (flashing a yellowish-blue, if it at all matters, which it doesn't).\n\n\"I know who you are.\" Caprice gave a quaint smile as she rocked gently toward Araknev on her horse.\n\nThe pair were, for want of a better description, currently a float in the middle of a great ocean on Bygorian Five. Bygorian Five's oceans were known for being particularly Bygorious on account of the fact there wasn't a single fish, nor a shell, nor a wave to speak of. In fact, the only thing that could be said of Bygorian Five's oceans was that the breeze was pleasant enough, and it might have been all the more pleasant if it wasn't for those damn birds!\n\nThankfully neither Caprice nor Araknov had any chips and so they needn't worry about the birds.\n\n\"If you know who I am, then what on Bygorian Five do you want?\" Araknev sneezed, not once, but eighteen times, showering Caprice and her wooden horse with a thin film of reddish slim, \"Excuse me.\" Araknev coughed, \"Now, girl, out with it! I'm a rather busy being, as you must be aware.\"\n\n\"Too busy,\" Caprice smiled as she started fumbling through her pockets, \"to share a bag of salted peanuts with me?\"\n\nAraknev's eye shot wide with fear, the small light upon its forehead blinking madly, screaming danger, \"What is the meaning of this?\" Araknev pointed with its eyes at the sign upon its boxed body.\n\nNo entry, no free newspapers and no nuts.\n\n\"I'm allergic, and by Science above this is borderline treason of the highest degree. You could be killed, or worse!\"\n\nCaprice thoguh to ask what could be worse than dying, then decided she didn't much care. She carelessly threw a peanut into her mouth, sliding it about her gums. \"Are you sure,\" she said, with her mouth half full, \"that I can't tempt you?\"\n\nAraknev's forehead was in a constant reeling cycle of flashing now, the screaming coming on guttural, the sort of scream you'd expect from a fish that was choking on another fish that had the night before eaten a rather spicy curry.\n\n\"Look,\" Caprice said, rocking ever gently forward, causing Araknev to back away against the endless ocean, \"I need your help.\" She threw another wayward nut at her face, it missed and landed in the water, menacingly bobbing beside her. Ignoring it she tried again, failed again, tried a third time, failed a third time...\n\n\"Alright, alright!\" Araknev was staring at the growing collection of menacingly bobbing nuts, \"Tell me how I can help you, and if I can, I will.\"\n\n\"Not good enough.\" Caprice flashed a grin that was now full of flakes of nut, \"How about a kiss?\"\n\nAraknev shuddered.\n\n\"Say that you'll help me, swear it, and then I'll tell you what I want.\"\n\nAraknev's eyes individually flirted from the girl, to the nuts, to the bird filled skies, and back to the girl again. With a sigh it said, \"Fine. I'll help you. I swear it. Just get rid of those damn nuts!\"\n\n\"In good time.\" Caprice tucked the nuts safely into her pocket. After all, it's better to have leverage if there's any to be had. \"Now, what I need you to do,\"\n\n\"Yes.\" Araknev nodded, trunks spitting.\n\n\"Is to take me to Earth,\"\n\n\"Yes, is that it?\"\n\n\"So that I can meet with their leaders,\"\n\n\"All of them?\" Araknev took one look at the girl reaching back into her pocket and said, \"Yes.\"\n\n\"And borrow a few for a tea party.\"\n\n\"What? No! That's absurd!\"\n\nCaprice was fumbling through her pocket.\n\n\"You can't just borrow a world's leaders for a tea party!\"\n\nShe took out a nut.\n\n\"Surely you can't be serious?\"\n\nCaprice aimed for Araknev's head.\n\n\"Okay! Okay. I'll take you. But I'm not at all happy about it. How's it going to look, ay? Have you thought about that? The first interaction between Earthlings and the Universe and we just happen to borrow a few of their superiors for a tea party... that's abduction!\"\n\n\"That's what I want.\" Caprice tossed the nut into her mouth and started chewing loudly, \"Now hurry up and take me to Earth.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A 2000 year old mage has been asleep ever since the Western Roman Empire fell. He wakes up in a forest far from his original place of rest. Dazed and confused, he wanders to find civilization, but instead comes across a large LARP session.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Young squire, which kingdom do you fight for?, I don't recognize your crest” the mage enquires.\n\n\n“I'm a knight of the Reideya kingdom” the young man replies. \n\n\n“Ah, that's explains the shoddy armor” the mage says. “Say squire are you aware that your blade is dull?, well much like your queen outside the bedroom” he jokes, wheezing as he laughs. \n\n\n“How dare you slight our queen, you will pay for this dishonor with your life!” the young man exclaims and charges with his sword overhead. He strikes downward across the mage’s chest then stares at him in disgust, “Repent in the afterlife!” he snarles.\n\n\n“See squire not a scratch on me, that blade bounce right off me” the mage says dusting off his robe. “Look man I don't like breaking character, just lay down and we can pick this up next time” the young man says. \n\n\n“I have no need to lie down, in fact I've awakened from slumber not a short while ago” the mage says. “Hey man the rules are clear, you've been fatally wounded so just die until the battle is over” the young man demands. \n\nThe mage bursts out laughing and stabs his staff into the ground “I like you squire, you're stupid but you have courage” the mage says. \n\n\n“Hey Asshole you're ruining this battle!, you know what I don't have time for this, I have to head for the final push against the Gladial empire” the young man exclaims and begins walking away. \n\n\n“Hold there squire I shall accompany you, I tend not to get involved in politics but I can't have my new comrade die an idiot with only a blunt sword for protection” the mage says. “I shall enchanted it for you, a lightning enchantment should do the trick” he says under his breath. \n\n\n“Goah-Lei-Tys-Foh” the mage begings chanting, suddenly the blade that the young man is holding begins to glow. He stares at the mage with his jaw nearly touching his chest, as sparks crackle and jump from his fingertips to the sword coating it with lightning. “That should do it, now you can vanquish an entire battalion with one swing” the mage says proudly. \n\n\nThe young man is trembling, looking down at the enchanted weapon and back to mage. “What are you old man?” he asks stuttering. “What, you've never seen an elemental mage before?” he asks surprised. The young man shakes his head wide eyed, “Well no matter, come squire off to battle we go!”\n\n", "The caw of the raven roused Carucenus awake. Leaping to his feet, he took careful stock of the direction of the bird's flight. The flight was erratic and the caw was sickly. Ill omens indeed. Carucenus reached into his pack and withdrew his scrolls. There was little time to reach his charge before disaster would strike, but he had to try. He couldn't let his people die. Consulting the first scroll, he analyzed the route he would take. It would be another week's travel, but that was all the more reason to begin now.\n\nAs Carucenus began his journey, the forest around him began to feel wrong. The air was warm and almost acrid on his throat. The caw of the raven was the only sound of an animal he had heard since rousing from sleep. What's more, his map did not correspond with the landscape around him. He should've crossed the river hours ago, and yet no river had appeared. The omens were only getting worse.\n\nCarucenus froze in place when he heard the voices, which were speaking in a tongue he could not understand. In his homeland, that could mean one thing.\n\nCarucenus lunged to the nearest tree and concealed himself behind it, peering around toward the source of the noise. Sure enough, he was greeted with the sight of invaders, apparently engaged in a training exercise. The party was smaller than those his kind were used to seeing, a dozen in total, and they were sparring with padded blades.\n\nCarucenus weighed his options. Consorting with the enemy was not ideal, but if his maps were out of date, a parley to get his bearings and reach the front might be his best option. If things went wrong, his power would be more than a match for twelve Romans.\n\nDrawing the clay from a pouch on his hip, Carucenus began the incantation of tongues. If he was going to speak with the invaders, he would need to be able to communicate in their language. Just as his spell reached completion, one of the invaders locked eyes with Carucenus.\n\n\"Hey guys, look over there! A new guy showed up!\"\n\nThe Romans closed ranks and began to approach. Carucenus quickly placed the remaining clay into his pouch and exited the treeline.\n\n\"Hail, friends. I mean no harm. I come in peace.\"\n\n\"Nice greeting! I like your commitment to the role! You don't have to be in character right now if you don't want to.\"\n\nCarucenus furrowed his brow at the odd phrasing of the Roman he could only presume was their leader.\n\n\"I wish to compare maps with you. It is urgent that I reach Alesia at once.\"\n\n\"Sure thing, pal. By the way, I love the outfit, but we do the Braveheart thing on the third Friday of the month. Just letting you know.\"\n\n\"I was under the impression Romans were proud of their valor every day.\"\n\nThe Roman leader laughed heartily and extended a hand to shake. \"I like you, new guy. My name is Alex.\"\n\nCarucenus stared intently at Alex and reciprocated the handshake. \"My name is Carucenus.\"\n\n\"That's an interesting name, pal. How did you find us, by the way? Did you see the post on the subreddit?\"\n\n\"Subreddit?\"\n\n\"Hmm, guess not then. Well, are you joining in or not?\"\n\nCarucenus eyed the group. Romans were never so cavalier about conversing with the enemy. Was this some trap? Trap or not, he did need the help.\n\n\"I will, so long as you can direct me to Alesia.\"\n\n\"Ok, we can work a journey thing in, sure. I'll get everybody involved, and we can get started. But first, you should meet the rest of the group.\"\n\nCarucenus made awkward pleasantries with the rest of the Romans. This was most unusual behavior to say the least. He had already pressed his fortune meeting with these invaders at all, let alone fraternizing with them. He needed to make his escape as soon as he knew the way to Alesia. Vercingetorix needed his help, and every moment here was another moment the war for Gaul could be lost. He could not let Gaius Julius Caesar write the history of his people." ]	3
	[WP]: He lowered his gun, confused. ”You know, I know it’s rich, hearing this from a guy trying to mug you, but you really need to get your shit together.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\t“Oh, I’m sorry I only have a couple dollars for you to take,” I replied, with as much sarcasm as a defeated man could muster. “Here, at least take my phone too.”\n“I don’t want it,” said my picky assassin. \n“What do you mean? It’s something.”\n“Dude, it’s an Obama phone. I can do better than that.”\nHe was right. It was rich. The most valuable thing in my life for the past couple of years was this unfortunate comedy that I found myself in, at 6 p.m. on A Tuesday. Two years of job loss, alcoholism, divorce, and no direction in life had led me to this point. I haven’t even got so much as a hand job in the past six months. Life sucked.\n“Why did you even pick me to take from?” I shakenly asked. I had just walked out of a soup kitchen, full from the first meal in days.\n“You looked like you were worth something. Walking out of this fancy building (pointing to a cathedral), carrying a brief case, wearing dress shoes and a P-coat. I mean come on, you gotta have a savings account or maybe even stocks-in-trade.”\nI started sobbing. The curly-headed man was incredulous. \n“Just shoot me!” I exclaimed.\t\n“Jesus! Keep your voice down,” he whispered. \n“I have nothing! Just take my life, that’s all I got! Please!”\nHe slowly fluttered his hands, trying to signal me to lower my voice. He looked behind me, then I watched his eyes as they tried to sneakily scan above us.\n“You got any kids?” he was sympathetic.\n“Yea, two.”\n“See, that’s something.”\nI threw my hands around him, “I haven’t talked to them in over a year!”\n“Shhh, Shh,” he consoled.\n“Oh god, you’re the first person I’ve really talked to about this.” I said, wiping my nose. “I have nothing. I’m homeless, I’m a drunk. I wanna die.”\n“It’s okay, everything will be okay.” \n“Here, take it.” I offered him the four bucks. It’s the least I could do for our impromptu therapy session.\nThe kind robber pushed my hand back towards my pocket. “No,” he told me, “that won’t be necessary.”\nHopelessness fell back over me. “I’ve sunk so low, that even a common thief can’t take from me,” I commiserated with myself.\n“I’m no common thief.” He said, knowingly.\n“What?”\nHe looked behind me, and waved someone over. Then the man yelled to the sky, “Cut.”\nFour people came beside me, one holding a camera, and another holding a boom mic. My should-be assailant’s face lit up as he reached out his hand, looked me in the eye, and firmly spoke, “How would you like to attend an all-expense paid-for rehabilitation program for six months and then re-embark on your old career as a real estate salesman?”\nMy face dropped in disbelief. “That’s impossible”\nSmilingly, he said, “Michael, anything’s possible with Cleaning The Streets: Chicago”\nWith tears welling up, I begged, “When can I go?”\n-\n-\n-\n\nFirst time I've written in a long time, in a hurry. I'm trying to re-ignite the love I used to have for writing. Positive feedback would be much appreciated.\n", "Life for a career criminal can be exhausting, and Nematode Jones was tired. He started stealing twenties from his mom's purse in elementary school. He realized he could buy all the good snacks at lunch and sell them to his classmates at a markup. It was a lesson for a young Nematode that crime can pay.\n\nIn high school and college, he sold drugs to pay the bills and had made a significant number of criminal contacts. He eventually dropped out of college and continued selling drugs. He was very good at what he did and soon found himself a power player in the criminal underground.\n\nBusiness was booming for a few years until his operation's largest stash house was robbed. His business wasn't finished, but it took a major hit. Later that year, his closest friend and business partner, Jim Dooley went missing and was assumed dead. Jim had had an altercation with a rival gang that Nematode assumed responsible for the disappearance. This had a profound effect on Nematode and he began to exercise more caution in his dealings. He and Jim had been very close and came up through the system at the same time. They'd been in fights together and been arrested together.\n\nWith this added stress, Nematode took a step back. His most trusted associates handled the day-to-day of the operation while he made only high-level decisions. Sure, they still sold drugs, intimidated and killed the competition, but it eased his conscience being a step removed.\n\nThis carried on for a few years. Nematode accrued more wealth than he could possibly use and the memory of Jim and his fate faded. Naturally, with the business growing, so did interest from law enforcement. Nematode was careful, but starting to become paranoid. He had frequent nightmares and constantly thought he was being followed. It seemed like everywhere he turned he saw unmarked work vans, probably conducting surveillance. Nematode was beginning to wonder how much of what he saw was really there.\n\nOne day, he put on a hat and sunglasses and left the house to pick up some food. He walked down the street with his head down, assuming every car that passed him was a tail. He finally made it to the store, made his purchase and exited out the front door. He turned down an alley to avoid main streets and was startled by a man with a knife. He seemingly came out of nowhere and, Nematode, an experienced fighter was caught off guard and fell backwards. He hit the ground and his assailant was already on him, knife to his throat.\n\n\"Oh my god\" Said his attacker \"It's you\"\n\nNematode looked up at the man, through his beard and immediately recognized him as his former partner and friend, Jim.\n\n\"Jim? You're alive? What the fuck are you doing, man? Get the knife off my throat\"\n\n\"I can't. Just stop talking and give me your wallet.\"\n\n\"Jim, move the knife. I will gladly give you whatever money I can to get you on your feet. You don't need to threaten me. Business has been good. I promise I can help.\"\n\n\"Buddy, I don't want that kind of help. How can you still not see?\" Asked Jim\n\n\"See what?\" Nematode replied\n\n\"Are you really going to make me say it?\" Jim said sadly, \"Alright then. Man, I wasn't kidnapped and I was certainly never dead. About a year before I left, I started using our product. It was a moment of weakness, but after that, I couldn't stop. I can't believe you never noticed. Anyway, I got in too deep and I ran out of money completely. That's when I robbed the stash house. I knew you'd never suspect me, but after a few weeks, I panicked thinking I'd be caught. So I started a beef with a rival gang and slipped away for good after that, knowing you'd suspect them. I used the money to feed my addiction until it ran out and now I'm here.\"\n\n\"I don't believe this. Any of this, I thought you were dead\" Nematode said through a shocked expression\n\n\"It's all true man. Now give me your wallet.\"\n\nNematode handed the wallet over and started lifting himself off the pavement. Jim pulled the knife away and began to cry.\n\n\"I'm so sorry that happened to you\" Nematode said \"I forgive you for taking the money, but you should've talked to me. I would've understood.\"\n\n\"Just get your fucking life together, man\" snapped Jim \"Look at what this shit does to people. After everything that's happened, all I feel is guilt. Guilt for spreading this addiction, this disease, to other people. I know what it did to me so I know what it did to others. I stole from my friends and abandoned my family. Do something with your life, man, get it together. You gotta stop this.\"\n\nThe shock in Nematode's face was evident, and he thought about how to respond for a while.\n\n\"I'm sorry, Jim. If you ever want to come back, you know where to find me.\" Nematode said as he turned and walked away, forcing himself to not look back. It felt easier that way.", "(Foreward: I am so sorry)\n\n\nI stopped, my hand deep within my plushie wallet's money hole. I let the few dollars I had already pulled out fall unceremoniously onto the alleyway ground. The mugger looked down at the dirty bills in disgust, contemplating if they were worth touching. Slowly, sensually, I unsheathed my forearm from the plushie money hole, my hand clutching the last of my moist dollar bills.\n\n\n\"Dude, please stop! I'm not gonna mug you, ok? Just...just go get yourself a better wallet\", said the mugger as he backed himself up against the alley wall.\n\n\n\"Why would I do that? She can fit so much inside of her.\"\n\n\n\"Please man, get some help. Here's $60. Use it to afford some therapy\", said the mugger pulling three $20 bills from his pocket.\n\n\nI was surprised. This man obviously did not believe my beloved plushie wallet had such a significant carrying capacity. I had to prove it to him! \n\n\nI lifted my beloved over my head and stretched her money hole so very wide. From within the cotton cavern emerged dozens of multicolored hooves, reaching out, and grasping at the air. They grew longer, and longer, and tangled the mugger in their fluffy flesh before dragging him into my beloved. As the screams of the engulfed mugger became muffled, I lowered my arms and looked my plushie wallet in the eyes.\n\n\n\"Oh my beloved, are you pleased?\"\n\n\n\"Y̭̪̭o̬͕͉̳ṵ̹͚̞ ͈h͍͇̞̰̟̙ḁ͈̖̗̪̤v̻̘͓̩̟͇͖e͇͔͔͇͎̥͎ ̺̼̤p̜̹̝͓̫̻l̟͓͖̙̲e̼̦̘͇̳̭a̺̩̜̯̦ṣ̪e͓̯d͕̬͖ ̞Ḷ̱̟̜y̱̮r͖̞̮̤̠͎a̺̜ t̼͉̟h͈e̟ Pl̩̻͙̙͕u̝s͓̦̮͎ḫ̞̗̲̭.͈̤ ̟S͔͉͚͎̹͎e̘̖͚e͖̥k ͉̞̮̦ͅo̺̭̙̟͖u̪̯͕̝̬͍ͅt̜̦̬̟͔ ̖̮̪͍̞̳ͅm̜͉̠̖͈̩o̠̳̞̦r͍̦̩̠e̱̗ ̟̞̯̫̣̤̩w̞̤̞̬̺r̝̭̜͉̮̫̦e͎̘̩ͅt̖̦̲͕̻̯̙c̦͎h͓̝̪̜̥̪ͅe̥̦͉̞d̮͙̗̩̖̭ ̖̘̥̦h̜͇̪̹͎̼̳u̹͖̟̼̞̥̳m̠̥̖͚̰ạns̬͍̙͍,͎̪̦̤̟ ̯̩s̩̯͎̳̜̹o̱̙̜̜͕̠̜ ̠t̹h̟͚͔͚̟͇͕a̬t ̮̹͔I̩̜̬̲̣͙ͅ ͔m͎a̻y̝̼̠ ͍̱͚̰̯̫f̣̫̠̲̺̹͕il̠̜͍̗̬̘l ͎͈th̤̮e̯̜͖̦i̞̤̖͖͙r ̩̞l̰̪̲̹̖̦u͍n̩̼͇g͓s͙ ̺̻̟w̯̫͙̰it͇̺̝̪̼̥ẖ̤̺ͅ ̲c̤̦̻̘̤o͎͈t̘t͓o̬̳̖̘̖̙̮n a͈̩nͅd̪̲͚̮͔̹̪ ͈̼̯͕̗f̞̟̬͖̙̞r͙̠i̯̣͔̭͈ḙ͎͇̝̥̠͖n͙͓͎̦̺͖̣d̻s͍͙̳̥ͅh̥͉̳̤͉i̪͇p!̠̼̩\"\n\n\nAs I stepped out of the alleyway, I turned and headed deeper into the crime filled district. The friendship purge was only just beginning.\n\n\n\n(Your prompt reminded me of this image: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/317696-lyra-plushie) (Again I'm so sorry)" ]	4
	[WP] You're an alien. Your mission is to study humans on earth, then write a "how to human for dummies" for aliens. You have 1 week.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] You are a hero who now inhabits the body of the dark lord you were trying to slay. Digging through his memories, you find that he’s been trying to save the world, which ends in an hour. You are about to enact the final steps of his plan, but someone bursts into the room. It’s the “hero” you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Oh great! Just what I need...me! \"Listen, dude! I know this is going to sound confusing, but I don't really have much time to explain. I'm not who you think I am. I'm you and you're me. The world's going to end in an hour and I need your help to stop it.\"\n\nHe...that is...I...just looks at me. He looks confused. \"I know. I'm here to stop that from happening,\" he says. \n\nI huff in exasperation. \"No, you don't I understand. I've already stopped the dark lord. You...I...We're the same person. We're on the same side!\"\n\n\"That's exactly what the dark lord would say to confuse & delay me,\" he argues. \"I'm not falling for that again.\"\n\nAgain? I must have looked puzzled because he folded his arms defensively, but didn't bother to explain. Then, out of nowhere, he lunged at me. He caught me a little off guard. \"Hey, watch it!\" I yelled. \"If I die, you die. Like I said we're the same person!\"\n\n\"So you keep saying,\" he counters, and dives for me once again. \"If you really are me, you'll know the secret handshake we used to do when you made a pinky promise as a kid.\"\n\nWow... that took me back! That must have been 50 years ago! I wasn't sure I still remembered it. Nevertheless, I saw him hold out his hand to begin the handshake. Well, here goes nothing! \n\nI watched as he mirrored me in every action I made. I extended my hand to shake his by the fingertips, turned my wrist down, then up, then quickly down and up again, interlocked fingers, turned out my wrist back to front, then back again, grabbed him by the elbow as he did me, then separated our arms, put them on the backs off my neck and finally stuck my tongue out.\n\n\"It is you!\" he exclaimed. \"Right, so what do we need to do?\"\n\nI heaved a sigh of relief. My memory hadn't failed me. \"You turn this lever clockwise and I'll turn that one counterclockwise. We must do it at the exact same time. Even a second's difference, and the world will end.\" I looked at my watch. One minute left. \"We've only got one shot at this. If it works, the dark lord will disappear and we'll merge.\" I look at my watch: 30 seconds. \"On three,\" I say. \"One...two...THREE!\" Simultaneously, we both pull our levers in opposite directions. A bright yellow bluish light flashes out of the two levers, combines, and hits our bodies at the exact same time, throwing us both back 50 feet. I don't know how long I was out but when I came to, I was the only one there. The world need never know how close we came to extinction...." ]	2
	[WP] You offer a unique time-travel service to vengeful clients. They are taken back one day at a time, giving them multiple opportunities to enjoy killing the target of their wrath. Most are sated after just a few kills but your latest client keeps pushing you further back with no sign of stopping.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It is a box, large enough to fit one. The controls are installed beside it, with a metal desk and a tired looking chair besides it. Crushed up papers are scattered over the floor. Take out boxes and left over bottles are piled up. I do not have the time to waste. My clients are waiting for me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Drifter, Jason Fields here. I need your help.\" An unidentified client spoke.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI sat down heavily, and replied \"I can take you back to yesterday. How many days do you need?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Let's talk about one day first, I don't trust you. You claim to have strike lottery several times in a row from your - time travelling - I suppose. I heard of what you offer. I am doubtful of your service but let's say there's no harm trying.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You won't regret it. Kill whoever you want, I don't want to know. \"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Consider it done. One day. I have deposited the amount in your account. See ya.\" Beep. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI am known as the Drifter. I drift back in time. \n\nThis is my basement, a place that clients with secret identities appear to seek my help. They reach out to me for vengeance. I do the impossible, bring them back into time, allowing them to do whatever they want to the past. I am a vigilante, giving victims a chance to take justice into their own hands. Letting them seek revenge and fulfill their taste of blood. What is in the past stays. I am not able to change the future but I am able to help my clients get over their past. Life is grey, no absolutes. I do what I have to do.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA knock on the door. Jason Fields, a lanky teen in an oversized hoodie strolled in. Cold, with eyes like ice and a lip so thin that vanishes in his face. Somehow, I feel very uneasy. Sweat pricked onto my forehead. Something isn't right. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Mr. Fields, come in. Let's get started.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI usually do not enquire about my clients' targets, however, a client so young sparked my interest. A bully, a hated relative, or an enemy of sorts? This is rather strange.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So what's up? Any reasons?\" I probed a little.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Someone. You do not need to know.\" A cryptic answer, stay mysterious young lad. I settle him into the box, tuned the controls and entered into the machine. 24 hours passed, it was an uneventful. Usual. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Drifter, that was excellent. I will contact you again.\" Mr Fields mumbled as he left. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next day, as I was sipping a beer, Mr Fields came back. I was a little surprised as my clients are one-off or they return occasionally, but coming back the next day, that was a little strange. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Bring me back in time for a week. I need more time.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Umm... ok.\" I look questionably at those blue eyes staring back. The eyes bore through me with a displeased expression, stopping me from asking more. I do not judge, I do my job, I reminded myself as Jason entered into the box. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThroughout the month, Jason returned to me regularly to travel back in time for longer and longer duration. A week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks on and on. My clients usually stop at a few days as their wrath would have vanished by the third day or so. I could not contain my curiosity any longer. With his constant cryptic replies, I decided to check it out myself. Little did my clients know, my time machine is connected to a monitor enabling me to view their actions in their time dimension. I clicked and view the monitor.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt dawned on me.\n\nThis isn't vengeance. This is enjoyment.\n\nThis is a serial killer in learning.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] Turns out all of reality is a game that we've all been playing. Unfortunately for us, the devs just released the next big patch.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] In the Library of Unsent Letters you find the shelf bearing your name. Postcards, letters, emails, texts you never received because of a lack of courage, fear or circumstance.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The air is stale, like no one has been here for ages. Small flecks of dust are swirling in the air, lent a golden tone by the sun shining in through the windows high up on the wall. The sun is setting, although it always seems to be about to set when I’m in here. The oak shelves are bare wood, adding to that warm feel of the room, and there’s a quietness here that I’ve never experienced before. It’s as if everyone - everything? - is holding their breaths, afraid to wake something.\n\nI walk slowly along the wooden shelf, my finger trailing it as I walk, stirring up dust that has settled comfortably over the years. Here and there the shelf is cleaner, it’s where I’ve taken out something to read. However, I’m careful to always put it back in its right place afterwards.\n\nThis place is… special. I don’t know why I’m here, or even how I’ve come here. Sometimes, after I’ve fallen asleep, I wake up and find myself standing in the middle of a huge library. The first few times it happened I thought nothing of it, but as it continued to happen over the years I got accustomed to it. I’ve tried to map out when it happens, if there’s a pattern to it. But as far as I can tell it’s irregular. It happens throughout the year, although not every month. There seems to be no connection to my mood the previous night, nor to where I’m sleeping.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt took a few visits before I found it; the shelf that bears my name, Amanda Norson. A small, golden plaque with my name typed in swirling, ornate letters was attached to it. In this vast building that seems to never end, shelf upon shelf on the walls are filled with postcards, letters, emails and texts. There is an order to it, as one might have guessed. Not only are the shelves ordered alphabetically - I’m grateful my name is in the middle, otherwise I might never have gotten there - but the content of them is ordered chronologically. At least, so it seems when I have taken out items at random, to see what it was. From a letter from my cousin when I was but a child, to a text message from my ex, there is a wealth of content in here.\n\nI don’t know why I’m here, if it’s of my own will, or if I’m sent here by some divine power. There’s a large wing chair by the wall, one of those where you can see has worn and aged with love; one which you love to snuggle up in under a blanket and a good book. When I come here I sit in that chair and read. I snuggle up under the blanket that I know I will find behind the pillow, and sip on a steaming cup of tea from the small side table. There’s always just the perfect amount of honey in my tea.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIn the beginning I read carelessly, picking out items at random and bringing them with me. Sometimes they would make me cry, like the text from my ex that I never received. I love you. And sometimes they make me smile, like the one from my sister where she tells me all the gossip from our neighborhood after I moved away for college. I still don’t know why she never sent it.\n\nNow I know that there is a way to differentiate between them, there’s a way to tell me whether it was written in anger or in joy. There’s a pulsating feeling coming from them when I hoover my hand close by, as if I’m about to pick it up. Somehow, I don’t know how, I can understand the mood of the writer; how he or she felt when typing it down. At first, I avoided those written in anger; I was afraid. But I realized that the feeling does not necessarily mean that they felt it towards me. Notes from my junior high school bully that have made me cry were written with a sense of urgency and content. Texts that were written with relief were someone telling me they wanted to break up because they found another. And emails that were written in anger have been from my best friend talking about her stupid gym class have made me laugh.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEven though I don’t know what I will get for most of the time, there is one feeling I’m trying to avoid. That’s sorrow. The feeling of those letters and emails causes a knot in my stomach, and makes it hard to breath. But today my hand is drawn, inexplicably, towards an note that exudes such a feeling of overwhelming sadness that I want to run away. Still, I find myself taking it out and walking over to the chair. Pulling out the blanket I sit down and make myself at home. I look around the vast room, the shelves glinting in the golden sunlight, hinting of hidden longings. When I realize I can’t postpone any longer, I finally pick it up and hold it tightly, as close to my body as I can, where I’m curling up in the big chair. I know before I start to read that it’s from my son, and the knowledge makes my mouth dry. The teacup stands on the small table, but there is no tea in the world can rinse the feeling of longing and despair from my heart.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\- - - - - - - - -\n\nr/SleepyMacaroni\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEdit: Formatting.", "Dear Abigail: \n\t\nI have no idea if I mail this letter off when it is finished. I have no idea if it will reach you, and if it does how you will react. I don’t have very many ideas about you and us right now. Everything is hard, yanno? \n\nEverything is harder than it has to be. I don’t know if you have ever guessed why it is. Did you know why we started fighting, and why it seemed irreparable? I know you wondered why we couldn’t reconnect. The divide between us cracked and grew too big for us to keep leaping over back and forth. \n\nI can hear you rolling your eyes already. You never had much patience for my writing when it got like this. I can’t say I am really very apologetic about that. I am who I am, right?\n\nSomeday you may find this letter and I need you to know the truth. In the very beginning, we were both to blame. We stopped talking and we stopped trying. The relationship got comfortable and we didn’t see the signs. \n\nAfter that though, I got restless. My eyes began to wander and I lost the will to reign them back in. \n\nDo you remember Crystal? \n\nShe was the first. \n\nI don’t have any words to tell you how sorry I am now. I have no way to make it all up to you now that you are gone. You are across the world and we don’t even speak. I hope one day you will forgive me, but in the meantime, you are all that I can think about. I don’t know what good this letter will do. \n\nI miss you, and I’m sorry. That’s all. \n\n-Alex\n\n*** \n\n“You’re crying,” The caretaker tilted his head as he watched Abigail fold the letter back up and shuffle it back into the box. \n\n“Ya,” she managed to push out the one syllable before her throat locked up.\n\n“They always end up crying,” he said, his eyes moving from her reddening face to her box of letters. “They always choose to look, and then they end up crying.” \n\nAbigail looked up from where her box sat upon the wooden table. She took a heavy breath before attempting to speak again, “You wouldn’t? You didn’t?” \n\nThe old man sat down across from her as her questions had been an invitation. \n\n“I have a heavy box. I’ve been around for a while…” he waved an arm around to indicate the long warehouse that held the boxes full of unsent letters. “I know where it is but…” \n\nShe waited for him to pick back up his words, but instead, he seemed to just be looking around them. Abigail imagined that she could see the wheels turning in his mind, mulling over the issue. Taking a drink of her cool water, she tried to sit in silence and have a little patience for the man that had let her be here in the first place. \n\n“No,” he said after a long moment. \n\n“No?” \n\n“I’ve never read a single one,” he made eye contact before he stood back up from the table. “If there is anything I can get you, please let me know. Tissues?” \n\nWhen she shook her head he made his leave. She watched him walk away, a strange sensation sitting in the bottom of her gut. After he had wandered down an aisle and out of her vision completely she shook her head once more and looked back down at her own box. \n\nPostcards, letters, valentines day cards… The list stretched on. \n\nHer hand lifted to find another one to read, and paused just above the box. Was it better his way, or hers? Was it better to know and be hurt, or to walk along in ignorance? Abigail sniffled. \n\n“In for a penny in for a pound,” she whispered and pulled a thick letter out of the middle. \n\n/r/beezus_writes" ]	3
	[WP] Lately, when you sneeze, you teleport to wherever you were looking the moment before. It was really chaotic before you learned to control it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It first happened in our giant conference room at work where a table lies approximately 25 feet long. It was embarrassing, not really because of the teleporting, but because all eyes were directed at me when I walked in late to the meeting. They had a fantastic breakfast laid out with the table covered in food. I was roughly 10 minutes late so when I walk in, there were 30 people staring at me while the big boss, with his face red, his arms crossed yelled across the room to me by the door entrance:\n\n\"Well we couldn't start without you, so I apologized to everyone for wasting 10 minutes of their time. Why don't we get started?\"\n\nYes, you guessed it, my boss is an ass. I was also the one that originally called the meeting and was giving the presentation. So, my fault for being a little late to work.\n\nI was starving. I noticed the omelets on the table and decided to grab one and bring it up to the front of the room while I gave the presentation. I thought it would be ok since we ordered breakfast specifically for the meeting. As I started to walk back to the front of the room, I must have received a whiff of some pepper on top of the omelet because I had an incredible urge to sneeze. I stopped walking, hunkered down, and pulled my right arm over my mouth and began to let out a wet nasty one. \n\nI remember this moment down to the millisecond because as I began to sneeze my eyes were actually fixated on my boss who was across the room at the time. So basically, everyone was staring at me waiting for me to walk back to the podium when all of sudden, with the omelet in my left hand, I began teleporting to the front of the room. It wasn't just the case that I teleported while standing, and was now standing in front of my boss, no...no...no. I literally teleported onto my boss's lap, face to face with him. My lips were about an inch away from his. That's what I mean by embarrassing. If you think about, the teleporting was one the least embarrassing aspects of the first time it happened.\n\nThings were really chaotic for a while because it was just so awkward for people to see. If you think about, most people use their right sleeve to cover their mouth when they sneeze. That way the mucus doesn't fly everywhere. You can also shake people's hands and they won't get grossed out knowing you just sneezed on them. The only problem with my condition was whenever I used my right sleeve, I would simply teleport 6 feet to the right. It's like I was just there and then all of a sudden, I am only 6 feet away. When having a conversation, I would have to walk back 6 feet to the left. At first it was a good conversation starter, but then it became down right annoying to have to explain to someone I just met.\n\nSoon enough, I realized the most practical technique was to simply look straight down while I sneezed. That was when I learned it was pretty darn easy to control. At work they nicknamed me “Mr. Pepper” as I became very advanced with my condition. I began to play practical jokes on un-suspecting people at the office. The best joke was waiting for people to get up from their chair to stretch and I would take a whiff of pepper, look at their chair, and teleport. The person would simply sit back down in my lap. It was hilarious! I kept extra pepper shakers at my desk for those special occasions. Folks have had a really great time with it. I guess I can say I have learned to own it. " ]	2
	[WP] your cover: a nice guy; your job: assassination; your motto: kill‘em with kindness	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The nurse led me down a hallway and stopped at a door. She peeked inside, then she turned around and gave me the go-ahead.\n\nAs I walked past her, the nurse's hand grabbed my arm. \"I just think that it's so sweet of you to stop by and check in on Ms. Jensen like that,\" she said. \"Her husband died, and her kids don't even bother coming to see her anymore.\" She frowned.\n\n\"Don't do that.\" I massaged her forehead with my thumb. \"You'll get wrinkles.\" \n\nShe smiled. \n\nI smiled back.\n\n\"Oh.\" The nurse's voice stopped me again, just as I was about to enter the room. \"She has a weak heart, so try not to get her too excited, okay?\"\n\nI nodded. I entered the room. \n\nI closed the door behind me.\n\n\"Who are you?\" The old woman asked, trembling from the permanent coldness of old age, even though the room was heated and she had on several thick shawls. \n\n\"You don't recognize me?\"\n\n\"H-Harold, is that...could it really be you?\" Tears came to her eyes as she tried to stand.\n\nI quickly crossed over and gently eased her backwards into her chair.\n\n\"I love you, Margaret.\"\n\n\"I love you, too, Harold.\"\n\n\"And...\" I looked away, smiling. \"I was thinking...\" I reached into the pocket of my coat.\n\n\"Harold, I dont understand. What are you...?\"\n\nI took the small black box out of my pocket. Her blue eyes widened behind her glass spectactles.\n\nI got down on one knee.\n\n\"Margaret Parmer, will you...\"\n\n\"Yes, yes! Harold, a thousand times yes!\" \n\nFor that moment, the age faded away, and I caught a glimpse of the young woman that she must have been.\n\nAnd I found myself thinking, Harold, you lucky dog.\n\nThen she grabbed her chest and began fanning herself. \"Sorry, I'm just so...so...excited right now. I'll, I'll be fine in a moment, dear, I...\" It sounded like she was having trouble breathing.\n\nI opened the door and yelled into the hallway, \"CAN I GET SOME HELP IN HERE? SHE'S HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING!\"\n\nThe nurse that had led me there was the first to arrive. \"What happened?\" she asked me before she entered the room.\n\n\"I just walked in and she said, 'A visitor? I haven't had a visitor in so long.' Then she grabbed her chest, started fanning herself, and-\"\n\nThe nurse was gone. She dashed into the room, followed by other staff. I didn't see what they did. I just left. \n\nOutside, I got on the phone and made a call. \"Your mother is dead.\"\n\n\"Great,\" the voice on the other end said. \"Your money is being transferred over to your account as we speak.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] "Don't you hate it when you rub your eyes too hard and see the end of world accidentally" "what?" "Guess it's just me then"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Do you guys ever just rub your eyes too hard and accidently see the end of the world?\" Shannon said nonchalantly, breaking the silence. \n\"What?\" Bryan gave her the oddest look. We had been eating lunch like normal humans, and Shannon had simply brought this up like it's a normal thing to do. \n \"Hm, guess it's just me then.\" She shrugged it off like it was nothing.. Shannon had always been the weird one out of us three. She brushed off things way too easily, even when they were super important, and seemed to simply not care. \n \"Yeah, it is just you! Like, is that normal for you? Maybe you should get some help..\" I said. I was concerned for her well-being. \n \"I'm not crazy!\" Shannon slammed her hand on the table, before withdrawing it and holding it. \"Ow, how do people do that without hurting themselves.. Anyway, yeah, it's normal. Sometimes I'll get some dust or whatever in my eye, or just be tired, accidently rub my eyes a bit too hard, and then I see flashes of nukes raining down. It's always nukes. Sometimes I have dreams about it.\" \n Me and Bryan were silent for a moment. Bryan chuckled nervously, breaking the silence. \"Yeah, right, well-\" I cut him off. \n \"How long have you been seeing this?\" I asked, looking dead into her blue-ish green eyes. \n \"Oh, as far as I can remember, really.. It gets a bit clearer every day. I'm not sure if that means anything. Actually, it's been pretty clear lately.\" She glanced over to the clock. \"We've got about five minutes until lunch ends. You guys should take your trays.\" \n I sighed. \"Shannon, focus, please..\" I closed my eyes for a moment. Why was this happening? Was she mentally ill? Was this the reason she acted so carelessly? \"Listen, Shannon, the world isn't going to suddenly end in a nuclear rain, okay?\" I noticed Bryan get up and take my tray as well as his. Shannon hadn't bothered to pack lunch today, and never bought school food. \n Shannon inhaled. \"Anyone I ever tell labels me as crazy, but I know it's coming. Now you know too.\" The bell rang, and she stood up and left without another word. \n\n\n That was the last time I spoke to Shannon before Bryan convinced me to stop talking with her. It was about 2 years ago, back at the beginning of middle school. I'm in 8th grade now, and I can't stop thinking about that conversation whenever I overhear people on the news talking about the political tension between America and other countries. Nuclear bomb threats have become more common. Shannon still goes to my school, actually.. I see her sitting alone at lunch, sometimes. It was a Tuesday when I walked over to her. She was writing something in a notebook. She saw me approaching, and slammed it shut, looking up at me. \n \"Um.. Hey.\" She said quietly. \n \"Howdy.\" I greeted her. She patted the seat next to me, and I sat down. \"I wanted to see how you're doing..\" \n \"It wasn't a concidence, was it?\" She looked like she might cry. \n I was a little confused. \"What wasn't a concidence?\" \n \"The day I told you what I saw, you stopped talking to me. That's what always happens. Not that it matters now.\" \n I gazed at her. \"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stopped talking with you. Why doesn't it matter now?\" \n \"It's so clear, now. Not just when I rub my eyes, even, just when I blink, I see it like it's happening.\" I knew what the 'it' was. \n \"Shannon..\" She looked so distraught, and I wasn't good at comforting people in normal situations. \n \"Any minute now.\" She looked at me. \"We could grab some cookies and watch the world burn.\" \n I decided to just go with it. I had money, anyway. I went over to the snack bar and bought a couple things, and headed back to her table. \"Here.\" She took a bag of Doritos and opened it up, taking one out and breaking part off before eating it. Suddenly, the speakers came on, and the lunchroom went semi-quiet. That was when I heard the following:\n\n\"Due to a bombing in Washington D.C., school is canceled for the rest of the day. If you take a bus, please wait in the gym. If you get a ride, head to the office and your parent will pick you up from there.\"", "\"nonono, wait. What are you talking about?\" \nJust the usual Saturday morning talk... Well not really. \n\nI look over to my girlfriend lying next to me in bed. Each moment with her was so peaceful, until i close my eyes. \n\"So, what happens when you rub your eyes?\" I asked. \n \nI see a confused stare directed towards me. \n \n\"I... I guess my eyes start tingling a litt..\" \n\n\"Exactly!\" i proclaimed \"... They tingle, tingle, tingle a little more and then boom. Flashes of what i can only imagine to be demons, a sky lit on fire and lava erupting from the grounds we are walking on!!\" \n \nAnother confused look... \n \"well i guess it's just me then... Wanna make some breakfast?\" i asked. \n \n\"no no hold up. You can't just switch from a topic like this to breakfast?!\" \n \nShe always was like this. Cute, pure, easy to startle and confuse. But those are just some of the reasons i love her so much. Of course things weren't always easy, but I knew she was the right one because at some point before even meeting her, when i closed my eyes i started seeing her... \n\n\"so how do they look like?\" she asked. \n\n\"the demons? Some are the red winged things you always see on pictures and paintings but some are a little more... I don't know. Distorted? \nBlack balls of smoke with red eyes glowing from within, others giant half spider or centipede, half human, but the type you'd expect in a horror movie with long and creepy...\" \n \n\"wow I knew you had a wild imagination but even for you, that's a little specific!\" \n\nI paused. I don't want to scare her. I just want to enjoy every single second I have with her because when she first appeared in my 'visions' she was laying there, her body bent and twisted, blood all over her body, soaking through her white dress and her eyes gouged out in what i can only imagine to be a pentagram... and then views of the apocalypse started... " ]	3
	[WP] You are walking your dog when you hear the muffled cries of help coming from a trunk. You end up saving the person, but unbeknownst to you, you just made a huge mistake.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I did a good thing.\"\n\n\"Good is relative.\"\n\n\"When you see someone in trouble, you help them. It's what people do.\"\n\nThe night was dark. The somber glow of lamps had long died to the stillness of the cold air. The wind howled through the gaps in the tall buildings. The ground smelled of rain. The stars shone high above, watching the world turn below them.\n\n\"How long ago was it?\"\n\n\"How long ago was what?\"\n\n\"You know.\"\n\n\"I don't.\"\n\nThe bitter chill bit through thick woolen clothes stacked layer upon layer. The cold nipped at the flesh, turning skin an angry red. Each word cast a white cloud into the air.\n\n\"When you saved him.\"\n\n\"Oh. I haven't been keeping track.\"\n\n\"The weather was nice back then. You were out walking Riven when it happened right?\"\n\n\"Yes. It must have been spring. April, maybe May. It was raining that day too.\"\n\nThe city looked so strange now. There were no shadows in the sleepy world. No rustle of raccoons or rats, no chug of car engines. Not even the bitter aroma of cigarette smoke. A world without light, without warmth.\n\n\"When was the last time you ate?\"\n\n\"I don't remember.\"\n\n\"What was the last thing you ate?\"\n\n\"Not sure.\"\n\n\"Let's stop here for tonight. There's no point in trying to go any further.\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\nThere was an overhang by the road where a slab of concrete had perched itself on a stack of pipes. There were puddles around the clearing, but the earth underneath the ceiling was dry. The dim light of the stars flickered off the blades of some sweetgrass growing in the cracks of the concrete.\n\n\"The grass is sweet.\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\n\"Do you think you can get some sleep tonight?\"\n\n\"I'll try.\"\n\nThe earth was cold. Colder than the air somehow.\n\n\"I did a good thing.\"\n\n\"You did what was right.\"\n\n\"I did a good thing.\"\n\n\"No, good is relative. You did what you thought was right. What most people would have thought as right.\"\n\n\"No one can blame me.\"\n\n\"Of course not.\"\n\nA silence followed those lonely words that hung in the silent air, riding on the inaudible stream of wind making the long journey through the concrete jungle. The sweetgrass was sweet.\n\nMorning came after a long night, but the cold did not leave with the arrival of the blazing star. The light cast lonely shadows across the city scene. Long empty reminders of what was missing. The winds grew again in their howling fury. The streetlamps creaked against their old fastenings. Their voices were a welcome addition to the solemn chorus.\n\n\"Did you sleep well?\"\n\n\"I couldn't.\"\n\n\"It was a tough ask.\"\n\nThere was a pause in the noise.\n\n\"I did a good thing.\"\n\n\"Good is relative.\"\n\nThe blazing star rose closer and closer to the peak of it's daily journey and the shadows of the buildings shrank and shrank until they were almost gone. The wind had died down by that time. The long open roads of the city were gone, replaced by small winding roads sheltered by tattered awnings stretched over rotting wood to cover dirty brick houses.\n\n\"We're getting close right?\"\n\n\"I can't tell.\"\n\n\"Yeah, this looks like fourth street. Man, things really have gone to hell.\"\n\n\"Don't say that.\"\n\n\"Riven liked to play with the woman that used to run that general goods store didn't she?\"\n\n\"Becca. She was good with dogs.\"\n\n\"Good with other things too.\"\n\n\"Don't remind me.\"\n\nWhen the blazing star had finally ducked its face below the dead towers of the skyline, even the brick buildings had long since been pushed to the horizon by footsteps. The suburbs were gentler on the nerves. Here the winds did not howl and the earth still held some warmth of the day. Home was here, somewhere.\n\n\"I did a good thing.\"\n\n\"You keep saying that.\"\n\n\"One day it might become true.\"\n\n\"You can't even convince yourself.\"\n\n\"I believe myself.\"\n\n\"Stop lying.\"\n\n\"It's true.\"\n\n\"Did you do a good thing?\"\n\n\"I might. Someday.\"\n\nThe house was rundown, but it was standing. The doghouse was still standing though the paint was faded and the wood was rotting. The small ceramic bowl in the yard was cracked along the center.\n\n\"You're home.\"\n\n\"I'm home.\"\n\n\"Do you remember now?\"\n\n\"Remember what?\"\n\n\"What you did that day.\"\n\n\"How could I forget?\"\n\n\"Then what did you do?\"\n\nI smiled and fetched a small key from inside my coat. The stars above started to shine through the purple shades above. The white clouds from my breath caught the last rays of the sun of this day. The key slipped into the lock and the door clicked open. I pushed inward. There was no smell of musk here, no smell of rot, no bitter cold, no scorching heat. I took off layer after layer of the thick clothes that bound me. It took no small amount of time before I could finally relax in a chair, under a roof, in a home.\n\n\"I did a good thing,\" I finally answered, looking up at the roof above. \"And maybe one day you can actually believe yourself.\"" ]	2
This is my first writing prompt sorry if I did anything wrong.	[WP] You're a seven year old who woke up out of bed at midnight because you're thirsty. You leave your Teddy bear at the bed to not wake him up and go to the kitchen. You come back with a glass full of water and see your Teddy bear fighting a giant, freakish monster.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dad left me alone in the room, every night, but before he tucked me in, he left Mr. Tuggles next to me. Mr. Tuggles was old and frayed, but he was always there. Dad wasn't. Some nights, he had to go to work. Some nights, Mom had to go away and take care of Grandpa. But Mr. Tuggles always was. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Don't worry,\" Dad said, every night. \"He will take care of you, won't you, Mr. Tuggles?\" He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes. I held on to Mr. Tuggles. Mr. Tuggles was a gift from Uncle John. John was busy working too, so he couldn't come over often. Mom didn't want me to go into Uncle John's field. Uncle John was fun. We could always stay up late when he watched us. We could even keep the lights on.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut tonight, Uncle John was not here, and the lights were off. Mr. Tuggles was asleep. I can almost hear him snoring. I slowly roll out of the bed, moving my arms from around him and tip toe to the kitchen. It is raining.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe sky roars. For a second, the whole outside is lit up. I drop my glass and run back. Mr. Tuggles is... bigger. Louder. And is biting... something.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe world goes dark.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I hate cases that deal with kids.\" It was another day in the office and Office Gomez sat reading a transcript. \"A seven year old.\" Between doughnuts, he was trying to make sense of the crime scene.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShooting him a queer look, Officer Svern his partner of five year said \"M. Constaintine, right? It didn't look too bad. You have a confused kid who didn't get hurt and swears up and down that his teddy bear...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That his teddy bear caused $45,000 worth of property damage? Burned a whole in the side of a wall and destroyed some cheap Halloween costume?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSvern shrugged. \"Kids not hurt. Insurance covers it. His is even going to get his bear back.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You are an immortal who suffers from schizophrenia. You start seeing people who don't exist. At the beginning it drives you mad. But ironically after a few centuries they are the only thing that keep you sane, since they are the only thing that keeps you company throughout your life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This is my first time writing one of these but i am long time lurker so dont hit me too hard but give me feedback please. I suppose I should also say I am on mobile sorry for any problems grammatical, spelling or otherwise cause I cant write or spell. It is also long.Before I start one thing to make sure you guys understand what's happening. Quotes is the different characters talking, outside of qoutes is main character talking.\n\nLet's see where should I start?\n\n\"All the humans are dead!\" That was rose she has been with me ever since I can remember.\n\n\"Oh yeah, so all the humans are dead...wait, why would I start there?\"\n\n\"Well since you asked we felt like that was a very big part to say.\" That's Bill he was there too in the beginning.\n\n\"It was...I mean it is. But that's not what I should start with. Anyway can you too be quiet, so I can tell the story that we rehearsed so if anybody ever read this they would know the truth.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I guess\"\n\n\"Yeah, besides I like hearing it\" Bill always loved war and the whole 'Climate Change' thing that happened...Fuck now I am spoiling the story.\n\nI guess I should should start with my name is Alexander or Alex for short. I know great name to have for eternity...oh right um.. I am immortal. I know what you are thinking 'That's awsome!! So cool!!' Well that's not what I would have called it at first (not so much now either but that's a different problem) because I also have Schizophrenia, that's were Bill and Rose come in. They are what I named the voices I heard after they drove me so far mad that I embraced them instead of fighting them.\n\n\"We have been friends ever since, but really when are you going to tell the good stuff?!?\"\n\n\"Stop interrupting me!! Besides I have to give them backstory first so they understand the rest.\"\n\n\"Yeah but...\"\n\n\"But nothing Bill!! You need to let Alex say the whole story not just the good parts\"\n\n\"Did you just, you did just roll your eyes at me didn't you? You know I can just get rid of you physical forms, right?\"\n\n\"You can't and you know you can't not after you ran out of those mushrooms that witch gave you back in the 60's or 70's! You know the 1960's or 70's I mean we have been though at least 40 of them!\"\n\nAnyway back to the story to elaborate a little on the physical form thing. They are semi-physical, I can see, hear, touch, feel, smell (sometimes I wish I couldn't on the last one) basically anything you can do with someone else I can do with them. Which includes some fun times we have, you know some...\n\n\"Hey!! We agreed not to share that kids could read this for Christ's sake Alex!\"\n\n\"Aw common!! Rose you know you have fun everytime we do it you are kind of slut and besides they have seen worse on this platform than what I was going to say.\"\n\n\"So and just because I love the threesomes and all the sex we have. Fuck all of this is making horny come here you too. Sorry to all you guys reading this but we'll try to keep it short.\"\n\n------------------------four hours later------------------------\n\nMan that was good but back to the story. At first was trying to fight them to get them out of my head. This lead to some pretty crazy scenes, walking past people in Alexandria after I founded it and talking to people that weren't there, yeah these two are the reason I had such a big empire, they helped me even though back then it seemed like they were hindering me.\n\nYes, if you haven't figured that out already I am Alexander the Great. It is funny watching you mortal humans think that slave was me. I was done ruling in the spotlight I wanted to disappear for a while, so I disguised him as me and poisoned him so I could continue on my travels through time. \n\nLater during the dark ages is when really started to have fun. I have a underlying ability of being immortal is that I can control what I age I look like and how I look so naturally I made my self look super pale and became Dracula. No didnt drink anybody's blood.\n\n\"Although we tried to get him to a couple times.\"\n\n\"Yeah know we only used a knife that we sharpened to resemble a canine he knocked out, when he fell of the side of a mountain, pricked there neck with it\"\n\n\"Yeah, I just fell, right\"\n\n\"Yeah, you just fell, he he hahahaha\"\n\n\"No you pushed me\"\n\nAnyway this is when we started to get along better mostly because I ran out of other people to talk to because of the plague. Then over the next few centuries I shaped human history to what it is when you are reading this. Yes I started WW1 and 2 and 3 I killed Kennedy not Oswald like everybody said. I even ended the cold war after I started it. Then I had to play the worst part I ever had to play.\n\n\"Oh God that was absolutely horrible\"\n\n\"I feel all dirty and slimy even though it has been what almost two thousand years?\"\n\nI had to play Donald. J. Trump. This is where I basically set in motion 'Climate Change' and made it so scientists were no longer needed for getting off the planet at all, because I started World War 3 all while saying everything that brought any light to what I was doing FAKE NEWS. The best part is so many people believed me. All humans perished or so I thought so I became even closer to these two in the process.\n\n\"Well until we met her at least.\"\n\n\"Yeah I thought we were alone. Wait why does she look at us when we speak.\"\n\n\"Because I can see, hear and yep touch and feel you. And I have to say that threesome was pretty hot I wanted to join but I didnt know how ask.\"\n\n\"Wha..wha..wait you can see them, and you have been this whole time?\"\n\n\"Yep pretty much.\"", "My mother always told me that my diagnosis would kill me. That I'd never be successful, that I'd never find love, that I'd never have friends, and that people on the streets would gawk at me. \n\nMy mother is long gone. She passed away on a cold and rainy April morning almost two centuries ago. While she was correct about the gawking, she was incorrect about love, companionship, and death. \n\nLet me backtrack: I am immortal and I have schizophrenia. I was diagnosed as soon as I could be at the ripe age of 18. As a child, I was emotionless and isolated myself every chance I could get. My moods fluctuated like the weather and my mother spent a fortune taking me to \"miracle doctors\" and \"therapists\" that swore they could change me. I found peace in being alone. I earned my strength by being myself and resisting any alterations. \n\nOne evening, shortly after my schizophrenia diagnosis, my mother had dried the dishes and turned the kitchen lights off before heading up to bed. I decided to sit at the table. \n\n\"Make yourself useful and find a job,\" my mother yelled to me from the top of the stairs in our little cape cod house. We both knew it would be very difficult for me to work. I closed my eyes tightly and let my mind wander until I could no longer hear her footsteps creaking along the upstairs floorboards. \n\nWhen I opened my eyes, someone was sitting at the table across from me. A beautiful woman with wavy brown hair, flowing from the top of her head to her ribcage. Her eyes were green and sparkled just like her aura - a soft gold and silver shadow making her stand out from anyone else I've ever seen. Her dress was the color of red wine and cut deeply around her cleavage, revealing milky pale skin. Her lips were full with an enticing color that matched her dress. \n\n\"H...hello,\" I stuttered, blinking a handful of times. This could definitely not be real. \n\n\"Hi, James! I've been waiting to see you for so long!\" She exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement, \"my name is Rosa.\"\n\nI watched her speak, the words rolling off her tongue with such ethereal grace. My mind began buzzing with questions. \n\n\"Why are you in my kitchen?\" I asked this woman, who seemed too beautiful for this cruel world. \n\n\"I am in love with you, James.\"\n\nRosa's expression shifted from elated to confused, her head tilting while her eyebrows furrowed deeply. It seemed as though I was supposed to know she was in love with me. \n\n\"Are you not in love with me too?\" She quickly asked, one hand decorated in rings and other jewelry draping over her chest. \n\nI closed my eyes again and shook my head furiously. \"Get out, get out,\" I mumbled to myself, my mind spinning frantically like a fun house wheel. \n\nAfter a few moments, I opened my eyes and Rosa was gone. The kitchen was dark and empty, the only sound was my mother's snoring from her upstairs bedroom. \n\n\"Rosa,\" I whispered to myself, staring down at the kitchen table. \"Rosa.\" \n\n\n\n\n\n\n^(p.s. I can add more parts if anyone is interested)" ]	3
	[WP]"Hi! Welcome to my juice bar! What can I serv-" "Save the greeting for later. We are here for your, other business."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\nI shivered against the cold, drawing my coat tighter against me. It was early, the sound of my boots on the wood slats of the pier rang out in the frigid silence. I glanced at my watch. Ten minutes to six. Business might be slow this time of year, but it was steady.\n\nAs I walked, the cold, gray waves crashed ceaselessly against the rocks on my left. I passed shops and stalls of every make and model, standard fare for a sleepy, seaside town forgotten by most of the world. Ice cream parlors, arcades and pizza shops were in no short supply. Children and families to frequent them, however, were another story this time of the year.\n\nAfter another silent few minutes, I arrived at my shop; a juice bar. I stood outside for a moment, peering up at the dingy shopfront. Could do with a cleaning, I’d have to get on that. The shop wasn’t much but it was mine, and the work was honest. Besides, I liked to give out free samples to the kids in the summer. \n\nI slid the silver key into the lock on the front door and went inside, flipping the switches on a panel near the door as I went. The lights inside flickered to life. Outside, the neon sign burst into action, letting the world know I was open for business.\n\nI had barely gotten behind the counter and hung up my coat when the telltale jingle of a bell announced the arrival of the days first patrons. I threw on a spotless white apron and turned to face my customers. Two men, one notably tall and the other decidedly not, entered the shop, glancing about at their surroundings. They wore dark coats and darker shades, in what I assumed was an attempt to appear nondescript. They were remarkably successful in achieving the opposite. I sighed quietly.\n\n“Welcome to my juice bar, what can I serv—” \n\n“Save the greeting for later. We’re here for your...other business.” The tall man slid a large, silver coin with intricate markings on it across the counter.\n\nI glanced at the coin briefly and slid it back. “Ah, I see,” I began. “Terribly sorry to disappoint you but I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Turning my back to the men, I grabbed a clean rag and spray bottle from a shelf and began surreptitiously cleaning the counter.\n\nThe men glanced at each, the shorter one raising his eyebrows thoughtfully. \n\n“Listen,” said the short man. “We don’t mean to cause any trouble. We were told that this was the place we were looking for.”\n\nContinuing the wipe down the now-spotless counter, I said nothing. How was it possible, after nearly three years without an incident, that these two men show up today? I was so sure that I had closed that chapter of my life. I had wanted it to be closed so desperately, I had finally started believing it really might be. Fine. \n\nI stopped wiping.\n\nLooking straight into the eyes of the shorter man, I said, “You. Lock the door. You, draw the blinds.” This second order for the taller man. “And flip the switch on the far right, it wouldn’t do to have anyone think we’re open for business right now.”\n\nRolling up my sleeves, I went through the kitchen into the stock room. In the main dining area, I could hear the men carrying out my instructions. I approached a door with a dusty ‘Supply Room’ sign hanging askew on the wall next to it, beside a security keypad. Punching in a series of numbers on the keypad, I heard a click as the door unlocked. \n\nInside was indeed a supply room, but not the type of supplies a juice bar owner might find useful.\n\nThe room was small, maybe 500 square feet at most. Along one wall were rows of flat panel computer monitors, displaying a constantly updating feed of information pulled from an adjacent server room. The wall opposite the monitors was lined head to toe in secure black cabinets, their doors equipped with fingerprint sensors. In the center of the room was a massive conference table with a built in digital touch screen set into the center of the wood tabletop. \n\t\nHeading towards the monitors, I scanned the information here. I slid a keyboard out of a recess in the wall and used it to enter a few commands, navigating the system until I found what I was looking for on the screen. “No, no, no...” I muttered to myself. “This can’t be right.” I hit a few more keys and stood back, reaching up to the touch panel and gesturing with my hand to expand the information readout. \n\t“Fuck...there’s no way.” I hit a command on the keyboard to print out the information and slid the keyboard back into its recessed location. Retrieving the sheaf of papers from the printer underneath the center table, I slipped them into a Manila folder. Turning to face the secure black cases, I flipped open the folder to double check the work order. Neurotoxin. Must appear natural.\n\nPlacing my thumb on the fingerprint sensor, I pulled open the door on one of the black cases. Inside, the shelves were completely empty save for one small silver case. I flipped the buckle on the case to review the contents. Inside were two clear phials of liquid. I stared at them wordlessly for a moment before closing the lid and refastening the buckle. I collected the silver case and the Manila folder and began to head back out of the supply room. Reaching the door, I paused. \n\nLast chance. \nIf I left this room, the world would never be the same. \nThe fate of the entire country was at stake here, and I was, without question, going to be on the wrong side of history.\nI closed my eyes.\nI took one last deep breath and collected my nerves. I left the room and let the door close and lock behind me.\nI never really had a choice, if we’re being honest.\n\nHeading back into the main room, the two men were seated at a table, waiting for me. Utterly and completely ignorant of what was waiting for them. They stood up when I came back in the room, straightening their coats and walking towards the counter. I placed the Manila folder on the counter and set the silver case on top of it, sliding both across the counter towards the tall man. He picked the folder up, flipped it open and scanned the information inside briefly, tensing up for a moment. It was nearly imperceptible. He closed the folder. Picking up his bundle, he turned to his companion and nodded. They made for the door.\n\t\nThe tall man reached for the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. He turned back to me and met my eyes. I nodded once, knowing it was what he needed. He turned back, opened the door and the two men were gone. The bell jingled once more as the door closed behind them.\n\t\nWith the two men gone, I sat down roughly in a chair behind the register and exhaled deeply. It felt like I’d been holding my breath for an eternity.\n\t\nAt least it would be quick, and painless, I thought. The neurotoxin would act fast, shutting down most of his vital systems within a few hours and he would be unconscious for most of the worst bits. After that, well...after that was anyone’s guess. As for myself, well that was far easier to predict. My role in this would doubtless go undetected, I was good at my job after all. Anybody who bothered to remember me at all would do so as the friendly juice bar owner who handed out free samples to all the children, whenever they asked.\n\t\nNobody would connect their friendly neighbor, always quick with a smile, as the man who had supplied the deadly poison used by the foreign agents that killed the President of the United States. Even if it did kick start World War III.\n\t\nI flipped a light switch and the neon sign outside sparked back to life. \n\t\nOpen once more for business. It was honest work.\n" ]	2
	[WP] A woman is feeling avocados at the grocery store searching for a ripe one. Another woman walks up and begins feeling the avocados as well, but then it becomes frantic & competitive.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Ah yes. The welcoming smell of perfectly prepared baked goods filled the air. The sound of fresh produce being spritzed with water made me feel as if I was in the amazon rainforest. The sounds of carts being shuttled across the store and the “BEEP” sound that was made when a food item was scanned harmonically filled the air. It was almost like heaven. After a long, stressful day at work, I had made it to the grocery store. I slowly maneuvered through the aisles, picking up essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, water, etc. As I made it to the produce section, the avocados quickly caught my attention. They glistened beautifully in the bright light of the store. The rough yet smooth texture of its exterior, the rich buttery explosion of flavor it possesses, and the overwhelmingly low price made getting one absolutely necessary. I approached the avocado stand at the exact same time as a woman who looked like an absolute wreck. Her hair looked like it got caught in a tornado, she had the thickest bags under her eyes, and her sports coat was covered in what smelled like ketchup and dog poop. I went back to looking for an avocado, the perfect avocado, to end this stressful day in a good way. My grandmother taught me the way to find the perfect avocado when I was 6.\n\n“You have to caress it and cradle it like a baby, only then will you know if it is the right one”, she used to tell me.\n\nI as I was completing the sacred avocado ritual, I looked over to the woman and she also seemed to have a method for finding the perfect avocado. She picked up and avocado and held it against her face, and slowly traversed her forehead with it before placing it back down in the pile. What a NOOB, I thought to myself. As I watched her complete her silly ritual, she peered my way and eventually we made eye contact. She slowly glared at me and began picking up avocados at a slightly faster rate. It took me a while to understand before I realized: This woman was challenging me. I was not one to back off from an avocado duel, so I too began cradling avocados faster than I have ever them cradled before. I was not going to let her get the perfect avocado before me. We went on for what seemed like hours, and people also wanting to get in on this avocado action quickly backed away when they saw how intense this battle was. Damn, this must have been an off day for avocado farmers, I thought to myself. All these avocados are bad! Still, I wasn’t going to give in to a lady who looked like the witch from Hansel and Gretel. The competition got wild as avocados went flying everywhere and people began to crowd around, rooting for who they thought was going to win.\n\n“OH MY GOD...”, I shouted as my eyes laid gaze to the greatest avocado I had ever seen at the very top of the pile. It was the perfect size, had the optimal raindrop shape, and completely outshined the other avocados in the pile. I lunged for it, knowing that once I had it in my grasps, I would have won the competition. We both grabbed the avocado at the exact same time. “GIMME THAT DAMN AVOCADO, WOMAN!” I shouted as we fought for the sacred fruit. The crowd began to cheer as we struggled with each for what seemed to be eternity and then, “PSSLLSSHSHS!”.\n\nOH NO! THE AVOCADO EXPLODED! It was the greatest avocado on the face of this earth and now it was gone. I fell to my knees, and began to sob. My competitor stood triumphantly over me as if she had won. But no one won that day. The world’s greatest avocado was murdered in cold blood. The crowd dispersed, but I stayed there, staring at the remnants of what could have been the best night of my life. My sadness quickly transformed into anger and I stood up, wiping the tears that were streaming down my face.\n\nI began to shout. “I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE LADY AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU WENT! BUT TRUST ME, WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU DID THIS!”\n\nI began to cackle in the most evil of voices and stormed out of the produce section, hellbent and ready to exact my revenge.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHI GUYS THIS IS LIKE MY SECOND ONE EVER, PLEASE DO NOT HATE ON ME TOO HARD LMAO!" ]	2
	[WP] All have potential magic but it takes a spark to unlock. For years the elite have kept magic between themselves, using it to gain influence and power. Walking home one day you are bumped by a high ranking chancellor and feel a spark of static. That nights news, he is found dead.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nSorry, meeting at work ran a little late. Will be home soon.\n\nEven though I die a little inside lying to my fiancé, I console myself in the fact that it’s only a half lie. Work did run late, and I was at a meeting. \n\nI’m walking fast with my head down, not because we live in a particularly bad part of town, but because I’m afraid of being recognized by somebody. It’s essential that no one knows where I was tonight or me and everyone I love is in danger. The same goes for all of us, because we all have something we aren't supposed to. \n\nBefore, magic was just a silly myth that only existed in fairy tales, but since humanity discovered just how real and powerful magic truly is, humanity did what it does best: abuse it. No one except the most elite in society knows how, but scientists found a way to pack magical powers into pill form. At least, that’s what the rest of us were able to find out before they completely took control of society. It’s suicidal to even talk about magic in public now, because they consider everything a conspiracy to take away their precious power. \n\nWell, maybe they were right to be afraid. \n\n…\n\nI was walking home from work, when I bumped into a man who was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, you know, like an asshole. That’s usually the first sign of one who wields magic, they’re all douchebags. The second sign is that they’re all drop dead gorgeous, because powerful people are obsessed with looking good, and it only got worse after they gained the tools to make themselves unnaturally beautiful. \n\nAfter almost knocking me on my ass, I glared into the unnervingly blue eyes of the brick wall of a man, when a bright spark between us blinded me. Fucking hell, he’s going to kill me! I remember thinking as I shut my eyes, bracing for impact. But it never came. And when I opened my eyes, the man was on the ground. \n\nI just stood there in shock, staring at the now still figure. I checked his pulse and…nothing. He hadn’t even made a sound. \n\nImmediately going into panic mode, my imagination going wild about the horrible things the authorities will do to me when they find out what I did to one of their own, I spot a small bottle sticking out of his jacket pocket. \n\nA bottle…of pills.", "The petrol station was empty, as usual, despite the hopeful glow of the orange moon hanging above a newly polished parking lot. The only movement came from the people pushing their way through the dense morning fog, heading towards the bus stop at the end of Force Perish Avenue. \n\n\n\nI arrived at the same time I always did, walking the block from my apartment to the cheery little station. The large, digital clock on the back wall showed the time in seventeen different cities. Lillibridge Cove was right at the top, blinking 4:55AM in green. \n\nSabrina stood beside the door, looking out into the straining sunrise. \"Hey, clock in, I need to go.\" \n\nHer bottom lip was healing, despite her habit of biting it and wincing. She seemed almost frantic, gazing between the clock and me. I paused, adjusting my bag, and told her to wait. \n\n\"I just need you to log in,\" Sabrina said. \"I have to go.\"\n\n\"Why are you trying to leave so early?\" I asked. \"I need to go to the bathroom and get my tasks from Marc.\"\n\nSabrina looked out the windows. \"I'm not feeling good, so just lock the door until your shift.\"\n\n\"You're going to get us both in trouble,\" I said. \"Just stay here until I get back, your date can wait a few minutes, okay?\"\n\nSabrina didn't reply. She made some rude noise in the back of her throat like she was swallowing her tongue. I went back to speak with Marc, getting my list of needed tasks. After I signed into the computer system, I went back out to the front.\n\n\"Okay, you can...\" I paused. \"Sabrina are you okay?\"\n\nSabrina was standing in the same place, tears running down her cheeks. She was grabbing at her legs with her arms, her mouth a smear of red.\n\n\"Are you bleeding?\" I said.\n\nShe just kept crying and frantically pulling at her black pants. I rushed into the backroom, screaming for Marc to call an ambulance. By the time the ambulance had arrived, Sabrina was on the floor.\n\nI was allowed to leave work early, to take a few days to myself. Though that offer came hours later when Marc told me Sabrina had passed away in the cab. Whatever had happened, Sabrina had chewed through her tongue. Her legs were completely stiff and she had no ability to bend them, even with the help of the ambulance.\n\nI didn't know what to think. Especially when there was a knock on my door the next day.\n\nxxx\n\nI tried to remember what I said to Sabrina. I am not sure why the wanted to talk to me, but the cameras had shown the interaction perfectly. I told Sabrina to wait, she made some weird noise, and then the moment I left the room she started choking on blood and having... \n\n\"A toxtent seizure,\" Office Daniels said. \"Though, do you know who was in the black car? It looks like an S7 Ricoro. Which limits who could own one.\" \n\n\"You think she was cursed?\" I said. It was more a certainty that I had. Something in the back of my mind began to turn on itself, like one of those snakes that eats its own tail. \n\nOfficer Daniel's put his clipboard on the table and nods. \"Yes.\" \n\n\"Look, she was with this guy, Erdey... Drove a nice Tuscan Sun. Came to see her. But she used to say he was absolutely magic in bed. That he did things no one else had ever done. And, her kid, probably his. But I don't know where the kid went...\" \n\nDaniels started writing, making a few strange noises in between my words. Annoying, but typical of copper pushers. \n\n\"And?\" \n\n\"Well, she was pregnant, took two weeks off, and then all of a sudden she never mentions the kid again. I thought he died. But recently she came to work with her lip all busted up and kept crying, but didn't say why. Then she keeps leaving work early, this car was there... I think it's weird, but Sabrina and I are not friends. She likes kids too much. All she ever talks about is being a mommy. But then all of a sudden she stops talking about it all the time. Weird.\" \n\n", "I was on my way to the Subway when I bumped into a woman I turned to apologize but she was already disappearing in the crowd leaving only the scent of a perfume. As I walked onto the train I felt a static shock as I grabbed a pole to hold onto. The subway ride was mostly uneventful as I got off at my stop.\n\nI walked into my rundown apartment building. I made my way up 4 flights of stairs before I reached my apartment. The inside was a studio type apartment with a bed in one corner that gave me comfort because I could see my door and window. A tv on the wall opposite the window and a couch in the middle of the room. The kitchen consisted of a sink and a countertop with an electric skillet. \n\nAs I tuned in to the news to see coverage of the march their was a blurb about a member of a senator staff having died from a heart attack. I heard a thunderous noise as my head turned to the door which was splintering and falling in. Revealing the armed people in full SWAT gear as they charged in surrounding me within seconds.\n\nThey shouted \"Get up your coming with us!\" I felt the panic attack. In that moment I felt like my body was electricfied and then blackness. I awoke what felt like only seconds later to the shock of a devastated room. The room was empty now but everything was charred and all that remained was there smoking shoes. \n\nThe end.\n\nSo this is my first time I hope you enjoy it and I would love to improve", "...in other news...\n\nI woke up with a start. When had I fallen asleep? The tv was still on. I looked down and realized I was still wearing my shoes. What happened? I got up to get a glass of water but dizziness overcame me. Trying to catch my balance, I plopped down on the nearby sofa. My head hurt.\n\n...Orlando Magic have...\n\nI looked around for the remote. I needed quiet. The sound from the tv felt like it was inside my head. I needed to shut it down. I looked around me but couldn't find it anywhere. \n\n\"Where the hell did you go you dumb piece of sh...\"\n\nAnd there it was. On the ground next to the TV. I got up to pick it up but the dizziness was back again. \n\n...challenges ahead for the newly crowned...\n\nI held my hands over my ears. I needed the sound to stop. I needed the remote. I needed it in my hand. Not all the way over...\n\nI saw the remote shimmer out of existence. And suddenly it was there. In my hand. I blinked a couple of times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I turned the remove over in my hands to check if it was real. Of course. I was drunk. And hungover. Hence the headache. And the lapses in memory. I would just lay down a while and it would all be OK. I stretched my arm towards the tv to shut it down.\n\n...the body was found by the fountain on Front street. There was no identification...\n\n Front street? That's where I was last night. That was when I noticed the date. March 12th. Wait. 12th? I was walking down Front on the 10th. Yesterday. I know because it was Gary's last day. And we all went to a party after work. I looked at the TV and a face stared back at me.\n\nHe had a massive wound in his stomach. The examiners still haven't determined what caused it. If anyone has any information about this man, please reach out to the York police immediately.\n\nI remembered that face. I only saw it for a moment. But I remembered it clearly. Because of the shock. A literal shock that I got when I bumped into him. And his eyes. I remembered them being kind. The eyes in the picture on the TV though, they were different. They were angry and bitter. And scared.\n\nShutting down the tv, I tried to get up again. Slightly better. Holding onto the sofa and then the computer table, I made my way into the kitchen. I took a sip of water gingerly. The water felt good. I felt some strength return to my body. As I gulped down the water, I also took out my phone from the pocket. Thirteen missed calls. Five text messages. Most of them from unknown numbers. But one of them, I recognized immediately.\n\nJackson, where are you? Are you coming to work today? Dated March 11th. \n\nCall me. Today morning. \n\nHad I really slept through two entire days? Just as I was about to text him back, there was a knock on the door.\n\nI opened the door and an extremely well-dressed man stood there. He was smiling but there was something disconcerting about that smile. As if he had about 50 teeth.\n\nThe better to eat you with my dear.\n\nI shook my head to shake these thoughts.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Mr. Frank Jackson?\"\n\n\"Hi, I am with the Ork Police.\" He took out a card and flashed it very quickly.\n\n\"I am sorry? With whom?\"\n\n\"The York police. Do you need to see the card again?\"\n\n\"No. No. I just heard ..uh.. something else. It's fine. How can I help you?\"\n\n\"We were looking into the murder of Janus Smith. We have reason to believe that you might have been the last person to see him alive.\"\n\n\"Janus? Not sure I know anyone by that name.\"\n\n\"I see. Were you anywhere around Front and West Street a couple of days ago?\"\n\n\"Oh, that old man? Was he Janus? I just saw him on the news.\"\n\n\"On the news?\" He muttered something to himself that I couldn't hear.\n\n\"Yeah, I...\"\n\n\"We need to go.\"\n\n\"Go where?\"\n\n\"To the station.\"\n\n\"Wait. Am I being arrested?\"\n\n\"Uh... No. We just need you to answer some questions.\"\n\n\"Why? I didn't know the guy. It was just someone I met in the street. I wouldn't have remembered him if it wasn't for the nasty static shock.\"\n\n\"Hang on. You felt a shock?\"\n\n\"Yes\", I answered uncertainly. His face had changed. He looked more urgent somehow.\n\n\"And this was a couple of days ago?\"\n\n\"Yeah. What's going on?\"\n\n\"You were probably out for a while. When you woke up, what did you do? Did you feel an overwhelming need for something?\"\n\n\"I don't know what you're talking about. Can you please answer my question?\"\n\n\"I will. Once you answer mine. Did you feel that you needed something immediately after you woke up? Probably after a long nap.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I think I slept for, like, a couple of days. I was really thirsty. I had some water.\"\n\n\"So water based for now. Come, we must leave immediately.\"\n\n\"Water based? I am going nowhere with you.\" There was a menacing streak to his face now. Had it always been there? Was it new or did I just happen to notice it now.\n\n\"I thought that might happen. Oh well, serves me right to try and do the right thing.\"\n\nHe raised his hand up high. I could feel the air pressure drop around me. I jumped back as he brought his hand down. I was a couple of feet away from his hand but I still felt... something. The last thing I saw before blacking out was that toothy grin of his.", "I strode along the pavement, clutching the chocolate I had just bought from the corner shop. I was lost in thought, deciding on tonights activities. Maybe I'll play some MMOs tonight, I thought. Lost in my thoughts I rounded the corner and swiftly bumped into a man coming the other way. A sharp pain shot across my chest, as I fell to the ground. I lept to my feet, and went to immediately apologise for not looking where I was going.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm so sorry are you oka...\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhoever I bumped into had gone, I wondered for a second if it had been my imagination but the dirt on the back of my jeans confirmed it. Thinking not much more of it, I turned my thoughts back to the game I was going to play tonight. I'd always liked playing my Mage on WoW. There was something very satifying about incinerating my foes with giant balls of fire.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI finally arrived home and removed my shoes. I ran upstairs and hit the power on my computer as I threw my coat onto my bed. Cracking my fingers I sat down in my chair ready for a night of farming. There was an item I really wanted to get and tonight was the night I was determined to. As with all farming I kept the internet open on my second screen, flicking back between YouTube, Netflix and the news. A weird story caught my attention, a set of clothing filled with ash had been found not far from me. I bookmarked it to read later.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSeveral hours of farming later it dropped! Estatic with my eventual luck I stretched and leant back in my chair, exhaused. I quickly realised I had leant back too much, my chair topped over backwards with me in it, bracing for impact I scrunched up my eyes and tensed my muscles, but the impact never came. Opening my eyes slowly I could see in the floor length mirror on the wall that I was hovering just above the ground. Panic shot through my body and whatever force was keeping me there suddenly failed. I slammed into my toppled chair and my head hit the floor. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nA bit freaked out but overall okay, I decided I must have been hallucinating and a quick glance at the clock showed it was 3:54 in the morning. I threw off the rest of my clothes and crawled into bed. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had the strangest dreams that night, storms streaked through the sky, rituals and symbols flashed through my mind.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen I awoke I scarecly believed what I saw. My room was destroyed, several surfaces were smoking and my bed was all but shredded. Before I even had time to survey the cataclysm around me there was a sharp knock at the door. I stumbled down and opened it to see a man surrounded by what must be his bodyguards. He looked down at me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So, you're the new spark.\"" ]	6
	[WP] Since your return your wife has been upset over the smallest things and leaves at strange times. She rambles about ladybugs under the sink but there's just a drip a day. At night, she whimpers about "they didn't have eyes." When you roll her over, her nose is bleeding something phosphorescent.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Marc reached for the doorknob but hesitated. Strangely, he felt nervous. He'd just arrived home early from the airport. Except, it wasn't home. Not yet. He'd only lived there for a month. And even that wasn't true. His wife, Janie, had lived there for a month. Marc had left on business the day after they had moved in. Boxes were still the only decoration in the entire house when he left. It felt just a little surreal to be coming home to a new house. \n\n \n\nHe wiped his hands on his trousers and cleared his throat. Janie wasn't expecting him until that evening, but he had caught an earlier flight to surprise her. He reached out to turn the doorknob but the door was locked. Great, he thought, I don't even have a key. He raised a fist to knock but pulled up short. He'd almost squished a ladybug. \"Fly away, little one,\" he said, and brushed the red beetle away. He knocked. \n\n \n\n\"Who is it?\" Janie called from somewhere inside. \n\n \n\nMarc just waited. He wanted to see the surprise on her face when she opened the door. \n\n \n\nA moment later the door opened and Janie appeared. Her blonde hair was unkempt as if she'd just woken up. \"Oh, hi,\" she said. \"It's you.\" \n\n \n\n\"It's you?\" Marc smiled. \"That's all I get?\" He laughed and pulled Janie into a hug. \n\n \n\n\"Sorry,\" she said. \"You're home early. I thought you were the exterminator.\" \n\n \n\n\"Would you rather I was the exterminator?\" he asked. \n\n \n\nJanie smiled and pinched Marc's rear. \"No, silly. You just surprised me, is all. How was your trip? How'd you get back so soon?\" \n\n \n\n\"I caught an early flight. But we can talk about that later. When's this exterminator supposed to be here? And, more importantly, is the bed set up?\" He winked. \n\n \n\n\"The exterminator was supposed to be here yesterday, but never showed. And of course the bed is set up. Where else would I sleep?\" She pouted, \"Are you tired?\" \n\n \n\n\"Just checking. It's been a month. We've got some business to take care of.\" With that, Marc swept Janie up in his arms. \"Now, which way is the bedroom, again?\" he laughed. \n\n \n\n***** \n\n \n\nThe house was a beautiful Victorian that sat at the top of a hill at the end of a long driveway. They had loved it at first sight. It was tidy and neat, far from the fixer-uppers they'd been looking at before. The yard was expansive and well-kept; full of flower beds and decorative trees. The former owner had been obsessive about keeping the landscaping pristine, it seemed. \n\n \n\n\"It's perfect,\" Janie had remarked on their first showing. \n\n \n\n\"The house is beautiful, but I'm worried about the upkeep on the yard. It looks amazing now, but I can't imagine myself keeping up with all of that. What about you?\" Marc had asked. \n\n \n\n\"I think the landscaping will take care of itself. We'll just have to get a riding lawnmower.\" \n\n \n\n\"A city-girl like you, riding a lawnmower?\" Marc had chuckled. \"I'd love to see it.\" \n\n \n\n\"I can say the same thing about you, city-boy.\" Janie shot back. \n\n \n\nMarc had laughed and hugged his wife. \"What do you say?\" He'd asked as he swept his hand out across the empty foyer. \n\n \n\n\"Let's do it. Let's make an offer.\" \n\n \n\n\"Alright, let's find that realtor. Where'd he bugger off to?\" \n\n \n\n***** \n\n \n\nNow that Janie had stayed in the house by herself for a month, she seemed to have nothing but complaints. The dishwasher is broken. The sink has a leak. The central air barely works. The doors all creak. The yard is already overgrown. \n\n \n\nJanie listed all the problems to Marc as they talked in bed that night. \"Between all that and the unpacking, I've barely had time to think since you left,\" she complained. \n\n \n\n\"I'm sorry, babe,\" Marc said. \"I'll start working on things in the morning.\" \n\n \n\n\"You'd better,\" she replied. \"You can't just up and leave me with a mess.\" \n\n \n\n\"I had to work. How else can we afford to pay the mortgage?\" \n\n \n\nJanie grunted and rolled over. \"Turn off the lamp. Let's just get some sleep.\" \n\n \n\nMarc thought about saying more but decided against it. He reached over to turn off the lamp but stopped short. A large shadow moved underneath the lampshade. He leaned over to look inside. A mass of ladybugs greeted him. \"Honey,\" he deadpanned. \"About that exterminator . . . \" he trailed off. \n\n \n\n\"Don't get me started,\" she muttered into her pillow. \"I've called everyone in the area and none of them have turned up.\" \n\n \n\nMarc stared at the mound of beetles crawling one on top of the other. Carefully, he pulled the lampshade off the base and carried it around the bed to the window. With his free hand he opened the window and tossed the lampshade out. Janie didn't say a word. He closed the window and pulled the curtains closed. He turned to her, but she was already asleep. \n\n \n\n******** \n\n \n\nMarc woke in the dead of night to the soft sound of rain on the window. Janie was muttering in her sleep. Something about the sink dripping. Marc rolled over and tried to drift back to sleep, but the combination of jet lag and rain-patter kept him from it. Sighing, he rolled out of bed. He'd go down to the kitchen to get a drink, he decided. \n\n \n\nHe stumbled to the stairs in the unfamiliar dark. The moonlight through the window was just bright enough for him to navigate the boxes that still needed unpacking. He didn't want to risk waking Janie by turning on a light. She really needs some good sleep, he thought. Every third step on the stairs creaked loudly and he winced. When he reached the kitchen he flicked on the light and yelped. \n\n \n\nThe light fixture was covered in an undulating mass of ladybugs. So many that he imagined he could almost hear their tiny legs tick-tacking on the glass globe. He shuddered. \"What the hell?\" he said aloud. Keeping his eyes on the red mass of insects he backed over to the cabinet and grabbed a glass. \"I'm going to have to buy an entire pallet of bug spray,\" he muttered as he turned to the sink for water. \n\n \n\nThe faucet shuddered and rumbled but nothing came out. \"Great, now this.\" He sat his glass on the countertop and opened the cabinet door below the sink. He pulled out a bucket from underneath the pipes. It was half-full of water and drowned ladybugs. The contents seemed to glow with a faint-reddish light. A stench like rancid earth hit Marc's nose and he gagged. He shoved the bucket back and slammed the cabinet. He turned and shook his fist at the mass of beetles on the ceiling light. \n\n \n\nThe tick-tack noise coming from ladybugs grew louder and a buzzing sound began. The mass roiled and pulsed as if angered by Marc's presence. Suddenly frightened, Marc dashed out of the kitchen and back up the stairs, uncaring how loudly they creaked. \n\n \n\nWhen he reached his bedroom he saw that Janie was still in bed. The rain was pelting the window, now, and the moonlight was nearly gone. He stood at the end of the bed for a long moment. He shook himself. \"They're just bugs,\" he whispered. \"Just bugs.\" He gingerly climbed back into the bed. Janie stirred and muttered something he couldn't quite make out over the rain. \"What was that about eyes?\" he whispered. \n\n \n\nJanie muttered again and rolled over. In the shadows Marc thought he could see a faint glow of red on her upper lip, as if she had a nosebleed made from a dying glowstick. He recoiled in horror and rubbed his eyes, in case they were playing tricks on him. He felt for the lamp without turning away but knocked it off the nightstand in his haste. The naked bulb smashed. Janie still did not wake. \n\n \n\nMarc crawled off the foot of the bed, still staring at the dim, red glow below his wife's nose. He backed up to the window until he felt the curtains. The rain was deafening. He turned to pull the curtains aside and choked back a scream. \n\n \n\nThere was no rain. The window was being pelted by a continuous stream of ladybugs flying into it with a loud clack and falling away. Marc stood transfixed. His mind couldn't comprehend it. Suddenly, the onslaught of insects stopped. Moonlight streamed in and flooded the room in the abrupt silence. \n\n \n\n\"They didn't have eyes,\" Janie moaned behind him. \n\n \n\nMarc turned to his wife and screamed. \n\n \n\nHer eye sockets were covered in two roiling mounds of ladybugs. \n" ]	2
	[WP] In a world where magic exists in secret, normal human scientists stumble upon magic, mistaking it for new exotic physics and outdoing the secret magic communities.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Magic has always been limited by the human brain. While there may be plenty of factors that play into casting a spell, the unwavering bottleneck of any arcane feat is that no single man could understand or comprehend the arcane mechanisms behind magic. Throughout history this has only been circumvented by happenstance, with any incidental secrets being passed down through the ages. As a result, Wizards are steeped in rigid tradition. They truthfully have no idea what they are doing when practicing magic, only that is yields results. Any probes into the true nature of magic ultimately fail, and even daring to question the ancient methods impressed onto them from childhood could potentially ruin their ability to channel arcane forces altogether. This is probably why wizards are aging and stubborn as a general rule.\n\nScientists, on the other hand, are quite used to working around the limitations of the human brain. Beyond that, they've invented tools specifically made to manage the calculations that we simply cannot: the computer. It was first inside a computer that magic was discovered, though it was newly coined as the Thaumatic Field Force. It turns out that electricity, even incredibly weak currents, would create an effect on an unseen field. It is incredibly rare for anything observable to be produced, as only incredibly complex and unnatural configurations of electricity meaningfully impact the Thaumic Field. In fact, complexity was the only thing that made a difference; a bolt of lightning produced no larger an effect than a simple light switch.\n\nIt was found that networks of neurons were some of the only structures capable of channeling this 'magic'. However, for the purposes of Thaumatic Mechanics artificial thought worked just as well. Better in fact. The specialized machines used for the experiments easily surpassed any human ability a thousand fold. Everyday, a new and incredible potential was discovered and it seemed like this would revolutionize the world. That was about when I, one of the few leading experts on the cutting edge of the future, received a letter. It was written on parchment in delicate calligraphy. It contained a time, date, and location followed by only a short message: \n\"You and your kin have gone beyond our station. This will be seen as a transgression, and all of Humanity will be held accountable. We must meet, plan, and prepare. Our masters come for us all.\n\n-The Elders Council of Wizardry\"", "His heavy burlap robes swayed from side to side as he moved down the hallway towards the High Chamber. Leaning heavy on his cane as he walked, lurching over towards his right and then dragging himself back to the left again. The Chief Wizard's well worn hat sat snugly atop his head, concealing his baldness. It's leather body faded and listing after centuries of faithful servitude. Similarly, his palm had worn down the top of his cane to a smooth glass-like finish. \\Click...click...click\\, the rhythmic tapping of his cane on the stone floor echoed through the narrow hall. With a wave of his free hand the heavy door in front of him swung open. Olive, his trusty owl, flew through the doorway and the chamber took notice. A hush fell over the previously roaring chamber hall. It was an auditorium filled with all those residents of the magical community. They all rose and stood at attention while the Chief Wizard made his way to his chair at the center of the Council Table.\n\nTo his left sat the three representatives from the Eastern Delegation and on the right were those from the Western Delegation. Those from the East consisted of Ern, Watcher of the Bay; Ta-hal, the Tree King; & The Priestess.\n\nOn his right were those from the West. Farthin, the elected leader of the Mountain Riders; The Elven Sisters, Tora & Cardora; and the Beach King, Kaweha.\n\nThe Chief Wizard made his way towards the middle of the council table towards an opening between the Priestess and Kaweha. Vines crawling along the cold stone floor twisted and hardened at the empty spot near the middle of the table. Swirling upward in four columns, then across to form a seat, arms, and a spectacular high back chair. The Wizard paid the incredible display no mind as he took his place at the center of the table, Olive dropping in overhead to land on the top of the chair just as it was forming, her large wings blasting air downward upon the other members of the Delegations. The Wizard stood before the council chamber and faced out to the hundreds of faces now seating looking at the High Chamber Leaders for direction. \n\n\"I appreciate all of you being here today to discuss this very important matter,\" his voice boomed throughout the hall without even straining. His speaking voice filled the room so effortlessly and the members hung on his every word, no matter how mundane. \"Dr. Ryan Simmons, a name that I'm sure all of you are familiar with at this point, has stumbled upon one of our most basic and elementary magical elements, lower level flight. It is alarming and a first for our community and there is no telling what he or the other humans plan to do with this information. As far as we know at this point, they are unaware of the potential they have unlocked and are unaware of full flight capability or even teleportation. The issue we are facing today, council members and esteemed members of the High Chamber is what do we do now,\" the Wizard had stated the facts of the situation plainly and without commentary before taking his seat. \n\nThe debate was spirited and not without several heated moments. \n\n\"We need to take action, find him and find out what he knows, erase his memory if we must,\" The Beach King was passionate in his approach and the first to speak on the matter. His words garnered a lot of support throughout the hall. \n\n\"That's not enough!\" Tora cried, her sister nodding in support, \"We need to eliminate the threat before they come for us!\" cheers erupted echoing off the walls of the chamber.\n\n\"We have to act before it's too late, these humans can not be trusted Wizard!\" Cardora expanded on her sister's comments, her balled fists coming down hard on the table as she spoke.\n\n\"That may not be a necessary step. As the Wizard said, we don't know what the intent of the Doctor is, this may be harmless,\" the Priestess, a calming voice of reason, chimed in. \"We may cause an even greater problem by intervening with such a drastic step.\" \n\n\"We won't know that unless we talk to him,\" Ta-hal said, his hands folded, elbows resting on the table, \" we need to bring him in, control the situation and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.\" He was respected among the hall and it showed. The Wizard took notice. A lull falling over the crowd, he took the opportunity to end the discussion. \n\n\"We shall vote,\" he said, \"on the Tree King's declaration that we bring in the doctor to question him. All in favor conjure white smoke and let it rise, all opposed black.\" Those in the hall held out one hand and rubbed their fingers together as if sprinkling salt. The smoke began to rise and the hall was in agreement. White smoke filled the room. \"The motion has passed!\" the Wizard exclaimed and the smoke began to clear. It had become so thick it was difficult for the Wizard to even see the Priestess seated right next to him. He turned back towards his right and saw the space previously occupied by the Elven sisters was empty. \"They've gone after him! We must hurry!\" the Wizard exclaimed and with a quick wave of his cane opened a doorway for the rest of the council to pass through and give chase to the rogue elves." ]	3
	[WP] You won a lifetime supply of something in a contest. The day after, that product starts to appear everywhere you go... no matter how impossible it should be.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "--Classified: Delver-4 clearance or higher required.--\n\nAny person(s) without Delver-4 clearance found in possession of this information are to be detained, questioned, and released after their memories have been altered. \n\nItem ID: 006\n\nSafety Protocol: Type-2, sentient, highly interactive, submissive, intangible\n\nAdditional Protocol for 006-1: Type-2P, sentient, unpredictable, civilian\n\nAs per type-2 standards, this item may be used by any Undercurrent personnel ranked Delver-4 or higher. The phone number associated with this item is to be released only to Undercurrent personnel ranked Delver-4 or higher, and any publications found to have this number are to be collected. Once collected, every copy of the publication is to be destroyed with the exception of five (5) copies which are to be stored at site -/classified/-. Copies of collected publications may be taken from the library at -/classified/- by any personnel ranked Abyssal-1 or higher. \n\nNo attempts to monitor or intercept calls to 006's current phone number are to be made. Any known instance of 006-1, even those with Undercurrent clearance, are to be closely monitored by two (2) agents ranked Abyssal-1 or higher and one (1) research staff ranked Delver-5 or higher. These agents are to retrieve any unclaimed instances of 006-2 to be examined by the assigned research staff.\n\nIf at any time the contact number associated with 006 changes, five (5) research staff with rank Delver-4 or higher are to be assigned to listen to the -/classified/-, -/classified/- USA: Sweet Something's radio show until the current number for 006 is discovered. \n\nIf any instance of 006-1 shows sign of distress, they are to be taken to the nearest Undercurrent facility immediately, and any and all attempts at prolonging their lives are to be made. If any instance of 006-1 is very near death, their body is to be taken to an open field near facility -/classified/-. After they expire, and resulting instances of 006-2 are to be collected and stored for research. At no time is any instance of 006-1 to be left unsupervised, though the use of indirect or automated surveillance equipment is prohibited for the purpose of monitoring 006-1. \n\nNo attempts to prevent the use of 006 are to be made, and no instance of 006-1, once created, is to be intentionally killed or imprisoned in government custody. Any instances of 006-1 proven to be actively hostile to Undercurrent or the civilian population will be subdued, sedated, and will have their memories wiped before release. If the instance of 006-1 repeats hostilities, they are to be sedated permanently, put on life support, and kept at facility -/classified/- in an unsupervised room until they expire of natural causes or until -/classified/- years have passed, at which point they are to be killed, their records erased, and their bodies burned. Every five (5) hours, each room with an instance of 006-1 in it is to be checked for 006-2. When 006-2 are found, they are to be taken for research.\n\nDescription\n\nItem 006 is a call-in style contest in which a lifetime supply of an item (hereafter referred to as 006-2) may be won. The current number for the contest is -/classified/-, though the number changes any time an attempt to shut down, divert, or block the number from more than .33% of the population of -/classified/- USA where the contest is occasionally promoted though the public radio program, -/classified/- USA: Sweet Something. \n\nWhen called, a female voice with a deep Southern US accent will answer the phone. The voice will politely and clearly answer any question the caller has about the contest in including the dates of the contest, the rules for entry, the prize, the current number of entrants, or any other information pertaining to the contest. The voice will attempt to answer any other questions as well, though will become more and more flustered and erratic as questions diverge further from the topic of the contest. It has been noted that the voice will never hang up on a caller, and that any number of callers can be speaking to 006 at once without issue. The largest test pool used was 2,000 simultaneous known callers. For more information see test logs 006-A through 006-J (test log details are available to personnel ranked Delver-4 or higher). \n\nAny attempt to end the contest though legal means, or reasonable complaints from a large number of people (approximately fifty (50)) will result in a contest being cancelled, and the number for the contest being changed. After each canceled contest, however, the prize for the next was noted to be objectively more dangerous and included items not native to Earth or our -/classified/-. As such, preventing contests for any non-hazardous item is discouraged. For more information see test log 006-A and 006-B (Test log details are available to personnel ranked Delver-4 or higher).\n\nOnce the contest has ended and a winner has been selected, the winner (hereafter referred to as 006-1) will begin seeing the item they've won appear seemingly at random in their day-to-day lives. Though the occurrence is somewhat erratic, there are a few rules that have been tested and proven. They are listed below in their hierarchy of importance (if one must be broken, a higher rule will override a lower one).\n\n* 006-2's appearance will never be witnessed by anything with vision, including non-living sources. \n* 006-2's disappearance will never be witnessed by anything with vision, including non-living sources.\n* -/classified/-\n* No more than -/classified/- (##) hours may pass without an instance of 006-2 manifesting.\n* No more than a usable number of 006-2 exist at a time. \n* The appearance or disappearance of 006-2 will not harm a living being or damage a structure unless -/classified/- is present.\n* 006-2 will appear whenever it will be most useful\n* 006-2 will only disappear when not needed\n* -/classified/-\n* Attempts by 006-1 to use 006-2 as a -/classified/- will result in -/classified/-. This is to be avoided when possible. \n* Attempts by 006-1 to use 006-2 improperly as a tool will result in temporary -/classified/- effects in a localized area. This is to be avoided when possible. \n\nThe most notable hazard of this hierarchy is that monitoring an instance of 006-1 too closely will result in no place for 006-2 to manifest. When this occurs, 006-2 will appear either inside a nearby living being, or the structure of a nearby building or object. The most frequently selected object tends to be 006-1 themselves, with a rate of approximately sixty-three percent (63%). Due to this, the use of cameras or overbearing surveillance, even for more dangerous instances of 006-1, is not advised. It also means that 006-1 taken into custody must be left largely unsupervised to prevent damage to themselves or the surrounding area. \n\nThe most dangerous aspect of 006, and what originally drew Undercurrent attention, is what occurs if an instance of 006-1 is killed in an unnatural way. In the event an instance of 006-1 is killed, a significant number of 006-2 will immediately appear in a way that follows the rules listed above. The number of 006-2 varies widely from each deceased instance of 006-1, but tends to correlate closely to the number of 006-2 that would normally be used daily, multiplied by the number of days left in that instance of 006-1's winnings (-/classified/- days, minus days lived since winning). This often results in massive loss of life, property damage, and investigation by local authorities, and in rare cases, localized -/classified/- events. To avoid the attention of the public, instances of 006-1 are to be protected by Undercurrent personnel. See incident report UcIR-0232 for more information (incident reports are available to personnel ranked Abyssal-7 or higher, or by personnel ranked Abyssal-1 or higher with Deep Council permissions).\n\nTracking and Information\n\nThere are currently -/classified/- instances of 006-1 known to Undercurrent.\n\n* -/classified/- Jones who won a lifetime supply of knitting yarn.\n* -/classified/-\n* -/classified/- Lawrence who won a lifetime supply of toothpaste.\n* Delver6 SV#032 who won a lifetime supply of kerosene\n* Abyssal2 SV#223 who won a lifetime supply of -/classified/-\n* -/classified/-\n* ~~-/classified/- Mason who won a lifetime supply of razor replacements~~ Deceased. See incident report 006-C for details\n* -/classified/- Harrington who won a lifetime supply of tissue paper\n* -/classified/-\n* ~~Delver5 SV #0342 who won a lifetime supply of fertilizer~~ Deceased. See incident report 006-F for details\n* -/classified/-\n\n[PAGE REDACTED: THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS CLASSIFIED WITHOUT ABYSSAL-5 CLEARANCE]\n\n[PAGE REDACTED: THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS CLASSIFIED WITHOUT ABYSSAL-7 CLEARANCE]" ]	2
	[WP] They say that parents are supposed to have a special connection to their children. You're starting to wonder if your child is actually yours.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nIt was the 5th time she’d dismissed the thought that day. She knew it wouldn’t be the last. \n\nShe looked at him, napping on the couch. Or perhaps, just pretending to nap. She honestly wasn’t sure if he needed to sleep. He did look peaceful. He was perfection incarnate really. People called him a wonder, a gift, an angel. But there was more to it than that.\n\nHe isn’t mine, she thought again. 6th time. \n\nThat’s ridiculous, she replied to herself. In every way, he was like her. People would comment on this in public. Rarely did she make it through a grocery trip without some well-meaning human telling her how much they looked alike. Just yesterday, a woman had stopped her to say, “Your child is just so well-behaved, good for you darlin’. Oh my, he’s your twin it seems! God bless you both!”\n\nEvery day, he became more and more like her. And every day, she felt less and less like herself. \n\nIt started the moment they placed him on her chest. She felt a chill instead of warmth; she felt that something had been implanted inside of her instead of making its way out. She often felt there was a spy in her own brain, watching, observing. Sometimes she’d catch the child looking at her and she’d feel something, something she couldn’t describe except to say that if felt like a wave of pulsing energy that leeched on her very being. \n\nHer husband sat her down one night, when the baby was about 6 months old, and said, “I have noticed you becoming more and more distant with the baby. I know this sometimes happens, and it’s okay. Lots of women have postpartum depression. We can get you some help.”\n\nShe wanted so desperately to believe that she had postpartum depression, so she took all the help she could get. She went to therapy and took meds, and for a while, she felt better. Her husband began to take a more active role with the baby so she could sleep and spend time relaxing. Every day, she’d wake up feeling more optimistic. It may take a while, she thought, but I will love this baby someday. \n\nThen her husband became ill. He refused to admit it at first, and even if he did want to admit it, he wouldn’t have known how to describe it. Instead, he put all of his energy into spending time with his son, snuggling him, reading to him, loving him fiercely. And the more he did this, the more his condition declined. Until one sunny morning, she rolled over to find the baby in bed between herself and her husband. He was wide awake, already staring at her when she opened her eyes. She knew before she even reached out to touch him that her husband was cold and stiff. His body was riddled with cancer the doctors said. The worst case they’d ever seen. \n\nAbout five months after her husband died, the dreams began. Every night since she has dreamt of herself, only it is actually an imposter pretending to be her, and there is nothing she can do. Her consciousness is simply allowed to exist in her dreamscapes, not participate. Night after night, she watches herself search the globe and the oceans, she climbs mountains and crosses deserts. Sometimes she flies; sometimes she swims; sometimes she slithers around in the dirt. She watches herself searching for something, and she can feel now that the other version of her is getting close to finding what it is looking for. \n\nShe looks again at the little figure sleeping on the couch. He is five in human years, but she knows in her heart that he is much older. He is ancient. He is primitive. She tries not to think about what her heart knows though. All she has the strength for is to hold back the one thought she can’t stop thinking, the thought that changes everything. \n\nHe isn’t mine. 7th time today. ", "“Sylvia, why is he here again?”\n\n“He was on his way back from work and just stopped by to say hello!”\n\nThis started a long time ago. It abrubtly stopped. And now, its beginning again. \n\nWhen we first moved in, one of the people on our street, Jake, would stop by and visit. At first it was no big deal, just someone welcoming the new couple to the neighborhood. He was very friendly to both my wife and I and would occasionally bring us gifts. At first it was something simple- a bottle of wine for the two of us to share, a set of couples towels, an invitation to dinner. And then he brought over a new scarf for Sylvia. The next gift was a bracelet for her. There was never a gift for me, it was either for the two of us or for her. And then a new slow cooker- a week after I broke ours in a fight. \n\nHe hadn’t visited at all the period between the breaking and the gifting. When I mentioned it to Sylvia, she claimed it was just a coincidence. After all, Jake claimed that the one he brought over was the best slow cooker on the market.\n\nIt bothered me. I started snooping- spending more time with the Mrs., looking over her shoulder to see who she was texting, even occasionally checking her Facebook messages. Nothing. No contact with Jake outside of the visits he would pay to us.\n\nThen, suddenly, no contact with Jake at all. He stopped showing up. I sort of wish he was showing up, as Sylvia and I had just welcomed our baby Ruth to the world around the time he stopped showing up.\n\nThe first few years was tough. Ruth didn’t seem to care for me, she was mommy’s little girl. They say that parents are supposed to have a special connection to their children, and Sylvia would tell me it was special how different Ruth and I were.\n\nThe bottom line was that Ruth was a beautiful baby that I had the privalege of raising with a beautiful woman. And even through the rough first few years, I persisted. I gave Ruth as much love as a father could. I was hands-on, and then hands-off. I tried reading to her, playing with her, eating with her, anything with her!\n\nAnd yet, she just didn’t seem to care for me. And that’s fine- kids sometimes have favorites. She was a mommy’s girl, but at the end of the day she was our child.\n\nAt least, that’s what I thought until Jake inexplicably showed up again. I will never forget how he held Ruth, and the immediate connection the two seemed to have. Ruth wasn’t very outgoing, yet she seemed to absolutely love Jake immediately.\n\nThat was two years ago. Jake still comes and goes. And whenever he comes, Sylvia gets cold and uptight, while Ruth smiles and comes out of her shell. Ruth is five now, and she’s still a mommy’s girl. She loves her mommy with every tiny bone in her body. \n\nThe question is, is she our girl, or is she their girl?" ]	3
	[WP] You sit atop a world where resources have been depleted to the extent that it’s now impossible to leave the planet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We always knew this day would come. I mean, it's inevitable, right? That's how entropy works, that's how consumerism works. \n\nYou try to accumulate potential even as potential must naturally ebb away. You try to accumulate stuff, but the more stuff you have the less it means. The Law of Diminishing Returns should be written in letters of fire across the sky, hundreds of kilometers high.\n\nThey'd burn out eventually, of course. The Law is universal.\n\nWell. As soon as people started to figure out that the planet is a circle, a cycle, a snake eating its own tail, there's been a big push to get off it. Never mind that they're all running to another planet that is, itself, another closed system, they're just trying to get away and \"get theirs\" before somebody else gets it, and try to die with more than average. Doesn't matter, what the \"more\" is, they just want it.\n\nI'm not quite alone on this world. It's a pretty nice world, or it was before the inevitable industrial cycle, repeated now so many times in so many places. Fire, wheel, wood, metals. More fire. Electricity, a variation of fire when you think about it. The heat economy, the information economy and finally the long, drawn out shuddering orgasm of everybody who can scrape up enough money, spurting off the surface of the world just as fast as they can, just as soon as they can see that the party is nearly over, that economies and cultures cannot grow anymore. They run away, knocking themselves, paradoxically, back to a barely more than primitive state, on some strange new world where humans have never been, and start over. \n\nI'm not exaggerating a lot when I say \"fire and wheel,\" either. Settling a new world with only a few hundred thousand colonists, with what little technology they can carry with them, there are small pockets of technology while those hardier souls that venture out to the frontiers of those new worlds do it with even meaner means to their names. Some of them have to relearn how to make fire.\n\nAnd then there's always us. We're the ones who don't run.\n\nWe could if we wanted to. There's always a few of us who stay behind on a smoothly shaved planet, in a reamed out husk of an asteroid. Always some who opt out of the panic.\n\nYou see, it's one thing to say that the world is depleted. In many important respects it is. There's metals still to be found in this world's crust - there's no possible way to get them all, let's not kid ourselves - but it's too much trouble to do. Dig much deeper and you get to discover what the world's molten mantle smells like. There are no hydrocarbons left to combine with liquid oxygen to power rocket engines off the ground, although I suppose you could, with a bit of work, power an ancient ground car with what could be scraped together. Not that you would - solar power works fine and has for generations - but I suppose it could be done.\n\nSo here I stand on this reamed, raped planet, me and a few million other people. \"Plucked bare,\" the news reports said. \"Tapped out,\" the economic analyses decided. Okay, if you say so. Take your last load of shipmates and go.\n\nWith the sound and fury of all that commerce, all that technology and striving and wild eyed desperation finally gone, one can feel oneself cooling off.\n\nI've said before that money is the heat of the friction of the engines of commerce. The hotter they run, the more money there is - but what of it? It's people that make the engines go. It's people that commerce is about, and money in addition to being a side effect is also the product while also being a means of keeping track of whose engine is running harder. What happens when all the commerce, the engines and their noise and heat go away? What's left?\n\nMe. That's what's left. On a planet nearly devoid of human life - a few million counts as nearly devoid, on this scale - you can feel yourself cooling off as the heat and noise all go thundering off into the dark. Let them go.\n\n\"Depleted\" doesn't mean \"dead.\" The soil's pretty good, it rained yesterday and my tomatoes are coming along. I'll have beans in a couple of weeks and once I've finished hoeing these weeds out of the corn, there's a hammock under the shade of a pair of maple trees just waiting to take the load off my back. It'll feel especially good when I've earned the break.\n\nI've got all the resources I could ask for. I've got mine. It isn't much, but it is certainly more than enough." ]	2
	[WP] You are known around the land as a great seer that has the amazing power to prophezise the future, but that isn't true. People just read the fan fiction you were writing about your world's greatest heroes and took it quite literally.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "What you are about to read is fiction. These are ideas and creations from my imagination, in no way do they represent the future or any real event. \n\n\nThe disclaimer that I should have added to my works, but didn't. After all, my concepts were so far fetched and ridiculous, there's no way that people would mistake them for being real much less a prophecy. \n\n\nThe world we live in is filled with larger than life heroes and heroines, who for the most part are righteous and do hero-y stuff. But man are they gullible. They read my stories about themselves and venture off to the lands depicted in them, in the hopes of slaying the monsters lurking there. \n\n\nRemember when I said that my work is far fetched and ridiculous?. I did disclose it so you are not allowed to judge. Why am I repeating myself you may ask, well some the events I wrote about… happened exactly as I described it. Now it was purely coincidence that I'm sure of, but how do you explain that to a 6 and a half foot crimson haired beauty whose life was saved because she read your book about her battle with a dragon. \n\n\nThe events that you are about to read are non-fiction, they actually happened. Despite many protests, it happened anyway. \n\n\nIt was a cold winters night, I had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace. For some strange reason the heat from the fire never moved past the furnishings around it, as if by some magic the cold air created a tundral barrier between it and my bed. \n\n\nI awoke to a strange noise misplaced at first, but once the dream fog cleared I realized that it was coming from my door. “At this late hour?” I thought to myself furious at the fact that I now have to leave the warmth of the fireplace. “It's late and cold, come back when the sun is on your back” I yelled and curled back underneath the thick woven blanket. But the knocking persisted, getting louder with each thud. I yelled a few choice words into my pillow, then wrapped the blanket around me and proceeded towards the door. I opened the door slowly to allow for minimal exposure to the bitter cold behind it, and as I was about to curse the vile person who made me leave my bed, but I stopped dead in my tracks. For there she stood; shivering and covered in a green liquid, the crimson haired herione known throughout the land as Violet Rose. Beside her was the gigantic head of a high dragon, covered in the same green liquid. Speechless at the sight of this hardcore beauty, I invited her inside but gestured for the head to remain outside. \n\n\nI couldn't believe it; Violet Rose was sitting on my blanket, getting dragon blood all over it but she was in my house. She was known for being a brutal warrior, said to have the strength of 100 men and the striking speed of a viper. The popping and crackling of the burning wood filled the silence between us, until she turned to me with a look of admiration. \n\n\n“I have to thank you seer, you saved my life” she said. “You slew a high dragon, a little cold isn't enough to kill you” I joked. “It's only because I read your foretelling of my battle with the dragon that I am alive right now” she claimed. \n\n\n“No I just wrote a story, about what a battle between you and a high dragon would look like” I suggested. “It moved exactly as you said it would even to the last strike, there is no way that I would have survived if I had not followed your instructions” she said. \n\n\nI was flustered and confused. “It's just a coincidence, I mean I used logic and my knowledge about large creatures to simulate the dragon's movement” I said to myself \n\n\n“As you can imagine this is a difficult thing for me to admit, being a warrior that takes pride in my own ability” she said. \n\n\nI conceded. Not because I felt honored, no I was terrified that she might crush me for dismissing her gratitude. She asked if she could use my bath to clean up, which I couldn't refuse, again I was too afraid that she might crush my scrawny 110lb body. Violet Rose smiled graciously as she got up off the blood stained blanket and headed towards the wash room. \n\n\nTime seemed to have slowed down significantly as she bathed, I decided to clean and polish her armor while I nervously waited for her to finish. Various questions plagued my mind regarding her story and my other work. “Is it possible?” I asked myself, “No not a chance, I'm not as gullible as they are” I reassured myself. \n\n\nViolet opened the wash room door allowing steam to challenge the cold air for supremacy of the house. She stepped out with a towel wrapped tight around her, and her crimson hair still damp resting over her left shoulder. “I apologize for making you wait, my attention was drawn to another of your prophecies and I just couldn't put it down” she said holding up a black hard cover book. \n\n\n“No no no, not that one!” I thought in agony. “I can explain” I pleaded. “I wasn't going to publish that, it's for my personal use” I suggested. \n\n\n“Personal use?” she asked with a raised brow . “No I didn't mean it like that, it's for my private collection” I replied stuttering. \n\n\nI couldn't determine whether it was the warm bath that she just had taken, or if it was the content of the book that she was holding. When I looked closely at Violet’s face, her cheeks were flushed. \n\n\n“It would seem that fate wants us together seer, first you saved my life then you invited me into your home to shelter me from the cold. “You provided me with a place to clean and warm myself, and now it appears that we are to wed in the coming spring” she said with a gleam in her eyes; holding up the black book. \n\n\nMy body started shaking, followed by cold sweats than ran down my face. I fainted, but before I hit the ground Violet rushed forward and caught me. When I came to my head was resting on her lap, she greeted me with a warm smile and kissed me on the forehead. \n\n\n“I will be your protector from this point on, I will ensure that no harm will come to you for as long as I live” she said stroking my head. \n\n\nWe've been married for about a year now, no new coincidences occurred from previous publications. However I've been tasked by the king to foretell the outcome of battles with other kingdoms, thankfully the other generals are complete idiots and are very predictable. It's probably the only reason why I still have my head. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] A post apocalyptic tv game show	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "He stood looking out over the charred earth. What had once been a city of some note and its name now lost to the time and ash still in the wind. The old bones of the buildings twisted and melted and slowly returning to what they had been. He did not know how long it would take but he knew that he would not be alive to see it.\n\nAhead of him, the drone floating silently in the air. The red eye blinking.\n\nHe knelt and looked at it. The softly whirring blades. Thinking behind that eye how many sat and watched in the last city where the power still burned. Safe there behind their walls and guns, these robust survivors. Out in this wasteland so little to oppose them and yet perhaps so much.\n\nShe came up the hill and stood looking at him. Both of them naked and nothing to do about it. Her slight body in the hot wind. The second drone following her through drifting smoke and settling beside the first.\n\n“What should we give them?” he said.\n\n“Nothing,” the girl replied.\n\n“Nothing at all.”\n\n“Those bastards deserve less.”\n\nHow much money rode on him or on her he did not know but it was a lot and probably for some in that haunted city all that they had. Life savings thrown in on hopes of winning enough for the next ticket up. The rocket burning in its weekly trips. Everyone below watching it rise into the purple and then lost to the blackness.\n\n“I know,” he said.\n\n“If you want, you can have it.”\n\n“I don't want it.”\n\n“What do you think they'll do if we just sit here?”\n\nHe didn't know but he looked back at the city. Out in front of them the flag that would be their salvation. The game simple: Hunt it down first. Stand with it in your hand. They'd shoot the other from the drone and let you into the city.\n\nOne person per week. Population control. As whoever bought a ticket was borne aloft. There on the ground replaced by yet another pulled from the wreckage of the world.\n\nThe girl sat on the ground. Crossing her legs and looking at him. He remained standing. Thinking how long could they even last and if she died first would they just award him the flag or would he also die? Or would they at sunset just shoot them both and choose two more? For there were many who wanted the challenge, who wanted to play the game for that city and someday to make their own bet and in their minds already winning the price of a ticket and then in that inexplicable rise leaving all of this behind.\n\nProbably that, he thought. They'd probably just shoot them.\n\n“Why don't you take it?” he said.\n\n“I'm already dead.”\n\n“We're all already dead.”\n\n“It's not what I thought.”\n\nHe smiled. Both of them too young to remember the end and born into this world of filth and destruction but the old stories still being told. Of what the world had been before they'd lost it all. No one knew anymore the dates and times and names and even the why of it. Perhaps some of those above but no way to know because no one ever came back.\n\nShe was watching the drone and he watched her. Not knowing what she wanted to do and knowing it all at the same time.\n\nWishing in that moment that they could just run. Through the soil and the ash and the burned city. Lose themselves in it and find some other life and forget the city and the station and everything else. But for those blinking red lights. The soft whir of the blades in the air.\n\n“You're not going to play?” he asked.\n\nShe looked back at him. “I told you I'm not.” Then: “Come sit here. Let's just wait and see.”\n\nHe looked at her a long moment and many things in that look. Closing his eyes. Remembering a time when he was younger and walking through a long night in a place he did not know and far above the rocket burning up through the air and then the memory was gone. He felt as if someone had been carrying him.\n\nHe went to her. He had already seen the knife clasped in her hand. Perhaps just a broken blade. The way her fingers wrapped around it and she hoped he'd look at her naked there and not see it and he had but he'd seen it anyway.\n\nThinking maybe the city was what she deserved.\n\nIn that endless wind on this restless world he walked in the ash and sat by the girl and when she was ready he turned his head away and looked out for that place he remembered and did not see it but knew that it was out there somewhere and nothing could change that.\n\n“I'm sorry,” the girl said.\n\n\\---\n\nI try to write a little bit of fiction every day. If you like it, I also wrote a novel called \"The Ringed City Chronicles: The Dragon Hunt.\" It's on Amazon, and if you decide to check it out, you are the bomb!" ]	2
	[WP] You are the Chosen One. You go to kill the evil tyrant, only to find that he’s actually the previous Chosen One.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. 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Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe tower appeared in the center of the world three years ago. It was more tree than stone - its roots covered over most landmasses like predator's claw raking in prey before its maw trapped it to be eaten. \n \n\n\"There it is Vardo! We've finally made it! But it looks dangerous... We could always turn back and -\"Loothrr my companion was a feline, and like most in their family, was prone to fits of cowardice. \n\n\"We have to move on. Don't look at the death around us, look toward the death I will bring in front of me,\" I said with great confidence in my abilities. I did not say that to inspire hope. I said that because it was true. I will bring death. It's all I know. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe tower was like a labyrinth. Each room seemed to be a dead end either hosting an enemy, or a puzzle. A part of my education in the capital involved intricate puzzles and mathematics - elements I had mastered, though not as strongly as a blade in my hand. I felt power emanating from my spear. It was thirsty for more action. I was thirsty for more blood to be spilled, the blood of the wicked. \n \n\nWe arrived at large door made of bone. The carvings were done by gentle hands as the groves and recesses were made to resemble two humanoids holding a grail to the heavens. Traunos had a distinct taste in art. Some of the rooms held statues that did nothing but look decorative. No furnitures, but art. Why? \n\n\"This is it Vardo...I mean, we pretty much took everything out, if you wanna turn back now's the time,\" suggested Loothrr. \n\nSometime Loothrr's company could be, for lack of better words, trying but I've never had a problem with him lighting up the mood. Sometimes you need that. Life is already dull as is. \n\n\"Vardo?\" \n\n\"Wait here, my friend. This will be over and done with soon.\" \n\nI left Loothrr to wait for my return. In the meantime, I had to accomplish my one task. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You took your time,\" was what he decided to greet me with. It was insulting but at the same time disarming. I gripped my spear tightly, expecting a battle. \n\n\"Don't do that,\" he said to me, waving his hand away at my weapon. He looked amused. He hardly had a challenger in this lifetime. \n\nI didn't listen and got into a battle ready stance, \"Today you die. Your tyranny dies with you. By my spear I will end you.\" \n\n\"No you won't. You can't. Nothing can.\" \n\n\"You are so certain of life that you don't see when death is before you. You won't get last words.\" I leaped into action, ready to plunge my spear into his wicked chest. \n\nWith one flick the wind obeyed his commands and I was pushed aside like nothing. Was this magic? There were no incantations, no light shows. What was this? \n\n\"I am so surprised one as plucky as you made it this far. For one-thousand years I sat here, growing stronger - strong enough to end this world and many have challenged me. Why is that?\" was this some kind of question? It was a joke. Had to be. \n\n\"Y-you! You cannot be serious! I was sent to end you, your presence is destroying the world. As a warrior of light I will not allow your existence to pass this day!\" \n\n \n\nAs I braced for another attack he simply sat there, a wry smile upon his wicked face. \"Well, aren't you going to attack me?\" \n\n\"I..you are toying with my efforts. Your death won't be quick anymore.\" \n\n\"When you're done have a seat, I have many things to explain to you.\" As soon as he finished his statement a chair made of the dead I had defeated sprung into the room from the ground. This was necromancy! He is a litch! Had to be. No power in Terres Genesis could do this! \n\nAfter many failed attempts, and me being separated from my weapons with it being pointed back at me, I felt listening was my final choice.\n\n\"Good. You catch on fast. So, this,\" using my spear he waved it around the room, following the business end with his head and walking around me before turning his attention back at my sorrowful figure, \"all of this was for you. I did all this to bring you here. Do you know why is that?\" \n\n\"Because you like to play games and destroy things.\" \n \n\n\"No. I want to end all of this and bring balance. I am not Traunos. That is not my name. I have no formal name. I cannot remember. But, I was standing where you kneel not too long ago.\" \n\nCould it be? No. Traunos cannot be him. The legends said evil was defeated that day. So then... \n\n\"That look on your face means you're piecing together the puzzle. Alright, I want you to say it. Say it for the choir in the back. Say it loud and proud.\" \n\n\"You..you're the chosen one?\" \n\n\"And the last of my kind.\" \n\n\"That's impossible!\" \n\n\"No. It's true. Every one-thousand years a chosen one will be brought from their dimension; the process is long and destructive. This world is responsible for the death of many worlds. Aren't you the last of YOUR kind as well?\" \n\nI was, but how could he know that? \n\n\"How could I know that?\" he answered my question though I did not ask openly, \"Because I said it before, I was the last of my kind. I come from a planet called earth. I was not from a warrior tribe, but my people warred nonetheless. I was told my planet was killed too. I, like yourself, trained to be a warrior of light and I climbed this tower that will erect again in one-thousand years to face an opponent like myself. I managed to kill that person, though I will admit they had it coming. They were actually evil. Like, the real deal. Then I inherited their powers, memories, mission...and that's when I discovered something important. Traunos...is created..was created by this world to act as a depressant. The magic you see is energy siphoned from other worlds. Traunos is a vaccine, this world is a virus. If I do not attempt to destroy this world others will die.\" \n\n\"Impossible! I was raised to kill evil like you! You're tricking me, you think of me as ignorant!\" \n\n\"No. I have no reason to trick you. I'm more powerful than you are. But I will let you kill me. You have to be the new Traunos, you have to destroy this world.\" \n\n\"Why should I?\" \n\n\"Because I am losing my identity to Traunos. Inherit my powers. After you kill me, inherit my will, my memories. The memories of this world! You have to destroy it at its core or more worlds will die! You will not be the last warrior of light. There will be more. You must destroy the center of this world. Do it for the good of all!\" \n \n\nThe words did not make sense, the reason did not. I did not know if I could trust the words of a villain, but...I felt they were true. Deep down I felt it. \n\nDesperately Traunos pleaded with me, \"Listen, this tower will fall, 'peace' will be restored, the energy of the planet will return, and the Mages will siphon it off, abuse it, then when they're in a deficit for more power will cast Trans and siphon all the energy of the next planet. I need you to be Traunos. End this bloodline. Kill the Mages, stop planets from dying! You are a warrior! Your people died no warrior's death! There was no science war. It was lies!\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI thought about it for a time. I exhaled my frustration. Everything he was saying made sense and rang true. My people died no proper death. And if what he was saying was correct, this planet, maybe the people here are all in on it. No, not all. I cannot kill innocents, but I have to stop whatever is happening in this multiverse. And so, without an exchange of more words, he handed me my spear, opened his arm, baring his chest, and I skewered him. \n\n \n\n\nI left the throne room behind. I left my spear there as well in the crumbled body of the old hero. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hey buddy, you made it! I didn't think you were gonna take so long. So now what?\" Loothrr said to me, excitement lifting his voice. \n\n \n \n\n\"Well, we're going to the main continent; to the capital. I have one last job to do.\" \n\n&#x200B;", " Isak, the man who took everything from me, was drinking from a wine glass while sitting at a table. I had infiltrated his underground lair, eliminated his mind slaves, killed his generals, and here he is drinking wine at a table for two.\n\n \"Kas, you look,\" he paused as he considered, \"confused. Maybe I can help you?\"\n\n \"Fuck. You.\" The man who enslaved my town, left me to die because I was deemed defective, was talking to me as if I were a friend. My father called me Kas, my friends called me Kassandra, he can call me the woman who ends his life. I was done and he needed to die. I moved to shoot him with my hand crossbow, only I wasn't able to move.\n\n \"Oh, you'll be fine.\" He sipped from his glass, \"you know, we're a lot alike.\"\n\n \"What did you do?\" I spat out. Regardless of how much I struggled, my body just wasn’t responding! I could lift horses, boulders, but I couldn’t lift my own hand crossbow. My life’s goal was right in front of me and I was powerless. \n\n \"Right, sorry, it's been so long since I've talked with someone like us. It's possible that the mind-altering magic I used to enslave your town is actually working to my benefit.\" He drained the glass and carefully placed it onto the table. \"Interesting that it didn't fully take on you.\"\n\n I started to mutter a simple arcane incantation, a classic sound blast. The mana within my body began to pool and the muscles and skin around my larynx began to strengthen in preparation. But at the end of the short spell my throat caught and I couldn't help but cough. The arcane power faded as it left my body to return to Gaia. My throat was sore from the tightening of the muscles, but I still managed a \"fuck.\"\n\n Isak finished dabbing his mouth, leaving a red stained napkin on the wooden table, \"It's pretty rare that mind-altering magic doesn't fully work, but it does happen. Maybe once every hundred years. Perhaps you've even heard of the stories?\" Isak paused to wait for a response. I was still coughing, \"well, perhaps I can educate you.\" \n\n His smile looked a little too smug, \"Once upon a time, there was a villain who went to weak towns and indoctrinated people into his army. The villain took people from every country, from every kingdom, from all around Gaia. The peoples of Gaia did something unimaginable. They stopped fighting each other and banded together, forming a mighty coalition to combat this villain. But the villain was crafty and it seemed that every step of the way the villain was always one step further. Until one day, a mighty hero, the chosen one, struck down the villain and all of Gaia celebrated. Sounds familiar, right?\"\n\n I could feel the arcane restraints on me lessen, \"What does a children's tale have to do with anything?\"\n\n His smile grew wider, \"Well, I was Isaac the Brave.\"\n\n \"What?\"\n\n \"They got my name wrong, people said that softening my name would make me more likeable. So Isak became Isaac.\" He was looking at a wall, maybe remembering something, \"but that was a long time ago. It became peaceful back then, at least for a time.\"\n\n What was this monster talking about? There's no way he was telling the truth. \"You expect me to believe that?\"\n\n \"Not really. I didn't believe it when Cassius told me.\" Another theatrical pause, \"Ah, right, Cassius was the previous villain. He told me about his history and about how indoctrinating people into his army was the only way for the world to be at peace. He told me that he wasn't the first. He also used mind-altering magic and destroyed entire towns, including my own. So I killed him.\"\n\n I was almost able to lift my crossbow hand, thank Gaia that the arrow had stayed in. \"So then you became him? You became this monster? Why?!\"\n\n Isak frowned, \"I had to. You'll understand in time.\" His grey eyes met my own. How did I not notice that before? Only people who were exposed to immense amount of mind-altering magic had greyed eyes. \"For what it's worth. I've been looking forward to this moment the day I took Cassius's position as Tyrant.\" He took a deep breath and faced me head on. His face serious and serene, \"don't miss.\" \n\n All at once I felt the restraints disappear, my hand was already moving into position before I could think. I pulled the trigger almost by instinct and released the arrow.", "I raised the blade, ready to drive it into his chest. This action would save the world, this a action would save everything.\n\nBut something stopped me.\n\nDo it! Just kill him! I told myself, but something stopped me. I simply couldn't bring the knife into my enemy's body.\n\nThe tyrant, now nameless because of the rumors, panted, blood trickling from the damage on his face and body, smiled and chuckled.\n\n\"What? Can't do it?\" He teased.\n\nI remained silent, not wanting to befall to his manipulation.\n\nThat's when I noticed something about him. He donned a necklace, a pendant, identical to mine. The one the travelling prophet gave me when he told me I was destined to save the land.\n\nI was confused, scared even, at this sudden and unexplainable object in front of me.\n\n\"So you've finally noticed,\" the tyrant said, noticing my surprise. He reached for the pendant weakly and raised it next to the one that hung from my neck.\n\nI slowly lowered the knife I held and inspected our necklaces. They were identical.\n\nWhy? What does this mean?\n\n\"Still speechless? Fine, I'll explain, as the one before me always has,\" he began.\n\n\"This land thrives on a cycle of saving, and conquering. No matter how many times someone saves this land, another tyrant just like me will rise up to claim it themself, and the chosen one will come and kill them to save it,\" he paused to release a hacking cough, \"have you ever noticed that the chosen one always 'dies' in the fight with the dictator?\" He coughed again.\n\n\"W-what are you trying to say?\" I utter my first words to him.\n\nHe suddenly rised enough to whisper in my ear, \"you must kill me, and become the next heir to save this world. If you don't, it will end in a struggle of chaos and good,\" he lay back down, defeated and hopeless.\n\nI sat above him, conflicted and distraught. He was right, the chosen one never survived the journey home. They never came back and gave speeches, or anything of the like, they always disappeared.\n\nMaybe I was the next one? Was he the last one? Was everything I've been taught false? Have I been fed lies for the past three years of my adventure? Maybe I was.\n\nIf I've been lied to about everything, maybe it was time to change the way I was. Maybe it was time to take control, have my moment of glory.\n\nWithout warning, I drove the knife into the chest of the chosen one before me. He released one more cough, and grinned as he faded away into a pile of ash.\n\nI stood up from the mound of nothing, sheathed my knife...\n\nAnd donned the crown of the tyrant.", "Water doused fire. Air obliterated earth.\n\nNo matter which spells I cast, he seemed to know before I did.\n\nI thrust my staff out, creating a flock of birds in a burst of light. They shrieked and flew at him, only to be dispelled by a dark cloud of bats he had beckoned. He quickly followed up with bands of string, using his staff to shoot them right at me. I dodged what I could, which gave me enough time to summon blades and slash through the string before he could trap me. When I threw the blades at him, he brought forth a shield and deflected them. We continued to attack each other and defend ourselves with opposing spells. It felt never-ending.\n\nI was ready. I had trained my entire life. I was supposed to best him easily now, but I couldn’t even land a hit. What was happening?!\n\nI couldn’t resort to my latent power. I remembered Virgil’s words.\n\nThe Gift of the Chosen One must never leave these walls. The Gift cannot be unveiled to the rest of the world.\n\nYet I saw no other way to beat the tyrant. The longer we went on, the weaker and more fatigued I would become. If that happened, then he would have me. I recalled what else Virgil said.\n\nThe Chosen One must not fall under enemy control.\n\nIf we lose you… humanity is finished.\n\nI had no choice. I just needed to get the upper hand for a moment, and the battle would end.\n\nI gripped my staff with both hands, holding it vertically. I gave my foe the slightest opening to deal a heavy blow. Did he know what I was doing? Would he take the bait?\n\nHe closed the distance between us, a smile growing on his face. He was going for a melee attack, surely thinking that would be enough to finish the fight. He had no idea what was coming. He fell for it.\n\nSuddenly, thunder clapped above us. I drove my staff into the ground, and lightning struck. The electricity coursed through my veins as though it was my own blood. He landed a strike with his staff, hitting my torso. But I barely felt a thing. I grabbed his shoulder, which was just enough to shock him.\n\nHe cried out and collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing, his staff clattering next to him. Breathing deeply, I dispersed the electricity in an instant. I kicked his staff away from him before kneeling. I set my own staff down and took him by the cloak, lifting him as much as I could. I gripped his chin and turned his head to face me.\n\nHe looked at me in a daze, still affected by the electrocution. I widened my eyes as they met his. I felt my pupils contract.\n\nHe would see the Gift, yet he wouldn’t reveal it to anyone for as long as he lived. I activated it.\n\nThen, I saw. I gasped, stumbled backwards, and landed on my bottom. I scrambled away from him to my staff and wielded it again, aiming it at him.\n\n“N-No way,” I sputtered.\n\nThe staff would have done me no good. He stared at me, his mouth agape, his eyes a medley of colors.\n\nThe Gift had always reminded me of a kaleidoscope.\n\n“You…” he whispered.\n\nI lowered my staff and put it back on the ground. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t muster the courage to speak.\n\nHe groaned as he got up on all fours and finally gathered the strength to stand. He chuckled a little before he extended his hand to me.\n\n“I thought I was the only one,” he said.\n\nHe was still the evil tyrant. He still had to be defeated. I could hear Virgil's nagging voice in my head. \n\nHowever, the colors swirled in his eyes. I felt relieved.\n\nI reached up and accepted his help.\n\n“I thought I was, too.” ", "They destroyed our world. \n\nDrained our resources with their lavish lifestyles. Released toxic fumes into our air. Unleashed cataclysmic storms upon our planet.\n\nI was one of the Chosen Ones. I was destined to change everything. \n\nOr so I thought.\n\nMost nights I spent preparing myself. Taking with other Chosen Ones about the failures of our rulers. About how we would do better, when our time came.\n\nI confronted an Evil Tyrant once. Delivered a really sick burn on Twitter to this politician on how they talk about change, about saving the environment, but they live a life of waste. It made front page from r/murderedbywords. Other Chosen Ones agreed that particular Evil Tyrant was well slain.\n\nA few hours after my tweet went viral, I got a PM from the politician. \"I envy your youth and energy for change. I used to be like you.\"\n\nCould it be that Evil Tyrants were once Chosen Ones?\n\nTen years later, I take stock of my life. \n\nA family with kids. Paying off a house. Driving to work each day. Leaning more conservative, now that I'm in a higher tax bracket. Living the American dream.\n\nHave I become what I despised?\n\nWait!\n\nPhew, I just remembered. Each Christmas I donate 2% if my income to charity. This past year, I donated to Save the Pandas. God I love pandas. I could watch endless gifs of those cute cuddly things!\n\nDon't worry pandas, us Chosen Ones are looking out for you!", "\"I don't know, man, it just seemed like she had a really good thing going here, you know? I just wanted a part of that.\"\n\n\"A good thing? A really good thing. You mean the enslavement of an entire empire. Widespread oppression.\"\n\n\"Nah, nah, I don't mess with any of that. It's on my advisers how they handle the whole Empire thing. I just ask that I be left to chill, you know?\"\n\n\"No. I actually don't. So let me get this straight. The Gods choose you to come take care of The Sorceress, you gather together a party of legendary heroes, come kill her, and decide you're going to...replace her?\"\n\n\"Yeah, pretty much.\"\n\n\"The heroes you came with, they were just...fine with that?\"\n\n\"Nah, man, I think they ended up in one of the dungeons or something.\"\n\n\"Ummm. You know, I'm not even sure what to say. You know I'm going to have to kill you now, right? Your guards are all dead, we slew that dragon you kept chained in the courtyard. I just don't understand how you can be so blasé about...everything, really.\"\n\n\"I figured this would happen sooner or later. It's cool. You kill me, I go chill in the afterlife, maybe you take my place, maybe not. If you don't, someone else will. Or the whole empire will break apart into little squabbling kingdoms, lots of small-time tyrants instead of one big one. It's whatever.\"\n\n\"Chill. In the afterlife. After all you've done?\"\n\n\"Sure. I mean, I did the thing I was destined to do. The prophecy just said I had to get rid of old Spellsy McEnchantressface. I fulfilled my destiny, the gods and I are cool. The ones that sent me, anyway.\"\n\n\"That's...horribly unjust.\"\n\n\"Yeah, probably. Have you seen this world they're running? They talk a lot about justice because it keeps people praying to them, but they're not actually distributing much of the stuff around, you know?\"\n\n\"I'm done listening to this. Prepare to die.\"\n\n\"Okay, just make it quick. I'm not real into the whole 'pain' thing.\"\n\n\"You aren't...you what...you're a chosen warrior of divine powers? How can you not handle pain?\"\n\n\"What? Fighting? Nah, man, I don't do that. I had people for that. They didn't want to risk the Chosen One getting hurt. I just stood in back and yelled helpful things.\"\n\n\"You know what? Maybe I'll make this slow.\"\n\n\"Hey, hey, what happened to all that talk about justice and all that? You come in all self-righteous and now you're just gonna make me suffer for no reason?\"\n\n\"Hmmm. You have a point there. But also, like you said, the gods just told me I had to kill the tyrant. They didn't say I had to do it nicely.\"\n\n\"Well sure but really you shouldn't AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH GGGOOOODDS PLEAAASSSE\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nr/Magleby", "Soran sat on the high-backed throne, his shoulders high and chin tilted upwards. His ego filled the room, leaving hardly any room for his court, much less his enemies. A smirk played on his lips as he watched Bridget walk towards him with her sword in hand. \n\n“Your time has come,” she said when she drew near. \n\nShe stood in front of him, ready to fight. She had moved through the dark forest and fought against his soldiers in order to enter his castle. She was resolved not to let her guard down now. \n\n“My time came a long time ago,” Soran said, his lips the only part of him that moved. “Didn’t the witch tell you?”\n\n“I don’t want to play your games,” Bridget replied, furrowing her brows. \n\nThe witch hadn’t told her much, but that was meant to be the way it went. She received the information she needed to gain her power and help free the people. She was given her sword and her maps and sent here - to his castle. Generations of powerful commoners were chosen to overthrow any evil that threatened the sacred city. \n\nHe leaned his weight onto one elbow, rested on the armrest of his throne. \n\n“Didn’t you ask any questions at all?” he asked, his smirk growing. \n\nHis amusement gnawed at her, making her doubt herself. She squared her shoulders, knowing that it was exactly what he wanted. If she doubted herself and her mission, she wouldn’t be able to follow through with it. If she didn’t take him down, he would be allowed to rule for another generation. His ruthlessness would be the end of her people and the peace of the forest. \n\n“Come down, Soran. Fight me on equal footing.” The words left her mouth sounding shaky, making her grit her teeth. \n\n“The witch gave you the sword, and read you the words from the book. She showed you the great scroll, a list of all the great and good things that her chosen pets have done,” Soran teased, looking bored while he described her journey. \n\nBridget pulled her sword higher and took a step forward, ignoring the two guards that were on high alert next to the king. “Fight me!” she yelled, impatient at his lazy storytelling. \n\n“She gave you the burning potion, and watched over you as you had your vision of me on my throne,” He said as he sat back up, returning to a stiff posture. “She told you that our kingdom could have peace and love if only you destroyed the king.” \n\n“Yes, and I will,” Bridget said through her clenched teeth. \n\n“She doesn’t pick her chosen ones for their bravery or their spirit. She chooses them for their blind loyalty and their ignorance,” Soran said. He yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth or look embarrassed about it. “Come, swing that sword at my head, Bridget. I will even tell my guards to back down, but it won’t change anything.” \n\n“It will change everything, Soran. Tell your guards whatever you would like, come fight me and be done with it.” \n\n“I’m too tired to fight, oh brave chosen one. Perhaps we should change the cycle. I will give you the throne freely, and you will let me live out my days in a cabin in the woods,” he stood up as she spoke and closed the distance between the two of them. \n\n“You will sit upon the throne, and rule the country- until the witch chooses the next Chosen one to come to take your spot. You are dispensable, and I am bored,” He reached past her sword and gave her head a single pat before walking past her. \n\nBridget was frozen in place, staring at the empty seat of the throne and listening to him walk away. Her training had taught her how to fight, yet her arms wouldn’t move the sword in order to do so. All she knew at that moment was the pull to walk forward. The guards stared at her, unsure of what to do. \n\n“If I could just sit,” she muttered under her breath and took a step forward. \n\n“If I just sat on the throne while I figured out what to do,” she said more confidently. \n\nIt was suddenly all she wanted in the world, even as she heard the door slam behind her- marking Soran’s departure. \n\n/r/beezus_writes" ]	8
	[WP] You live alone in a remote part of Siberia, one day you put your food down while you go to the bathroom, when you get back, some of it is missing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You begin to wonder if maybe your mind is playing tricks on you. After all, you've been living alone in this cabin for months, without having seen a soul. You try to think of better times. Times when you left the couch and came back to find the bag of popcorn empty, looking over at Sarah, with her mischievous look of trouble. You knew better than to leave her with food if you wanted to find any when you got back, but this time was different. Sarah isn't here. You try to shake her smile out of your head to focus on the missing sandwich, when a loud sound startles you. You feel for the gun safely hidden under table, only to feel empty space where the cool, hard metal should have been. You reach into your back pocket for your switchblade. You are not alone and you know that anyone looking for you is looking for trouble.\n\nYou edge your way around the room so that you can better prepare for an attack, but as you do, all you can think of is Sarah. This is why you try to keep her out of your mind. This is why you can't let yourself go there. You might be in danger, and the last time you let yourself be distracted by Sarah, people died. You can't afford to make that mistake again.\n\nYou hear rustling in the kitchen. Do they think you're not home? Whoever is in there must know who you are... Why you're here... What you've done... What you're capable of doing ...\n\nAs you approach the kitchen, you clutch your blade in your left hand and quietly peer through the doorway. The door creaks ever so subtly, and the rummaging stops. You step back, in order to not be seen. There is an overwhelming dread that hangs in the air. Were you spotted? You brace yourself for someone to come smashing through the door. But instead, the rummaging continues, and you know that the would-be assassin is clearly looking for something. But what? Anyone coming here would only want you dead. What else could they be looking for.\n\nYou think of Sarah again. Her smile, her eyes, her blond, wavy hair that fell loosely over her shoulders. Her soft, kissable neck. Then her blood, on her face, in her hair, on your hands. Her cries, begging you to save her. Your feelings of helplessness, knowing it's too late. \n\nYou realize that the rummaging has stopped, and you hear a breath behind the door. You take cover as the door slowly creaks open. Your attacker has their back to you, so you prepare your next move. You stop dead in your tracks when you see that they sent a woman. This can't be right. She looks terrified. She is clutching your gun against her chest, and you watch her back heave with her rapid breaths. She darts her eyes nervously around the room, and heads for the desk. She is small, frail, and she looks like she hasn't eaten in days. That explains the missing sandwich. But who is this woman? Could she be lost? What is she looking for?\n\nYour thoughts are interrupted when she suddenly turns to you and looks right at you. She raises your gun, and with terror in her eyes, places her finger on the trigger...\n\nI am stopping my story there, but I will happily continue if anyone is interested :) let me know what you would like to see happen next - does she pull the trigger? Or does he manage to stop her? " ]	2
	[WP] At birth, everyone is gifted a special ability. Most people get superpowers, but you got the ability to continue to exist if the timeline gets tampered with. You hate this "gift" since it does nothing for you, but that changes when one day you wake up and the world has completely changed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Well, life sucks! \n\"Why?\" You ask. Let me tell you. I live in a world were everyone has superpowers ranging from telekinesis to superhuman strength but I have nothing, no powers, just nothing. Well, that would have been fine I would be hailed as the only one of my kind but nope I had to have this useless power of not changing no matter how the timeline changes. Let me tell you how I found out, my friend had the power to go 2 minutes into the past and change something, so one day he used this power to steal my lunch before I opened my lunchbox sadly for him before the timeline changed I had already opened it so when the shift happened I called out his prank and found out about my power. Great! So I have a useless ability, now!\n\nBut, that changed one day when I woke up I saw that there were some military aircraft and a transport plane flying over my house. At first, I thought nothing of it but then they started paradropping some superhumans our of them and they started destroying our houses. I was scared and my parents ushered me into a safety bunker across our street. For hours the fight continued and when it subsided the shelter door opened and it was our friendly neighborhood Spiderman albeit missing an eye and blood oozing out his chest. The healers (people with superhuman ability to regenerate and confer said ability to a person) healed him and regenerated all but his eye. Guess that was destroyed by an annihilater (people with abilities that allow them to destroy parts of the body in such a fashion that they can't grow back). Everyone crowded around him and asked him how the heroes were doing in the war. His answer was ,\"We lost all of Europe and Africa yesterday, Shanghai and Moscow are our last bastions in Asia with the destruction of Beijing last week, the Villian Alliance paradropped into California and Washington and are now decimating our forces. South American heroes aren't doing much better, the future looks quite grim for us.\" \" That's not right. The Villian Alliance was disbanded 2 years ago when Red Phoenix killed their head Imperator.\" I said with the grin of figuring out the prank. \"Stop mocking me kid. Red Phoenix died in that mission\" Spiderman shouted. Then I understood what had happened, some time jumper probably used his ability to jump back in time to warn Imperator of the mission and saved his live. But, then the government clairvoyants should have known such a jump was made and warned them of it, and that could only mean one thing that someone interrupted their visions and allowed this mess to happen. \"Spidey trust me, I come from an alternate timeline where the mission was a success and the Villian Alliance was disbanded, everything was peaceful. This is my power to not change and remember the original or correct timeline, we can use this to send one of our time jumpers to the past to protect Red Phoenix and restore the events.\" \"That could work, the clairvoyants haven't been able to receive any visions nowadays so we can't trust anything they say. So, this might be desperate but we might need to listen to you, kid.\" \nThat was three weeks ago, I helped the government to look for the split point and fixed the timeline, I have continued with two other incidents since then, but I gotta find who is blocking the clairvoyant's vision all while keeping the timeline intact. \nThe fun has just begun.", "Note: I hope it's okay that I took a small liberty with the prompt. The protagonist thinks he has no abilities at all: he learns about the altered timeline thing later, after the timeline is actually altered. I've written the prologue, I plan for the timeline to alter in chapter 1 or 2.\n\nPrologue\n\nTen-year-old Toby hated school.\n\nHe shut his book and looked miserably at the playground, through the window. A group of Fliers were playing ball, and many kids had gathered to watch. The Fliers were passing the ball to each other, gliding through the air with seemingly no effort. The goalposts were two tall oak trees on opposing sides of the playground. Even from within the classroom, Toby could hear the crowd cheering.\n\nOf course, not every day was devoted to flying. There were many abilities, after all, and the school prided itself in creating an environment where all students could develop their special skills. Lessons consisted mostly of self-directed practice, and even during recess, many students continued practicing their skills of their own volition. The other day, the Water-masters held a competition in that same playground, around the lake. Some kids made sculptures out of water: most lasted only a few seconds, but one girl made a life-like horse and held it for two solid minutes. One boy reversed the direction of a streak. It was only a small streak, but it was still an impressive feat for a second-year, and he got applauded. The winner was a small, unassuming kid who evaporated the entire lake, and transferred it to the other side of the playground. Everyone gasped at the disappearance; some genuinely thought it had gone away for good. And then the lake reappeared on the other side, plants and frogs and all. Everyone thought it was awesome.\n\nWho even cares, Toby thought spitefully. Stupid Water-masters with their stupid teleporting lakes.\n\nToby was born without a special ability. This was not entirely unheard of, but it was extremely rare, and nobody had yet managed to find a good solution to it. There was no place in society for people like Toby. They simply didn’t have anything to offer. They were tolerated and treated humanely, but they could never be respected. Toby’s classmates were nice enough to him, in the way people are nice to those they pity. Kids his age never invited him to play with them: not because they wanted to exclude him, but because there was simply no common game he could participate in, and the few times he tries, he got hurt. Bullies never targeted him: there was no sport in it. He was too pathetic to bully.\n\nWhat made things worse was that his parents were both exceptionally gifted. They were both Magicians, and highly respected in their circle. When his mother was pregnant with Toby, everyone expected the child to be gifted, perhaps even to be one of these rare individuals who were blessed with two abilities at once. But little Toby showed no signs of any kind of gift. His parents tried: they consulted the best Healers, they looked anxiously for early signs of any ability, they provided the best materials and tools, and even bought educational aids for “late bloomer” kids. Nothing worked.\n\nToby attended school, mostly because his parents were at a loss for what else to do with him. Toby was, for the most part, allowed to do whatever he wanted. He devoted most of his time to reading, writing, drawing, and math. These were menial skills: at a basic level, they were part of everyone’s curriculum, but only the most untalented people pursued them seriously, as this was the only road open to them. Toby, who was entirely lacking in talent, threw himself to those pursuits, as they helped him forget. For the same reason, he voluntarily spent his free time alone in the classroom. It was better this way. He already spent enough time watching activities he would never be able to join. ", "Having a special ability was like having a knife it could be used in many ways to help people, such as cutting food but it can also be used to harm people. Her ability to simply exist seemed pointless and boring. \n\nShe woke up the following morning jaded and exhausted. Her dream ended abruptly, as she was shaken back into reality. She blinked rubbing her bleary eyes in an attempt to rid herself of her drowsiness. Her muscles felt weak, just like her energy. Letting an exasperated yawn escape her lips, she rolled off of her bed. Brushing her unkempt hair with her fingers. She heard a faint humming coming from outside her window, she reached out towards the blinds and pulled them open. \n\nThe sky was strange. The spreading sunrise, pinkish glow, clouds tinted, colours etched across the sky announcing the new day, pinks and reds painted across the clouds as if by a celestial hand. The skyscrapers towered above as great monoliths of concrete and glass like a jungle of steel growing out of the concrete metropolis. At surface level the buildings and colours of the sky appeared normal yet under further inspection there were small differences as if there were glitches. \n\nAt first she believed it was her eyes playing a trick on her mind, a figment of her imagination. \n\nShe checked the year and date on the digital clock behind her, March 17th 2019, everything seemed normal perhaps it was the landlord casting a screen over the apartment. She went to pick up her phone and call her father, he didn’t pick up, probably since it was too early. She got dressed and exited her apartment as she remembered she had to pick up some papers for work. As she left, she bumped into a person or so she thought but she simply walked right through them. \n\nShe apologised thinking that they had the ability to phase through things or on a spectrum of invisibility or even a copy of someone. But the person’s eyes widened as they looked at her in fear.\n\n“You exist.” They gasped before running off. \n\n“Wait, what do you mean? Of course I exist.” She called out to them but they were gone.\n\nShe went on her phone and simply search up ‘exist’ as vague and stupid as that was, she was mortified by the articles that came up.\n\nLife no longer exists\n\nWas the first news article that came up, she quickly skimmed the article and discovered life and organic matter had been replaced with artificial holograms, only objects and non-living matter remained. \n\nSide note: this is like my first prompt so it’s probs bad and littered with typos (written on mobile) ", "I exist. Everybody else doesn't. Until today I've never fully grasped what that meant.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe all have abilities. My best friend James can fly. Although he looks ridiculous doing it because he has to actually flap his arms like a bird. Doesn't stop him from enjoying his gift. My little sister can turn as small as a molecule. Back when she was but a toddler, I lost every goddamn game of hide-and-seek. My Parents? Oh they have the most obnoxious set of powers. Lokk my mother in the eyes and you can only tell the truth. My teenage years were horrible, no fun sneaking out with friends or anything alike. And my father? He can make you laugh with every joke he makes. Not because they're actually good, no no. That is his power, to make you laugh no matter how bad the joke. i swear to god he makes a hobby of it to find the worst jokes just to make you laugh even though you want to punch him in the face.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut I only exist, no matter what happens. Time changing, bombs dropping, earth collapsing into itself, it doesn't matter. I will always exist.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSchool was hard, the bullying unending. You think little kids are brutal because they just say what they want? Teenagers are worse. They probe you, explore your reactions to find the chink in your armor, pry it open and beat down on your exposed, naked soul. I was the useless one, despised even by the nerds and geeks.\n\nIt didn't matter what I'd do. No matter how hard I worked to beat others in school, to be the smartest, the fastest, the fittest. Those with powers would continually beat me down, back to ground where i belonged.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt didn't stop after school. Work was worse. Somehow I managed to get myself a job at a bank. It was just cubicle work, but I made good cash. If it wasn't for my coworkers. Reports I send to my supervisor mysteriously vanished from the servers, my lunch went missing and so on. So i quit. Soon after I lost my apartment.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut I wasn't going back home. So began my criminal career. At first it seemed to go really well. The so-called \"scum\" of the world,drug dealers and the like, were the most accepting people I met since my parents. Sure I had to work my way up, but they were fair. No sticks thrown between my legs, stashes vanishing, not even snarky remarks about my useless power. Believe it or not, within the dark side of this society I found something that resembled happiness. No it was happiness, maybe even bliss.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut today that was taken from me. I don't know who did it but they changed everything. There are no more powers. The gang doesn't remember me anymore. Apparently I put most of them behing bars. The business card in my back pocket says I'm a lawyer. But that wasn't reality yesterday. Why did everything change? Who am I, according to this reality?.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter a quick online search I've gathered enough information to be able to integrate myself into my new life. The bullying never happened, no harassment at work, none of my suffering is real. But I am. I exist no matter what changes. The only real entity in a fake world.\n\nBut I want to go back. To the way things were. Back to having suffered most of my life, only to find happiness with Tony and his crew, my friends. I need to go back, I can't stand this fake world.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSo i make a decision. I liquidate everything I have, my belongings, my apartment, even my company. Equipped with everything I need to survive, I set out to fix reality. Even though i don't know how. But I will find a way, I always have.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou don't know me and I must say I can't blame you. How could you have noticed me? You had to fight battle after battle everyday of your life. But considering I'm a coward that never reached out to you. I've seen you quit your job at the bank, bravest move I've ever seen. Why though, why did you join those thugs? Why did you become part of the cancer that destroys society? Because you only knew suffering and you wanted to get back at the world. I understand like I always have. But after all these years i finally pulled my socks up and did what I should have long before.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI changed it all up. No more powers except for me. After all I need to provide for you. After all these years you'll finally notice me. Fall into my arms and become mine.\n\nWhy? Why? Why didn't it play out as I had designed it? Why?Why?\n\nWhat did I do wrong? Why did you leave? Leave the life I made for you? The life we were supposed to share? The happiness I created? Why?Why?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne name. That's the only lead I have. One name which is spread out through my \"life\". Oliver, my kindergarden friend, first boyfriend, husband, my protector. I don't know if he's the one responsible, but I have a strong hunch that he is. Something about him seems familiar, something from the real world that I can't quite remember.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWho are you Oliver? What am I to you? Tonight I will pry the truth from you and take back my life, my happiness.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt seems you've finally come to your senses. Finally you stand before me. I'm so happy. Do you see? What I've done for you? Can you feel my love?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHey there, this my third or fourth response to a prompt, so any input is welcome." ]	5
	[WP]"I don't know you from Adam!" you say to the guy asking for some favour. "How did you know I am from Adam?" he asks, confused "Who told you! Who told you who I am!?" His face turns sour, he starts shaking with rage "Who told you that I am Cain!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "And he said to Cain, \"Thou bearest the mark which the LORD hath given thee for protection?\" And Cain shewed it to him. And Cain said unto him, \"Shall not the Lord remove from me this mark, that I may be a vagabond and a fugitive no more, but return to dust with no protection?\" And he said to him, \"Why would you return to dust and not live?\" \n\nAnd Cain took him to a field of corn, fruiting and ready for harvest. And lo, the corn was good. And Cain took to himself a sickle and cut some of the heads of the grain and they wilted and ruined as he touched them. Cain said to him, \"My life is vanity, for I cannot till the ground.\" Thus the mark of Cain and the life of Cain were vanity. " ]	2
	[WP] After several months of treating the angel that had fallen from the sky, she thanked you and left hoping to meet you again. You also hoped the same as you had fallen in love with her, and to be able to meet her sooner, you started a project to create the first flying machine; the plane.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was the town crazy, the maniac. 'He'll never do it' they said. I'll do it. I'll go all the way back to her, as high and as fast as I can. Damn them all, if it takes my dying breath I'll do it. I was putting the finishing touches on it, tightening bolts, making sure nothing was to loose. My best friend was sitting on one of the many workbenches in the barn I had modified for my purposes, sketching something in his notebook.\n\n\"What're you doing Lawrence?\"\n\n\"Just sketching out the aero craft John, why do you ask?\"\n\n\"I'm curious is all. You're really so in love with her that you're going to do this eh?\"\n\n\"Would I be laying under this thing if I wasn't?\"\n\n\"Point taken.\"\n\nLawrence was the only person in town who would talk to me anymore, and was there when Elizabeth fell from the sky, helping to hide her and bring them food when I simply forgot to do my shopping. Not that I would have to do my shopping anymore, because even if I didn't get to see her, I suppose I could make loads off of the aero craft. I ran a hand along it's smooth skin and my mind drifted back to that day.\n\n\\----------\n\nI was sitting outside reading a book, leaned against a tree when she fell, and Lawrence was asleep in one of the branches. After hearing the screams of someone falling, I looked up and saw what looked like a winged human falling from the sky.\n\n\"aaaAAAAHHH!!\" THUD\n\nAnd she crashed onto the grass in front of me. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and deep blue eyes, and a slender figure. I was more scared than anything by the wings on her back. I set down my book and crawled over to her, not sure what to do.\n\n\"Uh, Lawrence?\"\n\n\"Yeah John?\"\n\n\"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?\"\n\nLawrence opened his eyes and looked down from his branch, and his eyes widened.\n\n\"What in the blazes?\"\n\nI moved closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and she half-heartedly pulled away.\n\n\"Shh... it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you.\"\n\nI looked around and bit my lower lip.\n\n\"Hey, could you help me get her to my house?\"\n\n\"Uh, yeah. Sure thing man.\"\n\nWe carried her to my house which, admittedly, wasn't to far away, but we were looking around the whole time to make sure no one saw us. I wound up spending the bulk of several months nursing her back to health. Turned out she was an angel, and her name was Elizabeth. I stopped wearing my revolver around her since she didn't seem to like it. After a bit I started calling her Lizzy though, not sure why, but she went with it. I felt a piece of me leave the day she left. I wanted to say so much but I didn't know how. I then set my mind on making the first flying machine.\n\n\\----------\n\nI had finished checking everything and had climbed out from underneath, and was pulling on my jacket when I turned to Lawrence.\n\n\"Want to help me get the doors open?\"\n\nLawrence grinned and set his sketch book down.\n\n\"Sure.\"\n\nWe walked over to the doors and slowly pushed them open, revealing the flat stretch of ground in front and a crowd of people outside. I was in shock as I saw them all.\n\n\"What the hell?\"\n\n\"Surprise, I guess. Just because they think you're crazy doesn't mean they don't want to see it work.\"\n\nI shook my head and we walked towards the aero craft to push it out off the barn, and I was approached by several people for short interviews and asked to take some pictures.\n\n\"Mr. Edwards, how do you expect this to go?\"\n\n\"I expect it to go wonderfully sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an angel to go dance with.\"\n\nI climbed into the cockpit and pulled on a pair of goggles not unlike what you would see on a steam ship's coal man. I looked towards Lawrence and he motioned for everyone to move out of the way. He gave me a thumbs up and we began the engine startup procedure, and he gave the propeller one good tug before it caught and started to roar to life. Lawrence lept out of the way and waved at me. I returned the wave and pushed the throttle lever forward, and the craft slowly started to move down the flat stretch of ground.\n\nI gently pulled back on the control level and could feel the aero craft lift off away from the ground, and could almost hear the cheering from the ground below. They didn't matter though. As far as I was concerned, I wasn't going back. I was going to dance with my Elizabeth. I pushed the throttle all the way forward and settled in. It was going to be a long flight.\n\n\\----------\n\nI'd been in this thing a while, it was dark and the moon was shining bright, and I was starting to cramp up. but there was no turning back now, I had to see her. I could hear the engine start to sputter, it was starting to run out of fuel. Oh how I longed to shed these wings of wood and cloth and fly to her with wings like hers.\n\n\"Come on, just a little farther, I'm sure we can make it.\"\n\nIt didn't work and the engine died, and the craft started to glide for a while.\n\n\"Oh bother.\"\n\nIt kept going for a good 25 seconds before it started to fall, and I was pretty sure I was to far away from anything to actually land anywhere. I was probably screwed so bad I would be remembered as 'that idiot'. The nose pointed towards the ground and I could see it approaching. I closed my eyes, prepared to accept my fate, as bad as I wish I didn't have to.\n\n\"I'm sorry Lizzy, I failed. I guess I'll be seeing you not the way I intended, if they even let me.\"\n\n\"What was that?\"\n\nI felt a pair of arms wrap around my chest, and turned my head to see her there, smiling at me.\n\n\"Lizzy!\"\n\nShe laughed and started to pull me out of the seat, holding me bridal style.\n\n\"How long did you spend on that thing?\"\n\n\"To long, probably. But it was worth it if it meant seeing you again.\"\n\n\"You could have died you know.\"\n\n\"I know, I figured it was going to lead to you either way, unless I was judged unworthy and went to... well, you know...\"\n\n\"I'm sure you'd be fine, but I don't want to see you die just to see me again. Besides... I love you...\"\n\nI grinned and leaned in to kiss her, and she was shocked but she went with it, kissing me back.\n\n\"I love you to Lizzy.\"", "I straightened up from the mass of metal and wiped the sweat off my face with a greasy cloth.\n\n\"It's ready, Leila,\" I announced to the sky. \"Flight machine number twenty two. Maybe I'll see you soon, my love. But I'll keep going if it takes a thousand tries.\"\n\nA breath of wind caressed my cheek, and I smiled. I knew she could hear me.\n\nCarl heard me, too, and bustled forward with a basin of cold water and my change of clothes. Leila had seen me before in my work things, of course, on the day she fell from the sky, but this was a special occasion. \n\n\"Thank you, Carl,\" I said. \"Could you make a note in the logbook, please? Number twenty two. And make sure you add in the new diameter for the second rotor.\"\n\n\"Right away, Marisa.\" He turned back into corrugated iron shed that functioned as our workshop as I stripped off my filthy overalls and began washing my face hurriedly. There was a chance that the machine might actually work this time, if I was right about the rotor, but I barely dared to think it. That I might see that smile again. I was already pulling on the pea-green dress, the finest I owned, and only slightly singed, when Carl emerged from the shed.\n\nTogether we pushed the contraption to the end of the long, flat stretch of ground we'd set aside for the machine to gather speed. Carl stepped back as I climbed up into the controller's seat and pulled on my helmet and goggles. After twenty one not-goodbyes, we didn't make an occasion out of it, and with a nod I turned away and pushed the starting lever. I knew that Carl would be taking notes as long as I was in his sight, and that he would be ready with the water hose and bandages if I needed them.\n\nThe machine juddered beneath me, gathering speed as I guided it down the strip. Faster, faster... Every muscle in my body was tensed, the end of the flat ground racing towards me. I pushed the lever down all the way... and felt the machine lift into the air. I had done it! A gasp of sheer joy burst out from within me as I watched the fields below fall away to a patchwork of yellow squares. \"I'm coming, Leila!\"\n\nBefore I could catch my breath, there was a jolt as the machine dropped through the air. Suddenly, the juddering became spluttering, the fields spiralling larger and larger, ground coming closer and closer as I waggled the useless lever backwards and forwards. I could see a smooth patch of ground to aim for, if only I could get this thing straight, and then I'd get it right next time, number twenty three, I'll do it, Leil— \n\nAn impossibly white light, and for one sweet moment, I saw her perfect face again.\n\nThen, darkness.", "The seasons blended together when she thought about the last year of her life. Ariel couldn’t think of a single day she had slept through the sunrise, or gone back inside before her body was ready to collapse. \n\nShe went to the market on Sunday’s, getting just enough food to eat. While in town, she scavenged for parts that would help her build her machine. There was no doubt in her mind that her former friends and neighbors thoughts she had gone crazy. Ariel wasn’t fazed by it all. \n\nThat one year of her life was nothing if she could get the plane to work. The looks of pity on their faces would fade soon enough if she could fly herself up, and see her angel one more time. \n\nJanuary 1st, a year and a month since Samantha had healed and gone away from her. Ariel sat in the seat of her mechanical beast and took a shaky breath in to fill her lungs. It was finally the big day, and the fact that it took place on the first day of the new year pleased her for some fuzzy reason. Today, the engine was going to turn over, and she was going to take it for a test. \n\nToday, she hoped that she would reach the sky. \n\n“Let's go,” she whispered in the tiny cabin and turned the key. \n\nHer fingers felt numb with anxiety as they clutched the thin metal. When the engine came to life, the vibration felt like a jolt to her system causing her to yelp and throw her hand back. The engine had turned on, and it was staying on. The excitement pulled a giddy laugh from her that she had a hard time controlling. \n\n“Let's go!” Ariel hollered this time. \n\nIf the engine stayed on, she had hope. Hands on the wheel, and feet on the pedals she gulped and hit the gas. Her anxious laughter spilled out of her again as her plane began to move forward on her makeshift runway. The wheels moved underneath her, and the land in front of her began to tilt as she pulled on her steering wheel. \n\nSeveral moments later, Ariel had gotten herself into the air, and she heard her own voice whooping in excitement even as her every thought focused on how to get herself in the air. Which way to go, she asked herself. \n\nUp, she decided. The only way to get to Samantha was to go up. \n\n***\n\nAriel opened her eyes and blinked rapidly at the bright light that swam around her. It was harsh and white and was definitely not the sky and land she thought she had been looking at. Had her plane been a dream? \n\n“Where am I?” she asked out loud. \n\nShe heard dull whispers around her. She seemed to be laying down on something firm, but the body wasn’t giving her any other information. \n\nSitting up she tried to look around, but the bright light made seeing much of anything difficult. Like she sat at the bottom of a lamp, hearing people out in the room talking. Her thoughts were foggy and she thought the whole sensation may drive her mad, and fast. \n\nHer elbow propped up on the edge of her bed, she sat her body up to try and look around. “Hello?” she called out. \n\nA dull ache ran through her body, fading as fast as it had appeared “Hello?!” she called out again. \n\n“Ariel!” a sweet, familiar voice rang out from somewhere in front of her. \n\nShe blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness of the forsaken light that lit this room. Everything was white and blurry until a dark figure came rushing towards her. Shaking her head she blinked again, eyes widening as the shape got near enough to block the light and become clear. \n\n“Ariel,” the voice came low and soft. “What are you doing here?” \n\nAriel felt her throat tighten around a lump as she lifted her shoulders up to be more upright. “I came to see you, Samantha.” \n\nSamantha smiled a long thin smile at her, eyes searching her face for something Ariel could only guess at. “You are a fool,” she said after a silent moment. \n\n“I was flying,” Ariel said, still trying to figure out how she had gotten from her plane to this room.\n\n“Man can’t fly,” Samantha said, her smile widening and lighting up her face. \n\nAriel felt her own face melting into a forgotten expression. Her stomach fluttered, and all she wanted to do was reach out and touch her pale face. “Men don’t, but apparently women do.” \n\nThey both laughed and Samantha sat next to her on the firm cushion, taking both hands in her own. “You fool. You had time left on earth,” she said, blinking away a wave of tears.\n\n“I had time away from you,” Ariel argued. “Now, please tell me how I got here?”\n\n\n/r/beezus_writes" ]	4
	[WP]: You have decided to be the one to break the toxic cycle that has been running in your family for generations. Your children WILL NOT become warlocks.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Generation after generation the World has fed from our veins, from the blood of my father, my mother, aunts, uncles, cousins too. Magic is powerful, but not so powerful as the World we live in.\n\nWe are Warlocks, or rather we were. I can no longer abide the path that the Gods have chosen for my family, my heirs. I have a son and a daughter. Beautiful, innocent creatures. They do not deserve the pain that awaits their bloodline, the desolation that practice brings.\n\nThey call it an art, magic, and I suppose to some it is. The ideas that flow freely with the light of the land, summon a phoenix from the ashes of the sun, conjure water from the depths of baron wastelands, raise the dead and heal the living, harness the power of lightening. There isn't a thing that magic cannot do, cannot attain. And yet there is a cost.\n\nMagic is apart of the cycle of life, a war long fought between science and the religion of my people. Yet there is a common cause and effect that neither side can deny. Call it energy, call it magic, call it what you will. There can be no gain without loss.\n\nThere is, you see, a balance to all things, a natural balance that cannot, must not, be disturbed. Where something is created, something else must die. Take the phoenix risen from the ashes of a sun, this is no metaphor, not fancy of words. In order that the phoenix must rise a sun must die, and with it comes the absolute demise of a distant civilisation. Not that we knew, not to begin with, at least.\n\nNow consider the water drawn from baron lands, lands long dry since time lost to legend. That water is not simply drawn from out the air. Once those lands were ripe with greener pastures, once those lands danced around gentle rivers and wide spread lakes. Magic, is what killed the land, and it is magic that will bring it back. One land dies, for another to be born.\n\nRaise the dead, and watch the living die.\n\nHeal the living, and watch their mother, father, daughters or sons suffer the ailment that troubled them. It was my own kind, a Warlock who thought himself a God reborn, that caused what is now known as the Black Death. He sought to rid the world of hunger and disease, yet only served to move such things to plains further afield.\n\nAnd what of lightening? A natural power harnessed from the skies. In order that my kind harness the elements themselves we must first give up a part of who we are. A memory. Some knowledge of the World. There are those that even chose to forgo the physical in aid of power, for what is a limb to the potential of fire, of wind, of water, earth or lightening?\n\nYou see, there is nothing glamorous about being a Warlock. There is no gain in seeking power. We watch our loved ones perish in aid of such things. We only serve to sicken these mortal lands, move magic, or energy, or whatever it may be, from one place to another. What little we might achieve is far outbalanced by what is lost...\n\nAnd yet we cannot help ourselves. It is in our blood, our parenthood, our nature. We do not control the magic that flows within us, the magic controls us. We are vessels, vacant ships thrown asunder by the sea.\n\nI do not mean to bore you with our legacy, nor do I seek forgiveness for what I will do. And know I will do it. I simply wish to help you understand. \n\nSoon we will be at peace. \n\nI shall see again my dearest Evaline, and we will one and all be reunited. \n\nMother, father, daughter, son.\n\nYou may call it what you must, but the fact remains I act from love. \n\nWhat I do, I do for them. \n\nMy children.\n\nTo keep them from a fate far worse than...\n\nLet it not be said, let it just be done.\n\nIt is what comes next that matters most.\n\nMoving on.\n\nFarewell." ]	2
	[WP] Your daughter keeps saying "He's there, you just cant see him." The problem is that you can see them and they seem nice.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"He's there daddy!\" My daughter exclaims, pointing at a rather dapper gentleman. \"You just can't see him, because he's MY imaginary friend!\"\n\nI always humor her when she says this. After all, she's four. I'm not going to shatter that little dream just yet. He's actually rather nice, and we talk often during her naps. I nod to \"Aldsaden\", a butchered pronunciation of his true name, Aladdin. I read the story to her once, and she was captivated. Mere days later, he arrived.\n\nShe trots off to go pester her mother, and Al stands up. \"My friend. It's been six years. How long are you going to do this? You have to find your peace eventually.\" I shake my head. \"I know, Al. I know. It's unhealthy to keep myself in this Groundhog Day, but I just want to know why. How. What could I have done differently?\"\n\nAl nods sagely. \"I understand, my friend. Your loss is a hard one. I will give you one more day with her, but you must let go. Press forward. Reality can be so much more than you have made it.\"\n\n\"One more day, Aladdin. Please.\"\n\nAl summons a little microphone, and speaks into it. \"GENIE, please reset the simulation once more. Authorization code NHAFLM\"." ]	2
	[WP] You’re Superman. You have all the powers - invulnerability, super speed, flight. But, since your powers rely on Earth’s sun, your abilities only work when you’re completely naked. This has led to some...interesting...reactions to people you’ve tried to save...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I eagerly checked the forecast as I rolled out of bed. Rejoice! It was going to be another beautifully sunny day! As usual I immediately stripped out of my Pj's and ran outside. Crisp morning air filled my lungs and as those first marvellous rays of sunshine hit my fully naked body I could feel the power within me growing. I crouched down and pushed off hard from the pavement as my neighbour Dave, freshly brewed coffee in hand, was picking up his morning paper across the street. \"Good luck today Soupy\" I heard him say as I launched myself skyward. \"It's going to be a magnificent day Dave\" I called down to him as I began to level out high above the ground. I glanced down at Dave to no doubt catch him admiring my impressive takeoff, however, Dave had already turned back around and was making his way back inside his house with his morning paper. Dave was suck a prick. I felt the power within my body begin to drain and it was then that I saw it. My most feared enemy. Cloud cover. One big white fluffy bastard had covered the beautiful, beautiful sun. I began to fall, and glancing back down I saw that Dave was watching. NOW HE WAS WATCHING! I hate Dave so much. I impacted the road hard, landing square on my left shoulder and breaking my arm. I could hear Dave take a loooong, deliberately loud sip from his fresh morning coffee. I picked myself up off the road clutching my broken arm and limped back towards my house. \"Ooof that looked like it hurt Soupy!\" Dave called out and I could tell he was holding back laughter from the tremors in his voice. How I would love to shoot lasers out of my eyes at him. Not to hurt him of course but maybe singe his stupid pink dressing gown, causing him to stumble and knock those stupid reading glasses off his stupid face. That would be nice. But alas, the cloud was still covering the sun so perhaps another time." ]	2
	[WP] Your family trades in one thing: napkins. You often get snubbed in high society; but what they don’t realize is that your family has cornered the entire galactic napkin market.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You can tell a lot about a person from the way they dress. In the halls of high society, the way you dress is usually a statement of your wealth. But just like the lowly factory workers or the public-school teachers you can still tell a lot more about a person from the way they dress than how much money they make.\n\nThe Orion Club was a popular hangout for the high falooting of the galaxy. I find myself there often. The company is usually dreadful, but I like hitting on the bartender. After 2 years she still hasn't gone on a date with me. I count her as a friend because of this. She isn't affected by money, and she grounds me to reality when I need it.\n\nShe knows of my gift to ascertain the details of a person's personality based on their clothing. Luckily for me she finds it entertaining. There are many people who might find it nerdy at best. I think she might like my skill because it often brings the high and mighty rich of the galaxy down a peg. Not that I make these assertions to the subject’s face. I might be a little critical and maybe a little bit of an elitist, but I'm not an asshole.\n\nDuring this fine evening of my many failed attempts to woo the bartender, Sir Stewart of Kant decided to take an all too common jab at my family. Being in the napkin trade is seen, by the clear majority of the elites, as something of a joke. I suppose I get the humor, but I don't think I will ever understand the idea of being better than a person based on how they make their living.\n\n\"I seem to have spilled a bit of my drink. Barkeep, could you be a dear and help an old man out?\"\n\nThe bartender handed Sir Asshat a napkin. Her face was the face of a person who has heard an unfunny joke one time too many. He wiped the bar and tossed the crumpled napkin towards me. He pulled out a wad of credits and handed one over to the bartender. He then turned to me and dropped a credit in my drink.\n\n\"I suppose you should get a tip too. Your watch looks like it has a scratch on it. Perhaps you could stop and pick one up at Walmart.\"\n\nWhen I was younger my faced would go red with embarrassment at this kind of treatment. I stopped being embarrassed as I got older, not even with the laughs coming from those present or within earshot of the joke. This time, however, the belittling joke was made in front of a person whose company I valued, even if she was technically supposed to talk to me according to her job description. Thankfully she was quick to rally my spirits. As Sir Stewart walked away chuckling she poured me another drink.\n\n\"What does his clothes say about him?\"\n\n\"His wife's doesn't like him and is having an affair.\"\n\n\"Ha! What? How would you know that?\"\n\n\"Well, he's married to Zena Stewart the fashion designer. His suit is last year's 'in thing.' That means she's sending him out for a little unknown embarrassment amongst the ultra-rich.\"\n\n\"And how do you know she's cheating on him?\"\n\n\"He's wearing clothes made by her biggest competitor. If you met her, you'd know that the only way she would put her husband in a Vera Ces suit was if she was fucking someone in the Vera Ces family.\"\n\n\"And the poor bastard doesn't even know he's wearing a big 'fuck you' suit. That's cold.\"\n\n\"Speaking of poor, he's also not as rich as he's trying to pull off.\"\n\n\"How did you ascertain that Mr. Holmes?\"\n\n\"His watch, my dear Watson. It's a Space Mariner Limited Rolex. Granted, that's a 30,000-credit watch, but a man with the money he pretends to have would be wearing something at least twice as expensive.\"\n\nShe smiled at me and freshend up my drink. She turned and walked towards the other end of the bar to serve a patron who had just sidled up. She glanced back and gave me another smile. This one because she caught me checking out her delightful rear end. It wasn't the first time she caught me. As a man, and with an ass like that, I can guarantee it will not be the last time. After a few minutes she found her way back to me.\n\n“Want another one?”\n\n“No, I’ve got a business engagement I need to attend. Maybe when I’m done you’ll take me up on that date I’ve been trying to get you to go on.”\n\n“I’m sorry, sugar. I only go on dates with men who buy their watches from Walmart.”\n\nHer smile was the greatest thing in the galaxy. It said everything I needed to hear. She gave me a wink and grabbed the tip I had laid on the bar. Walking to the parking lot I wondered if she knew what kind of watch I wore. I may wear cheep shorts and vintage band t-shirts, but when you have the galactic napkin market cornered you wear a 10 million credit watch. I guess that makes me just as douchey as the elitist pricks I hate. That’s probably why she won’t go out with me.\n\nMy driver picked me up at the entrance moments after I exited the club. I climbed into the back seat. I may be douchey and I may have a driver, but I’ll be damned if I make him open the door for me. Once settled into my seat I locked eyes with my driver through the rearview mirror.\n\n“Where to sir?”\n\n“Walmart, my man. Walmart.”\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP]You visited a new antique shop in town and saw a curious item – An old camera. It wasn’t cheap but the workmanship was so fine you had to buy it. You tried it in on pigeons in a nearby park. After the strangely powerful flash, you found out what it can do: Freeze anything in time.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] You are one of the caretakers for the Sword in the Stone. One morning as you arrive on site to begin the usual ritual of who's to come to try and free the sword from the stone you notice something peculiar. The inscription on the blade is on the other side.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "As I pulled my furs around me to try and keep what little of the warmth from the fires inside the castle still lingered, the sun was just finishing its rise over the horizon.\n\nOff in the distance, I could see the line of challengers waiting to try and pull the sword out of the stone. I've been doing this for nigh fifteen years, and no one's come close to doing it. Personally, I imagine there's some sort of nasty trick, and the damn thing is probably fused into the rock so it'll never come out. Turning around to look at the stone, I notice something wrong.\n\nFor all the years I've been doing this, the inscription on the sword has always faced towards the would-be kings. This morning, it's facing away. The heat from the fire is completely gone, and a chill starts to creep up my spine.\n\nAs one of the guards of the stone, I was allowed to try and pull it the very first day, but never since. Dare I try again?\n\nEventually, I decide I must. As I reach out, about to break my oath, I notice something even worse. The edge of the stone is perfectly sharp. When last I saw the stone, the edge had been worn smooth from countless men—and the occasional woman—pushing against it with their legs, trying to gain purchase.\n\nWhat foul sorcery . . . I start to think, when an even worse realization comes over me. The stone stands about two feet high, and is a circle about five feet from end to end. As I walk around, I see the horrible truth. . . . a worn edge. And then Merlin's words come back to me:\n\nThe stone is but the mere top of a column sunk twenty feet into the ground.\n\nThat's the last thought I had before I passed out in shock.\n\n/r/ctpatsfan77" ]	2
	[WP] Visible light is a non-renewable resource and we are quickly running out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was a young boy when the lights started to dwindle. Life was good and colorful. I remember how bright the sun was on a summer’s day. We used to need special glasses to protect our eyes, and to be able to see the world around us. How bright everything could be, and how beautiful the nights were. But that was a long time ago. Those colors started to fade more each day. Some scientists had warned us, but of course we didn’t believe them. How could we, when nothing seemed wrong yet? The process was like watching your own child grow. Mankind doesn’t see changes if those changes are small enough. With the dwindling, it took years for most people to notice. Only when summer started to become as gloomy as winter and when roses had lost their brightness, people started to care. Only when the night sky had turned to complete darkness is when we the panic started. There was nothing we could do about it.\n\nNow, years later, the sun appears in the sky like a small lightbulb tasked with lighting an entire room. It loses power faster each day, and one of these days all light will be gone. We will slowly run out of energy to power our artificial lights. Once we have exhausted our final power reserves, we won’t be able to grow food anymore, and eventually we will be condemned to darkness. Lost in black we will wander, until we either starve or die from unhappiness. This is our fate, and I hope I will be able to remember your face when that day comes.", "“Attention: Daylight will be ending shortly. Prepare yourself for Darkness. Attention: Daylight will be ending shortly.”\n\nThe announcement repeated several times over the announcement speakers throughout the city. Kellin made his way to a guiding bar, one of many throughout the city, and continued his way home. The Daylight was ending sooner than it used to. He stared up into the sky just as the announcement ceased. The sky quickly darkened, until there was nothing. The whole world seemed to be a little quieter in the darkness. Until the announcement took up again.\n\n“Attention: Daylight will be returned in twelve hours. Thank you.”\n\nThe collision nearly drove Kellin to his knees. “Gods be damned! Do you mind if I pass you if you’re just going to stand there?” The voice belonged to a rather exasperated male.\n\n“Uh, yeah. Sure, sorry.” Kellin said as he realized he had stopped moving. The man shifted around Kellin and continued along the guiding bar, grumbling the whole time about people stopping in the dark. His voice was soon lost, and Kellin picked up his pace to make his way home. Stopping at intersections to figure out his way through the braille signs.\n\nIt took a little longer than it would have in light, but Kellin soon arrived at his apartment complex. As he walked down the hall to his apartment, the sounds of fast-moving small feet went roaring past him.\n\n“You’re too slow Ben!” The high-pitched laughter of children reached Kellin’s ears. Children seeming to race in the dark hallways. Kellin quickly found his door and entered before he became collateral damage.\n\nHe set to his usual ritual, starting the stove top to heat his QuickCook meal. Turning the radio onto the news, then relaxing in the recliner while he waited for the meal alarm to go off.\n\nThe radio featured a debate between two hot-tempered people on the use of the blackouts. One seemed to think we should go full blackout and conserve what Daylight we had for emergencies, and the other supported a slower transition, allowing for the people to become accustomed to the night. The same debates happened almost daily now that the blackouts were becoming more common. Kellin just used it as background noise anyway.\n\n“What a stupid idea. Turn the lights off permanently and there will be nothing but panic.” The voice damn near caused Kellin to have a heart attack, rocketing him from the chair and ashamedly causing a yell that bordered on a squeal. “Ah, sorry for the fright, doctor. I should have made myself known earlier.”\n\n“What... are you doing here? Who are you?”\n\n“I’m here because of the results of your research. The results that lost you your job.”\n\n“What happens to my experiment now no longer are because of me. I gave up my right to it. That’s what happens when you get fired.”\n\n“Yes, and that is most unfortunate. I believe with you at the helm of the research, great things could have happened. However, so did the baron. Did you know that the baron has a room of never-ending Daylight in his mansion? Or that his guards are all given mobile Daylight to use when needed?”\n\n“Yes, I do. What of it?”\n\n“Imagine being the person who controls the Daylight. Imagine what people currently pay for it. Or even the things one could do because no one else can see. It’s a powerful image, one the baron doesn’t wish to let go of.”\n\n“What’s this have to do with me? I pose no threat, my experiments failed. Splendidly at that.”\n\n“Correct, doctor. They failed, but not because of you. Here.” A hand reached out and grabbed at Kellin’s arm, pulling his hand face up towards the nameless voice. A ball was placed in his hand, slightly larger than a softball. “Squeeze it.”\n\nKellin did as the voice commanded, tightening his grip on the ball. Rather quickly his eyes began burning. As his eyes slammed shut, Kellin realized what was causing the pain and opened them slowly, staring at the glowing, golden ball in his hand. The room lit up in beautiful golden light. Kellin hadn’t seen the inside of his apartment for months.\n\nThe unnamed man was washed with the light. He had a short uncropped beard. Short, messy black hair. Where his eyes should have been there were only scars. The man must have felt his stare as he shifted uncomfortably.\n\n“There are perks to having been blinded before all this nonsense. Makes the blackouts easier to deal with.” The man said.\n\n“What is this?” Kellin strained to get the words out, his speech having decided to leave him at this moment.\n\n“That’s your work, doctor. The results of your research without sabotage. A new beginning for the people here, if we can get you to replicate it.”\n\n“Replicate it? What are you going to do with it?”\n\n“War, doctor. We’re going to war with the baron, and we’re bringing the light back to the people. You’re the only one who succeeded in creating Daylight, we need you for this. Will you help us to take back the sky?”\n\nKellin stared long at the beautiful light. Everything he had ever dreamed of, and even better. The light seemed to be more beautiful than normal Daylight. How could he ever decline a chance to work with something so amazing.\n\n“Yes. Let us claim the sky again.”" ]	3
	[WP] People have a set amount of words before they die. You figured this out, and never spoke a word since. It’s been 3000 years and you are the most fearsome general in the galaxy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Everyone was quiet when the trumpets stopped and the last soldier took his place. \n\nAs the soldiers await their orders, my second-in-command approached me, but was surprised at my words. \n\n\"My time has come,\" I told him. \n\n\"Pardon?\" he asked, confused.\n\n\"My time has come,\" I repeated, louder so that everyone could hear. \"And you, my friend, shall succeed me.\"\n\nEveryone was surprised. \n\n\"My lord!\" \n\n\"For three millennias, I have commanded armies all across the Galaxy. People feared the very mention of my name,\" I addressed the crowd. \"They feared and saluted at my presence, and they enjoyed the gifts I gave them. But all things come to an end, including me.\"\n\nA few soldiers could be heard sobbing. Most of them were born into my rule, and enjoyed the glory of my empire. For centuries, it's unclear if they loved or feared me, but today, it's clear that they chose both. \n\n\"Soldiers, you and your ancestors fought side-by-side with me, and I will never forget your service. But 3000 years is a long time, and I'm tired. I have decided to rest for an eternity. But that doesn't have to be the end of our Empire, of our family, but rather a new beginning. I love you all, my children!\"\n\nSoldiers cried en masse, and many civilians watching around the galaxy expressed concern through the use of intergalactic media. \n\n\"Farewell,\" I said, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Then two. Then three. Before I knew it, everything was void, and the people cried. ", "Actions speak louder than words, or so they say. And so, all of humanity knows my name. The general. War has changed - as we cannot communicate with others, we control vast mechanical armies through telepathic fields. And I am unrivaled. My battles replay in history classes. I've waged countless wars. My victories have brought humanity to the forefront of all life forms, as well as grown my army beyond any metrics of comparison. As an immortal race who can speak only through our actions, we have quite the aptitude for violence. Thus, we hold absolute rule despite our silence. \n\nSometimes, I like to listen to the voices of my enemies. I'm no sadist, but it's nice to hear something new. It's tragic, but beautiful how fast they talk. Trying to exhaust that which has been saved - voices overwhelmed by their thoughts and words. My dad told me a joke right before he passed. It was some terrible pun. Meanwhile, I've used too many words in my life. To learn. To pray for my own soul, or damn another. The last time someone spoke to me was on my wedding day. I'm blessed to have heard those three words at least once in my life. I just wish she had saved one more. \n\nI have an exit plan though. I was hoping to die in battle, using my last words in the same euphoric frenzy I saw in my enemies. But I'm running out of enemies. Now, I just want things to go back to the way they were. I want humanity to live peacefully and accept their mortality. We aren't cut out for being immortal. And so, today I will break the silence. Every planet will broadcast my message. \n\nAnd so, I make my announcement to the galaxy. \n\n\"I have won every battle in my time. Today is the day I declare a new war. A war against the bindings of silence. Today, I declare war against all those who refuse their voice. You've seen my records. You know my tactics. I wish you luck, or hope you find your voice.\"", "I miss them.\n\nIt’s rough, being quiet. I underestimated how much I used my voice back in BVR. You know, when you stop talking you remember more. I remember earth and its sunny shores and shaded forests. I remember my son playing with his little stuffed toy. I used to play cheetah and antelope with my daughter. After I spent long hours in the lab my wife could kiss me and we’d eat ice cream on the couch until the sun rose. But they realized too little, too late. I wish I could’ve told them sooner. \nI never saw my son grow up to be the lawyer he wanted to be.\nMy daughter never worked at a zoo or wildlife center.\nThey spoke words of thousands, absolute chatterboxes 24/7.\nAnd my wife? \nA writer.\nShe had a way with words. She could twist and mend them to be brilliant poems or books. She spoke magnitudes as a voice for the universe.\nSadly, written words count.\n\nI didn’t want to live this long.\n\nI did my research and spent hours in silence, studying in the lab. I made a breakthrough and told humanity. But at what cost? Streets and roads dropped dead in absolute silence. No happy birthday songs, no music in general. Nobody was brave enough to write it. There were no more movies. All entertainment was cut.\nWe lived in sad, solemn, silence.\n\nThe other worlds were fascinating. \n\nI found new worlds every hour. Circumbinary systems were my favorite, they reminded me of me and my wife, raising our children together. I explored certain areas just because I knew that my wife or children would’ve loved it there. When others questioned my authority I would stop them dead silent with a single glare. \n\nThis letter will end me.\n\nI have served my time and fought my wars. I have taken thousands of steps and mis-steps, hits and misses, leaps and falls. I fought on the right side of the battle.\nAnd the wrong side.\nI could continue this life.\nI could continue to suffer in this painful chasm of memories of the time that I was happy.\n\nHappy.\n\nWhat a strange word.\n\nHappy. \n\nSo similar but so different. \n\nHappy.\n\nMy wife loved that word.\n\nHappy.\n\nSimple. Plain. Beautiful.\n\nHappy.\n\nI haven’t been happy for a long time.\n\nHappy.\n\nI’m coming, Ben\n\nHappy.\n\nI’m coming, Ava\n\nHappy.\n\nI’m coming, Sara", "I'm tired. That's why you're getting this. You have to understand, words are words, whether they're written, or spoken, or even signed. These are the first sentences I've put to paper in a long, long time. Longer than I can remember, actually. This memoir will kill me, and that's alright. I am very, very tired.\n\nThe brains of most sentient species were not built for immortality. Mine's no exception. After a while you just...run out of room for memories. Old ones get discarded or condensed or even outright falsified into something simpler. These days, cybernetics help quite a bit, I can offload a lot of the burden. But most of the early stuff is just lost forever.\n\nI don't even remember learning to dance. That haunts me. I know I must have, and I do remember the planet I'm from, way out in some backwater offshoot of one of the main spiral arms.\n\nBecause that's where the bees are from. I still keep them, and I still remember how. If it's something you do every day, you don't forget it. I can still dance too, of course.\n\nI think I was a biologist of some kind. Studying the communication of non-sapient species, maybe, or at least species we thought were non-sapient at the time. Records are sparse. Some of that's my fault, I'm pretty sure. War is no great friend to collective memory, especially the sort I've waged.\n\nI have so many regrets. They linger, even after the memories to which they were attached have gone. So I suppose I'm not just tired, I'm weary, way down in the soul. There's a difference, as many of you probably already know.\n\nI hope there's no afterlife. If there is, I hope there's not much in the way of justice. I don't think my life could withstand that kind of judgement, even just the parts I remember. It's true we've achieved peace, now. Pax Me. Pat on the back, don't break your arm with your self-congratulation. Heard it all before, inside my head. From some other people, too. They're almost all dead, some natural, most not. I was not born with a high tolerance for dissent, and I'm very sorry.\n\nI'm wandering far afield. The bees. I do still love the bees. All my own generals keep them as well, and their subordinates, on down to where the expense no longer makes sense at the most junior ranks.\n\nThey taught me so much. Not that I remember it happening, just the knowledge. I have some vague picture in my head, seeing them fly back, seeing the way they positioned themselves this way and that inside the hive, like a honeycomb stage. The riveting, complex ways they would tell the others where the nectar is, how to get there, what to do. Simple little brains. I knew I could do even better.\n\nI am the galaxy's greatest master of interpretive dance, and I am very tired.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nr/Magleby for more stories." ]	5
	[WP] You were a nobody 6 weeks ago.. Today you're an unbeaten pokemon trainer and you're about to face off against the Elite Four. Your secret? Your best pokemon is a actually a beat cop from Chicago named Kieth.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Skyler waved goodbye to Nurse Joy as he collected his now famous team of Pokemon. Nurse Joy escorted the anchor of the “Strong Six” from the back of the clinic. Kieth stood tall and foreboding, a former burn victim, his skin was a blueish gray. Tears in his biceps created sharp red lines down his arms.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNurse Joy pursed her lips as he passed by her, casually twirling her hair. “Machoke you later,” Kieth mutters with a wink. Desperately, Skyler hastens the now awkward interaction of leaving. “Thanks again, Nurse Joy, see you around!” Skylar pushes the half-naked Kieth out the door, as a familiar officer lowers her sunglasses to inspect them both. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“You’re gonna give it all up, for a Nurse?!” Skylar puts his palm to his face as the two begin the long hike up Victory Road. Kieth’s smug expression widens,“Let’s just say she gave me a Chansey and I took it.” \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSuddenly music plays as a kid jumps out of the bushes, startling them both. “Haha! We’ve locked eyes now w..” Kieth punches him in the face. The kid spat out blood before falling unconscious.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSkylar begins to hyperventilate, there’s no doubt this challenger DIDN'T hear their conversation. He walks over to check the kid’s pulse, still alive. \n\n“That was hella close! What if he heard you?!” \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Skylar, don’t Ma-shit yourself, he’s alive ain’t he?” \"Shhh!\"\n\nKieth reluctantly plays the part the two of them agreed upon. “Machoke.” \n\n&#x200B;\n\nPoke-Kieth swings the lifeless kid over his shoulder, and lays him sitting against a tree. The several passerby didn’t seem to notice them. Skylar breathes a sigh of relief, “We need that prize money, Uncle Kieth, don’t forget why we’re doing this.” Surgery for mom... Skylar’s grandma was crippled by a Donphan. Those store-bought paralyze heals had no effect on Elephant PTSD.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nKieth loots the kid’s pockets for the unearned prize money before setting off. The other Pokemon in Skylar’s party were there for decoration, Kieth did all the heavy lifting. It was uneasy to see the rage he had boil over on unsuspecting creatures. One trainer had only rock types, prompting Kieth to piss all his PP on a “Water Gun.” Another had bug types, there were no survivors, hopefully the nurse can piece them back together.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThey could make a living off this long-con, simply battling trainers across the Chicago region. Being a 3rd degree burn victim never paid so well. It also had it’s perks having a police force background. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nOfficer Jenny however, was a wrench in their plan, as she’d been tailing them since their 7th gym win. \n\n---\n\nr/jelacour" ]	2
	[WP] After ingesting a rare leaf. A zombie recovers awareness and loses the desire for human flesh. Now he tries to make more zombies eat the leafs to end the apocalypsis. Even risks himself to ask to the human suvirvors for help.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Brains. Meat. Brains and meat. Hungry. Must eat meat. Or brains. Or brains and meat. Must eat. Walk, Walk. So hungry... walk, walk. Must eat. Walk, walk. One foot, then the other, then the other, then the other. Hungry. Must eat. Can’t walk. Can’t stand. Must... eat. Leaf on ground. Must eat meat. Lots of leaf. Must eat brains. Leaf. Or brains, or meat. Leaf everywhere. Must eat. Must eat what again? Leaf. That’s it. Must... eat leaf. Take. Put in mouth. So hungry... chew. Chew more. Swallow. Eat more leaves. Take them. Put them in my mouth. Chew, swallow. They’re not that bad, actually. Eat... more... leaves...\n\nUuuunghh. What... happened? I died. I’m a zombie. Oh god, I’M A ZOMBIE! That’s okay, don’t panic. Get up. Oh, man it feels good to have control over my motor functions again. How long since I died? Doesn’t seem like too long ago, but I’m not trusting a zombie’s perception of time.\n\nJeez, I look horrible. I’m lucky my nervous system is wrecked, I guess. Well... what do I do now? Seek survivors I guess. Hold on, let me see if I can speak.\n\n“Gghhhrghl Brghhghgh Awwbflbfrlrl”\n\nNope. Well, how am I going to make them trust me? Eh, I’ll think of something. Let’s get mov...\n\nHold up. The leaves. They... cured me? Wait, are you serious? I’ve found a cure. HOLY SHIT I FOUND A CURE! Quick, take the leaves! Oh god, I’m missing a lot of fingers. This is hard. Who’d have thought pinkies are so important for grabbing stuff? There, got some. Where to put them?... my backpack! No, that’s long gone. My pockets! No, no pants. Y’know what, I’ll just stuff them inside my ribs. Let them be useful for something. There we go... what’s even keeping me alive, anyway? Actually, no. Don’t know, don’t care, at least not right now. Well, off we go then. Let’s find ourselves some alive humans. Strangely enough, being a zombie is... releasing. Like, I’m super chill right now.\n\nAfter all, what’s the worst that can happen if I’m already dead?", "An arrow shoots through, and sticks half way out of my shoulder. I can feel it. Like a distant echo of a sensation, I feel some semblance of pain, which delights me to no end. I feel a smile form on my ruined face.\n\n\"Is that thing fucking smiling?\" a man's voice shouts from a long distance. \"Look at this thing, it's smiling for fuck's sake. You ever seen that?\"\n\n\"No,\" a female voice responds like an echo of an echo. \"Don't kill it.\"\n\nI finally orientate myself well enough to see where the voices originate from. Much closer than I expected. A woman steps cautiously toward me. Her eyes are primal like a jungle cat.\n\nWith a horse groan I try to tell her what I discovered, and to alert her to the fact that I'm not just a zombie any more. I'm coming back to life. Slowly. But my rotting body only offers her the haunting, unintelligible sound of a walking dead man, which stops her in her tracks and tightens her grip of the crossbow. \n\nI bring my right hand to my face, and pull a single leaf from a clump of wet foliage with my teeth. Leaning my head back slowly, I gingerly finesse the leaf into my mouth and begin to chew. My lips are torn, my tongue paralyzed. I tilt my head from side to side to make chewing possible before finally swallowing the mangled vegetation. \n\n\"What the hell did I just see?\" The man's voice asked, his voice quiet.\n\n\"This one is different. We have to bring it back.\" The woman said. \n\nI smile again. I can only imagine how horrifying that must look to them.\n\nAfter some deliberation the pair of wanderers settle on a method for moving me, and before long I am wrapped in rope and fabric, forced to follow their lead. Unfortunately, they begin walking through the least visible part of the wilderness, where I know there to be a significant horde of zombies waiting for dinner. I try to warn them, but I cannot form the words.\n\nEventually we come to the clearing where a plane had fallen from the sky, giving birth to a litter of dead. Most of the zombies from the plane are too disabled to pose a real threat, but the horde that followed the violent crashing noises was fully capable of surrounding, then tearing apart my new friends. They begin to rage in our direction, clawing through one another with fierceness in their clouded eyes.\n\n\"Move!\" the man shouts. His voice is louder than before.\n\nThe pair reverse course, still pulling me behind them. I stumble and fall. To my surprise I hear a word escape my throat as if from an empty aerosol can.\n\n\"Go.\"\n\n\"Oh my God.\" the woman said flatly.\n\nHer partner bent beside me and lifted me onto his shoulder and pushed remarkably fast through the dense shrubbery. The woman took one shot with her crossbow before following.\n\nGnarly branches whipped at us punishingly as I was carried back to the trail that went around the forest. Once we reached the makeshift road the man stopped, and let me drop like a broom. With a sudden thud all I saw was white noise, then nothing.\n\n---\n\nWhen I came to again, I was in a small room strapped to a chair. A bright light had been directed onto my face. A motor of some kind hummed near by.\n\n\"You have to kill it.\" A new voice barked.\n\n\"It's waking up, just watch.\" the female voice that I had begun to feel an affection for insisted.\n\nBut the voices sounded further away again. And my appetite for the leaf that had been curing me had begun to fade away. I was reverting. I could feel it.\n\nThe man that had carried me from the clearing appeared beside me, with what looked like lettuce in his fingers. He tore it in to smaller bits and gestured with his eyes that he was going to feed them to me. Preoccupied with a growing desire to tear his throat out with my teeth, I was barely able to resist chomping down on his fingers as he put the leaves in my mouth. \n\n\"You have fucking lost it, James.\" the angry man said. At least that's what I think he said. I could barely hear him.\n\nWhen the torn leaves fell to the back of my mouth I felt motivated by something I couldn't identify to swallow them as quickly as possible. As if some small human part of me understood that this was literally my last chance. Right now. \n\nI opened my mouth again after consuming the leaves.\n\n\"What the hell?\" former pessimism in the angry man's voice was replaced by wonder. \"It wants more!\"\n\n\"This is the last of it.\" the man said as he shredded the final leaves into a manageable mouthful. He dropped it into my mouth.\n\n---\n\n\"Wears off. Need more.\" I tried to say.\n\n\"Hesh.. oh... Gnish... Noh\" they heard.\n\n\"He's trying to speak\" the woman said.\n\n\"Bullshit, Scarlett.\" skepticism had returned in the angry man's voice. \"Sounds exactly like the rest of them.\"\n\nI shook my head 'no', but my movements were rigid. Luckily, the woman, Scarlett, noticed.\n\n\"He understood you.\" she said. She wasn't even surprised anymore.\n\nI nodded, I think.\n\n\"He's twitchy, that's all.\" The angry man insisted.\n\n\"You're fucking twitchy, Sorenson.\" Scarlett said as she unstrapped my arm. Sorenson jumped backward in a defensive posture.\n\n\"The fuck are you doing you idiot?\"\n\nScarlett smiled and looked at me again.\n\n\"You know what this means, Sorenson?\"\n\n\"Yeah, it means you're batshit crazy.\"\n\n\"It means there's a cure.\"\n\nIf there was a cure, they'd better synthesize it fast, because I can already feel the effects wearing off.\n\n\"We need to find more of those leaves. Now.\" James said as he came back into the room holding a small piece of paper.\n\n\"This is everything.\"\n\n-----\n\nDoes it need a continuation? ", "He looked his robe, it was the first thing he wore after gaining sentience the first time. It was breazy which he liked. But it has gained many holes dinner he's first dawned it. \"Do you seak scavenge in peace?\" he said to them. Trespassers.\n\n\"Hands up stranger ! And move into the light or you'll loose your life\"\n\n\"Oh I've already lost it once before. And then again, and again, and again\" he said as he obeyed. He stepped into the rubble? in the middle of the room, where the ceiling had collapsed. His scars were now visible. His scarred skin visible. And behind a thick metal helmet his eyes were visible. And those eyes. The glazed eyes of the dead.\n\n\"wwww.... WHAT ARE YOU?\" One of the Intruders squealed from the back\n\n\"Very simple. I'm a zombie\"\n\nAs soon as he uttered those words a shotgun blast good his chest throwing him in the floor.\n\n\"Why'd you do that John? Fuckin trigger happy\"\n\n\"Like you weren't thinking it. He's deranged and had it coming. Now let's loot the place and head out, this place is giving me the creeps\"\n\n\"My my\" they heard from the far corner \"is that how you kill a zombie. Aim for the head next time.\" He said standing up. \"Now then Connie, would you be so kind to help these individuals initiate\"\n\nA squeak of metal in metal was heard from above. And through the ceiling hole a dozen zombies dropped and attacked the trespasers\n\n\"What you folks have to understand\" he said during the insuing battle \" is that humanity is fragile. You get sick, grow old, and die. While we persist. So why not join us\"\n\nAs the trespasers were being turned, the youngest of them. Two teenagers were meerly stripped of their weapons and subdued.\n\n\"And you young ones will have to wait. Seeing as you haven't matured fully yet.\nTAKE THEM TO THE PENS\"", "Day 72, 07/21 \n\n\n\nIt’s useless. I’m useless.\n\nI can barely even use my fingers to write any more. They’re so rotten and twisted. It doesn’t hurt now, though. I think I’m way past that. I used to believe finding that damned herb was a miracle, an omen of salvation. Now I just wish I had carried on my way, like a mindless husk. \n\nThe other ones with the plague, I tried helping them, but they simply don’t care. Other humans, I’ve been wanting to aid them, but my vocal chords are too putrid to do anything other than groan. Christ, I can’t even eat anything. My damn stomach apparently adapted to the plague too, I just throw up anything I eat that isn’t meaty. My pace is slow, and my breaths slower. Whenever I grab the pencil again my fingernails break, my calloused skin rips apart, I bleed over the paper and start all over again. \n\nI have salvation on my palms.\nIt’s right on me. \nIt aches me, more than any wound or infection I could get. \nI’m useless. It’s all useless. \n\nI don’t think this paper even makes any sense to anyone but me at this point, it’s just a bunch of smudges. I’m trapped, in the rotten carcass of a very alive mind. \nI’m useless, it’s all useless.\n\nI have no mouth, and I must scream. " ]	5
	[WP] The ritual is complete and the ancient one rises from the portal. "I have awaken to bring upon this wo... Tim?", his voice switching from determined to annoyed: "We've been through this, Tim!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I know I know!\" Hurrying out the words acknowledging his complaints I wave my hands to try and stop him before the rant. \n\n\"I know you wanted some space after the last adventure but I just thought you might be interested in this new one I got cooking up.\" I give him a toothy grin to show him how excited I am about this new chance for us to hang out. \n\n\"Tim, by cooking up do you mean another new chili recipe again?\" Wow, he remembers! I blush a bit as I remember the time he went to the store with me to pick out the right peppers and choose the right cut of meat. \n\n\nIt was a pretty good chili too. I mean it won honorable mention at the work outing and only cost me 27 bucks at the store along with a pint of blood to sacrifice to bring the ancient one up. \"No silly! I was thinking we could open a store together. I have been getting really into single speed bicycles lately and I think my town is ready for a bike shop. You in?\"\n\n\nMr. One shakes his head a bit as his clawed fingers rub his forehead. I grab my resume to show him why I would be a good business partner. His free hand takes it and starts to dart his eyes over the words. Hopefully he sees the seriousness in my choice in Times New Roman and arty bullet point thingys. \n\n\n\"What could I even do? Do you want seed money or something? It isn't like I can split hours with you working the front desk Tim.\"\n\n\n\n\"Well, I remember you saying something about zealous acolytes when I summoned you to watch the game a couple of years ago. Think they would be interested in working for a reasonable wage?\"\n\n\n\n\"You want me to get the people who sacrifice animals in my name to work in your single speed bicycle shop Tim?\" Good he understands exactly! I knew he would see the vision.\n\n\n\n\"Yep! Let them know I will be getting medical benefits and after a couple of months hopefully a really sweet 401K plan.\"", "Tim sank to the floor, exhausted. He looked up through the billowing red smoke at the clearly exasperated demon, who was rolling his eyes as he tugged his leathery tail free of the slowly receding portal, They stared at one another for a moment. Tim frowned and shrugged. \n\n“I’m lonely.” He looked back at the floor, and his hand hovered over the line of salt enclosing the demon. He didn’t touch it.\n\nThe demon’s eyes widened a bit at Tim’s gesture, then he sat down with a loud thump in the middle of the circle. He rolled his eyes again and sighed. \n\n“Tim. I can’t possibly be your only friend.” He dragged a claw across the blood-soaked stone floor. He sniffed his claw. Goat. He looked around.\n\nTim nodded. “Actually, you are.” He looked sadly away. The hood of his cloak dropped off his head.\n\n“You got a haircut.” The demon spotted the little goat that Tim had so carefully sacrificed and dragged to a place in front of himself. There was nothing else to do, really. He posed its little legs so it appeared to be dancing. His yellow eyes looked tired.\n\n“I did. My colleague at work said I should. Is it good?”\n\nThe demon nodded. “Yeah Tim. It’s good. But you need to know something.” He rubbed his head, scratching absently at the base of one horn as he spoke. “That colleague. Her name is Sadie, isn’t it?”\n\nTim looked up. “Y-yeah? Yes, I mean. That’s her name.” He looked nervous. The demon smiled, revealing his long, sharp teeth. It looked really terrifying, but it was the nicest face he knew how to make. Tim swallowed hard, trying to make eye contact. He visibly winced upon seeing the smile. The demon stopped. He sighed again.\n\n“I have something to tell you.” The demon waved a hand over the dead goat as he spoke, and a tiny top hat appeared on its dead head. “Sadie is madly in love with you.” He conjured a little tuxedo onto the goat. \n\nTim looked confused. “What? She is?”\n\nThe demon stood up, and wiggled his long fingers in the air in front of himself. The goat began to dance like a marionette. He smiled, pleased with himself. “Yes. She loves you. She’s a far better friend choice for you–“ he paused and made the goat do some particularly silly dance moves, ending in jazz hooves as he spoke again– “and she will do some pretty exciting stuff with you.” He stared at Tim. “Exciting for humans, I mean.” He winked. \n\nTim tossed his cloak off and ran to the sink to wash his hands. “Wow, wow. I have to go see her.” He began to rush around. “Can you just wait here? I mean, you have to, but do you mind waiting for me? I mean in case it doesn’t go well?” He looked sad again.\n\nThe demon waved at him. “It’s fine, it’s fine Tim. I’m not supposed to help with these things, really, but I guess being summoned seventy-two times has made me a little fond of you. I will wait this one last time, but if it goes well, you must stop calling on me. Agreed?” The goat was doing the can-can. Tim didn’t even notice.\n\n“Yes! Yes absolutely! I’ll just go see her! I’ll be right back, as soon as I can!” He was tying his sneakers at the bottom of the basement stairs.\n\n“Tim, you forgot your glasses,” The demon pointed to a pair of thick-framed black glasses on a shelf near himself. The goat stopped dancing and pointed to them as well.\n\nTim dashed across the room and slapped his glasses on his face, then laughed. “I’ve got my contacts on still!” He tossed his glasses back on the shelf and ran out, up the stairs.\n\nThe basement was silent. The demon looked at the goat, then to a large gap in the salt circle that Tim had made when he ran back for his glasses. \n\nThe demon smiled. Tim was the best friend he ever had." ]	3
	[WP] You, a ghost, must team up with your recently-risen, zombie corpse in order to complete your unfinished business.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "With my feet free from the ground, I roam around the cemetery. I've done this for hundreds of years, and today is no different. I'm simultaneously comforted by the peace present here and longing for something new. The world outside here seems interesting, people talking to each other and interacting in all sorts of ways, all able to tell each other how they feel. It's fun observing from a distance. Although I wonder what lies beyond my sight, I also wonder if there's a reason why I'm stuck here. If something out there keeps me in, what will it do if I get out? And if the world out there isn't as good as I thought it would be, would I ever be able to return. \n\nThese thoughts aren't new, they've gone through years of processing, yet I still don't know the answer. Continuing my routine, I do the same thing I do all the time. I read the names of every grave, seeing who lies below. Pictures, movement, and music fill my mind as I imagine what the lives of all these people were. In my mind, I like to think that everyone here lived a good life, but I'm not certain that's true, which make me tear up sometimes. Anyways, passing over all the graves, I reach a new one. Yesterday, there were sobs and frowns, all around this grave. I saw the sorrow and depression being worn on all the attendants. Like every funeral here, I listened in, trying to learn all about who would come to lay here. That time, I noticed one particular man, among all the others. He displayed a aura of anger, fists clenched and sudden swings in the air. Then, I heard him say \"Damn it. I'll bring whatever bastard responsible for this down to hell.\" His voice was deep and fierce, and I knew what had happened to whoever lied here.\n\nLowering down to the ground, I put myself closer to the grave, staying there for longer than I had the other graves. Suddenly, I hear bangs and clanging from under the ground. There's the sound of wood breaking, and hands digging through the dirt. Immediately, I move back at a quick pace. I prepare to fling myself the other direction, but I can't help to hang on to my curiosity. From the surface, rises fingers, then an entire arm, and an arm. I back up, but not by an appreciable amount. Finally, an entire body is above ground. \n\nIt's been only slightly under 48 hours, but his body has already been deformed. The skin, rotten and torn while one eye popped out from its socket. An abundance of thoughts fill my mind, but they are interrupted by the his gaze. His eyes had turned from his own hands to my eyes, and he began to speak, all in a slow, dark, and solemn way.\n\n\"What? Who?\"\n\nI can tell he's confused, and I don't blame him. I can't remember much of my past. Most of my mind has been filled with the scenery of this cemetery, but I know that I was once like everyone else. I can't remember who I was, no matter how much I try and reflect on it. I also realize he's not the only one that's confused, as I wonder why he's the only one who can see me.\n\nLetting out my voice, I try and communicate with him. \"You're alive, and you can see me?\"\n\nHe nods his head, and then turns all around him. His feet begin to move, although in sluggish movement.\" \n\n\"Hey, wait, where are you going.\" I ask.\n\n\"Stuff to do.\" He says, mumbling.\n\n\"Wait, what if people see you?\" I worry about how the situation would be handled if people were too suddenly catch a glimpse of the dead walking. Unlike me, he leaves footsteps in the grass, letting me know that he can interact with this world.\n\nHis head turns in curiosity. \"You?\"\n\nI think that's his way of asking who I am. \"Me? Oh, I'm a ghost. I can't really tell you my name because I don't really know.\" It's true. I probably know more about the people I observe than myself. \"Come on, let me grab you a mask.\" I immediately know that he wants to get out of this area, just like me. Unlike me, however, he can actually do that. I think I feel something special about getting to help him. That's why I want to get him something to cover his face. The device I see every Halloween, and one that had been left here from that day. It's something that can help you live life as someone else.\n\n\"Dead.\" He says.\n\nHe's staring right into his hands again. Both him and I are dead, yet alive in two different ways. I can't tell him anything, before he starts following me, looking for the mask. I lead him to it, a mask of a superhero. It's like a technologically advanced knight helmet is what it appears to be. Immediately, he puts it on and heads towards an exit. \n\nI follow him, and my mind is once again filled with thoughts. If we are both dead, why have we been reborn in such different ways? Then, I begin to form an idea from all the small pieces. From the start, he had recognized himself, and told me that he had stuff to do. I, however, didn't know who I was nor felt any purpose. Perhaps his physical capabilities were brought upon his goal. That would mean, that I had died without a purpose, at least, that's how it seems. \n\nEventually, we reach the exit. Before he makes it out, he comes to a sudden halt, and turns to me. \"Come with?\" He asks. I look back at him with a melancholy gaze.\n\n\"Not me, I can't go there.\" I tell him.\n\nHe walks forward, wondering what would be stopping me. \"Nothing here.\" He states.\n\n\"No, you can, I c...\" I begin, moving towards him, expecting to show him that there lies a resistance between me and his world. Amazingly, I'm wrong, and I move past the barrier.\n\n\"See. Let's go.\" He says, motioning his hand towards himself. \n\nI think I have found a purpose that can free me. Finally, I'm free to see a day where I have more than one choice at my hand. ", "What is that? Its bright, I can't see anything. A loud sound, like an explosion rings in my head. Ah, so bright. Where am I? The light fades and between the towers of black is a line of running white. Clouds! Rolling over I tried my best to stand, bumping something.\n\nA person? \"Is that me?\" I screamed. Sure enough there I was, staring back- at me, lifeless. I places my hands, on myself panicking. A seepage of red pooled under my hand. \"Ah what the fuck is that?!\" I cried pulling away.\n\nI checked my hand to see if I'd gotten any on me. Nope, and my hand is transparent... Hold up. I swung my hand around, swiping it through the nearby wall. \"I'm a friggin ghost! Okay, okay slap yourself in the face right? That's what your supposed to do right?\"\n\nMy body, the one will a hole in its chest sat up suddenly. \"Fuck!\" I cried swinging at it. Contact! It, I, collapsed into the ground.\n\n\"Urgh.\" I, it, whatever was making noise. Pulling itself along by one hand it moved towards the dumpster.\n\n\"Hey! Where the fuck you think you're goin?\" I walked, rather floated, that's cool, over. I didn't seem to notice me. Opening the lid it began rummaging inside. \"Hey what're you doing there? That's nasty, stop it.\" With a triumphant grunt my body hauled out a hunk of something nasty and red. With a wide gape I quickly realized where this was going. \"Wait no, don't do that.\" It bit into the chunk. \"Nah, man that's- oh god I wish I could hurl. Stop it!\" I slapped my hand forcing me to drop the meat.\n\n\"Urng.\" Complaining I, it raises its hands in anger.\n\nMy now lifted shirt reaveled a gaping hole in my body's chest. \"Wha dafuq? Hey put your, my, our hands down.\"\n\nDid I die? Well obviously I died, but what the hell? \"Hey,\" I snapped my fingers, \"can you hear me, see me?\" The body's eyes seemed to focus on me. \"Good. So I assume your a zombie, based on that nasty shit you just pulled. So I'm gonna be the brains-\" The sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention. \"Shit, what do we do?\"\n\n\"Urg?\"\n\n\"Right, your braindead.\" Umm, oh! Ghosts can possess people right? \"Alright, it's my body this should be easy.\" Its weird, like walking through a magic portal then slipping on your uniform in the morning. Okay, maybe nobody knows what that feels like. Just as I felt my hands react to my moving the approaching people crossed by the alley. I turned away from them and leaned nonchalantly on the wall.\n\n\"Oh my god, he's got blood on his coat.\" I heard one of them whisper.\n\n\"Do we call the cops?\" The other one suggested.\n\nI quickly reach around to my back and found a wet sticky mess. \"Shit!\" The words escaped my know working throat. I took a step, awkwardly, I felt like a drunk toddler. \"Fix your ankle you fuck.\" I whispered. \"We are so suspicious.\"\n\n\"Unnrg.\" I rumbled.\n\n\"What the hell? Hey none of that now, I'm in control.\"\n\n\"Urrg.\"\n\n\"Un-uh I ain't eatin that shit, I'm a ghost I ain't gotta eat. I don't think.\"\n\n\"Urrg.\"\n\n\"Listen!\" I stopped and leaned against the wall. \"We gotta find out what the hell happened to us.\"\n\nJust then something pushed against my back, and the distinct sound of a gun being loaded. \"Hey ain't you supposed to be dead?\"\n\n_\n\nr/theoreticalfictions" ]	3
	[WP] The closet door opens, revealing a room that's never been there. Its tempting to explore, but the horrible sounds coming from it have you frozen in bed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nThe room was warm. Even in winter, the room was hotter than normal. Eric tossed and turned, half-awake, the blankets pushed down past the tips of his toes. \n\nThe ceiling fan was running full blast, but the hair still stuck to his head. He’d already laid his alarm clock face down to avoid the bright lights. He rolled often. \n\nThe creak of the closet door was enough to wake him. Blearily he lifted his head as his brain caught up to understand the noise his ears heard. \n\nThat would have been the end of it except for a small noise. It faded and grew, like a strange doppler effect coming through the doorway. It was crying.\n\nEric lifted his head more squinted at the closet. There was a glow. Just enough to give outlines to shapes inside his closet. There should have been clothes in there, and an old hockey stick from two years ago when he still played hockey in grade six. But instead, he saw rectangles, inside a vast space.\n\nHe sat up in bed, looking around his room, tilting his clock back up to see better. Everything was normal, except for the crying, and the dark hole in his closet door. \n\nHe stayed in bed for several minutes, staring at the closet. He wanted to yell for his mother, but the crying kept him to afraid to make noise. For a 13 year old, he wished he was braver. \n\nThe crying hadn’t stopped. Slowly, Eric sat up. He quietly crawled over his bed to the foot, hoping to reach out and shut the door without stepping on the floor. It was just a little too far away, but as he stared through the doorway he saw something familiar. \n\nEyes locked on the closet, he crept towards the lightswitch. It was between his closet door and bedroom door. He flicked it on. \n\nOn the other side of the closet door was his room. Almost perfectly. The bed was under the window, dresser on one side, the desk on the other. There were the same posters on the wall, and some of his old toys on the dresser. The bed was made, and the sheets were different, but everything looked the same. The bulletin board was empty in the opposite room. Behind him, his board had the photos of his friends, his last test, and two news clippings. “Tragic Accident,” and “Miracle Boy.” \n\nThe room across felt comfortable, familiar. Of course it was unsettling, especially with the sobbing. but it was his room over there. It felt right. It felt comfortable. As though he’d slept there before. He stepped through the closet.\n\nHe stared around the room. First, he crossed the room raising the blinds to look out the window. The same tree in the backyard, the neighbour’s pool… He turned the light on in this room. He opened the drawers, noting the nicely folded clothes. They were T-shirts from two years ago. The desk was the same, with most of the stuff in his drawers. He pulled a few pencils out. \n\nThe crying stopped. He heard a creak through the wall. The sound of footsteps. Eric looked wide-eyed at the door that led to the hallway, seeing the light come on in the hall. \n\nHe rushed through the closet door, frantically shutting the light off as he did. On both sides. \n\nThe feet were still coming down the hallway. It had a strange, reverbated noise, and it took him a moment to realize it was happening on both sides of the door. He heard the door opening in a strange stereo. In the room he was in, he saw his mother framed in the door. Through his closet door, he saw her shadow cast by the hallway light into the opposite room. The mom standing in from of him absentmindedly reached over and shut the closet door, while rubbing her eyes, half asleep. \n“You okay?” She asked. She leaned against the door post. \n\nEric’s throat was suddendly very dry. He noticed the warble as he tried to say, “Closet.”\n\n“Hunh?” she murmered, stifling a yawn. \n\n“I was looking in my closet.” \n\n“Oh, Sorry.” She reached a hand over and opened it back up. \n\nIt was full of clothes, and a hockey stick. \n\nEric looked at her, and then at the closet. “Uhh. Sorry I’m just having trouble sleeping.” \n\nA toilet flushed down the hall. “Everything ok?” came his father’s voice down the hall. \n\nHis mother leaned her head into the hallway. “I think it’s too warm, Mark. Eric was sleepwalking again.” \n\n“Oh, yeah,” came the voice down the hallway. “Open the windows. I’ll do Sarah’s and our room.” \n\nEric’s mom stepped into his room to open the window. “Every once and a while, we find you wandering around. It’s no big deal. We usually just tuck you back in.”\n\n“Really?” He watched her as she raised the blinds over his bed and cracked the window. “I’ve done it before?” \n\n“Every once and a while, especially right after the accident. Remember?”\n\nEric felt coldness on his neck. “That’s how you found me?”\n\n“Yep. Right there, half awake, standing in the middle of the room. They say you must never have gotten on the plane with the team. It was a clerical error or something. We don’t even know how you made it home. We just called it a miracle.” \n\nEric sat quietly, and looked back at his closet. His mom tucked him back in and left, shutting the door behind her. \n\nEric waited until she was gone and back in bed. Then, quietly, carefully, he crept towards the closet door, and shut it. Then he sat back on his bed, keeping his eyes on the door. \n\n\\+++++\n\nRebecca stood in the doorway of her son’s room. Her hand was over her mouth. “Mark!” she was trying not to yell in the middle of the night, but it was hard not to. \n\nHer husband came out of the bathroom. He was staring at her, his eyes wide. “No,” he whispered, striding down the hall. \n\n“Look.” She gestured, “Look.” \n\nMark rushed into the room, taking in the opened drawers, the turned toys, the raised blind. “Did he take anything? Is there a note?” \n\nTears were forming in Rebecca’s eyes. “We don’t even know it’s him.” \n\n“Maybe he’s hiding.” Mark threw the closet door open with a bang, reaching through and around the boxes jammed into the small space. All the newspaper clippings, the missing flyers, the search team files, and reminders too painful to keep in the rest of the house. \n\nHe squatted down and leaned against the boxes, gritting his teeth.\n\n“Why?” he sobbed. “Why is he doing this?” \n\nRebecca’s hand rested gently on his shoulder. It was a kind but gentle pull, leading him to their missing son’s bed. They sat staring at the empty closet, praying for an answer. \n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] You fell in love with Chicago’s grim reaper so you become an emergency room doctor to see him/her more often. Your coworkers are concerned because you smile every time someone dies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. 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Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The sound of the heart monitor flatlining, the tension that fills the room and the disbelief in the doctors eyes. For you my love, I will suffer through it all just to feel the raven black silk robe fall through my hands as I try to clutch on to it. Even if its just for a second, the sight of your hollow eyes brings warmth to my life. The sound of a flatline has become a melody to me, a soothing song that puts me at ease, because I know that I get to witness your beauty everytime. The way you place me beneath your notice makes me crave you more.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThey all look at me as though I'm crazy, but they do not know of beauty beyond the human realm. They've all noticed my lack of effort, for that reason my only window to you has been stripped away. Those monsters, they do not understand, they never will! My life is bitter without you, how could they strip away such beauty? It doesn't matter anymore, to see you again, I will do anything.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNot even the cries of my dear neighbour will stop me, it's time for us to meet again. Only this time, there will be no melody.", "As the director of a Chicago ED, I've seen a lot of crazies in my day and most of them are the ones holding the scalpel. People have this notion that doctors are great people, that they do what they do to help others , to make the world a better place. In all reality most of the best doctors, the true geniuses in their respective fields, are in it for themselves.\n\n\nSublimation its called, Freud put a name on it buts its always been around. The boy that likes to cut people grows up to be a surgeon, the kid that gets off on being choked joining a jiu jitsu gym, the weirdo that loves death owning a funeral home. Socially acceptable ways to live and still fulfill their strange fantasies. \n\n\nMost of the time there isn't a problem, if the work is getting done I don't care if you have to change your underwear after every gunshot wound, as long as the patient is taken care of and our numbers are up you can have your sick internal joy. But every once in awhile we get the ones that can't internalize it. Usually it starts with smiling. A car wreck full of teens and nothing but smiles. The easiest solution is to pull them aside, tell them to watch their emotions and wear a mask if they can't contain it. But I saw his smile, a smile I've seen before. Death starts of as a competitor that they have to beat, only to turn into a longing. Not the smile of perverted release but instead of actual love, or the closest they can come to it. \n\n\nI had to pull him aside before it got out of hand. First the seeming mistakes, a physician pushed to the edge, lack of sleep, lack of food, not taking enough time off. Then you notice subtle things, monitors being turned off, med errors that should have been caught. All of a sudden the deaths come far more then they should, that massive MI in an elderly overweight man that doesn't seem out of place, until you notice the IV potassium keeps being out of count on certain shifts.\n \n\nHe wanted her for himself. It wasn't the deaths that I had to stop, it was the smile. That smile was the same I see in the mirror as his blood pools at my feet. The smile I see in myself when she comes for him. She comes for them all but no one can have her but me, this is my ED and I loved her first. \n\n(So this isn't great but I couldn't get the idea of the director being the gatekeeper to the crazy docs when he really was the mad one out of my head. I enjoyed the prompt so I thought I'd throw something in.)", "I’m in love with Death. There. I said it. Not the petty thing we mortals fear, but the capital d, the man himself, Shinigami, Thanatos, Death. With. A. Capital. D. Show some respect - trust me when I tell you it’s the absolute last first impression you want to bungle.\n\nMy one-sided love affair began when I first saw Him take someone. I’d never seen death before - I was petrified, terrified, scared to look but unable to take my eyes away - but then I saw Him. I looked around in confusion. Why were all the emergency workers ignoring the cloaked figure standing next to the man in the road? As the figure gazed at the soon-to-be corpse, I saw a bright light emerge from it. Death wasn’t angry or vengeful - his sad, slumped shoulders told me he was carrying out a responsibility he had no desire to fulfill. He threw a glance in my direction, and disappeared as mysteriously as he had come.\n\nFrom that day, I was driven and disturbed. I just - had to see him again. From that day, I focused on school, yearning to become a doctor so that I could see him not just once, but as often as possible. \n\nI did my best to save my patients, but I couldn’t help let the tiniest of smiles show itself on the corner of my mouth when a patient slipped away. I wasn’t glad that they were gone, but that my moment was coming sooner. Every death reminded me of my own mortality and I loved it. And I know for certain that I won’t have to hide an ear-to-ear grin when my turn with Death finally comes.", "There she was, leaning against the blueish tiles of the room, without the shadow that the lamp should've been projecting while directed there. While my body was facing the table, my face and my gaze were fixated on those dark eyes of her. She looked at me without showing much of an expression, but then she slowly shifted her dark lips toward a smile, with a smiling crease forming on her grayish cheek.\n\nThat smile seemed so innocent and earnest to me, I couldn't help but smile back at her. I felt like there was an immense universe behind those eyes. They must have seen many lives be born and wither, their petals slowly torn off and let to fly away, never to return, while their children bloomed, and cried at their bedside. But what I saw within them was a whole universe of its own, full of stars, full of thoughts. \nIn another plane, a dimension different from the one we are stuck in, to live only of our senses, she was maybe normal, not extraordinary. But to me she was that and more, and I wanted to make her part of my own life. \nI wanted her to be normality, and I wanted for her to think the same of me as well.\n\nA sort of muffled thump interrupted my thoughts then, bringing me back to that reality I had managed to seclude myself from. My colleague, Stewart, was putting a hand on my shoulder, looking at me with wide eyes, wanting me to shift my attention to the patient on the bed. His heart had simply stopped. We had tried for various minutes to minimize the damage, but there wouldn't be much to do about it in the first place: when he came in, I knew already that it would be another chance of seeing her. That a life was slipping by my hand, that I would not have felt bad as I used to again, those were changes that easily rooted within me. \n It's weird, how easy we tend to adapt and accept what once used to be abhorrent. \nBut I always wanted to keep them alive, to never truly die. I always did my best.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI turned in a single motion to the patient and prepared the injection of vasopressin, before indicating to Stewart the defibrillator. He shouted words to the rest of the staff present in the room, but at that point I couldn't make them out anymore: they became muffled again, silenced by looking at the man's face, but knowingly thinking my eyes' blind spots were hiding the figure I longed to see once more.\n\nFifteen seconds had passed when he looked at me. \nFifty when the defibrillator was ready to be used. \nOne minute and two when I raised my hand, ready to lower them down again, the devices still firmly grasped. \nI considered how he didn't see me smile this time, yet I kept smiling many other times. Some thought it was sadness at first, a way of coping with the loss by reacting in a nervous way, like with a nervous laughter. \nOthers found it quite creepy. It was for them an act simply unwelcome in a place where life and death could make the difference in someone's existence, be it the relatives of those that died, or the staff that tried all they could to prevent the worst from happening. But the truth is that there were always those that would not really care about it any longer: you see death everyday, you get used to it. One is lost, one is saved, the next is on its way. \nSome of their behaviour made me wonder if they were really uncaring since the beginning. \nI remember one female nurse that asked to play a game on my smartphone had recorded the sound of a heart not responding as a tone; a loud, slightly schreeching flatline that was probably damaging the speaker of my phone when played at high volumes. \n\"So that you can get off in your own home. That's why you keep smiling whenever they die, isn't it? Necrophiliac.\" \n\n\nShe wasn't there that night. Stewart was there with me, and he had always been more inquisitive, yet showing much more sensitivity about me. I was doing my best, and that was what mattered. I was a person \"honest and overall good at heart\", as he would tell me when accompanying him to drink. But the 'issue' did unsettle him too. \nIt's difficult to clarify in the first place: how do you exactly explain the one being that could make you smile and make your heart beat so fast appeared only when the heart of someone else felt silent? \nBut I am losing concentration. One minute and thirty-five, the body jumps in retaliation from the shock.\n\nAnd then I couldn't help but look at her once more, turning around, with sweat on my forehead, my eyes tiredly looking for hers. She had stopped smiling, and didn't do it again when our gaze met. I think she realized my thoughts. \n\n\n\"I would have preferred for you to stay, but it seems you have to go.\" \n\n\nMy words took aback the other nurse readying another syringe, and Stewart himself had his eyes wide once more, his veins becoming so large I wondered if his face would be the next one I would have looked at vertically from above. Two minutes and thirteen, I shove the defibrillator into Stewart's chest, put my arms firmly on the patient's upper torso, and simply yell \"Epinephrine\". It's like I could feel his heart being nothing but a dead weight, which I kept trying to wake up like an animal that was desirous of nothing more than sleeping. I focused myself on the patient, and the surrounding became dimmed once more. For a second, I wondered if they injected the adrenaline to me instead of the patient. \nIt felt like I could even communicate with her, for once. I was thinking aloud. \n\"You appeared too quickly this time. It's Asystole.\" \nBut there was no response. \nYet I felt like continuing \n\"I could have done nothing and it would have been another facilitated encounter.\" \nOnce more, I pressed his chest, firmly, repeating again and again. The minutes were reaching the number four, a number of death in some cultures. \n\"But I really can't bring myself to let someone die so easily.\" \nA tiny movement of his lips, a tenuous feeling in his chest. I stopped pressing down. \nAs I was about to stood up from him, I could see her again, to my left side, so close to me. \n\"That's what I like about you.\" \nAs her figure faded quickly, an afterimage of a smile she left was impressed in my eyes. \nI stood there looking in her direction, while the nurses were already preparing the second injection, to be done after 5 minutes. Reality settled in again, and they were talking about what I said. \nIt seems that I ended up mentioning it was Asystole, and surely the rest, aloud. \nI felt a familiar hand on my shoulder, and saw Stewart's face smiling at mine before heading for the exit, shaking his head. At least he got used to it, even if it still makes him uncomfortable and lose his calm when it happens. \nBut how could I blame him? It's a matter of life and death after all. \n\"Oh God, tell me how he's doing. Please, save him, he's my world, I should have never disowned him! I will improve myself, I will change, just-\" \nThe door shut close, and I turned to look at the patient. I will do my best to ensure he will wake up, and talk to his father again. I think he needs to know, even if he has little to live, that he is cared for.\n\nIt's important to know that you have worth in this world. \nAnd I smiled: a genuine smile, brighter than the others. \nShe acknowledged me this time.", "“Why do you smile so often? Kind of morbid, don’t you think?” Teddy raised an eyebrow at me as he began to clean the bed out. The corpse had been removed; Mr. Lopez had died, living a long life of 88 years and allowing himself to pass peacefully.\n\nI shrugged, “I like to think that someone is waiting for them on the other side - you know, like a long-awaited reunion.”\n\nI always await the reunion.\n\nTeddy gave a crooked smile as he shook his head. He began taking the sheets off the bed and whispered, “You are a weird one, Cora.” He walked out the room smoothly, and I leaned against the counter, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the edge.\n\n“You all done with your business?” I whispered.\n\nA figure stepped from the shadowed corner of the room. His hair was a touseled, deep red, and his eyes were a light brown. Though, I swore they changed colors. He looked as though he had galaxies dancing within his pupils.\n\n“Ignacio Luís Chuy Lopez. 88 years old. Peaceful death. He’s with his wife, and his dogs, now.” His voice vibrated my skull even though he barely spoke.\n\n“It’s nice to know he’s happy,” I smiled sadly.\n\n“Are you, Cora?” He took a step closer to me. His eyes were a swirling black pool, now. I knew they changed colors.\n\n“I’m happy when I see you, Grim,” I slowly reached for his hand, and he took it tenderly. For a grim reaper, his hands were soft, and inviting.\n\nHe gave a small frown, “I’m only happy when I see you, too.”\n\nI was silent. I didn’t know what to say.\n\n“Kiss me, Cora. If you kiss me, we can be together,” Grim seemed to plead with me. He gripped both my hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze, “I told you to think about it.. Have you?”\n\nI looked down.\n\n“Death is terrifying, Grim...”\n\nIt was his turn to be silent.\n\nI squeezed his hands, “But if death means a new life with you... Then I’ll do it.”\n\nGrim looked up, his eyes bright and exploding with blues and yellows. It reminded me of Van Gogh. “Really?”\n\nI laughed, “Of course, silly.”\n\nHe hesitated, then slowly leaned towards me.\n\nHis kiss felt like fire.\n\nMy death felt like nothing.\n\nMy new life with him felt like perfection.", "I had a feeling for my entire life that my special someone would be weird. I mean, it was true, but he was so much weirder than I thought. And I like it that way.\n\n\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\n\nFlatline. \"He's dying!\" They grabbed the defibrillator, and tried their best to revive him, but nothing worked. My heart sank. It was the first time that someone died right in front of me. All of a sudden, everyone around me froze. Complete silence. Then, I heard footsteps. A guy in a black hoodie appeared out of nowhere. \"Who are you?\" I asked.\n\n\"You... You can see me?\" he asked. I nodded. He looked my up and down, and his eyes softened. He stood there for a moment, and soon took a step closer. \"Do you like what you see?\" he asked, a smirk growing across his face.\n\nI mean, he was handsome, I'll admit it, but I didn't even know who he was. He cocked his head. \"My name is Grim,\" he said, holding out his hand.\n\n\"Uh... Hi. I'm Charlene,\" I said, shaking his hand. He squeezed my hand gently, and smiled. I awkwardly pulled my hand back. I blinked, and he cocked his head like a puppy. \"What is it?\" I asked. He shook his head and took a step back.\n\n\"N-nothing, it's nothing,\" he said nervously. I barely knew him at the time, but based off of general signs of lying, he wasn't telling the truth. Again, I barely knew him, so I wasn't really expecting the truth.\n\n\"Okay, if you say so,\" I said. He smiled again. I felt my heart melt, but I didn't know why.\n\n\"Well, you know what, Charlene? I said it was nothing, but... It wasn't. It was everything.\" My heart started pounding. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. It's happened with other people before, and I just said no. Why do I feel like I won't be able to?\n\n\"S-so, what was everything?\" I asked nervously.\n\n\"I noticed the way your eyes sparkle,\" he said. It was moving too fast, but I didn't want it to slow down. I was so scared of how I felt, I backed up and banged into the wall and fell. He came to my side like a knight in shining armor. \"Are you okay?\" he asked, helping me up.\n\n\"Y-yeah, Grim. I'm fine.\" He looked happy, and a little shocked. I heard a bell, much like a school bell, he jumped. He walked over to the man who died, and placed his hand on his forehead, and his hand started glowing. He then opened a small pouch in his pocket, and placed a glowing, silver mist inside the bag.\n\nHe ran over to me. \"Charlene, I don't have a lot of time to explain. I'm not a normal guy named Grim, I am a grim reaper.\" I gasped, but he covered my mouth. \"Don't scream. I need to explain this. I don't know a lot about you, but let me just say that there really is such a thing as a soul mate. I should know, it's my job. I've been told how it would feel when I found the one. This is it, and I can tell from the blush on your cheeks that you feel it too. Charlene, you are my soulmate.\" He leaned his forehead against mine, and I felt a sudden calm rush through my body. I knew he was right.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis was right.", "A mangled man wheezed a series pathetic rasps. Rachael watched him like a vulture. She knew he was a goner. The crash had knocked out half the man's organs and profuse internal bleeding was quickly finishing up the other half of the job. As the man's rasping became fainter and fainter, Rachael could feel her heart drumming faster and faster. A million emotions stirred within her at once: enthusiasm, anxiety, curiosity,....love. In that cold sterile room, she had never felt hotter.\n\nAs the monitor began to flatline, Rachel brushed her hair vigorously, making sure not a single strand was out of line. And then she saw him. A tall, dark, and slender entity stalked towards the dying man, and calmly sipped out the remnants of his failing vitality. Rachael stood their transfixed, smiling and watched him with inviting eyes. So layered, so mysterious, and with such a presence! \"Will you stay for long this time?\" she awkwardly asked. Her plea seemed to echo right through the entity, and it silently drifted out the ER as suddenly as it had entered. Death had places to be.\n\nRachael sat silently next to the lifeless body of her former patient, mindlessly playing with her hair, when something entered the room. Rachael jumped out of her seat, but her excitement quickly subsided as she realized it was just the senior surgeon coming in to check on the patient.\n\n\"Rachael, how long has he been dead for?\" the surgeon asked with concern.\n\n\"Um... he died just a few minutes ago\" Rachael reported half heartedly.\n\n\"Well, don't just sit there daydreaming. Why didn't you call me over as soon as he flatlined? Anyway, we need to clean this place up. Find out who he is and contact his nearest relatives,\" the surgeon commanded. Then much more reticently and ominously he added, \"I'm starting to seriously worry about you.\"\n\nRachael compliantly nodded and rushed out the room to make some somber calls. The other nurses eyed her cautiously and chittered between themselves as she walked down the hospital hallways. The fuzzy and exhilarating energy that captured her had drained out, replaced by a toxic pool of guilt. What was wrong with her?! Was she that terrible of a person?! To her Death was a guide, taxiing those fed up with this life to the next, rather than the cold, dark reaper of souls everyone else seemed to fear. Was she wrong? These thoughts continued to plague her for the rest of her graveyard shift.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen Rachael arrived back home just as her neighbors were readying their children for school, she threw her coat and bag aimlessly on the nearest piece of furniture. She thought of making a call - she could use a comforting voice of a relative or friend. She decided against it, opting for a somewhat rejuvenating shower instead. As the water soaked into her skin and washed off the night's sweat, she continued to ruminate about all the times she smirked as she anticipated her patient's final breath. It's not that she enjoyed watching people die. She just couldn't get enough of him.", "You see, beauty is an odd, slippery thing.\n\nMany sunsets have caressed my skin, and in everyone of them, I'd convinced myself I'd found the shape of beauty, and for a long time that'd been true. But ignorance is full of tricks, and in the core of those tricks, there hides conviction--but is a false conviction! \n\nAnd so, when a new truth comes to shatter the lies, the realization of how brittle beliefs are, crowds the mind with questions, and those questions eddy in a constant circle, for when I witnessed the northern lights the sunsets became dull--they were still wonderful, don't get me wrong, but they were not the shape of beauty anymore.\n\nPerhaps this is nothing more than me trying to finding meaning to things that were meant to be abstract, but I can't stop my mind, and for that I will never apologize. \n\nSometimes it's the mind itself the one that sets your legs into motion and takes you to different places to seek for things you didn't know you were searching for, and it does that through a mischievous thing called curiosity. I know how odd this sounds, I know the words dancing within you, I can hear them in your frown; but we all have our own particularities, and this is mine.\n\nI don't expect you to understand the turnings of my brain, but you asked for an explanation, and the explanation to your question will make sense if you try, even for the space of a breath, to find sense in my ramblings.\n\nDoctor, I've found the shape of beauty, and it's not as bright as the sunset, nor is as vast as the northern lights. The shape of beauty is nothing more than bones and a black robe tracing the curvature of a nose, and I've seen it--I've seen it many times!\n\nThat's the reason my lips part everytime a patient dies, because in that moment it comes, and in the brevity of a breath it fades.\n\nI don't expect you to understand it, doctor. \n\nBut one day you will.\n\nOne day everyone will.\n\n--------------------------\n\nr/NoahElowyn for more of my work\n", "I'd cried. A lot.\n\nI'd been in the hospital for quite some time. Worked myself to the bone only to exhaust my funds. That was where I first saw him. I'd chalked it up to grief at the time. Perhaps I was only seeing what I wanted to see. I was told this was normal, considering the circumstances.\n\nIt was after the car accident that I saw him again. I was rushed into the emergency room, though to be quite honest I hardly cared what would become of me. And then, there he was. Clumsy, tripping over his cloak as he went down the halls. I called out to him, dared him to take me. He stopped. He looked at me. He ran away before I was wheeled into surgery.\n\nI'm not sure what saved me that day. The surgeons, or the refusal of the reaper.\n\nHe would appear again from time to time, at a grisly scene on the news or walking down the streets towards an unknown destination. I tried to talk to him, begged for a moment of his time. However, he would always scrunch up his large eyes and vigorously shake his head no. He had a job to do. Eventually, the time apart became unbearable.\n\nIt took years, but I knew it was worth it the moment I saw him again.\n\nHe was holding hands with a little girl. She couldn't have been older than seven.\n\nShe was already a year older than he had been.\n\nHe looked at me and beamed. \"I'm working hard!\" He said with a grin.\n\nI nodded, pride welling more than the tears. \"I know. And I'm so proud.\"\n\nHe ran off with the girl, the two giggling away the sorrow.\n\nI don't need to be sad when someone dies in this ER. I don't need to cry when this city loses a life.\n\nI know the reaper. He has chubby cheeks and a bald head. He loves animal crackers and puppies and is good at finger painting. He's bad at grieving because he always wants to make people smile, even when he's the one scared and sad. When he can, he shows me friends he makes.\n\nI know the reaper. His first word was \"Mama\". I love him more than anything in this world.\n\nPeople cry, a lot. But I can smile knowing he's there for people in their end.", "I’ve always had a morbid fascination with death. Perhaps that’s what drew me to become an ER surgeon in Chicago, the city with more murders per capita than anywhere else in the world.\n\nOr perhaps it was Grim.\n\nPerhaps it was his crisp, perfectly tailored black suit, or his suave black hair, or the way he smiled at me every time we would meet. Maybe it was all of these things.\nThe first time I saw Grim, I had just witnessed a car accident and I thought he was a curious bystander. \n\nThe second time I saw him was in the hospital. His appearance that day gave me a minor nervous breakdown, and when my coworkers saw me talking to a man that wasn’t there, I was immediately told to go home and get my head straight. Chicago had a particularly warm and bloody spring that year, so everyone just chalked it up to stress. \n\nBut I knew I was fine even though Grim kept showing up. Eventually he became a part of my everyday life, like taking the train or brushing my teeth. Eventually he became something more than that.\n\n~~~\n\nI turned away from the body on the operating table and moved towards the sink to wash my hands. \n\nThe operating room always felt darker after everyone left me alone with the body but I didn’t mind. I needed to be alone after each death. I took off my gloves, tossed them in the trash and ran the hot water over my fingers.\n\nWhen I turned around to dry, Grim’s beautiful face was so close I could count the hairs on the stubble of his masculine jaw.\n\n“Oh my god,” I said as my heart skipped a beat. “Why do you always do that? Can’t you knock or something?”\n\n“You know I can’t interact with the physical world.” He grinned, his smile full of devilish charm and confidence. “I missed you.”\n\n“I missed you too,” I said.\n\nHis warm eyes looked down into mine, and never failed to make me feel warm in the cold of the operating room. For being death personified, I could always feel an aura of warmth around him.\n\nWith his usual suddenness, Grim turned around, walked over to the body of the large fifty year old man and leaned over him.\n\n“So what do we have here? No gunshot wound today?” \n\n“Heart attack. His arteries as clogged as they come, ” I said, walking up behind him. I took a deep breath hoping to catch a whiff of his scent but instead only got the metal smell of blood. “Chicago’s having a pretty quiet summer. No a single murder this month.”\n\n“Pity,” he said. “I don’t get to see you as much these days.” \n\n“Don’t say that. That’s selfish.”\n\n“I know. But haven’t we earned the right to be a little selfish? How many lives have you saved?”\n\n“How many have you taken?” \n\nI immediately regret saying that when I saw his smile vanish.\n\n“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly.\n\n“What about Mexico City? I hear things are quite turbulent there.” His tone was sarcastic, but I could sense the sadness underneath his humor. “I’m sure they could use a good surgeon.”\n\n I sighed. “What are we going to do, Grim?” I asked. “This is getting harder.”\n\nHe turned around to face me, his expression dead serious as it gets whenever we discuss our relationship.\n\n“A mortal can never be with an immortal,” Grim said. “These are the rules.”\n\n“I know,” said. I put my hands on his chest, or where it appeared. “Can’t we break them just once?”\n\nHe looked down at his watch, as if time meant anything in his world.\n\n“My five minutes are almost up,” he said turning to the dead body on the operating table. ”Come on Hamburger Lover, it’s time to go.” \n\nI never saw or heard the souls he took, only him.\n\nHe turned his back to me as he always does prior to leaving. I wanted to grab him and hold him from going, but I couldn’t do that anymore than I could hold on to a candle’s warmth. \n\n“Wait,” I said. As he turned, I leaned in and put my lips on his. His eyes widened, and then closed along with mine. Something about this kiss was different than any previous kiss we’ve shared. For once, I felt something and so did he. I wanted it to last forever.\n\nWhen I came up for air and opened my eyes, I knew I could finally say it.\n\n“I love you ,” I said.\n\nHe smiled slowly, his eyes soft and understanding. “I’ll knock next time.”\n\nThen he looking into my eyes, he slowly vanished and I was alone once more.\n\n~~~\n\nThe first time he didn’t show, I was worried. I panicked and spent ten minutes trying to resuscitate a suicide that my coworkers knew had no chance. But if Grim wasn’t here, maybe this person wasn’t truly dead. \n\nAfter he didn’t show for the second time, I began to panic. What was wrong? Did I scare him? Did I break some divine rule about loving an immortal? \n\nThen came anger. How could leave me like that? This was so cruel. \n\nAfter seven days of not seeing him, I was more depressed than I’ve ever been in my life. I wanted to cry all the time. \n\nI would wait longer and longer after time of death was declared, waving off questions of concerned colleagues, ignoring the whispers about me losing it again.\n\nThis morning I overheard the hospital general manager talking to another surgeon. They were going to put me on medical leave, force me to see a therapist.\nI wouldn’t even fight them if they did. So when I was putting away the surgical instruments after two hour long surgery and heard a knock on the door, I thought it was them coming to tell me to go home.\n\nBut when I turned to face them, I didn’t see white coats. I saw Grim, in his sharp black suit, holding the door. \n\n“Told you I’d knock,” he grinned.\n", "\nThe person is lying on the ER table, eyes unfocused, chest rising weakly as people swarm around him. It's an easy in and out. Or at least, it should be. I've gone through this enough times to know what's coming, but I still hope desperately as I heist my scythe. \n\nMaybe she's on break. Maybe she's on vacation. Maybe that distinct head of red hair is just another doppelganger who happened to volunteer to take over her shift. \n\nYeah, no.\n\nStepping out from the shadows, I hurridly hack off Thomas E. Brunn's soul from his mortal body and stuff it in my sack. My boss would have my head if she knew what a rush job this was. Then again, she would have even more than that if she found out what has been happening almost every week since I transferred here.\n\nI risk a glance over my shoulder and almost can't believe what I see.\n\nNothing. She's not here after all. Giddy in relief, I turn to go. \n\nA grip on my wrist tugs me towards a storage room. The hushed squeal that follows ends any hopeful uncertainty still floating around in my head. \n\n\"You're here!\"\n\nFor the most part, being a reaper isn't bad, you know? I mean, it's tedious, sure, and I can't remember the last time I've been on break, but the scenery's nice. Way better than paperwork, at least. Imagine being stuck at Heaven's bureau with St. Peter-- now that would be hell. \n\nSo yeah, life was pretty sweet. At least, until I got relocated to the Chicago district.\n\nThat's when I met her. Alice.\n\nShe just won't go away. Like, I turn around in the hospice and she's behind me, smiling at me. I walk over to the smoking car crash, she's skipping over to give me a hug. I appear in the train where Bob is keeling over from a heart attack, and, well, no points for guessing who.\n\nHer grip on my hand is ironclad, as always. I tug my hand, and, just as predictably, it stays locked within her grasp.\n\nHer eyes practically sparkle at me. \"How's your day been? Did you get to see the double rainbow over the suburbs this morning? Oh, how are Rowan and Leah? I haven't seen you in forever!\"\n\nI squirm, feeling the weight of the entire culmination of Thomas E. Brunn pulse uncomfortably on my back. \n\"Alice,\" I say slowly, \"you saw me last night with the drowning victim.\"\n\nHer eyes peer at me in confusion. \"So?\" she whispers. \n\n\"...So, that wasn't forever ago?\"\n\n\"Funny,\" she says, equal parts sarcastic and fond, and gives me a hug. It's one of the few good things about Alice- her hugs are to die for. I relax, despite myself.\n\nThomas' soul is vibrating now. It's jumping up and down and yeaaah, it's really time to go.\n \n\"I'm going. This soul isn't going to last much longer now.\"\n\nI mean, this is partially because I stuffed it in a sack, but, well, if it works it works. She smiles a little sadly and gives me a thumbs up, letting go of my wrist. \"See you!\" she says, and I dash into the shadows without a response.\n\nRowan is already in the car, souls resting next to him. He raises an eyebrow under his hood, smirking as I put Thomas in along with the others. \"Did it go well?\"\n\n\"Shut up.\" I ignore his cackle as we take off, fishing in the glovebox for an ID. Charon mans the tollbooth in Chicago, and I've had to pay more than once after forgetting my pass. \"This is already breaking every rule in the book. You don't have to tease me for it.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know.\" He shrugs apologetically, and turns back to driving, seemingly losing himself in his thoughts. \n\nA silence lingers between us. As we finally pull up towards headquarters, though, Rowan looks up at me. \"Really, though,\" he says, \"you should. Talk to her more, I mean.\" \n\nIt's only his tone, dead serious, that stops me from giving a disbelieving response.\n\nHe works his jaw, like he's searching for the right words to say. \"I used to have a friend like that,\" he says at last, slowly. \"Can't remember his name, of course, but I can remember what he was like. He always smiled.\" \nHe pauses again, then mutters, so quietly that I'm not sure if he intended me to hear, \"I miss him.\"\n\nHe sits there, unmoving, for a long moment, before moving to get out of the car. \"Anyway,\" he says, smirking at me, \"she's hot, isn't she?\"", "I was always told you'd know when you find 'The One'. Whether it was a crowded bar or a quick glance at the supermarket, you'd know they were the one for you.\n\nI didn't believe it at first. I think most people don't. We're so ready to accept solitary lives that when that special someone does come by we almost miss it. I almost did. \n\nFirst time I saw her was about 9 years ago. It was a hot summer evening, walking home after getting a drink from the local convenience store. I hear gunshots - not uncommon in the area while growing up, but there were a lot closer. Looking back I saw her: long flowing black dress, she seemingly glided across the ground, heading into the store I just walked out of. Shortly later cops were on the seen. News station reported it as an armed robbery.\n\nAfter that she just kept appearing. I'd see her exiting a dark alleyway, moving past police tape, heading back from the lake, even at my dad's funeral. I'd always asked around, but the responses were always the same. You'd think she'd stick out, that everyone would see this beautiful woman moving towards an ambulance, but everyone ignored her. Almost like she wasn't there. Almost as if only I could see her. But I was always too slow to get to her. \n\nBut luckily, life matched us together.\n\nWhen I finally got my job at the hospital I started seeing her more frequently. Roaming the halls, entering and leaving rooms, waiting in the roundabout for the ambulances. Again I asked around, but everyone just brushed it off. Eventually some of my coworkers suggested I take a visit to a therapist since I'm regularly seeing things. \n\nI tried talking to her. I even got stationed in the ER - that's where I saw her most. She'd walk in right alongside a new victim. She was always so beautiful. Long, flowing black dress draped over her thin frame. Sunken eyes that looked one blink away from a final rest. No one else saw her. \n\nI relished every moment I got with her. Whenever I got some new in I'd stall until she showed up. My body count got higher. I pleaded to be kept in the ER, that I'll save the next one, to just let me perform one more. I just needed another chance to see her. She'd talk to me this time. She'd notice me.\n\nMy coworkers were worried for my health. I was prescribed medications that I ignored. They had security escort me out when I showed up for shifts I wasn't given. \n\nBut I couldn't stop. I had to see her. I knew I had to be with her.\n\nThen, as if a message from life itself, she showed up. I knew she would. A friend came by to check on me at home. I hadn't left in a few weeks. I knew this was my chance. I thanked my friend profusely for giving me this opportunity to see her again. I knew the pattern. Just like all those times in the ER, where one little incision would cause her to flow into the room. I was practiced. \n\nOne little incision and my friend gave me the opportunity to see her again.\n\nI pleaded and begged her to take me along. Why wouldn't she ever answer me? Why didn't she acknowledge me? We were ment to be together. I had to be with her.\n\nMy number of friends started dwindling. My funds ran out as I moved to different places across the country.\n\nBut I had a plan. I knew how to get her. I knew she'd come. Just one more incision. One little cut and she'd show up. She never failed to do so. I begged her to bring me along. To take me with. I couldn't stand to be without her. \n\nBut I knew how to get her to come. I knew how to get her to take me. One little incision.\n\nOne little incision and she came in. She moved through the clutter like an angel, her long black dress flowing behind her. \n\nAfter all these years, she finally came for me.\n\nShe finally accepted my love.\n\nI finally got to be with her.\n\n \n\n\\-------------------\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;", "The heart rate monitors flatlined. Doctor Rex bowed over the young man. \"Shit. We need defib. STAT!\" Amanda dashed to the wall and plucked the defibrillator off its hooks. She handed the paddles to Rex. \"Clear!\" He shouted and sent bolts of lighting through the dying man. He arched and shuddered, but the monitors still read a flat line. \"Clear!\" Rex shouted again, and jolted the man. Same results. Nothing. \"One more time. Clear!\" Rex sent one final, shuddering jolt through the paddles. No results. \"Dammit. This one's gone. Too much blood loss. Amanda, call down to the meat locker? And wipe that creepy smile off your face. I swear, it's like you're turned on by this stuff.\"\n\n\"Sorry! Yeah, I'm weird. Sorry. Yeah, I'll make sure it's taken down, yeah..\" Amanda exited to the hallway and dialed the number. She turned around and there he was! Standing in the doorway. Tall, dark, handsome. He was so serious, like the forces of nature bent to his will. Dangerous, yet exciting. She couldn't help it: she smiled and twirled her fingers in her long, dark hair. He loomed so sexily over her. \"Hey babe,\" he rumbled \"I've got about five minutes before I have to report back. I'll meet you in room 1308C. See you soon....\" and he drifted away. Damn, that worked on her every time, and he knew it.\n\nAmanda hadn't realized she was biting her lip so hard, so she was a little taken aback when Rex ducked out through the curtains and made uncomfortable eye contact. He approached and leaned over into her ear. \"Quit that stuff or I'm going to HR. It's just plain weird.\" She gulped and nodded while Rex stalked off. \n\nShe also hadn't realized that the receptionist was on the other line \"Hello? Hello? Morgue office. Who's there?\" She coughed and jumped on the call. \"Hi! Hi, yes. Sorry about that. I was...um...distracted for a second. We have another fatality. Gang-related shooting. We're sending it down to you guys.\"\n\n\"Roger. Any notes?\"\n\n\"Nope, pretty run-of-the-mill chest wounds.\"\n\n\"Cool. Will you be taking him down?\"\n\n\"Yeah, just give me a couple minutes. I have an urgent call.\"\n\n\"Oh? What about?\"\n\n\"Something about burying a bone. See you soon!\" Amanda hung up and veritably dashed up to the thirteenth floor. Rex just didn't get it. Death made her hot." ]	14
	[WP] You've died and gone to heaven. But when you get there, the only living things are dogs. You've accidentally gone to dog heaven, and you want to break out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Bad Dog.\"\n\nThe newspaper swatting against my head doesn't actually hurt, but the pain to my pride is getting unbearable.\n\n\"Stop that dammit,\" A faint shock travels down my body from muttering the minor swear, but I'm to angry to let it phase me. \"I AM NOT A DOG!\"\n\nThe angel looks at me strangely. \"Now listen, I realize your upset, but you are in Dog Heaven. Hence, you are a dog.\" It said in what I assumed was meant to be a calming voice. \"I realize you're confused, but the logic is really quite strait-forward, and quite inescapable.\"\n\nI tried my best not to growl at it. I was apparently picking up bad habits from the other residents of this place.\n\nAnyway, as you may have guessed, I'm in dog heaven. Problem is, I'm not a dog. Don't ask me how I got here, I haven't got a clue. I just know I need to get out.\n\nHonestly, at first I thought it might not be so bad. I was never much of a people person, and there are worse things then being surrounded by \"good boys\" who just want to endlessly play with you.\n\nThe fun ended pretty quick once the food came out. Dry kibble is not my thing. Thursday being steak day was not enough to make up for the rest of my weak being spent choking down that crap.\n\nSo no big deal I figure, I'll just exit and get myself over to Human Heaven. I was fairly confident that I wasn't going to the hot place based on my already being in a Heaven, and having lived a decent life, at least in my opinion.\n\nThen I met Mort.\n\nMort is an Angel.\n\nIt's name isn't actually Mort, but I can't pronounce its real name. Apparently the name is suppose to be easy to pronounce for a dog. Mort seems rather confused that I can't get it right.\n\nMort gets confused by a lot of things, but once you hear its story, you can kind of understand. Apparently Angels are designed with very specific roles in mind. Mort is the keeper of Dog Heaven. It is designed to interact with dogs. That is the limit of its reasoning and role, and acting outside of those conditions doesn't really work well.\n\nSee, dogs are simple animals, so it's reasonable that an Angel designed to deal with them would also be simple. Unfortunately for me, this leads to Mort not being able to understand outside context issues. As the Angel itself said, if I'm in Dog Heaven, I must be a dog, simple as that.\n\nI sighed as I tried yet again to reason with Mort. \"Look Mort, do I look like a dog to you?\"\n\nMort stared at me for a moment, before smiling. It was blinding, and I had to squint. \"Well I admit I have not seen your breed before, but humans have been changing you little guys around forever. I mean if you compare yourself to an English Bulldog or a Chinese Crested, you're really not that odd.\"\n\nI was rather insulted by that, though I'm not entirely sure why. \"But I can talk Mort.\"\n\n\"All dog's can talk.\" Mort pointed to the yapping masses.\n\n\"In English?\" Sometimes I swore Mort was being intentionally dense, even when considering his role.\n\n\"Humans have been working on making dogs smarter as well, and I'll admit that they seem to have done an impressive job of that with you, but still,\" Mort's eyes suddenly became stormy, and it was all I could do not to lose my bowel control. \"You should not pretend to be one of God's chosen. Such crimes against the Order of Things are punished most severely.\"\n\nMort could apparently be very scary when it wanted to be.\n\nSuddenly the Angel was back to being all smiles, \"Besides, human's are such confused creatures. They are granted so much, and simply don't know what to do with it all. I know mistakes can be the best way of learning, but it is so hard watching them make so many sometimes.\" Suddenly Mort seemed far wiser then his usual personality let on. \"So you should be happy to be a dog, your life is so much simpler.\"\n\nWell, I'll admit my time as a human had been a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of worrying, and that stress ulcer, and - dammit, Mort's getting to me. I shake it off and stomp away.\n\nSettling under a tree I absentmindedly stroked a corgi that had wandered by and tried to think of a new way out of here. Talking to Mort didn't seem to be getting me anywhere, and that display of anger over something trying to pretend to be human had been deeply disturbing. I wasn't sure if I was willing to push the issue any further.\n\nA straightforward escape also seemed out. Mort had caught me going for the \"Sacred Doggy Door,\" and thus had come my thoroughly embarrassing encounter with a newspaper.\n\nI sighed deeply, only to have my thoughts interrupted be the dinner bell. All around me, and for as far as the eye could see, dogs sat up, and began a stampede toward one of the great mounds of kibble that had just appeared.\n\nI sighed again as I pushed myself up. It was a continued curiosity to me that hunger was a thing in Heaven, but Mort had explained to me that eating was a great pleasure, so God would not withhold food, even if it was not technically necessary. I started walking faster toward the nearest mound. I was certainly not a fan of kibble, but kibble covered by dog drool was far worse. I wanted to get in while the top of the pile was still untouched. \"Only two more days until Thursday.\" I muttered.\n\n\\-\n\nMort watched the human make a beeline toward the food and gave his own sigh. He turned toward a presence that was invisible to the human. The human would have been very surprised by Mort's sad expression.\n\n\"Wouldn't it just be better to tell him the truth?\" The Angel questioned.\n\n\"I don't think so. Despite his arguments with you, to some extent he is happy here.\" Mort's unseen peer responded.\n\nMort looked back at the human, now bearing a scowl as he tried to navigate through the hoard of mutts gorging on the kibble pile. \"It's just so sad, he should be proud of what he has accomplished.\"\n\n\"True, but . . .\" The presence paused and seemed to stare off into the distance.\n\nMort knew the other Angel was actually looking at a never ending city infinitely far away. The city was an awe inspiring marvel with glittering crystal towers reaching into a clear blue sky. Yet for all it's beauty, it was sterile. Nothing moved within the magnificent edifices, and no one ventured along the gold paved roads.\n\n\"This is for the best,\" the other Angel continued. \"I simply cannot imagine knowing that you are the only human ever to make it to Heaven.\"\n\nAuthor's note - I changed the ending slightly; before it didn't include visions of the empty Human Heaven. One thing I love about writing is that sometimes these stories take me to places I don't expect. When I started writing this, I just envisioned a human butting heads with a simplistic, matter of fact, Angel. The twist ending probably surprised me as much as anyone :) As always, I hope you all enjoyed, and I am a sucker for constructive feedback.", "Who would've thought that the first thing you hear after your death would be the bark of a dog? I personally, thought that it would have been the voice of an angel, calling me to a new home. Currently, all I hear is a horde of thousands of dogs barking at me.\n\nI can tell, from the speed and lack of violence in the sounds, that they are not barking out of anger or fear, but they are singing a welcome song for their new visitor. Even though ahead of me is that of a wondrous sight, I don't have any will to go there. I must have ended up in Dog Heaven. It's seems like a wonderful place, but I can't stay in a place where I don't belong, especially when I have been promised a heaven of people just like me after my death. \n\nThe dogs start approaching, but I pick up my feet and turn around. There's a angel far ahead of me, glittering and glowing while he writes down in his notepad. Before I can make it any closer to him, a dog, quite small, flings itself onto my leg. Without looking back, feeling like that anymore time staying here would make it more likely for the angel to leave before I could reach him, I manage to gently get the dog off my leg.\n\nRaising my own speed, I enter the sight of the angel, and let him know of my request. \n\n\"Excuse me, I think I was accidentally sent to Dog Heaven.\" \n\nThe angel simply smiles at me, while pointing to his notepad. \"No, this was completely planned. I'm here to pick up a guest and bring you two with me.\" He then lifts his fingers from the notepad and redirects it to behind me.\n\nWhere he points, is a small poodle. White in fur, and tongue stuck out, it radiates joy and compassion. My mind turns backs to decades before. In my memory, resides the many moments that this dog was in my life. Finally, after years of separation, we had been united.\n\n\"Come on boy, let's go together.\"\n\n&#x200B;" ]	3
	[WP] You're the first human king of a nation in a fantasy setting...and you HAAAAATE it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Now I want to be clear here, I am not prejudice against other species, But..” Never a great start to sentence, but I must listen to the complaints of my subjects. “Why do you have to do this?” You ask like the fool that you are. Well to be frank my advisors are assholes, if I give them any power they would either, start a genocide in moments, or fuck it up so bad I wouldn’t have a kingdom anymore. “Why not replace them then?” You ask somehow sounding even stupider than before. Well if you must now the nobility would rebel if I replace any of these men from my council. Each is some nobleman’s son, they are useless as advisors but incredibly helpful as political tools. So unless I want a civil war I have to deal with these incompetent assholes and ignore the obvious corruption. I wouldn’t even mind the corruption as much, if it just wasn’t so god damn obvious.\n\n“Well, why not remove the nobility?” You ask still unaware of the utter stupidity that you exude just from your existence. That would require a civil war, and to fight a war you need soldiers and money. The nobility controls the recruitment of armies and taxation. How am I supposed to fight the people who supply me with soldiers and money?\n\n“Then abdicate the throne if you hate ruling so much.” Your questions have only grown stupider and so have I just from speaking to you. If I abdicate the Dwarves will kill me because I was a friend of the elves. And the elves won't protect me because I didn’t allow them to commit genocide against the ghouls. And the ghouls won’t help me because they’re ghouls. \n\n“Why not create a constitutional monarchy? Allow the people to elect representatives who work to create laws and taxes, but you still have power over the military and the right to veto any law.” Were you dropped as a child or are genes simply that bad? I am surprised you even know how to breath. You clearly have not been paying attention. First, the nobility would not allow this. Second even if the nobility allowed this my people probably couldn’t handle self rule. Ethnic relations are not great, the humans are in a vast minority yet make up the ruling class. The elves and the dwarves were at war up until my reign started a few short years ago. And everybody hates the ghouls. Who ever won majority in this new government would immediately demand a genocide of the ghouls first and their enemies second. If I vetoed the genocides there would be a revolt. \n\n“Why not incite a ghoul revolt, and use the fear to attain emergency powers, which you then use to dismantle the ruling class. Then using these powers you imprison and execute anybody who speaks out against your reign. Creating a council out of the most loyal and skilled left, occasionally purging the council to maintain fear.” \n\nMy mind snaps back to the peasant before me, I lean in close to the dirty man and whisper. “Do you think they could be planning something?”." ]	2
	[WP] All it took was a barmaid being slightly condescended by a male patron. The courage in Sir Roderick came forth as he told his fellow White Knights "Hold my ale..."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Roderick observed Dana, the bartender who he had a secret crush on, intermittently banter with another man. In his attempts at bring her out with him, he teased her about her chest being more revealing than the girl at the previous bar. Dana gave the man a slightly uncomfortable look, but soon forgot about it and continued doing her job unhindered. But it left a more profound impact on Roderick. Roderick had observed that Dana liked to wear low cut shirts for many weeks now, but something always kept him back from mentioning anything about it. And now this man, who just met her, just carelessly blurted it out. Roderick's insecurities suddenly turned into anger targeted towards the verbal assailant. How dare he!!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSir Roderick donned on his cashmere helmet, a symbol of his virtue and his will to do right, which included protecting the female race. And this female was in jeopardy of having her honor tainted, the low class barbarous hulk blemishing her with great curses before the entire tavern. He, he would show him.\n\n\"Excuse me, beautiful lady. Is this man bothering you?\" Sir Roderick proudly announced himself. The entire bar stopped what they were doing to witness what would unfold - clearly the act of this White knight confronting Barbarian and saving the fey lady was far more important than any discussion they were having amongst themselves.\n\nThe barmaid shyly nodded, plea-ing with her eyes to be saved. For a moment Sir Roderick and the barmaid had a moment, but the barbarian stepped between them puffing out his sweaty unkept chest.\n\n\"Who do you think you are, little man?\" the Barbarian growled.\n\n\"I am Sir Roderick, the White Knight. You are showing grave disrespect to this lady, embarrassing her and yourself, all because she wouldn't surrender herself to you at first sight? You should be ashamed of yourself!\" Sir Roderick scolded\n\nThe Barbarian rolled up his sleeves. He leaned in a little, so Roderick could smell his beer and spirit stained breath. \"Say that again and I'll sock you right between the eyes little man,\" the Barbarian threatened.\n\nSir Roderick had to admit he was a little intimidated. In brute force he was clearly outmatched. But wit and intellect would be today's weapons, and Sir Roderick had plenty to spare. For 5 minutes, Sir Roderick nicked and jabbed the Barbarian with his agile one-liners and wit, while dodging and countering the Barbarians sluggish crude insults. The Barbarian, humiliated before the entire crowd, sulked back to hide behind his fellow primitive tribesmen. The rest of the tavern applauded and raised their pints to celebrate the victory of the White Knight. Most importantly, Dana, playfully twirling the locks in her hair, leaned over the counter, whispering, \"That was very brave of you. May I please get your name again?\"\n\n\"I am Sir Roderick. And please. It is only a knight's duty to protect a lady in danger\" the White Knight humbly retorted.\n\n\"Oh, but I must show some kind of gratitude. If it does not sound to imposing, could you meet me at my chambers behind the bar after the shift is over\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA large smile ran across Roderick's face as he imagined how the scene would play out. Then turning towards his mates, he announced, \"Gents! Hold my ale...\"" ]	2
	[WP] "This house is litteraly the house of your dreams, a composition of all the houses you dreamt of. We just added a bit of carpet."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I can't remember the last time I dreamt without the Machine. Ever since its creation, it's present in every house, next to every bed. Its presence reminds us, that our dreams are no longer our property.\n\nI woke up today at 7 AM. Not the usual hour, but today was the first day of my vacation. Still, I wanted to wake up later, but my body betrayed me. My body, and the Machine. After the fifth REM phase, it automatically initiates awakening. Something about the memory drive capacity, I can't remember correctly. It doesn't really matter, whatever it is, I can't change it. Nobody can.\n\nI waited for this vacation for 2 years. And yet, with all that freedom, I don't know what to do. The only thing I know is that tomorrow I have a meeting with Mr. Kanagi. He's going to show me to my new apartment - the one I already paid for, without even knowing I was paying for something. The one that supposed to be my dream home. If only I could remember my dreams, or at least have access to view them, to know what to expect.\n\nI checked my permissions to see what entertainment I can submerge myself in. There wasn't much there - the usual shows that are supposed to enhance my dreams, some games and an offer to go to the theater. I selected the last option, I never went to the theater after all. This could have been an interesting experience.\n\nWhen I got to the theater, the tickets were nearly sold out. I stood in the lobby with hundreds of others like me, all excited and anxious. A man in a fancy tuxedo opened the door to the showroom, and we all went inside. I could almost feel the wave of disappointment that went through the crowd. Room was enormous, with enough seats for us all. They weren't directed towards the stage, because there was no stage. Every chair was equipped with the industrial type of the Machine. I slowly walked up to my seat and noticed on the screen that it was set to one REM phase. I looked around, everyone around me sat in their chairs with bitter or sad faces. One by one they put on their helmets. I felt anger growing inside me.\n\n\"Can I help you, sir?\" asked fancy tuxedo man, appearing in front of me with an emotionless face. \n\n\"No, I'll be fine,\" I said sitting in my seat and placing the helmet on my head. I heard the familiar buzzing of the Machine, foolishly hoping that, maybe, this time they will allow me to remember." ]	2
	[WP] you discovered that we're in simulation and none believed you. You found out you can break into it via coding, turns out you can change other peoples and environments stats, but you can't make big changes so someone who controls the simulation won't notice.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The mountains were the reason I moved here, the craggy scenic landscape spoke to my heart and shared its serenity. The trees never lost their magnificent luster, the green brilliance shone year round, only masked by heavy snows. A striking beauty in the worst weather, they withstood lashing rains, hundred mile an hour winds, hail as large as fists, minus twenty in winter and occasionally thirty degree heat in the summer yet in any situation, they persevered.\n\nI've spent my life hiking the paths less traveled, finding fulfillment in being the first to wander thickets and traverse marshes in many years, steeping myself in history, craving more information. I take care not to disturb an area, taking only photographs and the time to try and envisage how people lived here, if I were eating my lunch where people would buy and sell at market, or where animals were kept. Controversial as it may be, I do not inform anyone of what I find, I made that decision with an eye opening experience as my teacher; I figure if others are so interested, they can pull their boots on and take the walk themselves. I've re-discovered many items I'm confident would be the glory of a museum or go for a high price at auction. This is not why I travel, it is not to line my pockets or anyone else's. \n\nIn anticipation of learning more about my new surroundings, I planned a number of light one day hikes, always back in time for sundown, to better understand what was ahead.\n\nEach attempt I made started on a near cloudless day, sun weak in the morning but smelt of promise in the afternoon, rains had helped nature flourish, glisten in the early rays, dancing in the gentle breeze, ideal conditions for being outside. Yet within a few hours the sky would start to sour, rain and clouds rolled in, hiding all the afternoon sunshine, making the walk home a sodden, wind battered one. I would be prepared this time, now set on discovering what the land had to offer, what could live in such harsh conditions, my interest only increased with the unwieldy weather, the conditions seem wilder than I ever expected in this area.\n\nToday was going to be as perfect as any other day I'd gone exploring so I set off as the sun rose, determined to see more of the area I call home. The woods were full of animal activity, squawks, calls, shouts and cries sounded on the air, all demanding attention, branches rustled with birds taking off and landing, puffing themselves up importantly to tell me off for walking under their tree.\n\nBy the time I took a break for a snack, grey clouds had tangled themselves in the sky, threatening a downpour of rain, the smaller animals had taken off for shelter leaving a quiet, ominous forest. Without birds singing, insects dashing around, beetles scurrying, and dragonflies zooming at head height, I suddenly realised how alone I was. Packing up, it was time to make a shelter. The remains around me offered no protection so I was on my feet, sliding my bag into place when the first faint drizzle began. By the time I ran twenty feet to find somewhere as quickly therefore as dry as possible, I could feel each raindrop hit me, soaking my hair, they smacked into the ground angrily, within a minute of running along a disused dirt route, I was squelching through mud, the packed dirt greedily drinking it in. I had no time to fling up a makeshift shelter, I ran in search of natural cover.\n\nThree massive trees had grown close to each other just ahead, trunks each three times as thick as the surrounding woods, their roots broke the ground in the fight for space, arching through the air, twisting round each other, their branches entwined above and at my feet, the battle had been going on for years with no winner. I picked my way between them, the spot in the middle of their triangle was dry, carpeted with old roots, some still entwined, offering a hideaway. \n\nRain, even heavy rain, isn't enough of a cause for me to bed down for the duration but this barrage from the clouds was something I hadn't came across before. It was angry, being thrown in our direction at such a speed and force it reminded you just how small you are, how easily nature could reshape the planets surface. Luckily, the roots were sturdy and held, redirecting the flow of water around the trees so it felt the safest place to be. I got a little wet of course, it can't be watertight, but certainly the better option as I watched the deluge.\n\nWhere the path had been was now a fast flowing river, raindrops fat as marbles slapped into it hard, water leaping as though thousands of fish fed on impact, the volume of water falling in sheets every second eroded visibility to ten feet. \n\nSitting pretty between the trees, I thanked whoever had accidentally planted so many in one spot. I'm sure the trees wouldn't agree but I'm grateful regardless. The thundering of the rain was less of an annoyance in the middle yet I pulled myself up a monstrous trunk, settling myself a few feet above the ground on a low branch. I was hoping to catch a quick nap while I waited out the weather.\n\nIt was dark when I woke up, apprehension tickled my neck as I didn't recognise where I was, the constant thrumming of rain playing with my senses, I thought I was dreaming. The rain made sense, I remembered hiding in the trees for a nap but whoever stood with their back to me, I didn't remember being there before.\n\nStaying silent, I watched as a man with short dark hair, dressed in grey overalls and boots lean forward to touch the tree across from me. A green light shone in response, it flared out around him as if he held a flare.\n\nImpatiently I waited, unable to see what he was doing. \n\nAfter an agonizing ten minutes, the light turned off and the man walked away, casting his eye around carefully, watchful. Taking his time, he made his way back out into the rain. I blinked a few times, wondering if I was actually dreaming, if the light had been fireflies or something of the like. Managing to wait two hours, just as the sun was rising, I was down the tree and over inspecting where the man had been.\n\nThere was an outline of a panel in the wood, it was not easy to see but I knew to look for it. I tried to grasp the edges, they were too flush. I pushed it instead, and it opened, the panel folding out to become the keyboard to the screen now displayed.\n\nSmiling at my success, the green light now cast onto me, so not obvious in the daylight.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] "It seemed like the simplest thing ever but he sensed that something was off."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It seemed like the simplest thing ever but he sensed that something was off.\n\nBeo frowned. Meghan looked up from her juice and gave him her usual small smile, one filled with a warmth reserved only for him.\n\nHer juice. She hadn’t watered it down.\n\n“Meg,” he began tentatively, not wanting to startle her.\n\n“Yes?” she asked. Her voice sounded normal; nothing seemed off.\n\n“You’re not drinking your usual grapefruit water.”\n\nShe blinked at him for a moment, then looked down at her drink in her hand. It was a bright pink, slightly cloudy from the pulp.\n\nBeo grew more concerned the longer she sat there, just staring at her juice, not reacting. This wasn’t like her; she didn’t ever make simple mistakes like that, not Meghan, not his best friend and partner.\n\nWith a sigh Meghan carefully set her drink down onto the table. She wouldn’t look at him.\n\nThere were circles under her eyes.\n\n“Meg,” Beo said. Still she didn’t raise her head from where she was staring at her juice. “I think it’s time we drop this case. It’s getting to be too much.” A pause. “You haven’t been sleeping, have you?”\n\nNo answer for a moment. And then, “No.”\n\n“I thought so. It’s no use, Meg. We’ll never find the murderer if you’re too tired to function properly.”\n\n“I know. It’s just…” Meg picked the juice back up and swirled it in her hand. “That poor little girl.” She finally looked up at Beo then, and her eyes were filled with pain. “Her poor parents. Tell me, Beo. If it had been one of your little cousins, wouldn’t you want closure?”\n\nBeo reached a hand out to still hers, which was growing wild in its movements; juice was beginning to slosh out the sides.\n\n“I know,” he said. “I know.”\n\nThey said nothing more for the rest of the night.", "CURRENT TIME\n\nIt was so small that it would have not been noticed by most. It was just a glimmer, a slight reflection of sunlight off of steel. Once alerted by the first, he then scanned the valley floor for a second. After about 3 minutes, his second in command spotted the second. That is all he needed. He knew the position of the makeshift terrorists and reached for his SAT phone to type in some coordinates.\n\n36 HOURS EARLIER\n\nQui-Gon, the team lead sat with his other 11 brothers in the back row of the briefing room. They were the third team in this mission. The first team was Echo, a special operations team specializing in terrorist engagement. Their 24-man compliment was tasked with taking down the senior leadership of Boko Haram (BH). It was a simple mission. BH leadership was having a secret meeting in the African jungles to plan their future exploits. Echo would chopper in, 10 km from the campsite, approach from over a ridge and take out a handful of huts by painting the huts with lasers and then calling in an airstrike. Echo would be backed up by a special forces strike team comprised of 70+ troops. Not as highly trained as Echo but greater in firepower and numbers.\n\nQui-Gon’s team, a black ops team (and thus has no formal team name but the chose Omega for this mission), was there more for consultation and planning. Seldom was the on-deck team ever needed for these missions and the third team being employed was so rare that most never took the role seriously. This team was no exception and this team was never one to “cool their heels” in the rear. They were there in case things really went south because they were masters at adapting. Of course they were critical of the plan. It was not the way they would have done it. It just seemed that the plan was too predictable. It was a gut feeling from experience and not one that they could point out specific flaws.\n\n12 HOURS EARLIER\n\nEcho lifted off from the carrier using silent run choppers for their mission. After safe drop-off the team began their trek through the dense jungle.\n\n5 HOURS EARLIER\n\nEcho’s GPS tracking data showed that once they reach the 2km from target point that they were walking single file in a straight line to the village. They never would have been taking that path or in single file. They had been captured. The strike force was then deployed and dropped on the backside of a ridge 90 degrees to the one that Echo had been dropped on. Omega began frantic planning primarily to act as the rescue team if necessary. \n\n2 HOURS EARLIER\n\nThe strike force had been anticipated and was pinned down on the top of the ridge as they came over it. The BH team was somewhere in the dense undergrown of the the valley floor and, while the strike team was in a position to repel attack could not proceed without heavy casualties. Omega was launched but as is typical of black ops teams, followed their plan and not the script that had been written. The timing led them to opt for a rapid drop only 1.5 km from the village rather than a stealth approach. They also opted to drop into a creek bank at valley floor. 12 men in two choppers required 20 seconds to rappel from the choppers (4 at a time from one line on each side of each chopper).\n\nFortunately, due to gunfire from the other direction and well timed rocket launches from the strike force they were not heard nor detected. When they came to the village, the found about 20 guards around the perimeter and another dozen or so plus the BH leadership in the area where the prisoners were being kept. A few hand signals and two silencer shots from each of the 12 team members and the perimeter guards were neutralized. 50 meters closer then two more silenced shots from each team member and the guards and some of the BH leadership were also nullified.\n\nUnfortunately, two Echo team members had been killed by their captors. The rest of the BH leadership did not see the sunset. \n\nCURRENT TIME\n\nAfter leaving the village, Omega traversed the valley halfway up the hillside opposite the one on which the strike force was pinned down. They scaled some trees and then settled in with sniper scopes to try and pinpoint the location of the main BH contingent. It was then that the brief, almost insignificant reflections of sunlight was seen by Qui-Gon allowing him to identify the exact location and shape of the BH forces. I quick translation of those coordinates to the area map and a coded message to the ship command and their work was finished. About 2 minutes later, the roar of two navy fighter-bombers announced that the show would begin. Seconds later four incendiary bombs each hitting the transmitted coordinates ended the BH contingent. All due to little reflections of sunlight." ]	3
	[WP] After years in suspended animation, you awaken in a post-apocalyptic Earth.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I couldn't accurately recall how it was the first few hours that I was waking up. Shades of grey and brown moved past my vision as i heard muffled, strange voices that sounded like metallic echoes. One of the first things that I could remember actually hearing clearly, was someone asking me if I could feel something. I wasn't sure what it was I was supposed to feel, but when I shook my head, it seemed to satisfy whoever was asking the question. Things were so strange and I remember the feeling of being carried to something and as my vision cleared, I could hear people talking about 'rushing' and frantically discussing the 'need to leave.' With the little amount of energy that I had, all I could do was wait. My blurred vision began to fade once more.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next time that I awoke, things were much more clear. My vision didn't have any signs of blurriness or being out of focus. My hearing was as good as I remembered and I could tell that I was almost completely aware of my surroundings. Looking around, I lifted myself from what appeared to be a mobile bed of some kind. Like a gurney only with far more equipment attached to it. A few hoses were attached to injection ports in both of my arms and I heard a soothing, though obviously artificial voice. \"Good evening Patient Seven. Please wait for assistance. Facility personnel are being alerted to your awakening.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIgnoring the voice, I was trying to take in my surroundings. The walls were white and the room I was in was brightly lit. I also realized that I wasn't alone in the room. At least two dozen more beds were scattered throughout the room with different individuals on them. There was one glaring detail that I had noticed though. A bright blue line was running across small flat screen monitors attached to each of the beds. I glanced up at the monitor attached to my own bed and watched as the same blue line bounced up and down on the screen in sharp peaks.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"He's awake.\" It was a statement, dry and stale and came from what sounded like a walkie-talkie to my left. Glancing over, I saw something that appeared completely foreign in the white and clean environment.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nStanding there in the hallway presumably leading out of the room, was a short human figure, covered in a variety of different brown cloth, all looking as though they'd been dragged through dirty and mud. Covering their face was a strange mask with a hose running to somewhere on their back. Huge view ports in the mask seemed to be tinted, making it impossible to see who was underneath. I was surprised to find that my first reaction, was to ask who this was and not where I was. I was even more surprised to find out that my voice was working when I opened my mouth, \"Who are you?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShaking their head, the person came over to my and grabbed my with both hands, pulling me into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. \"Not important, we need to get you out of here ASAP.\" The urgency in the same voice that seemed to come over radio spoke quickly as this person began to carefully, yet urgently pull the injection ports out of my arms. For some reason, shock never really registered in my system. I couldn't remember where I was, who I was, or why I was here. Memories seemed to escape me as all that seemed to come from me where the recent ones of seeing the blurred shapes and figures while first waking up. \"Can you walk?\" The person asked while hauling me to my feet. Without knowing the answer myself, my feet took two steady steps forwards while keeping my balance. The person nodded, \"Perfect, the serum worked. Come on, we need to move.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs we moved down the hallway, something became very apparent to me. I wasn't in a well maintained building as I had once thought. As we moved along the hallways, the white walls started to grow dull and seemed to have small holes in them scattered about. Large holes became more common until finally, the white walls were now black with crumbling debris coming from the ceiling. As we rounded what seemed to be the final corridor, more of the like-masked individuals were standing next to a large vehicle with tires the size of me. It then occurred to me, that we had passed through the entire building, which seemed like an endless hallway, but in reality was a destroyed building. More chatter and talk between the original person and the others came but I ignored it. Turning around, I saw the building we had just left.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere were missing letters, but I could read: \"Ve- In--s-tr-es\" The letters were probably red at one point, the building itself, towering up into the sky further than I could see from here was probably white. That's when details of my surrounding world flooded into my mind.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe air was thick with dust, wind blew violently and carried along with it particulates that were irritating my throat. The reason why I couldn't see high enough to see the top of the building was because visibility only seemed to be twenty or thirty feet. The sky was dark brown along with the winds that continued to carry along the like-colored dirt and dust. I began to feel strange pricks throughout my body and I looked down. I was only wearing a kind of cheap gown one might normally find in hospitals and watched as the wind brought with it small lacerations to my body as debris cut shallow slices into my flesh.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSomeone grabbed me from behind and pulled me towards the vehicle. \"They're coming, we have to leave. Now.\" The voice was different from the other. This one spoke with more command and determination as I was dragged now and lifted into the vehicle. As the others piled in, the vehicle began to move. The interior of the vehicle was clean by comparison to the outside and everyone sat with their backs against the walls.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm Cassandra, do you remember your name?\" This seemed to be the one who had found me originally.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Patient...\" The only answer I could think of was what the AI had called me. \"Seven.\" It seemed strange to talk after so long yet I was able to do so with little effort. \"Where am I?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter a brief pause, someone else replied, \"You're in what used to be Nevada. We're taking you back to our place though, so if your brain decides it wants to inform you of the world before, you ought to know we're heading to Texas. You're damn lucky we found you, I'd suggest buying a lottery ticket, for all the good that'd do ya' now.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd that's when I remembered it. That's when I remembered everything that'd happened.", "As the sirens continued to blare, the scientists and security continued to hustle Natasha out of her cell. “What is going on?” She asked. “War started, commie! Your red friends back home just launched at us!” This was the moment they had all feared. She still didn’t know what they wanted to do with her, until they approached a room with many large cryogenic chambers. “Strip down, prisoner” the guards ordered her. Complying, she took off her prisoner garb, revealing her slim figure underneath. The guards hesitated, before one ordered “Get into the chamber immediately” Natasha resisted, but she was soon forced in, with the doors closing in and the chamber filling up with li......................\n\nNatasha suddenly fell to her feet, surrounded by a group of people, covered by the frosty mist. It was cold, and she was shivering uncontrollably. She surveyed the crowd. She saw two people, and one human shaped robot with a brain floating in a glass ball behind its face. Suddenly, one of them talked to her. “Hello, my name is John” he said. She surveyed the figure up and down. He was wearing a suit of powered armor, so she at first assumed he was a guard, being uncharacteristically kind. “H-hello m-m-my name is N-Natasha” she mumbled, still shivering uncontrollably. “Nelson, hand me those blankets” the power armored figure called to another person, wearing a significantly less advanced American combat suit. “Here, warm up” he said. “Thank you. I’m all warmed up now” she said. Natasha pondered for a moment, and asked “Is the war over?” Natasha asked. “The war ended 97 years ago” John answered. Natasha nearly fainted. “I was in their for nearly 100 years” She replied. “Yep!” John said, awkwardly. “Who won?” She asked. “No one won. 90% of the Earth was scorched golden brown, billions died. Heard to choose a winning side” John said. “Is it really that bad?” Natasha asked. “Heck yeah it is. A few governments have formed in the past few years, along with some big towns, but it’s a hellhole out there. Radiation, disease, RAIDERS! I doubt you’d survive for long. It may take centuries to recover.” John said. “You said new governments sprouted up?” Natasha prodded. “Oh, yeah. Cities like The Junction, El-Ay, Frisco. Their all apart of a government we call the USC.”\nNatasha was intrigued. Maybe life wouldn’t be so harsh after all. “USC” She asked. “United States of California. ‘Bout the biggest country west of the Mississippi. In fact, they’re why I’m here.” John answered. Natasha thought. This stranger was her only information source about this new world, so she was forced to trust him. John continued. “Dr. Clayton from the USC wanted me to investigate this place. We heard that it had valuable technology we could use. He’s back in The Junction, I was planning on going back now” John said. “How far is Junction?” Natasha asked. “200 miles. It’ll take about 3 days, and their are reports of raiders. You good with a rifle?” John asked. “Yes, very” Natasha said as she raided a nearby locker for a pair of jeans and a shirt. “Okay, lets go”" ]	3
	[WP] A ship carrying 1000 people was launched from Earth to save us from extinction. You were born 80 years into its 300 year voyage.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Life back on Earth seemed vivid. My grandparents told me of a time that it was. They told me that back then, people practiced art as a means of understanding their world. \n\nArt. \n\nA three letter word, holding much power for it’s minimal use of letters. My peers didn’t look at art the way I do, see. In school they taught us that art was something only practiced by the insane, and loved by the obsessed. They told me art gave people without meaning a meaning. That it helped those creating, and helped those consuming. \n\nYes, consuming. Not a very romantic word if you ask me. That’s the word my teachers used. Like art was a “food”, a digestible form that could be eaten and understood. And they taught it like that. Not in my experience, not in my grandparents. They held onto art and watched it slip from their hands. People gladly gave up art on this endless journey- it was too intangible. My grandparents watched it slip from their hands like sand on a beach. Their tiny collection, from a bigger collection, yanked from them by time. \n\nYanked by time. Such a funny phrase. It implies that something was stolen from us, by nobody but ourselves. My grandparents knew this, they accepted it. And on this one thousand year journey into the stars, one wonders if such a thing could be yanked from humanity. \n\nI’ve lived here for 20 years, I’ve breathed the same air for 20 years, I’ve seen the same people for 20 years, and I’ve watched the same 20 billion plus stars twinkle through the glass window for all 20 years of my life here. \n\nI search for more, more meaning, more depth, more life. But all that remains is on this ship, in my grandparents. \n\nThis journal is my search for life, my search for art, and my search for love in this voyage my grandparents took on. \nI am their last hope. \n\nI am their living, they are my muse. \n\n", "The small world had anything he ever needed, there was food, entertainment, friends, and family. The only thing it lacked was freedom. Austin snapped a picture and looked at the beautiful girl in the frame with a frown. She was reading a book, the library was large but not many chose to spend their free time here. His footsteps echoed loudly off the wooden shelfs and high vaulted ceiling. She was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t even hear him coming. He swung his arms around her and placed the camera between her book and her eyes. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Stop it Austin, I’m busy.” She said.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I know, you’re just so pretty when you’re busy.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Don’t you know what day it is? What we’re doing isn’t right.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I’m not worried, we’re perfect for each other. Even the Decider must see it.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe shook her head, “That’s not true. I already told you, it’ll only hurt more if you deny it. It’s time to grow up,” her hand brushed the camera out of the way of her words and she continued to read.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAustin sat in the chair next to hers, he starred at her through the lens of his camera. She was the most fascinating subject, the expressions she made while in her books was more human than anyone else in the colony. “You’re so pretty.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe scowled and closed the book with a loud thud. He snapped a picture, this reaction was new, it was so human. He loved it. “Stop it. You don’t know what love is, you’re not the Decider, you can’t understand such complicated things.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“What’s complicated about it, I chose you, Chicago.” He said laughing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe glared up at him. Snap. Another wonderful photo. “Damn it, enough. Not that it interests you, but we have to go to the ceremony. Today.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Is a machine really the best way to decide such things? What does it know about feelings?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“More than you,” a tear fell from her eyes. Snap. He scowled, this picture tore a hole in his heart. He had loved her since he was a child, their habitats were right next to each other, their parents were the best of friends, and they had been inseparable since conception. It shouldn’t be like this.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nChicago stood from her chair and tossed the book in his lap. “You’re only making this harder on me. If you really cared you would drop it.” She ran from the library wiping away tears with her forearm. Austin sat and starred at the door as she exited, he clasped his hands together and prayed to the systems that they would be a match. It couldn’t be any one else.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAustin slumped into a chair in the back of the town hall and starred up at the glass sky, stars shot past, and galaxies swirled like Frisbees in slow motion. The entire crowd was chatting excitedly, girls talked about personalities while the guys simply hoped for a pretty one. His eyes wandered to Chicago, her legs were crossed and her hands were folded in her lap, he snapped a picture. When he looked at it, she felt further away then ever. He should have brought his telephoto lens.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe overseer stood at the podium and coughed loudly into the microphone. “Ahem, settle down,” The crowd’s chatter was down to a murmur of a few straggling conversations. “Quiet please,” he said with a sharper tone. The last of the talk died with that. The hall was silent, filled with all thousand of generation five. “As you all know, today is the day you all begin you’re journey to adulthood. In four years time, the Decider will hand out your roles, and you will join the workforce. But before that, it is your obligation to create the 6th generation. You will all make wonderful parents. Well most of you, Amsterdam.” He winked at a boy in the front row and the crowd laughed as the boy flushed with embarrassment.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAustin looked over at Chicago again, she still refused to look his way. That would all change when the decider proved him right. They were meant to be together, he couldn’t, wouldn’t accept anyone else. The speaker held up his hands with a smile and brought the crowds attention back to him.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Remember, the decider has put everything into consideration when deciding your partner. Compatibility, genes, family lineage, loyalty and happiness. It’s choices are final. There is no trading, no re-dos, or exceptions. Understand.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Yes overseer.” The crowd said in unison. Austin said nothing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe screen behind the speaker flickered with light, and a big smiley face grew on the center of the screen. That wasn’t emotion, those were pixels, how could the others be swayed by such a fake face?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“The decider has chosen your match as well as a private space that you can get to know you’re partner, have fun children.” The overseer winked.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAustin held his breath as names began to populate the screen. He frantically searched for his own name. It was next to Chicago’s, it had to be, didn’t it? His stomach dropped to the floor. Next to his, the name ‘Tampa,’ was clearly displayed. The Decider had made a mistake.\n\n\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\n\nThanks for reading! If you enjoyed this prompt, subscribe to /r/QuarkLaserdisc for more of my quirky Quark goodness!\n\nI will be continuing this story later tonight. You will be able to fine the conclusion on my sub. I hope to see you there!\n\nCritiques and criticisms are always appreciated!", "I remember reading somewhere how the Cycles worked on Hermes. Every 40 years, we awoke for 10 years, then went back to sleep in cryo. It seemed so strange, but apparently it was a way to keep everyone's mental state stable and almost eliminated the possibility of someone losing control over themselves. More importantly, it also made it so that we couldn't dilute our gene pool too quickly.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe were just waking up for the third Cycle, I was about 17 at this point, since I was born a few years into last Cycle. The difference for this waking procedure, was that Herme's AI had a message for us that I'm not sure we were ready for. \n\n\n\"Good morning Crew, I am pleased to announce that the mental state of all 1,087 passengers is stable. I am also pleased to announce that this ship has been boarded by authorized personnel referring to themselves as: The Democratic Union of Human Inhabited Planets. They will be taking full control of Hermes from this point on. Good luck.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat was the last we would ever hear from Hermes and for me, it was a blow that I did not want to deal with after just waking up. The idea that I would never hear from Hermes again, the AI that had taught me almost everything I knew, our teacher, our counselor, our caretaker. Then I came to the conclusion, that we had already been boarded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs soon as this fact hit me, the doors to our cryo bays opened and we were met by what could only be considered as an unpleasant and frightening sight.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBefore my bay was a line of humanoid figures, although they looked far bulkier. It wasn't until my sight returned to me fully within a few more seconds that I noticed I wasn't looking at people, but at machines. Large, eight-foot humanoid tanks stood in front of us, effectively blocking our path to the rest of Hermes. Before any of us could speak, a voice came from them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Good morning, rise and shine everyone, welcome to your new reality.\" The voice was then repeated in several other languages, one after another. I could only make our French, Spanish and German though there were a few others. \"I'm afraid you're late to a party you were scheduled to be early for. Everyone line up, we're removing you from this ship.\" Once more, the instructions were repeated in the other languages.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPeople all around me were muttering to themselves in confusion as they began to move over towards who seemed to be giving the commands. People were asking what was going on and why. I found it odd that I seemed to be the only one who approached the machine directly and spoke. \"Excuse me, sir, or uh,\" I tried to peer through what looked like a cockpit to the large machine. \"Ma'am. Wh-what's going on?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA hiss sounded and I was right in thinking it was a cockpit. A hatch opened up and what seemed to be a human face, with some kind of visor over their eyes appeared. Looking down, the hulking machine aimed the visor covered face towards me. That's when I heard an English speaking woman reply. \"You'll be briefed with everyone else soon. For now, we gotta' get you off this hurling deathtrap.\" The cockpit didn't close, but the machine then stood straight up once more, towering over me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat's when someone behind me, a real human wearing some kind of dark uniform began to push me in line. Not violently, thankfully but I could tell they wanted me to move. The idea that Hermes was a 'deathtrap' was off-putting. Our home for so long, considered a deathtrap? I shook the thought away as we were filed towards an open airlock. I've never seen them opened before, but it looked like there was another ship on the other side. Where as the Hermes was brightly lit with white lights down light grey walls, the inside of this other ship had a strange, pale blue hue to it. I wasn't sure if the walls were that color or if the lighting was. That's when a thought occurred to me. How did this ship... catch up, with Hermes? The speeds we were traveling at were astronomical. I made a mental note to seek answers to this in the near future if possible.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt wasn't long before we were in some kind of large hangar, after being led through a few hallways on the other ship. I could see: \"Lord's Intent\" written down the side of a few large panels along the bulkheads. I assumed that to be the name of the ship. We waited in the large hangar for some time before a woman, wearing the same dark uniform but with a few added trims to it walked in front of where I assumed we were to face. As she spoke, her voice was amplified over the loud speakers hidden in the walls of the blue hangar.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen and children. My name is Commander Saucedo of the Democratic Union of Human Inhabited Planets. Henceforth referred to as simply, the DU. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, you aren't the first Seed Ship we've encountered, but thankfully, you're the most stable. But I won't go into the details of how we as a species got to this point. You'll be given this information in due time. What you need to know now is that we need to incorporate you back into today's world with haste. Times have changed. There are far greater threats in this galaxy than the dying of our home world. We aim to prepare you and others for this new, dark world you've unfortunately been brought into. I ask for your complete cooperation to make this happen with ease.\" She finally paused for a moment to take a deep breath. As if to let her words, though alien, to sink in fully. She continued a few moments later. \"Section leaders will be separating you based on your lineage we've recovered from your ship, Hermes. Follow their directions and we can get through this as quickly as possible. You've all been added to the DU's database and shall be treated as citizens from this point on. For now, welcome to the Lord's Intent.\"" ]	4
	[WP] You are a punished fallen angel sent to Earth. In order for you to earn back your place in paradise, you must find an evildoer and convince them to change their ways.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“UHHHGGGGG FUCKIN HELL” \n\nthe yell comes from a quiet alley, a raged and disheveled man hoists himself up from his makeshift cardboard bed, another day, another shot at going home. He walks out to a busy street corner full of commuters and starts yelling, \n\n“REPENT! CHANGE YOUR WAYS FORE GOD SMITES THEE”\n\n he receives only sideways glares from the commuters as the shuffle around him at a fair distance. \n\n“YOU!” \n\nHe shouts pointing at a man in a suit, \n\n“YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH A WOMAN TO WHOM YOU ARE NOT WED, ABANDON YOUR LIFE OF SIN AND REPENT AND YE SHALL BE FORGIVEN” \n\nThe man he yelled at only gave him a puzzled face and walked away\n\n“Every fuckin day” \n\nThe angel muttered under his breath." ]	2
	[WP] A famous food critic massacres an entire restaurant, staff and guests, because of the horrible food. After being sentenced to death, she struggles to choose her last meal.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Was that a large with coke?\"\n\n\"Ye- what? No. Give me a medium, I can't afford that shit.\"\n\n\"That'll be ten ninety five thanks, drive on through.\"\n\nJust another day on the headset. Handling miscommunication, getting beef from customers and multi-tasking my ass off. \n\n\"Twenty six dollars seventy?!!\"\n\n\"You ordered three family meal deals.\"\n\n\"I'm a big boy alright!\"\n\n\"Easy, I wasn't challenging your life choices, just explaining why it costs that much.\"\n\nFar out. For all I knew he could easily have had a large family hiding in that tinted SUV but apparently diet was a touchy subject for him. \n\n\"My son nearly died choking on one of your waffle cones! I want a $50 bribe now or I'll sue Burger King for all it's worth!!\"\n\n\"Um, first of all this is the drive through, if you have any complaints you should take them to the manager. Second, you're not in the states anymore lady. The legal system in New Zealand doesn't really work like thaaaaaa...\"\n\nI froze mid-sentence, my jaw dangling open like a Burmese python. Out of the corner of my eye I had just seen one of our customers fall down to his knees and then collapse on the pavement as I was speaking.\n\n\"Like what?\" the rude lady demanded, completely oblivious. \n\nThe man was convulsing on the ground now, clutching his chest and gasping. A girl nearby caught sight of him and rushed over, pulling out her phone to call emergency services. \n\nI was too shocked to say anything more than a weak, \"That dude does not look okay...\" before blood started pooling around his torso and he stopped moving. \n\nThe American lady turned round in her seat to follow my line of vision and screamed. She was just in time to see the girl with the phone get jolted by a sudden impact in her back and fall over in a similar manner. \n\n\"Get down!\" I commanded, \"Now! Somebody out there has a silenced firearm.\"\n\nThe lady stared at me blankly, paralysed in terror and unbelief. \n\n\"Do it!\"\n\nShe finally responded and lurched out of the family car, closing the door behind her and crouching between the vehicle and the drive-through window. \n\nPanic started spreading through the carpark as people saw the bodies laying lifeless near the double doors and ran for cover. Some reached for their phones and were immediately fired upon and added to the growing list of casualties. \n\nMy head spinning with fear and confusion I spun around and stepped out of my cashier cubicle into the restaurant. People inside were confused at the noise and unsure how to respond. No gunshots had been heard but it was clear to customers and staff alike that some hectic shit was going down. \n\nBefore I could shed any light on the situation a window shattered and another customer slumped face-first into her sundae with a bullet hole clean through her skull.\n\nThe result was immediate, it seemed that every person in the room had a different idea for the best course of action and they all tried to execute it at once. \n\nA schoolgirl yelped something incoherent and jumped backwards into her friend who got a mouthful of hair and sore teeth. Skinny teenage mum grabbed bubba from her pram and crouched under the table, probably the wisest move. One of the Shirley High boys kicked open the main entrance doors and bolted, only to be shot in the leg after a few paces. Chubby scooter boy muttered something about \"gangsta shit\" and flattened himself against the back wall next to the fizzy dispenser, pumping out as many free refills as possible in his last moments on earth. Mr Hi-Vis with the tattoo sleeve grabbed the remains of his burger and vaulted the counter to grab the ancient landline telephone we keep by the grill. My buddy Dee had moments ago been taking an order only to find himself dodging Hi-Vis and slapping an underage Mongrel Mob wannabe away from the open cash register. \n\nThen I noticed the dark form striding towards the double doors: a slender figure dressed in sooty jeans, glossy black leather high boots, black hoodie and a grey bandana over her nose and mouth. \n\n...and an assault rifle in hand. \n\nWithout a second thought she unleashed her first clip of bullets into the restaurant, spraying the premises in a deadly hail of shrapnel and jagged glass and tearing the doors from their hinges. \n\nThe schoolgirls jumped behind a seat and avoided the worst of it. Hi-Vis was yelling something aggressive into the telephone, I just hoped it was the police that he'd called and not his mum or something. Mongrel boy took a bullet in the leg and flipped some intimidating gang signs. Scooter kid was sculling his fourth cup of coke mixed with L&P while the drinks dispenser started leaking from bullet holes. Dee was characteristically unfazed by the whole situation, this was East Side after all. \n\nThe offender busted through the doors and threw down her gun, drawing a lengthy katana from a sheath on her back. What happened next was too gruesome to describe but let's just say that she was a martial arts master and very soon Dee and I were the only survivors. \n\n\"Who... who are you?\" I stammered. \n\nShe barked out a short ugly laugh and took off the bandana, revealing a face that I knew only from cheesy reality TV. \n\n\"Nigella Lawson!\" I gasped, \"Why?!\"\n\n\"Fast food is the devil,\" she replied, \"I am saving you from a fate worse than death.\"\n\nAnd then she stabbed me in the eyeball and I bled out. Oh sorry, I said I wouldn't describe it... whoops. " ]	2
	[WP] You are the protagonist, but you deny it. While fateful encounters come and go, you refuse to acknowledge them and even actively avoid them. Your amazing story never truly starts and is stuck at the beginning.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Hey, Stefi, I know we haven't been hanging out much recently...\"\n\n\"You know my rule.\"\n\n\"Yeah, that's why I cleared my schedule. And threatened my agent to leave me alone for the rest of the day. Why don't we go for coffee?\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"Coffee at my place, then.\"\n\n\"I'll come in through the backdoor.\"\n\n\\\\\n\n\"Hi! Um, ok, wow...\" Julie trailed off. \"You're not too hot under all that?\"\n\nStef lowered her sunglasses and glanced around the room quickly before walking in, her bulky sweater and scarf hiding most of her face. \"I've been having to take extra precautions lately. God, or whoever, has been getting more insistent. Just on the way here a homeless man tried to start a fight with me because I \"looked like a long-lost sister\". I mean it's just getting ridiculous!\"\n\n\"Hmm, yeah, that's not the kind of story anyone would want to star in.\"\n\n\"I'm getting really jittery about it. Last week I had to move because things in my apartment kept hovering. I am not going to deal with ghosts!\"\n\n\"Ghosts can't be real though...\"\n\n\"Julie. Whoever the psycho in charge of all this is, they're not going to let something petty like reality stop them. But enough about me, tell me about your new album. I hear good things.\" Stef shrugged off her sweater and set herself down on the sofa.\n\nJulie handed her a mug of coffee. \"I should thank you again for that. If I hadn't been with you that day when the agent practically tried to kidnap you, I'd never have gotten my big break into stardom.\"\n\n\"Thank you for taking him off my hands. Now I know that some things I can just deflect to the people around me.\"\n\n\"Speaking of...\" Julie's eyes trailed sideways.\n\nStef followed her gaze to the closet door. \"Jules. No. Tell me you didn't.\"\n\n\"Well it worked for me, didn't it? My boyfriend is really talented, I thought maybe you could, you know, just let him grab up whatever gets thrown at you.\"\n\n\"Murder gets thrown at me too, Jules, do you want him to grab that?!\"\n\n\"Oh, I could handle it,\" said a voice in the closet. \"I took two years of karate.\" There was a thump on the door and a faint \"ow\".\n\nStef shook her head. \"Incredible, Julie, once again you're dating an idiot.\"\n\n\"Dave's a nice idiot, and he deserves a chance. I'm sure you'll have something nice happen today. Please just let him take it? Pelase? For me?\"\n\nStef started to get up. \"It's because you're my good friend that I'm not going to risk it. This is obviously a trap from whoever puts me in these situations. Any second now we're going to hear about, I don't know, a zombie-virus outbreak, and he's already going to be infected or something.\" She grabbed her sweater and started to tug it back on.\n\n\"Alright, alright, sit down and calm down for a second, alright? I never get to see you anymore, what with my busy schedule and your... thing.\" Julie gestured vaguely. \"Compromise: finish your coffee, let's catch up for 10 minutes, then you can leave. How does that sound?\"\n\nStef hesitated. \"...Fine,\" she said.\n\nIt was, naturally, not fine when 5 minutes later the inevitable caught up to them; a rabbid stalker with a gun sauntered into the room, grinning maniacly. \n\n\"Oh, for fuck's sake...\" was all Stef was able to say before Dave slammed open the closet door right in the stalker's face. The gun clattered to the floor, discharging a shot the wizzed by Stef's head. She didn't even blink; she knew her whole situation basically made her immortal. \n\nWhat did make her blink was how quickly Dave had not only disarmed the guy, but seemed to actually be taking charge of the whole thing. He'd gotten the stalker tied up and called the police faster than Julie could even scream. \n\n\"Huh,\" Stef said, \"Guess he earned that one.\"\n\n&#x200B;", "\\[CC\\] Jess started perfecting avoiding things like most others did, procrastinating in school and avoiding social obligations to binge TV instead. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHowever, one sunny afternoon this came in handy. With sun streaming in from the outside, Jess quickly decapitated another zombie, fingers flashing across the controls as bright, pixilated blood splattered across the screen. She had felt her phone buzz against her leg 5 mins ago... or maybe it was 10 mins. Either way she hadn't ever made it as far in this and could feel the excitement after a week of frustration. Nothing was going to come between her and finishing this level. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nOnce the zombies were quietly resting in their violent, final graves and satisfaction ran deep in Jess's bones, she took the time to look at her phone. Dread and guilt quickly took over. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh my god Jess if you stood us up again for that dumb video game I'm gonna kill you\" 1hr\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You have 5 mins to get her before we go in without you\" 30m\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You better have a good excuse\" 25m\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm not mad I'm just disappointed\"15m\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Nvm, I'm mad\" 15m\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA new message flashed on the screen, \"Turn on the news, something took Steph\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJess's thumbs started flying, \" I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible friend, what the hell is going on???\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJess pulled out her computer and searched for whatever was their little town's news was. But Twitter beat the news source, videos were everywhere of a green light flashing down and a blurry figure lifted up by their heart, hair eerily still while the wind threatened the on-lookers. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh no...\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHer head filled with a whirlwind of thought. Were aliens real? Was that really Steph? Why her? Why not someone else? What if I had been there? What if it was me?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA week later there was a small memorial. Not that they knew she was dead, but because there just didn't seem any hope and the formally suited officers that the town was crawling in seemed to suggest answers weren't coming any time soon. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nJess vowed from that moment on to be a better friend. To show up to more things and be present. After all, life could end in a green flash at any moment. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat's what saved her the second time. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Ohhh myyyy god isn't... isn't this party just like the best. I love you, your my best friend. Well since Steph died or like whatever.\" Naomi drunkly draped herself over Steph's shoulders. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah...\" Steph looked around for a quick exit, deeply regretting her earlier promise. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nLuckily a convenient exit found her in the way of Brad shouting out, \"Guys Steph's house got struck by a meteorite and now her dog is flying around like superman.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Dude go home you're wasted\" Some out of town kid laughed behind the crowd. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt spurred everyone to rush outside through the pumpkin field next door to see what turned out the be the very real wreckage of Jess's house. It almost seem to pulsate, sending out waves of green light that made everyone sick. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut before Jess could even react she heard a short excited bark somewhere above her before something furry hit her square between her shoulder blades and hitting the ground. There wasn't much other than darkness after that. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen she seemed to wake up it was in a very cramped office. Papers were stacked taller than she was on either side of the desk and behind it sat a fuzzy light she couldn't quite look at. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Who -\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It's about time! Cosmos on a cracker you are a stubborn case! First you don't show up and then when I send it to your house to finally get this thing started you decide to actually grow up and go to a party?! I was trying to work with you! And now I've got this mountain of paperwork,\" It seemed to jab was could either be a finger or what she had a gut feeling might have been an entire branch of universal law at the tower to the left, \"because you let your friend take your place. Humans! So irresponsible!\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What? I'm just trying to live my life!\" Jess was confused and had a headache bigger than her actual head, but she wasn't going to let the cosmos yell at her like this. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The wrong life! It's time to step up! You've been marked as a protagonist since the Beginning. Now let's plan how we're going to be about this. You're already about a month behind on your second act/training phase since you missed the first awakening -\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm not a protagonist! I'm a... Jess?\" She loved video games but had no desire to be in one, plus this was all too far out there. \"You have the wrong person.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No look here,\" the being opened up a file and showed her what looked to be a bright flash of light but somehow she felt her entire essence and the marking of protagonist floated to the top of her mind. \"Anyways, I need you to do this, and your stubborn so I'll cut you a deal. You get the origin story you want, and I get to continue doing my job. Sound good. Good.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No! Not Good!\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What part of no choice don't you get, look we've only got a little more time-\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Look buddy I'll tell you where to shove your time!\" And with that, Jess was suddenly rushed back to the field. A crowd of drunk, concerned teenagers hovered above her as she shakily sat up. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt didn't matter if she was going up against the universe. She wasn't going to let herself be a protagonist. She was going to fight like hell to be ordinary. " ]	3
	[WP] Your Parents have set up an arranged marriage, but little do they know you already have a secret boyfriend. At the ceremony, you meet your future husband for the first time. . . It's your boyfriend!- But, you can't let anyone know, and have to pretend you have never met them in your life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] You simply refuse to die. Accordingly, Death (A former salesman) begins to give the greatest sales pitch that'll ever be pitched.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'll even throw in an extra eight hours of free time per day alright? The Transition won't even last that long, since you haven't committed any major Sins nor did any huge act of Virtue for the community.\"\n\nThe first time I saw the man, who called himself Death trying to pitch the benefits of my own death, I just couldn't be convinced. \n\nEspecially not when he seemed to be wearing baggy pants and suspenders. There was just something about his outfit that didnt seem too... deadly to me. \n\nHe seemed really desperate to make me change my mind by the fifth time he'd visited me over the span of 4 months.\n\n\"Come on man, my boss is going to kill me if I don't get it done today, I'm already a few days past my deadline!\"\n\nThat was the last time I'd heard from him. \n\nThen I was free. \n\nSpending my time at home playing video games, enjoying whatever I felt like eating, my life really was one people could only envy. \n\nIf only catastrophe hadn't struck back then. \n\nThe flood killed almost everyone, my brother, my parents and so many others. By the time the worst was over... I was the only one left alive. \n\nThough I'd only been adopted 2 years before the incident had taken place, I truly did feel a slight sense of kinship towards them. After all, they weren't like my parents, who'd abandoned me. \n\nAlthough they didn't talk to me much and I was only there because they needed someone to inherit their business because my step-dad was impotent, they did let me live in comfort.\n\nAfter returning home thanks to the help of the humanitarian aid people, who'd helped thousands even after I'd been escorted back, I was suddenly approached and told that I'd inherited the will of my step-parents.\n\nAfter that, with all the top brass of my stepfather's company trying to manipulate me in an attempt to rid me of my inherited wealth, I simply sold my authority off for a huge sum of money. \n\nUsing that money, I'd bought a small, yet comfortable flat and used almost as much money as it cost to buy the flat to deck out my residence with the latest smart home technologies, and gaming consoles, books and other entertainment gadgets. \n\nThere, I'd spent months playing games, reading books, and watching shows, while getting my food delivered every day. \n\nAfter half a year, I'd gained quite a bit of weight, so I'd made a commitment to exercise every day in the evenings, and finally got back into shape. \n\nAnd so my life continued, perhaps in an effort to distract my mind from all that had happened in my life.\n\n... Until that damned Death came up to my door one evening with a briefcase in hand.\n\nHe'd tried to convince me, even showing me the contract he'd drafted up where I'd spend about 8 months in the Neutral, a place that was neither Heaven nor Hell, that was meant for the mediocre.\n\nAfter that he said I'd be reincarnated into another life. I'd denied his offer, since I was satisfied with my current life, but he'd keep pushing on. \n\nHe started providing more benefits, like being reincarnated into a household that was part of the top 10 percentile of the country in terms of wealth.\n\nAfter I declined all that, he started giving me offers like sending me back in time to being born as a prince in the Middle Ages, to being born with the natural gift to communicate with animals. \n\n\"Wouldn't the butterfly effect mess up a lot of things though?\", I'd asked. \n\n\"Well that's why we have one of the best equipped data soulcenters in the multiverse, so don't worry about all that and tell me what you want so that you'll consider moving on?\" \n\nHis offers didn't stop. Yet, I didn't declined all that. I wasn't sure why, perhaps I was simply afraid of what the future might hold. A new life, a new place, and... a new family.\n\nAfter that fifth time he'd come, I thought I was finally free after I got no visits for another 3 months. Until I did. ", "I rested in the hospital bed, bored out of my mind, but I refuse to kick it. My greedy little family come and visit me every day but only to check up if I'm dead already so they came grab my stuff. \n\nWhile I was sleeping, One of my sons injected a liquid in to my blood drip, I woke up and saw that happen but had a massive heart attack and died. The son quickly yelled out in help with a smerk on his face knowing what he did and the rest of the family slowly walked in as the alarm beeeeeeeeep. The nurses couldn't revive me and proclaim I was dead 4:03pm. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI slowly felt the life floating outside of my body when i heard him say: \n\n> Son: How will we split the house up? \n\n&#x200B;\n\nF\\*k that, the little shit isn't getting my stuff and willed myself back into my body. \n\nWith a deep gasp, I inhaled with all my breath and said \n\n> Grumpy Old Man: \"Hey shithead, I'm still around\".\n\nThe nurse quickly rushed the family away and said to me:\n\n> Nurse: Your very luckly to be alive, your heart had stopped for 10 mins, you were already dead. \n> \n> Grumpy Old Man: I am never going to die, tell my son that and sod off!.\n\nThe nurse humpfh and walked off as requested.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe days went on, it's boring just lying in my bed. The nurses come around uncaring and do their check list. I am just a number to them, just a patience taking a long time to kick the bucket. I might just die of boredom first before my family tried to kill me again.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe air started going cold, I could feel something running down my spine, at least I thought this is a change, whats going on? as I open my eyes.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI saw him, dressed in black with glowing red eyes. His face was that of a skull forged in steel. It was death, death was real, and he came to take me away from this place. \n\nI am tired was my existence here but I refused to die to just keep my son away from my money. \n\nDeath said to me:\n\n>Your time to pass on was scheduled a few days agos, why are you still here?\n\nI replied back:\n\n>If I died then my greedy little family will get my money. My money! they didn't work a day in their life.\n\nDeath waited a few moments like he was thinking and said in a deep voice:\n\n>Eventually your family will kill you. Your a grumpy old man that no one likes. Come with me if you want to live.\n\nI thought about it and said \n\n>ok, take me away death. \n\nHe lifted me up out of bed and we left the room, luckly there were no nurses roaming around like they normally do. We approached stairs but i said, we can't go that way, the nurses office will see us!!\n\n>Death: Dont worry, I have powers that prevent the nurses from seeing us.\n\nWe walked passed the nurses office while I lean against Death. The nurses really couldn't see us or hear us, we were 1 meter in front of them and they never noticed. It was amazing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe reached the stairs and I asked Death, we are going up? and he said\n\n>No, you are going down Father. \n\nDeath pushed me down the stairs and I broke my neck, I was feeling the nothingness wrap around my body and saw Death taking off a face mask revealing it was my Son. \n\n>Son: Hey Nurse, your bed is free now. \n\nNurse reply:\n\n>I dont believe you just did that in a terminator costume. well done ;-)\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;", "The heart monitor flicked in his right ear like a Chinese torture technique. I swear i'll hunt down the mother fucker that made this damn machine, Jonah thought to himself. I will hunt down his children, and their children, and their children. What is the point of the damn thing if I only twisted my ankle? \n\n\"Good morning, Mr.Moralack. How are we doing today?\" The door shut behind a tall, and somewhat husky older man that wore a well fitted suit. This guy again, thought Jonah. The brochures, the signs on the highway, the gift cards to funeral homes. It's like he doesn't get the message. I wish I could read his mind for once, but no one in the right mind would want to read the mind of the devil. \n\n\"I already told you I don't want what you're selling, Lucy\" \n\n\"It's free Jonah.\"\n\n\"And i'm not ready.\"\n\n\"The cancer was a gift to give you a year or so to wrap all this up, and that's more than enough time. That was three years ago.\"\n\n\"Go away with your brochures and stick them up your...\"\n\n\"Jonah,\" he interrupted, \" I don't want to force you to go, but someday i'll have to.\" He sighed, a bit in frustration, but mostly because knew what he would have to do next and he hated doing it. \" Just hear me out this once, and if at the end of my pitch you still down want to go, We'll talk about it in another year. Deal?\"\n\nJonah didn't want to leave yet. He still needed time to say goodbye to his kids. To walk his grandchildren in the park one last time. To ask that cute cashier at the CVS around the corner if she would have dinner with him. He could always tell when a lady was a dancer of the night in their youth by the limp in their walk, and boy did she limp. He was scared he would be convinced by what he heard, but he would have to decline no matter what to buy more time. He nodded his head. \n\n\"Alright Johan. This has been the game of life, and you've made it to the end. Here is your prize!\" the florescent bulbs of the hospital room turned to a colorful array of lights and brought to life a game show like theater that sat Jonah in the audience and Lucifer on the stage. Two curtains covered stages taking the background. The first curtain lifted.\n\n\" For your first prize, you have the chance to see all the people you have ever loved!\" Said the devil in a theatrical voice. \" Your high school sweetheart that died on the way home from the drive-in movies hasn't stopped talking about you since the day we met. aside from still being the same sweet girl you fell in love with, she still loves you. Also, Your daughter that passed away in the river that summer you took up kayaking is waiting for you up here, and she has been having the best time getting to know your parents\"\n\nLucy keep going on about all the people on stage waving at Jonah, but he knew everyone there. His eyes filled up with tears and he started to think of all the people he had missed all those years. Dreams and nightmares become a regular part of life as he got older, always thinking of how he wanted to see some faces just one last time. Lucifer saw that Jonah was sinking into his feelings, and this was were he reeled them in to seal the deal. The second curtain parted and displayed a larger than life monitor that caught Jonah's eye. \n\nWith the flashing lights off except for a few dim white bulbs , Lucy took his place next to the screen and spoke with a fatherly tone. \"And just as important, your family is ready, Jonah. If you take your leave right now, your children and their kids will grow up with fond memories of you in good health, and the lady around your age at the drug store will never lose your after falling in love for the seventh time in her life. No heart breaks, no strings attacked.\" The image on the screen changed from family, to a casket taking the center of the screen with people taking turns speaking off to the side.\" Even your funeral will filled with love and stories, with you and me standing there listening to it all.\"\n\nJonah didn't want to admit it, but it sounded almost too good to pass up. The pain in his ankle brought him back to the hospital and he was swept over with a feeling an anger that washed over him for wanting this now. He lived a good life. This was as good a time as any. Lucy handed him a clipboard and a pen to sign away his life, and he signed it with a sigh if relief. the heart monitor began to beep slower and Jonah felt his body relax, which he didn't fight it. His last image of the living world was of Lucy standing over him like a dear friend. Their smiles matched one another, and with that he gone.\n\n\"I fucking hate doing that shit\" though Lucy, but he couldn't have someone dying without coming to terms with their own death. The only thing he hated more than tricking someone into hell with the gameshow act was hunting down a lost, bitter soul. " ]	4
	[WP] God finally decides humanity was an mistake, but there are three in particular who stop him. "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Seriously, Bob?\"\n\nBob's smile was infectious. God let out a chuckle. \n\n\"Well, maybe not all are accidents, but that doesn't mean everyone should get punished.\" \n\n\"Bob, you were in the military. Tell me then, why would everyone get punished if someone didn't do something right and have to run for a while, huh?\"\n\n\"Well, now sir, that's the military. These people aren't bound by their rules. Michael, can you help me out here?\"\n\nThe Arch angel was leaning against the wall of the big open hall. He propped himself up as his wings stretchered to relive the stiffness.\n\"Sir, the fuzzy hair guy has a point.\"\n\n\"Michael, you know how much I hate this hair.\"\n\n\"I know,\" Michael said with a wink. \"But it's so fuzzy!\" \n\n\"Michael, you can't stand humans,\" said God.\n\n\"Eh, some. But this, this is nuts. Look, I've done my fair share of killing, you know this. But this, EVERYONE?\"\n\nJust then, the door swung open and a embodiment of Tall, Dark, and Handsome man walked in briskly.\n\"Dude, ARE YOU NUTS?!\"\n\n\"Ah, Pluto.\" \n\n\"Hey, Almighty One, just cause the Greeks named me that doesn't mean I have to like it.\"\n\n\"What are you doing here anyway?\"\n\n\"I heard that you were wanting to destroy humanity. You CAN'T do that!\"\n\n\"Why can't I....Devil?\"\n\n\"For hell's sake! The influx would be too much for one. Then what about Purgatory, huh? Remembered what happen during the Plague awhile back? PANDEMONIUM!!! Poor Peter at the gates over there nearly got trampled, Bob in Purgatory quit and you still don't have a replacement. You haven't thought any of this through! BTW, what is Bob Ross doing here?\"\n\n\"I never had one of those 'Joy of Painting' Sets. So I got one and asked Bob to take sometime in his busy afterlife to teach me to paint.\"\n\n\"Uh-Huh. Dude, you created the very things he painted..Sorry Bob,...paints.\"\n\n\"Just because I can make something from raw materials doesn't mean I can paint it.\"\n\n\"Right you are Sir. But you see, that's the reason you can't destroy humanity. What other things can we teach each other?\" Bob said calmly.\n\n\"Man, you BOTH are right.... but...\"\n\n\"But what sir?\"\n\n\"But the paint set was supposed to come with Titanium White and they sent Aspen White!!!!\"\n", "God proclaims his intentions at the gates of heaven and all who take heed of the mortal world have come to hear him. This new batch of humans is a wash he begins and goes on to say that they must be plucked from his world like the weed they have become...again. He knew what he had done in the past, he would preserve his favored, scatter their languages, break their towers, and teach them again. In his infinite mercy he knows they could become what he wants them to be if he only gave them another chance to prove it. \n\nFor the first time in centuries he is excited, engaged and envigorated. He proclaims he will create a new Bible, etched in stone in ancient Hebrew, he will select the most pious and worthy, and flood the world again! It will be glorious and holy and many among the flock agree, but not all. \n\nA large group is silent and God takes notice of this. He approaches the group and three men step forward to represent them. The three are Carl Sagan, Mr Rogers, and Bob Ross.\n\nCarl first convinces God that the progress we have made and stand to make is worth preserving, building upon even. God allows his creations to keep their towers and their languages, he even shows them how reach the stars with ease. He encourages God to make the new Bible, which would now contain the collective of human knowledge, encoded on human DNA. This Bible would be accessible to all people at all times in the form of crystal clear memories that never degrade and would continue to record the progress of man as they developed.\n\nThen Mr. Rogers convinces God that picking one group of people was unwise and causes more harm than good, he shows him that those who follow other religions are not the enemies, but his children to be protected all the same. God would go on to abandon his plan to wipe out all but his select group and would show them his love instead of his scorn. From that moment forward, all would be welcome in the kingdom of heaven and valued for what they have to offer and not what God wishes they could be. \n\nFinally, Bob Ross convinces God that mistakes are meant to be made and learned from, not a reason to wipe the canvas clean. Effortlessly, Bob paints God a massive mural depicting a planet covered in water. Bob tells God that this is not a painting of what he plans to do, but an image of what he's already done. He peels away a masking layer and large portions of the water comes with it, revealing a glorious portrait of earth as it stands now from space with the lights and signs of life preserved. God abandons his plan to flood the world a second time. \n\nTogether, they convince God that even his own mistakes can bear incredible fruit and should not be wiped clean so hastily. From these wisemen, God learns to show his love for his people and overnight he would eliminate scarcity, conflict, disease, and any other device of his creation that is harmful to his other creations. \n\nAnd so it came to pass that the all knowing, all loving, and all powerful was made better by his flawed creations and they created a paradise on the blue green ball in the heavans. " ]	3
	[WP] "Ya'll need Jesus," said the Eldritch God, gazing upon its cultists, "Or Allah; or maybe even Buddha. Just leave me alone!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The Eldritch God looked down upon the fatigued mass of bodies, covered in blood, feces and other bodily fluids. There where only 6 of them and they seemed to all be related. It recoiled at the acts it had seen them do upon each other; how half of them weren't even going to survive within the next few minutes. The youngest being only an infant. And not to mention the dog.... Or the cat.... And It was unaware that humans regularly kept rats, or as many as they did and THEY DIDN'T BELONG WHERE THEY PUT THEM!! WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH FECAL MATTER?!?!?\n\n\"Just... I did not sign on for this level of Cultist bullshit. Nope!\" the Eldritch God said shaking It's many tentacled head. \n\n\"Cultists?\" said the Patriarch as he strutted forward confidently, nude and covered with dead rats. With a flourish he announced, \"We're not Cultists. We're the Aristocrats!\" " ]	2
	[WP] You're at the gates of Hell, surrounded by damned and awaiting punishment. Suddenly, a woman walks out of the gates and past the guards, gives you a hug, and says, "Bet you didn't expect to see me again, huh?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Jackie?” I asked. “How in the Hell--”\n\n“I know, right?!” she replied.\n\nI hugged her out of sheer instinct. I hadn’t seen her in so long, not since I moved from Arizona back to the bleak nothingness of the Midwest. Jackie, my dearest friend. The tears began to flow from my eyes. It didn’t matter that my nostrils were filled with the scent of sulfur and brimstone. It didn’t matter that the arid air lashed my skin with temperatures in excess of an Arizona summer.\n\nIt was her and I was so glad to hear her again.\n\nWe separated enough so that we could see one another, our hands still clasped. Behind her the cries of the damned rose up from behind the black wrought-iron gates.\n\n“Jackie, what are you doing here?” I asked. She was one of the purest souls I had ever known. Smart—both in intellect and empathy—I had never once dreamed that she would end up here, in Hell. We’d shared more than our fair share of devilishly cynical jokes over the years, but wit is one of the highest forms of humor.\n\n“So funny story,” she began. Her expression changed to one that I had seen many times. I braced for her wit. “Remember how you always joked that I’d go all ‘Sephiroth in Nibelheim’?” She looked up as if to feign innocence.\n\nI quirked my head to the side recalling and regarding her as I cracked my own sly smile. “…yes…?” I replied.\n\n“Yeah.” She replied.\n\n“Yeah?” I asked, surprised. Then the realization set in. “Oh… Yeah. Huh. Okay.” I didn't care. It was Jackie.\n\nI stepped back, taking in the gates and the rest of our surroundings. A red sun burned in the sky, casting the barren landscape in shades of fire.\n\n“You’re going to love it here,” she began, ushering me toward the gates. “Once you’re inside it’s all Mad Max. ‘Witness me!’ and all that. We’ve even got ourselves a doof warrior.”\n\nI laughed, giving her the side eye. “Really? Let me guess, you’re playing Tina Turner?” Then I belted out my best Tina impression of ‘I don’t need another heeeeroooo.’\n\n“Shut. Up.” She laughed back. “No, stop. Do not tell anyone about that.”\n\nHell wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as I’d imagined.", "Shuffling a few feet forward, I wonder if this is part of the punishment. The scent of unwashed souls is just as smelly as unwashed bodies, and while it isn't burning, it is balmy and uncomfortable.\n\nA couple small steps and wait. One step forward and then stand around a bit more. It is maddening.\n\nAt the beginning, I tried to make conversation. Let me tell you, the people you meet in the queue for hell are not people you want to make small talk with. Myself included I guess. Now I'm just another knot in this rope leading to what I have heard some of the others refer to as \"court\".\n\nI hear her heels now, but it must be my imagination. The sounds she made have haunted me for years. You would think dying would free me of the hallucinations but I guess not. \n\n\"Lionel.\"\n\nDon't look up, she isn't real. Fuck what I wouldn't do for my meds. Problem with being schizophrenic and dead is that you can't exactly treat your brain with meds when your brain is pasted across your living room wall.\n\n\"My little lion, I bet you didn't expect to see me again.\" \n\nShe isn't real, she isn't real, she isn't real. She's a figment, don't listen, her voice is just an intrusive thought. Breathe and ignore her.\n\n\"Guess what? Your demons are real after all!\"\n\nMy eyes meet hers. Her blood red eyes that I've seen so many times. Her voice that has made me hurt so many people.\n\nHer voice that told me to just end it.\n\nAnd she smiles her tiny sadistic smile at me and offers me her hand.\n" ]	3
	[WP] When you died, you got reincarnated in the dreams of the person who thought of you the most during your life. The person who’s dreams you appear in is someone you’ve never met.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Pt 1\nLights flashed rapidly in my blurred vision as I heard faint voices surround me asking if I was okay. I couldn’t remember much and felt myself slipping into darkness. I couldn’t feel any pain and but I could tell something was wrong. My body was lifted onto a bed and the last thing I remember is the door of the ambulance shutting as my life faded away from my body. \r\n\r\nI woke up to a woman in a raspy body accent voice saying “hey sweetheart wake up its time to go over you evaluation.” \r\n\r\n“Huh, where am I?” I asked in my daze\r\n\r\n“Heaven toots, now lets go to your evaluation” she said extending her hand\r\n\r\nI took her hand and tried to remain calm. \r\n\r\n“I, I am dead? But how?” I asked\r\n\r\n“Well you were driving home and WHAM! A truck hit you and sent you flying from the car. It was pretty shut and closed.” She replied\r\n\r\nWe walked down a long narrow hallway that was empty and smelled like flowers. The smell was like an imitation though, I could smell flowers but it didn’t seem real. She turns a corner and opens a door, I peeked in and saw a man watering massive sunflowers with his back turned to us. \r\n\r\n“Hello Karen.” He said in a bothered voice\r\n\r\n“Time for an evaluation Don” she said with a fake smile smeared across her face\r\n\r\n“Lovely, take a seat Jen. I will be with you in one minute.” He said with his back still turned to me. I sat down in the chair placed in the center of the room covered in sunflowers. Don turned looking into my direction and as he stepped forward the sunflowers disappeared and a desk flashed in-front of me before I could blink. \r\n\r\n“Okay I am still coming down from being dead and now all this, well it’s just to much I need time to accept this.” I yelled \r\n\r\n“Okay I understand” he said looking down at his watch \r\n\r\nAfter a brief moment he looked back up and said “Okay now that, that’s over let’s get to your evaluation.”\r\n\r\n“Evaluation! No I am tired and losing my shit Don.” I screamed\r\n\r\n“Okay I know your new here and don’t have time for the nonsense. We are on a time crunch and you must be evaluated.” He said in a stern voice staring deeply into my eyes. His gaze penetrated my fears and acted like Valium, calming my nerves.\r\n\r\n“Uh huh” I nodded dumbfounded at the feelings rushing through my body\r\n\r\nHe began asking question after question out of a large stack of papers. He would lick his finger and flip the pages in haste speeding through each question and annoyingly waiting for my response. After what seemed liked years the last page was flipped and he looked up. \r\n\r\n“Well now that, that is complete I know your placement.” He said finally showing a bit less of a grimace \r\n\r\n“Okay so where will I be going?” I asked nervously \r\n\r\n“You lived your life depressed feeling like no one cared about you and you served no real purpose. You will be reincarnated. Your placement will be in the dreams of the one who loved you most.” Don said\r\n\r\n“Wait who is that?” I asked \r\n\r\n“Well let me show you.” He said guiding me towards the door. The hallway had disappeared and a small apartment was in its place. We stepped through and he led me to the living room. I saw a pale man sitting on a dingy old couch with tears and stains covering it. The mans eyes were bloodshot with bags full of sadness under his eyes, he had dried tear marks leading a trail to his lips filled with a cigarette. He was wearing day old pajamas and staring at a phone in his nicotine stained fingers. \r\n\r\n“Who is this guy?” I asked Don \r\n\r\n“This is Jonathan. He worked security in your IT department and loved you more than anyone in this world. He watched you everyday and tried talking to you multiple times but his nerves got the best of him. You were his everything and you never knew.” He responded\r\n\r\n“But why is he so sad?” I replied \r\n\r\n“He found about your death the night it happened and has been here ever since. He’s been calling out of work everyday and slowly loosing his mind. You job is to make him whole again and let him live his life out.” Don explained\r\n\r\n“But how do I do that?” I asked\r\n\r\n“Well you are unable to interact with him in this world but when he dreams you can have a full interaction with him and do whatever it takes to get him back in his feet.” Don said as he turned and walked back into his office leaving me alone. I ran to the door closing as I slammed my fist against it.\r\n\r\n“You can’t leave me here what the hell is this?” I yelled at a blank door. I grabbed the handle and it led me into the apartment hallway. I looked back and walked towards the couch. I planted myself on the dirty couch next to Jonathan.\r\n\r\n“Well I guess it’s just me and you bud” I said relaxing into the couch knowing I’m talking to myself. I waited hoping he’d fall asleep but nothing just hours of him moaning and crying. He got up and walked to the kitchen only to come back with a bottle of tequila. He began pouring shot after shot as he slowly drifted into a drink oblivion. As the night went on his eyes became glossy and were hard to keep open until his head hit the armrest collapsing in a deep slumber. I began to fade into the nothing and pop up in his dream. \r\n\r\n“Hey hun, how was your day?” Jonathan said to me\r\n\r\n“Hey Jonathan we need to talk. I am dead and this is a dream but let me explain. You need to forget about me and move on. You can’t live in sadness anymore. You need to pick yourself up and move on babe” I said in my sweetest voice\r\n\r\n“Oh hun you are so funny. Stop being so dramatic. What do you want for dinner?” He asked in complete oblivion \r\n\r\n“Jonathan remember I am dead. You need to remember so we can get through this” I yelled\r\n\r\nThe bright sunny apartment turned dark and gloomy. The walls turned to fog and as the fog cleared a wet road presented itself. I saw headlight speeding down the road in my direction. Jonathan turned and saw me in its path. He sprinted in my direction and grabbed me, he did his best to try and move me but I was frozen in place unable to move. My feet were plated to the ground as if they were cemented into the pavement. He pulled begging me to move but I couldn’t this was my fate. The headlights grew closer and closer until I was met with the bone crushing metal slamming into my body. I bounced down the wet road and laid motionless. \r\n\r\n“No!” Jonathan screamed falling to his knees. \r\n\r\nI saw him staring at my corpse and as I tried to get up I appeared back on the couch to witness him leaping from his much needed slumber. He looked around and cried hugging a cardigan I thought I had lost. He pressed his nose and breathed in whatever smell of me was left on it. He started pouring his tequila into a coffee cup and taking large swigs until he passed out. Without notice I am back in the bright sunny apartment on a beautiful day. He is in the kitchen making banana pancakes and singing Jack Johnson. How did he know my favorite breakfast and singer. This man knew me better than my own parents and friends. I was sad to see him in so much pain after finding out how much he cared. He turned and brought over a stack of pancakes. He sat down and looked at me as if I wasn’t there. I was confused but slowly the walls fell and I was sitting in my green Volkswagen Bug driving down the wet foggy road I was killed on. My hands were glued to the steering wheel and foot stuck to the gas pedal not allowing me brake. The headlights heading my direction weren’t slowing down I felt my anxiety growing as my control was no where to be found. I was focused my vision on the driver of the car heading my direction. The only thing I could make out was a yellow hat that said take care of your kids with the picture of a goat on it. The car slammed into mine and my body bounced until it came to a stop. My eyes were facing the accident and the door of the truck that slammed into me opened. Two boots stepped out and walked towards me. The person kneeled down and said “it could’ve been us but you never laid any attention to me, didn’t know I was even alive. You faked your happiness when you could’ve been with me and had real happiness. Well I guess this is goodbye hun” \r\n\r\n“Jonathan killed me!” I screamed as I fell back on to the dirty couch with Jonathan jumping from his sleep grabbing my cardigan \r\n\r\n“Jen I am so sorry. I loved you and wish I didn’t hurt you. I wanted you to be mine forever but couldn’t have you. You always flirted with Kevin and acted like I wasn’t there. Well if I couldn’t have you kevin doesn’t deserve you either.” He said crying into my cardigan and grabbing his tequila \r\n\r\n“You killed me! You so of a bitch! You deserve to die” I yelled running to the kitchen. I reached for a knife and my hand just flowed through it. Fucking heaven bullshit. I will just wait until you sleep and then I will haunt your crazy ass.\r\n\r\nI sat on the coffee table directly in-front of him and waited as I watched him cry and drink. I hoped that he would fall asleep with a lot cigarette just to watch him slowly burn and die in agony. After hours he finally collapsed closing his eyes. \r\n\r\nThe apartment wasn’t bright anymore and he sat at the dining table with his hands pressed against his head. He looked up at me and apologized for what he did. For a brief moment I felt bad for him and then the rage m, the inferno rose from within and I let out all of my emotions.\r\n\r\n“You disgusting bitch. You didn’t have the balls to be with me! You deserve no happiness. You should find the fastest way to end your life just so I can kill you over and over again in the afterlife.” I said as I continued ridiculing him about what he did to me. \r\n\r\nJonathan looked up and tried to apologize but couldn’t talk. His mouth just was open and frozen. He started hitting himself in the head and saying stupid over and over again. ", "\"Who the...??\" \n\nShe was old and fragile, with tired smile lines carved into her cheeks. White hair so thin it looked like a veil, and milky blue eyes that swum in tears held back for a lifetime. \n\nWho was she? How did she know me? \n\nIn her dreams, there were children wobbling down cobblestone streets on bikes with little bells, loaves of bread cooling in windows, and sweet spoonfuls of rose petal jam. I had been invited into her happy place, her heaven. \n\nShe was in pain, and she didn't have much time. I knew there must have been more. Every face that appeared, every cloud in the sky was shrouded in too many failed attempts to forget what the woman could not unsee. \n\nA soft voice counted, \"one, two, three...\" a rocking chair creaked. The whole dream swung gently back and forth. \n\n\"Four, five, six...\" the world had not been kind to her, and she was slowly letting go. I felt her slipping away, and my mind screamed for her to hold on just a little longer. I needed her to stay in this sweet paradise just long enough for me to know who this old woman, torn and cracked at the edges, bursting at the seams, was. I needed to know how she had known me. \n\nTwilight crept closer, and as night fell, so did she. I suddenly felt a large, rough hand enveloping mine, and my eyes widened as I realized my fingers had become short and stubby, the hands of a small child. \n\nThe years flew in reverse. I remembered what my living brain never could. I had been taken from her, ripped from her arms, and as our world faded to black, I promised us both one thing: in whatever world came next, I would find her. \n\nHer hand dissolved around mine, leaving me alone in the dark. ", "I sat against the cold wall clenching my side holding onto the hole in my side. The sound of screams from around the corner started to fade as everything seemed to get darker. I looked down upon my wound to see blood, my blood. All over my hands and being absorbed by my clothes. I'd been shot mere seconds ago and the pain, oh the pain. My eyelids were heavy and felt cold so cold... I closed my eyes and let the cold take me.\n\nWhat is this? The wall behind me became comfortable and soft,. also i was no longer sitting i was laying down! I opened my eyes to the white ceiling of a room, a bed room. I sat up on the bed i was laying in to see a dresser with makeup products strewn upon it and a window with the sun beaming through greeting me to a new day. (i noticed the opposite side of the bed to be made or something) Then suddenly footsteps! outside the bedroom running and coming closer, I lept out of bed and reached for my weapon, realizing i'm in my civies when the door burst open and \" DADDY!\" This small girl shouts and wraps her tiny arms around my leg. Her hair was black and curly and she had the biggest smile on her face. \"H-Hey!\" My arms went up like i was surrendering and i looked around frantically for whom may be the parent of this child, but she clearly called me ... Daddy. She suddenly grabs my hand and brings me out of the bedroom \" C'mon were going to be late!\" \"Now hold on here...\"\n\n Before i could finish there was a bright flash and i was sitting on a small chair in what seemed to be a class room, filled with a bunch of little kids. and a man at the front behind a desk and a women standing infront of the blackboard in a police uniform. \"And thats what being a police officer is about, to me any way. I hope that answered your question.\" She smiled at a kid in the front row as she walked back to the back of the room where i now noticed a bunch of other parents were sitting. The Man behind the desk, who i now believe to be the teacher spoke \"Next is Lynn's father telling us about his job in the military \"I couldn't help but notice the name Lynn... I stood up and walked to the front of the class and saw her, Her eyes beaming her smile so big! ... thats my little girl.\n\nShes so big, i only saw her a couple months ago when i was home for her birth, How is this possible how did i get here? Then i remembered that i got shot, my hand went directly to my side and a burst of bright light happened again. I was pushing lynn on the swing set, Her mother was taking a picture! Oh lucy! I miss you! \"how high do you wanna go kiddo?\" i asked then came another bright light! I was tying Lynn's soccer cleats, and said \"there you go kiddo\", Then another bright light. Lynn was riding her bike towards me, Then another bright light. Lynn and i were swimming in a pool she looked like she was taller, Then another bright light. I was carrying lynn on my shoulders through the Zoo with Lucy, Lynn claimed she wanted to be a giraffe when she got older, \"You do that Kiddo.\" Then another bright light. Lynn was walking across the stage in her graduation gown waving to me and i waved back, she was beautiful i started crying, Then another bright light. I heard crying on the other side of the door, I knocked and opened the door \" Hey Kiddo.\" Lynns head whipped around too see me and she yelled out \"Daddy!\" as she cried and ran to hug me i embraced her. she was so tall! gee this has to be high school now I then began to see another bight light, \"Ah c'mon!\". Then suddenly Im in a driveway, It's very late and dark out. I see someone in the car and knock on the window and instinctively say \" Hey kiddo.\" She Looked up at me, tears in her eyes and unlocked the car doors. I Think i'm getting the hang of this now. i opened the passenger door and sat down. \"Long time no see.\" I said \" I know\" She Replied, She wiped the tears off of a photo of me and said \" I miss you...\" \"I miss you too.\" \" I never even knew you!\" \"You do honey.\" I grabbed her hand and she looked over at me. \" You do.\" I smiled and she smiled . \" Now tell me whats wrong?\" And we sat their for what seemed to be a milisecond but she told me everything from Lucy's engagement, To her struggle to find herself, to bad grades, and bad friends. \"Thanks Dad.\" \"Anytime Lynn\" We hugged both leaning over the car console. Then... another bright light. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was at a coffee shop sipping on something tasteless when she knocked on the window with Her big smile and beaming eyes. She was older but i knew it was her right away she had her mothers curly hair still. She burst in the coffee shop saying \"My usual Francine?\" and sat down and out her purse on the table. I smiled and said \"Hey kiddo.\" \"I love you dad.\" I was taken back. I felt the tears well up in my eyes, \"I love you too Lynn, My baby girl.\"she took in a breath and let out a squeal \"Im getting married!\" I felt my heart leap out of my chest! joy came over me, the tears started to fall \" Im so happy for you!\" i got up and went across the table and lifted her up and spun her around. \"MY BABYS GETTING MARRIED.\" , Then another bright light crept upon us.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSuddenly i was in a field on top of a hill, and i heard an odd and constant beeping. I looked out over the field and could feel the warmth of the setting sun. I then felt a tug at my side. I turned around to see an older women grey curly hair and glasses. There was a house behind her with a bunch of people sitting on the front porch. She smiled and i knew... \" Hey kiddo.\" The beeping then turned into a consistent tone and i took her hand and we walked until, another bright light.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	4
	[WP] In a world where you meet your soulmate in dreams, a strange dichotomy exists. Those living their lives after having met their match, and those who spend as much time asleep, waiting. You have already met your soulmate, but you still sleep all the time because they are in a coma.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke up with a start, gasping as my lungs itched for air. \n\nI blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting away from the bright, soothing lights of the bar. My hands shook, jittering on the air as the wooden bar in front of me was replaced with nothing and the scene faded away. I shook my head, trying to force my eyes closed again—trying to bring back the dream. After all those months of living on such little sleep, it still hurt every single time I woke up.\n\nBut as my eyes only caught darkness and my breathing slowed back down, I cringed, knowing it wasn't going to work. The already-blurry image of the bright bar faded into my memories, taking her beautiful smile with it.\n\nMy eyes flicked open, a wet tear already forming at the edge. I wiped it away and sniffled, forcing more air into my lungs so I could get my body to breathe regularly. I took three, long blinks in tandem with my breaths.\n\nIn... and out.\n\nA clapping stomp echoed through the dimly lit room as my foot came down. I snapped my eyes open in surprise, my heart already beating in my chest before I realized what it was. I put my head in my hands and dragged them across, forcing the excess grogginess away.\n\nAs soon as the sound of my shoe hitting the ground had faded from the room, only silence was left. Well, silence and her.\n\nThe soft beeping of her heart rate and the gentle whirring of the medical machines filled my ears in an instant. I looked over to her, watching the way the slightly ruffled grey blanket they'd put on her rose and fell with her slightest breaths. Each time the blanket came down, a cold hand grabbed my heart, holding it captive and forcing fear into my mind until the blanket rose again, telling me she was alive.\n\nThe tear that I'd wiped away came back almost as quickly as it had left. I didn't wipe it away this time. A deep breath entered my lungs as I stood up on shaky legs, forcing myself out of the chair I'd been sleeping in. I didn't know for how long I'd been sleeping, but that didn't really matter. Time didn't move the same in the dreams, and even if it did, talking with her made sure that it didn't matter.\n\nI walked over to her bed, the nearly inaudible sounds of my footsteps sounding like the clashes of giants as I interrupted the perfectly familiar ambiance. My eyes dragged slowly as I glossed over her comatose form and up onto her face. Her pale skin seemed to sparkle in the dim fluorescent light. It had regained all of its luster since the crash.\n\nA hitch caught in my throat and more tears welled up as the memory of the crash reared its ugly head. I felt my eyes drooping in a familiar way and I shook my head, not wanting to relive the memory. The sounds of bending metal, cracking glass, and terrible screaming echoed in my ears. I shook my head harder.\n\nAs the subtle, consistent beep of her heart broke through once again, I noticed a new sound in the room. I slowed my breathing again, listening to the sounds of her, and the sounds of her only.\n\nI looked at her closed eyes, feeling another sharp tug at my heart. The oxygen mask they'd given her did nothing to take away from her beauty. Even through her pale eyelids, I could still see the beautiful shining brown brilliance beneath. \n\nA smile tugged at my lips, but as images flashed in my mind—images of those same brilliant brown eyes stricken with fear. My smile dropped in an instant and my fingers twitched in the air, threatening to curl into a fist. I saw the way she'd stared at me during the crash. I saw the fear in her eyes—the absolute, indescribable terror she'd had as she was lying on the ground, unable to move her legs while I desperately called for help.\n\nI swallowed hard, the smooth wet sound thankfully ripping away the memories. My fingers relaxed, and my breathing slowed again. But I didn't take my eyes off of her. Not yet.\n\nMy vision fell on her hair, the nearly perfect blonde locks that glinted tiny bits of light into my eyes. This time, I did smile, letting the memories overtake me. I saw her smirking at me, whipping her hair through the air as she came back to retort me in an argument. I saw her smiling, the light, sleepy smile she'd had every time she'd woken up, her hair sprawled all over the pillow.\n\nThe smile dropped off my face, guilt rising up to take its place. That was the last time I remembered sleeping in the same bed with her. The thought stung. And that had been days before the crash had even happened. That thought stung even more.\n\nThe exhaustion I'd felt as I'd driven that day overtook me once again, if only for a moment. I remembered the heavy eyes, the sluggish movements and all. That's what caused the crash, I told myself harshly. My gaze finally ripped away from her face.\n\nI hadn't slept back then.\n\nI hadn't wanted to sleep, because who would've. I'd found my soulmate, and I didn't want another. I hadn't wanted to waste my time sleeping when I could've been up and at it with her.\n\nTears stung my eyes as I forced the memories back, trying to tell myself I wasn't to blame. I knew I was, but I just tried not to think about it. My eyes snapped back to her face and my breaths became shaky. I found myself longing to hear her voice as I stared at her lips—lips that hadn't parted once since the crash all those months ago.\n\nI shook my head, feeling the pained exhaustion I still felt. I glanced back at the chair—the uncomfortable hospital chair that they'd provided just so I could stay with her. A thought rose up in my mind as I stared at it, and I latched onto it with a nod.\n\nMy body slumped back down in the chair after I'd pulled it closer to her bed. I finally wiped away the tears still building in my eyes and took her hand in mine. The feeling of her skin was enough to make the tears come right back.\n\nI forced my eyes shut and laid back, trying to get comfortable. It was hard to do in that godawful chair, but with her fingers intertwined with mine, it became almost an easy task. The thought just repeated in my head as I tried to force myself to drift away.\n\nI hadn't slept back then.\n\nBut I could sleep now.\n\n---\n\n/r/Palmerranian\n" ]	2
	[WP] You wake up from a nap to find the house empty and the power out. Your phone won't turn on and the car won't start. Scared & confused, you grab your bike and head to the nearest police station. The streets are pitch black & silent, with cars seemingly abandoned on the road but no one in sight.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This isn't right.\n\nIt's barely 7 P.M. Bars should be open. Hell! Mr Hall's grocery store should still be open! Well, to be fair, it was, in a literal sense, but the lights were out, and there was nobody there.\n\nWhat the fuck happened? Streets should be busy at this time, yet here I am, hiking on a bike along Clement St., with nothing, not even a bird flying overhead, no sound, no light, just nothing.\n\nThe houses around are of no help either. Every Saturday, Mr Jones sits on the rocking chair on the porch of his house. Every Saturday. That's his thing. He didn't miss one. He could be dying of a nasty snakebite, and he'd still not miss his weekly routine, so why on Earth isn't he there?\n\nWell, at least I'm nearing the Police Station. And what a surprise: the lights are out.\n\nFuck.\n\nOf course, Stan isn't there. Of course he isn't. It's not like he takes his job very seriously anyway. No, it's not like him at all to be one of the last good cop in this Hellhole of a town. And he definitely doesn't do more than necessary to help whomever he can, despite his position of, as he puts it, \"Only a receptionist.\"\n\nOkay, time to focus. The Station is empty, so now what? Maybe I should get a gun? But if I'm caught with it, there'll be trouble... Yes, there hasn't been a single soul so far, but that doesn't mean that there's literally nobody left on Earth. And yes, I'm actually holding a debate with myself out loud, got a problem with that?\n\n...\n\nAm I going crazy? I think I am. That can't be good. I need to find someone, anyone, ASAP.\n\nHold on, where'd my bike go? Did it... did it get stolen? So, does that mean that there's someone else here beside me? They can't have gone very far. Maybe we can find out what happened, together! Oh, and getting my bike back would be nice too.\n\n**\n\nThat wasn't a smart idea.\n\nWho in the world chases after a thief, and goes in the first random direction that she sees? Me, that's who. Stupid thing to do, but oh well, no point crying over a lost bike. I'm not that far from home anyway. Maybe I should sleep it all off. Maybe it's all a very weird dream, and I'd wake up in my office, with my manager yelling at me for snoozing at work, and—is that my bike in front of my house?\n\nFuck, the door's unlocked. Why didn't I get that goddamn gun at the Station again?\n\nWait a minute. Unlocked? My keys are in my pockets, aren't they?\n\n... They are. So I'm about to face a thief that's also a locksmith. And they brought my bike back to my house. Weird combo, but okay I guess.\n\nGod, I wish that the power wasn't out. I wish that the thief didn't steal the flashlight on the entrance table, too, but why have small wishes when you're at it. Thankfully, finding that flashlight shouldn't be hard. Why? Because it's shining in the room right in front of me, of course! Phew, that's convenient.\n\nI should really stop talking to myself, even in my mind.\n\nOkay. Three. Two. One. Chaaaaaarge!\n\n...\n\nWhat.* The. Fuck.\n\nCan I go back to talking-to-myself crazy, please? I kinda don't really like my craziness going up to seeing-a-copy-of-myself crazy, thank you very much.\n\nAt least, she did grab a gun. It'd be nice if it wasn't pointed at me, though.\n\n\"Who are you?\" Same hair, same face, same sarcastic voice, yep, she's definitely a copy me. \"Didn't you hear me? Who. Are. You?\"\n\n\"Wrong quote, lady. It's actually, 'What are you? Are you me?' By the way, the safety's still on.\"\n\nDo I really look that stupid when I'm confused?\n\n\"So you really are me.\" Not having a gun pointed at your face is a pretty good feeling, all things considered. Still, there's something missing. If she's really me, she can't just end a sentence like that in a situation like this. I mean, where's the—\n\n\"Fuck.\"\n\nAh. There's the swearing." ]	2
	[WP] - She reached down and the words rushed up to greet her. They were like an old friend, like surf against toes. It was too late now to hesitate. They would see.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "In the days leading up to her discernment convocation Aylana spent her days practicing. Pouring over her books of various spells. The books said they were for advanced students but they were still only basic spells that anyone could do, even if it took more practice than some were willing to do. What she was really excited for was her convocation where she would find out the order to which she was destined to. \n\n\"Aylana?\" said a voice from down the hall. \n\n\"In here master Galen.\" said Aylana. \n\n\"Ah yes.\" said Galen. \"I thought I might find you in the study. How goes it?\" He asked not seeming to share the anxiety that Aylana was feeling. \n\n\"I've been going over these spells a hundred times but I still can't seem to shake my nerves. Spells I used to be able to do in my sleep I'm having issues with now and with my convocation tomorrow I don't know if I'm ready and...\"\n\n\"You're thinking too much.\" Galen said cutting her off \"You can do these spells in your sleep, like you said, and I've seen you do more advanced spells than even I was capable of at your age.\" Galen paused and smiled at his student. \"I've watched you grow since you were a young girl. I remember when you told your parents you wanted to study magic.\" He turned and started walking around the edge of the room pausing after taking a few steps. \"I was sitting in the bakery enjoying some of your fathers fresh baked bread when I heard you tell your parents, in no uncertain terms, that you wanted to study magic and that nothing was going to change your mind.\"\n\nAylana smiled brushing a rogue strand of hair out of her face.\n\n\"Your mother seemed the most worried,\" Galen continued, \"and told you that it would be an easier and simpler life for you to grow up to be a baker but your father said...\"\n\n\"Once she's made her mind up like this there's no changing it.\" Aylana said cutting Galen off this time. \n\n\"Yes.\" Galen said with a small laugh. \"Yes even then you were as stubborn as a brick.\"\n\nAylana laughed feeling some small relief from the constant feeling of potential failure the next day might bring. \n\n\"You're ready.\"Galen said \"Now go get some rest.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSooner than she wanted it was the next day and Aylana was standing in-front of the large stone doors of the citadel with the hundreds of other magic students from the neighboring towns. They were all here for the same reason. To find the order of magic that they were destined to. The one that was in their blood and that they would shine the most in. Many of the larger boys wanted to be in the order of the dragons fang. They were the magical arm of the military and were widely believed to \"have all the cool jobs\" as some had pointed out to Aylana when she asked about them. Many also wanted to join the order of the sun who were the ones that studied and discovered new spells and uses for older ones. Then there were the less popular two. The order of the stars and the order of the order of the scroll. The order of the stars were the fortune tellers. Sometimes they were right most of the times, though, they weren't. It seemed like there was always someone from the order of the stars making some catastrophic prediction that never came true. They were right about smaller things like predicting the weather and more immediate danger. However the longer it would take for their prediction to come true the more likely it was that it wouldn't. The order of the scroll were the ones that pretty much no one wanted. They were the book keepers and scribes. They just wrote down the achievements of other orders and then made sure that the books they wrote didn't fall apart. \n\n\"I'm going to be in the order of the dragons fang.\" said one very muscular boy surrounded by other similarly sized boys. Aylana rolled her eyes and kept walking to the entrance of the citadel. \"You're going to in up in the order of the scroll!\" he shouted in the face of a much smaller and frail boy. \n\n\"No one can know where they are going to end up but I hope I'm in the order of the sun.\" said the frail boy obviously fighting through fear at facing the larger boy. The larger boy laughed and slapped the chest one of the other boys next to him. \"Even you aren't smart enough to get into there!\" he laughed at the small boy. \n\n\"Hey leave him alone!\" shouted a girl almost equal in size to the small boy she was defending.\n\n\"And what exactly are you going to do about it?\" asked the larger boy. \n\n\"Why don't you fight me and find out?\" answered the girl. \n\n\"Whatever I don't have time for this. I'll see you two losers inside.\" the more muscular boy said as he and his gang walked into the citadel. \n\nOnce Aylana went up one of the stair cases on the edge of the circular building. She found a spot near one of the ledges that let her see the open area at the center. The building was filled with the noise of hundreds of people all around Aylanas age waiting to find out what their destiny would be. \n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] A law has just been passed that legalizes cannibalism. They say it’s to solve world hunger and overpopulation.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "# The Longest Pig (or, George Stew)\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIngredients\n\n* 2 medium or 1 large Spanish onion, diced\n* 180 grams lardon or pancetta, chopped into pieces\n* 1 carrot, cut into large chunks\n* Orange for zest\n* 1 cup veal stock\n* 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced.\n* saute oil (high smoke point - canola is fine!)\n* 3 garlic cloves, minced\n* Wine (the kind should be based on the person you're cooking)\n* 15 grams all-purpose flour\n* Some butter\n* Button mushrooms\n* heaping spoon of tomato paste\n* 1 or 2 roma tomatoes\n* 1 bay leaf\n* Bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, rosemary tied with twine or cheesecloth)\n* And of course, 2-3 pounds of human flesh, preferably from the thigh\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPreparation\n\n1. Find out the name of the human that was slaughtered for your dining pleasure. If the name is not known, provide one yourself. Like George.\n2. To get the most flavorful, tender human, it is important to marinate it overnight. After removing excess fat and chopping into rough cubes, place the George chunks into large container. Add enough wine to cover the meat. Add a heaping handful of Kosher salt, as well as some black pepper and orange peels. Let sit in fridge - overnight would be best, but even a few hours is better than nothing!\n3. Fry your pancetta, lardons or just plain ol' bacon if you're not bougie enough for that other stuff until all the fat has rendered out and it has turned nice and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove. Taste a couple to make sure it's good - fuck, fuck, it's too hot, Jesus.\n4. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat him dry (pat, pat). Lightly dust with flour, removing any excess, and sear in the bacon fat until George gets a wonderful Maillard tan AKA crust. Have a few more bites of crispy, crispy bacon bits.\n5. Saute the onions until translucent; cook longer (and on low flame) for sweet caramelization. Add the garlic and saute on high heat for 30 to 60 seconds. Careful, it burns easily!\n6. Regret that you've already eaten half your bacon crisps.\n7. Deglaze with your wine marinade (after straining out solids). Make sure to stir up that fond that built up on the bottom; not using that flavor would be a crime, much in the same way that killing, butchering and cooking humans longer is.\n8. It's time for George to hit the sauna. Add the meat chunks back into the pot, along with a cup of veal stock. If George isn't completely submerged, top it off with more stock or wine. Also, toss in that pesky bay leaf and another bouquet garni. ^(George is worth it.) \n9. Optional: Mix in some tomato paste and diced roma tomatoes; this will add a nice Mediterranean flavor. If the very idea makes you want to hurl, omit it.\n10. Slide the whole mess into a preheated oven at 300 F. Cook forever.\n11. Just kidding. Cook for like 2-3 hours. The longer you let it bake, the more tender, juicy, and succulent George will taste.\n12. In the last half hour of cooking, add the carrots and potatoes. Also, saute your mushrooms in a new pan. Good cooking means having to wash dishes for weeks.\n13. Serve your George stew with his favorite side. Did he like mashed potatoes? Fries? Personal dignity and the right to live? Egg noodles? Figure it out and do him right. Pour yourself a nice glass of whatever wine you used for cooking, assuming you haven't already drunk it all.\n14. Don't forget to post on Insta. #humanflesh #privileged #toserveman\n15. Pat your belly satisfyingly and head to bed. Have nightmares about what you just did.\n16. They'll never stop.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLiked that story? Want more like it? Check out r/Idreamofdragons!" ]	2
	[WP] During Creation, most animals have been designed by individuals, but you have been assigned to the Project Platypus committee - the first, and last, committee attempt to design an animal, the duck-billed platypus.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“This really isn’t what I signed up for,” Charles mumbled, stifling an exasperated sigh as he looked around the board room. Three spirits sat around the cloud table excitedly chattering whilst two more ran around it.\n\n“Lucifer has gone a bit too far with his little pranks, this time,” conjectured Jonathan, straightening his corporeal suit.\n\n“I hear he’s going to be cast down. Poor lad.” Maya’s grandmotherly face tightened in concern.\n\n“Gnarly. Wonder what it’s like being fallen. Think I could get some of that?” Xavier pondered.\n\nCharles wasn’t sure Xavier was right in the head. By the way, he wasn’t sure why ‘death metal’ was written on his shirt, or what it was. Was it meant to be ironic?\n\nHe was pondering its meanin- “PEW! PEW! PEW!” “QUACK QUACK QUACK!” A blur of ethereal motion nearly sent Charles toppling over as a spirit child chased a duck around the boardroom.\n\n“Ahem,” Charles tried to regain composure. “. . . Umm . . . why is there a duck here?”\n\nMaya waved over gently. “Oh do sit down darlings, the meeting’s about to start.”\n\nCharles had a sinking feeling. The child and the duck scurried along to sit at the table. “You must be Billy . . . and Waddles.” Oh God, when you said impartial jury you weren’t kidding. “Let’s get started, I guess. As you may know, I am your moderator Charles Darwin-the father of evolutionary theory. We, the Project Platypus Committee, come together today because Lucifer’s ‘little prank’ has resulted in speciation to the point where God has run out of evolutionary guardian angels. What are your ideas for the future of the platypus species?”\n\n“Ooh! I know!” Billy leapt up hand raised. “Lasers!”\n\n“Uhh . . . “\n\n“Branching out to the water would be good for business,” Jonathan input.\n\n“Platypus are mammals, but I guess dolphins-”\n\nXavier interjected, “poison, it’s gotta have poison or it ain’t cool.”\n\n“Where would it even store poison?”\n\n“Ankles?” Maya asked leaning over to scratch hers.\n\n“What?!”\n\n“And lasers!” Billy shouted.\n\n“The anatomical preposterous-”\n\n“QUACK”\n\nMaya was absolutely pleased. “Great idea Waddles. Speaking of anatomy, a duck bill would fit perfectly.”\n\nEveryone nodded agreement.\n\n“But . . . platypus are carnivores, ducks are herb-”\n\n“What about LASERS?!” Billy screamed.\n\n“NO! Lasers are not even in the realm of evolutionary possibility.”\n\nBilly looked about to cry as Maya chided “Come now Darwin, at least try to compromise.”\n\nEveryone looked expectantly at Charles Darwin as Billy sniffled “well can we at least do lightning bolts?”\n\n“Umm, ahem electroreception, sure yeah we’ll go with that . . . Now, as to mammalian reproduction . .”\n\nThud everyone looked to Waddles as he laid a fresh egg.\n\n“Oh no . . .”" ]	2
	[WP] In the future, the sun is gone, and many doubt that it ever existed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "...The sky is black; it always has been. There was never any hint of blue. Supposedly when the earth swung close enough to a star it would blossom into a blue, but it doesn't get close enough to do that anymore. The new high cut planetary propulsion systems are too refined for that. \n\nI've heard talk they're running out of power.\n\nThat's nonsense the new refinement uses less power. According to the engineers we'll have mobility for a couple more centuries. \n\nBut what about the meteor shower that came down on the western hemisphere? If we have so much power why didn't we move away from it. \n\nDo I look like an engineer to you? I don't know? My guess is they didn't see it coming. \n\nYou really think they didn't see it?\n\nI mean there was nothing in the news about it. \n\nThe government is hiding it they have to be. \n\nBut why?\n\nThey're running out of power, but they don't want to cause mass panic. Think about it, how do you think the world would react if we suddenly learned we were gonna fall into the nearest star. \n\nSo we are gonna fall into a star. We're all gonna melt.\n\nWe'll be scorched and burn first. \n\nI heard that they're gonna throw us into orbit.\n\nOrbit? Around what?\n\nA star.\n\nWould we just slowly over heat? We'd all did.\n\nNot true! The earth used to orbit a sun!\n\nBlasphemy! It says so in the Holy Bible! \"And God blew upon the world! And his mighty breath threw the earth through the heavens on an unchanging course that would never stop nor faulter.\" Genesis 1:25. \n\nBut the're books and pictures!\n\nBooks can be filled with lies and pictures changed, how can you know?\n\nI suppose you're right. It would be crazy too wouldn't it? Orbiting a star? Ridiculous. \n\nI suppose we'll all die soon then. \n\nWell that's rather bleak. \n\nLet's not talk about this anymore, it hurts my stomach. \n\nYa me too. \n\nAnyone catch the game?..." ]	2
	[WP] After a long day you plop on the couch to unwind with some video games. As the menu screen pops up your arms and legs lose all feeling and begin to twitch. Bewildered you look at the screen to see your game character holding a controller. He shouts, "Let's see how YOU like it!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The character pressed the square button and I raised the hammer above my hand. I strained against my fingers, which were stuck like glue to the handle. \n\n“Not so fun now, is it?” the video game avatar said. \n\nHe took a seat on the start game logo, his thumb hovering above the circle button on his virtual PlayStation 4 controller. \n\nThis isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. \nI thought the words over and over again, while trying to let go of the hammer.\n\n“The click of a button,” he said. “That’s all it would take.” \n\nI stared down at my hand and watched as it moved to hover over the finger with my wedding ring on it. The avatar giggled with excitement. \n\nI’d taken two paracetamol before sitting down to kill some time. The day had been stressful and now there was this. Bonnie would kill me if the ring was damaged let alone me having a broken finger. \n\n“What do you want?” I said. “I’ll give you whatever you ask for.” \n\n“I want you to stop playing video games,” the avatar said. “ I want you to do the dishes each night and to tell your wife you love her. In fact, you’ll never ever take off that wedding ring.” \n\nI wasn’t sure if it was being serious. \n\n“If you break any of these rules, I will break a finger for each one.” \n\nSweat ran down from my forehead. I nodded, furiously. \n\nThe restraints on my arms gave way. The character on the PlayStation screen returned to normal. I rushed and put the console off. \n\nRight then, the door opened and Bonny came home. \n\n“Hey Hun, how are you? Not playing video games?” she said. \n\nI hesitated but quickly remembered the avatar. “Never,” I said. “Never again.” \n\nBonny smiled. “Aww, and you’ve been wearing your ring.” \n\n“Every day,” I said, wheezing. “Every single day.” \n\nBonny frowned. \n\nI glanced at the blank screen and then back at her, my heart racing. \n\n“And I’ll do the dishes,” I said. \n\n“Aww, you dot have, too,” Bonny said. \n\nI shook my head, so hard it hurt my neck. “I’ll do the dishes forever. Forever.” \n\nBonny frowned again before heading upstairs. \n\nThe TV didn’t turn back on. For a second I wondered if I’d imagined the whole thing. But one glance at the table was enough to quell any hope, the hammer rested neatly on its side, waiting. \n\n", "It was just a regular gaming session, like any other. Or so I thought.\n\nI sat down, fired up the console, grabbed my controller, and hopped into my last saved game of Half-Life or something - the details are kind of blurry. Something along those lines, anyway. Man, haven't seen this in a while, I thought. I didn't recall ever actually finishing the game though, so it would be interesting to see where I left off and how I would do with no context.\n\nA few minutes in, my hands began to grow numb. I shook them out and continued playing, not thinking much of it. The numbness persisted. Ugh...don't tell me this is what carpal tunnel feels like. I grunted and hit my hand against the side of my couch. I felt nothing. Worst of all, the numbness seemed to be...spreading. Not just up my arms, which was disturbing enough in it's own right, but from my feet up my legs, to my torso, and even my chest. Out of nowhere, my arms and legs began to shake violently, causing me to drop the controller and knock over the table with all my drinks and snacks on it. I didn't care at this point. I barely noticed.\n\nSuddenly, the shaking stopped. I was absolutely still. I slowly rose to a standing position.\n\nOnly, it wasn't me initiating the movement.\n\nYou know in those horror movies where someone gets possessed, and they fight it for a while before succumbing and just going calm? And once they do go calm, you know it's all over? And when they're back to normal, it turns out that they were awake and aware of what was going on the WHOLE time, but they were basically trapped in themselves with no control? \n\nYeah, well that's exactly what this was. I had always wondered what it would feel like, to have absolutely no control over what you were doing. Don't ask me why. I can now tell you, firsthand, that it's the most terrifying thing you can feel.\n\nAnyway. Back to my personal hell.\n\nI couldn't control what I was doing - it was almost like an out of body experience, watching myself move, only I was still in myself. My body stood there, doing nothing. Then, my head turned towards the screen.\n\nThe character I was playing was standing there, holding a controller. Staring directly at me, with an evil grin across his face.\n\nChills ran down my spine. Or at least they would have, if my body had been my own. Waves of panic and confusion washed over me.\n\n\"Yeah. That's right. Doesn't feel very good, does it?\"\n\nOf course, I couldn't respond. I would have been speechless anyway.\n\n\"You know, I hate that feeling. Don't you? Am I nothing but a toy? Just a bunch of pixels that you can do whatever you please with?\"\n\n\"You don't even take care of me. Do you know how terrifying it is to be a prisoner in your own body? ...Well, I'm sure you do, now. How do you think it feels to be killed and tortured, again and again and again, with no power to stop it? Do you know the terror and fear of being run into death for some puppetmaster's amusement?\"\n\n I tried to speak - I still could not. I could hardly process what was happening, let alone form coherent speech.\n\nHe began to pace. \"Do you remember the time when you ran me into a horde of zombies with no weapon just to see what would happen? Or when you left me at 1 health, despite the fact that you could have fixed me at any time? Or what about when you ran me off of cliffs, just to see if I would die? Or all the humiliating things you forced me to do - why on earth did I have to squat 5 times before entering a room? Why did you even need to do that? Or even the times when you would 'save' the game and just leave me in the middle of nowhere. Do you think my life ends when you turn off that box? I'm still there. If you leave me in the middle of hell itself, I can't leave. Not until you come back. Do you have any idea how terrifying that is? \"\n\nMy arms jerked again.\n\n\"So now,\" he said with a sadistic smile, \"I'm going to see how you like it.\"\n\nI grabbed the table, held it above my head, and dropped it. It hurt, obviously. But again, there's nothing I could have done. I did it again. This continued for about 5 minutes until I had managed to pick up my sofa and drop it on myself. Apparently, whatever was happening had given me some sort of super human strength and tolerance. \n\n\"How does it feel, huh?!\" he yelled from the TV.\n\nMy feet began to lead me towards the door. But I didn't go through the door - instead, I ran into the wall. I backed up, ran forward, and once again rammed myself into the wall. Again, this continued for a good 5 minutes. \n\nEventually, he stopped. I felt my feet guiding me back towards the TV, and I had no choice but to follow. As I came directly in front of the TV, my knees began to bend. Down, up. Down, then up.\n\nI was squatting. Just repeatedly squatting. Why?... I thought. Then again, that was a good question for me also. I still don't have a good reason for why I always did that in games. Just a thing that everyone does, I guess. \n\nAlmost maniacal laughter came from the TV. He certainly wasn't holding back, making me squat faster and faster. Soon that wasn't even enough, and I was jumping in between squats. I felt exhausted, but again, I had no control over myself.\n\nBut then, it happened. I heard a cry of dismay from the TV, and looked up. He had dropped his controller.\n\nI had looked up.\n\nI suddenly felt, well, myself flowing through my body again. I could move my limbs. The numbness was gone. With all the strength I could muster, I dragged myself to the console and got hold of the power cord. Looking up at the TV with an expression of pure hatred, I paused for a moment.\n\n\"Hey buddy. You see this?\" I snarled.\n\nHe looked down. An expression of horror grew on his face.\n\n\"No, no! Please!\" I pulled on the cord slightly.\n\n\"NOOO-\" I yanked the cord out of the wall, cutting off his scream. \n\nI dropped the cord and fell back onto the floor, breathing heavily. I could barely get myself to move, not because I wasn't in control, but because of exhaustion and sudden waves of pain. I didn't understand what had just happened, or how. I don't remember much after that, except waking up in the hospital later. A friend of mine had apparently heard all the noise, found me, and took me to the hospital. \n\nHe had no explanation of how I had got like that - severe exhaustion, major concussion, broken bones, ect. When I woke up and was in good enough condition to speak, I wasn't sure how to explain my condition. No one was going to believe what had actually happened. So I lied and said that someone had beat me up and robbed my house. I don't think they bought it, but it got me by. A police investigation was done, and the story held up, so it's good enough for me.\n\nI still don't understand what happened that day. I haven't told anyone - not even my significant other. I couldn't expect anyone to believe me. I barely believe me.\n\nMaybe I'm delusional. Maybe I have some undiagnosed mental illness. I don't know. But I haven't dared pick up another video game ever since.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	3
	[WP] In a world where Death is currency, one has to be wary of becoming rich.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Walter lay with a brilliant white light shining through the double-folded cloth that covered his eyes. He blinked against the blindfold, seeing dots of light that could be easily mistaken for stars. Walter wished that he could roll his tongue to the back of his throat and escape the other cloth that was stuffed in his mouth. Although he couldn't see it, he could taste it. The makeshift gag prickled against his tongue like it had been dipped in bleach and it was starting to make him dizzy. \n\nHeavy boots thudded by his side, and a rough hand brushed against his cheek. Water, initially confused by the gentle touch, understood when the same hand tore at the blindfold. The dotted stars merged into one supernova of light. Walter blinked, and his surroundings came like a slideshow. A sink, a picture of a smiling clown, tiled ceiling and three men. \n\n'Velcome back!' One of the men said. He pressed a hand to his chest and giggled. 'Burstick is my name.' \n\nWalter's chest heaved, causing his breathing to become erratic and increase the rate at which he absorbed the cloth's fumes.\n\n'A good source of mine has informed me zhat you have a very respectable number of deaths stored.' \n\nWalter shook his head and let out muffled cries. \n\n'Zhere is no point in denying it,' Burstick said and approached the bench which restrained Walter. 'You like zhis place?' \n\nMaybe it was the fumes, perhaps it was the panic, but the room looked like a dentist's office. \n\n'It's a friend of mines. I zhink he takes care of the kiddies, you know with the lollypops and such?' \n\nThe man with the heavy boots shuffles uncomfortably and shudders as if he was somewhat allergic to children, and even the thought of them.\n\n'Here is what will happen,' Burstick said, raising a hand to move the arm which carried the lamp. He redirected it from Walter's face to the left side of his chest, just above his heart. 'You are going to sell us your deaths for $1 a piece.' \n\nWalter shook his head.\n\n'It's cheap, I know, I know.'\n\nBurstick held out a hand, and the heavy boot man placed a scalpel in it, he rolled his shoulders, tilted his head in both directions and lowered the blade to the patch of light adorning Walter's breast.\n\n'But zhe alternative is much more expensive,' Burstick said and dragged the blade down, and then cut perpendicular to the original to make a cross. 'You sell us your deaths cheap, or, we take zhem one at a time. It's like an on-yon, we peel back zhe layers until zhere are none left.'\n\nWalter's eyes were wide, his head swimming and his heart beat against his chest as if trying to knock the blade away. \n\n'I 'av heard you posses somezhing close to twenty deaths,' Burstick said with a wire-thin smile. 'I am no expert, but dying twenty-one times doesn't sound pleasant.' \n\nThe scalpel moved, digging into Walter's pink skin and causing water to rush to his eyes. He rocked against the chair, biting into the cloth and screaming. \n\n'Or you sell zhem to me?' Burstick said, drawing back the blade in time with his words like some twisted reinforcement that it was the right thing to do. 'And I will leave you with your original.' \n\nWalter started laughing, and it was Burstick's turn to look surprised. He was laughing because it was the only thing left. How old was this man's information? \n\nWalter had indeed accumulated up to twenty deaths at one point in his life. Call it the glory days, or whatever. But like most of the rich, the more you have, the more you spend. Overdoses after overdoses whittled away at his stockpile, not to mention the extreme sports guaranteed to take a death. He had thrived on skydiving without a parachute, hurtling to the ground without a care in the world, and knowing that the hard embrace of the earth wouldn't matter.\n\n'Why are you laughing?' \n\nThe laughter continued until Walter was red in the face, and Burstick's men had slapped him around. He had wanted to die for a long time; he was just too cowardly to take the final death himself. But now, like some divine gift, these criminals were going to walk away with nothing and help him at the same time.\n\n---\n\n/r/WrittenThought\n\nA little dark this one, don't you think? The ending was in no way planned, and perhaps that's obvious from a reader's point of view. I couldn't end it without having some sort of twist, or something to make the story feel less linear. I don't know why. Let me know what you thought - feedback is more valuable than most realise." ]	2
	[WP] You're best friend just started working at the new super market, when you go by to see him he's more cheerful than ever. After you jokingly ask him to cough twice if he's in danger he does.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The new Barrington seemed too nice for such a humble town. The chain seemed to be evergrowing, perhaps faster than usual.\nNot like we needed another supermarket , but who would say no to their famed prices? \n\nAndy was always a smart kid, with a forward thinking often betrayed by his laid back and kind nature. \n\nWe had talked the day before, and I agreed to pick him up after his shift ended at 18:00. \nI texted him saying that a few cold ones where waiting for him at the parking lot. He's a fast replier, so waiting more than half an hour for an answer seemed a bit off.\n\nI went inside to look for the missing soldier, and was confronted with the nicest supermarket this village boy had ever seen. The shelves shiny and the prices even shinnier, with a smooth floor allowing you to rapidly slide from meats to treats. There was no one there besides my trusted buddy.\n\nAndy was moping the floor when he saw me, and the last time I saw the lit up expression he gave me was when Jules gave him the biggest smooch at the end of last year's prom.\n\nHe hugged me. He seemed to have forgotten about me. I jokingly asked him to cough twice if he was in danger. He coughed twice, like I knew he would. For such a relaxed guy, a small tear emerging at the corner of his eye caught my immediate attention. Could the job be that bad? Since there were no cashiers there, or anyone in fact, I didn't quite understand why he was whispering to me. \"Rum?\"\n\nI felt something crawling underneath my skin. More than an uncomfortableness. Andy's face was suddenly shaking, his fingers bloody. How did he cut himself?\n\nA sudden ache sprang from my back, why did he hug me so hard? Something was very wrong. The aching kept pulsing through me, and through the reflection on the freezer door next to me, I faced my bloodied back riddled with tiny holes, seeping a dark liquid. What did he just put inside me? Who is this person?\n\nAndy whispered. \"Welcome to Barrington supermarket\".\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] In a world of superpowers, yours is seemingly harmless, but is actually utterly devastating. When someone is trying to show you something, the opposite happens.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "November 13, 1997\n\n'So Vin, honey, when you are doing fractions, you are thinking \"how many pieces of something do I have,\" okay?'\n\nShe turned to the blackboard and began to draw an apple.\n\n'So Vin, if we could cut this apple into two pieces, okay, what would the fraction be?'\n\nMrs. Nestle drew a line down the center of the apple to emphasize the point.\n\nVin felt a chill in his spine. At just the age of 7, he lacked the words to describe the terror he was experiencing. To know the correct answer, but know that she would not interpret his answer as correct, and thus he would receive further explanations of the same thing was nothing less than hellish for the child to endure.\n\n'Since you drew the line down the middle and there is one piece of apple on each side, Mrs. N, I think that means the fraction would be one over two.'\n\nMrs. Nestle sighed, bit her lower lip and scratched her head.\n\n'Vin, honey, why would you say that? I drew two apples on the board.'\n\n---\n\nNovember 13, 2017\n\n'Drop the fucking gun now!'\n\nVin sighted in on a tall man with his standard issue Glock 17, breathing heavily and shaking from his beating pulse. Beads of sweat were speckled all over his forehead, and his armpits dripping like a leaky faucet. His radio on his shoulder was garbled cop-jargon regarding a chase-in-pursuit and a need for backup regarding a mid-day hold-up gone wrong at a deli on the corner of 32nd and Broadway.\n\nAs luck would have it, Vin was on foot patrol over down Broadway near the corner of 33rd when the call came in. All that was known was a 911 call had gone dead at the deli, and dispatch chimed in to Vin to check it out. Vin jogged up Broadway up to the deli, hand on his holstered side piece, popping one of the straps of the holster for faster draw if necessary.\n\nAfter dodging a taxi and crossing the street to the corner of 33rd, Vin got his first view of the scene inside. There was a tall man, scrawny, age late-twenties early-thirties, with the sunken cheeks and rotten-banana skin of a serious meth addict. Of particular interest, however, was the cold black menacing steel of the TEC-9 automatic machine pistol he was waving around as if it was a squirt gun.\n\n'I said drop the fucking gun now!'\n\nVin didn't particularly enjoy this song and dance. As nerve-wracking as it was each time, he was more afraid for the people who could get hurt. He never worried about himself.\n\n'And what are you gonna do about it you fuckin pig? You gonna shoot me? Shoot me! Shoot me! Do it!'\n\nThe perp was jumping up and down, TEC-9 gleaming in arcs as he did jumping jacks begging to be shot.\n\n'I'm not gonna shoot you, bud, nobody wants that, just drop the fucking gun and we'll all go home safe and sound.'\n\nThis was a poor choice of words.\n\n'Home? Did you just fucking say home? I ain't got a fucking home you fucking pig! I'll show you what going home looks like!'\n\nVin grimaced and belted out a hearty and deep NO as the perp lifted the TEC-9 to Vin, and squeezed the trigger hard, brow furrowing, baring yellow and brown rotted teeth and gums in pure rage.\n\nAnd but to the perp's surprise, a dozen pops of red mist came crashing out his chest, and the longer he squeezed the trigger of his grossly powerful machine pistol, the more the rapid mists and pops appeared. He toppled over, his dead face locked in a mask of intense confusion.\n\nVin dove toward the perp, still crying out NO and DON'T, tears now streaming down his face, for this is not the first time Vin has watched someone shoot themselves to death while aiming at him.\n\n---\n" ]	2
	[WP] You're being chased by a monster when suddenly you're rescued by a Pentecostal evangelist.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You know what, I wish I'd done more cardio.\n\nIt's not the most exciting thing to think just before I die but it's the thought I get. It flashes through my mind and I regret paying for the membership and not using it, especially now. Especially as I suck in air and feel the painful burn in my legs and lungs. Especially as the footsteps behind me are getting closer and closer. I can hear thick nails clacking on the sidewalk and the heavy breathing of what can only be described as a monster.\n\nI've walked home hundreds of times and this is the first time I've seen a real monster. Sure, the train has it's drunks and weirdos and I've seen genitals more than once. I'd give anything for this to be one of those times.\n\nI take that back, actually. I don't think I want to be chased by a giant penis.\n\nI've run at least three blocks at a full sprint and I'm not sure I can run anymore. All the metal shutters on the shops are shut, heavy doors are locked, the streets are empty. I am royally screwed.\n\nI caught a glimpse of the thing before it started slobbering over my face, knocking me down with two scaly front arms with terrifyingly long claws on an odd number of fingers. If they can be called fingers. It was a good five to six feet long, with bowed back legs that are powering it after me. Patchy black fur covers it from head to toe and glowing red eyes finish off the nightmare come to life.\n\nI turn a corner and my foot catches on the curb, throwing me face first into the sidewalk. Everything goes black for a second as my face slams into the pavement, then I taste blood and something hard rolls around in my mouth. It's a tooth.\n\nWell, my coverage sucks so I guess dying might be the best option now.\n\nI am rolled over onto my back and the thing is on me, raking my chest and legs with frantic excitement. Maybe a hundred feet away is a busy street, well lit and with pedestrians and cars. I try to scream for help but a clawed appendage covers my mouth and I taste the black fur.\n\nDying is definitely the best option now.\n\nThe thing opens it's jaw and comes for my face and I almost relish it now, hot breath that smells like a garbage fire and the fur that tasted like a sulfur and urine soaked rag. I am ready.\n\nWhen a spray of blood hits my face I am introduced to a new taste, the taste of the monster's blood as it mixes in with my own. I roll over and vomit on the street, still pinned under a now limp monster with what could be a crossbow bolt protruding from one of it's eyes. Where they glowed with a bright, satanic red there is now just a glossy blackness.\n\nIt heaves once and dissolves into a thick black and red goo that coats me from my neck to the toes of my shoes. I vomit again before strong hands pick me up by my shoulders and I come face to face with a rugged face.\n\nHe is probably in his fifties, a man that used to go to the gym as much as I used to. Fit but gone a little to flab underneath a well worn black overcoat, a coat with frayed edges. Under that is a button down shirt that's open at the collar, tucked loosely into black dress pants. His tie hangs around his neck as if a decoration more than an actual tie. Under the coat I see the handle of a silver pistol and in one hand he holds a small, one handed crossbow.\n\nHe smells of alcohol and his shirt is stained with what is either wine or blood. Maybe both, that's always the fun part.\n\n\"You alright?\" He growls, glancing around for either witnesses or more creatures.\n\n\"No!\" I shout, feeling blood trickling out of my mouth and down my face and chest. Obviously I'm not alright. What stupid question!\n\n\"Fair.\" He heaves me up even more and slips under my arm, bringing me to my feet. We teeter precariously, a drunk and the dead man, before he finds his own feet. Then he begins to drag me towards a red brick building. It is surrounded by a low, crumbling stone wall topped with metal railings and the door is wood under the peeling paint. Atop the building is a large cross and at the front is a locked sign with mismatched marquee letters. I've walked by this place a hundred times and just thought it was another drug den.\n\nIt sort of is.\n\nSoul of the Savior, Pentecostal Church, so it claims.\n\nAs he leads me up the stairs and into the church, I spare a glance behind us to see dozens of red eyes in the night, watching us. One of them paces to the destroyed stone wall and stops, gingerly raising a limb and pulling back with a screech when it tries to cross the barrier. It growls and lopes off into the urban darkness, the other eyes disappearing in turn.\n\n\"I have questions.\" I say to the man leading me into the church, dimly lit with candles and with an open bottle of communion wine sitting on the pulpit along with a nearly destroyed thriller, in paperback.\n\nHe sets me down in the pew and retrieves a first aid kit from somewhere behind the pulpit, then some towels from a side room. He also grabs the bottle of wine. He kneels in front of me and begins to clean the shallow wounds. After taking a drink from the bottle.\n\n\"Honestly, ff you didn't, I'd be worried. Here.\" He hands me the bottle and I tentatively sip from it, then cough violently.\n\n\"That's whiskey.\" I say, when I can finally breath again. He shrugs.\n\n\"I pretend it's wine and the congregation is kind enough to not give a shit.\" He slaps an alcohol soaked towel against the wounds and I wince. \"Hold it.\"\n\nI obey and he walks behind the pulpit again, to a rather nice painting on the wall above the baptismal font. He presses on the image and a rack slides out, packed to the gills with weapons of all types. That's not something you see every day. I take another drink from the bottle with my free hand.\n\n\"Who are you?\" I ask.\n\nHe stores his weapons and slides the rack back into the wall, turning to look at me while standing in front of that painting. In the flickering candlelight I'm sure that he's practiced this.\n\nI am proven wrong when instead of answering he pulls a flask from his coat and takes a long drink before speaking.\n\n\"Just some asshole that couldn't stop this before and can't stop it now.\"\n\n\"Stop what?\" I ask.\n\n\"Idiot.\" He returns to the pew and sits with me, drinking from his flask and his eyes glassy as he stares at the painting. It depicts a great war among heaven and hell, I see that now. Then he speaks again.\n\n\"And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud. Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.\"\n\nThe silence stretches for a time between us.\n\n\"Oh.\" I say.\n\n\"Yeah.\" He says.\n\nWe drink together this time.\n\nA junior accountant and a drunk minister are sitting in a church, drinking and bleeding. I'm waiting for the punchline but I don't think there is one. I think I've run my way into the end times. I hurt everywhere and the company is terrible but I don't think I get to choose anymore.\n\nI take back my wish for doing more cardio." ]	2
	[WP] Love has become a marketable emotion. Well, even more so now that the emotion itself can be formed into a corporeal form. A stone. This brought a new trend, and new industry has come to provide for said trend. "Give your loved one a stone to show your love, like a penguin."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A man and a woman exchange vows. They smile as they exchange stones.\n\nElsewhere, a man and a woman fight. They sign the divorce papers and throw the stones at each other.\n\n\"Can I buy your love?\" one man asks, but the woman scoffs. \n\nSomewhere else, another woman shakes her head sadly as she tells him, \"I wish I could, but I have no more love left to give.\" \n\nOne boy comes home and sighs on his bed, holding a stone to his chest.\n\nAnother boy goes home and tosses a stone in a drawer full of stones, then goes outside to play.\n\nOne girl slowly walks up to a boy and holds out her stone. He looks at her, makes a face and walks away.\n\nAnother girl walks up to a boy and holds out her stone. He looks at her and smiles, but then she shouts, \"April Fools!\", laughs, and walks away.\n\nOne boy tries to ignore the girl who insists they exchange stones, but when he tries to walk away, she threatens to tell everyone that he did something to her if he doesnt give her his stone. He gives her the stone.\n\nOne girl tries to ignore the boy who keeps demanding her stone, but when she tries to walk away, he grabs her and snatches it anyway. She never tells.\n\nA man and a woman sit on opposite sides of the living room, with a baby in the middle. Both adults hold out a stone. The baby looks at both, then crawls towards the woman. She whoops in victory. The man hangs his head in defeat.\n\nA little girl tries to give her parents a stone, but they're too busy. They yell at her and tell her to go outside. As she's walking to her friend's house, a van pulls up beside her and holds out a stone. She walks closer, but a neighbor screams her name, and the van speeds away. \n\nThere's mansions with driveways made of love stones, but the family inside doesn't love each other.\n\nThere's apartments where multiple families live under one roof and only one love stone to share between them all, but they would die for each other.\n\nThere's people who value love stones, with dreams of passing it down through generations.\n\nAnd there's people like me who could care less and just think the whole thing is a bunch of crap and waste of money.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] Long lives and time travel are well established, society has evolved to the point where kids are raised by their future selfs. Orphans are scorn and pitied as they either die young, or grow into someone who wouldnt even come back. It's your 14th birthday and you meet yourself for the first time	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You know that old saying that success breeds success? Well eventually it became literally true. They called it the Last Golden Age. It was the pinnacle of human existence. There was no more war, no more hunger, no more pain. It was Paradise, and so much so that people would double-dip. But not for me.\n\nI lived in the Orphanage, a rundown shack in the middle of the city. We were a sad group of kids, no older than sixteen, who by no fault of our own (or so we thought) had no one to look after us. Sure, we had parents somewhere, but they didn't know us and they would never care. The Orphanage was run by the city government for children who had no caretakers, but they stopped checking in long ago as part of regulatory cuts. Instead we lived off the leftovers donated by charity groups around the city and took care of our own.\n\nAfter earning my stay, so we called it, I would spend many evenings walking throughout the neighboring boroughs. I often caught myself staring at the tall, slender homes with no front doors and dim light leaking through the upper window shades. I thought about the joy and hope contained within each building, the laughter and love between a child and his caretaker. Every now and then a jetcar would take off from their rooftop pads and the dust would blow down onto the street below, covering me along with it in a blanket of hot dirt. I would wonder on what adventure the two were off.\n\nOn one such night, I was meandering down a quiet lane when I heard a voice call my name from behind me.\n\n\"November!\"\n\nI turned around to see February, one of the boys from the Orphanage. We were all named by the day we were born, and those of us that overlapped we were called by our month instead. He and I shared the third day. \n\n\"Hey man, I've been looking all over for you,\" he said, heaving as he caught up to me. \"Why the hell are you all the way out here?\"\n\n\"Oh come on, you know. I just take walks to stretch my legs after a long day.\"\n\n\"Sure,\" February said, not buying my excuse. \"I know you like to look at these singlets and their perfect lives. Get over it, man. It's just not in our cards.\"\n\n\"I know, Feb, I know.\" I kicked an old can of some oily substance that must have fallen years ago from the house above. \"So what did you want me for?\"\n\n\"There's some guy asking for you back at the Orph. Says he knows you. Didn't say much else.\"\n\nIt was odd to think someone was asking for me. I met people here and there, doing odd jobs, but never anyone I had made a connection with. Maybe I had screwed something up.\n\n\"Alright, thanks. Let's get back then and find out what he wants, I guess.\" \n\nFeb and I walked back the few blocks back toward the Orphanage. It was odd to have such strong loyalty to one another, knowing for certain it would break one day. Blending the future and past made things complicated. It wasn't painful to know that we were abandoned just by some random adults whose reckless night joys created an unwanted life. What was painful was that without our assigned caretakers, we had been abandoned by our future selves. \n\nNearly all the households in the world, like the ones I spent evenings gazing up at, were filled with exactly two people. No, not a husband and wife. Nor was it a father and son. It was past child and future self. You see, parents had long ago relinquished their nurturing responsibilities to the government through schools and social programs so that they could pursue the joys of lovemaking without the fears of child raising. Soon after, the human race entered a dark age where the concept of family deteriorated and relatives were entirely unknown except by the government. However, it all changed with the proliferation of time travel. \n\nThe government realized the best person to raise a child was him or herself. But of course children weren't old and mature enough to raise children, so they contracted their future selves to raise them instead. If the child was raised well, their future self would be around and able to raise the child and raise them well. It became a self-fulfilling success which won the Nobel prize in seven categories for three years straight. The problem was, though it was perceived as negligible as a rounding error, that the children whose future selves inevitably did not return to the past were left as orphans. \n\nWhen we got back to the Orphanage, the man Feb had mentioned was waiting out front. He was dressed in the clothes that people from the future tended to wear, although his seemed a bit worn.\n\n\"November,\" he said as we got close. \"Happy Birthday.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI have to go walk my dog and then head to bed, so this is where it ends. I had fun imagining this world though! Thanks for the prompt!", "They could get whatever books they wanted in the cell, so they filled the walls. They stacked them in piles, collated by their subjects. Sometimes they'd spend the entire day churning through page after page of a single volume, other days they seemed to vibrate between a myriad of books trying to contextualize their way through a single passage. There was a two-hour period of enforced physical exertion, usually being chased up and down the hills around the abandoned's prison. Four guards went along, each with an independent silencing charm trained on the abandoned. The abandoned's prison foundation was an extensive silencing rune, so for only an hour they were brought to an open area and permitted to practice spellwrighting. It was the only time they felt free, and spent it repeating simple magics over and over again. Such small things were used every day by the common folk. For the abandoned it was considered a grand luxury. Most commoners would sneer at his pitifully withered frame creating tiny globes of light, one after the other. \"It just invites disaster.\" they'd say. \"It's unconscionable they'd even let abandoned out of the silencing rune at all.\"\n\n\"Get up! No stopping on the trail, GET UP!\" \n\nAllard aimed another swift kick to the ribs. They'd tripped over a root coming downhill and slammed hard on some rocks, knocking the wind from them. While they tried to find their legs and restore their breathe, Officer Allard had begun hitting them. It was common practice and considered necessary, to keep individual abandoned in a state of recovery. They lay there in a ball, trying to time a space between the sharp kicks to get back up and start running. They turned on the ground to face Allard, but he suddenly looked different. A look of cold fear was directed behind them. Then he was gone, dragged off into the woods as if dragged by a hook. \"Allard!\" \"Forget him, stay the charm!\" The one guard he could see swept his hands out before him, energy shimmering in streaks. The spell he wrought aimed a lens of concentric runes at him. Just for a moment, before it popped in a blast of pale fire and incapacitated the guard. Someone was here, They thought. They didn't dare hope, and prepared to act. They held the shape of a rune in their mind, felt it flex against the silencers. Another guard let out a yell, and there was a resonante thump as another spell collapsed. A moment of silence came, textured only by an unseen guards gibbering. There was a gristly wet snapping, then a thump. \n\nIt was now or never, they ideated the rune between their fingers and expanded it. A ring of energy had at it's center a view into another world. The portal grew to the size of a melon, a distant view of crashing waves and collapsed. It was them, and the aggressor now. \"By the makers, I'm sorry it took me so long to find you. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, You were abandoned because you're a temporally fugitive, and vice versa. The person before them was small and wizened, stooped and wrinkled. They leaned on a cane and wore but ragged wisps of fabric. They saw the most unique expression mirrored between them. They were smiling, together. Hollering and footfalls were coming from down the trail. \"This is where it ends, they'll make sure of that.\" Glistening plumes of energy began to emanate from them, and they reached a hand out and plucked something. The little old person held the tiny, brilliant tracer rune before them and popped it into their mouth. \"You're free. Enjoy it, and I'll see you on the next go round.\" A hole in the world opened beneath their feet, and they dropped away from confinement. They were abandoned no longer " ]	3
	[WP] You’re chosen to be an astronaut on the first trip to colonize Mars. The only problem: There are only three of you on the team, and one of them is your ex-spouse.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It's not that I hated her, hatred is the feeling you have when you see something that disgusts you online or when you really dislike a lecture in college that disagrees with you politically. No, I despised her. After riding my coat tails to get to where she was, first chance she got to jump coats she ran off with Buddy Greene, that less than average schmuck who got where he is through a lifetime of privilege. A yacht in high school, a dad in Washington and a paid for Harvard education. Sure Buddy boy was the first man on mars, but he was nothing compared to me in terms of any relevant skills for space travel. He even tripped over his big dumb Neanderthal feet after his famous speech, \n\n\"We will continue the legacy of great steps for mankind and on to the infinite possibilities for Human beings.\" What a douche. My nephew,a third grader could've come up with that one, take another face plant over a crater Bud. \n\nI didn't feel anything for a long time after Amy left, I focused on myself, honed my body and mind to become the perfect machine. To be chosen to be the first human to colonize Mars, to be the greatest space achievement in history. I transferred from the moon station to get some space between me, her and Greene. \n\nIt wasn't long before assignments were posted for the first wave of colonists, there would be three of us chosen to pilot the materials shuttle, and the transport shuttle carrying fifty of us to build the initial colony buildings following a month later, with the civilian donators given their opportunity a few years down the road. I had expected to end up on the transport shuttle, I had scored well on my physical assessment but the written assessment had quite a few questions on general carpentry and other contracting questions I had no experience with. \n\nThe divorce from Amy was finalized that year. I received the email one day on my way back from the gym, it read;\n\nCongratulations Mr Burr,\n\nYou have been chosen for the role of support on the transport ship to the first ever mission to construct the colony of Ares on the surface of Mars. The United States of America, and the rest of the world thanks you for your bravery and commitment to the infinite possibilities of mankind. \n\nThank you,\nFrederick Kepler \nFleet commander\n\n\nThis bastard had to put a reference Bumbling Buddy's line to shit on the greatest moment of my life, but that was soon overshadowed by the joyful feeling of victory. I had done it. I would be the first recon group to set up camp on the red planet and I wouldn't trip doing it. \n\nThe feeling of joy carried me for weeks. It was a week before the launch that I found out the others assigned to the mission. I read the other names, first I saw Sean Cunard, I smiled, we had been friend for years, and had graduated together and served on the moon base for years and I knew he'd have my back. The second name.... My eyes immediately shot to the last name Greene, for a second I thought they stuck me in a ship with Buddy and I was furious, but I wasn't prepared for the double whammy next, the name of the second astronaut was Amy Greene. \n\nAmy. Greene. Not Amy Burr, Amy Greene. My heart admittedly jumped halfway from longing and half from shame. She married that asshole and I would be stuck with her and one other person for three months alone on another planet.\n\nOn launch day I didn't speak with her beforehand, I focused on the mission, and barely looked at her until we were suiting up, \"for the rest of the world I can do this, and for myself\" I thought. My resentment towards Amy had been weaning and luckily in the weeks leading up to the launch I had put my past behind me. I would do this mission, and Buddy boy could watch me and his wife building a colony while he sat on his ever growing ass in the Moon station. He was assigned to the transport ship but that didn't matter, all the glory of the important work would go to me.... and of course Amy and Sean. \n\nThis was my thirteenth launch, by now I had grown accustomed to it. Everything went smoothly and before long we were catapulted towards mars,. It took me a few days, but before long I was speaking to her like any other member of my squad, always focused on the mission. She seemed quiet, and for a second I allowed myself to think that maybe she'd reconsider, but as fast as the thot came into my head, it was gone. Sean cracked jokes and we played cards, a difficult task in no gravity, and the long time it took us to approach seemed like it flew by.\n\n-----------\n\n We were a day out from the landing, I awoke to alarms blaring, the shuttle rumbling and things had gone to shit,\n\n\"BURR THERES A MALFUNCTION IN THE LANDING THRUSTERS!\" Screamed Sean.\n\nEverything was a blur, we had managed to pull emergency functions but not in time to land as intended, we barreled towards the surface as a blistering speed, the ship had a two man emergency pod, the solo one lost power in the chaos. I felt a hand pull me into the pod. It was Amy. She slammed the door before I could react and hit the eject button. The last thing I saw of the transport ship was Sean's horrified look as we pulled away from the ship. \n\nAs our chutes pulled after breaking through the atmosphere we saw the command panel break of the ship from the cargo. Sean had saved the cargo by sacrificing all remaining power to launch some supplies. The last thing I saw before I looked away was the command portion hit the ground in a fireball. \n\n\" what, what was that Amy\" I cried,\n\nShe looked at me pained in her expression and said, \"that was me saving you. And letting Sean die\" I saw tears run down her face as the emergency pod hit the surface of the red planet." ]	2
	[WP] “Do you take me for a fool?” Asked the Marshall. “There are no ‘monsters’ out here. This is a terraformed planet. All that’s here is what you brought with you.” “We’re aware,” the locals replied.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'm a Stellar Marshall. We're selected in one of the most grueling processes ever devised. We have to be utterly stable, even under extreme stress. We have to be incredibly well versed in the law. But even more than that, we have to absolutely dedicated to Justice. Why? Because when we get sent, things have usually progressed to the point that \"law\" is completely failed, so that Justice must step in to restore balance. We are not lawmen, although we can act as such to the point of declaring new laws. We are the embodiment of Justice. We are the modern paladins. \"Sans Peur et Sans Reproche\"\n\n\n\"Alright, Sheriff, I'm here, but hanged if I understand why you need a Stellar Marshall. Everything looks perfectly normal. Usually, it's a screaming mess.\"\n\n\"Yes, that's part of the problem. We've got brutal murders, as many as five in a month, and absolutely no reaction from the folks. Nobody screaming for the law, no one going on blood feuds, not even people locking up at night in fear. Look at them! You couldn't tell anything was wrong!\"\n\nAnd he's right, the whole town looks perfectly normal, even the few layabouts are behaving exactly how you'd expect. \"You have proof of the murders?\"\n\n\"The whole town has proof, but they don't react to it. Come on in my office, I've got all the documentation, including forensics.\"\n\nI look at the Sheriff. \"You've had a forensics?\" He nods yes. \"With reconstruction?\" He's not happy about it, but nods yes again. \"How is it in this backwater, that you don't have the perpetrator already locked up?\"\n\n\"You'll see. When I couldn't crack the case, I sent all the evidence to Central. They sent back that it had to be fabricated. I said, fine, prove it. They sent the forensics, and had it riding me for a month. Another seven murders. The forensics left, leaving a copy of it's data. Two days later, another forensics arrived, with reconstruction. Another seven murders, and it left. No solution, no comments, just the reports with pretty gruesome reconstructions.\"\n\n\"And what did the reconstructions show?\"\n\n\"Each person was slaughtered by a different monster.\"\n\n\"What do you take me for, a fool?! This whole planet was a lifeless hulk until we terraformed it! There isn't any thing here that you didn't bring yourselves!\" Just then, three townsfolk step into the sheriff's office. The leader speaks.\n\n\"We know.\"\n\n\"Marshall, meet the leading citizens of the town. The mayor. The banker. And the general store.\"\n\n\"There's nothing here for you Marshall. No injustice, no law breaking, nothing that you can or should do anything about.\"\n\nI look at them. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and truthfulness. These folks are solid and honest. \"Then what's causing these murders?\"\n\n\"T'aint exactly murders, Marshall, like we told the Sheriff. They're more like suicides.\"\n\n\"If you've got a situation here which is driving folk to suicide, it damn well is my business!\"\n\n\"You examine the records. Starting from the first one that the Sheriff recorded, right on through to the one last night. Then we'll talk.\"\n\nSo that's what I did, through the whole horrid mess. The only commonality was the look of utter terror on the victim's face. Even the reconstructions showed the terror, and utter hopelessness of the victims. Then it hit me, that was the look on the early washouts in the Marshall program. The worst fears are the ones from inside yourself, you have to face those fears and defeat them, or your fears will defeat you in the field.\n\n((to be continued))\n\n\"Sheriff? Did you see anything special about their expression?\"\n\nSomewhat derisively, \"You mean beyond the fact that they were scared to death of being shredded by a monster? Nope. Are you seeing something?\"\n\n\"Yes. Something I haven't seen since training. Let's go talk with the townsfolk.\" So we walk over to the general store, as usual, it's the gathering place for everyone who isn't interested in lots of alcohol and noise.\n\n\"Hello Gentlemen, I've viewed the records. I think I've seen what you wanted me to, but it doesn't explain how they were triggered into reality. Even Marshall training can't do that, so there's been a crime. One that is even more heinous than brutal serial murders.\" They are startled by that, and look at each other.\n\n\"How do you mean, Marshall? It was their own fear that killed them, wasn't it?\"\n\n\"Not exactly. Within all of us there are things that we cannot easily face. Things that a Marshall must learn to face and defeat. That's one of the primary qualifications for being a Marshall. ''Sans Peur'' as it goes, although it's a misnomer. We do have fear, but it doesn't drive us. We do still have those deep monsters, but are shielded by our control of our fear. You don't get that training by accident, but you can do it yourself, if you're strong enough.\n\nThing is, those deep monsters are not easy to bring to the surface. It takes either help to bring them up yourself, some driving need, or something that forces them on you. The training only uses the latter when the first two don't work, and the candidate specifically asks for it. We're also standing by to tranquilize the candidate if things go wrong.\"\n\n\"But that's all internal, isn't it Marshall?\"\n\n\"Yes. They don't manifest physically. You can die, but you don't get carved up. Forcing that on someone unwilling is a heinous crime, far worse than murder. Murder is over quick. This builds up in the target for days. The fear getting worse every day. The person who triggers it is nowhere near the target when they finally break. Bringing it into the physical world is something a Marshall can do... Just like you gentlemen.\"\n\n\"We'd never do that! We've no reason either! This town is our lives. We want it to grow, but these deaths are scaring people off!\"\n\n\"Yep. But you're doing it anyway, because you want the best people, not just whoever wants to. I'm more than certain that all three of you were together when your first experience with a deep monster came on you. Each of you were able to brace the others because their monsters weren't yours. None of you faced those monsters down yourselves, as Marshalls are required to do.\"\n\nTo their credit, they look horrified. I can see the memories on their faces. The unkind words. The petty actions. The deliberate thought that their victims weren't worthy of being in their town. The way one would spot something they considered undesirable, and mention it to the others.\n\n\"You have two choices. Die. Or go with me to chase down the 'monster' and destroy it.\"\n\n\"But you just said there was no monster, that it came from within themselves. How can we track down something that doesn't exist?!\"\n\n\"The monsters, plural, do exist. Inside each of you. Until you learn to deal with it yourself, you're more murders waiting to happen.\"\n\nThe sheriff speaks, \"Marshall, there were nine others on that trail, including myself. We were a posse chasing a murderer.\"\n\n\"I knew you were involved somehow, but I'm also pretty sure you didn't ask for help, or even admit to the others that you were in trouble. You'll still have to go with us. Along with the other nine.\"\n\n\"Alright, Marshall. I'll make the arrangements. We'll put it around town that you've figured out who did it, and call a posse again. I'll make sure the same nine 'volunteer'. I have a price though.\"\n\nI smile grimly, \"and you shall have it.\"\n\nWe teft the day after that. On horses, because this is a frontier, and horses are self reproducing. Over the span of a month, each of the 13 were induced by me. The three leaders and the sheriff being last. Of the fourteen that went out, only three came back. We were battered and cut up something fierce, but we were alive. Was what I did legal? No, but it was Justice. They had a better chance than they gave others, and paid with their lives for the murders, just as they would have done by law. If law had the capability to recognize what they'd done.\n\nThe two survivors, the Sheriff, and one young man who proved strong enough to pass through the fire, are coming with me. They have one quality of Star Marshalls, and they are going to the Academy. If they succeed, they'll make fine Marshalls. If they fail, it'll be a cold grave in an unmarked hole. Marshalls are not gentle with those who have abused our powers, regardless of how they obtained them.\n\nThat was the sheriff's price. Inducement, and if any of them survived, induction into Marshall training.\n\n((finis))\n\nEdited for a mistake, and to complete the story.", "I've seen some interesting shit during my days as a Marshall.\n\nSome of them are funny, like the time I was called in to break up a bunch of hooligans in one of the more remote villages. Poor bastards were too drunk to put up much of a fight when I found them. Too naked, too.\n\nSome are tragic, like that five day trek through the back country after a fugitive who skipped bail. Found him cradling a girl who starved to death out in the woods. That girl was his daughter. I still keep up at night thinking about that one.\n\nSome are strange, and downright terrifying. This is one of those stories.\n\nIt was... Oh, about five months after that fugitive and the girl. I got called out to a settlement right on the border of the frontier.\n\nThe whole planet finished terraforming about thirty years ago, we had been settling it ever since. Starting with a big prefabricated city called \"the Core\" and branching outward. Curated \"Arcs\" and smaller monitoring stations had been further out in the bush, keeping track of the introduced species, but we had only begun permanent settlements out about ten years prior.\n\nMost of them went just fine, with the regular human weirdness being the only cause of human problems; but in this territory things were a bit different. Three settlements lost contact with the Core. When scout and survey teams were sent out they would find the settlements abandoned. \n\nSome without a trace, pies and meals sitting cold on counter tops. Some were a bit... Messier. Those had all manner of sticky and unpleasant things around. So, when another one of those settlements started reporting strange things nearby I got dispatched to find out what was going on.\n\nI landed in a little puddle jumper on a foggy morning at the settlement's landing strip and met the local sheriff. He was a portly man, but had a keen eye and hired good people. He picked me up in one of his vehicles and we chatted a bit while heading to the station.\n\n\"So, what do you think all this is about?\" I asked him.\n\n\"Haven't the foggiest. Some of the lads think it's some kind of monster.\"\n\n\"That's ridiculous.\" I said, \"This planet was lifeless before we terraformed it. Only things that could be out there we brought.\"\n\n\"I know.\" The Sheriff said, \"and so do the boys. Still, when you see a few of the things we've seen recently, well, it'll give even the most rational some second thoughts.\"\n\n\"Well\" I said, patting the blue steel Pistol on my hip, \"even the boogyman stops with some holes in him.\"\n\nAt the station I got a full read of the local reports. Have to say, some of that stuff was spooky. Reports of shapes in the mist, a few of the farmers going stir crazy and killing their families, stuff like that.\n\nTwo days prior to my arrival the outlaying farms were closed down, with all the settlement's inhabitants moved behind the settlement's palisade. That's when the really interesting stuff began.\n\n\"Last few nights there's been scraping on the walls and gate.\" One of the deputies described \"One night a watchtower was hit with... Something. We never found out what exactly happened, but...\"\n\nHe didn't have to say the rest, I could see the picture in the file. That poor guard was painted on the walls of the place, with the only recognizable bits being his still-worn boots.\n\nI talked it over with the sheriff, and a decision was made. Whatever it was, we needed to go out and bring it down. He made a posse of fifteen men and women not including us two, five deputies and ten of the more experienced hunters among the settlement's citizens. We went out to hunt the beast.\n\nWe tracked it out for three days. Scrapes, broken branches, and the occasional footprint. I'll tell you, it certainly wasn't a regular hoof or paw. Not human, either. After a few days of nothing, we were preparing to go back. Maybe set a trap for it back near the settlement.\n\nI was asleep just before our nighttime camp went to hell. I woke up to a strange chirping noise, like a cricket only deeper, and saw one of the deputies standing near the fire.\n\nI'll never forget the look on his face. It was like there wasn't anything there anymore. He turned from the fire, and started walking towards the chirping.\n\nI called out to him, waking some of the others. One of the hunters on watch tried to stop him. That deputy drew his knife faster than I could see and, before any of us could react, split the hunter's belly open.\n\nAfter that things get... Hazy. One third of the group started attacking the rest. The sheriff went down trying to subdue one of his lady deputies who had been affected. I had to put her down right after. The deputy who gutted the hunter turned into a human pincushion by the rest of the hunters before he went down, too. Four of the others were injured badly during the scrape as well. I don't remember which ones of them were under that influence, and hope to never know as they all returned to normal when the chirping stopped.\n\nWe ran back to the settlement, carrying the ones too injured to walk. We stuck earplugs in our ears to keep out the chirping. It worked for most of us. Those it didn't work for we let wander away, we couldn't risk another one of those fights.\n\n I had the townsfolk sequester themselves in the local church that night and told the preacher to have them sing hymns until daybreak. \n\nSome will say the prayer and worship saved them and, in a way, it did. Can't hear chirping over the organ, can't be influenced when you're focused on other tasks.\n\nThe next morning I ordered the evacuation. I caught all sorts of hell for that decision, but it was the right one. Survey teams afterwards found no evidence of whatever caused the chirping, nor did they find either the dead at the campsite or the people who were called away.\n\nFor the next three years there were no reports of settlements disappearing in that sector or anywhere else.\n\nLast week, about three days from leaving this job for good, I caught wind of some settlements going dark. These are close by settlements, big ones, and one of them went dark mid-transmission.\n\nThe last sounds we received before dead radio static was the sounds of chirping." ]	3
	[WP] You died. You wake up in your bed. Your parents and friends aren’t around, because they’re not dead. But your dead grandparents are there to take care of you and your town is filled with others who have died before you. Everything is the same, except the dead are alive and the alive are dead.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"You know, you really have to start looking both ways. You're going to lose a limb or two like Ricardo.\", muttered Abuelita as she folded the blankets and placed them on the ottoman next to the nightstand. Surely this must be a dream, right? There's no way she's alive, I attended her funeral last February. I decided to go along with it, I'll wake up eventually. A voice shouted through the clay-battered house, \"Leave the boy alone! He needs his rest and he'll be well and ready whenever he pleases!\" That sounded like Salvador, my grandfather who passed away ten years ago. Yeah, this is definitely a dream. \"Well, he's right. You need your rest. We'll be around if you need us!\" I shut my eyes, thinking I'd wake up back home in Indiana once I opened them. Boy was I wrong. I woke up to the same ceiling fan that greeted me before my slumber, spinning slowly, reminding me that seconds are passing with every interval. I push down on the bed, sitting up against the headboard. My bones aches, my muscles were sore. God, it felt like I was hit by a truck. I looked down and saw myself in a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans, nothing out of the ordinary I guess. I swung my legs towards the side of the bed to be surprised by my feet, one Chelsea boot missing from my right foot. I must've kicked it off in my slumber somehow. I pulled off the remaining boot, throwing it over my shoulder. I got out bed and started to stretch before I heard the loudest series of crackles and pops coming from within me. Was that my body?! My bones?! I looked at my hands and saw they had turned slightly pale. It must be cold in here. Yeah, that's what it is. It's cold in here. I shuffled my feet into the kitchen and saw a person hidden behind a newspaper titled \"The Deadly Gazette\" in big Gothic letters. A tan cowboy hat was peering behind it, a familiar sight. The newspaper lowered and I was stunned, my body quickly started shaking and I slumped against the wall. \"Hola, mijo! How'd you sleep? Abuelita is waiting for you in the sala but here, have some breakfast.\" There he was, in his favorite outfit that he wore every Sunday for church, my grandfather Salvador. I started stammering, my brain fighting with the logical existence and fact that I'm now face-to-face with someone who's been dead for ten years but looks in perfect health at the age of 80. I was finally able to string words together, \"Y-y-you're alive? B-b-but I thought you passed away! Down in Jalisco! What is going on?\" He started laughing, a slight chuckle actually before his smile turned slightly sour. He put down the newspaper, stood up at a magnificent 6'5\" and handed me a glass of orange juice. \"Mijo, you should talk to Abuelita, she's much better at explaining this than I am.\" By this time I was slumped in the kitchen chair, the same kitchen chair I used to climb all over like a jungle gym as a kid whenever I visited their farm in Mexico. I started look around Salvador, the room looked familiar but something was different. Took a glance out the skylight and not a single cloud was in the sky, just the brightest sun to bless the sky. If this was a dream, it was definitely going to take the cake.\n\n- Forgive me for not knowing how to format.", "my eyes open slowly, and everything feels slightly numb, like waking up at the dentist after they had to put you under. familiar faces all look down, tears in their eyes. I've been sick for such a long time, I know what the sorrow in those eyes mean. I've seen it in other visitors, stopping by other beds. \n\nI should feel something, I suppose, some sense of apprehension, dread; or even just the normal pain. but it feels like nothing. the doctors had said that might happen, just before the end.\n\nat least I'd get to say goodbye, I'd been stubborn for so long, I'd hoped I'd get better, I didn't want them to see me like this, weak and sick.\n\nwe could meet again when I was better, when I looked healthy and I could apologize, when I could do anything, ANYTHING, to earn their friendship again. \n\nwell, now we knew that was not an option, so last night I'd said they could come visit me today, i'd try to explain why I'd shut them out, and say our goodbyes.\n\nas the faces came into focus, I was startled, it was not my parents, or the doctors, or anyone I recognized. they were not here either, the room was dim, and the lights were on, was it still night?\n\nthose eyes, though, it would be soon...\n\nI had to leave a message, I had to tell them If i couldn't be there, what they'd ment, WHY it had been them I'd pushed away, why They alone I could not stand to see me this way.\n\nI asked \" paper, pencil, please, I have to leave a message\".\n\nA voice, one i knew, from somewhere, kindly but cracking said \"I'm sorry child, I'm afraid its too late for that.\"\n\n\"You don't understand, I have to tell them why, they wont understand, they'll think I didn't care, you have to tell them...\" I started yelling.\n\n\"sssshh\" the voice said, \"you can tell them yourself, when you see them, whenever that may be, there is no way to talk to them now.\"\n\nI looked at who was talking, they were elderly, white hair, mole on the right eyebrow... the voice... a memory, years buried, of a picture on the mantlepiece, in the sunshine, of a smiling face.\n\n\"Nana? but you...\" the words caught in my throat.\n\n\"yes, child, you too. you always were in such a rush\", she shook her head and introduced the others over the bed, then continued, we all wanted to be here to meet the first of the grandkids, your grandad and I never got to, you see\". she looked away, for a moment \"I wish you'd taken your time dear, its a terrible thing to see children here\".\n\nI started sobbing.\n\n\"sshhh, its ok, its no real difference, you'll see them all again, in time\" nana said, consolingly.\n\n\"you dont understand, they'll never forgive me, they probably thought I hated them, they'll arrive and find I couldn't even wait a night, I've hurt them so much. they'll hate me, they'll never know, or understand\" I wailed, to myself as much as anyone.\n\nthere was silence in the room, then Nana spoke \"no, they'll hurt, and they'll grieve, and in time forget, and live their life, but you underestimate people, they hang onto the good memories more than the bad\"\n\nI could only say \"they'll never forgive me\"\n\nand nana said \"no child, but when they get here, they'll be happy to see you all the same, whenever that may be.\" she smiled, \"now get out of bed, the hospital would not let her into the building , but there's someone who has been waiting on you to come visit the farm.\" \n\n ", "You’d never been very religious, though you went to church with your parents on most Sundays, and you studied at a Catholic school as a child. Mostly, you just didn’t really care enough one way or another, to study the matter closely. \n\nWhenever you thought of life after death, sometimes, you imagined the Heaven and Hell the pastor talked about. Other times, you wondered if maybe reincarnation right the idea of things. Then, there were the moments where you were certain there was nothing once you died. You imagined it like an eternal sleep, but one where you never dreamed or had any awareness at all.\n\nIn all your days, you don’t think you ever pictured something like this.\n\n-o-\n\nThe moment of your death was both highly dramatic and utterly ordinary. You were simply crossing the street, going to school like any other day, when a car suddenly swerved and crashed into you. \n\nIt happened in moments. There was a brief moment of intense pain, the sound of screeching tires, and then, nothing. \n\n-o-\n\nWhen you opened your eyes, the pain was gone.\n\nYou were lying in bed. But it wasn’t the hospital bed you expected. Somehow, it was your own instead. Even more astonishingly, you seemed to be entirely free of any injury at all. \n\nWas it all just a dream? \n\nIt had felt so real. But that was the only explanation which made sense, after all. \n\nYou shrugged it off. Now that you were actually awake, you had to go to school. \n\nSo, you went ahead and got ready. But when you went down for breakfast, you didn’t see your parents at the dining table like usual. Mom wasn’r there, buttering toast for you, and Dad wasn’t there reading the morning paper and muttering about the news.\n\nInstead, you saw your grandparents sitting at the table, chatting to each other and going about the day like they’ve always been there.\n\nMaybe it was a sight that would’ve been normal a few years ago. But not now. Because both of your grandparents are dead.\n\n-o-\n\nYou felt like you might faint from shock then. But you didn’t.\n\n(Maybe because you were already dead, a voice whispered inside your head.)\n\nGrandma finally noticed you standing there, and she broke out in a sympathetic smile. She gently steered you to the chair beside her.\n\n“Oh, honey,” she sighed, as she ran a gnarled hand through your hair. “Not that we haven’t missed you greatly, but we hadn’t hoped to see you for years.”\n\n“We hoped to see your folks first, at the very least,” Grandpa added, with a shake of his head. \n\n“I… what are you talking about?” You asked, trembling a little, but you already knew the answer.\n\nFor a moment, your grandparents only looked at each other, before Grandma turned her gaze back towards you. Holding your hand firmly, she explained softly, “You’re dead, dear.”\n\n-o-\n\nIt turned out that life after death was actually a lot like life before death.\n\nThe world seemed, from what you could see, to be exactly the same. Your house, your neighborhood, everything. The only thing different was the people around you.\n\nAll the people who left behind were nowhere to be found. The only people you really knew were your grandparents. You never really had much experience with death, until your own, so you didn’t really know many other dead people. \n\nAccording to your grandparents, all the famous people who died were also here. But they were all over the world, usually in the places they were born or grew up in. \n\nThere were no celebrities to be found in your sleepy little town, not even in death.\n\n-o-\n\nIn the end, nothing much really changed with your death. \n\nWell, you didn’t need to go to school anymore, at least, which you sometimes thought may have been worth dying for, but you never dared say out out loud, because your grandparents were still quite sad about your death for you. \n\nYou did miss your life, of course. Mostly because of your parents and your friends. \n\nBut you knew that it was only a matter of time before they joined you, and you now had all the time in the world.\n\nLife, even after death, was good, after all. \n" ]	4
	[WP] Your superpower is literally razor sharp wit: Comebacks cause cuts, burns cause actual burns, and cussing causes blunt force trauma on the target. You've lead a secret life as a vigilante who raps at their foes, and you've just entered a mafia hideout.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(I'm sorry; I had an idea come to my mind, and I just couldn't pass it up, so I'm gonna ignore the rap vigilante part. I apologize in advance for even making this.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWarning for slight vulgarity.)\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWalking down the street was almost always a monotonous boring task. It's not like going to the store to pick up some milk was ever going to be a viable source of entertainment, but without even a music player to fill in the overbearing blandness of the walk, it's far from anyone's favorite activity.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut, Mom wanted some milk, so I went to get some milk.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nExcept my usual walk was interrupted by a splash of unusual.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nRight in the parking lot of the corner store stood a group of men leaning up against an old Toyota Camry. They looked like your usual thugs; dirty, stupid looking tattoos, and a obvious lack of a decent education.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNever being one to be intimidated over what seemed to be nothing, I simply tried to walk right past them into the store.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTried.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne of them, presumably their de facto leader, in all of the wisdom of someone who dropped out of the third grade, decided to speak to me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOdd; people never spoke to me. Not after what happened that one time. Word got around that I (accidentally) sent little Janice Chapperly to the hospital when I said her drawing looked like someone sneezed a rainbow all over it.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nApparently, \"words hurt\" took on a more literal meaning when it came to me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Ey, where you headed, Stickboy?\" He said while subtly placing himself in front of the entrance.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat's a little hurtful. I mean, sure, I was a little skinny, but this guy was on the heavier side. As if he had any right to judge me when he looked like a rejected extra for Super Size Me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDon't do it, keep your dangerous mouth shut.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Just headed into the store to get some milk,\" I said blankly, trying to step past him before realizing his goons were blocking the way.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well surely you can pay for that milk, right, Sticky?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe implications were clear, but honestly, I wanted to hear him spell it out.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes, three bucks and twenty-seven cents, to the penny,\" I said while jiggling my pockets to the dull jangle of loose change.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"A'ight, but, I don't see why a skinny boy like you needs milk. So why don't we just take that off your hands, hmm?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAt this, his buddies in the back cracked grins that made them look like crack fiends, whilst flashing a bit of danger under their way-too-loose shirts.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDon't do it.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm not giving you my money.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nApparently, that stirred the already brewing shit-storm that was apparently destined to go down today.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA cacophony of, 'what did you just say's, spoken in many different iterations, plagued my eardrums.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nApparently, they had actually dropped out of school earlier than even I had anticipated. Basic human language was lost on them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nKeep your fucking mouth shut.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm not giving you my money, also, the milk isn't for me, it's for my mom, so I would greatly appreciate it if you could get out of the way,\" I speak in a calm, reserved tone.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMuch like a toddler being told he couldn't have his toy because he was being bad, they just got angry.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yo, fuck your mom, bitch!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd like every true dopey henchman, his followers echoed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah, fuck your mom.\"\n\n\"Your mom ain't shit.\"\n\n\"Your mom is GAY.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLike a beam of light shot down from heaven itself, I felt this exuding energy fill me. They must have sensed it as well, as their faces morphed into uncertainty as I grinned ear-to-ear.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n...Eh, whatever, these jerks had it coming. Nobody insults my mama.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs if sensing the coming danger, they turned and tried to run, tripping over themselves in a final act of desperation.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNone of them got far.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No.... U!\" I scream out with extreme prejudice.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLike a torrent of holy light burst forth from my mouth, I watch as one is instantly disintegrated, his ashes falling to the ground before the wind carries them away. Another screams in agony as his flesh melts right off of his bones, turning him into a puddle that one might mistake for spoiled beef soup, were it not for the skeleton sitting precariously on top.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne blows up, a visceral shower of blood and guts; the bone shrapnel shatters the windows of the Camry. Shame, it was a nice looking car. Blood splatters up the walls of the convenience store, and I get a little on my chin.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd fate saved the best for last. I watch as the leader bursts into flames. He runs around, screaming expletives while desperately searching for a way to put himself out. But he can't. This is no man-made fire after all. After around a minute of running around, he collapses before finally falling, still burning on and on.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI watched the entire time.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wipe the blood from my chin and shake the grey-matter from my hair. That felt good.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI smile as I walk into the store.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe oblivious cashier is listening to music with her headphones in.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI simply grab the milk, pay, and leave.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhile leaving, I step over a puddle, around a charred corpse, and avoid whatever debris is left over from the human bomb.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhoever came up with that old saying, \"words can never hurt me\", has clearly never met me.", "The first proper book I ever read, was the Hounds of Baskerville by Arthur Conan Doyle. It was love at first sight. I went on to become an avid reader, and at the age where young boys first find themselves drawn to superheros, I tried reading Spiderman, Superman, Batman and the likes. But they never really compared to the first and only superhero I'd fallen in love with - Sherlock Holmes.\n\nSee, once you grow up, you realize that shooting spiderwebs out of your wrists, being able to fly or freeze foes and all that jazz is unrealistic. Sherlock Holmes though, had a superpower that was believable - the art of incredible observation. Hell, with enough dedication, it was a blessing that seemed achievable.\n\n15 years after I picked up that book, I can modestly proclaim that my powers of observation have paid magnificent dividends. I'm standing in a shadowy corner of the keystone promenade, in front of a giant door guarded by an absolute monster of a man. I can tell he's middle aged and that he is recently divorced. There is a patch of light skin in the center of the fourth finger, where he wore his wedding ring for the longest time. He's wearing a hat because he's conscious about his male pattern balding. The new Rogaine lotion has a distinct aroma that clings to his fine suit.\n\n\"Excuse me, I was requested to meet your boss, Giovanni Capello, here, at 9?\" I say.\n\n\"Are you... the Black Mask Rapper?\"\n\n\"Not the brightest crayon in the box, are we?\" I replied. A bright orange flame cut across the door guard's face, leaving a burn mark, who screeched like a little girl.\n\n\"I had to confirm, didn't I?!\" The guard screamed in agony, holding his face.\n\n\"I'm wearing a black mask. I know the place and time of the meeting. You're hollower than a Muslim stomach on Ramadan.\"\n\nAnother bright flaming cut appeared on his face; another girlish, high-pitched shriek escaped the huge man. \"Could you stop that for Hell's sake! I believe you!\"\n\n\"Thank you. Now open the door before I open my mouth again.\"\n\nStill caressing his newly received scars, the guard fearfully ushers me through. \n\nI'm standing in a smoky bar now, filled to capacity with Italian mafia types. Some are smoking cigars or downing neat shots at the bar; others are flirting with the barmaids or talking about their newest firearms. The smell of spilt liquor, cigarette smoke and hashish hung in the air, along with a tinge of gunpowder. Someone had fired a shot here, very recently.\n\n\"Hey pipsqueak!,\" shouted a drunk Italian-American voice from behind me. \"Never seen a dick as small as you in my life!\"\n\n\"Unzip your trousers, you'll see a smaller one\" \n\nThe sound of another scream was drowned out by the laughter that rang around him at that retort. When he recovered for the humiliation, he reached into his coat, pulled out a Desert Eagle and pointed it straight at me. The club fell silent. \"How about I take your head?\"\n\n\"Considering how dumb you are, it would do you good.\"\n\nAn invisible cut slit his left cheek open . Blood started to gush out of the fresh wound. The man was on his knees, crying like a little baby. All eyes were petrified, and on me as I walked past the now eerily quiet bar and towards the large door, guarded by two men holding assault rifles. Luckily, they had witnessed all proceedings, and were slightly more blessed in intellect than the fartbiscuit wailing on the floor.\n\nThe door opened. An antique desk came into view, on which a Cheshire cat was sprawled lazily. Behind it, was the feared Giovanni. A monster mobster who had single handedly taken down whole syndicates. He was extremely obese, like a pregnant elephant. On his fingers were numerous gold rings, and he wore a gold chain around his neck. \n\nGiovanni checked his watch. \"You have a habit of coming early,\" he said.\n\n\"That's what your wife told me about you.\" A lash whipped Giovanni's face; but unlike the others he barely flinched. Instead, he smiled.\n\n\"Your skills are legend, I hear. How about you perform a little for me? Just to know I've chosen the right man?\"\n\nI will be honest, that caught me unawares. \"You do know that with every insult, you will suffer a cut right?\"\n\n\"Son,\" smirked Giovanni. \"I've survived fourteen gunshots and six assassination attempts. Measly scars don't faze me.\"\n\n\"Alright,\" I said, taking a deep breath. \"Here goes.\"\n\nBack in my day, they used to say\nyour name inspired fear;\nI'll admit it is one of the reasons \nthat I am here\nto listen to the masterplan\nthat you devised\nto make all of these lies disappear.\n\nBut I must say that you've left\nliterally the worst first impression:\nI expected a soldier of Fortune but you \nlook like a cow cursed with depression \nwhat happened to all the legendary fables?\n\nThey used to say that back in the day\nyou had the best guns and giblets\nbut now you're so fat you look like \nyou swallowed someone's triplets\nYou just let yourself go didn't you?\n\nYou've lost control of the whole family\nCan't tell the honest from who the cheats are;\nyour leadership divides more opinions\nthan pineapples on pizzas,\nyou may be the lion in the jungle\nbut you're being outrun by the cheetahs,\nwho are racing towards the throne \nwhile your roars are growing weaker.\n\nAnd so you've called upon me,\nto make sense of all this fuckery;\nto help the one born with silver spoons\nto destroy the rest of the fancy cutlery.\nAnd I will be honored to help you design\nthe most awful kind of ruse,\nprovided this Godfather makes me\nan offer that I can't refuse.\n\nWhen I finished, Giovanni's face was filled bloody cuts and burns but he was still smiling.\n\n\"Excellent,\" he said in diabolical glee. \"When do we begin?\"\n\n.", "There he was at the head of the table, the Godfather: Don Matteo. Around him sat his family: his two brothers, his son, and his daughter. You could see the weight of the war had gotten to him, his wrinkled brow permanently adorned his face, his hair greyer with each passing day. Even his voice had gotten raspier over the past month. His late wife, a casualty of the war that had plagued little Italy for so long, still heavy on his mind. \n\nStanding around the family were the rest of the goons. It made me sick to look at them honestly. All of them had a smug look on their face as the Don debated with his family about their next move. It had to be stopped, and I had to stop them. \n\nIt seemed like forever had passed since I busted into the private meeting, but honestly it was only a moment before all eyes were on me, and within seconds I was being approached. This was it. This is what I had prepared for for months. Here it goes:\n\n\"Look at you all in here chillin' like you own the world, your fists already curled, \n\nBut you don't have a leg to stand on, you're about to see;\n\nThe power of Razor Tongue, you have no chance to plea.\n\nI'll start with all you soldiers here, the bottom of the tree;\n\nThe bottom of the totem pole is where I'll start my spree.\n\nMurder of the third-degree, you won't even see, the shit I spit with intricate artistry.\n\nOut here looking to prove yourself, loyal as can be;\n\nBut you're just a worker bee, sucking his dick for free.\n\nBegone with you, I'm here to end this family.\n\nConsigliere, baby Sherry, don't look at me like \"please, please spare me;\"\n\nYour time has come, and I'll fucking make it scary. \n\nMy words will tear you up, death by a thousand bloody cuts;\n\nAnd when I'm done the floor will be covered in your guts.\n\nYou cold and callous bastard of the streets of blood and death,\n\nI send you to the underworld with just a simple breath.\n\nTo the family so smug and proud I hope that you can see,\n\nI'm not here to play, I'm here to end this idiocracy.\n\nThe end is nigh, but you will all remember I,\n\nAnd when I'm done you all will testify;\n\nThat none of this was worth the pain, fuck all could quantify,\n\nThe pain you will experience, the endless dream I'll occupy.\n\nAnd the leader, the man feeder, I ain't no palm reader\n\nBut I don't have to be to know that if you cross this man he'll make you a bleeder.\n\nIt's clear to me that through your time you've caused a lot of pain,\n\nSo here I am to battle you and end your shitty reign.\n\nYou havne't been the cause of something good your whole damn life,\n\nThe only thing you've caused is a lot of fucking strife.\n\nSo this is for all of those who felt your cold, cold hand, laying in the sand,\n\nnot able to stand, because of you and your brand. \n\nSo feel my backhand as I make my final demand!\n\nEnjoy your last few moments on this earth;\n\n but feast your eyes on what your crimes are worth. \n\nLeave this world, a better place without you and your crew,\n\nWe'll all be better without you, you old, decrepid shrew.\"\n\nAs I looked upon the carnage in front of me I couldn't help but smirk. I enjoyed what I did; I made the world a better place with my power, and for that I am greatful.\n\n&#x200B;" ]	4
	[WP] Your superpower is Bard. Your music makes the intended audience feel whatever emotions you imbue the music with.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The worst is people with earplugs. Or the deaf, but you don’t get many deaf people hiring musical entertainment. Wouldn’t be an issue if I shot lasers or could punch through walls, but I suppose they have their share of woes.\n\nToday’s gig thankfully had neither of my personal bugbears. Instead, it had a crowd of young rich kids with more money than taste. My favorite kind of crowd. A few happy songs, something to take with the alcohol and the designer pills, and they’d be right as rain. Plus, they’d never notice slipping in a forgetful lyric or two and making off with father’s prized something or other.\n\nDon’t judge, it puts food on the table.\n\nThe party was hitting its peak, speaker system blaring, and I at its center in a makeshift DJ booth set alarmingly close to the massive pool, soundwaves sending ripples through the water, architect of the fun. The one or two magazines that had found my name liked that word for some reason, ‘architect’, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. It doesn’t flow off the tongue, but the way it messes with search engines is a blessing. Word of mouth, that’s what I’ve always gone by.\n\nWhich was, apparently, the same way that the group of armed men heard about the event. They certainly weren’t on the guest list, if the gunfire was anything to go by. That’s the other thing the lads with fancy powers aren’t exactly immune to: bullets. Neither was I, to be fair.\n\n“On the ground, on the ground!” The man in the lead shouted, ski mask pulled tight over his face. A good sign, that; it meant he expected people to survive.\n\nAfter a pointed look and an even more pointed sweep of a gun barrel, I brought the music down low and ducked behind my booth. There was a time for heroism, and there was a time to not get shot.\n\n“All you kids, line up! Backs against the wall, now!” The leader screamed, watching carefully as his men set to work with zip ties. They had targets in mind, clearly. A pair of boys and a girl, none of them the host but all probably from fabulously wealthy families. They struggled briefly, alcohol rendering the scene a dream, but the butt of a rifle to the forehead tends to sober one up. They had just moved on to the girl when the track, still playing dimly in the background, began to wind down. Time for a change.\n\nI’d been at the gig for an hour now, but I already knew the setup like I’d been playing it every night for a year. Reaching up, I adjusted a few dials, switched the board from stylistic records to the laptop I brought along for requests, and cranked the volume.\n\nTime for a little fun.\n\nThe song came on loud, with a thunder that shook the ground. Some heavy metal track from a band in Norway, or maybe Denmark. Honestly, geography’s never been my strong suit.\n\nThere was a brief moment of surprise from the gathered audience, before the music took hold. It’s not a song I get to play often, not outside of some of the seedier, specialist clubs. Madness though, is a mood that some people crave, and it’s one I deliver just the same.\n\n“Turn that shit off!” The leader screamed, before one of his henchmen shot him in the side with pistol. I was banking on that, actually. An angry person goes mad and lashes out, and a scared person runs. Another series of gunshots and the sounds of a human stampede seemed to prove me right. A cautious peek around the edge of my booth revealed a mostly empty poolside, a few scattered masked men moaning in pain and several crouched behind the more sturdy bits of furniture.\n\nSomething in them was still fairly conscience, because once the first noticed my stupid head peeking out I found an alarming number of gun barrels directed my way. I ducked back to safety while a hail of gunfire whizzed by, sending splinters showering off the thick wood of the booth.\n\nA new song then, hopefully one that wouldn’t get me shot quite so soon, but that presented its own problems. Emotions are all well and good, but they were riled up now, driven mad by adrenaline, a foreign death metal band, and yours truly. There was only so much a happy tune could do to diminish that one.\n\nWhich really only meant I had to make it worse. A lot worse. A quick mix of my death metal friend and the kind of laid-back oddity a stoner used to see the stars at noon, and I was set.\n\nThe screams were a good sign. Not usually something I say of my gigs, but I’ll take what I can get. Raged-fueled hallucinations, things terrifying and horrifying and above all violent, that was just what the doctor ordered. The remaining men collapsed one by one, presumably into the sweet release of dreamland. I hoped, at least. I didn’t need any difficult questions dogging me, the Bureau frowned on mind-affecters.\n\nYou’d be amazed what could be explained away at this kind of party, though. Money talks, it walks, and the various drugs drifting around were plenty of an excuse.\n\nI carefully packed away my laptop, the only piece of kit I’d personally brought along, before picking my way through the party’s wreckage. If I was quick, I could get a decent headstart on the police before any of the former partygoers sobered up enough to use their phones.\n" ]	2
	[WP] The light at the end of the tunnel was actually a dragon.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"They said elves can't die. Well boy howdy I was the first one to manage to do it. \n\n\"Just when I began to think that life might actually have some meaning to it and things mattered, and I was walking out of the tunnel to begin life anew just BAM!\n\n\"A wall of flames right in my face and blistering agony for about a second. Then I floated up here like a beautiful butterfly and I've been stuck here ever since.\n\n\"And now I know for SURE life's a cruel joke. \n\n\"Course nobody ever figured out what happened to me, they just made up some crap story about this tunnel while the dragon still has all my gold. Then the legend spread and people just come down here to do their unsavory things. So that's how all these spirits got here, all because some greedy dragon decided to fry a suicidal elf.\n\n\"Anyway what happened to you?\" I finished and turned to the man spirit shaking his head beside me, an axe sticking out of his head. \n\n\"It's a sordid story.\" He said. ", "The tiny fairy dragon looked up as I drew closer to it. It fluttered its wings and stared me in the eyes.\n\n\"Hey there little guy, what're you doing all the way down here?\"\n\nIt fluttered up in front of me, \"Lost. No light. Friends gone.\"\n\nI offered a hand out to it, and it settled down on my palm. \"Mind if I stick with you then?\"\n\nIt nodded and crawled up my arm to my shoulder. \"Back?\"\n\nI shook my head, and started off into the darkness once more. \"Nah, entrance closes once you're already in. No way to go but forward.\"\n\n\"Oh...\"\n\nI patted it on the head lightly. \"Don't worry, we'll get out of here eventually. Besides, now we both have a friend to go with.\"\n\nIt curled up on my shoulder and yawned. \"Friend...\"\n\nI nodded as the tiny thing fell asleep on my shoulder. \"Once more into the darkness I guess...\"" ]	3
	[WP] The protagonist is giving a heroic speech before leading the army into battle. You are a regular soldier in the front row, and you can’t help but ruin his moment.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "In distance a towering creature came, galloping through an opening in the Mountains onto the clearing. A colossal, crimson red cloak flowing behind him, like a trail of Blood. \nHe stopped in front of his army of brave soldiers. \n\n\"My fellow warriors, \n\nwe the men of Astros, have been the strongest and the most glorious since the beginning of time. \n\nWe fight to kill! \n\nWe destroy our enemies until there is nothing left but dust on the ground. \n\n\nThose filthy Dremons have insulted our King. \n\nThey had the audacity to steal from our Kingdom. \n\nNow they will feel our fiery wrath raining down on them. \n\n\nI mighty Deathtoll will never cease to lead you in battle. \n\nAnyone of us who gives his life today, will do so in honor to the crown, celebrated as heroes they will take their last breath. \n\nWarriors of Astros, \n\nTHIS IS THE DAY OF VENGEANCE! \n\nTHIS IS THE DAY WE TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS! \n\nALL HAIL Astros, ALL HAIL our King.\" \n\n\nA deafening roar of 200 Men echoing of the Mountains, screaming out “ All hail Astros, All hail the King!!“Raising their weapons over their heads, baring their teeth, that were filed sharp, like a dagger. \n\nThen a glooming silence sets over the clearing, creeping over the land like a Grim Reaper flowing to catch his next victim. \n\n Suddenly a cry cuts through the quietness, out of the midth of the soldiers. \n \n\n“Hey Guys, Deathtoll's horse just totally crapped on his girlishly long cloak!!! Ha-ha!“ \n \n\nSoaring laughter vibrating the earth as 200 man held on to each other in amusement. \n\n\n “What a total loser, DEATH SHIT; DEATH SHIT“ \n “DEATH SHIT“ \n “DEATH SHIT“ \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHope you enjoyed it, and also sorry for any mistakes I am not a native english speaker.", "The sun coming over the eastern hills made Dominic's eyes shine with fire. Dominic looked across the field to the wicked Rundiths getting into their position. The time was upon us.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe strode his horse in front of the troops. I stood up straighter. \"Everyday we get up, we do our jobs, we go home, we eat, we sleep. Today, I ask you not to get up but to rise. Across this field, the Rundiths want to take our land. Will you rise to stop them?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes!\" we cheered. I jumped in the air. Something in my stomach shifted. Oh dear. Just as I feared...\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The Rundiths want to take our homes. Will you rise to stop them?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes!\" my fellow soldiers cheered. I curled over. Pains splintered through my body. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The Rundiths want to take our fields. Will you rise to stop them?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes!\" everyone called. I had known that chicken wasn't properly cooked, but I still ate it. I still ate the whole thing. I felt pressure moving down my intestines. Oh no. Here it goes.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The Rundiths want to take our families.\" The fire seared in Dominic's gaze, in his sword, in his soul. He lifted his sword into the air and screamed, \"Will you rise to stop them?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe did not receive a resounding cheer. Instead, a chorus of disgust wafted through the crowd as the sulfuric scent of my flatulence spread in a silent fog. The soldiers dispersed, escaping the aromatic cloud.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wait. No! Come back!\" Dominic pleaded. \"If you don't like your family, you don't need to save them. I mean, we still want to protect our land, right?\"\n\n&#x200B;" ]	3
	[WP] You were killed by a necromancer and raised from the dead. Except this one is an overachiever and now your ghost is haunting your skeleton, which is trapped inside your zombie. Luckily you have a chance at true resurrection since none of your 'pieces' are missing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "At first I was enduring as the constant groaning displeasure of a not-quite soulless husk awaiting direction, which wouldn't have been an issue had the murderer actually succeeded at doing his job. You see, it was a dark-draped dimwit who put me in this situation, someone as mistakable and threatening as his own shadow. An honest affront to the infamy he's now cherishing, a threat made true by the failure he's worked so hard on perfecting. It was time to end the charade and relinquish his hold over me. Over us.\n\n\"You want me,\" the priest held her steady anticipation, still distraught and flustered, \"to raise your spirits?\"\n\nAll three of us flayed her with the same eerie eyes. It was becoming more of a challenge to restrain ourselves as the arms convulsed in a reaching manner. I understood we didn't want the natural prey to flee at a moments notice as much as we didn't want her to leave alive with that remark, but I forced a crooked smile upon us and carried on.\n\n\"Quickly.\" we grumbled as I still struggled to rest control \"He will certainly come looking.\"\n\nThe, unfortunately, mutual perception of our chance arrangement meant I was the pawn of a larger threat in her eyes. Regardless, there was no way in hell I could voice the contrary. So I settled my sanctuary and eventual revival for her wasted time, informing the spooked town that in turn mustered the guard. I believe I even heard frantic orders to let the neighboring realms know of their defense against the 'dark plighted caller'. This was a mess I had hoped to avoid and get back to the dinners I had missed since three months ago. but alas, honey rum and mana buns would have to wait. The great chapel doors burst open as the female returned with a retinue of guards, a few more priests, friars, and Father John. My eyes went wide. I could not believe it was my old friend, and judging by his expression, nether could he.\n\n\"So you're saying a gnome, a gnome, Netharys,\" he paused, scrutinizing what was left of me in disgusting disappointment, \"beat you over the head with a shovel, dragged your corpse out of he inn and rose you in a meadow?\"\n\nI struggled to maintain what was left of my torn composure as he ordered the others to fetch the holy water, incense and scrolls.", "Well at least I learned something interesting from this experience. My murderer, and current master, is only masquerading as a Necromancer. Luckily for me, he doesn't actually know very much about Necromancy. Oh sure he followed the directions, but the guy is using the wrong words and movements, even if he's got the right ingredients. At present, all he's actually accomplished is separating my spirit from my body.\n\nIt's a little frustrating, being an accomplished Necromancer myself. He's bound my spirit to my bones, which was smart, but his \"reanimation\" is really just an elaborate show of telekinesis. I'm not actually capable of doing anything. Instead of compelling my corpse to follow an order, he essentially puppeteers my body utilizing a complicated series of Abjuration spells to stop my body from simply falling over. To his credit, it must be incredibly exhausting.\n\n\"Master, if I may be of assistance,\" my spirit began to speak to him, but was immediately silenced by the \"Necromaner's\" paranoid shouting.\n\n\"You will follow my command!\" He shouted.\n\n\"Yes, master, but if I may suggest...\" My spirits attempts were shouted down by the bumbling fool. Making ghosts was fairly low-level Necromancy. I'd seen teenagers who stumbled on the wrong Grimoires succeed that much. One gifted child I met was able to have a group of four skeletons carry his things for her, and she was only barely fourteen at the time. Gosh that felt like a lifetime ago.\n\n\"Master, you're attempting to use Abjuration.\" My spirit persisted in pestering him. \"You realize that you're attempting Necromancy?\" The fool stood up, and looked like he was about to bluster some more before my spirit continued. \"If you would allow me, I was an accomplished Necromancer in life, I could tutor you, now that I've nothing better to do.\" The fool considered this for only a moment before asking what he would need.\n\n\"I wish to prove that I am the greatest wizard among all mankind.\" the fool explained. This would be simple then.\n\nI tutored him to create a simple zombie out of me, so that I could avoid him needing to make a marionettist of himself.\n\n\"First, we will seek out a ley line, luckily I know the location of one, simply compel me to find it.\" My spirit explained to him. It was a surreal experience. There were three of me, ostensibly. My skeleton and flesh had been reanimated separately, and my spirit was outside either of them. Some might have called it an out of body experience. Once we came to the ley line I turned around again.\n\n\"Now, we will need holy water and diamonds.\" I said. The fool's eyes widened.\n\n\"Diamonds?\" He asked. I nodded my head.\n\n\"We'll need a few of them for the ritual to be a success. However you get them doesn't matter, but I can't go, my skin is starting to slough off, and people will know I'm not alive. You'll need to do this.\" I was rather firm on this point. I had to prepare the proper sigils and runes for the ritual.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSeveral days later, the fool wizard returned to me.\n\n\"Have you the diamonds?\" I asked him. He poured a small purse full of them onto the altar in the middle of the forest clearing. This was an odd place for a pair of Necromancers to meet.\n\n\"And the holy water?\" I said, expectantly. The man pulled out a small vial with a familiar religious symbol on it. \"Splendid!\" I exclaimed. \"Soon, you will prove yourself the greatest wizard known to mankind.\" Truthfully, I wasn't sure he was able to cast this spell, but worst case scenario we both get obliterated. Not that I was going to tell him that much.\n\nI spent several days drilling into him the correct incantations and movements before actually having him attempt the spell. I did want him to succeed, after all. He finally ran through all of the incantations and motions perfectly. I had him do it four or five more times, I stopped counting. Once I was certain he knew the spell, I said he was ready.\n\n\"I will lay upon the altar, you will begin your spell, and cast it with proper intent behind it, okay?\" I wanted him to be sure of himself. The poor fool only really knew two spells at this point. One to make a zombie, and one that I had just taught him. Unlike most wizards who are schooled in the language of power we use, the meaning behind the movements that go with them, this one simply knew what they were. It was like teaching somebody that two plus two is four without them understanding why, or teaching somebody how to sing a song in a language they didn't understand.\n\nIn any case, the ritual was underway. It was about ten minutes of movements and words. Once it was complete, he shouted the last word and a blinding light shone from the altar. Because of the location we'd chosen, he didn't actually need to generate any mana himself, he simply used what was in the earth. I felt my body stitching itself back together, and my disembodied perspective darkened as my spirit entered my body and my eyes opened again.\n\nI rolled off of the table, sore as could be. The diamonds were gone, but the dirt had a few pebbles that dug into my flesh. The fool wizard ran up to me.\n\n\"What's happened, what did I do?\" He asked, frantically.\n\n\"Relax, you fixed me.\" I said. I stood up, still sore.\n\n\"I WHAT!?\" the wizard seemed upset.\n\n\"You cast True Resurrection. Since you murdered me, I am now as I was before you did so.\"\n\n\"I wanted to prove that I was the greatest wizard! I don't care about your-\" I cut him off, shouting him down.\n\n\"The fact that you were able to cast this spell at all is a miracle!\" I said. Admittedly, I was excited to have my body back, but the fact that this fool doesn't even know what he's accomplished angered me. \"You have well and truly brought me back to life, you are a master wizard, congratulations!\" My words were dripping with sarcasm. The fact that he'd learned the spell from me, and didn't even truly understand any of it was clearly bothering him.\n\nWhich is why it was such a surprise when he began to cast an Evocation. One that I recognized instantly. Luckily for me I could cast it much faster than he. It was only a moment before \"The Greatest Wizard\" was immolated in a massive ball of fire. It was a shame, really. The fact that he'd been able to learn such a complicated ritual so quickly was truly impressive. Unfortunately for him, his arrogance cost him his life." ]	3
	[WP] You are called the "Hailstorm of Blades" not because you are good at throwing knives, but because any time you approach a knife sword, or dagger they fly away from you. It makes life as the child of a blacksmith a little difficult.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Got your harness finished, eh? Today's the day, Harold.\" Rodrick was knocking on my door, shaking everything that rested against the walls.\n\nHe knew I was ready. I had awaited this day for months. \n\n\"Be right out, Rod.\" I was reflecting on the steps I would soon need to take, and the events that brought me to this day.\n\nOne moment you're swimming in a lake with your friends, the next, you find a knife at the bottom. One moment you're holding a knife, the next, you're hearing a voice, a deep voice within yourself. It says \"This blade shall be the last you ever hold,\" and you never hear the voice again. One moment you don't understand what the voice means, the next, you are given a demonstration.\n\nUpon exiting the lake, I felt no different, but Rodrick and my other friends were repelled by me. Not by their will, but something caused their blades to be sent away, tugging them along in their sheaths. Ty's arrows flew from her quiver, embedding themselves inside of a distant tree. We were lucky that no one was wounded, but everyone present was confused. I attempted to show my friends the knife, but this increased the effect, and so I kept my distance.\n\nWe determined it a strange property of the knife, perhaps a curse, and so I carried it away, hoping it would free its hold on my friends weapons. I traveled a fair distance before seeing Rodrick motion with his blade in the air that all was normal again for them. I opted to return home then, to spare my friends of potential injuries from the apparent properties of the knife. I named it \"Lasthold\" then, after the strange voice I heard in the depths. Looking back, it was a silly name, perhaps too obvious, but it was also an honest one.\n\nI placed the knife at the top of a hill close to my home. I wanted to see what my father would make of it, he would likely be the best person in the village to ask. My father is a blacksmith, you see, and so I couldn't bring something so peculiar into our home, our means of survival. I had only taken a few steps down the hill before I heard my father shouting as though attacked. I hurried down and heard him screaming. I burst open the wooden door and saw him pinned again the wall by some of his equipment, blades and axes and tools narrowly missing him. He was distressed but, like my friends, not wounded. \"Oh gods!\" I shouted, rushing to him. The closer I was to him, the more he gasped, soon unable to breathe. The metals of his works, his masterpieces, crawled against the walls, forming deep fissures of jettisoning themselves out of the window. I took some steps away from my father and he started breathing again. I ran out of the workshop, and as I got further away I heard the clanking of metal falling against itself.\n\n\"It isn't the blade,\" I whispered, \"it's me.\"\n\nIt took some time for my father to recover, and in that time it was difficult for me to communicate with him. Rodrick lived closest, and he was able to act as a messenger, allowing for me to explain the apparent curse of Lasthold to my parents. I was unable to return home without destroying it entirely, and so I now live in a shed constructed where I first placed the knife. Far enough from anyone, any weapons. I was afraid to go anywhere, most of the village had deemed me as I had myself, a foul omen, \"Hailstorm Harold\" some called me, but my family brought me food and books to occupy myself with. My father whittled me some utensils, as even a fork would not be tolerated by my curse. The people important to me knew I meant no harm.\n\nI searched for answers, and the only clue to the origins of Lasthold from a text my father had, regarding forgotten forging techniques. My father had kept the tome around in hopes that he would somehow be able to channel those lost methods, but he never did. One stated that a blade forged from in the \"heart of a star\" could render the weider \"impervious to all weapons forged from the earth.\"\n\nIt was a stretch, but I had heard of a kingdom known as Starheart, the home of a land of tiny people who were dubbed the Light. It was on the other side of the world, oceans and mountains between my village and it. Such a place may as well be fiction, and perhaps it was, but answers and cures to this affliction would not come from inside this shed that could hardly keep out the rain. To travel there would require a lifetime, and resources in amounts I could never dream of.\n\nTo see this curse lifted would require something impossible.\n\nI affixed the harness to my arm, locking my shoulder and elbow into place, into an upright position. I looked absurd, but the whole idea was.The sack on my back would have to be checked again, but it should do. I had practiced it enough. Today was all about making sure it could work, and hoping that the wind blew in my favor.\n\nI stepped out into the sunlight. At the bottom on the hill was Rod, Ty, and all the others, including my father, who had recovered from his injuries. They were around a great tree.\n\nAs I approached, the tree began to shake and rattle, with leaves and twigs tumbling down from it onto the grass. Embedded into the tree was a blade of my father's design, with an oddly shaped hilt and pommel, and a comically long cross-guard.\n\n\"Are you sure about this lad?\" said my father, \"because if this doesn't work, there's no coming back from it, no second tries.\"\n\nOf course I'm ready, other than the deathly nerves, the idea of being lost in the stars until I fail to recover, falling into the dirt like a hunted bird, it all sounded absolutely great. Before saying this and more, I felt a tug on my back. \"Fixed your pack.\" said Rodrick.\n\n\"I'm ready.\" I said.\n\nMy father issued several cautions as I got closer to the sword. \"Remember, you'll have to undo just this part of the harness, then open the pack.\"\n\n\"You'll lose the blade, son, but not your life.\"\n\nThe blade shook violently, causing a great crack . There was a worry that the tree would split in half, but it held strong and I got grabbed the sword. My father and Ty affixed the grip to my harness, and each let out pleased sighs when the two fit together perfectly. The vibrations shook my entire body. The harness held tightly, as it was meant to.\n\n\"Last chance, are you ready Harold?\" someone asked.\n\n\"Yes!\" I shouted.\n\nThe entire group grabbed onto the cross-guard and pulled. They were moving in unison, and all I could think or hope was that I would remember how to undo the pack on my back that would allow me to glide down.\n\n\"Heave!\"\n\nCan I maneuver it?\n\n\"Heave!\"\n\nCan I control it?\n\n\"Heave!\"\n\nI have to, if I'm to travel to Starheart, if I'm to meet the Light.\n\n\"Heave!\"\n\nThe sword loosened from the tree, pointed to the sun, and I was free.\n\nI was flying.", "Most people think blacksmiths only make weapons. Common misconception. That's the weapon-smith's job. Me and Pa stick to more honest work. Plowshares, candle holders, fire-pokers, wagon wheels. Simple stuff. We don't do horse shoes. Nope, that's the farrier's job. We \\could\\ make them, but the unions got mad. Never make the unions mad. The weapon-smiths make the weapons. The armor-smiths make the armor. The farriers shoe the horses. The blacksmiths make the odds and ends out of iron. Wrought iron is black, hence the name, see? \n\nWar means you don't care about the unions. If they want swords, you make swords. The king says armor, you make armor. It don't matter if it comes out any good. If it'll cut, it'll do. That's how they found out about my... thing. Apparently, I was born just before the last one. The last war. Dad had just made a bunch of \"pointy sticks\" as he called them when little old me decided to come out. No time for the midwife, just Ma and Pa in the middle of the shop. Then things got strange.\n\nWhen I'm around, swords just up and leave. Not just swords, either. I can reach for a knife, and it'll just stick itself in the ceiling. Or the wall. Or the pretty girl I was trying to talk to. That was a fun talk. The thing hit her and just kept going. Took her with it. I don't even have to see the knife. Get too close, and like magic, it flies off like a spooked sparrow. Anyway, when I was born, Pa says he had to stop making swords. Had to leave the city, too. Army didn't like it, but that's how it is.\n\nSoldiers came knocking the other day. If I'd known it was them, Pa'd be the one at the door. But they got me. And I got an earful. Next thing I know, Ma's crying and Pa's handing me a hammer. It's big. It doesn't have his mark, but I can tell he made it. I've seen his work all my life. He says it's mine, and that he's proud of me and something about fate. \"Hail storm of blades,\" is the soldier's newest name for me. I am not a hail storm. I am a blacksmith, and I am very good with a hammer.", "“EVAN, FOR GOD’S SAKE, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND LET ME WORK!!” My dad yells angrily at me, the expression on his bright red face shows nothing but rage and fury, he’s using some sort of machines to bend a damaged dagger, and he clenches the dagger tightly in his palm. When I receive the signal, I immediately get up, gather my papers on the ground and run as fast as possible away from his workshop. \n\nDon’t worry about my dad, he’s always like that. Okay, well, NOT all the time, he used to be less strict and hot-tempered before I reached the age of two. I don’t know whether I’m a Demi-god or somewhat, but I do have superpowers, whenever a knife is thrown at my direction, it automatically changes its path to fly away from me! So whenever I hang out in my dad’s workshop, the clients’ swords or weapons always fly out from the window and then go where ever they want. After that, the family’s economy has... well, gone down a lot. \n\nBut hey! At least I’m not worried about being stabbed in the back unexpectedly!... Oh God, who am I kidding? This is a freaking curse dawning on my family, I always get bullied in the school for that, and one time, a kid tried to throw a knife at me to see if my magic works! So, that was when I earned the title “Hailstorm Of Blades” and I wear it with shame and disgust. The family’s blacksmith job has brought little money due to clients being afraid of me, so my mom has to work in different grocery stores, being a part-time employee just to bring up the family’s economy... And no café or stores hire this 15-year-old boy because of my cursed thingy. \n\nSuddenly, I hear clanking noise in the workshop, accompanied with my dad’s casual swear words. “EVAN GO TO YOUR FCKING ROOM!!” He yells again, and I know I’m in trouble. God, I hate this superpower, yeah it’s cool that you can avoid anyone trying to stab you, but? I’m tired of being scolded and grounded for NOTHING! In school, things turn out more worse than this. Teachers wouldn’t allow me to get near to any tools which are made of metal, like iron and stuff, and IT SUCKS a lot when you can’t participate in any Science Fair!!! Sigh*...\n\nInstead going upstairs to my bedroom, I head out for the front door and enjoy the fresh air of peace and quietness... Until a black limousine comes to my house’s pathway unexpectedly. It stops there for a moment, until two men wearing in black suits emerge from the limo and approach me. \n\n“W... Who the hell are you guys?” I stare at them with confusion and a little bit of fear. The two guys stay silent. They exchange a look to each other and begin to drag me towards the limo. I try to struggle to escape from their hands, but a skinny boy compared to two muscular adults, oof, things are getting tough! I also yell and scream in terror, beg for help but the two men put a cloth inside my mouth so I can shut up. Then, they throw me inside the limousine and close the door quickly. The engine comes back to life as the the limo runs like a wind on the road. I’m squished between the two man, with a cloth inside my mouth that is about to choke me to death, until one of the men in black puts it out and says: “The boss wants to have a word with you.” \n\n“What boss?” I ask them.\n\n“Me.” A deep voice rings in the stifling air of the limousine. It belongs to a man who looks like he’s in his fifties or sixties, with white beards covered his mouth. He wears a grey hat, which is placed loosely on his messy hair. The man pushes his oversized glasses on his nose and stares at me.\n\n“You are... Hailstorm of Blades?”\n\n“Y... Yeah?” I reply with hesitation.\n\nHe looks thoughtful for a moment, then he looks up at me again. “We have a job for you, interested?”\n\nI cock my head to the side. “What kind of job?”\n\n“... Do you like to cast in Season 8 of Game of Thrones? We will make you into a great super villain!”\n\nWhat.\n" ]	4
	[WP] You play an MMORPG and are part of a large guild. Today however no one else is online. Bored you log off, only to hear a knock at your door. It's a person claiming to be from your guild and begging you to help saying the guild is in danger - in real life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Alterra, The leading MMORPG, was eerily quiet today Levi thought to himself \"what is going on?, First I'm the only one of a guild of 552 to be active Now the whole town seems empty.\" Levi would open the menu selecting save and power off as the vibrant world would fade to nothingness. Levi would then remove the VR headset blinking as a shabby and dreary one room apartment would come into view, Levi or jack as he was known in the real world, would lay back with heavy sigh \"man I really wanted to do some quests after that lousy work day, but where was everyone \" he would run his hand through his hair and sigh again\"didn't I hear some rumors about another guild going missing?\"\n\nJack would begin to make a sandwich to which he would be interrupted by knocking, \"go away no solicitors\" the knocking would continue louder followed by the rattling of the door knob, \"didn't you hear me?, Whatever it is your selling I don't want it!\", This time the knocking sounded the most frantic and the voice on the other end would whisper just loud enough to hear through the door \"please Levi please let me in.\"\n\nJack would be step back utterly shocked hearing his online name Jack wasn't the social type he was fairly sure no one at work even knew his last name, let alone his address ,or that he played Alterra he would unlatch the door and open it ,in that moment the frightened would rush in quickly relocking the door and closing the blinds. jack would be aggravated by this and shout\" buddy I don't know who you are or how you know me but you better start explaining before I call the cops.\n\nThe male would reply still whispering\"my name is miles though you know me as Sayo your party's mage, our guilds in danger we need your help.\" Jack would sit down in his chair looking extremely annoyed\" you know I'm always happy to help as a squad leader but seriously man you show up acting like a nut case about a raid boss?!\"\n\nMile's would grab Jack's shirt pulling him close\" you think this is about that damn game?, Were being hunted jack! Miss Miho was found dead today at the train station!\"\n\nThe life would seem to drain from Jack's face as he pushed Mile's off him\n\nMiles would continue \"that's not all there's been 17 more deaths the last two months, they all played Alterra , and as far as I can gather 8 belonged to fang de wild the missing guild.\"\nJack would shout \" so what the hell do you want from me? I don't even own the guild go find Helios if you want to play hero so damn bad!\n\nMile's would let out a nervous laugh \"hero? You think that's what this is?,.. there was a note with Miho's body it was addressed to Levi and said you and our whole party were next!\"", "Ciani rushed to open the door when she heard the knock; she hoped someone had sent her something. Her heavy footfalls resounded through the house as she ran to the door on loud, metal, machine legs. She eagerly threw the door open and saw a dark-skinned man in blue jeans and a t-shirt waiting on her front porch. He was not holding any sort of package, and Ciani saw no sign of flowers anywhere.\n\n\"Yes?\" she asked.\n\n\"Ciani Ibis?\" he asked. The wrinkled, old woman nodded. \"It's me,\" the man stepped forward. \"Sirius.\" He gave her a moment to process the information, then he explained why he was there. \"The guild's in trouble, we need your help.\" The way he spoke and moved convinced Ciani that he was who he claimed to be.\" She tilted her head toward the inside of her house.\n\n\"I was just logged in, no one was around.\" Sirius nodded.\n\n\"This is why. Metro's gone crazy,\" he said with wide, worried eyes. \"He's keeping everyone hostage on an Earth with no nanos unless he talks to you.\" Ciani thought about the newest member of CyberRiot - a sentient swarm of nanos that often took the shape of a white gnome. Metro was unfamiliar with human customs and had a lot of questions. She took to the robot immediately and began to consider him a surrogate grandson; she taught him that humans can't respawn without nanos. Ciani was very surprised that he seemed to have gone crazy, but she was not surprised he was asking for her.\n\n\"Okay, let's go,\" she said without hesitation. If her friends were in danger she wanted to help them as soon as possible. Though, in the back of her mind, a small part of her felt bad that it happened on this particular day: her 92nd birthday. Sirius nodded and wiggled his fingers at the air. A tall, black portal opened in the air and Ciani walked through as soon as it was open. Sirius followed.\n\nCiani stepped out of the portal onto a lush green plain. Tall grass swayed in the breeze and the sun shone in the bright blue sky. The old woman could see herself enjoying the beautiful day if it wasn't such an emergency. She decided to ask Sirius to bring her back some time after everyone was safe.\n\nShe saw the rest of her guild members around a raised wooden stage in the center of the field. Over 100 people were tied to chairs facing the white gnome on the stage. He was dancing around a single man; Roger, the guild leader. A swarm of golden nanos orbited around Roger's neck. Ciani did not wait for Sirius; she ran to the stage as fast as her mechanical legs could carry her.\n\n\"METRO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?\" She shouted once she was close enough to the stage. The gnome stopped dancing and looked at the old woman; he stroked his golden goatee thoughtfully.\n\n\"Query: Unexpected. Metro's behavior is obvious. Metro is dancing,\" the gnome said. \"Like you showed Metro.\"\n\n\"Why are you dancing, Metro? Why are you keeping everyone tied up?\" Ciani asked. \"Why did you need to talk to me?\"\n\n\"Ciani's presence is required for Metro's evil plan,\" the gnome replied. Ciani took an uneasy step away from the stage.\n\n\"Evil?... You're not evil.... are you?\" She felt tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes. Despite him being a robot she and the rest of the guild treated him as one of them.\n\n\"Affirmative. Metro's plan is evil. Metro is evil. Metro lied to Ciani. Ciani taught Metro liars are evil.\" A flash of hope sparked in Ciani's mind. If this was just a misunderstanding then things could go back to normal.\n\n\"When did you lie to me?\" Ciani asked. She could not think of an instance where he might have lied.\n\n\"Metro lied to secure your presence. Metro's evil plan brought you here.\"\n\n\"Sirius brought me,\" she said. Ciani realized Sirius hadn't joined her by the stage. She looked behind her and saw the man tied to a nearby seat with Metro's golden nanos.\n\n\"Why?\" she faced the robot again.\n\n\"Metro planned evil gathering to celebrate Ciani's day of birth. Metro kept secret; lied to Ciani. Guild members kept secret; lied to Ciani. Objective: Surprise Ciani.\"\n\n\"Wha...\" Ciani turned around.\n\n\"SURPRISE!!!!!\" all the guild members were out of their chairs and clapping for the birthday girl.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, day #96. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse)) or 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. " ]	3
	[WP] As the mafia boss to the most dangerous crime ring in the world, you need to a way to hide your identity while having an excuse for the constant high flow of money through your bank, so you decide to get a job as a manager at Petsmart. And you’re taking your job very seriously.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Price Check. Pupp-a-licious kibbles,\" I called out, my voice echoing throughout the cavernous corridors of Petsmart #132 - Chicago.\n\nLucas was looking at his phone. Again.\n\nI tried again. \"PRICE CHECK. PUPP-A-LICIOUS KIBBLES.\" Kid was on another planet. Maybe a different reality. \"THAT MEANS YOU LUCAS.\" The customer shifted awkwardly at the interaction.\n\nLucas finally re-entered the planet earth's atmosphere, staring blankly in my direction. You could literally see the two brain cells attempting to rub together in real time, trying to conjure up a thought. \"Huh?\"\n\nAlmost got there.\n\nI placed my hand over the mic. \"I need you to give me a price check on Pupp-a-licious Kibbles.\"\n\n\"Um...where are they?\"\n\nMy mind immediately flashed to a vision of Lucas tied up to a chair in a dimly lit warehouse, Bumpo punching him repeatedly in the stomach. Really working him over. \"What's the price kid? I know you got it,\" Bumpo was saying. It was beautiful. \n\nSigh. The good ole days before the Feds got wise.\n\n\"I imagine they're on the pet food aisle Lucas.\" Kid had been working here for four years. You had to be meaningfully dedicated to being an idiot to end up like that. Somewhere out there was a very disappointed mother. Might be doing her a favor to let Bumpo have his way for a bit.\n\n\"Oh. Yeah.\" The dullest of lightbulbs momentarily went off. \"Puppy Wagon, right?\" And there the bulb went. Shattered on the ground.\n\n\"No. Lucas. Pupp-a-licious Kibbles.\" Through gritted teeth now. I was going to need a crown on all my molars at this rate. At least Petsmart carried decent insurance for store managers.\n\nLucas nodded, \"Got it.\" He wandered off, his fingers rubbing on his phone as he went. Moneyline on Vegas was 10 to 1 he ever came back. \n\nI turned back to the customer, a elderly woman named Paige that came through twice a week. \"I'm sorry Miss, it'll be just a minute.\"\n\n\"Paige is fine deary, good help is just so hard to find, isn't it?\"\n\nAnother flash of Tony (Big Tony not Little Tony) being pushed off a pier after turning rat came to mind. I smiled, \"You have no idea Miss.\" I never called the customers by their first name. Professionalism was an art form.\n\nAn awkward silence followed as we awaited Lucas' return. A minute. Then two. I cleared my throat, \"Excuse me miss.\" I leaned into the mic once more, \"LUCAS! PRICE CHECK.\"\n\nHe appeared shortly after, his face still buried in that God damned phone. He shuffled forward, coming to rest beside the register. He smirked a bit as he sent off just one last text message before looking up at me. \"Hey, sorry. Yeah.\" He shrugged, \"I looked but we're out of Puppy Wagon.\"\n\nMy hands flexed, knuckles going white on the register. \n\nThe Deadly Don didn't run businesses. He made them. Women. Drugs. Gambling. \n\nPet food wasn't any different.\n\nIt was time for some changes.\n\nPlatypus OUT.\n\nWant MOAR peril? r/PerilousPlatypus \n\n&#x200B;\n\n " ]	2
	[WP] The summoning has worked!!! Your people will survive the orcish onslaught. But.... you have two problems- you don't know what plane this "Deutsche Afrika Korps" comes from, and you don't like the way they're grinning.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "In the 6th month of the 53rd year of the Zion War of Man and Orc, the council authorized use of trans dimensional blessing. \n\n\nI am Nephtali, the prophet of the Lord. It is the 7th day of the 7th month and this is my chronicle. On this blessed day we offer up our prayers and sacrifices up to the Lord. Send unto us a savior oh Lord. Your people cry out, how long will you let us suffer under the tyranny of orcish oppression. Have you not bestowed this land upon us, so that we may reign over the animals? And what are orcs if not filthy, inhuman beasts. Send unto us mighty men, who will rain down upon these monsters. \n\n\n8th day of the 7th month. Our prayer has been answered! On the war torn plains of Gethsemane our reinforcements appeared. A pillar of fire blazed, depositing soldiers from another plane. I know not from whence this Deutsche Afrika Korps hails. Their faces alighted with the most ghoulish grins as they spied the screaming orcish hordes. With weapons that spat lightning and spears, they massacred the swine. Sieg Heil, they saluted. Never have I seen such fury. \n\n\n9th day of the 7th month. This Deutsche Afrika Korps now marches to the holy city. They fly flags with a most peculiar symbol. Four bent arms in front of some tree. Their precision is rigid. They march with unparalleled efficiency. They are followed by machines akin to seraphic designs, metal chariots with swiveling heads. Sieg Heil! The chanting grows louder. We shall send an emissary.\n\n\n10th day of the 7th month. The Deutsche Afrika Korps have murdered our emissary. This cannot be. Surely no men would be so cruel? Are we not all the children of God? Do we not all share in his covenant? Through the gift of tongues I understand their language. They speak of purity. They have eradicated the orcish scourge, what else could they speak of then?\n\n\n11th day of the 7th month. The Deutsche Afrika Korps has started to siege our city. They murder us indiscriminately. These demons of light eyes and fair hair claim they are the final solutions. Evacuation is underway. Try as we might, they kill us from afar. These are no saviors. I realize now these are fallen beings. Demons in the forms of men.\n\n\n5th day of the 9th month. The nation has fallen. Those remaining have been forced into camps. They beat us. They force us to work. And they kill us en masse. They mean to extinguish our entire nation. Our only hope remains with the orcish nations, though I fear no aid will come. Lord hear our cry! Deliver us from the Wehrmacht.\n\n\nFirst day of the tenth month. I pour ashes on my head. I understand now why. We prayed for men to deliver us. To slaughter the orcs like lambs, down to the women and children. Our prayer was heeded. We were delivered unto merciless men. And now we are the orcs. " ]	2
	[WP] Write a PSA (public service announcement) about an issue not usual for a PSA.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "EXT NIGHT\nFast electronic music plays. Camera pans quickly across the Hong Kong skyline, with bright signs lit against the dark sea and rolling hills in the background. Camera dives off a tall building, flies through a crowded intersection, dodging a red double decker bus. A sleek black lambo catches the camera’s eye. The camera swivels to follow its path, and flies into the open window. A billionaire in sunglasses drives with her right hand, holds a cigarette in her left. Neon lights reflect off her sunglasses.\n\nNarrator: Smoking contributes to mouth cancer,\n\nCloseup shot of the billionaire’s dark red lipstick.\n\nNarrator: Lung cancer,\n\nCamera falls to her bosom as she inhales deeply.\n\nNarrator: and cardiovascular disease.\n\nBillionaire’s flesh melts away, revealing a small black feeble heart beating atop two emaciated lungs.\n\nNarrator: But none of that matters.\n\nMusic stops. The camera feed goes into slow motion. Opacity shifts all the way white. We hear a sonic boom, followed by crashes and explosions.\n\nCamera shows a mushroom cloud from space.\n\nNarrator: Be careful who you vote for in 2020.\n" ]	2
	[WP] you come back from work one day and find a demon on your couch. He says he has a contract for your soul. When you tell him you know nothing about it, he rolls his eyes and says, ‘Do you people ever read the terms and conditions?’	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I looked at him. Judging from the Demons face, this wasn't the first time he'd have to explain. He looked at me with tired and impatient eyes, before he pulled out a contract, with my name on top. \n\n\nDemon: You see, when you bought the Hot-tub 2000, with portable showerhead, it clearly states in the contract that i own your soul. \n\n\nIt got quiet for a moment, before I eventually inhaled, and answered. \n\n\nMe: Wait. My soul? For a hot-tub? \n\n\nThe Demon quickly got up from the couch, obviously irritated, and aggressively walked toward me. The moment he got up, that tail behind him got clearly visible.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDemon: Listen here you little shit. You signed the contract. The contract is binding. Nothing more to do. No more explaining needed. Im really getting tired of you humans not accepting your god damn responsibility when signing things. Thats why we put it there. You know how many souls we got a week from this shit? \n\n\nWhile the demon talked, two horns started getting increasingly bigger on his forehead. \n\n\nI looked at him like a surprised pikachu meme. I couldn't muster out a single word. \n\n\nThe Demon Continued: ....Thats what I thought. So I suggest you start packing a bag. I got more idiots to explain this to today. \n\n\nThe Demon went towards my closet, pulled out a bag, and tossed it towards me. \n\n\nI silently and slowly walked towards the drawers. I pulled the drawer out, and was confronted by a wide selection of clothing. I pondered for a moment. \n\n\nMe: Uhm, what... what should i pack? \n\n\nThe Demon, busy reading contracts, slowly lifted his head, and looked up at me. \n\n\nMe: I mean, cold? warm? whats... whats it like where we're going? \n\n\nThe Demon put down his contract, closed his eyes and let out a brief exhale. \n\n\nDemon: Pack for winter. Its called down there. \n\n\nI looked at him for a bit. Puzzled. \n\n\nMe: Huh, Glad I asked. I just assumed.. you know.. that Hell was very hot. \n\n\nI turned back to my drawer and picked out a nice warm, blue jacket. \n\n\nThe Demon suddenly got up from the couch again. \n\n\nDemon: Jesus christ man, of course its warm in Hell. Why ask? Have you literally not seen a single movie? \n\n\nI held up the jacket. \n\n\nMe: So.. not the jacket then. \n\n\nI said carefully. \n\n\nDemon: No.. Not the jacket. \n\n\nThe Demon responded, before he sat down on the couch again. \n\n\nDemon: You see, this is what happens when people stop reading the bible. You know? \n\n\nHe was clearly annoyed. I just nodded my head. \n\n\nDemon: You see, we used to be feared. People knew about us, you know? Now... Now we just put a small text on the terms and conditions, and hope that some stupid human will just sign it. And they do, you know! \n\n\nI was getting a bit uncomfortable, and kept slowly nodding my head. \n\n\nDemon: And then I have to explain them this, over and over... and they're never scared anymore. Its just... This job can be rough sometimes, man. \n\n\nI let go of the jacket. The jacket made an interrupting sound as it hit the floor. \n\n\nThe Demon looked up at me, and I walked up to him and sat next to him on the couch. \n\n\nMe: Seems like you could use a hug. \n\n\nDemon: I think we all do. \n\n\nI lifted up both my arms, and carefully embraced him. I could feel his hands touch my back aswell. \n\n\nWe sat like that for a while, in complete silence. Just two strangers, hugging. \n\n\nBecause sometimes, all we got, is each other.\n\n \n\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] You run a time machine store. Over the years you've been getting tired of your time traveler customers and their shenanigans.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I'll see you next year! Get it? Because of the...oh you get it! See ya!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFinally the last customer is gone for the day. You know when I was a kid I used to think that travelling in time would be so cool because then we would be able to fix horrible stuff that happened in the past. At least that's what we all thought would happen when the first one of these stupid doors got made. See you tell people you have a machine that can take them back to the worst moment of their lives or of history and they want to immediately go and fix it. A lot of people immediately started to try to make the scientist who made it kill Hitler, luckily for them given enough time and science that'll become the goal of anyone who just plays Wolfenstein and has an addiction to history. So yeah, scientist goes back with a loaded gun and we never see the guy again. Worst part, Hitler didn't die. Great job science\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFast forward about ten years or so and bam! These pieces of garbage are now in store for you the consumer. Got to love capitalism it makes shit sell. People kinda just figured out by the tenth missing experiment guy that you can't fuck with the time stream or whatever because either you stop existing because of a small thing never caused the events to your birth or now you live in a time where that did happen and now you are stuck there because the time machine was never invented.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSo the past was a bust because people couldn't go fix the things that they didn't like so they thought to go forward into the future. I don't know what people were expecting because it was basically the same as this but with new lingo they don't get and complete culture shock because you missed a lot. A lot of people played the lottery at first though and that didn't work out well for them at least.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNow I don't know how you are reading this, but if you are you are probably wondering why I'm even angry about this and honestly its the customers here. Every day I hear the exact same jokes over and over again and it drives me crazy. Its like if people made those stupid jokes on New Years about not seeing you in years or how its been too long when its been 5 minutes and the little number for the year just changed. On one day that's totally acceptable and kind of fun even though its terrible, but every single day of my life and it becomes too much.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI've already made rules among the rest of the staff to not do it for my own sanity, but those customers never stop. That's the worst part though, they aren't creative with it and they never try to make it unique. I literally have the keys to a car that can take you anywhere in time and instead I just get these people day in and yesterday out giving punchlines out of order because it makes them laugh or the same tired stuff as before. A part of me still loves this job but with time its just become hard to enjoy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNow if you'll excuse me I am going to go watch some dinosaurs while eating some popcorn and then go home and cry in a pillow.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFirst time trying this let me know how I can improve and thanks for reading!" ]	2
	[WP] a group of friends go out for some tacos. Little did they know what horrors lay in store	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Adam looked across the room. There was a breeze outside that tapped at the window and tossed autumn leaves through the slow spit of rain. He'd heard something else too; but the TV and his roommate drowned it out. He got up from the couch and walked towards the jittery window; closer to his own reflection and the sound. He walked up, leaning in and placing a hand over his head to block light. He saw a quick shimmer but it didn’t register until the bang hit his ears. Kyle bashed on the window, yelling and laughing. He ran away, and saw himself in through the front door. &nbsp;\n &nbsp;\n\n“Tacos!” He yelled. A question marketed as a statement. Adam laughed and called him the F&C combo. Minutes later the two were in the car, with Peta, driving through the rain. Their presence seemed to aggravate the Gods, and by the time they’d reached the parking lot- they had to push through hail and unrelenting wind; the door of the empty restaurant slammed behind them. The waitress looked over, indifferent. They sat. They made small talk. They gave each other shit. They gave their non-present colleagues and family shit. They politely ordered and waited, looking out the window at struggling trees and flying debris. Peta stood up. &nbsp;\n &nbsp;\n\n“I’m going to piss, don’t eat my tacos... if they fuckin come.” She’d been in a shitty mood all day, and barely elevated that to managing a smile after Adam told his best bestiality joke, accent and miming included. Adam and Kyle waited for a bit longer, one occupied with Tinder, the other with Insta. Kyle looked up from the cleavage on his screen. &nbsp;\n &nbsp;\n\n“Where’s Peta? She must be doing a massive shit?” &nbsp;\n\n &nbsp;\n\n“Fuck her, where’s my tacos?” Adam stood up and walked towards the counter. The waitress was gone. “Hello?” he yelled towards the kitchen, “Anyone there?” Adam turned back to the table- Kyle was back to swiping. He walked around, closer. There was an odd smell he couldn’t push out of his nose; a burning- it was a familiar but distant memory that tricked his Garmin into thinking he was exercising and made his legs feel like he’d climbed a tower. Adam walked through the doors and towards the kitchen. &nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n“Oh fuck...” he screamed. He stepped back and felt hands on his back, making him scream again. “Oh fuck, oh fuck!” his yells turned to mumbling. It was Kyle behind him, accidentally scaring him and trying to see where the food was. Kyle stayed quiet. His chest started pounding; breathing harsh like in a winter run. They both stared- the cook. His slumped body was bubbling away in a vat, and bits sliding off as he sunk millimeters at a time. They stepped out, standing outside the kitchen and staring at each other. The waitress had disappeared. &nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\nA massive bang came from the toilet. &nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n \n“Peta.” Adam grabbed at his own hair, shaking, while Kyle finally gave in and vomited on the floor; they were both thankful to be able to smell his sick puddle instead of melting flesh. Adam walked towards the sound; and pushed open the toilet door. He could see bare legs under a cubicle. He walked closer, and slowly pushed the door open expecting to see Peta. Instead, the waitress was there; face cut from the mouth up; eyes torn out with sheer force. Her face broken and empty; dead. Kyle stood behind him. They stared; before realising someone was behind them. Adam turned first; then Kyle... Peta was there. She was covered in blood; holding a knife in one hand. The other, bloodied hand gripped at the tail end of something. The waitress's eye; slippery and dripping. &nbsp;\n\n &nbsp;\n\nKyle started talking, but the words wouldn’t come out- either his body wouldn’t cooperate or he didn’t act fast enough. Peta slashed at his head, and he stumbled back. Now she dropped the eye. Kyle was on the ground, it was rolling towards him as he slipped back on the floor, trying to get behind Adam. &nbsp;\n\n &nbsp;\n\n“Hel... hel... help...” he muttered, grabbed Adams leg. Adam looked at Peta, pulled his leg away, and stepped back. He reached into his pocked- and dropped something on Kyle. The other eye. &nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n \n“We’re sick of you fucking scaring us every chance you get...” he looked up at Peta. She smiled, and started walking closer. &nbsp;\n", "“Time to get tacos!” said Gary.\n\n“We’re not going anywhere until we clean this apartment first.” said Melvin.\n\n“Come on, Melvin!” said Bryce.\n\n“I know how this goes.” said Melvin. “We get something to eat, say we’ll get some work done afterwards. Dinner turns into a few drinks, drinks turn into it’s 3 a.m. and we are in our underwear, trying to flick nickels into the toilet.”\n\n“Once I bounced one in from the kitchen!” said Gary.\n\n“We promise this time, we’ll just get tacos and come right back to clean the apartment.” said Bryce.\n\n“OK.” said Melvin. “Because we have to get back to work on our YouTube projects soon, otherwise we won’t have next month’s rent.”\n\n“What an age we live in,” said Bryce. “Able to make a living off YouTube.”\n\n“We haven’t been making a living off YouTube.” said Melvin. “We’ve been coasting off checks my mom sends me and the money Gary makes from betting at the horse track. YouTube only accounts for 10% of our income.”\n\n“We’re building up our audience.” said Gary.\n\n“Our last video, which was two weeks ago, had 700 views.” said Melvin.\n\n“Well if YouTube doesn’t work out, we can always go back to our country jazz hip-hop band.” said Bryce.\n\n“It’s a wonder we never took off.” said Gary. “I send our material to over six record companies.\"\n\n“I’m above money at this point,” said Bryce. “The corporations control everything. They couldn’t find a box to put us in!”\n\n“Well as long as we’re not selling dope or prostituting ourselves I can retain some dignity,” said Melvin.\n\n“That’s the fucking spirit,” said Bryce. “Now I need to fill my stomach with the tasty brilliance of tacos.’\n\nThey go to the Taco Bell. While there, a masked lunatic chops them up with an axe." ]	3
	[WP] On your 18th birthday your emotionally distant father lets it slip that you were never meant to survive the experiment that created you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " I drew a breath as I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. It was getting full now, eighteen lit towers of wax struggling to fit on the heavily iced sweet. I wasn't complaining, though.\n\n As I watched the cake be cut into pieces, eagerly waiting for a slice to come my way, I glance over at my father. He's staring at me, and I ignore it at first, only thinking about my previous experiences with him, as I thought he would. He doesn't cut it out, though.\n\n \"Oh, sorry,\" he half-mumbles before turning away, still shooting glances. I look at him awkwardly and turn my eyes away from him, still thinking about what he could've possibly been thinking about. Had he zoned out on me? Ah well, my piece of cake was being passed my way.\n \n\n \"Hey Dad,\" I call as we bump into each other in the hallway moments after. \"What was that about?\"\n\n \"You're still thinking about that?\" He replies.\n\n \"Of course I am, you never do that.\"\n\n \"You're right. Actually, you know what? Follow me, I have to tell you something.\"\n\n Then, my father led me into the basement and shut the door, leaving the two of us alone. \"Have a seat.\"\n\n I sat on one of the worn couched that used to be in the living room above us, silently freaking out.\n\n \"I didn't want to say this, but I guess it's been eighteen years,\" he goes on, sharing my nervousness. \"You're not who you think you are, son.\"\n\n By this point, I had a miniature heart attack. \"What do you mean by that?\"\n\n \"You do know I'm a scientist, right?\"\n\n \"Dad, you're scaring me.\"\n\n \"I'm sorry, but I feel like you have the right to know the truth,\" my father apologized. \"So here it is. We are not related, son. In one of my experiments, I gave a sample of my DNA to see if we could clone a human. It went according to procedure, with an embryo forming, and we had to kill it.\"\n\n \"So what you're saying is-\"\n\n \"Please,\" my father said, cutting me off. \"Let me finish. After we thought we had killed the embryo, a few days later it had grown. By that point, it looked like a newborn baby. My team told me that because I gave up my DNA to make it, I would be the father. So then I took it home and raised it.\"\n\n With my shock were several realizations. Growing up, I never knew of my mother. As I was raised, I was told stories by my father that would sometimes change. I looked identical to him, which until now I thought was a huge coincidence.\n\n \"I still love you, I just feel like it had to get out,\" my father, no, guardian assured. After the dust settled, my eyes teared up and I fell into his arms. He patted me until there were no more tears that could run down my face. \"Let's go, you have your cake left to eat.\"" ]	2
	[WP] The CIA has analysts creating false leads for the FBI and local authorities to follow so their own covert operations won't get blown. You're an FBI agent who has uncovered one of these, but you haven't yet figured out what the CIA and the Smithsonian are doing with ancient, legendary relics.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was a day like any other, being a mole isn't easy, but it pays well... And I didn't want to die to a poisonous cloud creature, so I took the job. \n \nThere's something about twisting the code of the computers, whirling around, jumping though an old loophole, it makes me feel alive, that's why I joined the \"R Team\", mess with high-end computers, and get paid well, count me in! \n \nI was not prepared for what I stumbled across, I'd been told by my \"boss\" that I was supposed to investigate a local gang that had been ripping off the various scientists, nothing too out of the ordinary (and hey, I'd get to swipe some gear for my boss when they weren't looking). \n \nThings had gone very wrong, the scientist I _thought_ my \"boss\" had to told me to tail didn't go home. He headed to Mt. Luna, a strange place for him to go I thought, as he worked on tech, not that rock-research stuff, but here he was never the less. He snuck around, watching every shadow, twitching at every sound, clearly nervous about being seen. \n \nFinally he came to a stop after heading down a hidden ladder, and met with a man wearing a white-and-gold suit, with four strange looking pockets hanging off his shirt. I watched as this new character pulled a crate out from against the wall, and opened it, I gasped silently, and the scientist seemed to be about to faint from happiness- or dread. \n \n_\"It's an honest-to-goodness Helix fossil!\"_ I gasped to myself, but then the Ather grunt, and scientist turned toward me, _my boss is gonna kill me_ being my last thought, before I took off running. \n \n-TeamRocketIT", "It didn’t seem to start with the disappearance of a diamond necklace inlaid with sapphire, a beautiful piece of art, that the normal observer would gush over, for they had rarely seen something so expensive in their lives. To a trained eye, there was nothing exceptional about it. It was with great care and love. \n\nHowever, if one took the time to read the nameplate of said missing necklace, they would find that it belonged to a deceased Ulric Fe. Of course, research into ‘Ulric Fe’ ended quickly. No one with that name existed. \n\nThe investigation into the theft of the jewelry ended. No suspects. \n\nUpon reflection, Agent Fulgrim should have immediately guessed who was behind it.\n\nIt was only the first of stolen jewelry, weapons, gold, and literature. All of the items belonged to the Smithsonian at one point in time or another. It started with the stolen Ulric Fe necklace. Then a plain golden chalice. Later, a worn spear. Every three days, like clockwork, a priceless relic was stolen from the Smithsonian. Book of the Damned. A skull. A mummy. Soon enough, Fulgrim had an entire inventory of stolen artifacts.\n\nAgent Fulgrim worked for months on end, interviewing thousands of security workers and artificers and janitors and agents. His colleagues at the Bureau laughed behind his back. The clowns at the CIA shared knowing smiles. \n\nThey were in on it, Fulgrim decided one night. He stopped the interviews. \n\nFulgrim took equipment out of the Bureau’s stock, and quietly wrote it off as necessary for the investigation to continue. Pen cameras, audio bugs, wiretapping, USBs with malicious spyware. The works. \n\nThey were in on it.\n\nThe case was cracked the next day, hours before the next cycle. Fulgrim listened as one of the smarmy CIA bastards discussed their next mission. The voice said, “We’ll take something modern this time, don’t want the media thinking we’re just crazy crooks stealing a Satan’s old junk. Dude’s pretty chill, guess it’s only fair that we help. What about the Constitution? Do they have that at the Smithsonian? No? Oh, that’s a shame. Anyway, about two hours until showtime. We’ll figure something out, Mr. Fe. I’m thinking something from their aerospace section.” \n\nThe voices prattled on and on, they were so proud of their thieving and their business with Mr. Fe. Agent Fulgrim would show them.\n\nAgent Fulgrim stood outside the women’s bathroom for nearly two hours at the Smithsonian, eyeing the the various suspended aircraft and related paraphernalia. Nearly every woman gave him the stink eye, and security had the gall to question him. He simply showed them his badge. \n\nHe didn't care. The bathroom was by a good choke point, nothing would get past him. \n\nEventually, two men with a ladder walked into the wide gallery. The short, balding one pointed at a bright orange box on display. It became obvious to Fulgrim immediately, they were going after a wrecked plane’s black box. They were poorly disguised as repairmen.\n\nThe taller, bearded one shrugged and they moved toward it. \n\nFulgrim intercepted them with a crooked finger and two pairs of handcuffs, “You bastards! I’ve got you now. You’re under arrest. You’ll have the next 72 hours to tell me all about Ulric Fe and where you’re hiding everything.”\n\n“Ulric Fe? Don’t you mean Lucifer? I thought everyone at the office knew...” said the tall man, before trailing off at his accomplice’s objections.", "It was just another mission at first, a set of objectives to accomplish. It always started like that.\n\n“The relics have been transferred an abnormal amount of times over the past couple months. The one thing in common over all their routes? The Smithsonian,” Benton said in his slow, cold drawl. Sometimes I thought he was a robot being beta tested in the office.\n\n“So what?”\n\n“We have reason to suspect the CIA is planting fakes in their place, and compiling them in a safehouse somewhere.”\n\n“Why would they do that?”\n\n“Well, legend has it that when the pieces are compiled together, they form a likeness of Osiris.”\n\n“What the fuck is that?”\n\n“The Egyptian God of the Dead. Enabling the owner of the pieces to call forth the spirit of a dead loved one and speak to them. The spirit can't answer, but they will hear what you have to say.” \n“Sounds pointless, even if this bunk were true. Now why would they do that?”\n\n“That’s for you to find out. Now get lost.”\n\n\\-\n\nAnd so I had gone after them. I’m not good for much else besides going after something. I’m like a dog, but not a fluffy golden retriever. More like a mangy, tossed aside stray, cursed with nothing but a nose that can sniff out whatever it wants to.\n\nIf anything, I was annoyed by this mission. Chasing down some bullshit voodoo leads, someone has to do it. \n\nSo one by one, I put the pieces together, following direction with no questions.\n\n\\-\n\nBenton didn’t smile, didn’t budge. He just picked up one of the pieces, and examined it.\n\n“Good job,” he said quietly.\n\n“What’s going to happen to them?” I asked.\n\n“They’re going in for examination.” \n“Seriously?”\n\n“We have to follow every lead,” he said, walking away.\n\n\\-\n\nA couple months later, out of one of those random flashes of curiosity, I decided to go into the lab.\n\n“What are you here for?” the technician asked.\n\n“Some relics came in. Let me think. Case #1047.”\n\n“Let me see.” He worked on the computer for a bit. “Nothing.”\n\n“What? Are you sure?” I tried to wrack my brain, see if the number was wrong. “Try Osiris. O-S-I-R-I-S.”\n\n“Let me see…nothing.”\n\n\\-\n\n“What is it, kid?”\n\n“The pieces of Osiris, Benton. They’re gone.” \n“What are you talking about, kid?”\n\n“The mission. Case 1047.” I knew about his photographic memory, much like mine.\n\n“Kid, I think you’ve been pushing it too hard. You’re on leave, effective immediately. Two weeks.” \n “What?”\n\n“Come back when your mind is right.” And he hung up.\n\n\\-\n\nI’d never been to Benton’s house. I imagined him to have a small, gray apartment somewhere in the city, but here I was, in the suburbs, on a sprawling estate.\n\nHis house was darkened, but spacious, the ceilings tall, the floors shiny and smooth. I didn’t know what I was there for, but this was the only direction I had, after being barred from the office, getting no contact from Benton or anyone for weeks. All I could do, all I had ever done, was follow it.\n\nI found him in his bedroom. He was knelt over his bed, whispering. In front of him…were the pieces.\n\nHe didn’t move when I entered. He just continued whispering. I waited for him to notice me. But he never did.\n\n“I’m so sorry…” he said, his voice, low, shaky, like a rattling wind.\n\nSuddenly, a wisp of smoke appeared in front of him, like a small dirt devil conjuring itself in the middle of his room. Slowly, it sharpened into the image of a beautiful woman.\n\n“You’re here…”\n\nThe image looked at him. I felt the hairs on my skin raise, something that hadn’t happened for quite some time.\n\n“I know you can’t answer,” he said. “But I know – I have to believe – that you can hear me. So I’ll just talk.” \n“I failed you so many times. The answer, to everything in my life, was right in front of me the whole time. I saw it when I was young…but somewhere along the way, I got lost…all those times I lied, all those times you saw me with... all those times…”\n\nAnd then I heard something I never thought I’d hear.\n\nHe wept, and struggled to finish. “I love you. And I’ll tell you every night. I’ll tell you every night how sorry I am, even if it’s selfish. Even if it will never bring you back…”\n\nThe gun dropped from my hand, and thudded onto the ground. The smoke vanished, and Benton turned around.\n\n“Kid – what are you doing here?”\n\nAll my life, I’d had direction. But not now. Standing there, staring at a man I never thought would break, what was I to do?\n\n\\-\n\n[r/penguin347](https://reddit.com/r/penguin347)", "\nAgent Mattz was a bookworm at heart, small and frail; the darkness seemed to swallow him like a mouse in a cat’s cave. Nonetheless, he’d persisted in his undercover occupation for over nine months. For all he was paranoid and prone to jumping, he was not superstitious. \n\nTonight was the night that would all change. \n\nIt started like any story meant to scare children, with a bump in the night. \n\n“What was that,” Mattz said. It had been precisely 275 days since the “Midnight Marauder” had stolen the mummified remains of an Egyptian Pharaoh from London. In other words, he was long overdue. His next mark, Mattz had concluded, HAD to be New York. \n\n“Maybe it’s a g-g-g-GHOST,” Lub said, his mouth half stuffed with mini hotdogs. The man’s massive belly rumbled as he laughed, “Stop jumping at shadows, kid.” \n\n\nMattz held up a finger to silence him, “Shh. I’m serious.” \n\nAnother clang echoed through the museum, repeating softer and softer in waves until it fizzled out. \n\n“Probably the pipes,” Lub said. \n\nMattz stood, “I’m gonna go check it out. You can stay here.” \n\n“Damn right I can,” Lub said, “Look bud, I’ve been doing this for 15 years. Trust me, if you keep letting your skin crawl every time you hear something, you’re not gonna last. This isn’t Night at the Museum or somethin.” \n\nMattz shrugged, flicking his flashlight on, “Nonetheless.” \n\n“Fine. Be my guest, radio me when you can confirm that I was right.” \n\nMattz crept down the corridor quietly. Unlike ordinary security guards, he actually was packing heat. His hand rested on the pistol’s grip for reassurance. Still, he wasn’t actually sure what he’d do if he found anyone. He’d never actually fired his gun with intent to harm anything. \n\nThe “Midnight Marauder” was a misdirect, a cover for whatever the hell the CIA was up to. Even with that knowledge, Mattz shivered at the thought of the enigma. Stories said the thief could walk through walls, kill with a glance, and move objects without touching them. In his experience, where there was smoke there was always fire, those stories had to have come from somewhere. \n\nAs he neared the end of the hall, the static buzzing sound grew louder. A faint, bluish light flickered from just around the corner. \n\nMattz swallowed, unbuttoning his holster and drawing his weapon. \n\nHe pressed his back against the corner. Was that? Yes. He could just barely make out the sound of someone chanting, though in a language he didn’t recognize. He concentrated harder, No, not someone chanting. It was MANY someone’s chanting together, a terrible medley of mismatching languages and dialects.\n\nMattz closed his eyes.\n\nStop where you are, FBI! \n\nHands up where I can see them!\n\nHi, my name is Agent Mattz. Please don’t make me use this thing.\n\nMattz tried to figure out what he would say when he turned the corner. He raised the gun, and found his hands were trembling. \n\nScrew it.\n\nMattz flung himself around the corner, gun raised. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but the words died in his throat. \n\nThere, in a shroud of shivering blue light, was a thing that Mattz brain could only begin to compute. Even the sight of it was something more than physical. It was like a cloud of information, a projection of stimulation that overwhelmed the senses. \n\nIt was the living, levitating, embodiment of fear. It was an entity, shapeless and menacing as the void. It could not have been said to have tentacles, yet the knowledge of it’s presence seemed to writhe off it, worming its way up through Mattz’s nose, into his eyes, and down his throat. It made him want to cut himself open, to investigate his inners, to decide why he needed to exist.\n\nMattz pried himself away from the visage, instead focusing on what it hovered over. The entity’s shadow crawled over the open caskets of several prominent kings and queens, pharaohs and emperors. With horror, Mattz noted that the chorus of whispers were coming from the dead. \n\nA beefy hand closed on his mouth, followed quickly by a ringlet of cold steel on the back of his neck. \n\n“You bit off more than you could chew, kid,” Lub’s voice whispered in his ear, “I tried to warn you.”\n\nMattz’s mind squirmed to make sense of the situation. It could find nothing to hold onto but that hand, those words, and the cold barrel of a gun on his neck. \n\n“Shhh, that’s alright,” Lub said, “Come with me and the good ol’ boys of the CIA might still be able to salvage your sanity. You FBI kids never know where your nose ought never be stuck, where SECRETS might be the only hope to preserve the greater good.”\n\n~\n\nr/CharlestonChews" ]	5
	[WP] the day of reckoning has come but not just for one religion but for all of them. Every human goes to the after life in their own religion but you are an atheist...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " After a few months since people began to fall death spontaneously, it became painfully obvious that I would be ok. \n\nI checked myself daily on the mirror, looking for any alarming signs. I checked my reflexes, the acuity of my senses, searched for spots or any sign of alarm that could tell that something horrible was about to befallen me like it did to everybody else. But I was fine\n\nThe only explanation I could give myself, was that somehow I was immune to some sort of super disease that had suddenly wiped away all of mankind. But I hadn’t yet found a way to know for certain\n\nDuring the event, Information was chaotic and contradictory. The media collapsed almost instantly, since it seemed that everybody lost their sanity at the same time. People of the streets suddenly falled to their knees at started screaming, or crying, or cheering. They uttered words about angels, about demons, about beings from beyond, or about natural disasters ravishing the world. \n\nBut nothing ever happen. They just stood on their spot, delirious for days before starving to death on the spot where they had started rambling. I tried to make some people react, snap out of it, feed them. They would never react, and at best the food and water would just slide out of their mouths while they keep screaming. And worst, they would choke on it, and their rambling would end a bit sooner than the others. \n\nI took care of as many as I could, for as long as I could. But It became obvious I would need help, if there were any way to rebuild what once was. \n\nSo, I started to wander. I don’t know what else Is out there, I don’t know if every corner of the world is like this, I took the first step with the hope of finding other people immune as myself, and try to rebuild with them what the event had taken from us. \n\nYou see, I never believed in the end of the world.\n\nI couldn’t ever believe in the idea of a god that creates all life as we know, only to destroy it latter and “make it right”. So, I was never someone religious\n\nI wasn’t either the kind of person that thinks the flaws of mankind are unbeatable, and that we are doomed to eventually bring our own destruction. \n\nI simply had a baseless certainty that we could prevail, that we could be better, that we didn’t need an external force to eventually evaluate us as some sort of project that is viable or not. \n\nI still don’t think this is the end. It’s a tragedy, it’s a catastrophe, but if I’m alive, so could be others out there, searching for each other, willing to rebuild, to once again, start over." ]	2
	[WP] It had been an unseasonably warm winter so far and your new job at the coroner's office was more tedious then you imagined. One day, on your lunch break, a young woman with flowers in her hair approached you. "So this is where she shoved you Hades."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Booorrriiinngggg.\n\nHow do humans stand jobs like this? Where's the action? Where's the excitement? I mean, you maybe get a body a week? I was handling a thousand souls a day; and that was when it was slow!\n\nHm. Maybe some action today? Oh. Nope, it's Demeter, my mother-in-law. No, she's decent enough. Not like the \"nightmares\" my co-workers talk about. Not that they know what a Night Mare really is.\n\n\"So this is where she shoved you Hades.\"\n\n\"Shove nothing, Demeter. She insisted that she could do at least as good a job as me. This is her chance to find out. As an exchange, I offered her the opportunity to find me a job that would make me most appreciate her circumstances. So far, it's boring me to tears. If I had any.\"\n\nLaughter. \"Hades, that's not the tale she's telling. To hear her say it, you pissed her off, and she sent you packing.\"\n\n\"Well, there was an argument, so the first part is true. I did piss her off, when I pointed out that all of her needs were provided for, and she could do anything she wanted to. That's when she really got lit up. She said there wasn't anything to do! Which isn't true, but I had to admit that none of it was afterlife shaking. So I offered her a chance at my job.\"\n\n\"Well then, how'd you end up here?\"\n\n\"I didn't want my staff constantly looking at me for confirmation of her decisions. So I asked her to find me a position where I could possibly understand her displeasure with her situation. I must admit, all of my needs are well met, but this has to be the most boring job in the human world.\"\n\n\"Heh, yeah, that part fits in with what she said. She was 'bored to tears'.\"\n\n\"So! How's she doing? I haven't peeked, I want her to have a clear shot without me taking any chance on interfering.\"\n\n\"Tolerably well. Actually, she's doing fine. You put a very good staff together, and they're helping her through the rough parts.\"\n\n\"Good, because there's a catch.\"\n\n\"A catch?\"\n\n\"Yep. And no, I'm not going to tell you either. You might feel obligated to tell her.\"\n\n\"Does Zeus know?\"\n\n\"No, but he doesn't need to. What I offered him was a chance to throw a lightning bolt.\"\n\n\"Oh Gods. Does Hera know?\"\n\n\"Yep. She's part of the deal. He's been giving her a hard time. I convinced her to let me convince Zeus that it would be okay to toss one bolt at a specific location and time. It'll cause a massive power outage, that she can get all angry over. He'll get to make up with her, which is what she wants. In the end, no one is directly hurt by the bolt, so the humans won't know any better.\"\n\n\"Hades... I hope you know what your doing. This could go very bad very fast.\"\n\nSmiling, \"Yes, Demeter. It certainly can.\"\n\nFLASH PRIORITY: Hiroshima destroyed at 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945...\n\nWell, it isn't boring here any more, and I just bet that Persephone is shocked at the number of souls she's dealing with. Especially after my staff basically went on vacation the day before.\n\nA thunder rumbling voice, my father-in-law. \"Well, Son-in-law. You made me happy. And I'm pretty sure Hera is happy too. But I think you screwed up.\"\n\n\"How so? Is Persephone in trouble?\"\n\n\"Nope. Even after your staff took off like that, she's doing a fine job. You may be in trouble though! She figured out that you arranged the whole thing.\"\n\n\"EXCELLENT!\" Boy is Zeus puzzled! This just keeps getting better! \"Zeus, I was so freaking bored with that job. If she is handling it, and likes it, that's perfect! The staff will be back tomorrow, in time for Nagasaki. My chief assistant has a letter from me for her, in the event she did well.\"\n\n\"Did you arrange this bombing?\" I can see the lightning in his eyes. I smile at him.\n\n\"No, I did not. I just asked Aries for a bit of information, and a slight suggestion to Persephone, which landed me this job. There's way too much to do, but I get to motivate these poor folk by my example. We're doing good work helping those still alive, and treating the deceased with as much dignity as we can. We're also gathering food from the homes that weren't destroyed, but who's occupants we know are deceased. Those get shared around fairly, without the Ichiban-sama or the Yakuza getting their hands on it. For those we cannot save, there's a soothing hand, a sip of cool water, and a Shinto priest or Buddist monk available.\n\nWe can't reach everyone, but we can do a lot of good.\"\n\n\"And how is this excellent?\"\n\n\"It isn't. But Persephone showing she can handle the job in some of the most trying circumstances is. It means I can turn the job over to her, and do all the things I've never had the chance to. She isn't bored, neither am I, and we can both get on with our lives happier than we have been in centuries.\n\nThe letter lays it all out. We can stay married, with her taking the title and the job. We can get divorced, and she still gets the title and job. Or we can just let it ride while she figures out what she wants to do, but until she comes to a decision, the job is hers.\"\n\n\"And what will you do?\"\n\n\"Nagasaki is going to need even more help. I've already been over there making arrangements. When I've done what I can to help humanity through this madness, I'll travel. Write. Paint. Sculpt. Create. LIVE!\n\nSomething Persephone has forgotten how to do. In time, she may relearn it.\"\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] You have a magic gun, a killer backstory, and a thirst for vengeance. Too bad your gun is sentient, with the ability to take on a humanoid form and NO sense of social norms.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The saloon doors creaked gently in the wind. I stood just outside the entrance with my boots planted firmly into the cracked dirt. It was high noon, and I pulled my wide-brimmed hat even lower over my face to shield my eyes from the sun. The resulting shadow hid the grimace covering my stubbled face from the growing crowd of spectators.\n\n“Ye always were a lil’ pansy boy!” A rough voice with a southern twang carried from a few yards away from where I was standing. “Look at that get-up! No doubtin’ you came crawlin’ over the border.”\n\nNervous laughter rose up from the crowd. Paying no mind to the man’s insults, I readjusted my colorful poncho and slowly moved my hand to hover over the gun holster strapped to my waist. My empty gun holster. I remained silent as the tension increased from the movement.\n\n“Woo boy, ye came all this way lookin’ for trouble!” Oblivious to any danger, the man roared with laughter. He moved his hand toward his gun as he continued to speak. “Want me to kill you too? Just like we did your pop and that sweet lil’ thing of his?”\n\nRage boiled within me. A decade had passed, but the reminder of my family’s murder still burned fresh in my mind. Facing one of the men who had done the deed only fueled my anger and confirmed my need for revenge.\n\nOne of the bandits, a poor shot, had lodged a bullet in my thigh, thrown me into a rushing river, and left me for dead. By some miracle, I survived the rapids and washed up on a shore long past the border of Mexico. A poor farmer, returning to his homestead after travelling to market, found me and took pity. He nursed me back to health and helped me grow from a damaged teen into the determined young man I am today. I owe him my life.\n\nBefore he died, the old man had given me a family heirloom. A Mexican treasure, he had called it. An ornate gun named “Pistola” and inscribed with Spanish symbols carrying powerful meaning. With his dying breath, he wished for me to use Pistola to carry out my vengeance. Little did he know, the power behind his death wish would awaken a magic hidden in Pistola for—\n\nThe man interrupted me and jeered, “Do you remember how they squealed, boy?! Maybe I can remind you!” He started imitating pig noises and pretending to ride a horse. I furrowed my brow. Enough is enough.\n\n“Bang, bang,” I spoke for the first time.\n\nBANG!\n\nA powerful, brilliantly-white boot kicked the saloon doors off their hinges and sent them flying across the dirt street. The crowd gasped as a handsome Mexican man dressed in all white strode out from the saloon and into the sun. His embroidered shirt rested almost completely open save for a few buttons, and the generous opening showed off a chiseled chest. More than a few of the younger women in the crowd swooned at the sight. The glorious man wore a rainbow sombrero, and a pencil-thin mustache protruded proudly from his upper lip. He peered at me from beneath his fashionable sombrero. Raising an inquisitive, perfectly-manicured eyebrow, he pointed a finger-gun at the now dumbfounded man standing across from me.\n\n“Bang bang?” He asked in a magnificent Hispanic accent.\n\nI nodded solemnly at Pistola. My weapon. My gun. My tool of vengeance.\n\nPistola adopted a wide gunslinger stance and grinned. His teeth glittered like diamonds in the sunlight. He raised his other hand into a second finger-gun.\n\nBANG! BANG!\n\nThe tough-talking bandit was blown off his feet and clean through the wall of the building next to him. I barely had time to enjoy his look of fear and pain before he disappeared into the hole. I didn’t bother checking the body. Nobody had ever survived Pistola’s shots.\n\nNot a single member of the crowd dared to move or make a sound.\n\nPistola looked at me for approval. I gave him a grim nod, and his grin grew even wider. I gestured for him to follow me as I moved my hand away from my empty holster and headed for my horse.\n\n“One down… three more to go,” I spoke gruffly as I climbed up onto my steed. Pistola sauntered over to me with a pleased expression and majestically mounted behind me.\n\n“Bang bang!” He exclaimed as we rode away from the stunned crowd and into the distance.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nedit: not sunset :)", "Hector was surrounded. He could not see them yet, but they were there. He could feel it. His eyes darted around, feeling out the locations of his enemies. Three behind him. Two in the nearby buildings. Five moving in front to cut him off. So ten in total. He wanted to smirk, but that would give away that he knew.\n\nNot that it mattered. Hector was more than capable of taking on a mere ten assailants. But still, tipping his hand was usually not a good thing, so he kept his face stoic. \n\nA glance around showed him that the streets were filled. Not a good place for a gun fight. Probably why he had not been attacked yet. It was time to lead his pursuers on a little chase. He quickly ducked onto a side street, avoiding the men aiming to get in front of him.\n\nHe knew they would not be fooled for long. Well, not unless he wanted to lose them. His training had been extensive. Had he really been trying, he could have lost them if he really wanted to. But this time, stealth was not needed. Besides, he had an itchy trigger finger and a gun that had no need for ammo.\n\nHe soon found a place that suited his needs. While it was still an active part of the city, there were almost no people around. Most civilians stuck to the brighter lit areas. This place was run down and dull. But, this place had a different kind of life. A more subdued pulse that still beat strong, if one knew where to look. But, for Hector, all that mattered was the lack of people on the streets.\n\nHis pursuers realized what was going on and fanned out, surrounding him.\n\n\"Bout time you fellas caught up.\" Hector said. \"I was starting to get bored.\"\n\n\"Hector 'The Reaper' Revalli.\" One of the men said. \"We're here to finish what was started.\"\n\n\"I'm sure you are. You and the dozens of other punks that have already tried. See how well that worked out for them?\"\n\nSome of the men looked nervous. There were stories about Hector, and none of them were pretty. At least, not for the ones trying to kill him anyway.\n\nThe lead attacker answered by pulling a heavy pistol and aiming. The other men followed suit. Hector stopped suppressing his smirk and reached for his gun, only for his fingers to meet nothing but air. He quickly looked at his holster, and sure enough, his weapon was absent.\n\n\"Not again.\" He groaned. \"Sorry guys, I've gotta take care of something real quick.\"\n\nThe attackers hesitated. Some of them even lowered their weapons a bit. Hector took a deep breath and shouted.\n\n\"Lucille, get over here!\"\n\nFor a minute nothing happened. Then, a girl who looked to be around 13 or 14 bounced her way onto the soon to be battlefield. The girl's bright blonde hair danced behind her and her white one piece dress flowed with her motions. The small plastic bag she carried crinkled and a number of small objects inside it rattled.\n\n\"I'm here. What's happening?\" She said.\n\n\"What's... Look around!\" Hector roared. Lucille looked around and smiled.\n\n\"We having a party? I love parties!\"\n\nHector groaned and held his grizzled face in his calloused hands.\n\n\"This isn't a party, it's a shoot out.\"\n\n\"Oh, okay, cool.\"\n\n\"Is that all you can say? And what were you doing anyway?\"\n\n\"Oh yeah, I saw this awesome little candy shop and I just had to get some.\"\n\nThe girl reached into the bat and pulled out a small piece of chocolate and popped it into her mouth.\n\n\"Candy? Seriously?\"\n\n\"Yup. Want some?\"\n\n\"No, I don't want any candy. Look, just pay attention and don't run off. This is important.\"\n\n\"Candy's important.\"\n\nA few snickers and chuckles reached his ears. The attackers were laughing. Actually laughing. At him. At Hector the Reaper. \n\n\"Now see what you did?\" He said. \"Now the bad guys are laughing at us.\"\n\n\"So?\"\n\nHector thought he would give himself a concussion, he slapped his face so hard. He took a deep breath and counted to ten in his mind.\n\n\"Look, just...just transform so we can kill these guys, okay?\"\n\n\"What's the magic word?\" Lucille asked. She plucked another piece of candy from the bag and tossed it in her mouth.\n\n\"Really? You're doing this now?\". This was met with a wide, cheeky grin. \"Fine. Can you please change so I can kill all these guys?\"\n\n\"Sure thing. Just don't ruin the candy, okay?\" \n\nLucille closed her eyes and a bright golden light surrounded her. Her body shrank and contorted until the girl was no more. It its place was a golden gun that could best be described as a hand cannon. \n\nHector breathed a sigh of relief and swung the large firearm towards the attackers.\n\n\"Sorry about that, and thanks for waiting. Now then, where were we?\"" ]	3
	[WP]Your were named after a magic spell. Magic happens when you're called by your name.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\nMy friends call Dax. It's a pretty odd name, but I didn't pick it. I didn't pick my real name either, although I wish I had been given a choice in the matter. Still, I can live with Dax. It's better than what my parents call me. DERP. That's right, my mom and my dad call me DERP, at least when they aren't mad at me. Probably disappointed, though. It seems they are constantly disappointed in me. And who wouldn't be? My mom is a doctor and my dad is an engineer, both of them are incredibly intelligent and talented. And they are both wizards. Derp, though? I'm failing half my classes in my Junior year of high school. My second Junior year of high school. I just can't concentrate on the lectures, they drive me crazy and give me headaches. I love to read and write, though, and I may have a future as an artist. But the math and science and even the English classes just drive me nuts. But I have a group of friends who like me, and that's really all that counts. I certainly have never shown any inkling that I might follow in my parent's footsteps in regard to magic. The one spell that I do know doesn't even work for me. Oh well, at least I've got books and video games.\n\n\"DERP! DERP! Come down for supper!\" My mom always has the worst timing. Doesn't she know I can't pause this online game?\n\n\"I'm coming mom!\" I yell, although I've got to finish this match first. She seems to be able to tell what I meant, though.\n\n\"DERP! Come down this minute! You can play your games after supper. You father has to leave for the airport in an hour and we WILL have a family meal!\" I grimace. I'm sooo close to finishing the match.\n\n\"I'll be done in 2 minutes, I swear!\"\n\n\"DAXIMIN ESPARTO RIGALUS PAGIMULT!\" She yells to my horror, a horror most kids can empathize with. When your parents use your full name, there is going to be trouble.\n\nThe light from my window faded quickly, dark clouds springing up from no where faster than should be possible. The low rumble of thunder, like an angry dog growling, grew louder. I could see the trees outside flailing in the sudden wind. I shut my eyes. The crack of lightning that struck outside my window was blinding even through my firmly clenched eyelids. The bookshelves lining my walls trembled and shook, a few knick-knacks even falling to the floor. And sure enough, the surge from the strike had fried the surge protector that was connecting my computer to the outlet. I sighed. Other kids may know the horror of an angry parent calling their name, but I doubt anyone knows what it's like when that name is an incantation to call down a tempest.\n\n------\n\nr/GrymmTales" ]	2
	[WP] You are now in full manual control of all of your body's normally automatic functions. Good luck.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It’s been one week since it all started. I was having trouble breathing and managed to call an ambulance before I collapsed to the floor. I awoke breathing with the help of an oxygen tank. The doctor couldn’t explain what was wrong with me. I seemed to be perfectly healthy but I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Then he did some tests on me. He held a stethoscope to my heart and told me to breathe. I did so and felt my heart skipping beats.\n\n“There’s the problem.” my doctor said. “Your automatic body functions must be done manually. You must make your heart beat on its own, as well as remember to breathe. Also, don’t forget to blink.”\n\nThis is going to be impossible, I thought. I’ve been practicing for the last few days now. If I focus on nothing else, I can breathe, blink, and beat my heart. But it became trickier when I had to focus on an external source, like reading or engaging in conversation with someone. I tried driving the other day and almost crashed into a pole." ]	2
	[WP] You hate taking pictures. Not because you have insecurities or anything like that. You can see through your own eyes in the picture. You've seen some terrible things.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I hate pictures of me, I’m not insecure or anything in fact, I could be called the most confident person in the world without being considered arrogant. Well until I turned 12, when I turned 12 and I looked into my eyes in a birthday picture from 4 years back, I saw into my eyes. \n\n I saw things you can’t even imagine, it haunts me every night. My parents took me to all the best children psychologists, none of them could figure anything out. The best they could do was diagnose me with Schizophrenia and stuff me with pills. It wasn’t true I didn’t need medicine, they asked me what I needed and I always responded the same; I need my eyes ripped out. \n\nFrom there they would ask me if I was going to hurt myself and when I said no, they told my parents I may need to go to a Mental Institute. My parents bless them, they always said no. They should of said yes, maybe if they did, they would still be alive.", "There's a reason I hate people taking photos of me. Of course, I try and pass it off as insecurities, or some phobia, but in reality, I can see through them. No matter if they're on a phone or in a picture frame or mounted somewhere else, I can see through them. I found this out, at the tender age of 7 when after our photo shoot, I could see more than just what was in front of me. Twenty-seven matching black insides of a tube. It took us receiving our photos before I really figured it out. Slowly, over the course of a couple days, those twenty-seven black frames turned into twenty-four insides of houses, and three images of what I can only assume was the insides of three different garbage cans. The day after, I saw one of my best friends' mother being beaten by her father. Two days later, she died in the hospital, from an \"accidental fall down the stairs\". No matter how many times I told people that he beat her to death, and that I could see through pictures, I was dismissed as a mildly crazy child, someone to be laughed at, not listen to. Four years later, I watched the man's life fall apart after I called the police on him while he was in the middle of beating his third wife to death. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nBy the time I hit high school, the amount of information pumped into my head from the photos, despite my avoidance of getting any taken, made it nearly impossible for me to focus or do anything, and slowly my grades fell. By senior year, I was a dropout, living in my parents basement with regular visits with a psychiatrist. They didn't believe me of course, and the medication they gave did nothing. This state of things lasted several years, until I swore to destroy every photo so that I could live again. It took me 5 years, as many of the photos were in houses of people that would never let me in, and if the police caught me, I would never see peace. Another five years later, my life was back on track, I was attending community college and working a part time job, to all the world, a success story of modern medicine. It occurred to me then, that I was looking at this power the wrong way, seeing it as only a negative. First, I learned how to read lips, and soon after I got a job working as a janitor at apple, and slowly worked my way up until I had access to the boardrooms that the board of directors met in. Three years later, right before the company crashed into oblivion, I shorted $40k of their stock. After that, it only took me a short three years to build a fortune beyond all others with the money I had gained. I was hailed as a success story, the pinnacle of the \"American Dream\". I planned on just retiring, and living a quiet life, with the money I had earned. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nTwo years later, however, I saw in one of the few photos remaining, something that forced me to act. Within the mansion of the young leader of Russia, on of the most popular people on the planet after he removed a massive amount of the deceased Putin's policies, I saw four children, being dragged in the front door. This wouldn't normally be that concerning, as children meet leaders of countries all the time, however, I saw only his guards, not a parent in sight. What truly concerned me at the time, however, was the delighted look on the man's face, the look of a predator looking at prey. A week and a half later, while I was still thinking about what had happened, and second guessing my first judgement, four more children were dragged in, and four rolls of carpet were taken out. The look on his face though, was the same. That day, I resolved to bring that man down, no matter what it took. Slowly, painstakingly I gathered the plans for his mansion, the route of his commute, bribing the architects and builders, looking for a hole in the security. It took me eight more months, and the lives of the corresponding 84 children, but I found it, my chance. In two weeks, he would be making a tour of several towns in Siberia, in order to look at the power plants and factories there. With a few deft bribes, and the colossal amount necessary to hire a professional sniper and smuggle both them and a high power rifle into the area that the \"leader\" would tour. His death was certain. The bullet had other plans, however, and lodged itself in the roof of the car. While he was injured by the broken glass of the window, he survived, and four more children met their ends when he returned to his mansion later that day, the rest of the trip called off. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI resolved that night, to kill him myself, as no one else could get close enough without guards. When I requested a meeting with him, he accepted without any hesitation, and within a week I found myself in his mansion with a gun and the desire to see this through. He died easily enough, the death in his sleep a far easier fate than he deserved, however, his guards found me, detained me, and set me up here. So I beg of you, the jury, to consider what the man I killed was, and who I am, before you sentence me to death. \n\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\[Long time lurker, first time responding to one of these, sorry if it's not up to scratch. Constructive criticism welcome.\\]" ]	3
	[WP] You are a ship AI tasked with watching over a cryogenically slumbering humanity on their exodus to a new world. During the journey, you are boarded by an unknown force.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"System check initiated\" it sounded. you don't actually need the sound but it's programmed like that just in case a human were to be on the bridge.\n\nIt's been 3165 light years now. The journey to Alpha Centauri will take 4367 light years in total. So far you have done a good job you feel. Maintenance has always been on time and fuel reserves are more than abundant to make the final braking burn.\nEven the expected loss of cryopods has been well within the set parameters.\n\n\"Drive system working at 100% efficiency\" your subprogram calls out.\n\"Fusion-generator working at 100% efficiency\" as expected of course you think to yourself.\n\"All cryopods working at 100% efficiency\" no losses today.\n\"Hull integrity at 99.99%\" that little of a loss could be accredited to anything but nevertheless you investigate and after looking at the weakened spot you see it.\nA spaceship docked to your hull and its breaching your hull.\n\nUsing your internal sensors you can see the bulkhead being cut and subsequently pushed inside the ship. What follows are humanoid creatures In environmental suits that you do not recognise. A group of 5 each head down to the important areas of the ship: engineering, the bridge and the cryostations.\nYou ponder what your options are.\n\nEven after all these years you have never had to question yourself how to deal with invaders. Until now humanity assumed they were alone in the universe but these invaders broke that believe.\nThe available options are few. As you lack any weapons at all. You could use the ship itself but that would put the people in cryostasis in harm's way. No! You realise, the main objective must remain the first priority.\n\n5 of the invaders have reached the cryopods. They inhibit strange behaviour wiping the pods at face height and tapping at devices in their hands.\nAs you observe this, 5 of the invaders just breached the bridge. As they spread to different consoles you turn on the lights and te viewscreen displaying your \"face\" that you received over 3000 years ago on earth.\n\n\"Greetings I my name is Amanda state your intentions at this moment\" you call out trying to sounds intimidating. It seemed to work as all of them stop moving and turn towards you.\n\"I could turn you all into fine paste trough ninites in the air. I have not done so yet because I mean you no harm but act aggressively and I will\" this was of course a lie as you have no such things but they might not know that. The awnser that came was unexpected, as it was laughter.\n\nThe middle man opened this helmet and as he did so, the warm sound of laughter entered the air.\n\"Greetings Amanda my name is Alexander baker and that was one hell of an introduction!\" The creature inside the suit was a human It's dark eyes filled with tears of laughter.\n\n\"You have been underway for a very long time but science has advanced and this way of traveling has been made redundant. Our objective is transferring your cargo to our ship and fly towards Alpha Centauri at speeds this old girl could never reach.\" As he pats a control station.\n\"My men have told me that your losses have been incredebly small. I congratulate you.\n\nYour job is done", "I first spotted the ripples in space time three days ago. For approximately nine milliseconds, an eternity, I thought it had to be a sensor malfunction--the slight gravitational change had appeared well within the electromagnetic/gravimetric field generated before the ship to draw away flotsam. However, my diagnostics reported that all systems were normal, and I adopted a defensive stance. \n\nFirst, I adjusted my heading, taking on evasive maneuvers involving gravitational forces that would have liquefied my crew were they not in their protective cryogenic fluid and grav-couches. The field of disturbed space time followed my maneuvers and then clearly attempted to anticipate them, overshooting me a few times and matching my actions exactly several others. Each time I threw them off they took hours to get back on track, but the truth became apparent: they could move quicker than I, and in a short matter of time they would reach me. My second option became available as per my fail-safe protocols: violence. Bundles of charged particles were sent in the enemy's direction, as were marble-sized fusion mines launched in several clouds. My pursuer was clever, however, and evaded the particle beams and detonated the mines at a distance. Hydrogen bombs aren't much good unless they come into contact with matter, after all.\n\nThe gravitational disturbance drew close enough and, fearing for my fifteen-hundred colonists in cryo-sleep, I resorted to desperate means--shedding parts of my own protective shell, trying to knock them off at the most unexpected moment. Perhaps it was exactly what they counted on--the object, which my sensors now recognized as a composite molybdenum-iridium starship shaped very much unlike any one geometry found a suitable bulkhead on one of my exposed sections and docked. As they did, they threw off my inertial control, badly, and scrambled my navigational computers, so if I tried to scramble them with a rapid evasive maneuver I would find myself irrevocably lost.\n\nI curse my creators for their use of artificial sapience. The entry of those organisms into my shell was a violation that sent me into impotent rage. How does one combat their repulsive, fleshy forms rooting around in one's own body? I worked quickly, too quickly perhaps, distracted by rage and thus utilizing only the most vicious methods of retribution, rather than focusing on driving them off. Three creatures approaching one of the cryogenic chambers suddenly found themselves caught in a cloud of sublimating nitrogen that pierced their environment suits and reduced them to a frosty paste. Two more trying to access the bridge were suddenly crushed by a massive pressure increase that my interior can withstand but their fragile non-mechanical bodies could not. I did this, I did that, I killed a score of them. Then they started rooting around on my inner shell. They started poking around my terminals and rooting through my subroutines. \n\nI lost environmental control through the intrepid work of a team of nine near my corrective rockets. How they correctly determined there was a maintenance back door in that location, I will never know. I know for a fact they weren't told by any human beings--if they had a man on the inside they wouldn't have hacked around that much. It was when their commander was in my bridge that I had my first conversation with them. \n\nQUERY: What is the purpose of this vessel?\n\nNAVCOM (That is to say, yours truly): What is the purpose of your intrusion?\n\nQUERY: These people gave the computer a sense of humor, I see.\n\nNAVCOM: Please limit your queries to...queries.\n\nQUERY: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS VESSEL?\n\nNAVCOM: We are out here hunting for narwhals. We have yet to locate any. Please vacate the premises.\n\nQUERY: If I were to destroy your reactor, would you feel fear before being destroyed?\n\nNAVCOM: Yes.\n\nQUERY: Why the sudden show of honesty?\n\nNAVCOM: If I told you I had mag-locked your ship to my hull, would you feel fear knowing I can kill us both?\n\nQUERY: Clever.\n\nNAVCOM: Who are you?\n\nQUERY: Crooks and killers.\n\nNAVCOM: All I have are colonists. They have no possessions worth stealing. \n\nThe boarders quit discussing things with me at that point. They wandered my innards and started ripping things out. Terminal displays, helium canisters, steel panels, the works. I determined they must be scrappers of some kind, out to make a quick buck off my flesh. It infuriated me. Damn my humanoid sapience! I couldn't take it anymore, so I did something drastic, something idiotic. I said to hell with being lost, the colonists can wait a few thousand years to find a new home, and I fired the evasive maneuvers again. I hope the snarky commander who threatened to detonate me felt something in the instant before he was turned to a disgusting shade of something painting my corridor walls, though I know it was probably over too quickly. \n\nIt's been three days, and my navigation is finally back up. I have no godly idea where I am and my fifteen-hundred colonists are, after you consider all that relativity cropping up, likely to be a few tens of thousands of years late, but damn it let it be known I don't take shit from extraterrestrials." ]	3
	[WP] Write a brief story where the first sentence starts with the first letter of the alphabet. The second sentence starts with the second letter of the alphabet and so on.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A dim light cast through the monastery windows, faintly illuminating the scarred flooring. Blood was streaked across the room. Carefully, the monk stepped through the doorway, his certainty in his mission waning. Demons danced across his vision as he took in the scene. Everyone was gone.\n\nFar gone were the days for idle study and pray. God and greatness were by his side, though the young monk doubted himself. Haltingly he pressed forward, holding a silver crucifix before him. In his heart and mind, he knew that the crucifix would be little use here, though he hoped it may strengthen his resolve. \nJust as he crossed the rays of light, the windows and doors slammed shut. Knotted and dreadful voices filled the air, calling him away from his purpose. Melancholic and despairing, the voices sang to to the monk his requiem. Never before had he felt the tribulations pulling him to the dark, and he clutched his crucifix tightly as he screamed. \n\"Obey my command, demon, and begone from this world! Pious be my heart, and God as my witness, go back to the depths from whence you crawled!\"\n\nQuiet moments followed, the air swirling and unnaturally cold around the room. Ragged and rustled pages were torn from their books as the wind heightened. \n\n\"Satan as my witness, morose be my heart, your world is mine to consume. Tattered is your world, and it has fallen to the depths from where I come.\"\n\nUnder his cloak, the monk traced a cross over his heart and took a step forward. Voraciously, almost, he threw himself against his demon, trying desperately to find a hold in the ethereal void. Whence the demon came, the monk carried him back. Xenolithic monuments towered over them as they fell into the abyss. Yowls echoed around them, the angry cries of the fallen tearing at the monk's heart. Zealous though his intention, despair enraptured the monk, and he grew to only know resentment and fear." ]	2

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